Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Contractor couple Cezarah ‘Sarah’ and Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya arrived at the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) office in Taguig City to serve as resource persons in the commission’s hearing on Tuesday, September 30.

The media tried to get Sarah’s and Curlee’s statements regarding their cases, but they declined to comment.

The Discayas are currently under investigation for alleged involvement in anomalies in flood control projects. /cb/abc

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has urged Congress to reallocate funds for the completion of the long-delayed Edsa busway system in the 2026 national budget.

‘The government’s commitment to ease the plight of bus commuters must be met,’ MAP president Alfredo Panlilio and MAP Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Eduardo Yap said in a letter dated Sept. 24.

In their letter addressed to acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Senate Committee on Public Affairs chair Raffy Tulfo and House committee on transportation Chair Franz Pumaren, MAP said Congress now had the opportunity to reallocate funds to complete this project within a year.

‘Since the government is not inclined to appropriate funds for flood control projects, funds there can be more ideally reallocated to the Busway System,’ Panlilio said.

Panlilio said ‘no meaningful budget allocation’ had been provided for this project, except for a few hundred million pesos.

Almost 100,000 bus commuters depend on the busway for their daily commute, causing severe congestion in Manila Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) used as makeshift points for five years now, the group said.

‘While this interim arrangement has been acceptable during the initial test period, severe congestion has been a daily grind for both MRT-3 and Busway commuters in the already over-crowded MRT-3 stations,’ the letter added.

Slow progress

MAP said only four out of more than 20 busway-dedicated stations have been completed: Guadalupe, Buendia, Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard stations. Two others, North Edsa and Ortigas stations, are being built through private sector donations.

It said the busway stations could be ‘easily completed’ next year if the projects would be auctioned off in batches to large and reputable contractors.

These are Kamuning, Cubao/Araneta, Santolan, Camp Aguinaldo, Corinthian Gardens, Highway Hills, Estrella St. (Rockwell), Ayala/Edsa, Magallanes, Malibay, F.B. Harrison, MOA/J. Diokno, Aseana/Macapagal and Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.

‘In addition to other ancillary facilities, this system must be equipped with overhead bridgeway to the station platforms along the road median beside the MRT3 trackway, and provided with convenient access for the physically-challenged commuters,’ the letter read.

The group proposed finalizing a schematic busway system plan to connect, at least, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and other major routes.

It also recommended developing a comprehensive Metro Manila Busway System to complement rail systems that are existing or under construction.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stood by his decision to appoint retired Philippine National Police chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), despite being linked to previous controversies.

In a briefing on Tuesday, Palace press officer Claire Castro said the President handpicked Azurin to be the new special adviser and investigator of the ICI because of his ‘experience and expertise as an investigator.’

His appointment also has ‘no complications, because he is not a politician,’ she added.

According to Malacañang, Marcos had also taken into consideration Azurin’s involvement in the alleged coverup in the investigation of the PNP into a controversial drug haul in 2022.

‘He was just accused. It is easy to just drop names and to pin the blame on others,’ Castro explained.

‘It would be a different story if there were cases filed against him and he was convicted,’ she said.

Azurin fills in for Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who resigned on Friday after Malacañang raised concerns that his dual role in the government, among other issues, might compromise the independence of the ICI.

Stakeholders earlier raised concerns of Magalong being unfit to be at the ICI, citing the constitutional ban on any elective official from being designated to another public office during his tenure.

As special adviser and investigator, Azurin may directly submit reports and information to the ICI to aid in its fact-finding mandate.

He may also conduct a probe ‘on his own,’ but he does not hold power over the government’s law enforcement, intelligence and investigative bodies, including the PNP and National Bureau of Investigation.

In January 2023, then-Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos called for the courtesy resignation of all the more than 900 colonels and generals of the PNP as part of the government’s internal cleansing of the police force.

Azurin was among the first who submitted his courtesy resignation, but Marcos immediately rejected it, allowing him to complete his tenure and effectively clearing him of any involvement with illegal drugs.

Abalos, who also chairs the National Police Commission (Napolcom) then, ordered the PNP to create a special investigation task group to probe the involvement of police officials, including generals, in the seizure of 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion in a warehouse owned by a police intelligence officer in Tondo, Manila in October 2022.

Later inquiries found that police officers and officials attempted to pilfer the confiscated shabu either to be resold or to be used as ‘accomplishment’ in future anti-drug operations.

