Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Former Narvacan, Ilocos Sur mayor Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson has denied allegations that he profited from a land deal and misused public funds, calling the graft and plunder complaints filed against him on Monday ‘baseless, malicious, and politically motivated.’

Singson issued a video statement after Warriors Ti Narvacan, Inc. – an organization advocating good governance and public accountability – lodged the complaints against him before the Office of the Ombudsman. The group was represented by Atty. Estelita Cordero.

‘The complaint alleges that I profited P100 million from the sale of a 10-hectare property to the Municipality of Narvacan. The facts clearly show the opposite is true,’ the former mayor said.

Singson claimed that the market value of the property at the time was actually P8,000 per square meter, bringing the total value to P800 million since the 10-hectare parcel covers 100,000 square meters.

‘This transaction resulted in a personal loss of approximately P680 million on my part, demonstrating a substantial act of assistance, not an attempt to profit or plunder. My sole intent was to sincerely help our municipality,’ he said.

‘Furthermore, to underscore this intent, I arranged the entire transaction and opted not to immediately transfer the title to prevent any future issues like double-selling, treating it purely as aid,’ he added.

Singson likewise claimed that Cordero is the first cousin of a political rival whom the former mayor previously defeated in Narcavan.

‘Atty. Cordero has a history of harassing me and repeatedly soliciting financial contributions. I have, on numerous occasions, given money through various intermediaries just to appease her requests. The filing of this complaint appears to be a direct act of retaliation after I refused her most recent demand,’ he claimed.

Singson added that Cordero even personally visited his residence, saying that she ‘wished to retire’ and even asked him ‘purchase her alleged hotel resort for 20 million pesos.’

‘Upon inspection, the property was clearly nothing more than a small residential home with two cramped rooms-not a hotel resort by any definition. Recognizing the exorbitant price and apparent scam, I declined the purchase. Her subsequent anger led directly to the filing of this fabricated plunder charge,’ he further detailed.

In line with this, Singson urged the Office of the Ombudsman to ‘examine the merits of this complaint against the hard facts.’

‘Furthermore, I challenge the Ombudsman to finally look into the complaint I filed a long time ago against Atty. Cordero’s first cousin, which has, for too long, been idly parked in that office,’ he concluded.

Warriors Ti Narvacan, Inc. filed a plunder complaint against Singson and several local officials, over the alleged overpriced purchase of a nearly P150-million property in the municipality in 2019.

The respondents include a former member of the Sangguniang Bayan, a former municipal assessor, and a representative of Western Textile Mills Inc.

Singson, who served as Narvacan mayor from 2019 to 2022, was identified by the group as the ‘main plunderer’ for allegedly initiating and negotiating the property’s purchase, while members of the Sangguniang Bayan, the municipal assessor, and the representative of Western Textile Mills Inc. were tagged as ‘co-conspirators.’

Additionally, the group likewise lodged a graft complaint against Singson and three other individuals over the alleged irregularities in the use of public funds, particularly those linked to tobacco excise tax allocations intended for the development of Narvacan.

In the graft complaint, the group alleged that Singson and the three other respondents ‘illegally occupied and privatized the foreshore area in Sulvec, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, known as Santorini, by constructing resort structures without permits or environmental clearance.’

Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III appeared more confident on Sunday that he would be able to persuade Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson to resume his leadership of the chamber’s blue ribbon committee.

‘Most of my colleagues in the majority want him to return,’ Sotto said, adding that blue ribbon committee members have scheduled within the next few days, or until the end of October, to collectively persuade Lacson.

In an Oct. 7 resignation letter to Sotto, Lacson explained how a number of their colleagues have expressed disappointment with the ‘direction’ of the blue ribbon committee hearings regarding the anomalous flood control projects.

‘Some senators publicly and secretly pursue the narrative that I am zeroing in on several of my colleagues while purportedly protecting those members of the Lower House perceived to be the principal actors in the budget anomalies related to the substandard and ghost flood control projects,’ said Lacson.

But Sen. Francis Pangilinan recalled that ‘no one in the majority bloc sought his replacement as blue ribbon committee chairman.’

