Category: Philippine Star

At least nine Korean nationals with Red Notices issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) were arrested by the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO-7) in Cebu City for illegal detention and online gambling operations.

The apprehended foreign nationals, whose names were not disclosed by PRO-7, were recently charged on October 2 with a separate complaint for violation of the Presidential Decree 1602 in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

They were arrested on September 26 through warrants of arrest initially for serious illegal detention under Article 267 and slight illegal detention under Article 268 of the Revised Penal Code.

The said warrants were issued on September 23, following the report of an unidentified employee who alleged that he was illegally detained and deprived of two months’ worth of salary.

The complaint was positively verified by the Regional Special Project Unit (RSPU)-7, leading to the successful arrest of the nine suspects.

Some of the accused face no bail, while the others were meted with a fine of ?120,000 each, based on the court records.

Authorities also disclosed that five of the nine suspects were subjects of Red Notices from their home country, South Korea.

As of this writing, five suspects are currently detained at the custody of RSPU-7 while the other four are under the city’s detention facility, pending the filing of cases.

Residents fled their homes as widespread flooding hit several towns, rendering roads impassable, while flights were canceled and classes suspended as tropical cyclone Paolo roared northward across Luzon yesterday.

Paolo weakened into a severe tropical storm yesterday afternoon after making landfall in Ilocos Sur, but authorities warned it will continue to bring strong winds, heavy rains and dangerous coastal conditions as it moves over the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Paolo’s center was located over the coastal waters of Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur at 4 p.m.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center, with gusts of up to 165 kph while moving west-northwest at 35 kph, with strong to storm-force winds extending up to 480 kilometers from the center.

As of 5 p.m., Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 remained hoisted over parts of Northern and Central Luzon, including Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet and portions of Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Ifugao. PAGASA warned of ‘moderate to significant’ threats to life and property in these areas.

Signal No. 2 was raised over parts of Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces, while Signal No. 1 was up in Cagayan, Apayao, Batanes, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Aurora, Tarlac and northern Quezon, including the Polillo Islands.

Authorities also warned of life-threatening storm surges up to three meters along the coasts of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Cagayan, Isabela and Aurora within the next 24 hours.

A gale warning was issued for the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern coast of Central Luzon, with seas reaching up to six meters. Sea travel remains risky, and all vessels were advised to stay in port until conditions improve.

While Paolo has weakened into a severe tropical storm, PAGASA said it is expected to re-intensify into a typhoon within 12 hours before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility this morning.

Typhoon’s impact

As Paolo battered the country yesterday, at least 55 families in Ifugao fled their homes after Magat Dam opened its gates to release rising reservoir levels, with Alfonso Lista town placed under high-risk alert.

Evacuations were also reported in Kiangan, Hungduan, Mayoyao and Asipulo, where local disaster teams continue to provide aid and relief assistance.

In Batangas, widespread flooding hit several towns including Lemery, Lian, Tuy, Nasugbu and Calaca City, forcing hundreds of families to evacuate.

Floodwaters rendered roads and spillways impassable, caused power outages in Agoncillo and led to class suspensions across multiple municipalities.

Sea and air travel were also disrupted. The Philippine Coast Guard reported 48 passengers stranded in ports across Luzon, along with dozens of vessels and rolling cargoes halted due to rough seas.

Sixteen domestic flights of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific were canceled, mostly affecting routes to Tuguegarao, Cauayan and Laoag.

Classes were likewise suspended in several provinces, including all levels in La Union, after the province was placed under Signal No. 2.

P1.62 billion aid released

The Department of Budget and Management has approved the release of P1.62 billion from the disaster and calamity fund.

Of this, the Department of Public Works and Highways received P1 billion to replenish its quick response fund for reconstruction, rehabilitation and the prepositioning of goods and equipment in affected areas.

Key areas will also benefit from an additional P425 million from the Local Government Support Fund, including P150 million for Cebu, P75 million each for San Remigio, Bogo City and Medellin and P50 million for Borbon.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund has P5.3 billion available to support broader rehabilitation efforts and repair damaged infrastructure.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was allocated P625 million for stock relief supplies and emergency cash assistance to families in areas declared under a state of calamity.

