Category: Philippine Star

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday lauded a Tarlac court’s ruling voiding the birth certificate of suspected Chinese spy Alice Guo.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 111’s decision on Sept. 24 is a ‘landmark victory’ amid President Marcos’ directive to uphold the integrity of Philippine identity and civil registry documents.

Guo, former mayor of Bamban, had been identified as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, as authorities probed crimes committed by Philippine offshore gaming operators.

Viado assured the public that the BI will continue to coordinate with the Department of Justice and other agencies to deport foreigners posing as Filipinos.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson is stepping down as chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, saying he has sensed some of his colleagues in the majority bloc no longer agree with how he has handled the committee’s investigations.

Lacson, whose leadership of the Blue Ribbon committee led to the implication of senators and government officials in the flood control corruption scandal, said he was drafting a letter of resignation to Senate President Vicente Sotto III, although he intended to first announce his decision on the Senate floor before the session adjourns for recess.

‘All committee chairpersons, whether in the Senate or in the House, we serve at the pleasure of our peers, particularly the members of our majority bloc,’ Lacson said yesterday in an interview over radio dzBB.

‘When my peers already lack faith in me, especially when a majority of them are unhappy over how the Blue Ribbon is being handled, maybe stepping down is an option,’ he added.

He said he has heard expressions of disappointment from majority senators such as JV Ejercito and Sherwin Gatchalian, which prompted him to reflect on whether it was time to yield his post.

Ejercito had earlier said he and four other members of the majority have started mulling over leaving the bloc, citing how senators are ‘burning down our own house’ by focusing on the alleged involvement of its members in flood control corruption while neglecting accountability for members of the House of

Representatives.

He issued the statement after Lacson revealed in interviews that almost all senators of the 19th Congress had questionable insertions into the 2025 national budget.

Gatchalian, meanwhile, voiced his wishes to leave the investigation of the flood control corruption scandal to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), saying ‘political agenda’ has tainted the Senate’s own probe.

Despite these, Lacson believes he has handled the hearings properly, though perceptions have been colored by frequent disruptions at the start of proceedings.

He also denied claims that the inquiry was selectively targeting certain senators – including former Senate president Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva – while sparing other figures linked to the alleged ‘architects’ of the controversy in the House of Representatives.

Lacson also addressed criticisms that his comments on the P100-billion budget insertions were dividing the chamber, saying his remarks were not meant to ‘burn the house down’ but to wake the Senate to public anger over questionable allocations.

‘I did not say the insertions were illegal. What’s wrong is if you inserted projects in the amendments, meddled with the implementation and earned a commission – that’s what’s wrong,’ he explained, saying he himself would introduce insertions into the budget of the Anti-Money Laundering Council due to its insufficient funding.

Lacson said he also took offense at remarks of some senators who insinuated to his face that he was grandstanding to build political capital, saying his fresh term would be his last.

‘I don’t have any political ambition or plan after 2031,’ he said.

Asked about the possibility of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta taking back the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon panel if he steps down, Lacson said he would respect the decision of his peers.

Sotto’s leadership

Lacson said his respect and support for Sotto’s Senate presidency remain intact, stressing that his leadership has been marked by consensus and stability.

‘He governs smoothly, there is consensus, he does not dictate, he does not decide by himself,’ Lacson said. ‘If you will ask me, I will continue to support him.’

He also credited Sotto for reforms in the ongoing budget process, including the agreement not to certify the appropriations bill as urgent and to allow senators at least three days to review the budget between second and third readings – a move Lacson said promotes transparency.

Senate coup

Lacson also rejected talk of an alleged Senate coup to replace Sotto with Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.

‘It’s the same old rehashed psy war tactic all over again intended to confuse and sow intrigue among the members of the majority,’ Lacson said in a message to reporters yesterday.

He said the rumor had nothing to do with his decision to resign as Blue Ribbon chair.