‘My sense was and is that, while there were a number of our colleagues in the majority bloc who disagreed with some earlier public pronouncements made by him, the matter [was] threshed out and clarified by him in a majority caucus [on] Oct. 1,’ Pangilinan said.

Reaffirmed support

‘I appeal to Senator Ping to stay on as blue ribbon committee chairman and appeal as well to our colleagues in the majority bloc to reaffirm our support for him to stay on, even as we iron out our differences,’ he added.

In an interview with Sotto and Lacson’s daughters, Lacson revealed that he was also irritated by an ‘overly vocal, boastful, or aggressive’ person who seemed to be keen on protecting principal suspects Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya.

‘There is a saying: ‘The loudest one in the room is the weakest,” Lacson said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). ‘He is overly vocal, boastful, or aggressive so he can create an image of strength through noise.’

Lacson was apparently referring to Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who also listened to bombshell revelations implicating current and former senators in the flood control anomalies.

Pangilinan said he is hoping that with the renewed support of the majority bloc, Lacson would be convinced to stay in his post.

‘Now more than ever, amidst the political crisis facing the nation, our people are looking for stability and certainty in the state of our affairs and looking to the strength of our institutions to withstand the ongoing crisis and resolve it in favor of truth, transparency, and public accountability,’ Pangilinan said.

The committee has since been led, in an acting capacity, by Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who was the committee’s vice chair, but Tulfo is in the United States.

According to Sotto, the blue ribbon committee members will set a meeting before the end of October to discuss the supposed request of sacked Public Works and Highways officials Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, and Jaypee Mendoza for house arrest, but Sotto said the Senate could continue to detain them until 2028, according to a ruling of the Supreme Court.

Ian Sangalang left Magnolia’s 78-76 loss to Meralco in the PBA Philippine Cup after sustaining a bloody nose in the second quarter of the thrilling affair held Sunday at Ynares Center II in Rodriguez, Rizal.

Sangalang was immediately taken to the locker room when he got hit courtesy of Meralco’s Brandon Bates, who was battling his way for space in hopes of getting a basket with 1:56 remaining in the second quarter.

Bates was later called for a Flagrant Foul 1 and was placed on the bench for five minutes.

A report during the game’s broadcast said that Sangalang was taken to the hospital for treatment, but was later seen on the Hotshots bench in the fourth quarter.

Coach LA Tenorio, however, opted to keep Sangalang as a spectator for the rest of the contest.

Sangalang had only four points and two rebounds in almost 18 minutes for the Hotshots, who would go on to absorb their first loss after a 2-0 start.

Bates eventually got to play a pivotal role in Meralco’s win, finishing with seven points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.

The win was Meralco’s third in a row following two straight defeats to begin the season-opening conference.

The incident came after San Miguel Beer’s Marcio Lassiter was elbowed in the nose by Rain or Shine’s Santi Santillan in the second quarter of the 111-93 rout in the opening game of the doubleheader.

Lassiter played the second half and fired 18 points to help the Beermen take care of the Elasto Painters.

Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., ordered the law enforcement agency to crack down on fraud related to cars.

This came after the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) impounded three vehicles in Central Luzon over fraud-related incidents last Thursday.

‘Nartatez ordered the PNP-HPG to strengthen coordination with the Anti-Cybercrime Group and Regional Police Offices in tracking down online listings and falsified registrations linked to syndicated car loan frauds,’ the top cop’s office said in a statement on Monday.

‘He also called on banks, lending institutions, and the public to verify all car-related transactions to avoid becoming victims of scammers,’ it added.

In a separate statement, the HPG said it impounded a sports utility vehicle (SUV) after being found parked unattended in Angeles City last Thursday morning after not being returned to its owner for an unspecified amount of time.

Later that morning, the HPG impounded a motorcycle with a sidecar after its owner presented an allegedly falsified certificate of registration and official receipt while at the traffic police’s office in Pilar, Bataan, to verify their motor vehicle clearance.

Then, on Thursday afternoon, the HPG impounded a sedan in Abucay, Bataan, after it was discovered to be a car that was sold off despite undergoing repossession proceedings over unpaid obligations to the financier.