DSWD placed all frontliners on red alert while continuing support to communities affected by the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu and typhoons in Masbate and Northern Mindanao.

The agency has also mobilized its full disaster response capacity, including food boxes, mobile kitchens and regional command centers.

Assistant Secretary Leo Quintilla noted that food pack production averages 18,000 to 25,000 boxes daily, with plans to increase output to 70,000-80,000 in the coming days.

As of Oct. 3, more than 2.3 million food packs were prepositioned nationwide, with Region 2 holding 137,661 boxes, Region 3 with 249,533, Ilocos Region at 52,000 and the Cordillera Administrative Region over 65,000.

Bicol Congressman Elizaldy Co is toast. He will be convicted and jailed, perhaps for a long time. His name will be generic for ‘corrupt government official of the worst kind.’ ‘I-Zaldy Co mo na ‘yan’ means steal the taxpayers’ money and run.

Co knows his crime. He is a recidivist. He is now on the run, moving from one country to another, hiding from prying eyes and alert Filipinos, while wearing disguises and surrounded by hordes of bodyguards. It will take a long time before Co returns to the Philippines, if ever – unless the Interpol gets into the game.

‘Zaldy Co will be jailed,’ Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon told his audience during the MOPC Infra Night, Sept. 30 in Makati. ‘The chances of conviction are higher than 80 percent,’ he assured me.

The evidence against the Ako Bicol party-list congressman is compelling, an ‘open and shut case,’ Vince quotes the lawyer of DPWH which is seeking Co’s prosecution. Co’s companies had bagged P86.1 billion worth of DPWH contracts from 2016 to 2025, the second biggest in the country after the Discayas’ P207 billion, the No. 1 in number and amount of DPWH contracts. Most of the projects done by Co and the Discayas for DPWH are either ghost or substandard. That makes them the two biggest thieves of taxpayers’ money – P86 billion and P207 billion, respectively.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s case No. 1 before the ombudsman is a case against Co, Vince Dizon’s first serious attempt to demand accountability from greedy contractors.

Dizon submitted to the ICI the damning evidence involving Co’s Contract No.24E00047 – the construction of a 425-meter-long road dike along Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Barangay Tagumpay, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro for P289.498 million (up from the original cost of P279 million) under the 2024 General Appropriations Act. Co’s Sunwest Inc. won the rigged bidding.

Two bidders made a bid in 2023 – Sunwest and a Discaya company. There is no record that the Discaya company indeed made a bid. The award to Co was courtesy of the notorious DPWH Mimaropa Region IV-B director Gerald A. Pacanan.

Before any DPWH contract could be awarded, the winning bidder must submit a number of documents. Co did not submit any but got the award and Notice to Proceed (NTP) just the same. Co was supposed to finish the river protection in 360 days. He claimed to have done it in much less time and collected full payment despite shoddy construction and use of substandard but overpriced materials. It won’t protect the people of Brgy. Tagumpay from floods. They clearly lost. A no win. For them and for the national government.

Says the ICI: ‘We have yet to be furnished with copies of the various documents which were supposed to have served as preconditions for the signing of the contract (i.e., performance security; construction Methods, construction schedule, Manpower schedule, equipment utilization schedule, construction safety and health program, contractor’s al-risk insurance, latest income and business tax returns, tax clearances, certification that the contractor is free and clean of all tax liabilities, integrity pledge). For now, we cannot discount the possibility that these documents may not exist at all, or were not submitted in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations.’

What Co did with the Brgy. Tagumpay project and similar projects in Naujan will make you puke in anger and disbelief. The steel sheet piles for the project should have been 12 meters. Co’s company installed only three meters or just 25 percent, giving Sunwest an implied profit of 75 percent. In addition, the installed sheet pile was found to be substandard or below spec.

Only 22 days after the Notice to Proceed on March 14, 2024, Co claimed 25 percent completion. DPWH promptly paid P58.672 million with the gall to claim ‘Phase IV under contract with Sunwest, Inc. have been accomplished consistent with the plans and specifications, and inspected with due consideration on the quality of workmanship.’ The certification was signed by seven DPWH Mimaropa officials led by Pacanan.

Protests the ICI: ‘Certifications aside, the discovery of the apparent substandard steel sheet piles likewise casts grave doubt as to whether all supporting documents for the first progress billing were duly submitted. Moreover, the geotagged progress photos can hardly justify or accurately depict the actual progress of the works.’

