Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

It is easy to see the floodwaters. But what’s harder to grasp is what we’re drowning in.

This year alone, the Philippines has again faced the brutal cycles of flooding, storm surges, landslides, and typhoons-each leaving a familiar trail: lost lives, wrecked homes, halted schooling, destroyed crops, disease outbreaks, broken roads, and ruined futures.

But there’s a deeper flood now-a moral and institutional deluge. The top branches of government are cracking under the weight of scandal. The executive, legislative, and judicial arms are now perceived by many not as saviors from disaster, but as syndicates of self-dealing and plunder. Even our fiscal watchdogs, tasked with guarding public funds, have been accused of complicity. It’s no surprise that public trust is hemorrhaging.

Against this backdrop, the country’s long-standing struggle for flood control and climate resilience seems to vanish into the background. Dikes, river dredging, slope protections-these were always expensive, often fragmented, and frequently ineffective. But at least they were tangible. Now, even these are paused, as outrage redirects our collective energy to governance failure, impunity, and the looming threat of civil disorder.

It’s tempting to think we can only deal with one crisis at a time. But this is a dangerous illusion. If we lose sight of the strategic, long-term solutions to our recurring flooding nightmare, we may trade today’s rage for tomorrow’s ruin.

From eight years of working with LGUs and communities in the flood-battered towns in Pampanga, Bulacan, and Tarlac, we at Future Earth Philippines have learned one powerful truth: resilience is not just about hardware-it’s about systems, culture, and commitment. Here are five long-view solution pathways that deserve renewed attention:

1. Establish a regional flood and drainage strategy and plan. Most flood interventions are patchwork at best, contradictory at worst. Dredging in one town is negated by garbage clogging canals in another. The absence of a regional, science-based, long-horizon plan wastes money and increases risk.

Such a strategy could unify fragmented efforts-from slope protection to resettlement-and create a framework that connects local knowledge, hazard data, and inter-municipal coordination. It’s not just technical-it’s political and moral. It tells citizens: we’re thinking beyond the next term.

2. Rehabilitate and govern watersheds as natural flood barriers. Floods don’t start in the streets. They start in the uplands, in denuded forests, in silt-heavy rivers, and in the loss of mangroves along the coast. The lahar scars of Mount Pinatubo still bleed into lowland towns.

Restoring watersheds requires scientific cooperation, local land-use reforms, and livelihood alternatives for upland dwellers. It delivers not only flood prevention but also biodiversity gains, climate adaptation, and rural jobs. It’s a strategy rooted in nature’s logic-not political cycles.

3. Resettle and transform flood-prone communities humanely. Many families live where no one should. But resettlement is often done without dignity or strategy-dumping people in far-flung, unlivable sites with no livelihood or infrastructure.

What we need are in-town or clustered resettlement models-consultative, connected, and climate-smart. These should be supported by real urban planning and services. Resettlement isn’t abandonment-it can be an act of collective courage.

4. Build citizen organizations and local response systems. People’s capacity to respond to disasters is often ignored. Yet in our fieldwork, barangay captains, youth groups, fisherfolk, and mothers consistently provided the most durable insights.

Citizen monitoring of environmental law enforcement, solid waste practices, and local planning not only improves outcomes-it fosters ownership and pressure for accountability. Resilience must stop being a top-down project and become a neighborhood ethic.

5. Cultivate public understanding and collective commitment. This may be the deepest reform of all. Most people do not understand why flooding persists-how ground subsidence, geophysical shifts, unregulated groundwater extraction, and policy incoherence make solutions elusive.

We need national campaigns, not just on evacuation or cleanup, but on understanding complex causes and on mobilizing multi-stakeholder commitment. If citizens and officials see the deeper roots, they’ll resist superficial fixes and demand durable change.

The danger today is not just that we delay action. It’s that in our fury at government failure, we abandon the pursuit of transformation altogether. That we forget that it’s not just the government that must act-but every sector, every discipline, every community. Let us remind ourselves and one another: when governance fails, citizen coalitions must rise. In the shadows of Pinatubo and the floodplains of history, we can still build higher ground-together.

