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OUT Lucas Bersamin
IN Amenah Pangandaman
Ralph Recto
Frederick Go
Bersamin, Pangandaman quit Recto new executive secretary, Go takes over Finance post
• Resignations ‘out of delicadeza’
By Charles Dantes
E
XEACUTIVE Secretary Lucas Bersamin and • Toledo is DBM Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman have resigned officer in charge “out of delicadeza” after their names were mentioned during ongoing investigations into alleged anomalous flood control projects, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said. Next page
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 276 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025
Arrest warrants out by Dec. 15 vs. 3 sitting, 2 ex-senators—Remulla ICI to treat Co’s allegations with ‘grain of salt’ By Pot Chavez
ARREST warrants against Senators Francis Escudero, Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, as well as former senators Bong Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay, may be out by Dec. 15, Ombuds-
man Jesus Crispin Remulla said. In an interview with Facts First, Remulla said resigned Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co, former special envoy to China Maynard Ngu, and more than 20 members of the House of Representatives will be charged in the ini-
tial batch of cases. He said his office is also investigating Sen. Mark Villar as well as former senators Sonny Angara, now Education secretary, and Grace Poe. Incorporators of various private contractors, including spouses Curlee and
Sara Discaya, will also be charged. Remulla explained that Revilla, Binay and Estrada were mentioned in the signed affidavit of former Public Works Usec. Roberto Bernardo, while Villanueva was in the affidavit
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Beware of false prophets, warns church leader By Vito Barcelo LINGAYEN-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas cautioned the public against individuals or groups using public frustration over government corruption to advance personal or political interests. In a pastoral statement, Villegas said rising public anger has created an environment vulnerable to manipulation by those seeking influence through “intrigue and innuendo.” He urged the faithful to be wary of “false prophets” and “ambitious adventurists” who offer quick solutions that often mask self-serving motives. “We must be cunning in recognizing those who sow intrigue, as well as those who promise quick freedom or immediate fixes,” the archbishop said, adding “They often serve their own political ambitions rather than the common good. Not everything that glitters is gold.” Villegas, a protégé of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin and former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, rejected any call for violence or military intervention to Next page
LONG DAY. Iglesia ni Cristo members patiently wait for the program to start on the second day of their anti-corruption rally at Manila’s Rizal Park. In the background, anti-corruptions slogans are written on tarpaulins echoing the INC call for transparency in the current investigation into the billions lost to corruption in the flood control projects. Norman Araga Cruz
INC ends rally, says protest goals achieved By Pot Chavez Charles Dantes and Ram Superable THE Iglesia ni Cristo yesterday announced it was ending its rally after achieving its call for transparency and accountability in the government’s ongoing corruption
probe into the flood control projects. Police estimated a massive crowd of 600,000 at the Rizal Park in Manila as of 7:00 p.m last night. “It did not need three days to achieve the goal of sending the message that we are calling for justice, accountability,
transparency, and peace,” according to Ka Edwil Zabala, spokesperson of INC. Prior to the announcement, Brother Rommel Topacio, INC’s minister for evangelism, stressed that the principle of government is centered Next page
VP Sara hits gov’t insecurity; Answer charges first—Palace
OATH OF SERVICE.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. swears in Frederick Vida as the new secretary of the Department of Justice. PCO
VICE President Sara Duterte slammed what she described as a government driven by ‘insecurity and greed’, saying the people’s right to speak out must be respected and that the public deserves better. Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro on Monday pushed back against the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying no public official should claim the moral high ground while leaving corruption allegations unanswered.
In a video statement released on Monday, Nov. 17, Duterte acknowledged the public’s outrage, recalling her observations of how the House of Representatives manipulated the Department of Education’s (DepEd) budget before the flood control scandal broke out. “Instead of following the Department of Education’s priority list to address the severe classroom shortage, the funds meant for Filipino students were allegedly treated like pork barrel Next page
By Joel Zurbano THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) announced on Monday it will treat the allegations made by former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co, against President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. with ‘a grain of salt.’ In a three-part video series aired online from Friday to Sunday, Co claimed that the President gave instructions to insert P100 billion in the 2025 budget and received payoffs amounting to P25 billion. He also alleged that former Speaker Martin Romualdez threatened to kill him if he returned to the country. The ICI emphasized its commitment to focusing on factual evidence and objective assessments in its ongoing investigation. It reiterated that its recommendation to the Office of the Ombudsman will be based solely on verified information. On the allegations of Co, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said the ICI cannot consider it as evidence, saying it was not verified. “Under the rules of evidence, if Next page
DILG sets raps vs. 24 LGU officials By Vince Lopez DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla on Monday said they are set to file complaints against several local government officials, who were out of the country during the onslaught of back-to-back typhoons Tino and Uwan earlier this month. In an interview, Remulla said at least 24 individuals will face complaints, among them Cebu officials who flew to Europe for a vacation when Tino hit the province. Next page