The HPG did not provide further details about each case but did say they were all undergoing legal disposition.

Just like his double gold haul in last year’s Paris Olympics, Carlos Yulo is eyeing a golden double after making the final of the men’s vault and floor exercise in the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships on Monday.

Competing in Subdivision 7 at Indonesia Arena and with a small but lively Filipino gallery, Yulo secured the top spot in vault with an impressive average score of 14.750 points. The Filipino dynamo soared and landed solidly on his first vault, scoring 14.90, and, doing a revised routine, did 14.600 on his second try, smiling and waving to the crowd after his stellar display.

Armenian Arthur Davtyan placed a close second (14.566), while Ukraine’s Nathan Chepurnyi was third (14.316).

In his other pet event, Yulo had a clean performance, twirling and tumbling his way to second place with 14.560 points just behind Fil-British pacesetter Jake Jarman (14.700) while Kameron Nelson (14.30) third.

The floor and vault were the same events he garnered gold in a historic performance in the glitzy French capital that highlighted the country’s centennial celebration of its participation in the modern Olympic Games.

Yulo will be well-rested when he competes in the floor final on Friday with the battle for the vault gold happening the next day in the elite gymnastics competition that drew 476 top athletes from 76 countries from all over the world.

‘I am just really grateful that I got to compete, show my performance and come back here in a good state,’ said Yulo, who is still recovering from wrist injuries. ‘While I wasn’t able to do the all-around, I am still proud that I am here and still aiming for the best.’

‘We’re proud that Carlos was able to perform well and make it to the finals of both events. This was our aim so, hopefully, he will duplicate his golden performances in Paris,’ said Philippine gymnastics chief Cynthia Carrion.

Yulo felt he ‘could do better’ after seeing a replay of his performance in floor but added he was satisfied with how he fared in vault.

The 25-year-old Yulo is the last Filipino gymnast standing after his teammates failed to hurdle their respective qualifying stints.

All making their debuts at the worlds, Juancho Miguel Besana wound up in 39th place in the all-around with 68.645 points.

Ivan Cruz finished 66th overall in the vault (12.000) while Justine Ace de Leon 45th in the rings (12.200) where only the top eight in each individual event advanced to the finals.

Taal Volcano in Batangas province recorded a minor phreatomagmatic eruption on Monday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

Phivolcs said the event at the summit crater occurred at 6:13 a.m. and lasted only one minute.

The eruption produced a 500-meter-high plume, captured by the main crater IP camera, a digital video surveillance device.

A phreatomagmatic eruption occurs when magma interacts with water, causing explosive activity that produces a mixture of steam, ash, and fragmented volcanic materials.

After 14 days of continuous seismic activity, Taal Volcano showed signs of calm. Phivolcs reported in its Monday bulletin that no volcanic earthquakes or tremors were detected over the past 24 hours.

The volcano had been recording daily volcanic earthquakes from Oct. 6 to 19, with no seismic activity observed on Oct. 1, 5, and 20. From Oct. 1 to 20, it registered 193 volcanic earthquakes and 10 tremor episodes, compared with 189 earthquakes and 129 tremors in September.

Volcanic earthquakes are generated by magmatic processes beneath or near an active volcano. Volcanic tremors, meanwhile, are continuous seismic signals with regular or irregular sine wave patterns and low frequencies (0.5-5 Hz), Phivolcs explained.

In its latest update, the agency reported 312 metric tons of sulfur dioxide emissions, rising 300 meters.

During the observation period, no upwelling of hot volcanic fluids was detected in the main crater lake of Taal Volcano Island, located at the center of Taal Lake. No volcanic smog, or ‘vog,’ was observed

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is bringing back the Cadet Engineering Program to hire young engineers who may work in the government agency, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon announced on Monday morning.

Dizon said that it was former DPWH Secretaries Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson, and Jose ‘Ping’ de Jesus who brought up the program in a meeting on Saturday.

‘They brought to my attention this very good program, the Cadet Engineering Program. This is very good for us to revitalize the DPWH with fresh graduates, with new, fresh engineers who have just passed or are just starting to work,’ Dizon said at a flag-raising ceremony.