Cebuana Lhuillier’s Kanegosyo Center (KNC) continues to strengthen its mission of empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through its latest collaboration with Suy Sing, the country’s leading one-stop grocery distribution company.

In its most recent engagement, KNC supported Suy Sing’s Retail Academy on tax compliance by providing a full suite of resources and financial solutions for the academy’s Ka-Suy Sing MSME partners. The program featured Mon Abrea, Global Tax Policy Expert, and Chief Tax Advisor of the Asian Consulting Group (ACG), who led the session on ‘Pass the Tax Audit Today. Prevent LOAs Tomorrow.’

Beyond tax education, Cebuana Lhuillier also introduced Ka-Suy Sing partners to KNC’s full range of services-including business loans, microinsurance, and savings accounts-designed to help entrepreneurs manage and grow their operations sustainably.

‘Cebuana Lhuillier and Suy Sing share the same vision of empowering entrepreneurs to thrive,’ said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier. ‘Through the Kanegosyo Center, we are not only equipping MSMEs with knowledge through training but also providing them with access to essential financial tools-credit, insurance, and savings-that can help them expand and protect their businesses. This partnership with Suy Sing’s Retail Academy perfectly reflects what KNC stands for: collaboration that delivers real, tangible support to Filipino entrepreneurs.’

The training program-attended by more than 200 MSME partners from across the country-addressed one of the most pressing challenges among small business owners: tax compliance. Abrea’s session emphasized that compliance is not just about avoiding penalties but a key factor in ensuring long-term business stability and growth.

‘This is KNC in action,’ shared Annette Tirol, Senior Vice President and Group Head for Strategy, Market Development, Data, and Customer Engagement at Cebuana Lhuillier. ‘By combining capacity-building programs like this with our range of financial services, we’re helping MSMEs become more resilient and future-ready. These are the kinds of meaningful collaborations we want to keep building-partnerships that provide knowledge, access, and opportunity to entrepreneurs nationwide.’

Through partnerships like this, Cebuana Lhuillier Kanegosyo Center continues to fulfill its commitment to empower entrepreneurs with both the know-how and financial access needed to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.

Arron Villaflor was quick to issue an apology after a post expressing solidarity with the victims of the recent Cebu earthquake earned backlash on social media when people pointed out his more prominent image in the photo card.

Villaflor, who currently serves as a Board Member of Tarlac, recently shared on his social media platforms an image of himself wearing a red shirt while in a praying position, accompanied by a black-and-white message, ‘Pray for Cebu and those affected by the earthquake.’

The image, however, did not sit well with netizens, who quickly referenced the TV characters ‘Honesto’ or ‘Santino’ with his prayerful stance in the picture.

He has since removed the image from his socials.

In an ambush interview on Tuesday, Villaflor said the post was a ‘lapse’ in judgment of his social media team.

‘First of all, gusto kong humingi ng pasensya. I want to apologize. It was a lapse from my social media team, and I told them na wala, nandito na tayo,’ he told reporters. ‘Let’s just learn from our mistakes and tawang-tawa ako kasi [na-realize ko] na ganito pa pala ako ka-relevant sa mundong ‘to.’

(First of all, I want to say sorry. I want to apologize. It was a lapse from my social media team, and I told them that there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re already here. Let’s just learn from our mistakes. And I find it funny because I realized that I’m still relevant in this world.)

‘AKO AY HUMIHINGI NG TAWAD’ WATCH: Actor-politician Arron Villaflor apologizes for his controversial ‘Pray For Cebu’ post, saying that his intentions were there but the ‘photo didn’t land well.’ | @HMallorcaINQ pic.twitter.com/OKpezzTeEn

– Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) October 7, 2025

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake jolted Cebu with the epicenter at Bogo City north of the province. The trembler was felt in most parts of the Visayas islands, with the death toll reaching 72 as of posting.

Well intentions

Villaflor also pointed out that while the post was made with well intentions, it ‘didn’t land well,’ saying that the public has the right to voice their own opinions.

‘For me, I am a public servant of Tarlac. The intention was there, but the photo didn’t land well. Sa lahat ng mga kababayan natin sa Pilipinas, ako ay humihingi ng tawad mula sa aking social media team,’ he said, noting that he had been receiving comments such as Honesto and Santino. ‘Hindi natin masisisi ang tao ngayon because everyone has the right to state their opinions, everyone has the right to say their arguments.’

(For me, I am a public servant of Tarlac. The intention was there, but the photo didn’t land well. To all my countrymen in the Philippines, I want to apologize for my social media team. We can’t blame the public now because everyone has the right to state their opinions, everyone has the right to say their arguments.)

The actor-politician also shared that the controversial post was a lesson for him to be ‘aware’ of his surroundings.

‘In my case, thank you for giving me this chance to apologize, and as a public servant and young leader of Tarlac, this is my advocacy,’ he said. ‘Let’s just be aware of our surroundings. Sa lahat ng mga ahensya, let’s just be aware of our surroundings so we can execute it well in that situation, and for us to serve with integrity and transparency.’

Villaflor is one of the stars of the upcoming Jerrold Tarog-helmed film ‘Quezon,’ which stars Jericho Rosales as the titular Manuel L. Quezon.

Also part of the cast are Benjamin Alves, Karylle, Mon Confiado, Iain Glen, Ana Abad Santos, and Romnick Sarmenta.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has intensified its digital transformation efforts in Bukidnon, launching a province-wide information drive to modernize tax services and make compliance more accessible to taxpayers.

The campaign, spearheaded by BIR District Office No. 99, opened in Valencia City on September 2 and continued in Malaybalay on October 2.

It will move to Manolo Fortich on October 16, with a major provincial rollout at the Kaamulan Open Theater in November.

Discussions focused on the taxability of job order and contract of service workers, the use of eBIRForms, and the cleansing of open cases.

Tax clinics and open forums were also held to provide hands-on support and gather feedback from participants.

Revenue district officer Mampay Pangcoga said the initiative is part of BIR’s nationwide digitalization program, which seeks to improve efficiency, transparency, and taxpayer experience through modern, customer-centric services.

‘This initiative empowers employees, entrepreneurs, and small taxpayers to embrace digital services, making compliance less burdensome while strengthening trust in government systems,’ Pangcoga said.

At 76, most people slow down.

But for Queruben ‘Tatay Ruben’ Abella, every step he takes is a testament that age-and worn-out shoes-are no match for a determined heart.

Abella, a farmer from Barangay Candelaria in Dagohoy town, was among the more than 4,000 runners who joined the 4th Alturas Pink Run on Sunday in Tagbilaran City. The annual event, organized by the Alturas Group of Companies, aims to raise awareness and funds for cancer patients in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Despite his age, Abella conquered the 21-kilometer race in 2 hours, 37 minutes and 4 seconds-a remarkable feat that earned admiration from fellow runners and spectators alike. Last year, he clocked a faster time of 1 hour, 56 minutes and 29 seconds.

Abella said he intentionally took it slow this year, having joined two marathon events just weeks earlier.

Tried and tested shoes

He shared that muscle cramps hit him midway through the race, but the ointment he carried eased the pain just enough for him to keep going.

‘I was not tired at all. I fought until the end,’ he said in Cebuano at the finish line, smiling through exhaustion and triumph.

Yet what captured the crowd’s hearts wasn’t just his endurance, but the pair of old, hole-riddled shoes he wore.

‘These are my favorite,’ he said, smiling as he pointed at his tattered sneakers. ‘They’re light and comfortable. I’ve run many races with them.’

He said he purchased the shoes from an ukay-ukay (thrift store) and he intentionally punched holes in the shoes to improve ventilation and prevent water from pooling inside when he ran through rivers.

Abella has been running since he was 14, joining marathons across the Visayas and Mindanao. The Alturas Pink Run was his 22nd marathon, and his second time participating in the event.