‘All I can say is – I can handle all the pressure. It’s frustration that’s hard to bear,’ he said.

‘Rest assured, there’s no waver ing in my advocacy against the corrupt and rotten system, particu larly the misuse and abuse of public funds,’ he added.

‘Turning point’

For House committee on public accounts chair and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, Lacson’s exit ‘leaves a significant vacuum in the fight for accountability in public infrastructure spending.’

Ridon highlighted that under Lacson’s stewardship, the Blue Ribbon committee has uncovered a broad conspiracy involving multiple layers of government and the private sector.

‘His leadership of the panel has yielded the most consequential testimonies and evidence among all proceedings,’ Ridon said.

Key admissions from individuals such as Henry Alcantara and Roberto Bernardo before the Senate panel were instrumental in exposing a complex network of corruption, Ridon noted.

These testimonies built upon earlier confessions from Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza at the House infrastructure committee, pointing to collusion among contractors, Department of Public Works and Highways officials, lawmakers, and even members of the executive branch.

With Lacson’s departure, Ridon called on the ICI to ramp up its efforts. ‘This should now compel the Independent Commission to conduct a broad, unrelenting and open sweep of all individuals named in both Senate and House hearings,’ he said, urging that accountability must not be derailed by the senator’s exit.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. acknowledged that the government’s investigation into flood control anomalies has implicated some of his allies and that many of those accused are likely guilty.

But Marcos made it clear: all charges must be backed by solid proof.

In his new podcast, Marcos addressed criticisms that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) was being selective in its probe.

While he is aware of pubilc calls for swift justice, the process must prevail and building airtight cases was more important than acting quickly.

‘Much of what we’ve heard are allegations. We have to prove it. You don’t want to go after people who are innocent. Now, we know many of these people are not innocent. But if you’re going to bring them to court, you must have a very strong case,’ Marcos said.

The president cautioned that rushing to file weak cases that might later be dismissed would only set back the government’s anti-corruption drive.

‘We go after the guilty ones. You know, because some of the guilty ones, they’re trying to derail the system,’ Marcos said.

Asked about the investigation’s possible impact on his political allies, Marcos said he was aware that some were already implicated.

Not for ‘political advantage’

While he did not name names, his cousin and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has been tagged in reports as a recipient of alleged kickback funds.

‘Why would I even start such a thing if it was somehow for political advantage? The reason I brought it up and made it part of the national discourse was quite simply because this could not go on,’ Marcos said. ‘If it kept going, we would discover how deeply entrenched this entire system was.’

Marcos said corruption is not only damaging to the economy but to lives and communities.

He first raised the issue of anomalous flood control projects during his State of the Nation Address in July, triggering investigations that have since exposed widespread corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Billions of pesos are suspected to have been lost to kickback schemes involving contractors and government officials.

Among those implicated are Romualdez, former Senate president Chiz Escudero, and resigned House appropriations chair Zaldy Co, who is currently abroad.

Whose nerve was struck?

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro posed this question to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who resigned last week from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

Magalong had expressed surprise that he was not supposed to serve as an investigator but merely adviser to the ICI.

‘I think I struck a nerve,’ Magalong said last week, adding that he ‘may have hit too close to home.’

‘Whose nerve?’ Castro asked last Friday on One News’ ‘Storycon,’ as she urged Magalong to name names instead of making insinuations.

She maintained that President Marcos did not ask Magalong to resign, adding that her earlier announcement was merely based on what Marcos said: a review of Magalong’s dual role as mayor and ICI adviser to ensure that it would not violate the Constitution.

Castro confirmed that Magalong held a position as member of the commission, but he declined as he did not want to resign as Baguio mayor.

Magalong earlier called out Castro over a recent press briefing that supposedly cast doubt on his role at the ICC.

Castro also denied that the ICI would simply duplicate the responsibilities of other government agencies such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Ombudsman.

