THUNDERSTORM CAUSES HEAD-DEEP FLOODING IN QUEZON CITY By Joel E. Zurbano HEAVY rainfall resulted in flooding on major thoroughfares in Quezon City on Saturday, August 30. Turn to Page 4
MASSIVE FLOODING. Only the top part of a pickup truck can be seen in a flooded area along Mother Ignacia Ave. in Quezon City Saturday afternoon. The MMDA said the recorded volume of rainwater from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday reached 105 mm. Screengrab from ABS-CBN News
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VOL. XXXIX • NO. 196 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES AUGUST 31, 2025
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US appeals court finds global tariffs illegal; Trump to go to SC
Bonoan digs in as he cracks whip on execs House to summon DPWH, WORLD / A4
Study finds link between hot tropical days, hailstorms in PH NEWS / A2
Forms anti-graft body; reshuffles Batangas, Mimaropa officials
P
UBLIC Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Saturday continued to crack the whip of DPWH regional officials even as he remained firm he will not step down from his post despite mounting calls for his resignation over alleged irregularities in flood control projects. In a video message posted on the official DPWH Facebook page, Bonoan detailed several measures the department has taken, including the creation of an Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Committee, the preventive suspension of officials in Bulacan’s 1st District Engineering Office, and reassignment of regional and district
officials in Mimaropa (ReHe said the DPWH is gion 4B) and Batangas. also validating the ex“We want those guilty istence of flood control to be held accountable. projects across Central Let the guilty be jailed,” Luzon, Mimaropa, Westhe added. ern Visayas, Central VisaBut he underscored yas and Eastern Visayas, that giving up his posicovering works complettion is not the answer, ed between July 2022 adding that he is preand May 2025. Meanwhile, the Compared to take responsibilmission on Audit has ity for the controversies Manuel Bonoan launched a fraud auhounding the departDPWH Secretary dit into questionable ment. projects in Bulacan. “Leaving or avoiding responsibility is Bonoan also confirmed the suspension not the right way to find a solution. I will of Batangas district engineer Abelardo accept accountability. But remember, I Calalo, who was accused of attempting will not tolerate or allow any kind of corto bribe Batangas 1st District Rep. Leanruption,” he said. “This is heartbreaking and very painful dro Leviste. Calalo was arrested during a police operation in Taal, Batangas on to accept that these things are happening Aug. 22. under my watch, no matter how strict our Turn to Page 4 policy against corruption,” Bonoan added.
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By Maricel V. Cruz and Maricel Cruz THE Department of Public Works and Highways and the top 15 contractors of flood-control projects have been invited to attend the hearing of the House of Representatives amid allegations of substandard or even ghost projects, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Rido said. “We have also invited SYMS Construction Trading, which has been linked to ghost projects in Baliwag, Bulacan,” said Ridon, who heads the House Committee on Public Accounts, in a radio interview. He said the issue of accreditation-for-sale among contractors will also be discussed. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier disclosed that at least 15 contractors cornered a disproportionate share of flood control projects worth around P100 billion. Mr. Marcos earlier visited two flood-control projects in Bulacan – one in Baliwag that he described as a “ghost project” that was fully paid even though not a single meter of work was built, and another in Calumpit which had been declared finished in official records but was still visibly incomplete. Turn to Page 4
China warns PH: There’s price to pay for trampling on Taiwan ‘red line’
French ex-cop faces trial for raping Filipino children A FORMER officer with the police’s child protection unit in the southern French city of Marseille will face trial on Monday for allegedly raping and sexually abusing Filipino street children in Manila. The 46-year-old ex-policeman, who has been in custody for four years, was arrested after the head of a youth shelter reported that a 17-year-old resident, a rape victim, had been receiving inappropriate late-night messages from the lead officer on his case. Marseille prosecutors launched an investigation and raided the policeman’s home in June 2021, where they seized thousands of child pornography images. The probe led them to the Philippines, to where the man travelled each year as head of the French branch of a charity helping street children in Manila.
top 15 flood infra firms
By Katrina Manubay and Rex Espiritu
and has severely violated the basic norms in international relations and the Philippines’ own commitCHINA has warned the Philippines ment on Taiwan-related issues,” “there is a price to pay” for allegedly Guo said allowing Taiwanese Foreign MinisThe Chinese official also scored ter Lin Chia-lung to visit Manila this Manila for “fudging and hollowing week with a business contingent. out the one-China principle and “There is a price to hurting China-Philpay for trampling on ippines ties.” China’s red line, and asked Stop playing with fire theHe also all consequences arisPhilippines on issues concerning to “stop pursuing therefrom will be borne by the PhilipChina’s core interests. ing the wrong pines,” Chinese forcourse and return eign ministry spokes– Chinese foreign ministry to the right track person Guo Jiakun spokesperson Guo Jiakun at once” and to said. “stop playing He urged Manila to “stop sending with fire on issues concerning wrong signals to Taiwan independChina’s core interests.” ence separatists.” The Taiwanese delegation report“The Philippines, by letting Lin edly visited an area related to the Chia-lung visit the country as a Philippines’ Luzon Economic Corriso-called head of a foundation, dor infrastructure project, in which has provided a platform for ‘Taithe United States and Japan are also wan independence’ separatists involved. to engage in anti-China activities, Turn to Page 4
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HOLDING THE LINE. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno joins officers of the Association of Philippine Journalists – Samahang Plaridel Inc., headed by its president Evelyn Quiroz, during a wreath-laying ceremony marking at the monument of Marcelo H. Del Pilar to mark the 175th anniversary of the Filipino hero’s birth. Moreno underscored the importance of a free press: ‘Whether you are a journalist and someone who works in the government, communication is important for our people.’ Samahang Plaridel chairman and Manila Standard publisher Rolando Estabillo said just as Del Pilar fought to expose the plight of Filipinos during the Spanish regime, the media must continue to push for social change through passionate, truthful, and professional journalism. Also in attendance was Del Pila’s great granddaughter, Rica Pauline Villegas. Norman Cruz
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