The Cadet Engineering Program was an initiative by Singson, launched in 2013.

It was a 26-week program made to put engineers through classes in public service, public infrastructure in the country, the DPWH and its mandate, and the agency’s regional, district, and project management office,s among others.

The program’s objective was to yield young engineers who may potentially work at the government agency.

One of the program’s success stories is the recently-named DPWH officer-in-charge, Undersecretary Engr. Lara Esquibil, who was among the first completers of the program in 2013.

In its previous implementation, interested engineers underwent a promotional exam for DPWH engineering positions nationwide to avoid the patronage system or backing.

However, Singson revealed that the program was dissolved after the agency allowed ‘outsiders’ to get promotional slots.

Jose Abad Santos High School in Binondo, Manila received a bomb threat on Monday morning, but police said it found no explosives within the campus.

‘The DECU (District Explosives and Canine Unit). immediately responded thereat and conducted a bomb sweep with K9 personnel and paneling within the vicinity of the school,’ a Manila Police District (MPD) spot report stated.

‘During paneling, there was no bomb found,’ it noted.

Authorities have yet to identify and arrest a suspect.

The MPD said the threat stemmed from a Facebook post by a certain Louise Florence.

The post supposedly read: ‘I planted a bomb inside Jose Abad Santos. I am not joking. There are five bombs now, one hidden inside of five different buildings. Timer’s set detonation in just a few minutes.’

The post was sent by an alumnus to another alumnus, who then sent it to a 21-year-old student at around 10:55 a.m., relaying it to a Grade 7 teacher in the school and prompting the latter to call the San Nicholas Police Community Precinct personnel, according to the MPD.

Jose Abad Santos High School has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.

The number of deaths caused by the floods in Capiz has risen to 5, bringing to 10 the death toll attributed to the torrential rain spawned by Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshen) that inundated many areas in Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and parts of Southern Luzon.

Capiz disaster response authorities initially reported only one person, May Mae Urdelas, 23, who died Saturday, October 18, after she slipped, fell, and was swept away by the strong current of a creek in Ivisan town. By late Sunday, however, four more persons were confirmed to have died.

According to the Capiz Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), the confirmed fatalities aside from Urdelas were 44-year-old Rizaldo Balgos, from Roxas City; a 45-year-old man from Barangay Dulangan of Pilar town, who was electrocuted; and two more individuals from Roxas City whose identities were still being verified.

Earlier on Sunday, a family of five in Quezon province died after they were crushed by a tree that fell on their house in Pitogo town.

Capiz provincial authorities said intense rainfall triggered the severe flooding, with Saturday’s downpour alone nearly matching the average rainfall for an entire month.

The provincial capital, Roxas City, which is now in a state of calamity, recorded only 305 millimeters of rain between October 1 and October 17, but nearly 400 millimeters fell in a single day on Saturday, exceeding the city’s typical monthly total for October.

The floods have affected 3,307 families, or 9,665 individuals, across 61 barangays in Capiz. In Roxas City alone, more than 800 families, or over 2,000 individuals, were rescued as floodwaters submerged several communities.

Hundreds of commuters were stranded after public and private vehicles were unable to pass through flooded roads in various towns.

Classes in all levels have been suspended from Monday, October 20, until Wednesday, October 22, as authorities continue to monitor water levels in rivers and canals.

Local officials have urged residents to stay alert, avoid crossing flooded roads, and evacuate when necessary. Relief goods continue to be distributed in evacuation centers, while search and rescue teams remain on standby should conditions worsen.

Twelve years after Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago’s annulment was finalized, Claudine’s mother Inday alleged that Raymart had been abusive toward the ‘Mula Sa Puso’ star.

In a tell-all interview with entertainment insider Ogie Diaz on Sunday, Oct. 19, Inday revealed the details of Raymart’s alleged abuse toward Claudine, including instances of the actor’s supposed physical and sexual abuses.

‘Alam ko kung may sakit sila, may kagalit sila, or if one of them, may away sa partners nila, I can hear them crying. Na-injectiunan na pala. That was the start of the famous injection thing, si Raymart. Tapos bumaba si Claudine, sabi niya, ‘Mom, away-away lang ‘yan.’ Then, he brought us out, ang bait-bait, the old Raymart,’ she said, although she didn’t detail what ‘injection incident’ she was referring to.

