Category: Philippine Star

Two blockbuster events today:

At 5 p.m., President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos inaugurate the new Philippine International Convention Center.

The renovation makes PICC world class again. Why?

The Discayas were not the PICC contractors, unlike the new NBI building on Taft and the Film Heritage building, both of which have the Discayas as contractor and both of which are delayed and are being constructed badly, per the Discaya standard, which is substandard.

At 6:30 p.m., DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon is guest of honor and speaker of the Manila Overseas Press Club’s ‘Infra Night’ at the Raffles and Fairmont Hotel ballroom. Vince is expected to update a select group of businessmen, professionals and senior journalists on the latest in the P1-trillion flood control scam or flood-gate, who have been charged and who are facing arrest and who are being investigated.

Reservations for Vince’s MOPC appearance have more than doubled in recent days after shocking revelations on how senators helped themselves, making insertion or amendments in the P6.326-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The insertions were between P103 billion (flood control alone) and P142 billion, the total insertions then SP Chiz Escudero was supposed to have masterminded.

Congressmen also make insertions and commissions. But our senators are held to a higher bar of integrity and performance. Each senator is reckoned as presidential material. Our senators disappoint.

Senate Blue Ribbon committee chair Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson says ‘almost all’ senators made insertions in the 2025 GAA.

We have 24 senators, so P103 billion divided by 24 is P4.29 billion (some senators, Ping says, got P10 billion). The standard senatorial ‘cut’ or commission is 25 percent. So 25 percent of P4.25 billion is P1.0725 billion. Our good hardworking senators ran away with over one billion pesos of taxpayers’ money, a single deal, in a single year. That is from flood control alone. They also made insertions in the budget of other Cabinet departments.

If stealing or malversing P8.8 million is a non-bailable crime and subject to life imprisonment and if, indeed, nearly all our senators are corrupt, then we don’t have a Senate to speak of. ‘Almost all’ of the senators should resign. Forthwith.

With ‘almost all’ senators gone, the Senate will effectively be abolished. Without a Senate, the Philippines will be left with just one legislative house, the House of Representatives. Of course, not all our 315 congressmen are thieves; only some, not ‘almost all.’ That leaves a fully functioning House.

The House has always dreamed of making constitutional amendments, without the Senate. That time has come. The House can amend the Charter forthwith.

The 1987 Constitution offers three modes:

Constituent assembly (con-ass)

Congress, the Senate and House of Representatives, not necessarily in joint session, act as a constituent assembly.

Congress can propose amendments or revisions by a vote of three-fourths of all its members.

People’s Initiative

Section 2, Article XVII, the Constitution allows amendments through a People’s Initiative.

The people can directly propose amendments to the Constitution. It requires a petition signed by at least 12 percent of the total number of registered voters, with each legislative district represented by at least three percent of its registered voters. Last year, then speaker Martin Romualdez got this done, legally, until the public got cold feet with it.

People’s Initiative can only be used for amendments, not for revisions. I suggest two: define what is a dynasty (up to fourth degree of consanguinity) in the anti-dynasty provision of the Constitution. And second, abolish the party-list system. These two amendments will be a sea change and will wash the nation into the fine earth of good governance.

Constitutional convention (con-con)

Congress may call for a constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing amendments or revisions.

A constitutional convention will consist of delegates elected by the people and tasked solely to amend the Constitution.

Congress can either call for a con-con by a two-thirds vote of all its members or submit the question of whether or not to call a con-con to the electorate for a majority vote.

While the House is doing reforms, President Marcos Jr. can cash in on the climate of reform by declaring a state of emergency.

With his commander-in-chief and emergency powers, Marcos Jr. can order the arrest of the ‘nearly all senators’ who made GAA insertions and freeze their assets and deposits. He can order the arrest of all other people involved in the P1-trillion flood-gate and freeze or seize their assets and cash.

On Sept. 25, Orly Regala Guteza, a so-called ‘Marines’ intelligence, was brought to the Senate by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta as a witness against former speaker Romualdez. He was a polluted source, to say the least.

Guteza claimed to be among a group of 90 ‘Marines’ (wow, that many?) assigned to Congressman Zaldy Co, our premier and the most corrupt contractor-politician (he got P86 billion worth of DPWH contracts). Guteza’s job as a ‘security consultant’ was to be a ‘garbage’ collector for suitcases of cash. Each Rimowa suitcase contained P48 million. One million cash is one kilo. So 48 million is 48 kilos. There is no Rimowa that can carry 48 kilos; 32 kilos is max.

Guteza claimed to have brought 46 suitcases of cash (P48 million in each Rimowa) to the 56th floor penthouse of Co in Taguig. That’s 2,288 kilos or 2.4 tons – the weight of a truck. Of the 46, 35 Rimowas were brought to the house of Romualdez on 42 McKinley, Taguig (wrong city). Having 35 suitcases with 48 kilos each is like carrying 1.85 tons – the weight of a small truck. Guteza alone carried it. Not even Tom Cruise can claim such lifting powers.