By April 2023, before Azurin retired from the police service, Abalos alleged that there was a ‘massive cover-up attempt’ in the investigation of the PNP. He ordered the Napolcom to conduct its own oversight inquiry.

Azurin denied Abalos’ claim and came to the defense of the two generals implicated in the investigation.

After a joint inquiry by the Napolcom and PNP, criminal complaints were filed against 50 police personnel, including two generals, before the Office of the Ombudsman for their suspected coverup and involvement in the operation.

In July 2023, Marcos accepted the resignation of 18 PNP officials, including three generals, for their drug involvement.

Amid her battle with several autoimmune diseases, Kris Aquino looked well and radiant during her and her children Josh and Bimby’s recent visit to a friend who celebrated his birthday.

The Queen of All Media, albeit wearing a face mask, appeared smiling while bonding over a meal with hair and makeup artist Jonathan Velasco at the latter’s intimate birthday celebration.

Aside from the Aquinos and Velasco, a few other companions, including those who appeared to be Kris’ medical staff, were present at the gathering, as seen in the photos shared by the makeup artist on his Instagram page.

‘A huge thank you to the Aquino family for making my birthday so special,’ Velasco captioned his post. ‘Love you po, Madam Kris, Josh and Bimb.’

Velasco’s comments section was then flooded with messages from Kris’ supporters who thanked the makeup artist for sharing his recent moment with the actress-TV host.

Just earlier this month, Kris underwent two surgical procedures. She also previously had surgical procedures last August as she began a ‘more aggressive treatment’ for her 11 autoimmune diseases

The contractor couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cazarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya are now ‘financially constrained,’ as all of their bank accounts have been frozen, their lawyer, Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III, said on Tuesday.

Samaniego bared this in an ambush interview at the office of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) when asked if the Discayas will also surrender luxury cars to the commission, just like what former Department of Public Works and Highways-Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez did when he previously attended a hearing.

‘We won’t be returning anything because the account has already been frozen,’ Samaniego said. ‘So we haven’t discussed that yet.’

‘They are financially constrained now. Their bank accounts have been frozen. All their bank accounts have been frozen,’ he emphasized.

The contractor couple attended the hearing of the ICI on the flood control anomalies for the first time on Tuesday.

Samaniego said the Discayas gave ‘tell-all’ testimonies during the proceeding, adding that they will return at the ICI next week to also serve as resource persons.

When asked if the real properties of the Discayas were also frozen, the lawyer said they have no idea about these movements yet.

Earlier, the Anti-Money Laundering Council said it has already frozen the bank accounts of individuals linked to corruption complaints in connection with the questionable flood control projects.

Curlee also mentioned the status of their bank accounts at a recent Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. /apl

Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero has sought the disbarment of a lawyer over ‘speculative’ and ‘malicious’ social media posts regarding his supposed insertions in the national budget.

In a complaint submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday, Escudero asked the justices to disbar lawyer Jesus Nicardo Falcis, who was found guilty of direct and indirect contempt in a 2018 case that sought-but failed-to push for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country.

Aside from being cited for contempt by the high tribunal, Falcis was also fined P5,000 for allegedly failing to observe provisions on propriety and fidelity under Canon VI of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.

Escudero, likewise a lawyer and member of the Philippine Bar, enumerated several instances in which Falcis made public posts on Facebook that contained ‘accusatory, defamatory, demeaning, speculative, hateful, and/or malicious statements and remarks’ against him.

‘Unfortunately, and as will be shown hereunder, such statements and remarks are actually gratuitous instruments of contempt designed to publicly humiliate [the] complainant. As such, their irresponsible and unrestrained character serves to provide a bad and scandalous example of how a lawyer should not behave publicly,’ Escudero said.

In a statement, Falcis said it was Escudero who should be disbarred for publicizing the disbarment proceedings, which, according to the Rules of Court, should be private and confidential.

‘He is a Senator of the Republic. I am but one of the many Filipinos who are calling out his reprehensible actions as a public official,’ Falcis said.

July 21 post

In his petition, the senator pointed to a July 21 post of Falcis that said: ‘Ang kapal ng mukha ni Chiz Escudero na pagalitan ang House of Representatives for budget insertions and pork barrel pero siya pala mismo, hitik na hitik ang insertions! (The nerve of Chiz Escudero to scold the House of Representatives over budget insertions and pork barrel when he himself is loaded with insertions!)’