‘That was episode number one, there were seven more that came. alam mo naman kapag sinasaktan ang tao eh,’ she continued.

(I know when they’re sick, mad at someone, or if one of them was in a fight with their partners. I can hear them crying. She received an injection. That was the start of Raymart’s famous injection thing. Then Claudine went down the house, she said, ‘Mom, it’s just a normal fight.’ Then, he brought us out, the old Raymart, who was kind, came back. That was episode number one. There were seven more that came. You would know if someone is being hurt.)

Inday revealed further details of Raymart’s alleged abuse toward her daughter.

‘Bumaba si Claudine parang normal. Hindi na siya ‘yung anak ko, parang zombie. I’ll say it out, panindigan ko talaga ‘yun. Kita ko pagbaba ni Claudine sa stairs, parang she just collapsed kay Daddy. Malamig pa sa yelo ‘yung paa. I looked at Daddy, and he looked at me. We knew that it was more than anything else,’ she said.

‘That was the time he [bleeped] her. He [bleeped] my daughter in front of ng pilay nilang masahista. Santino saw it,’ she continued, although it remains unclear what word was bleeped out from the interview. ‘Tinago ko nang ilang years. Not out of shame pero baka di ko mapigilan ang sarili ko.’

(Claudine faced us as if everything was normal. But she wasn’t my daughter. It was like looking at a zombie. I’ll say it out and stand by it. I saw Claudine going down the stairs, and she just collapsed on Daddy. Her feet were colder than ice. I looked at Daddy, and he looked at me. We knew that it was more than anything else. That was the time he [bleeped] her. He [bleeped] my daughter in front of their crippled masseuse. Santino saw it. I hid this for so many years. Not out of shame, but I might not help myself.)

According to Inday, there were also alleged incidents where Claudine’s mouth was covered with a face towel, and she would run away ‘like a scared mouse’ to escape from her ex-husband.

‘Tinakpan niya ng face towel ang mouth ni Claudine, I know the story. [I found out] later on but nobody needs to tell me. Nagti-tinginan kami ni Claudine pero [out] of hiya or takot. meron pa, noong kinaladkad niya si Claudine. Tumawag ulit siya tapos hindi ko nakita pero alam ko nagsigawan [sila],’ she said.

‘Ang nakita ko lang, hinahabol niya si Claudine parang daga. Noong malapit na siya kay Claudine, parang gusto niyang mag-escape, magtago. Naabutan niya, hinablot pa niya. I talk but Dad doesn’t want me to talk because I might say colorful words,’ she added.

(He covered Claudine’s mouth with a face towel. I know the story. I found out later on, but nobody needs to tell me. Claudine and I looked at each other, but she did it out of embarrassment and fear. There was one time he dragged her around. I didn’t witness what happened, but she called me and they were at each other’s throats. What I only saw was that he chased Claudine like she was a scared mouse. When he was near her, she escaped and hid. But he was able to reach her. I wanted to talk about it, but Dad doesn’t want me to talk because I might say colorful words.) Inday also claimed that there was a time she brought Claudine to Thailand to prove that the actress wasn’t addicted to drugs, and instead, was suffering ‘mental illness.’ Eventually, the ‘Got 2 Believe’ star came around and told her mother her side of the story.

‘Saktan niyo na ko’t lahat, but don’t touch my children. You’re gonna get it. Miski magkapatid kayo. You have no right. Siguro all this time, kapag pumasok sa utak ko [ang nangyari], ang bait namin sa kanya,’ she added.

(You may hurt me, but don’t touch my children. You’re gonna get it. Even if you’re siblings. You have no right. All this time, when I look back at what happened, I realize how kind we were toward him.)

In the years leading up to the end of Claudine and Raymart’s marriage, their relationship had been tumultuous until their annulment was finalized in 2013.

Since then, the actress has been vocal that she doesn’t want to be friends with her ex-husband due to his current partner, whom she didn’t name.

She also accused the actor of not being a good father toward their children in a 2023 interview.