Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s camp said the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) referral to the Ombudsman-which was issued with no finding of guilt against him-affirms their confidence in the probe body’s impartiality in handling the case.

Ade Fajardo, Romualdez’s lawyer, delivered his statement in a video sent to the media on Monday morning. His statement came after they received a copy of the ICI’s Nov. 21 referral to the antigraft body.

The ICI referral asked the antigraft body to further investigate Romualdez in relation to the flood control mess.

It includes Romualdez’s sworn affidavit, stenographic transcript, and related materials from his voluntary appearance before the ICI on Oct. 14.

‘The Commission underscores that referring the matter at this stage is intended to permit the Honorable Office of the Ombudsman to promptly and immediately undertake its own fact-finding inquiry, consistent with established principles of coordination and to avoid duplicative or fragmented investigations,’ the document reads.

‘As the constitutionally designated disciplinary authority over public officials, the Office of the Ombudsman is better equipped to determine whether the circumstances thus far disclosed warrant administrative or criminal accountability under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards, and other applicable laws,’ it added.

‘The ICI will continue to discharge its mandate under Executive Order No. 94. Any additional documents, evidence, or statements obtained in the course of its ongoing inquiries that bear upon this referral will be promptly transmitted to the Honorable Office of the Ombudsman,’ it noted.

‘We acknowledge the Referral submitted by the ICI to the Office of the Ombudsman on Nov. 21 and welcome the Commission’s completion of its fact-gathering mandate. We respect the ICI’s commitment to transmit all gathered evidence to the Office of the Ombudsman for further evaluation,’ Fajardo said.

Impartiality

‘Importantly, the ICI explicitly states that the referral is issued without any finding or conclusion of guilt or liability on the part of former Speaker Romualdez,’ he added.

Fajardo said: ‘This clear statement strengthens our confidence in the Commission’s impartiality and underscores the constitutional role of the Ombudsman as the sole authority empowered to determine accountability.’

‘We trust that the Ombudsman will conduct an independent, thorough, and objective review of the evidence submitted. From the outset, we have consistently maintained that a fair and complete assessment of the record will reflect the truth,’ he added.

On Nov. 21, 2025, the DPWH and the ICI issued a joint referral where they wrote in the ‘recommended action’ that, subject to the Ombudsman’s prerogative, ‘it is respectfully recommended that the Office of the Ombudsman investigate Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Elizaldy S. Co, and the members of the Board of Directors of Sunwest Inc. and Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corp., and any and all other parties’ in relation to possible criminal offenses including plunder, graft and corrupt practices, and direct bribery.

The document also stated that ‘the findings herein are only preliminary in nature and without prejudice to any additional findings of liability or the possible implication of other persons that may arise in the course of the evaluation and/or investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman.’

Before the submission of the referral by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and ICI Chair Andres Reyes Jr., President Marcos also announced their recommendations in a video statement on social media.

‘And so now, I want to inform our countrymen that all the information gathered by the ICI and the DPWH will be referred and turned over to the Ombudsman for investigation,’ the President said.

‘We are confident that the Ombudsman simply follows the evidence, and wherever the evidence leads, that is where our investigation will go,’ he added.

Four different configurations could have emerged out of the two quarterfinal pairings on one side of the semifinal bracket in the PVL Reinforced Conference.

Of those four, this was probably the last anyone would have thought of. And yet, here we are.

Proving that no favorite is safe and no underdog is ever out of the fight, No. 8 Akari and the fifth-seeded Petro Gazz toppled their respective higher-seeded foes to set a semifinal duel.

The Chargers, who had a roller-coaster ride in the preliminaries, stunned the top-seeded Farm Fresh, 28-26, 30-28, 25-21, to advance to the semifinals on Monday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Akari was the No. 1 team in last year’s Reinforced, ousting Farm Fresh in the quarterfinals to reach the championship round. The tables were turned in the preliminary round, with the Foxies cornering the top seed and the Chargers dropping to the bottom of the quarterfinal roster.

But somehow, the old order was restored.

‘Everyone had the will to win and each player was eager to fight for the semifinals,’ Akari’s Eli Soyud told the Inquirer. ‘That’s why the outcome was so good-because everyone really wanted it.’