Escudero likewise cited a Sept. 6 post of Falcis about his alleged political ties with Lawrence Lubiano, saying that it ‘sweepingly’ suggested that the lawmaker’s supposed insertions in the 2025 national budget for projects in Sorsogon were a ‘quid pro quo’ for Lubiano’s campaign donation in the 2022 elections.

Lubiano, the president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., is being investigated by the Commission on Elections after he was found to have donated P30 million to Escudero when the latter ran for the Senate in 2022. The poll body has also asked Escudero for an explanation.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, candidates cannot source any ‘contribution for purposes of partisan political activity . directly or indirectly’ from, among others, people who hold government contracts or subcontracts.

Escudero also mentioned in his petition another post by Falcis on Sept. 24, which went: ‘Chiz Escudero is in an emergency meeting with his lawyers and crisis managers in BGC (Bonifacio Global City) today in preparation for tomorrow’s Senate Blue Ribbon.’

Public conviction

‘The unrestrained tone above is rendered in so-called gotcha fashion, which can virtually ‘convict’ [the] complainant in the public mind. Again, this lack of civility and non-observance of fairness compromises the image of [the] legal profession,’ Escudero said.

The ‘irresponsible conduct and vitriolic language’ of Falcis, he added, prompted him to urgently raise the matter before the SC.

‘A victim like [the] complainant is virtually ‘sentenced’ in the bar of public opinion that now exists also in cyberspace. Be that as it may, clearly at stake here is not only complainant’s good name and reputation but also the integrity and honor of the legal profession,’ Escudero added.

He noted that his status as a public official does not give Falcis an ‘unbridled discretion’ to attack him and put him in ‘public ridicule.’

Roberto Bernardo, a former Department of Public Works and Highways official, told the Senate blue ribbon committee last week that he delivered P160 million to Escudero’s friend and campaign contributor, Maynard Ngu, representing the senator’s supposed cut from infrastructure projects.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has issued an advisory for possible minor sea-level disturbances following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu Tuesday evening. In its advisory, Phivolcs urged the public to be on alert for unusual waves, noting that people should ‘stay away from the beach and not go to the coast’ of the following provinces until the advisory is lifted:

Leyte

Cebu

Biliran

‘People whose houses are located very near the shoreline of these provinces are advised to move father inland,’ the Phivolcs said.

‘Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries, or shallow coastal water of the above-mentioned provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront. Boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised,’ it added.

The Phivolcs earlier said that the center of the magnitude 6.9 quake, which occurred at 9:59 p.m. and was initially reported as magnitude 6.7, was located 21 kilometers northeast of the City of Bogo, Cebu, at a depth of 5 kilometers.

The agency added that aftershocks are expected and property damage may occur./mcm

Power has been restored to most areas serviced by the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO), with 100 percent of the province’s municipalities and Calapan City now energized, according to a report posted on ORMECO’s official social media page.

ORMECO general manager Engr. Humphrey Dolor confirmed that both the 13.8-kilovolt (kV) and 69-kV power lines are now fully operational.

As of the latest update, electricity has been restored to 342 out of 426 barangays-approximately 80.3 percent-and to 215,322 out of 265,765 households, or about 81% of the total.

‘Today, we are restoring power supply to the barangay (village) level. The restoration went smoothly and faster because of innovative ways and the support of some local government units (LGUs). We are working from 6 a.m. to midnight daily for construction works and 24 hours for line works,’ Dolor said.

Dolor also reported that damage caused by Typhoon Opong to the cooperative’s infrastructure had been estimated at P16,926,645

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday named former Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. as special adviser and investigator of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

Azurin replaces Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who had served only as ICI special adviser but not as an investigator.

‘The administration is confident that General Azurin’s experience and leadership will further strengthen the Commission’s mandate to uphold accountability and transparency in the use of public funds,’ a statement from the Office of the President (OP) on Monday read.

According to the OP, Azurin will formally assume his duties after completing his personal and administrative arrangements.

Meanwhile, the president expressed gratitude to Magalong for his service and contributions during his tenure.

The OP noted that Magalong’s efforts in safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the commission had been vital to the government’s campaign against corruption in infrastructure projects.

