House InfraComm to seek copy of Cabral files from DPWH By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives Infrastructure Committee (InfraComm) will ask for a copy of the files of the late Public Works Undersecretary Maria Cataliana Cabral, the panel’s co-chair Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said.
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VOL. XXXIX • NO. 330 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES JANUARY 11, 2026
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InfraComm previously investigated the flood control corruption scandal before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure was created to lead the probe. “We will request for the files from the DPWH. We will ask for copies of it next week,” Ridon said in a forum Saturday. Turn to A4
No official recantation from Alcantara – DOJ
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Says ex-DPWH engineer yet to file counter-affidavit on flood infra mess
Greenland: We don’t want to be under US WORLD / A4
‘Vet Madriaga claims for VP impeach case’ NEWS / A2
By Pot Chavez
T
RACE TO FIND SURVIVORS. An aerial view shows a landslide at the landfill in Barangay
HE Department of Justice said it has yet to receive any affidavit from former Public Works engineer Henry Alcantara retracting his earlier statements on his involvement in the flood control anomalies.
“The DOJ has not received or reviewed any affidavit from Henry Alcantara retracting his previous statements,” Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez told reporters. “There has been no official recantation by Alcantara, whether written or verbal,” he added. In an earlier interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel, Ramon Esguerra, lead counsel for Senator Joel Villanueva, said Alcantara has filed a counter-affidavit, arguing there is insufficient evidence to support the allegations against him. “There is no evidence that I favored any contractor, employee, or individual. There is no witness that states I approved irregular payments or instructed preparation of falsified reports. In this case, no witness has testified that I facilitated any payouts,” Alcantara’s supposed affidavit read. In September, Alcantara disclosed during a Senate hearing the budget insertions and alleged kickbacks involving Villanueva and Senator Jinggoy Estrada, former senator Bong Revilla Jr., and resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. “The counter-affidavit of Henry Alcantara, he submitted also last Monday (January 5), says a lot. Number 1, just to be quick about this, he says that
Binaliw, Cebu City. Search and rescue teams continue to look for at least 35 people who are still missing after the landslide. Alan Tangcawan and AFP
Engineers (Brice) Hernandez and (Jaypee) Mendoza are the ones responsible for the execution of flood control projects. And two, he was not the one directly overseeing the day-to-day operations of the projects, again pointing to the two Engineers Hernandez and Mendoza,” Esguerra said during the television interview. “Moreover, and this is very telling as far as we are concerned, according to him, there has been no witness that he facilitated any payout… he is in effect negating, virtually negating, what he said that he did the payout,” Esguerra added. Alcantara previously told the Senate that flood control project proponents get as much as 25 to 30 percent of the proposed insertions. Alcantara has since turned over a total of P110 million in cash that he admitted to illegally obtaining from flood control projects.
Race against time: Death toll rises to 6 in landfill collapse, 32 remain missing HARD hat-wearing rescue workers and backhoes dug through rubble in search of survivors on Saturday in the shadow of a mountain of garbage that buried dozens of landfill employees in Cebu City, killing at least six. About 50 sanitation workers were buried when refuse toppled onto them Thursday from what a city councilor estimated was a height of 20 storeys at the Binaliw Landfill. Rescuers were now facing the danger of further collapse as they navigated the still-shifting wreckage, Cebu rescuer Jo Reyes told Agence France-Presse. “Operations are ongoing as of the moment. It is continuous. (But) from time to time, the landfill is moving, and that will temporarily stop the operation,” she said. Cebu City councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the city’s disaster council, said two more bodies had been uncovered Saturday by crews working in 24-hour shifts. The discovery brings the death toll to six, while 32 people remain missing. “We found another two bodies, but we cannot retrieve the bodies because of the heavy metal beam that fell on them, so we are trying to cut the metal,” he said. To assist in the rescue operation, 20 trucks equipped with hydraulic cranes and specialized cutting attachments were being sent to help rescuers forced to crawl to reach areas blocked by debris.
Longest Traslacion ends after nearly 31 hours By Pot Chavez, Rex Espiritu and Joel Zurbano THE longest Traslacion in history ended at 10:50 a.m. yesterday, with the procession to return the image of Jesus Nazareno from the Quirino Grandstand to the Quiapo Church lasting 30 hours, 50 minutes and 1 second. Quiapo Church also reported that 9.6
million attended the celebration, while the Philippine National Police logged at least 7.3 million devotees based on drone shots and crowd estimates from the Quirino Grandstand, along the procession routes and up to Quiapo Church. The shortest Traslacion was recorded in 2024, three years after the pandemic, when it took only 15 hours. Turn to A4
LONGEST TRASLACION. At exactly 10:50 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, the ‘andas’ of the Nazareno made its way back to the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno in Quiapo, Manila. This year’s procession stretched for about 30 hours and 50 minutes, making it the longest procession in recent history. Norman Cruz
Turn to A4
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Eala ends ASB Classic run after 3-set thriller By Peter Atencio IN A marathon encounter that pushed both players to their limits, Chinese standout Wang Xinyu edged out the Philippines’ Alex Eala to secure a spot in the finals of the 2026 ASB Classic. The 2-hour, 48-minute semifinals clash—the longest of the tournament so far—saw Wang survive a relentless comeback effort from the 20-year-old Eala, eventually escaping with a 7-5, 5-7, 4-6 victory. Wang, the 24-year-old known for her aggressive baseline play, admitted that the Filipina’s tough stand made the victory feel hard-earned. “It was a crazy battle from the start,” Wang said of their firstever meeting. “She is an absolute fighter. When she started playing unbelievably, there was nothing much I could do other than just clap for her good shots.” The match was defined by Eala’s refusal to quit. In the opening set, Wang raced to a commanding 5-1 lead. However, Eala mounted a stunning rally, winning six consecutive games to take the set 7-5 and stun the Chinese veteran. The drama intensified in the deciding set. History appeared to repeat itself as Wang again surged to a 5-1 lead. Eala, visibly hampered by lower back pain that began early in the set, refused to concede. Buoyed by a vocal crowd of Aucklandbased Filipinos, Eala clawed back to 4-5 using sharp, straight passing shots. However, the comeback fell just short as a few late forehand errors allowed Wang to finally close out the match. Turn to A4
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