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PAGCOR reports loss as e-gamblers go underground
Solon to DPWH chief: Mahiya ka naman, resign now By Maricel V. Cruz and Ram Superable A LAWMAKER yesterday demanded the resignation of Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan amid perceived irregularities in flood control projects. "Mahiya ka naman (Shame on you). Resign now," Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Benitez said in a statement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed anger over a nonexistent P55-million riverwall project in Barangay Piel in Baliuag, Bulacan. Benitez noted that during the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Tuesday, Bonoan admitted being aware of “ghost” flood control projects in many parts of the country. Next page
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 186 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2025 •
ONLINE gambling transactions have dropped by 50 percent since the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) prohibited e-wallets from linking to online gaming platforms, the state-run gaming company reported yesterday "This is to inform the public that Next page
PBBM hits ‘ghost’ flood control project in Bulacan Warns contractors face criminal, economic sabotage raps By Charles Dantes, Ram Superable, Maricel Cruz and Pot Chavez
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RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. blew his top yesterday over a P55.7million flood control project in Baliuag, Bulacan that he described as a “ghost project,” noting that the government had fully paid for the contract even though not a single meter of work was built.
GHOST. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.
expressed disgust over the discovery of ‘ghost’ flood control projects in Bulacan during his inspection of a riverwall project in Barangay Piel, Baliuag. Despite records showing a completed 220-meter project worth P55 million, Marcos found that no actual work had been done. He clarified that he was not merely disappointed, but ‘very angry’ over the deception and ongoing flooding issues. PPA Pool
"Extremely. Well, more than disappointed. I’m actually getting very angry," Mr. Marcos said after inspecting a supposed reinforced concrete riverwall in Barangay Piel where he found no trace of construction despite records showing it as 100 percent complete as of June. "Not a single day of work was done. Nothing. And yet they reported it as completed. We can’t see a single Next page
US seeks Quiboloy’s extradition, but DOJ spokes says trial first THE United States is seeking the extradition of Filipino televangelist Apollo Quiboloy who is wanted in the US for multiple charges, including child sex trafficking, engaging in sex with minors, fraud, and money laundering. Documents supporting the US re-
quest to extradite Quiboloy were transmitted to the Philippine Department of Justice last June, according to Philippine envoy to the US, Jose Manuel 'Babe' Romualdez. “The US is seriously seeking the extradition request and taking the necessary Next page
Palace official brands VP Sara’s stint as DepEd secretary a ‘failure’ MALACAÑANG branded Vice President Sara Duterte’s stint as education secretary a “complete failure” after she criticized the Philippines’ lagging education system. In a press briefing yesterday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Duterte’s claim that the country re-
mains stuck in “paper and pencil” learning methods only mirrors her shortcomings while leading the Department of Education (DepEd). “She was given the chance, she was entrusted by the President from 2022 to 2024 to be DepEd Secretary. She Next page
RALLYING THE TROOPS. General Romeo S Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), reaffirms the military's commitment to peace and democratic stability during a command conference with officers in Mindanao. With the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) preparing for its historic first regular parliamentary elections, General Brawner emphasized the AFP's crucial responsibility in ensuring an orderly and peaceful electoral process. PAOAFP
PAG-IBIG’s ‘early bird’ promo a welcome relief—Speaker By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday lauded the Pag-IBIG Fund’s early bird promo granting a 10-year, three-percent subsidized interest rate to the first 30,000 borrowers
under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program. He described the initiative as a welcome relief for first-time homebuyers and a vital step in helping them achieve their dream of homeownership.
Romualdez also commended the Pag-IBIG Fund for its efforts to make socialized housing more accessible to low-income households, urging the state-run institution to continue innovating in fulfilling its mandate. Next page
Cops nab Comelec chief’s thief but no cash recovered By Joel E. Zurbano COURTESY CALL. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez joins Laguna
Governor Sol Aragones and Biñan Lone District Rep. Arman Dimaguila Jr. for a photo during her courtesy call yesterday at the Speaker’s Office in the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno
POLICE arrested Wednesday one of those responsible for the theft of Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Erwin Garcia’s bag at a local restaurant in Pasay City. Next page
RECOVERED. Pasay City Police recover some valuable items stolen by thieves from Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia. Southern Police District