PBBM marks 68th birthday with public service, job fairs, healthcare caravans By Charles Dantes and Maricel Cruz
RETURN OF AN ICON. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the launching of the Love Bus at the Valenzuela Gateway Terminal on Saturday, September 13, 2025. Mr. Marcos, who turned 68 yesterday, was joined by First Lady Liza Marcos during the sendoff ceremony of the revived 1970s-era Love Bus. Revoli Cortez
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. marked his 68th birthday with public service programs that focus on healthcare, more efficient transportation, and job generation. The President visited the Valenzuela Medical Center to personally check the implementation of the zero-balance billing (ZBB) policy, which aims to ensure that Filipinos, particularly the poor and vulnerable, can access affordable
and quality healthcare. Under the ZBB, patients in Department of Health-run hospitals no longer need to pay for medical services, medicines, or doctors’ professional fees. DOH data showed that daily average admissions in its hospitals increased to 4,067 from 3,297 after the policy’s announcement. Mr. Marcos, who was joined by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and their son, Joseph Simon Marcos, also led the relaunch of the “Love Bus,” the iconic 1970s transport service, as a fleet of electric buses offering free rides in Metro Manila.
The “Love Bus Libreng Sakay” program was unveiled at the Valenzuela Gateway Complex. “Please enjoy our new Love Bus to reduce fares, save a little, reduce traffic, and reduce pollution because it is electric,”Mr. Marcos said. The new fleet of 20 units will operate from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Persons with disabilities and senior citizens may ride for free at all times, while other commuters will have free rides during peak hours, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. All passengers can ride free for the month of September. Turn to Page 4
Ex-DPWH chief, SGV exec tapped for probe body
20 .00
IN METR
MANILAO
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 209 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES SEPTEMBER 14, 2025
www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Marcos yet to name commission chairman, picks Mayor Magalong as special investigator By Charles Dantes and Maricel Cruz
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday named the first members of an independent commission tasked with investigating a spiraling scandal into bogus flood control projects that has already seen numerous lawmakers implicated. Former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Rogelio Singson and certified public accountant Rossana Fajardo have been designated as two of the commission’s three members. Baguio City mayor Benjamin Magalong will serve as a special adviser and investigator. Mr. Marcos will name a commission chairman “in the coming days,” presidential press officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing yesterday.
?
Soon to be named ICI chairperson
Former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson ICI member
Public scrutiny of so-called ghost infrastructure projects has been intensifying since the President raised the issue in his July State of the Nation Address that followed weeks of deadly flooding. “None of them are connected to any agency or contractor that is under investigation,” Castro said of the fact-finding body’s members, who will probe infrastructure projects launched within the past 10 years. “As the President said multiple times, there will be no sacred cows here -- even relatives, friends and allies,” she added. Under Executive Order No. 94, the ICI is empowered to issue subpoenas, compel the production of documents, recommend criminal, civil, and administrative cases before the Department of Justice, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Civil Service Commission, and coordinate with other government agencies. Turn to Page 4
SGV & Co’s Country Managing Partner Rossana Fajardo ICI member
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong ICI special advisor
GRAND KALESA PARADE. The first-ever Fiesta de Bandas y Calesas is launched as part of the Manila Tourism & Creative Industries Month 2025 in collaboration with the Intramuros Administration. Norman Cruz
US, EU back PH vs. China’s Marcos backs anti-corruption movement—Palace ‘coercive’ sea nature reserve By Charles Dantes and Rex Espiritu
By Katrina Manubay and Pot Chavez THE United States and the European Union have backed the Philippines in protesting Beijing’s plan for a “nature reserve” on disputed Scarborough Shoal, saying it was part of a coercive strategy in the South China Sea. “The US stands with our Philippine ally in rejecting This is yet another China’s destabilizing plans to escoercive attempt tablish a ‘national to advance China’s nature reserve’ at Scarborough Reef,” interests at the US Secretary of expense of its State Marco Rubio on Friday (Saturneighbors and day, Manila time) regional stability. wrote on X. “This is yet another coercive at– US Secretary of State tempt to advance Marco Rubio China’s interests at the expense of its neighbors and regional stability,” he added. The European Union Delegation in Manila, for its part, urged parties to refrain from taking unilateral actions that may “alter the status quo” in the area.
“
Turn to Page 4
manilastandard.net
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. respects the people’s right to freedom of expression and supports any movement to fight corruption, Malacañang on Saturday said. “The President will always respect this freedom of expression. Whatever sentiments our countrymen are feeling right now, the President respects that,”Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.
Castro issued the statement as various groups prepare for a large demonstration on September 21 to condemn the reported corruption in floodcontrol projects. She said Mr. Marcos supports the expression of public grievances, which she described as “a fight against corruption.” “We only pray that their sentiments
would not be taken advantage of by people with ill intentions toward the government who aim to destabilize it,” Castro said. The President shone the spotlight on substandard and even“ghost”flood-control projects in his fourth State of the Nation Address in July, following a series of typhoons that left a trail of devastation across several parts of the country. Turn to Page 4
CALL FOR JUSTICE. Militant groups demand for the prosecution of individuals involved
in ‘ghost’ flood-control projects during the ‘Martsa Laban sa Korapsyon’ from Edsa Shrine to the People Power Monument along EDSA on Saturday, September 13, 2025. Manny Palmero
@ManilaStandardPH
@mnlstandardph
@manilastandard
@ManilaStandardYT
Bonoan’s alleged links to Bulacan contractor to be probed—Palace By Charles Dantes MALACAÑANG on Saturday said the alleged links of former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan to a Bulacan contractor will be investigated. In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President has already been briefed on the recent developments involving the former DPWH chief. “As we said earlier, no friends, no allies, no relatives will be spared. Everyone who needs to be investigated will be investigated,” she said. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has already asked the Department of Justice to issue an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against Bonoan, along with Candaba, Pampanga Mayor Rene Maglangue, officials of MBB Global Properties Corp., and other contractors allegedly involved in botched floodcontrol projects. Turn to Page 4
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net . For advertisement: email: advertise@manilastandard.net •09173382170 / 85646229