The Angels, on the other hand, bounced back from last year’s quarterfinal exit at the hands of the defending champions, ousting Creamline, 25-23, 25-19, 16-25, 25-14.

Lindsey Vander Weide suffered a right ankle sprain early in the first set but was able to return in the fourth.

But in between, Myla Pablo stepped up big time, unleashing a game-high 26 points to take away Creamline’s final crown.

Even with two-time MVPs Pablo and Brooke Van Sickle holding the fort, the Angels still needed 2022 Best Import and Finals MVP Vander Weide, who finished with six points in her return during the fourth set.

‘We’d already played with Lindsey back in 2022. We knew what adjustments were needed for this game, and everyone helped each other. The coaches also reminded us to focus on every detail,’ Pablo told the Inquirer in Filipino.

The veteran outside spiker, who had a limited role this year and even played as an opposite spiker, was eager to win it for Vander Weide.

Total team effort

‘Earlier, I just played without pressure, and I knew my team needed me to perform. I wanted to give my best for Lindsey,’ said Pablo. ‘In the first set, I struggled a bit because it had been a while since I had been playing opposite in past games. But I told myself I could do it, just needed a little adjustment.’

Akari had a total team effort to take down Farm Fresh, with Annie Mitchem leading the way with 25 points, all on kills, and recording 14 excellent receptions.

Soyud and Grethcel Soltones added 10 points each, while Fifi Sharma had nine. Setter Mars Alba had 19 excellent sets and libero Justine Jazareno finished with 21 digs and 10 excellent receptions.

‘Earlier, we just reminded each other to trust one another and give everything on the court,’ Soyud said. ‘You could see that in the game, everyone gave their all.’ INQ

Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. warned that the agency will file complaints against anyone ‘coddling’ the eight accused still at large in the Oriental Mindoro flood control case.

‘We understand the close ties among relatives and friends, but accountability and the rule of law must always prevail. Let us allow justice to take its course, and part of it is to let them confront the cases filed against them,’ Nartatez said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘Police units implementing the arrest warrants were already instructed to prepare and file criminal charges against those who would be confirmed to have coddled the accused in the graft and malversation cases,’ he added.

On Monday, authorities announced that they had taken into custody eight of the 16 individuals accused of graft and malversation in connection with a P289.5-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro.

According to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, of the eight accused still at large, four were known to be abroad, including former House of Representatives appropriations chairperson and resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.

‘The PNP will continue its operations until all individuals sought by the courts are accounted for, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to upholding the law without fear or favor,’ Nartatez said.

Bansud vice mayor

Among the eight initially arrested was Department of Public Works and Highways Mimaropa (DPWH 4B) official Engr. Dennis Abagon.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Abagon was caught in a house in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, last Sunday. Two of his helpers were also arrested for allegedly assisting him.

Both the NBI and Remulla said the house in which Abagon was caught was owned by the ‘vice mayor of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro,’ but neither of them named the supposed homeowner.

In an interview on DZMM on Monday, Bansud Vice Mayor Alma Mirano said the Quezon City home Abagon was caught in was indeed hers, and the DPWH 4B official was merely renting it.

She denied that she was harboring Abagon, maintaining that they seldom interacted and that she did not even know whether the DPWH 4B official was involved in the scandal.

The Philippine economy is expected to end 2025 on a more optimistic note, as holiday spending and robust remittances could help offset the impact of the flood control corruption scandal, economists at the University of Asia and the Pacific said.

In their latest ‘The Market Call’ report, UAandP said gross domestic product (GDP) likely grew by 5.3 percent in the fourth quarter, bringing the full-year growth to 5.1 percent.

‘We expect Q4 GDP growth to improve as [the] national government resumes its spending and consumers use healthy remittance inflows to get into the holiday groove,’ the report read.

Confidence

‘Besides, President Marcos has indicated potential convictions regarding the flood control scandal before Christmas, bolstering confidence thereafter.’

However, this would still miss the 5.5- to 6.5-percent target range of the Marcos administration but would match Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan’s initial outlook that economic growth could hit at least 5 percent in the last quarter of the year.

Government infrastructure and capital outlays spending in September plummeted for the third straight month by 42.6 percent to P78.7 billion due to heightened scrutiny of public works amid the flood control corruption scandal.

The Department of Budget and Management said capital expenditures could ‘partly normalize’ by year-end as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) continues the implementation of most of its public works.

Capital outlay

Still, UAandP said the growth of overall capital outlays was still doubtful due to DPWH’s stricter validation rules.

‘With more cautious infrastructure spending, the chances of major resumption of these outlays in Q4 remain in doubt,’ the economists said.

Meanwhile, remittances, which rose by 3.7 percent to $3.12 billion in September, should ‘provide more pesos for consumer spending’ in the holidays, the report said.

Inflation is also expected to remain steady at 1.7 percent by year-end and could only expand to 2.2 percent next year.

Peso gains still limited

Although the GDP is expected to rebound, UAandP economists said any relief in the peso-dollar exchange could still be limited.

‘Although technical analysis implies a wide berth for a correction, the elephant in the room remains unaddressed. Investor uncertainty from the glaring ghost project issue may trump the traditional holiday remittance wave,’ they said.

The third quarter GDP slowdown and benign inflation opened the room for further policy rate cuts by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which UAandP said would ‘add substantial depreciation pressure.’

‘The immediate support we see could be from BSP’s intervention in the spot market, though this is more for smoothing out volatility, and not defending a specific level of the USD-PHP,’ they added.

Bond market

The local bond market, UAandP said, has stayed resilient and could receive a further boost from the US Federal Reserve, which is expected to cut its policy rate by 25 basis points in December amid a weakening US economy and limited inflation impact from Trump’s tariffs.

Against this backdrop, UAandP is optimistic that the Philippine Stock Exchange index could ‘see some upside heading into the holiday season’ after hitting a five-year low last week, as hopes grow that the central bank’s rate cuts could provide additional support.

‘An off-cycle or larger-than-expected BSP rate cut could boost investor appetite, but satisfactory judicial action on the flood control issue needs to occur to clear the air and allow the usual year-end boost to lift market sentiment,’ UAandP said.

The Philippines today is living through one of the most turbulent political seasons since 1986. A vice president impeached, then constitutionally ‘unimpeached,’ a widening infrastructure kickback scandal implicating lawmakers and contractors at every level, and the extraordinary spectacle of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) district engineers seated at tables piled with cash-these have shaken even the most cynical observers of Philippine politics. The administration, already struggling with declining trust, faces a legitimacy crisis that grows sharper by the week.

But something deeper is happening beneath the surface. We are witnessing a shift not only in the behavior of politicians but also in the architecture of Philippine public opinion itself. A new political force-youth-driven, TikTok-native, and emotionally electrified-is emerging as the decisive actor in shaping legitimacy.

Welcome to what I call the Age of the Mustangs. For decades, our democracy has been dominated by what might be called the ‘wagons’: political parties, bureaucracies, dynastic networks, and the machinery of traditional media. They are slow, heavy, predictable, and in many ways necessary-because they carry the weight of governing. But they are also rigid, resistant to change, and historically captured by patronage.

Opposite them now stand the ‘mustangs’: Gen Z and young Millennials, who have taken the public sphere by storm. Unburdened by deference to authority, unimpressed by scripted narratives, and allergic to hypocrisy, they move with breathtaking speed through digital spaces. They mock corruption, expose inconsistencies, remix hearings into satire, and transform scandals into national outrage-often within 24 hours.

The result is a political landscape in which youth emotional sentiment, expressed through TikTok humor, moral disgust, and viral commentary, shapes the direction of the national conversation. If the wagons once dictated what the public should think, the mustangs now decide which leaders are credible, what behavior is unacceptable, and when public disgust should boil into political pressure.

This shift is visible in the corruption scandal currently engulfing the administration. The Discaya couple’s ostentatious displays of wealth, meant to boost political ambitions, instead became a meme battlefield. Their mansions and designer outfits morphed into symbols of ‘contractor greed,’ replayed millions of times by angry and amused youth. The DPWH’s cash stacks were turned into punchlines and edited into satirical videos that spread faster than any Senate privilege speech. The administration’s attempts at damage control could not keep pace with the speed of youth-driven moral judgment.