‘Based on EO (Executive Order) 94, (the ICI’s mandate) is recommendatory. They will gather the documents, and they can recommend the filing of a case to the ombudsman or the DOJ,’ Castro said.

‘It will be easier on the part of the DOJ or ombudsman if the documents are already complete and they will just check it,’ she added.

Although the DOJ, through the National Bureau of Investigation, can also investigate alleged anomalies in infrastructure projects, Castro noted that these agencies also handle other cases.

‘It will be easier if there is an investigating body that is focused (on issues on infrastructure),’ she said.

Several legislators are pushing for a law that will institutionalize an independent body tasked to probe alleged anomalies in flood control and other infrastructure projects.

Proponents noted that the ICI, which was created only through the President’s EO, lacks powers as it is merely fact-finding in nature.

Castro maintained that even if it was created by the President, the ICI is an independent body and Marcos has no control over its process.

She made this remark after the ICI drew flak over its decision not to make public its hearings on the anomalies.

‘It will be up to the ICI to determine its policies since it is independent from the executive. The President will not interfere. Whatever process they decide to take will be entirely within the ICI’s discretion,’ she said.

Just to be clear, our lawmakers themselves are the ones who have made it difficult (and continue to make it difficult) for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to quickly act and look into accounts of individuals who are under suspicion of money laundering, terrorist financing, corruption or illegal financial transactions.

Thus, if our legislators truly want to heed the call for transparency, address corruption and prove that they are not using the bank secrecy law to hide their own unexplained wealth, they should now act promptly to pass the necessary amendments to lift the restrictions on the bank secrecy law.

As currently crafted, the Philippines’ bank secrecy law imposes restrictive conditions for the BSP and/or the AMLC to look into individual accounts and put a freeze order on such accounts. The existing bank secrecy law requires the BSP and/or AMLC to first secure a court order to look into suspicious accounts.

Problem is, in securing the court order, information leakage often happens, so by the time the BSP and/or the AMLC secures the court order to look into private individual accounts, the suspected account holders may already have been able to move or empty the bank account.

According to the BSP, as early as 2011, the Group of Twenty or G20 had already declared that the ‘era of bank secrecy is over’ after it endorsed the standards on transparency and exchange of information.

In 2014, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released the standard for automatic exchange of information as the new global standard of obtaining detailed account information from financial institutions, and exchanging that information automatically with other jurisdictions for the purpose of combatting tax evasion, money laundering and commission of other crimes. This global regulatory watch lifted the cloak of bank secrecy.

The last three to hold out from the transparency move were Lebanon, the Philippines and Switzerland. Switzerland and Lebanon eventually lifted their bank secrecy laws. The Philippines is now the only country to still have a restrictive bank secrecy policy, making it hard for the government to go after tax evaders and money launderers.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the Philippines’ bank secrecy law restricts the ability of the BSP to undertake effective supervision. The IMF noted that our secrecy laws undermine financial stability, financial integrity and development of the banking sector, and expose the banking system to reputational risk.

The IMF recommended that legislative amendments be promptly approved to give the BSP direct and full access to individual depositor information covered by bank secrecy laws.

The BSP, Bankers Association of the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, Chamber of Thrift Banks and the Makati Business Club have proposed the repeal of bank secrecy laws. While there are pending legislative proposals to amend the existing bank deposit secrecy law in the Philippines, Congress has not exerted effort to enact the proposed amendments.

Fortunately, the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act was passed and signed into law last year to combat financial cybercrimes, safeguard the interests of financial consumers and uphold the integrity of the financial system. Under the AFASA, the BSP has the authority to investigate and inquire into financial accounts, and to share the said information with law enforcement and other competent authorities subject to the limitations imposed under the said law.

For such purpose, the relevant provisions of laws containing prohibitions against inquiry into or disclosure of deposits under the Law on Secrecy of Bank Deposits, Foreign Currency Deposits Act of the Philippines and the Revised Non-Stock Savings and Loan Association Act of 1997, shall not apply to financial accounts that are the subject of the BSP’s investigation.

