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ICI inspects QC anomalous flood control projects By Rio N. Araja MEMBERS of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Thursday visited areas in Quezon City where Mayor Joy Belmonte had discovered anomalous flood control projects. Former Supreme Court associate justice Andres Reyes Jr., ICI chairperson; ex-Public Works secretary Rogelio Singson; Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, ICI special adviser; and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon joined Belmonte in the inspection
FIELD WORK. Members of the Independent
Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) check out the findings made by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte alleging anomalous flood control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways. With Belmonte and DPWH Secretary Vince Hizon are ICI Chairperson retired Justice Andres Reyes Jr., and ICI members, former DPWH Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson, SGV and Co. Country Managing Director Rosanna Fajardo and Baguio City Mayor and ICI Special Adviser Benjamin Magalong. QC Mayor Joy Belmonte FB
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Senate secures whistleblower, detains Discaya, 3 ex-DPWH men THE SENATE’S Blue Ribbon Committee placed a contractor under its protective custody even as it ordered the detention of another contractor and three former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials during yesterday’s resumption of its probe into corruption in flood
control projects. The recipient of the chamber’s protection was SYMS Construction Trading proprietor Sally Santos, who earlier testified that she had lent her contractor’s license to other companies, including Wawao Builders. Next page
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 214 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 •
‘P289-b Headinginsertions headingdone in bicam’ DPWH admits 2025 budget hike not from House small committee
By Maricel V. Cruz, Ram Superable, Darwin Amojelar and Vito Barcelo
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HE Department of Public Works and Highways said the controversial P289 billion “insertions” in the 2025 budget came from the bicameral conference committee and not from the House of Representatives "small committee." This came after Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo asked DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon and other officials to confirm the matter during the agency's budget briefing yesterday. Quimbo said the House actually reduced the DPWH budget by P73.7 billion, from P898 billion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to P825 billion when it transmitted the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) to the Senate. "If it was reduced here at the House, how could we have done the
insertion? Reduced by P73.7 billion by the House -- so how can you have an insertion?" Quimbo said. However, he said the DPWH budget ballooned to P1.13 trillion, an increase of nearly P289 billion, after the bicameral meeting. DPWH pfficials confirmed Quimbo’s account. Public Works Usec. Ador Canlas and Director Alex Bote said the department had no knowledge of the changes after the Senate plenary
SERVING THE NEEDY. President
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Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joins Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, and DSWD Undersecretary for Innovations Edu Punay in a group photo with staff members of the ‘Walang Gutom’ kitchen in Pasay City. Inset shows the President and DSWD serving meals during his visit. Presidential Communications Office
NCRPO ready for contingencies during Sept. 21 protests—Aberin By Vince Lopez THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Thursday gave assurance they are ready and capable to enforce peace and order during massive protest rallies set on Sept. 21. The assurance was made following reports that pro-Duterte groups might join the rallies in Luneta and EDSA,
‘Nando’ to bring rains this weekend NEWS / A2 which could lead to confrontations. In a text message to Manila Standard, NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin said his men were ready to implement peace and order measures if the protesters turned violent during Next page the rallies.
Gretchen Baretto files affidavit on ‘sabungeros’ case Actress Gretchen Barretto arrives at the Department of Justice (DOJ) office yesterday to file her counter affidavit in relation to the case of ‘missing sabungeros’ Baretto has been linked to the disappearance and alleged execution of the cockfighting enthusiasts by one of the whistleblowers in the case. Norman Cruz
By Pot Chavez ACTRESS Gretchen Barretto personally filed on Thursday her counter-affidavit in relation to her alleged involvement in the case of missing 'sabungeros' (cockfighting enthusiasts). In an interview with justice reporters, lawyer Alma Mallonga, Next page
PBBM serves meals at ‘Walang Gutom’ center By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday highlighted his administration’s campaign against hunger by visiting the Walang Gutom Kitchen (WGK) in Pasay City, where he personally served meals to street dwellers and families in crisis.
The facility, which opened in December last year, is the first site under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) feeding initiative aimed at providing daily hot meals to vulnerable Filipinos. It caters to about 600 beneficiaries a day, serving breakfast and lunch from Monday to Sunday.
President Marcos, wearing the red apron and cap of WGK volunteers, distributed rice, meat, noodles, soup, vegetables, and fruit to clients of the kitchen before sitting down to share the meal. Beneficiaries later surprised him with a birthday song, while the DSWD presented him with a cake bearing the program’s logo. Next page
Solons, FOBAP laud Romualdez’ leadership By Maricel V. Cruz and Othel V. Campos The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution commending former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez of Leyte for what members described as
distinguished and transformative leadership that strengthened lawmaking, even as he voluntarily relinquished the speakership to allow an independent investigation to proceed freely. House Resolution (HR) 287 notes that under Romualdez’s ‘‘competent and prudent leadership,’’ the cham-
ber achieved unprecedented legislative productivity, acting on 13,971 measures, approving 1,597 and turning more than 350 into laws during the 19th Congress. This, the measure said, set ‘‘a new standard for efficiency and purpose in Philippine legislative history.’’ Next page