Authorities have pegged the damage caused by the recent typhoons and floods in the agriculture sector in Central Luzon and Negros Occidental at more than P87 million.

In a report, the Central Luzon Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported more than P30 million worth of rice crops destroyed in Nueva Ecija and nearly P21 million in Bulacan.

The council also reported P5.7 million worth of rice crops destroyed in Bataan, P16 million in Tarlac and P8.5 million in Zambales. Pampanga registered a loss of P652,863 in rice crops.

In Negros Occidental, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist reported an initial P2,530,481 in losses to agricultural crops and fisheries due to heavy rains and flooding brought by the southwest monsoon and enhanced by Tropical Storms Mirasol, Nando and Opong.

Provincial agriculturist Dina Genzola said in her report to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson that 116.4 hectares of agricultural crops in 18 barangays of San Carlos City and the towns of Moises Padilla, Isabela and Don Salvador Benedicto were damaged by flooding.

Genzola said at least 159 farmers were affected, as of yesterday’s count.

Sen. Francis Escudero took to the Senate floor yesterday to accuse former speaker Martin Romualdez of orchestrating a ‘scripted farce’ to divert to the Senate public outrage over the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.

‘Lalabanan ko siya (I will fight him),’ Escudero said.

His diatribe was hurled days after the Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended the filing of charges against him and several senators, based on a sworn affidavit presented at a Blue Ribbon committee hearing.

Escudero said senators were being used as ‘fall guys’ while members of the House of Representatives linked to anomalous projects were being shielded.

Reacting to Escudero’s speech, Romualdez said it was a ‘script’ prepared by the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte, specifically by the so-called DDS or Duterte diehard supporters of their family.

Earlier, the DOJ listed Escudero, Senators Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada and former senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla as among those facing criminal complaints in relation to the flood control scandal.

While former Rep. Zaldy Co was also recommended by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for indictment and prosecution, Romualdez was not among those facing charges.

‘In the past weeks, it’s been very clear that public outrage over ghost and substandard projects is being diverted from those guilty to the Senate and to some of its members,’ Escudero said in Filipino. ‘Senators are being made fall guys.’

‘There’s only one person behind this script and zarzuela – Martin Romualdez,’ he said.

He cited testimonies from former marine M/Sgt. Jay Guteza, who told senators that he had personally delivered suitcases of cash to Romualdez’s residence, as well as earlier disclosures by Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco.

Escudero recalled Guteza’s testimony about having delivered 35 suitcases containing cash to Romualdez’s residence.

‘Despite this, isn’t it perplexing that Romualdez has never been included in any investigation by the DOJ, NBI or AMLC,’ referring to the Department of Justice and the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

The senator alleged Romualdez had also weaponized the release of ‘for later release’ (FLR) funds and even used the impeachment complaint against the Vice President to pressure lawmakers.

The Vice President, who attended a budget hearing and conducted a press conference with reporters at the Senate in the morning, was present during the session after visiting allies in the chamber in the afternoon.

Escudero, who insisted he has ‘never been accused nor charged with corruption’ in his 27 years in public service, vowed to defend himself and the institution.

‘I will not allow justice to be weaponized against the innocent to protect the guilty. Let’s not follow the script of Martin Romualdez. Let everyone be held accountable and investigated – and this should include Martin Romualdez,’ he said.

Disbarment case

Escurdero, meanwhile, filed a disbarment case against lawyer Jesus Nicardo Madarang Falcis III over his ‘demeaning’ and ‘hateful’ social media posts.

In seeking Falcis disbarment, Escudero cited the lawyer’s several Facebook posts allegedly containing accusatory, defamatory, demeaning, speculative, hateful and/or malicious statements and remarks against him.

These, he said, are ‘all unbecoming of a member of the Philippine Bar and quite unfortunately, against a fellow member of the Philippine Bar.’

He also said Falcis’ ‘unwarranted and professionally irresponsible statements and remarks’ were made in connection with the issue on the government flood control programs, including the 2025 national budget deliberations.

‘Unfortunately, marked by ill-tempered and hateful language, respondent’s tirades in social media betray not only a lack of restraint and virtue expected of a lawyer, but also an inexplicable contempt for complainant,’ Escudero’s complaint read.

‘Clearly at stake is not only the complainant’s good name and reputation, but also the integrity and honor of the legal profession,’ Escudero said.

In a statement, Falcis said Escudero should be the one disbarred for violating Rule 139-B, Section 18 of the Rules of Court, which provides for the confidentiality of proceedings against a lawyer.

DDS script

Romualdez, meanwhile, shrugged off Escudero’s accusations. ‘With respect, what we heard was not an exposé but a DDS script – the same recycled accusations we have long seen on troll pages and social media posts. Nothing new, no iota of truth as well,’ the former speaker said.

‘It was a performance designed to profess loyalty and service to VP Duterte, and to position himself as her ally for 2028. The only service he is trying to render is not the truth, but of self-interest and political plans in the future,’ Romualdez, a first cousin of President Marcos, added.