Removing the restriction on our bank secrecy law is a crucial move as the world faces an even far greater threat from evolving digital technology and cryptocurrencies.

In a recent article of the IMF Finance and Development Magazine, Chady El Khoury, deputy division chief in the IMF’s legal department, wrote about fighting tech-fueled crime that now uses advanced technology and Artificial Intelligence.

In his article, he wrote that organized criminals are operating across international borders using advanced technology and social engineering, such as romance or investment scheme to manipulate victims using AI-generated profiles, encrypted messaging and obscured blockchain transaction to hide and move stolen funds.

Criminals, El Khoury wrote, are outpacing enforcement by adapting ever faster, using the best tools for their schemes, from laundering money through crypto and AI-enabled impersonation to producing deepfake content, encrypted apps and decentralized exchanges.

Authorities, he said, now face anonymous, borderless threats, but are unfortunately held back by jurisdiction, process and legacy systems.

Annual illicit crypto activity growth, he wrote, has averaged about 25 percent in recent years and may have surpassed $51 billion last year, according to Chainalysis, a New York-based blockchain analysis firm specializing in helping criminal investigators trace transactions.

Bad actors, he said, still depend on cash and traditional finance, and money laundering specifically relies on banks, informal money changers and cash couriers. But the old ways are being reinforced or supercharged by technologies to thwart detection and disruption.

Encrypted messaging apps, he said, help criminal cartels coordinate cross-border transactions. Stablecoins and lightly regulated virtual asset platforms can hide bribes and embezzled funds.

Cybercriminals use AI-generated identities and bots to deceive banks and evade outdated controls. Tracking proceeds generated by organized crime is nearly impossible for agencies with insufficient resources.

AI lowers barriers to entry, he added. Fraudsters with voice-cloning and fake-document generators bypass the verification protocols many banks and regulators still use. Their innovation is growing as compliance systems lag.

Governments recognize the threats, but responses are fragmented and uneven – including in the regulation of crypto exchanges.

And there are delays implementing the Financial Action Task Force’s travel rule to better identify those sending and receiving money across borders, which most digital proceeds cross.

OREO, the world’s beloved cookie brand, has dropped yet another jaw-dropping collab. Strap on your dancing shoes because OREO x Babymonster is here to hit you up with a taste so good, it makes you dance. The launch is a bold fandom-first collaboration designed to turn the taste of an OREO into a dance party.

This latest drop marks a continuation of OREO’s legacy of culture-defining partnerships, following high-profile collaborations that have captivated fans around the globe. With Babymonster’s signature charisma and OREO’s crave-worthy taste, the OREO x Babymonster collab is set to take over snack aisles and social feeds across Southeast Asia.

A global first twist: The playful #TwistLickDance revolution

Consumers across the world are familiar with OREO’s beloved Twist, Lick, Dunk ritual. But OREO is switching up the track for this latest collaboration.

In a first for the brand, OREO x Babymonster grooves to a new beat, putting a playful twist to the classic dunk ritual: Introducing the #TwistLickDance moment. With a bespoke song released by OREO and original choreography performed by Babymonster, the #TwistLickDance challenge invites Monstiez across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia to rediscover their sense of rhythm with a bite of the all-new OREO taste.

Earlier in the month, K-Pop fandoms were buzzing with speculation after a leaked clip showed the band moving without their usual monster energy. In an official reveal on OREO’s brand pages on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok, fans found out that all Babymonster needed to regain their signature electric moves was a bite of an OREO.

‘This collaboration puts us right on the pulse of culture,’ said Lucas Levy, Mondelez senior director of marketing, Southeast Asia.

‘By bringing together the playful spirit of OREO and the global energy of the new generation K-pop icons Babymonster, we’re creating a shared moment where music, movement and taste collide. With Babymonster, we’re reimagining OREO’s iconic ritual into a #TwistLickDance revolution that resonates with a new generation of fans.’

