Vice President Sara Duterte questioned whether the proposed 2027 national budget is being used to pressure senator-judges in her impeachment trial. Senate leaders and Malacañang rejected the allegation, saying there is no basis to link budget deliberations to the trial.

The National Food Authority (NFA) has distanced itself from a proposed deal to import American rice, saying the arrangement is a private-sector initiative.

More Filipino families consider themselves poor, with 55% describing their households as mahirap in a September survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS).