Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

None of the undersecretaries of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is connected to any contractors linked to the flood control controversy, Secretary Vince Dizon said Thursday, responding to earlier allegations by Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste.

Dizon thanked Leviste for his candor and straightforwardness and said he would personally investigate the claims.

‘He heard rumors, but it is still important for me to know if he has specifics. Because of my commitment to him and to our fellow citizens, and in line with the President’s directive, I will immediately remove that person and press charges,’ Dizon said in a press conference.

‘I look forward to having a conversation with Cong. Leviste. As far as I know, the undersecretaries we invited-and given how rare it is these days to get people to work as undersecretaries in the DPWH-none of them have contractors. But because of this report, I will also investigate on my own. I would really appreciate it if Rep. Leviste could provide specific names and circumstances,’ he added. Earlier, Leviste said members of Dizon’s team were allegedly meeting with contractors linked to controversial flood control projects. ‘Someone just told me before I arrived here now that not only did one person tell me that they heard that members of the team are actually contractors, but that other members of the team had already been meeting with contractors outside of DPWH at may hinihingi na daw (and they are asking for something),’ Leviste said.

‘Maybe Sec. Dizon can also check with all of his appointees who are contractors, if any, that they’ve met since their appointment, and what they discussed during those meetings. It’s quite tragic because so many people have high hopes for Sec. Dizon’s leadership in the DPWH,’ he added.

During the latter part of the press conference, Leviste took a call from the official and spoke for a few minutes. He declined to disclose the official’s name but said the person was committed to investigating the claims and removing any officials found to have ties to contractors.

The low-pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has a ‘high chance’ of developing into a cyclone in the next 24 hours, the state weather bureau said Thursday evening.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the LPA was last located 1,060 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon at 3 p.m, moving westward to potentially make landfall by Saturday evening.

Once it develops into a storm, it will be named ‘Ramil,’ Pagasa said; however, as of 5 p.m., the LPA has no effect in the country. Instead, the easterlies and the northeasterly windflow are bringing rains in Luzon and Visayas.

Pagasa warned of ‘cloudy skies with scattered rains’ due to the easterlies in the following areas:

Mainland Cagayan

Isabela

Aurora

Nueva Vizcaya

Nueva Ecija

Metro Manila

Quezon

Rizal

Bicol Region

Oriental Mindoro

Marinduque

Romblon

Aklan

Capiz

Eastern Visayas.

Meanwhile, the northeasterly windflow was forecast to bring isolated rains in the northwestern section of Luzon, particularly in Ilocos Norte, Babuyan Islands, and Batanes.

The rest of the country will observe ‘generally fair weather,’ Pagasa added. /mr

Aiah Arceta of P-pop girl group BINI visited the Philippine Red Cross-Cebu Chapter’s emergency operations center to show support for the families affected by the recent earthquake in the province.

The Philippine Red Cross gave a glimpse of Arceta’s visit through a post on Facebook on Thursday, Oct. 16, describing the gesture as a ‘true bayanihan spirit.’

‘Aiah of the P-pop girl group BINI showed a true bayanihan spirit as she visited the Philippine Red Cross Cebu Chapter’s Emergency Operations Center, meeting and encouraging Red Cross Youth volunteers who have been tirelessly repacking and distributing relief goods for quake-affected families,’ read the post.

Along with her visit, Arceta donated 783 pieces of 2-meter sakoline, durable waterproof sheets used as temporary roofing and ground cover for families who lost their homes in the earthquake.

The P-pop idol previously organized a donation drive under her initiative Aiahdvocacy and was able to raise over ?440,000 in funds for earthquake victims in Cebu.

Arceta had already been engaged in charitable work even before the earthquake. Through her Aiahdvocacy project, she had conducted outreach initiatives in various communities.

On Sept. 30, a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Cebu, with its epicenter near Bogo City. At least 76 people were killed, and more than 1,271 were injured. The quake damaged nearly 112,900 homes.

Following the calamity in Cebu, a magnitude-7.4 earthquake also struck off the Mindanao region on Oct. 10, which triggered tsunami warnings. Aftershocks are still being observed as of this writing.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Thursday clapped back at Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent tirades against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stressing that the latter is not afraid of investigations-unlike the previous administration.

Her remarks came in response to Duterte’s statement questioning Marcos’ confidence that the ongoing probe into anomalous flood-control projects would not lead to his doorstep. ‘A person becomes confident when they know that what they’re doing is for the nation and not just for personal gain like some others out there. Let’s not forget that the President has been the key to stopping and preventing corruption,’ said Castro in a Viber message to reporters.

‘That’s our President-brave and confident in his words. He wasn’t afraid to undergo an investigation, something the previous administration never did,’ she continued.

The Palace official also said that those who have wronged the nation are often afraid to answer questions and, worse, are the same ones most vocal in attacking the government despite having no accomplishments of their own.

At a forum held on the same day, Duterte said Marcos should not be too sure that the flood-control probes would not eventually point to him, saying the investigations-which she also questioned-were still ongoing. ‘You will wonder why the President is confident that the scandal and the corruption would not lead to the Office of the President,’ Duterte said at the Pandesal forum at the Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City.

This was her reaction to Marcos’ statement in a media interview on Wednesday, saying he was confident in the investigation because he knows ‘what we did or did not do.’ ‘We’ll follow the evidence. And wherever that leads is not something that we try to direct or influence,’ he also said.

On Sept. 21, tens of thousands of people staged protests in various parts of Metro Manila-coinciding with the anniversary of the declaration of martial law under then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in Sept. 1972.

The Social Security System (SSS) on Thursday said a Calamity Loan Program (CLP) is now available to members in Davao Oriental who were affected by the two powerful earthquakes that struck the province last week.

Robert Joseph de Claro, president and CEO of SSS, said in a statement on Thursday the CLP is intended to give timely financial support to SSS members living or working in the earthquake-affected areas. This followed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) declaring all 11 cities and towns in Davao Oriental to be under a state of calamity.

Qualified SSS members can avail of calamity loans of up to P20,000 at a lowered interest rate of 7 percent per year.

Qualifications

To qualify for the calamity loan, members must:

Reside or work in an area declared under State of Calamity;

Have at least 36 monthly contributions, with at least six posted within the last 12 months before filing. Individually paying members must have paid six contributions under their current membership type;

Have an active My.SSS account;

Have no past due loans or outstanding restructured loans;

Have not been granted any final benefit;

Be of legal age and under 65 at the time of application; and

Have not been disqualified due to fraud against the SSS.

‘We further remind our members about SSS’ benefit and loan programs that may be relevant to them during these difficult times,’ de Claro said.

He was referring to the Pension Loan Program (PLP), through which retirement pensioners may borrow up to P300,000 and survivor pensioners can borrow up to P150,000. ‘Thus, there is a loan facility for actively contributing members and for retirement or survivor pensioners,’ de Claro added.

He said the revised Calamity Loan Program guidelines, issued earlier this year, enable faster activation within seven working days. The updated rules lowered the interest rate to 7 percent per year from 10 percent. This applies to members with a good credit record.

A man was killed in a crocodile attack in a mangrove area along the Marabajay River in Barangay Rio Tuba, Bataraza town, Palawan, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

According to the Coast Guard Station Southern Palawan, the body of the victim, identified as Leonard Casio, was recovered after an extensive search operation led by personnel from the Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Rio Tuba.

At around 2:49 a.m. on Wednesday, Joebel Fuentes, a resident of Barangay Calauag, Taytay, reported to authorities that Casio-his companion-had been dragged by a crocodile while they were in the mangrove area.

A search and rescue team was immediately dispatched, but the high tide, poor visibility, and warnings from residents about the dangerous presence of crocodiles in the area hindered their efforts.

The team temporarily suspended the search for safety reasons.

Operations resumed at 5:30 a.m., and after several hours of searching, Casio’s body was eventually found and retrieved later that day. The remains were brought to Barangay Rio Tuba, where family members positively identified the victim. His body was later transported to a funeral home in Brooke’s Point.

Days after her death, Diane Keaton’s family confirmed in a statement sent to US media that the actress died of pneumonia.

People magazine reported on Wednesday, Oct. 15, that Keaton’s family is grateful for the love sent their way on behalf of the late actress as they disclosed the cause of death.

‘The Keaton family is very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11,’ the statement read.

Keaton’s family encouraged fans to honor the Oscar-winning star’s memory through causes close to her heart.

‘She loved her animals and was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations to a local food bank or animal shelter would be a wonderful and much-appreciated tribute,’ the statement added.

The cause of death of the 79-year-old actress was not immediately disclosed when reports about her death broke on Oct. 11.

Keaton rose to fame in the 1970s with her role as Kay Adams in ‘The Godfather’ films and her collaborations with controversial actor-director Woody Allen.

Keaton earned an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in ‘Annie Hall’ (1977) and went on to star in other blockbusters including ‘The First Wives Club,’ ‘The Family Stone,’ ‘Because I Said So,’ ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ and the ‘Book Club’ film series. The late award-winning actress was also known for her unique fashion style. Her signature look incorporated menswear such as baggy trousers, big belts and bowler hats.

Keaton never married but adopted two children, daughter Dexter in 1996 and son Duke in 2001. ‘I’m really glad I didn’t get married,’ she said in 2019. ‘I don’t want to be a wife. No.’

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa inspected on Thursday a newly-opened super health center in Antipolo City, which was tagged as completed but non-functional by the Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH said that the super health center in Tanza, Antipolo only began operating on Thursday ahead of Herbosa’s visit.

It added that P11.4 million was allotted for the construction of the two-storey building and an additional P7 million for equipment, as per the request of the city government.

It also noted that the facility was constructed in 2023 and was completed in July 2024. ‘Based on a report to me, this is not functional and was padlocked. But you can see, this is being operational. I’m happy,’ Herbosa told reporters in an interview. Upon inspection, he said that the facility is ‘partially operational’ as the laboratory and x-ray room are not yet functional and would need licensing from the agency first.

But why did the super health center remain non-operational a year after its construction was completed? Dr. Concepcion Lat of the City Health Office explained that the delay was due to the arrival of equipment and lack of manpower.

‘The transfer was being planned for months. We were waiting for the materials we ordered, then the staff,’ Lat said.

Herbosa, who said that he is happy upon inspecting the super health center, said that he does not mind if it just became operational to the public on Thursday.

‘Whether they did it because I was coming to visit or not, it is okay to me, as long as it can be used by the people.’ he said.

Spotting the difference

Meanwhile, Herbosa could not help but to compare the super health center to the one the agency inspected in Marikina City on Wednesday.

When Herbosa visited Concepcion Dos Super Health Center in Marikina, he only saw the first phase of the project. Herbosa on Wednesday said that phase one was supposed to be funded with P11.5 million for a two-storey facility.

He, however, said that plans changed because the local government wanted a four-storey building with a rooftop so the funding for phase one increased to P21.5 million.

‘Ito ang what would give you if you spend P19-20 million as a super health center. Nakita nyo na yung comparison,’ he said, referring to the super health center in Antipolo.

Herbosa noted that a super health center can be completed for with P15 million for construction works, and additional P5 million for medical and other equipment.

Herbosa on Wednesday also revealed that the DOH found 297 ‘non-operational’ super health centers across the country.

Contractor couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya will no longer cooperate with the investigation into the flood control mess of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said this in a press conference on Wednesday, October 15, after the contractor couple attended the commission’s hearing for the third time.

‘Upon the advice of their counsel, they invoked their right to self-incrimination and manifested that they will no longer cooperate with the investigation being conducted by the ICI,’ Hosaka said.