Taste the drop: New taste, bold colors and fan-favorite collectibles

For the first time in Southeast Asia, OREO has partnered with a global artist to co-create the cookie experience from the inside out.

Inspired by one of Korea’s hottest dessert trends, OREO reveals the limited-edition OREO Babymonster Marshmallow Flavored Crème, in celebration of Babymonster bold identity.

OREO will also debut custom cookies personally designed by Babymonster members.

Each OREO x Babymonster multipack comes with exclusive collectible photocards of the band members. Available in-stores in fan-favorite core flavors of Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry and the limited-edition Red Sandwich Cookies, MONSTIEZ can get ahold of these photocards with purchase of an OREO x Babymonster multipack. Collect all seven to complete the set and certify your place as a Babymonster superfan!

Stay playful with local activations

To celebrate the launch, OREO will roll out activities across Southeast Asia, starting with local activations and experiences curated specially for each market. In the Philippines, the grand launch event will happen on October 18 at Market! Market! in Taguig City.

Senate President Tito Sotto is pushing to eliminate unprogrammed appropriations for locally funded projects, saying only foreign-assisted programs should remain under this funding scheme.

At a press briefing on Monday, October 6, Sotto said the move aims to tighten transparency in the national budget after revelations that lawmakers’ insertions into unprogrammed funds have been used in alleged kickback schemes.

‘I have discussed it with our chairman of the committee on finance. We will, as much as possible – and if possible 100% – have no unprogrammed funds,’ Sotto said.

Reform push. Unprogrammed appropriations are standby unallocated funds that can be released only under certain fiscal conditions, such as excess revenue collection or new loans. These allocations have long drawn criticism for being vulnerable to abuse.

Now, Sotto said, every project, as much as possible, must be a line item. He also stressed that by the time the proposed budget reaches second reading, no further changes should be made during the bicameral conference committee.

‘It must be clear who the proponent of every budgetary item is,’ he said.

He added that only foreign-assisted projects should be exempt, since these are typically funded by external loans that trigger automatic releases once approved.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Congress has repeatedly expanded unprogrammed appropriations beyond what the executive branch initially asked for, drawing scrutiny from watchdog groups and reform advocates.

Controversy. Sen. Joel Villanueva has been accused by a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer of inserting projects as unprogrammed funds for later kickbacks, including those awarded to Wawao Builders, a contractor linked to ghost projects. Funding for Wawao Builders has since been pulled from the unprogrammed fund.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate finance committee, has expressed support for Sotto’s position, saying the chamber is intent on maintaining full transparency in the 2026 budget deliberations.

Two people died and two others were injured in separate vehicular accidents in Quezon on Saturday.

The Pagbilao town police said an unidentified man died after the truck he drove from Davao to deliver mangoes to Manila lost its brakes and rammed an electric post before plunging into a creek in Barangay Silangang Malicboy.

The Pagbilao rescue team rushed his truck helper to Quezon Medical Center for treatment.

In Barangay Sta. Catalina Sur in Candelaria town, police said a motorcycle rider suffered fatal head injuries after colliding head-on with a utility van.

Police said the van swerved to the opposite lane when the incident happened. The van driver was taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.

The call of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines for a National Day of Prayer and Public Repentance is as timely as it can get.

Considering the series of devastating typhoons, billions of pesos stolen by corrupt politicians and government officials through the flood control ghost projects and last week’s Bogo, Cebu earthquake, we all better go on bended knees and pray!

I support the call of the CBCP and any other religious or church group calling for prayers because our national situation feels like being caught between a rock and a hard place. On one end we have the calamities and on the other we have a growing anger and frustration with all the investigations.

Many are worried that people will either give up on legal process and turn to violence, or people will just run out of steam and give up on the Philippines.

