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GARAFIL IS NEW HOUSE SEC-GEN NEWS / A3
IT-BPM TO EMPLOY 1.97M BY 2026 BUSINESS / B1 VOL. XXXIX • NO. 221 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025
Alcantara starts pointing fingers • Rep. Zaldy Co now out of US — report, NEWS, A3 • Grace Poe denies role in small committee, NEWS, A3 • Senate to end Blue Ribbon hearings, NEWS, A2 By Ram Superable and Pot Chavez
F
ORMER Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara directly implicated former House Committee on Appropriations chairman and Ako Bicol party-list Zaldy Co, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Senator Joel Villanueva, former Senator Bong Revilla, former Caloocan 2nd district Rep. Mitch Cajayon-Uy, and former Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo in a multibillion-peso corruption scheme involving the government’s flood control projects. Next page
Estrada
Revilla
Engineer Henry Alcantara (top right photo) confesses participation in the plunder of the flood control funds and named his superior, Usec. Romeo Bernardo, former House appropriations chair Zaldy Co, former Caloocan solon Mitch Cajayon Uy, Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva, and former Sen. Bong Revilla as beneficiaries of the billions in kickbacks arising from the anomalous deals. Bottom center photo shows Blue Ribbon committee chair, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Senators Tito Sotto and Erwin Tulfo during yesterday’s hearing. Lino Santos
(Mayoral Period, ICC “charged period”) • Establishment & command of DDS. • Systematic killings of alleged criminals.
30 Jun 2016 – 16 Mar 2019 (Presidential Period)
Co
Cajayon-Uy
By Ram Superable THE Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) yesterday confirmed that it has started a preliminary inquiry into contractors and public officials involved in the rigging of government infrastructure contracts during Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings. Next page
Prosecutors file murder raps vs. Rody INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court prosecutors have charged former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs.” A heavily redacted charge sheet dated July 4 but only made public on Monday lays out the ac-
cusations against the 80-year-old former leader, currently sitting in ICC detention in The Hague. The first count concerns his alleged involvement as a co-perpetrator in 19 murders carried out between 2013 and 2016 while Duterte was mayor of Davao City. Next page
• National expansion via “War on Drugs.” • National Network formed (PNP, PDEA, BuCor, NBI + non-police assets). • “PRRD List” introduced: highvalue targets charted, killings incentivized.
Duterte’s Role
NANDO’S WRATH. A landslide
partially buried vehicles and houses, left photo, at the height of Supertyphoon Nando’s fury in Suyo, Sagada, Mountain Province. At right, a fishing boat lies on a street in Calayan island. Bangan Ed Pagang, Jeo Arirao –MDRRMO Calayan
Policy Maker: Designed and promoted “Double Barrel” anti-drug campaign. Commander: Exercised de jure & de facto control over police, DDS, and National Network. Authorizer: Publicly endorsed killings, named suspects, and sanctioned operations. Provider: Supplied logistical resources, weapons, funding, and personnel. Protector: Promised immunity and protection for perpetrators.
Bernardo
Bid rigging, document tampering in DPWH under close scrutiny
CONFESSION. Dismissed Bulacan Public Works and Highways District
From 1 Nov 2011 to 30 Jun 2016
Villanueva
PBBM signs revised right of way law By Charles Arvin Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed Republic Act No. 12289, or the Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act, which seeks to speed up land acquisition for infrastructure projects while ensuring fair compensation for affected landowners and families. Enacted on Sept. 12, the new law amends Republic Act No. 10752, the Right-of-Way Act of 2016, and introduces updated guidelines on valuation, expropriation, and relocation. Property prices will be determined using the valuation system under the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act of 2024 or, in its absence, the Bureau of Internal Next page
‘Nando’ leaves 3 dead, 5 missing as ‘Opong’ heads for PH By Rex Espiritu and Rio N. Araja THE confluence of tropical storms Mirasol and super typhoon Nando left three dead, nine injured, and five missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Manage-
ment Council (NDRRMC). In its latest bulletin, the NDRRMC said however that it was still validating the casualty reports. The agency also reported that more than 35,000 families, or about 123,00 individuals,
have been affected by the storm. It added that 24 roads and eight bridges remained impassable, while operations at 34 seaports were still suspended due to rough seas.
PDP denies hand in Sept. 21 rioting By Pot Chavez and Vince Lopez
tions that three of its leaders were behind the disturbance. “The [PDP] condemns, in the strongest posTHE Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) said it has nothing to do with the commotion that sible terms, the violence that erupted yesterday transpired during the anti-corruption rallies during the anti-corruption rallies in Metro Manila... At the same time, we also condemn just as held on Sunday. The party issued the denial following allegaNext page
Duterte at the ICC: Timeline of Charges (2011–2019)
Crimes Against Humanity – Murder (Article 7, Rome Statute)
Source: International Criminal Court (ICC), Document Containing the Charges, 22 Sept 2025.
Legal Basis
Article 7(1)(a): Crimes against humanity (murder). Article 25(3)(a): Indirect co-perpetration. Article 25(3)(b): Ordering/inducing. Article 25(3)(c): Aiding and abetting.
Next page
PH welcomes recognition of Palestine state By Katrina Manubay THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said that the Philippines welcomes the recognition of various states of the State of Palestine during the High-Level International Conference in New York on Tuesday, September 23. In a post on X, the DFA stated that the conference gathered countries Next page