An llocano like Marcos, Azurin was the first PNP chief appointed under the Marcos administration, taking on the post a month into the president’s term.

He stepped down in April 2023 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Azurin is a member of the Philippine Military Academy ‘Makatao’ Class of 1989.

He served as commander of the Northern Luzon Police Area and the Southern Luzon Police Area and also held star-rank positions at Camp Crame, including as head of the Directorate for Comptrollership and the Directorate for Information and Communication Technology Management.

Role reviewed

In a briefing earlier on Monday, Palace press officer Claire Castro confirmed that Marcos had accepted Magalong’s resignation.

‘The president has received and respects Mayor Magalong’s decision. Our president acknowledges Mayor Magalong’s competence, but we pray that his resignation as special adviser will not affect the work of the ICI, as the commission is fully staffed,’ she said.

The Baguio mayor’s resignation from the ICI followed Marcos’ order to review whether he should remain as special adviser to the ‘super body,’ which is investigating questionable public works projects.

The review was prompted by a P110-million tennis court project in Baguio City, awarded in 2022 to St. Gerrard Construction, one of nine firms owned by contractor-couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya.

Labor groups also recently questioned Magalong’s role in the ICI, arguing that he cannot simultaneously serve as Baguio City mayor and special adviser to the commission.

Call for transparency

Also on Monday, past and present members of the House of Representatives urged the ICI to livestream its hearings on the controversial flood control projects so the public can monitor developments.

Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, Akbayan Rep. Percival Cendaña, and former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares separately asked the ICI to uphold transparency, noting that the people have been engaged in the latest corruption scandal.

‘This is very disappointing and frustrating – a body with limited powers to investigate anomalous flood control projects, and which is merely a recommendatory board, is not fully accessible to the public,’ De Lima said in a statement.

‘When everyone is fully engaged on the issue of corruption as revealed by the congressional hearings, here comes ICI denying what the public wants. Saang banda ang transparency dun (Where is transparency there)?’ she added.

‘Now that Filipinos are aware of a huge conspiracy and corruption in flood control and other government projects, we should not deprive them of the chance to understand details and join discussions,’ De Lima said. -With a report from Gabriel Pabico Lalu

Students in storm-prone regions such as Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos missed up to 44 percent of scheduled school days in the first quarter of School Year 2023-2024, according to new data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

In the Cordillera Administrative Region, students lost 35 out of 80 school days, meaning nearly one out of every two scheduled days was spent out of class. Cagayan Valley (33 days lost) and the Ilocos Region (31 days lost) posted similar figures, compressing what should have been a full quarter of instruction into just over a month.

Metro Manila also experienced significant disruption, with 20 school days lost due to weather-related class suspensions – equivalent to one in every four days.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mindanao and Visayas regions reported minimal disruptions. Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and SOCCSKSARGEN each lost only three days out of 80, while the Davao Region lost five days. ‘The country is hemorrhaging learning time as storms and policy collide,’ said Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao, INQUIRER Metrics data scientist and associate professor at the University of the Philippines, in his analysis of the dataset.

‘What began as a precaution has calcified into habit: when a typhoon threatens, schools close whether or not damage occurs, and there is no clear plan to reclaim lost days,’ he added.

Panao noted that continued class suspensions-particularly in regions hit hardest by storms-could weaken students’ mastery of basic skills, widen learning gaps, and normalize the idea among children that schooling is optional during the rainy season.

In response to the growing challenge, the Department of Education (DepEd) last July highlighted the rollout of Learning and Service Continuity Plans (LSCPs) in all public schools.

These include alternative delivery modes (ADMs) such as online classes, self-learning modules, and activity sheets, along with protocols for storing learning devices and training teachers for rapid shifts in instruction.

These efforts are part of DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2024, which revised class suspension guidelines and directed schools to update LSCPs regularly as part of emergency preparedness.

Despite these measures, EDCOM 2 data indicates that many regions-particularly in northern Luzon-remain especially vulnerable to extended academic stoppages.

Without stronger implementation of existing policies, improved infrastructure, and more robust recovery mechanisms, education experts warn that repeated weather disruptions may continue to reduce classroom contact time in the most affected areas.

‘Without swift flood-control action and aggressive catch-up programs,’ Panao warned, ‘the next storm will not only inundate streets-it will wash away the nation’s fragile promise of education.’