But for him, this run was not about medals or records: ‘I joined to help raise awareness for cancer. It’s a worthy cause, and it makes running more meaningful.’

A former boxing trainer, Abella spends most of his days tending to his 20-hectare banana farm. Running, he said, keeps him strong-both in body and spirit.

He and his wife, Pilar, 67, have five children and eight grandchildren who proudly cheer him on in every race.

Inspiration

For Mary Grace Ido-Bernaldez, Alturas Pink Run organizer, the event was more than just a race-it’s a powerful movement to raise breast cancer awareness and support cancer patients and survivors.

She said Abella has become the living emblem of the event’s message of hope and perseverance.

‘Tatay Ruben isn’t just a participant-he’s our inspiration,’ Bernaldez said. ‘He reminds everyone that it’s never too late to do something good and to live with purpose.’ /cb

Yields on short-dated government debts went up during Monday’s sale of Treasury bills (T-bills) as investors await the inflation data and the central bank’s next policy decision this week.

Auction results showed the Bureau of the Treasury was able to raise its target amount of P22 billion via T-bills.

The offering was 3.4 times oversubscribed after attracting total tenders amounting to P74.5 billion.

Even so, the 91-day debt paper fetched an average rate of 4.983 percent, higher than the previous offering’s 4.828 percent.

The average yield for the 182-day T-bill stood at 5.128 percent, up from last week’s 5.075.

Lastly, investors asked an average rate of 5.228 percent for the 364-day securities, higher than the preceding auction’s 5.171 percent./tad

Coach Tim Cone couldn’t focus on anything other than Barangay Ginebra’s dismal loss at the hands of former pupil LA Tenorio and Magnolia to open the PBA’s 50th season.

‘I’m happy for LA, sad for myself,’ Cone said as the Gin Kings absorbed an 80-73 defeat in the Philippine Cup on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

There was a lot of talk about the coaching battle between Cone and Tenorio coming into the game, which ended with the Hotshots taking control for the majority of the contest.

‘You guys are making a big deal out of it,’ Cone said of the faceoff with Tenorio. ‘We’re friends. It’s the same thing when I played against Chot Reyes or Jeff Cariaso, or Johnedel Cardel, or Willy Wilson. They’re all my ex-players, ex-coaches, Luigi Trillo, you know. It’s the same.

‘It’s much bigger for LA than it was for me tonight. Put it that way. It was his first game, he’s gonna remember it. I’m gonna forget this one really quickly,’ added Cone.

Ginebra got 16 points and 17 rebounds from Stephen Holt, but Scottie Thompson was scoreless and Japeth Aguilar could only produce five points and five rebounds.

The Gin Kings also turned the ball over 21 times.

‘Too many turnovers, not enough effort on defense, didn’t execute tonight, didn’t play a very good game at all,’ Cone lamented.

‘Give credit to them, they were more prepared than we were. They looked sharper, looked better.’

For Sari Dalena, bringing the Cinemalaya film ‘Cinemartyrs’ is an act of retelling forgotten massacres through the perspective of a guerrilla filmmaker armed with a shoestring budget and awareness of the political landscape.

‘Cinemartyrs’ revolves around a young filmmaker (Nour Hooshmand) intending to tell stories of forgotten massacres that wrecked the Philippines. However, plagued by the undermining of her environment, she takes it upon herself to push forward with her film. As she visits present-day war-torn locations with her crew, they find themselves haunted by the spirits of those who perished in the massacres.

‘It is a story that has something to do with time, ‘yung paggawa ng pelikula ay tungkol sa mga karanasan ko at pinagdaanan ng mga babae sa paggawa ng dokumentaryo about karahasan, war atrocities, iba ang experience kapag babae ang gumagawa,’ the filmmaker told Inquirer Entertainment.

(It is a story that has something to do with time. It is about creating films about my experiences and what female filmmakers go through in creating documentaries about abuse and war atrocities; the experiences are different when a woman does them.) ‘Cinemartyrs’ is Dalena’s first Cinemalaya entry, although she already applied to be part of the film festival in its first-ever iteration. ‘Of course, I applied for different projects pero ito pala ang tamang panahon (now is the right time),’ she said of the feat, noting that the 20-year wait to be accepted was worth it.

With some scenes set in Jolo, among the factors that Dalena considered in the production process were the technicalities, traveling to Jolo (and, if it’s safe enough), and the ongoing political landscape.

‘Will I get the right response [from the audience] or is it the right time to talk about it? Sa palagay ko, maraming nangyari [sa pelikulang ito] kasi sinamahan ang Filipino-American War, feeling ko meron siyang mirroring. Somehow, hindi ko na-decide na gagawin ko ‘to, parang natumbok ko ‘yung time to say something,’ she said.

(Will I get the right response from the audience, or is it the right time to talk about it? For me, a lot of events happened in this film, such as the Filipino-American War. I feel like it mirrors the events now. I somehow didn’t decide that I would push forward with this. It was the timing that dawned on me that I needed to say something.) Another noteworthy element that was touched on in ‘Cinemartyrs’ was how it was rooted in guerrilla filmmaking, a kind of style defined by low budgets, a small crew, minimal equipment, and real-time filming without obtaining permits or prior notice from those involved.

‘Pinapakita ko ang guerrilla filmmaking style before Cinemalaya, ito ‘yung zero budget, ginagawa na namin noon pa,’ Dalena said. ‘Even before Cinemalaya, we were doing rag-tag-style filmmaking na walang artista and all that. I want it to be reflected here, working with katutubos and communities.’

(I want to showcase what guerrilla filmmaking style looks like, even before Cinemalaya. This is characterized by zero budgets, which we have been doing for quite some time. Even before Cinemalaya, we were doing rag-tag style filmmaking with no actors. I want it to be reflected here, including working with katutubos and communities.)

With this in mind, Dalena explained that the film’s events happen sort of like a collage, instead of the usual straightforward style, hoping that viewers will appreciate the magic behind it.

‘Makikita natin na ang pagkaka-tagpi tagpi ng storya is more of a collage, it’s not too straightforward. I hope that it will be a magical and mystical experience,’ she said. ‘Maganda siya ikwento ngayon to encourage filmmakers na kaya mong gumawa ng magandang kwento nang hindi dumidikit sa network or big studios. These personal films can be an important voice.’

(You can witness the stories done in a collage-like format. It’s not too straightforward. I hope that it will be a magical and mystical experience. It’s good to tell this story now to encourage filmmakers that you can create a beautiful story without relying on networks and big studios. These personal films can be an important voice.) Joining Hooshmand in the film are Angel Aquino, Cedrick Juan, Lav Diaz, Kidlat Tahimik, Ligaya Amilbangsa, Soliman Cruz, Bong Cabrera, Laila Ulao, Giancarlo Abrahan, Iana Bernardez, Nor Domingo, Danny Palisa, Andre Miguel, and Victor Medina.

The cast is also composed of Yian Gabriel, Kobe Sanchez, Shane Bernabe, Roven Alejandro, Nelson Dino, Rob Rownd, Dax Alejandro, Air Salazar, Dexter Macaraeg, Emmanuel Dela Cruz, and Rolando Inocencio.

One of the scariest things about graduating from college (aside from crippling unemployment rates) is the consequent difficulty in finding new relationships beyond university. As connections seem to flourish best due to proximity, the absence thereof can make socialization feel like quite a chore. I thought my introvert self would be exempt from this, but I ended up seeking third spaces-social surroundings other than your home or workplace-as early as a month before graduation.

Three months after I graduated, I could feel the increased importance of socializing with intent, and it seems like the metro has also seen the need for that. Whether you’re an introvert, an extrovert, or a mix of both, depending on the day, here are three social mixers I’ve personally tried, catered to different personalities and vibes.