‘Instead of answering the serious questions he himself must face, Escudero chose to deflect. He did not deny the allegations against him. He did not explain his own role in flood-control kickbacks. Instead of explaining himself, he took the blame game route,’ he said.

‘The truth is staring at us very clearly: the speech of Escudero is not about accountability, but only in the pursuance of his personal ambition,’ the congressman from the first district of Leyte province said.

‘For my part, I will continue to cooperate with every impartial investigation. My record can withstand scrutiny. I have nothing to hide. As for Sen. Escudero, kung tunay na pananagutan ang hanap, sa presinto na siya magpaliwanag,’ Romualdez said.

For its 2025 edition, The Miss Globe organization shared the pageant’s new process of elimination.

The delegates will all appear in three different segments during the final show.

They will first appear wearing Albanian traditional outfits, with a modern twist, custom-made for the delegates by Lilo Fashion Design.

Next, they’ll reappear wearing custom-made swimwear, still by Lilo Fashion Design, during the Bikini Segment.

Finally, the girls will wear gowns of their choice, made by designers from all over the world.

The field will be narrowed down to a Top 21, with one spot allotted for the People’s Choice awardee – the winner of the online poll. In this round, all semifinalists will be wearing gowns designed by Louis Pangilinan.

The Top 21 will be further trimmed down to a Top 11. The eleven lucky ladies will be wearing another set of designs by Louis Pangilinan.

From the Top 11, only five delegates will advance to the final round, where the winner and her court will be formed. Outgoing queen Diana Moreno of Colombia will crown her successor.

The 2025 Miss Globe coronation night will be hosted by Miss Globe 2021 Maureen Montagne and Miss Earth 2023 Drita Ziri.

It can be recalled that Drita hosted the show when Maureen competed for the Philippines, before winning as Miss Earth the following year.

The final show will unfold on Oct 15 (Oct 16, Manila time) and will be beamed live to a global audience from Deliart Association’s channel on YouTube.

The Philippines will be represented by Annabelle Mae McDonnell, who represented Iligan at Binibining Pilipinas this year. Stay tuned!

A potential low pressure area (LPA) east of the country may intensify into a tropical cyclone by Thursday, the state weather bureau warned.

In its advisory yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that if the LPA develops into a tropical depression, it will be named Paolo and could traverse Luzon.

Despite the forecast, PAGASA clarified that as of now, there are no existing LPAs or southwest monsoon systems directly affecting the country.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, easterly winds are forecast to remain the prevailing weather system.

PAGASA said the entire country may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the easterlies.

Easterly winds will be light to moderate and may bring hot and humid conditions during the day and could result in localized thunderstorms by late afternoon or evening.

Coastal waters, meanwhile, will have slight to moderate conditions, with wave heights reaching up to 2.1 meters. ?Based on PAGASA’s extended weather outlook, generally fair weather with isolated thunderstorms is expected in most parts of the country until Oct. 3.

Areas such as Metro Manila, Laoag City, Baguio City, the Clark Zone, Olongapo, Tagaytay City, Lipa City, Legazpi City, Puerto Princesa City, the Kalayaan Group of Islands, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Metro Cebu, Tacloban City, Cagayan de Oro City, Valencia City, Metro Davao and Zamboanga City may experience this pattern.

Tuguegarao City, on the other hand, is forecast to see cloudy skies with rainshowers and/or thunderstorms on Oct. 2 and 3, possibly influenced by the developing weather disturbance off the country’s eastern seaboard.

Fireworks are expected as the Four-Ball format in the ICTSI Elite Junior Finals kicks off tomorrow at The Country Club in Laguna.

With two high-stakes matches scheduled in each of the three age categories (7-10, 11-14 and 15-18), the stage is set in this Ryder Cup-style showdown.

The Junior Philippine Golf Tour season finale gathers the elite 48 players – culled from two seven-leg elimination series – who will represent North and South squads.

And now, they face perhaps their sternest test yet: A fearsome, championship-level course in TCC. Action begins with the boys’ 7-10 division, followed by the 11-14 and the marquee 15-18 age groups. Simultaneously, girls’ divisions tee off on the 10th, ensuring non-stop action across both nines.

On Day 2, the pressure mounts with the Foursomes (Alternate Shot) format with the grand finale – Friday’s singles duels – featuring 24 matches staged in a winner-takes-all format. With one point at stake per match, the race to reach 24.5 points becomes a pressure cooker of nerves, skill and willpower.

In the event of a 24-24 tie, the stakes rise even higher: one age group will be drawn at random, and each captain must nominate a player to engage in a sudden-death playoff.

Bannering Team North are boys’ 15-18 standouts Patrick Tambalque and Zachary Villaroman; boys’ 11-14 contenders Zianbeau Edoc and Ryuji Suzuki; and 7-10 aces Zoji Edoc and Zach Guico. The South squad will lean on the likes of Alexis Nailga and Luciano Copok (15-18); Ralph Batican and Ken Guillermo (11-14); and Ethan Lago and Kvan Alburo (7-10).