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Guteza’s tainted affidavit exposes fabrications—Ridon By Rio N. Araja, Pot Chavez, Katrina Manubay and Rex Espiritu VOL. XXXIX • NO. 254 • 3 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2025 •
BICOL Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon yesterday called the forgery of the affidavit of Senate witness Orly Regala Guteza “a damning exposure
ICI: Charge Villanueva, Estrada, Co, 3 others Ombudsman to file graft cases vs. 15 officials
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
Sen. Joel Villanueva
Cong. Zaldy Co
Former Cong. Mitch Cajayon-Uy
COA Comm. Mario Lipana
of a coordinated political operation built entirely on lies and fabricated evidence.” “This ruling is a decisive vindication of fact over fiction. It reveals how falsehoods were deliberately engineered to mislead official inquiries Next page
• Sotto urges prudence in filing of cases • 2 senators deny getting kickbacks
Ex-Usec. Roberto Bernardo
By Rio Araja, Joel Zurbano, Ram Superable and Katrina Manubay
SC to designate special courts for flood infra cases
T
By Pot Chavez
HE Independent Commission for Infrastructure on Wednesday recommended the filing of criminal and administrative complaints against Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, resigned Ako Bicol partylist representative Zaldy Co, and three others before the Office of the Ombudsman over their possible involvement in allegedly anomalous flood control projects. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, for his part, confirmed that around 15 public officials will face graft charges before the Sandiganbayan over the flood infra mess either before or on November 25. Remulla said among the 15 public officials who will be charged are those linked to flood control projects in the provinces of Bulacan and Mindoro.
THE Supreme Court said it will designate special courts to exclusively hear and decide corruption-related cases involving
infrastructure projects once cases are filed. The SC en banc directed the Office of the Court Administrator to monitor the filing of cases involving corruption in infrastructure projects before
the regional trial courts. “Once such cases are filed, the SC will designate special courts to exclusively hear and decide corruption-related cases
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“The target is really by November 25. We will have cases in the Sandiganbayan already,” he said. The ICI, in its interim report, also recommended the filing of charges against Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario Lipana, former Caloocan City Rep. Mitzi CajayonUy, and former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
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ACCUSED. Independent Commission for
Infrastructure (ICI) Chairperson Andres Reyes, along with volunteer lawyers, file their recommendation with the Ombudsman to file charges against Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Zaldy Co, former Caloocan 2nd District representative Mitch Cajayon-Uy and COA Commissioner Mario Lipana for their alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects.
‘More officials PBBM signs anti-POGO law; applying for state benefits outweigh social costs witness status’ By Katrina Manubay and HALLOWEEN PROTEST. Students of the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Media and Communication dress up in Halloween costumes while holding an anti-corruption protest in front of Plaridel Hall. Edd Castro
PROSECUTOR General Richard Anthony Fadullon yesterday disclosed that more government officials are applying for state witness status with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with its investigation into anomalous flood control projects. Next page
Ram Superable
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed Republic Act (RA) No. 12312, or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, officially banning Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the country. Signed on October 23, the law
repeals RA No. 11590, which had previously imposed taxes on offshore gaming firms linked to various illegal activities, including human trafficking, kidnapping, and online scams. “To this end, offshore gaming operations in the Philippines are hereby banned and declared unlawful,” the law read. Next page
Marcos eyes inclusive, sustainable ‘future proof’ ASEAN PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed his commitment to charting a path toward inclusivity and sustainability to help build a “future-
proof” Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In a video message upon his return to Manila yesterday, Marcos affirmed
the Philippines’ readiness to host the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in 2026, with the theme, “Navigate our Next page Future, Together.”
Navy triples WPS patrols to bolster defense PNP orders soft By Katrina Manubay deployment for Undas nationwide THE Philippines has tripled its patrol coverage in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to bolster maritime defense and transparency amid renewed tensions with China, the National Maritime Council (NMC) announced on Tuesday. This as most Filipinos expressed satisfaction with the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) performance in the last
quarter, amid heightened tensions in the WPS. During the council’s third-quarter press briefing, NMC spokesman Undersecretary Alexander Lopez said the expanded patrol operations form part of a unified effort by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., on Wednesday ordered the “soft deployment” of policemen nationwide ahead of the expected surge of
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EARTH ADVOCATES. Miss Earth Representatives join members of Eco Waste Coalition at the Manila North cemetery in reminding visitors to take care of their trash as part of their annual Undas campaign ‘Bawas Basura at Polusyon sa Undas‘. Norman Cruz