Co’s Sunwest submitted only two photographs – a dimly lit photograph of steel sheet piles and a photograph of workers supposedly engaged in ‘clearing and grubbing’ to prove 25 percent ‘progress.’

Says ICI: ‘There are no other photographs submitted to demonstrate a purported 25.03 percent work accomplishment, a mere 22 days after the Notice to Proceed was issued. Making the said progress photos all the more anomalous or suspect is that they were the very same photographs used in support of Progress Billing No. 2.’

Adds ICI: ‘On 25 June 2024, and in support of Progress Billing No. 2, Monthly Certificate of Payment No. 24062068 was issued for the period 16 March 2024 to 15 May 2024 (or a period of 60 days), in the amount of P35,134,206.86. This Certificate of Payment was supported by a Contractor’s Statement of Work Accomplished for the same period, which indicated a supposed completion rate of 40.0225 percent. The very same progress photographs in support of Progress Billing No. 1 were used to support this second Progress Billing.’

‘And unlike Progress Billing No. 1, there appears to have been no Certificate of Inspection issued in support of Progress Billing No. 2 (at the very least, the Commission has yet to be furnished a copy). Disbursement Voucher No. 2406206822 and the corresponding LDDAP-ADA was issued in support of the second partial payment of P35,134,206.86 to Sunwest. Sunwest, in turn, issued an Official Receipt No. 0024266 dated 28 June 2024, confirming receipt of the disbursed amount.’

Co committed similar shenanigans and stole our money.

Malacañang has declared several special non-working holidays in parts of the country this October and November to allow residents to commemorate their founding anniversaries, festivals and historical milestones.

The holidays were issued under Proclamations No. 1045 to 1051, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by authority of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to the Presidential News Desk.

Here’s the list of declared special non-working holidays:

October 9 – San Isidro, Surigao del Norte

Declared under Proclamation No. 1045, the date marks the 66th founding anniversary of San Isidro.

October 16 – Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur

Under Proclamation No. 1046, residents of Lapuyan will observe the 68th founding anniversary of the town.

October 20 – Batac City, Ilocos Norte

Proclamation No. 1047 declares the date as a holiday to mark the 159th birth anniversary of General Artemio Ricarte, a revolutionary leader born in Batac who played a key role in both the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War.

October 28 – Dingle, Iloilo

Proclamation No. 1048 recognizes the date to commemorate the Cry of Lincud, the first declaration of revolution against Spain in Iloilo and the whole Panay Island in 1898.

October 29 – Mati City, Davao Oriental

Under Proclamation No. 1049, the city will celebrate the Sambuokan Festival in commemoration of the municipality’s establishment before becoming a city.

October 30 – San Isidro, Davao del Norte

Proclamation No. 1050 sets the day as a holiday for the Sikwate Festival.

November 4 – Quezon province

Under Proclamation No. 1051, the province will commemorate the death anniversary of Apolinario dela Cruz, also known as Hermano Puli, a hero and religious leader who led a movement for equality during the Spanish colonial period.

With medical expenses rising faster than household incomes, insurance firms are racing to offer Filipinos more flexible and holistic health protection, with new products tapping digital platforms and preventive care to fill the coverage gap.

Oona Insurance said the Philippines is ‘ready for a new standard in health protection’ as families demand more choice beyond the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional policies.

‘Rising medical costs and changing lifestyles demand solutions that go beyond the basics, offering quality, choice and confidence,’ Oona Insurance founder and group CEO Abhishek Bhatia said.

The Singapore-based firm recently introduced two flagship health plans designed for both local and globally mobile Filipinos.

It launched Global Shield, an international plan with worldwide coverage of up to $2 million for globally mobile Filipinos and Purple Shield, a premier peso-based plan with up to P5 million in local coverage for families seeking exceptional care close to home.

Company officials stressed that the shift is not just about new products, but ‘is about rethinking how protection is delivered in a digital and wellness-driven age.’

Unlike conventional coverage focused mainly on hospitalization, Oona integrates preventive and wellness benefits such as check-ups, vaccinations, telemedicine and mental health support.

