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P6.45b lost from 747 idle DPWH projects—COA
Singson urges Congress to give ICI more teeth
By Rio N. Araja
By Joel E. Zurbano, Vito Barcelo and Charles Dantes FORMER Public Works Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson yesterday urged Congress to give the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) the legal and logistical backing needed to pursue its probe into the flood control anomalies, even as he encouraged lawmakers to pursue their own investigations. He issued the plea while insisting that his resignation as commissioner Next page
SENATE OKS BUDGET ON 2ND READING NEWS/ A2
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 293 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2025 •
THE government lost P6.45 billion in 2024 from more than 700 unusable or idle Department of Public Works and Highways infrastructure projects, the Commission on Audit (COA) said. Next page
‘Fighting corruption like a major cancer surgery’
PBBM: We are bleeding now, but we will heal very quickly By Charles Dantes
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the country is going through a "difficulty" now as he likened the fight against corruption to "a very major surgery...to excise a cancer." "When you have to excise a cancer out of such a complicated system, you need to do some very major surgery," Mr. Marcos during his year-end fellowship with the Malacañang Press Corps Wednesday evening. "And to do that, and when you do that, you will bleed. And that is what we had to go through. We had to go through that.” "We have to go all through that pain, go through the difficulty, go through the anguish the country is going through now. But we are Filipinos. We may be bleeding now, but we will also heal very, very quickly,” the President added. Despite the difficulty and public frustration, Mr. Marcos said the effort was necessary. "I hope that once we go through this, we will be able to look back on this and say, ‘Okay, what happened was difficult, but it had to be done, and the suffering we went through was worth it for the result we achieved.’ That is what we are hoping for," he said.
DAVAO BRIDGE INSPECTION.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inspects the newly-completed Bucana Bridge, also known as the 1.34-km Davao River Bridge, marking a major milestone in the ongoing development of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project. Story on A3. PCO
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Sandro shows up, Pulong rejects ICI invite By Joel Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos on Thursday showed resolve as he faced the In-
dependent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), authorizing the panel to release the video of his testimony and stressing he had nothing to hide, even as he sought an executive session solely to protect the integrity of the investigation — not himself. On the other hand, Davao City 1st
District Rep. Paolo Duterte formally declined the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) request for him to appear in its inquiry on alleged irregularities in flood-control projects in his district, declaring the body “powerless” over members of
PNP open to bounty for Zaldy; SEC cancels 2 Discaya firms
By Manila Standard
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has expressed openness to the possibility of the national government offering a reward for the capture of ex-Rep. Zaldy Co. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has revoked the corporate registrations of
THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on late Thursday afternoon reported that Tropical Depression "Wilma" is decelerating while moving over the Philippine Sea Next page east of Northern Samar.
and Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos is sworn in before his testimony is taken during an executive session by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Screen Grab GMA7
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Signal No. 1 up as ‘Wilma’ enters Visayas region
By Vince Lopez
PRESENT. House Majority Leader
two construction firms owned by the contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya for submitting false beneficial ownership information. Nartatez said they have been working closely with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Office of the President on all possible measures to fast-track efforts to locate and arrest the former lawmaker. Next page
PBBM hails Davao City bridge project By Charles Dantes and Cherrie Anne Villahermosa
CORRUPTION KILLS. An anti-corruption mural with the message ‘Corruption Kills Our Future’ is painted on a University of the Philippines wall along Katipunan Ave. in Quezon City. Manny Palmero
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday inspected the newly completed Bucana Bridge, a key segment of the ongoing Davao City bypass road project that he said will sharply cut travel time for motorists once it opens to the public this month. The President arrived in Davao City with Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon and other officials from the national government. The 1.3-kilometer bridge, scheduled for public opening on December 15, is projected to reduce travel time across the area from nearly two hours to as short as 20 to 25 minutes, according to the President. The structure forms part of the multi-year bypass network intended to ease congestion across the city’s major arteries. Next page