According to Hosaka, the Discayas ‘explained that they were thinking that when they cooperate with the ICI, they will be getting a favorable recommendation from the commission as state witnesses.’

Meanwhile, the contractor mentioned a recent interview of journalist Karen Davila with ICI member and former Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson, where the issue of the commission’s recommendation of state witnesses was being discussed.

‘As far as they’re concerned, I believe that they said that there was a statement by Commissioner Singson regarding his own personal take, in his opinion that as of now, he sees no witness or no person who may be recommended by the commission as state witness,’ Hosaka said mostly in Filipino.

‘However, I believe, and I saw the interview, that he qualified that as his and not by the commission,’ the ICI executive director pointed out.

‘So because of that, they are now saying that they will no longer appear before the commission and cooperate,’ he added.

Despite this, Hosaka said they will still use the evidence, testimonies, and affidavits of the contractor couple in the past hearings they attended before the commission.

Curlee, who is currently under the Senate’s custody, on Wednesday first entered the ICI office at around 12:50 p.m.

Meanwhile, Sarah-apparently avoiding the media-used the backdoor to enter the commission’s office at around 12:55 p.m.

The ICI earlier said in a Viber message to reporters that the ICI hearing is scheduled at 1 p.m.

After the hearing, the contractor couple’s legal counsel, lawyer Cornelio Samaniego III, refused to answer the queries of the media. ‘No comment muna,’ Samaniego said, adding that they will set a press conference for this. He, meanwhile, did not elaborate about the date of the said press conference.

The hearing this Wednesday is the third time the Discayas will be resource persons at the ICI hearing.

They appeared before the commission on September 30 and October 7.

During the first hearing of the Discayas on September 30, Samaniego said that they were ‘tell-all’ on the queries of the ICI.

‘About money, about the particular persons mentioned in the affidavit, what the transaction is, what the history is.. we were ‘tell-all’ [during the probe],’ Samaniego said on September 30.

‘There is no turning back here,’ he emphasized.

Meanwhile, the contractor couple on October 7 requested to postpone their hearing to allow them more time to collect certain documents. ‘They were asking for time for them to retrieve certain documents [that] the commission requested,’ Hosaka said.

‘Other state witnesses’

Even though the Discayas will no longer cooperate on the investigation, Hosaka said the commission still has other state witnesses that would build their cases.

‘Whatever other witnesses say will be sufficient enough for us to continue our investigation, build our cases, and file the necessary recommendations with the Ombudsman. We will also have sources of information and evidence for us to build our case,’ he said in Filipino.

‘We have a lot of information to gather. In fact, there are a lot of people testifying,’ he added.

Hosaka said the ICI will piece all the testimonies together so they can see what really happened on the flood control issues and can provide personalities to recommend on the filing of cases.

‘Definitely, we will get to the bottom of this; we will continue our investigation so we can find out who is really guilty,’ said Hosaka. /jpv

Kanlaon Volcano on Wednesday emitted ashes twice, with both incidents lasting for less than an hour, according to state volcanologists.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the emission occurred at 6:54 a.m. and 07:50 a.m., lasting 46 and 23 minutes.

In time-lapse footage shared by Phivolcs, gray ash emissions were seen at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano.

‘These events generated grayish plumes that rose up to 100-150 meters above the crater before drifting to the general west as recorded by the Kanlaon Volcano Observatory – Canlaon City IP Camera,’ Phivolcs said in its post on X (formerly Twitter).

Alert Level 2 remains over Kanlaon Volcano, which means there is a moderate level of volcanic unrest.

Mt. Kanlaon covers over 24,000 hectares of land area, with rain forests and verdant vegetation. The volcano on it erupted on June 3, 2024 and has since been in a state of unrest.

The strong earthquake which hit Cebu province can cause the opening of fractures within the Kanlaon Volcano.

But seismologists have not yet seen significant effects on the volcanic activity at Kanlaon, according to Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction chief Ma. Antonia Bornas.