‘Health protection must be holistic in order to provide everyday peace of mind for Filipino families,’ Oona Philippines CEO Ninoy Rollan said.

Technology is at the center of the company’s model. Members can access instant quotes, same-day policy issuance, real-time claims tracking and paperless onboarding through its digital-first platform.

Overseas claims are processed online for faster reimbursement, while partnerships with MediLink and Doctor Anywhere provide cashless access to over 650 hospitals nationwide and 750 doctors on call.

The company first entered health protection with critical illness insurance in 2024. Its expansion underscores a broader ambition to become a digital-first insurer of choice across Southeast Asia.

Oona currently operates in Indonesia and the Philippines and is backed by global private equity firm Warburg Pincus.

Eight retired military personnel sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after falling victim to an investment scam that targeted pensioners.

According to NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin, the DS Mejia Documents Facilitation Service solicited pensions from military retirees or their widows, promising high returns.

‘This company offers facilitation of the release of military pension, but, upon release, not all money goes straight to the retirees. The company’s leader tells them that it would be placed in investments,’ Lavin said yesterday.

An NBI operation led to the arrest of company owner Dominga Mejia in a restaurant in Quezon City on Tuesday over charges of estafa, swindling and violations of the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act and the Securities Regulation Act.

One of the victims, Commander Bernard Jacob, said he served the Navy for 25 years and invested P1.3 million of his lump sum pension in August last year after the company promised him a return of 10 percent per month.

Jacob said he received P200,000 in cash for the first two months. However, he was issued a bouncing check on the third month, with the firm making several excuses.

‘I was buried in debt and got stuck because I couldn’t pay our creditors anymore,’ Jacob told reporters.

He said Mejia’s late husband also worked for the military, which could have given her knowledge of the Army’s pension system.

Mejia denied the allegations, as her lawyer questioned why the NBI presented her to the media.

‘She remains a suspect,’ Mejia’s lawyer said. ‘Please respect her right to be innocent.’

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is warning the public against groups claiming to provide assistance to victims of fraud.

In its latest advisory, the SEC urged the public to exercise the highest degree of caution against certain individuals or groups operating Facebook pages, online communities, and other social media platforms that appear to offer help to scam victims.

The SEC said these platforms are, in fact, designed to defraud them a second time.

Such schemes are referred to as ‘recovery’ and ‘advance-fee recovery’ scam by the SEC.

‘These online accounts or entities are not authorized by the commission and have no legal authority to provide recovery services,’ the SEC said.

‘On the contrary, they are being utilized as instruments to exploit already vulnerable victims,’ it said.

The SEC said that schemes employed by perpetrators commonly include offering recovery of funds previously lost to scams in exchange for advance fees or personal information.

Such groups also misrepresent affiliation with government agencies or law enforcement authorities as well as fabricate testimonials, documents or credentials to create a false appearance of legitimacy.

The SEC said those involved in these scams likewise employ high-pressure tactics to induce victims into making immediate payments or disclosing sensitive personal or financial information.

‘The commission warns the public not to transact with, remit any sum to or disclose personal information to such individuals or groups. Victims of scams are strongly urged to lodge their complaints directly with the proper authorities for appropriate action,’ it said.

Sean Ramos put himself in prime position for a career-defining finish on the Asian Tour, carding a gutsy 68 on Saturday to vault into joint 14th after three rounds of the Jakarta International Championship in Indonesia.

The young Filipino shotmaker showcased both composure and firepower at the Damai Indah Golf PIK course, briefly breaking into the Top 10 following a brilliant four-birdie run through his first 11 holes. Despite stumbling with bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14, Ramos still managed a respectable 33-35 for a three-round total of 203 – just four shots behind the joint leaders heading into the final round.

Sharing the lead at 199 are seasoned campaigners Scott Vincent, Wade Ormsby and Gaganjeet Bhullar, who delivered rounds of 62, 67 and 69, respectively, to set up a dramatic finish in the $2-million International Series event.

But with Ramos within striking distance of the leaders and just one solid round away from shaking up the leaderboard, hopes are high for a breakthrough Top 10 or even Top 5 result – his best on the Asian Tour so far. His current career-best showing is a tied-22nd finish at the International Series Morocco earlier in the season.

