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Volume 24 - No. 43 • 12 Pages
T h e F i l i p i n o A m e r i ca n C o m mu n i t y N e ws pa p e r
Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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DATELINE
October 24-30, 2025
DPWH files graft, malversation cases as ICI probe widens
USA
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM across America
Nevada senators call for end to shutdown, tie talks to health-care subsidy crisis Nevada’s Democratic U.S. senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, are urging Congress to end the federal government shutdown and link its resolution to protecting premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). They say the subsidies are essential to keeping health coverage affordable for thousands of Nevada families. Core of the stalemate The shutdown began after Congress failed to pass a funding resolution, leaving Senate Republicans and Democrats divided over whether health-care subsidies should be part of the deal. At issue is the expiration of enhanced ACA premium tax credits that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and are set to lapse at the end of the year. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that premiums for subsidized marketplace enrollees could more than double if Congress fails to extend the credits. Cortez Masto, one of only two Democrats who supported a GOPbacked funding bill, said she did so “in good faith” to show bipartisanship but criticized Republican leaders for refusing to negotiate.
Dizon says agency is providing full support to independent commission by AJPress MANILA — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has filed criminal and administrative complaints for malversation of public funds and graft against officials and contractors allegedly involved in irregular flood control projects, Secretary Vince Dizon announced on Thursday, October 23. “Nag-file na kami ng kaso at magsisimula na rin kami ng dismissal proceedings against them… DPWH is here to support the ICI, we are the ones providing the documents, all the information, especially on ghost proj-
ects,” Dizon told reporters. (“We have already filed cases and will begin dismissal proceedings against them… The DPWH is here to support the ICI; we are the ones providing documents and all information, especially on ghost projects.”) “Ang napagkasunduan namin, ‘pag itong mga proyektong ito makikita natin to be either ghost or substandard, ang DPWH po will be filing the verified complaint para po mas mapabilis ‘yung proseso.” (“We have agreed that if these projects are found to be ghost or substandard, the DPWH will file the verified complaint to speed up the process.”)
Dizon said the agency is working closely with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in September 2025 through Executive Order No. 94, to investigate questionable infrastructure projects nationwide. He added that the DPWH is providing the ICI with project records, inspection reports, and engineering data to verify the existence and quality of thousands of flood-control works. 22 individuals charged before Ombudsman The complaints, jointly filed by Dizon and ICI chairu PAGE 2
Lacson to reassume Senate Blue Ribbon chairmanship in November, Sotto confirms Senate President Vicente Sotto III confirms that Senator Panfilo Lacson will reassume the Blue Ribbon Committee chairmanship on November 10, with Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano pledging cooperation as the committee resumes its flood-control probe
u PAGE 2
GOP’s gains in Clark County reshape Nevada’s political map but 2026 could tell a different story Republican growth in Las Vegas’ urban core signals shifting voter behavior, yet analysts warn that Trump-era momentum may not last through the 2026 midterms
LAS VEGAS — Clark County, the population and political heart of Nevada, remains solidly blue—but recent data show the Republican Party narrowing margins in ways that could reshape future elections. The GOP’s stronger-than-usual showing in the 2024 cycle, especially within Las Vegas’ urban core, is giving strategists from both parties reason to recalibrate ahead of 2026. According to precinct and county-commission level analyses from The Nevada Independent, former President Donald Trump u PAGE 2
by AJPress
ACCOUNTABILITY SOUGHT. A protester holds a placard calling for accountability amid alleged corruption surrounding government infrastructure projects during a rally at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., through Executive Order 94, has already created an independent fact-finding body to look into the supposed irregularities in flood control and other infrastructure projects. PNA photo by Yancy Lim
As Quiboloy case advances, court rejects hospital plea and prepares for key witness testimony by AJPress The legal battle surrounding Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), is gaining momentum as the Pasig Regional Trial Court denied his request for hospital arrest and prosecutors prepare to call former police chief Nicolas Torre III as a state witness in the widening
Leylah Fernandez claims her fifth career title at the Japan Open Leylah Fernandez, the Filipina-EcuadorianCanadian tennis star, wins her fifth career WTA title at the Japan Open in Osaka after a three-set victory over Czech teenager Tereza Valentova by AJPress
Photo from Instagram/@leylahannietennis
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has confirmed that Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson will reassume the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (commonly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee) when the Senate reconvenes on Monday, November 10, 2025. Sotto described Lacson’s return as “100 percent certain,” saying committee members are set to meet ahead of or immediately after the break to formalize his u PAGE 3
OSAKA, Japan — Canadian tennis star Leylah Annie Fernandez, captured her fifth career WTA singles title at the 2025 Kinoshita Group Japan Open in Osaka after defeating 18-yearold Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova in a thrilling three-set final, 6-0, 5-7, 6-3. The 23-year-old left-hander u PAGE 4
trafficking and abuse case. Court denies hospital arrest request The Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 159 rejected Quiboloy’s plea to be transferred to a private hospital, ruling that his medical care while in detention remains sufficient. The order, dated October 8 and made public this week, stated that there was u PAGE 4
USCIS launches new ICC rejects Duterte’s US citizenship test jurisdiction challenge
Applicants filing after October 20 face longer, tougher civics exam by AJPress WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially launched a new version of the U.S. citizenship civics test, which took effect on October 20, 2025, for applicants filing their Form N-400 on or after that date. The new exam is part of the agency’s broader effort to “enhance the consistency, integrity, and fairness” of the naturalization process.
USCIS launched a new U.S. citizenship civics test on October 20, 2025, featuring 20 oral questions from a 128-question bank and a higher passing threshold. The change marks the most significant update to the naturalization exam in nearly a decade and affects all applicants moving forward. Under the new guidelines, applicants will answer up to 20 oral civics questions randomly drawn from a 128-question u PAGE 4
Former President Rodrigo Duterte
Philstar.com file photo
by Cristina Chi
president, who has been held at The Hague since March, is fit to stand trial. In a ruling released Thursday, October 23, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I unanimously dismissed Duterte's legal challenge, finding that the ICC prosecutor's preliminary examination launched in February 2018 — before the Philippines' withdrawal took effect — was sufficient to preserve the court's jurisdiction over Duterte's alleged crimes. The chamber "finds that the Court can exercise its jurisdiction in the present case over the crimes u PAGE 4
Philstar.com
MANILA — The International Criminal Court has ruled that it has the jurisdiction to prosecute former President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity, rejecting his argument that the Philippines' withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2018 stripped the ICC's authority over the case. This defeats the Duterte camp's main legal attempt to prevent an actual trial from taking place — leaving only the question of whether the former