In traditional politics, scandals rise and fall based on elite negotiations. In the Age of the Mustangs, scandals survive based on whether the youth continue to find them morally outrageous-and ‘memetically’ fertile.

But while the mustangs are powerful, they are not enough. TikTok can ignite civic anger, but it cannot draft procurement reform laws. Viral outrage can force resignations, but it cannot design an anticorruption framework that survives the next administration. Memes can expose dynastic excess, but they cannot negotiate a national budget.

That is why this moment is both exhilarating and dangerous. If the mustangs run free without institutions adjusting, we risk entering a form of ‘viral populism,’ where governance becomes hostage to the moral mood of the algorithm. If the wagons cling to old ways-opaque leadership, scripted messaging, internal patronage battles-they will be trampled by public distrust. And if both forces clash without learning to cooperate, we risk deeper political instability.

But if these forces converge, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Imagine political parties that actually open their doors to youth, empower their youth wings, run internal primaries shaped by digital participation, and build platforms around the issues young citizens actually care about: anticorruption, cost of living, climate resilience, public transport, and national sovereignty. Imagine a Congress that treats public outrage not as a nuisance but as a mandate for institutional repair. Imagine local governments using youth sentiment to audit contractors instead of protecting them.

In such a world, the mustangs provide moral energy and public direction, while the wagons provide structure and endurance. The two forces need each other. The mustangs can expose corruption; the wagons can fix the systems that allow it. The mustangs can win elections; the wagons can govern the morning after.

The present administration’s crisis shows what happens when wagons rust and mustangs stampede. But it also shows what is possible when citizens-especially the young-reclaim moral leadership. If the country can channel this energy into real reform, the Age of the Mustangs may yet become the beginning of a new democratic cycle.

The local stock barometer dipped as investors pocketed gains following a four-day rally, with weaker economic growth projections further dampening market sentiment.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell by 0.75 percent, or 45.42 points, to finish at 5,976.17.

The broader All Shares Index, meanwhile, climbed 1.12 percent, or 39.64 percent, to 3,574.82.

Only the financials and mining and oil sectors ended in the positive territory, with property seeing the biggest drop.

According to Philstocks financial research manager Japhet Tantiangco, trading remained ‘active’ as the net value turnover hit P7.48 billion.

‘Today’s sideways movement ended in the negative territory as investors took profits from the local market’s preceding four-day rally,’ he said.

Growth forecasts

Both Tantiangco and Luis Limlingan, head of sales at stock brokerage house Regina Capital Development Corp., also cited the recent projections from SandP Global Ratings and Asean+3 Macroeconomic Office, which slashed growth forecasts for the Philippine economy this year.

‘Sentiment was also likely weighed down by a lower growth outlook amid ongoing trade pressures. These factors collectively pressured the market throughout today’s session,’ Limlingan said.

The tempered growth outlook came as the country logged its slowest economic expansion yet in four years last quarter. This, as the market received the brunt amid the rampant corruption practices in government’s infrastructure projects.

The index closed with 89 advancers, 93 decliners and 66 unchanged stocks. INQ

JayRack De La Noche came to the rescue to save Cignal’s four-peat bid in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference semifinal round.

After getting swept by Savouge Aesthetics less than 24 hours ago, De La Noche stepped up when it mattered most, pouring in 22 points to deal Kindai University’s first loss, 25-20, 25-21, 24-26, 25-18, and stay in title contention on Tuesday at Ynares Center Montalban. The rookie Super Spiker used his familiarity with the Japanese collegiate team, which he faced in a tune-up during the national team’s training camp two years ago, to help his team figure out the erstwhile-unbeaten guest team.

‘For me, it was really about pride for our team. Since we were up against Japan, I really wanted to beat them,’ Dela Noche told reporters in Filipino.

‘Back in college, we didn’t usually win against teams like Kindai, so my mindset was simple: I won’t let myself lose. I wanted to help my team and guide the older guys as well.’