Ramos struck eight fairways and 15 greens in regulation but needed 30 putts, including two scrambling pars, to complete his round on the par-70 layout. A more efficient day on the greens in the final round could easily vault him up the standings.

Ramos’ ability to maintain pace with the region’s top players signals a maturity and competitive edge beyond his years. If he can hold his nerve under final-round pressure – a test that separates contenders from champions – Ramos could well cement himself as a rising star on the Asian Tour.

In contrast, Miguel Tabuena and Justin Quiban struggled to find momentum.

Tabuena, who opened with an impressive 65, followed up with two consecutive rounds of 71 to fall to joint 51st at 207. Quiban faded further after a 74, slipping to a tie for 73rd at 212.

Meanwhile, the tournament’s front-runners are gearing up for a gripping finale. Vincent dazzled with a bogey-free 62, fueled by eight birdies, including back-to-back birdie streaks from Nos. 1 and 12, while hitting nine fairways and 15 greens in regulation. He needed just 25 putts to complete his round.

Ormsby matched Vincent’s putting efficiency with 25 putts of his own, compiling five birdies against two bogeys for a 67, while Bhullar remained firmly in contention with a three-birdie, one double bogey round, finishing with a 36-33.

Chasing just a stroke back at 200 are Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana (64) and Poom Saksansin (66), with Stefano Mazzoli, Steve Lewton and Pavit Tangkamolprasert all tied at 201.

Sen. Francis Escudero yesterday slammed as ‘political retribution’ the ethics complaint filed against him at the Senate over his P30-million campaign donation from flood control contractor Lawrence Lubiano of Centerways Construction and Development.

Escudero was referring to a complaint filed against him by lawyer Eldridge Marvin Aceron for accepting campaign funds from Lubiano for his Senate comeback bid in the 2022 elections.

The former Senate president pointed out the timing of the complaint days after he delivered a plenary speech naming his counterpart, former speaker Martin Romualdez’s role in the alleged kickbacks scheme from flood control projects.?Escudero himself is accused by former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Roberto Bernardo of receiving P160 million in kickbacks, an allegation Escudero denied.

‘I am not surprised anymore. This is what I pay for naming Martin Romualdez, and for uncovering the truth. This is just part of the harassment from his minions,’ the senator posted on social media in Filipino.

‘This isn’t about ethics. This is political retribution. This complaint is still part of their script and a desperate smokescreen. I will expose it for the politically motivated sham that it is,’ he added, using the hashtags ‘#SelectiveJustice’ and ‘#LabananAngScriptNiMartin.’

According to Aceron’s ethics complaint, Lubiano’s Centerways – one of the top 15 flood control contractors flagged by President Marcos – bagged 112 contracts worth P16.67 billion in Escudero’s turf, Sorsogon, from 2021 to 2025.

Escudero served as Sorsogon governor from 2019 to 2022.

Aceron alleged Centerways secured only 12 contracts worth P720 million in 2021, but this ‘escalated dramatically’ to P15.9 billion worth of contracts from 2022 to 2025, or after the P30-million donation to Escudero.

‘The sheer number, aggregate value and geographic concentration of these projects, coinciding with the P30-million donation, underscore the appearance of impropriety and raise serious doubts about the independence of public procurement from political influence,’ the 21-page complaint read.

‘This stark before-and-after contrast strengthens the inference that the donation and the subsequent flow of contracts in the Senator’s bailiwick are linked in both timing and magnitude,’ it added.

Sen. JV Ejercito, who chairs the ethics committee, confirmed the verified complaint against Escudero, but said he has yet to convene the committee since his designation last week.

Ejercito said he will still ‘see if there is still a need’ to tackle the complaint, with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure already tackling Escudero’s alleged role in the controversy.

Construction firms owned by contractor couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya could face fines totaling as much as P300 billion due to alleged bid rigging in over 1,200 flood control projects, the Department of Public Works and Highways announced yesterday.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the department has referred cases of bid manipulation and bid rigging to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) for a preliminary inquiry and possible filing of charges under Republic Act 10667, the Philippine Competition Act.

The cases involve 12 flood control projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro, which include five contractors. Among them is St. Timothy Construction Corp., owned by the Discaya couple, which secured two of these projects.