For extroverts: Never Strangers

Singapore-based concept Never Strangers has found a second home in the Philippines, hosting numerous mixers at Yes Please in Bonifacio Global City. The mixer uses algorithm-powered Matchbox to match every registrant based on questions that cover everything from political preferences to romantic habits.

Never Strangers promises every guest a match based on their personalities and principles-categorizing their dating parties from their age (they have parties for people in their 20s to 30s vs. 30s to 40s) to their SOGIE identification through LGBTQIA+-first events.

In a mixer I joined, guests were divided into tables and had a deck of cards for icebreakers, where they were asked to reveal their camera rolls and search histories. There was even a game of two truths and a lie. Human bingo was also part of the mixer activity roster, asking for anyone who could speak more than seven languages or people who had twins.

If you’re not looking for ‘The One,’ Never Strangers also hosts what they call Friends Mixers, which match people up platonically. Regardless of romantic or platonic intentions, a Never Strangers event seems to best fit extroverts, as one can expect a night of partying and putting oneself out there.

For ambiverts: Timeleft

Timeleft is not a dating app, but its algorithm-based matching understandably has people thinking otherwise. Through comprehensive questions similar to Never Strangers’ Matchbox algorithm, Timeleft would put you in a table for five at a restaurant in your chosen city. The twist? You only find out about your restaurant the morning of your dinner, and you only get hints of the ages and jobs of your tablemates the night before it. Dinners happen every Wednesday in key locations such as Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Ortigas, and Quezon City.

Unlike Never Strangers, where key social activities were facilitated by a team of organizers, Timeleft leaves the social activities up to the table’s discretion. While there was a card game available on the app for icebreakers, tables like mine opted for more free-flowing conversations over dinner instead.

With Timeleft, you can expect a more intimate social setup due to their five-per-table quota. Smaller groups strike a balance for extroverts who are comfortable with taking charge of the conversation and introverts who want to try chiming in. The elements of mystery leading up to a dinner also add some allure, which makes Timeleft a prime choice for ambiverts.

For introverts: Sinag Muse

A digital-first community can be found in Sinag Muse: a collective that doubles as a newsletter and event organizer. Seeking to provide a safe space for people to feel less alone, Sinag Muse allows their audience to meet like-minded individuals with shared tastes and the overall desire for a creative community. Their newsletter dishes no-BS advice and sharp insight, packaged in aesthetically pleasing visuals, reminiscent of the internet’s early days, and this energy is made to feel warmer during their onsite events.

Events with Sinag Muse are hosted at the Sinag House, a condominium unit with a cozy and welcoming ambience conducive to a plethora of activities. From pizza-making to PowerPoint nights about exes, Sinag Muse embraces quirks and niches like they’re second nature. A personal recommendation, however, would be their Bare Minimum Book Club. For 90 uninterrupted minutes, Sinag Muse invites you to read a book of your choice-or borrow one from their selection. After your reading time, you’re invited to talk as much (or as little) about your book in a casual group sharing session.

And did we mention that you get complimentary snacks and free-flowing wine, too?

Sinag Muse’s commitment to fostering a very specific kind of vibe has been highly encouraging for people to take part in their community, online or offline. In particular, the collective’s penchant for low-commitment, ‘bare minimum’ events allows its audience to quickly get comfortable with finding a place for themselves in the community. While socialization is inherent, Sinag Muse operates in a way that enables each guest to stay in touch with their individual perceptions and behaviors during their events, providing an ideal avenue for introverts who want to try something new.

Try and try until you succeed

As more of us crave organic ways to socialize, it’s still important to manage expectations when going to events like this. You probably won’t find a friend group that rivals those of ‘Friends’ and ‘Sex and the City,’ nor will you likely meet your soulmate at first try, but that’s par for the course, and frankly, completely fine.

After all, we meet everyone for a reason, and weak ties-the relationships we have with acquaintances and casual friends-are instrumental to discovering new information or opportunities we wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said he would step down as chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee after some of his colleagues expressed disappointment over the course of the panel’s inquiry into anomalous flood control projects.