De La Noche, who had a 19-of-31 attacking clip, was determined to save Cignal’s campaign as the Super Spikers improved to a 2-2 record ahead of their last semis game against Australia’s ProVolley Academy on Thursday at FilOil EcoOil Centre. Their fate, however, remains out of their hands.

‘It was tough because after our loss to Savouge, we didn’t have any training. So we just focused on our mindset. The fight wasn’t over and we still had a chance to win,’ he said. ‘It really came down to pride and heart. We just went out there, enjoyed the game, and did our best even without practice.’

Jau Umandal also stepped up for the Super Spikers with 18 points, nine digs, and nine receptions, while Brothers JP and Martin Bugaoan had 12 and 11 points, respectively.

‘In the huddle earlier, I told them we don’t know what our situation will be. What’s important is that we win our remaining games, and then we leave the rest to God, wherever He leads us,’ said Cignal coach Dexter Clamor.

Kindai dropped to a 3-1 card despite the 27-point explosion of Ryutaro Aun. The Japanese seek to clinch a championship appearance in their last semis game against Savouge on Thursday.

Call me a Luddite, or perhaps contrarian, but I would rather sit in a library and trawl through hundreds of books than use AI (artificial intelligence). In this day and age, realistically speaking, that means combing through hundreds of websites, sometimes going down many rabbit holes, sifting sense from sensationalism, checking facts against bias, verifying sources, and ignoring clickbait, all in the name of solid research.

Vive la resistance

One could say my disinterest in AI is a form of resistance against intellectual indolence, against the frankly terrifying reality of big tech colonialism, against the abdication of agency when it comes to knowledge. Whereas many people think nothing of consulting ChatGPT or some other AI engine with questions both anodyne and profound, and getting the answers in seconds, I personally prefer to go old school digital-meaning, I type into a search engine whatever it is I’m interested in looking up, and then I run through the various search results, assessing the credibility of one source versus the other, before possibly veering off-tangent to look up something often outwardly unrelated yet nevertheless triggered by a word or phrase or factoid I’d just happened upon.

Of course, not everything I am seeking answers for is highly complicated or arcane; sometimes it’s as simple as finding the address of a restaurant. But I’d like to think it’s a form of discipline-having a healthy dose of skepticism and perspicacity when presented with a smorgasbord of options, especially when the commodity is information.

All this, I suppose, reflects my background in the Humanities, my very catholic upbringing-and I mean catholic not in the religious sense, but in terms of broadness and universality of scope-which involved being immersed in the different worlds afforded to me by literature, art, philosophy, and languages.

And these are worlds that I discovered first through reading and research, often serendipitously.

When humanity outsmarts technology

The Contrast 1940 Oil on canvas board | Photo from met museum manila via IG

Recently, a friend of mine, the brilliant John Kenneth Paranada, the art and climate change curator at the Sainsbury Centre/University of East Anglia (my alma mater), mounted an exhibition by the Ethiopian artist Tesfaye Urgessa that explores war, displacement, and diaspora as part of the museum’s wider curatorial theme this season, ‘Can We Stop Killing Each Other?’

When Paranada first shared images of Urgessa’s work with me, I was struck by the artist’s muscular expressionistic cubism; to me, they were strongly reminiscent of Ang Kiukok’s paintings, albeit in a more somber palette. Both blend figuration and abstraction. It was remarkable how, in the hands of an artist as gifted as Urgessa, that particular form of cubism can still resonate with unexpected force, more than half a century after Ang Kiukok began painting in this manner.

Where the Filipino master depicted such raw, tortured anguish in searing tones, the young Ethiopian is perhaps a little more subtle. ‘I want my figures to embody both suffering and strength,’ he tells Paranada in an interview. ‘They’ve endured something, but they’ve emerged from it. They’re not victims; they’re survivors, even champions.’

And while the curator in me immediately began dreaming of a possible future exhibition featuring Urgessa in dialogue with Ang Kiukok, I came across, completely by chance, a 1940 painting with hints of cubism by another Filipino Modernist master, H.R. Ocampo, that seemed to echo Urgessa’s in palette and feel, as well as in language.

And this was almost two decades before Ocampo turned to the fully abstract color-saturated biomorphic forms that have since become his signature.