Other contractors implicated include Wawao Builders and Sunwest Inc., each with three projects, as well as IM Construction Corp. and SYMS Construction Trading Inc., each with two projects.

‘What we are asking from the PCC is to investigate the bid manipulation with the appropriate penalty per contract violation,’ Dizon said in Filipino during a press conference in Quezon City.

Dizon estimated penalties for the 12 projects at around P2.3 billion but warned the Discaya couple could face much steeper fines for the rest of the projects they obtained from the government.

From 2016 to 2025, companies owned by the Discayas reportedly won 1,214 flood control projects worth a total of P77.934 billion.

With the maximum penalty set at P250 million per contract, Dizon projected the Discayas could be fined up to P300 billion.

The DPWH chief also pointed to the couple’s admission before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, where they acknowledged their companies’ participation in bid rigging, as critical evidence.

‘We have to throw everything at these people. We will file every possible case because they need to be held accountable,’ Dizon stressed, underscoring the government’s determination to recover billions of pesos in public funds lost through questionable flood control projects.

In addition, the DPWH has forwarded a list of 18 properties owned by the Discaya couple to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for possible forfeiture in favor of the government.

These properties, including the couple’s mansion in Pasig City, have an appraised value of around P1 billion and have been targeted by angry protesters.

License revocation

The DPWH is also moving to revoke the licenses of 20 engineers and other professionals implicated in anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan.

Dizon submitted yesterday to Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Chair Charito Zamora pieces of evidence for the revocation of the licenses of engineers, accountants and architects allegedly involved in the projects.

Among those tagged as ‘superstars’ in the anomaly are former Bulacan first district engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza and Paul Jayson Duya.

Dizon said the move is in compliance with President Marcos’ directive to hold accountable not only contractors but also DPWH officials and other professionals linked to the corruption scandal.

The evidence turned over included fraud audit reports from the Commission on Audit and findings from the DPWH’s internal audit service.

To institutionalize cooperation, Dizon and Zamora signed a memorandum of agreement to strengthen coordination between the two agencies in imposing sanctions against professionals involved in government corruption.

‘It’s not just about accountability, but it’s also about safeguarding the institutions and the projects that DPWH is doing from now moving forward,’ Dizon added.

For her part, Zamora gave assurance that the PRC will act on the request with substantial evidence but emphasized that due process will be observed.

‘We will give them a chance to reply and after that, the body will decide,’ she said, noting that those implicated will have 15 days to respond.

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said local government units have reported substandard and ghost flood control projects nationwide, with findings set to be submitted to President Marcos by month’s end.

More assets frozen

Beyond administrative sanctions, financial regulators have also intensified their crackdown.

The AMLC has secured a fourth freeze order from the Court of Appeals, bringing the total value of immobilized assets linked to alleged corruption in flood control projects to more than P4 billion.

In a resolution dated Oct. 3, the appellate court ordered the freezing of 57 bank accounts, 10 real properties and nine motor vehicles identified by the AMLC as potentially connected to irregular infrastructure spending.

‘This marks another firm step in the government’s broader crackdown on corruption in public infrastructure projects,’ the AMLC said, noting that the action builds on earlier directives that froze billions in alleged illicit wealth.

To date, four separate freeze orders have covered 1,620 bank accounts, 54 insurance policies, 163 motor vehicles, 40 real properties and 12 e-wallet accounts.

Investigators said these include a luxury compound in a prime urban district, high-end vehicles, virtual currencies and unit investment trust funds.

‘These freezes are real actions that stop corruption,’ AMLC executive director Matthew David said. ‘Every peso frozen is a peso that cannot be used to sustain corruption.’

The cumulative value of immobilized assets has now exceeded P4 billion, with the amount expected to rise as financial trails are further uncovered.

The latest freeze order is part of ongoing investigations into irregularities in flood control spending, a sector repeatedly flagged by oversight bodies for leakages, overpriced contracts and misuse of public funds.

The AMLC, created under Republic Act 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, has the authority to investigate suspicious transactions and secure judicial orders to immobilize assets suspected of being tied to unlawful activities.

‘The AMLC remains committed to tracing financial links to public sector anomalies,’ David stressed, underscoring the agency’s role in dismantling networks that profit from misused taxpayer money.