Last week, I suggested to friends that we do a silent prayer walk interspersed with praise and worships songs similar to what God instructed Joshua and the Israelites to do around the walls of Jericho. (Joshua 6:1-5)

In summary, the Jericho march tells how God showed up, declared that he had delivered Jericho to Joshua and the Israelites.

For their part, the people had to march around Jericho once every day for six days.

On the seventh day, they were to circle around the walls of Jericho seven times and on the seventh time, the priests were to blow the trumpets while the army and the men shouted out loud! Then the walls fell, the Israelites attacked and destroyed the city.

Most people would find the account ‘fantastic’ while cynics could say it is absurd. You might even say we are not at war or attacking enemy territory. To that I quote St. Paul’s words in Ephesians 6 verse 12: ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’

‘Struggle’ means to fight, to break free against something or someone pinning us down over a period of time. It could be our mindset, eco-political transactional relationships, personal corruption or outright occult practices or inclination to omission rather than confrontation.

For the longest time, Filipinos have fought back with walk-outs, position papers, declarations, noise barrage, molotov and rocks and protest marches. But we never seem to get out of the vicious cycle.

I don’t devalue the risk, effort and sacrifice people make to express their indignation and rage. What I am suggesting is that we might get better results if we also exerted as much effort in prayer power as we do in ‘people power.’

Historically speaking, corruption, politics and abuse of power are forces that Filipinos have been overwhelmed with. It reminds me of King Jehoshapat and the people of Judah who were under attack by an overwhelming force of Moabites and Ammonites. (2 Chronicles 20)

Their chances of survival where slim or none, but instead of surrender, the king called for a fast in Judah and prayers for God to save them. All the people from every town responded.

In response, God sent Jahaziel who said: ‘Listen King Jehoshapat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s’.’

‘You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.’ (2 Chronicles 20:15 and 17)

Go figure. In Jericho they marched, silently prayed and blew trumpets. In Judah, they prayed, fasted, took up their positions in faith and watched as God annihilated their would-be invaders.

Perhaps God intentionally uses absurd or illogical methods, not for fun, but to make a point, that for him nothing is impossible, that ‘we’ did not solve the problem, God did.

Filipinos are very prayerful people. Many Catholics will soon be attending the Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi. Others pray before meals, novenas, the rosary. Christians do annual prayer and fasting during a family medical crisis or during New Year. Pinoy netizens even ask for prayers for other nations in crisis.

Why is it that we go on bended knees during our personal crisis but not ‘consistently’ for our national crisis and tragedy? Inconsistent prayers will not move long-term struggles.

This brings me to part two of the CBCP invitation: public repentance!

Many people ask, ‘Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?’ In the case of the Philippines, it is because we have relied on kanya-kanya, tapang, even entitlement, but never publicly said to God: ‘Forgive us Lord.’

In closing, I leave you with this encouragement from Psalms 37:7-11:

‘Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath.

‘Do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them you will not find them, they will not be found.

‘But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.’

College of St. Benilde overcame a shaky first two sets and completed a sweep of University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 28-26, 26-24, 25-18, to secure a second round seat in the 2025 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Preseason Unity Cup yesterday at the Paco Arena.

The Lady Blazers snatched their second win in as many outings and climbed to solo top spot in Pool D of the tournament, backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea.

Veteran Zam Nolasco delivered 12 points from seven attacks, three kill blocks and two aces, and her leadership kept CSB together during anxious moments in the closing stretches of the first two frames.

‘Alam namin ang sasabihin ni coach (Jerry Yee) so kami na lang ang gumawa ng talk sa isa’t isa. Yung mga lapses namin sa first and second sets siguro dahil nag-relax lang din kami. During the third set dun na namin talaga inilabas ang laro namin and gusto na naming tapusin,’ Nolasco said.

The Lady Blazers raced to an early lead in the third frame and even built a 20-14 advantage. Unlike in the previous sets, CSB maintained a safe distance from the Lady Altas to finish the match in straight sets.