His resignation followed widespread speculation of another Senate shake-up, only less than a month after Sen. Francis Escudero was replaced by Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

Also on Sunday, Lacson denied there was another looming change in the Senate leadership. But he noted the sentiments expressed by some of his colleagues as the main reason for his resignation, naming in particular Senators JV Ejercito and Sherwin Gatchalian.

Ejercito earlier remarked that he, along with four other senators, planned to leave the majority bloc after several former and incumbent senators were tagged as being involved in anomalous flood control projects being investigated by the blue ribbon committee.

‘To be honest, I seriously thought about leaving the majority. Because if this is the direction we’re headed, it’s like we’re burning down our own house. We’re neglecting our colleagues, and we’re forgetting who the real culprits are,’ he said.

But he quickly clarified that he would not join the minority.

‘I didn’t say I am moving to the minority. More of being independent, along with some senators,’ Ejercito said.

Sen. Imee Marcos also said she left the group chat of the 20th Congress senators after Lacson took a swipe at her.

Lacson had called on Marcos to attend hearings on the flood control controversy after she said there was confusion if the blue ribbon committee’s probe would continue.

‘Due to the comments I’ve been hearing from my colleagues, one of the options I’m considering is to move on or submit my resignation as chairperson and let them find someone else who can lead the blue ribbon committee,’ he said.

‘Rightly or wrongly, when quite a number of them have expressed disappointment over how I’m handling the flood control project anomalies, I thought it’s time for me to step aside in favor of another member who they think can handle the committee better,’ he added.

‘Pleasure of our peers’

Lacson emphasized that all chairpersons of the committees in the Senate and House of Representatives ‘serve at the pleasure of our peers’ since they were elected particularly by the members of the majority bloc.

‘I’m not serving as chair of the blue ribbon committee at the pleasure of the President of the Philippines, at the pleasure of netizens, at the pleasure of bashers, not even at the pleasure of the public. I serve at the pleasure of my peers,’ Lacson noted.

He said he is preparing his resignation letter to Senate President Sotto and may formally manifest it in the plenary.

But Lacson also emphasized that his stepping down will not stop his continuing fight against corruption.

‘No amount of criticisms from misinformed netizens and partisan sectors can distract or pressure me from doing my job right, but when my own peers start expressing their group or individual sentiments, maybe it is best to vacate.’ ‘Nevertheless, I will continue to fight a corrupt and rotten system in the misuse and abuse of public funds as I have consistently done in the course of my long years in public service,’ he said.

Lacson initially announced in an interview on radio dzBB on Sunday morning that he was considering stepping down from his panel post, but released a statement in the afternoon that he was already pushing through with his plan.

‘If my colleagues are no longer trusting me enough, especially if the majority of them are not happy anymore with my handling of the blue ribbon committee, maybe it’s time for me to consider stepping down as an option,’ Lacson said.

‘Hearings handled well’

Regarding another change in the Senate leadership already widely speculated on Sunday, Lacson told the Inquirer: ‘Not true. It’s the same old rehashed psywar tactic all over again, intended to confuse and sow intrigue among members of the majority.’

There had been speculations, particularly on social media, that senators are eyeing to switch sides and support Senate Minority Leader Alan Cayetano to become the next Senate president.

Lacson said it also had nothing to do with his decision to resign as chair of the blue ribbon committee.

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

‘Rest assured that there’s no wavering in my advocacy against the corrupt and rotten system, particularly the misuse and abuse of public funds,’ he said.

Lacson said he continues to support the leadership of Sotto.

‘But if you will ask me, I’ve already experienced his being a Senate President for the longest time, in the past Congress. His system of management is good; he has good leadership. He always goes for consensus, he doesn’t dictate and he doesn’t decide alone. So if you ask me, I’ll continue to support him,’ he said.

But if his colleagues in the Senate think otherwise and believe that Sotto lacks leadership skills, then they can push for another Senate leadership change.

‘That’s how it goes in the Senate, whoever has the majority, whoever has at least 13. whoever is sitting can be replaced by whoever has at least 13 (votes),’ Lacson added.