These are, to my mind, examples of old school discoveries AI might not have immediately presented to me, had I asked. Perhaps because AI, as a language learning model, would have had to scrape through terabytes of information from an entire universe of sources to find the correlations that I very happily stumbled upon.

But if no one had thought to write a paper, about as obscure topic as, say, artistic linkages between The Thirteen Moderns and contemporary Ethiopian art, what sources would AI have had recourse to in milliseconds?

In short, I love it when the fecundity of human imagination outsmarts the superficiality of artificial intelligence.

A frustrated murder complaint was filed against a supposed gang member after he allegedly shot a Quezon City clubgoer in the head during a commotion last week, the police said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Quezon City Police Department identified the suspect as Jayson Dellosa.

The police also identified the night club owner as Joseph Santos Juan, who is supposedly Dellosa’s associate.

‘On November 19, 2025, a frustrated murder case was filed against Jayson, while Joseph was charged as an accessory to frustrated murder for facilitating Jayson’s entry and bypassing security procedures,’ the QCPD said.

Both men are still at large.

The QCPD did not expound on Juan or Dellosa’s profiles, only claiming their investigation found the latter was a ‘known member of the Original Pinoy Gangster group’ in San Juan City.

The incident occurred early morning of Nov. 16 at Juan’s club in Barangay Laging Handa, according to the QCPD.

‘Around 4:42 a.m., a commotion broke out between Jayson’s companion and the 23-year-old male victim inside the club, prompting Jayson to allegedly fire a single shot to the victim’s head before fleeing the scene,’ the QCPD maintained.

‘The victim was initially transported to St. Luke’s Medical Center and later transferred to Quezon City General Hospital, where he is now in stable condition,’ it added.

The QCPD did not identify the victim.

Crime scene operatives recovered a fired cartridge and a deformed bullet. The QCPD did not say from what gun caliber the bullet was from.

The police further noted that Dellosa is a registered gun owner and, due to the alleged incident, they had requested the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office to revoke his license.

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said the decision to cut Juan Gomez de Liaño from the first window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers won’t mean that he has no plans for the Converge super rookie in the long term.

‘Juan is a future Gilas player,’ Cone said after Monday’s sendoff event before Gilas flies to Guam for the first of two meetings with the tiny island. ‘He’ll be on this team at some point; it just happened that he’s still new to the system.’

Excitement grew the moment Cone announced Gomez de Liaño’s inclusion in the Gilas pool, which came on the heels of his splendid showing in the PBA Philippine Cup eliminations, including a 32-point explosion against Barangay Ginebra.

Gomez de Liaño quickly reported to camp and had been described by Cone as someone ‘who practiced really well.’

In the end, however, Cone decided it would be best to stick with some of his old guns, with RJ Abarrientos being one of the guards added to the two matches on Friday in Guam and Dec. 1 at Blue Eagle Gym inside the Ateneo campus.

But Cone believes his participation in the camp would bode well for Gomez de Liaño moving forward.

‘What we did with him is we laid a foundation for Juan in terms of him learning the system this time and then being able to go with it next time,’ Cone said. ‘He’s going to be a fixture on this team. Instead of saying we’re sorry to Juan, it was like congratulations, Juan. You proved your worth. You’re going to be on this team. There’s no doubt about it.

‘He is really a stud. There was no reason for us not to bring him this time except for the fact that we wanted to be loyal to the guys we had,’ Cone added.

Going to play in both games are Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, Kevin Quiambao, CJ Perez, Abarrientos and Japeth Aguilar, who has hinted at the possibility of finally ending his international career.

Quentin Millora-Brown is set for his Gilas debut, Carl Tamayo is joining the team in Guam after getting his United States visa approved on Monday, while AJ Edu will come over after tying the knot recently.

Also cut from the window were Jamie Malonzo, who could be part of the Gilas roster for the Thailand Southeast Asian Games, and Troy Rosario.

‘Those three were amazing,’ Cone said of the other cuts. ‘Troy is always amazing. I see him every day in Ginebra practices and he never takes a moment off and plays incredibly hard all the time. And Jamie came in incredibly motivated; he was early at work and worked really, really hard.’ INQ