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Santos taken in as provisional state witness—DOJ
DILG rules out foul play but NBI says polygraph an option for Cabral driver
By Pot Chavez SYMS Construction Trading owner Sally Santos is now provisionally admitted as state witness into the Witness Protection Program (WPP), according to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday. Next page
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 312 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2025 •
Ombudsman secures Cabral files, computer
Lacson, Ridon question Leviste claims on so-called ‘Cabral list’ By Pot Chavez, Vito Barcelo, Ram Superable and Maricel Cruz
T
HE Department of Public Works and Highways yesterday turned over to the Ombudsman the computer and 10 years’ worth of files from the office of the late undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, but it was not clear if the so-called “Cabral list” of proponents of insertions in the 2025 budget of the DPWH was part of the documents.
"The CPU and files of Usec. Cabral have been sealed and delivered to the custody of the Office of the Ombudsman. It will remain sealed until we are able to do a digital forensic test," Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said. As this developed, S e n ate and House leaders
challenged the disclosure of Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste on Monday that the so-called Cabral list, which he claimed he has a copy of since September 4, showed all senators, including his mother Senator Loren Legarda, and congressmen had insertions in the 2025 budget for projects lodged under the DPWH. "Congressman Leviste should at least qualify his statement with the
By Vince Lopez INTERIOR Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the DILG and the Philippine National Police have now completely ruled out foul play in the death of former Public Works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, but the National Bureau of Investigation said her driver may still be asked to undergo a lie detector test if necessary. “Yes (foul play has been ruled out),” Remulla said in a press briefing yesterday. But for NBI spokesman Palmer Mallari, Cabral’s driver Ricardo Hernandez may still be made to undergo a lie detector test if investigators find it necessary to check his statement on Next page
IF WIFE SAYS YES, JONVIC READY FOR 2028 RUN NEWS/ A2
X’MAS EVE FOR PINOYS SPOTLIGHT/ C1
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CABRAL FILES.
The Office of the Ombudsman receives from officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways the documents and electronic devices under the possession of the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Maria Catalina Cabral. DPWH
Marcos to work on budget during X’mas break Mr. Discaya, 3 others to spend X’mas in Senate detention By Charles Dantes
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will spend the holiday break working as Malacañang begins an immediate, line-byline review of the proposed 2026
national budget following the conclusion of bicameral conference committee deliberations, the Palace said Tuesday. Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez said the President has already mobilized his
economic and budget teams to scrutinize the final amounts and provisions agreed upon by lawmakers and to trace changes from the originally submitted National Expenditure Program (NEP). Next page
RESTITUTION.
SYMS Construction Trading owner Sally Santos (2nd from left) turns over P20-million to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on December 23, 2025 in her bid to become state witness amid the government’s ongoing probe into the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. DOJ
First Couple ready for first ‘apo’ PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and First Lady Liza AranetaMarcos hinted Tuesday in a holiday-themed video post that they are ready to be grandparents, saying this has been their Christmas wish, especially since their sons are old enough to get married. “Ang lagi naming tinatanong sa mga anak namin—‘yung tatlong anak namin na lalaki—bakit
wala pa kaming apo? (The question we always ask our children— our three sons—how come we don’t have grandchildren yet?)” President Marcos said. “Tama ‘yan, honey. Sana all. ‘Yan ang Christmas wish ko (That is right, honey. If only. That is my Christmas wish)” the First Lady added. Next page Next page
By Ram Superable SENATE President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday said that contractor Pacifico Discaya II and three former Department of Public Works and Highways engineers will not be granted holiday furloughs due to security concerns. The four detained individuals: Discaya and former engineers Brice Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, and Henry Alcantara, are under Senate scrutiny in connection with the flood control project investigation. Discaya was cited in contempt for lying about his wife’s absence during
a hearing and remains under investigation for alleged anomalies in flood control projects. Hernandez is implicated in ghost and overpriced projects and has been admitted into the Witness Protection Program as a state witness. Alcantara is also acting as a state witness, revealing kickback schemes, while Mendoza was dismissed, cited in contempt, and may face license revocation amid ongoing probes. Lacson, who chairs the Blue Ribbon Committee, said Senate President Vicente Sotto III approved his recommendation to deny their leave Next page requests.
Remulla says VP Sara visited Teves, not Madriaga DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla confirmed on Tuesday that Vice President Sara Duterte visited unseated Negros Or. Rep. Arnolfo Teves, not her alleged bagman Ramil Madriaga, at the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. Next page
FREE METRO TRAIN RIDES. It was the turn of private sector workers and household helpers to get free train rides yesterday. Today, uniformed personnel, veterans, and their families will get free rides on all trains of LRT, MRT, LRT 2. Free rides will be extended to all commuters on December 25. Manny Palmero