On Saturday, Senator Gatchalian also said he believes Sotto’s leadership is ‘very stable.’

Lacson also scored the fake news and false narratives that some sectors insisted on circulating-that he is targeting some fellow senators while allegedly protecting members of the House of Representatives perceived to be the ‘masterminds’ of the flood control mess, including former Speaker Martin Romualdez and ex-Representative Elizaldy Co.

‘If you ask me, I would say I handled the hearings well. But there are those trying to disrupt the hearings. In one instance, the hearing had barely started when someone tried to make a distraction. That is why there is a perception that the hearings were not handled well,’ he said.

‘If majority of my peers do not trust me, I am not so numb, I’m not that insensitive not to feel that. They’ve already expressed their sentiments. if that is how my colleagues think, who am I to insist to stay as chair? If in their opinion someone else can handle it, I’ll leave it to them,’ he added.

‘Colleagues’ sentiments’

Lacson disclosed at a caucus on Monday last week that some of his peers also expressed concerns that his remarks about budget insertions could affect the whole institution.

Lacson earlier said that almost all senators of the 19th Congress inserted at least P100 billion worth of items in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), mostly in favor of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for infrastructure projects, including flood control. He cited documents he had gathered showing these were individual insertions, although they were eventually held ‘for later release.’

He also said that members of the House of Representatives likewise made their own amendments or insertions in the 2025 national budget, with the total exceeding by ‘much, much more’ those made by the Senate.

Citing information he accessed, Lacson said the list of the House members who made insertions in the DPWH’s favor in last year’s GAA was several pages long, with the names in alphabetical order. ‘It was like a roll call,’ he said.

When asked if the amount was larger than the insertions made by senators, Lacson replied: ‘Much, much more.’

He explained that the DPWH received such massive insertions because many lawmakers were likely in collusion with the department’s corrupt officials to get their share of huge kickbacks from projects-even if it meant giving the DPWH a bigger budget than the education sector, which was in violation of the 1987 Constitution.

No offense meant

‘I can actually feel and understand completely the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, at least the members of the majority bloc during our majority caucus, so I explained to them that the mention of ‘almost all senators’ was not intended to put them or the whole Senate on the spot, nor did I have the intention of calling them out particularly,’ he said in a previous interview.

‘The overarching reason for my disclosure or revelation was to point out that we must accept the fact that we are all in crisis owing to the recent anomalies involving the substandard and even ghost flood control projects unearthed in the course of the blue ribbon committee hearings and other similar investigations,’ the senator added.

Lacson reiterated in the radio interview that he was able to explain to his colleagues that it was not his intention to target them.

‘I did not intend to offend them or to bring them down. I just want us all to wake up to the reality that people are mad and we should refrain from making humongous budget insertions,’ he said.

He explained that insertions are not illegal or improper.

‘Insertions are amendments. There is nothing wrong with it. The only time it becomes illegal is when you make an amendment for infrastructure projects, whether flood control related or not, then you meddle in its implementation, and you collect a commission, that’s illegal,’ Lacson said.

Transparency in hearings

Also on Sunday, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said Lacson’s departure from the blue ribbon panel ‘should now compel the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to conduct a broad, unrelenting and open sweep of all individuals named in both Senate and House hearings, to determine with precision their respective liabilities, and to recommend the filing of appropriate charges.’

Ridon said Lacson’s leadership of the committee ‘yielded the most consequential testimonies and [pieces of] evidence’ compared to all the subsequent hearings on the alleged flood control anomalies, particularly from the affidavits of former DPWH officials.

‘Senator Lacson’s blue ribbon committee hearings exposed not only members of Congress as principal participants in the capture of the national budget at every stage of the budget process but also the involvement of executive officials, particularly in the capture of unprogrammed appropriations, which fall solely within the authority of the executive branch,’ Ridon said.

He also urged the ICI to open its proceedings to the public and establish rules on when proceedings may be held in executive session. -With a report from Keith Clores