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15 gov’t contractors about to lose PCAB licenses—Roque TRADE and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque on Wednesday said revocation of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) licenses issued to the top 15 flood control contractors as disclosed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is in the final stages.
Fire hits DPWH bldg.; NBI, BFP to probe cause By Vince Lopez, Rio Araja and Darwin Amojelar VOL. XXXIX • NO. 247 • 3 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2025 •
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ICI to start livestream of hearings next week
A BUILDING of the Department of Public Works and Highways at Brgy. Pinyahan in Quezon City caught fire on Wednesday, reaching the third alarm before firefighters put it out after about an hour and 10 minutes. The DPWH- Bureau of Research and Standards is the research and standards-setting arm of the agency Next page
Lawmakers welcome move for more transparency By Joel Zurbano, Maricel Cruz and Charles Dantes Ombudsman Boying Remulla
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HE Independent Commission for Infrastructure will livestream its hearings on the flood control controversy beginning next week, ICI chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said during yesterday’s Senate hearing. "We will try our best to be able to do a full-blast investigation of all this fraud. We don’t have the facility, we don’t have the rules of procedure, but we will already shorten the procedure in spite of no rules allowing us,” he said. “We will now go on livestream next week once we get to be able to have the technical capability with us already," Reyes added. Reyes, along with ICI commissioner Rogelio Singson, appeared at the Senate to discuss a bill seeking to create an Independent People's Commission (IPC) tasked to investigate anomalies in all government infrastructure projects. Malacañang, which earlier backed calls for the ICI to be more transparent in its probe into alleged substandard
and even “ghost” flood control projects, said the decision to livestream the proceedings was entirely up to the fact-finding body. Both the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the Iglesia Ni Cristo have called on the ICI to allow the public to watch hearings of its investigation. "The matter rests with the ICI," Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a message to reporters. "Whatever they deem appropriate to show their impartial proceedings is within their discretion," she added. Several members of the House of Representatives expressed support for the ICI proceedings livestreaming.
FIRE AT DPWH BUILDING. Smoke rises
from the fire that broke out yesterday at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) Building at Brgy. Pinyahan along EDSA, Quezon City. The started at around 12:40 p.m. in the afternoon and was declared fire out by 1:50 p.m. Philippine Emergency Alerts.
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Ngu no longer special envoy to China—Palace By Charles Dantes MALACAÑANG confirmed that businessman Maynard Ngu is no
EXHIBIT. President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. checks out one of the booths at the
Mining Philippines 2025 International Conference and Exhibition in Taguig City on October 22, 2025. With him is Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Lotilla. RTVM / Screenshot
PBBM warns vs. destructive mining By Charles Dantes and Othel V. Campos PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said that the administration will not tolerate any “destructive†mining practices, stressing there is no room for irre-
sponsible operations in the country. In his keynote address at the opening of the Mining Philippines 2025 International Conference and Exhibition in Taguig City, Marcos emphasized stricter law enforcement to protect the environment from reckless mining. Next page
longer serving as special envoy to China for trade, investments, and tourism, following the expiration of his 6-month term in August.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said Wednesday that Ngu’s Next page
Supreme Court, House open SALNs to public By Pot Chavez and Maricel Cruz THE Supreme Court (SC) yesterday announced that copies of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of the justices can be requested online. Next page
QUICK RESPONSE. The Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI) led by Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica and Rep. Gina de Venecia, spearheaded the raising of P1.1M among the lady legislators for earthquake relief. The funds for Davao at P500,000 and Cebu at P600,000 were turned over on October 21, 2025 and October 13, 2025, respectively, to the Congressional Representatives of 1st District, Davao Oriental Rep. Nelson “JR" Dayanghirang, and 4th District, Cebu Rep. Sun Judal Shimura.