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Independent commissions have long promised to fight corruption in the Philippines. They are born with strong words and public hope, then die quietly when political winds shift. The Independent Commission for Infrastructure now carries that burden. Supporters say we should ‘let it do its job.’ True, but the real test is whether its work ends in convictions, not press conferences.

History paints a bleak picture. Former president Elpidio Quirino formed the Integrity Board in 1950, which could receive complaints only with Malacañang’s blessing and budget. Former president Ramon Magsaysay’s Presidential Complaints and Action Commission in 1953 energized citizens but lacked prosecutors. Former president Carlos P. Garcia’s Presidential Committee on Administration Performance Efficiency in the late 1950s conducted audits, not graft prosecutions. Former president Diosdado Macapagal’s Presidential Anti-Graft Committee in 1962 vanished with the next administration. Even Congress’ Office of the Citizens’ Counselor under Republic Act No. 6028 in 1969 – an ombudsman-type office – was never implemented. Different names, same fate: short-lived, dependent, disposable.

Only institutions built into the Constitution endured. In 1986, former president Corazon Aquino and the framers of the 1987 Constitution gave the ombudsman fiscal autonomy and its own Office of the Special Prosecutor. That is why major graft cases that reached judgment passed through the ombudsman and the courts, not ad hoc commissions. The lesson is blunt: presidential executive orders stir attention, but courts deliver accountability.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. created the Independent Commission for Infrastructure through Executive Order No. 94. Its mandate covers substandard and ghost infrastructure projects of the last decade. It can subpoena records, hold hearings and submit reports to the President. On paper, the powers look broad. In practice, the design is fragile. Funding still comes from Malacañang. Subpoenas duces tecum need resort to courts for enforcement and contempt citations. Criminal cases still pass through the ombudsman or the Department of Justice (DOJ) before trial. The Sandiganbayan remains the court of jurisdiction. Unless the Commission is welded into this pipeline, it risks becoming another intake layer, not a producer of convictions and eventual imprisonments.

Telling the public to ‘let the commission do its job’ should mean more than patience. It should mean removing obstacles that doomed past bodies. Witnesses must be compelled, not invited. Records must be produced, not requested. Investigations must result in cases filed, not reports shelved. Anything less, and history repeats itself.

Neutrality is critical. The Supreme Court in 2010 struck down former president Benigno Aquino III’s Philippine Truth Commission for targeting a single administration. That ruling was a warning: selective scope kills credibility and invites failure of prosecution. The new Commission cannot afford to look partisan. Its reach must cover all administrations and contractors, with conflict-of-interest rules and independent audits of its members.

If the Commission wants to succeed, it needs fixes now. A memorandum of understanding with the ombudsman and the DOJ would force integration: joint teams, shared evidence rooms and strict deadlines and timelines from referral to filing. A statutory upgrade would secure subpoena power, budget and tenure. Dashboards showing how many cases were referred, information filed and convictions won would keep it accountable. Without these, it risks becoming another short-lived Malacañang creation.

Investigators must also watch where corruption starts: the bidding table. Republic Act 12009, the New Government Procurement Act of 2024, requires disclosure of beneficial ownership, standard bidding forms and budget alignment. Yet it has become common practice to subvert these rules through loopholes or selective enforcement. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport concession is a cautionary tale of a different but related kind. Several petitions before the Supreme Court question how the deal secured rushed approvals, ignored statutory guardrails and approved steep fee hikes despite subverting extant laws. The challenge is how to stop this cycle before it undermines every new reform.

The verdict from history is harsh. Executive-created bodies have been loud but brittle. They were easy to set up, easier to ignore and easiest to dismantle. Unless the new Commission is legally insulated, hardwired into the ombudsman and the DOJ and judged by the convictions and incarcerations it secures, it will follow the same curve.

The Filipino people now cry for convictions and imprisonments of those found guilty of plunder (under Republic Act 7080) and forfeiture of unlawfully acquired properties and taxpayers’ monies (under Republic Act 1379), among other relevant laws, after expeditious and public trials by special courts assigned by the Supreme Court to try those indicted. They do not need another body that fades with the headlines. They need concrete results that stand in court. That is the real job the Commission must do.

The Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats shoot for another victory as they tackle the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars in a rare Friday game of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 25 basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Wildcats outfoxed the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers, 72-65, in their previous match to snap a three-game losing spell.

Coach Felix ‘Donbel’ Belano, Jr. and his boys hope to make it back-to-back wins as they take on the listless Jaguars side at 6:45 p.m.

The Jaguars are smarting from two straight setbacks at the hands of the Benedicto College (BC) Cheetahs and the four-peat seeking University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers.

In the high school division, the CIT-U Baby Wildcats will battle against the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) at 5:15 p.m.

The Baby Wildcats tamed the UC Baby Webmasters in their season-opener while UCLM split their first two assignments, beating the USJ-R Baby Jaguars before falling prey to the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Blue Dragons just last Tuesday, September 30.

No, I am not talking about the death penalty when I speak of the penalty of death, but rather what it does to one’s soul, the spiritual decay and separation from God. This, however, casts no fear on those who must continue to bear the consequences for their actions in stealing from the people, the very same ones they swore to protect.

Then, to add to all the challenges that the country continues to face as we see more revelations about flood control, Cebu is hit by a massive magnitude 6.9 earthquake with at least 69 people killed and dozens of others injured. The province of Cebu is now under a state of calamity and thousands spent the night on the streets due to repeated aftershocks. It has also been reported that about 800,000 residents are without electricity weeks after Typhoon Opong and the most recent earthquake. Many residents are also reported to have no access to clean water after the back-to-back typhoons.

Most of the victims of the quake come from Bogo, which is said to be the place closest to the epicenter, with body bags lined on the streets and people being treated in tent hospitals. Not to mention the cracked roads and broken bridges that are making it difficult to get help to people fast. This is truly a tragedy and we are in it for the long haul.

Difficult as it may be to say, this is the real problem that we must set our sights on yet, despite all of our pains, there are those who choose to focus on matters that do absolutely nothing for our countrymen except to keep us divided or distracted from the bigger issues caused by greed and corruption that are literally killing our nation.

So what’s next for us? We are at a point in our history when our leaders and our people need to be united to fight for our country, regardless of color, because divisive factions do nothing for our nation’s future and progress. There is no room for more strife and conflict when the battle is clear – we need to fight against corruption and we can only do this together if we want to have a better Philippines. How many more communities or school buildings need to be destroyed by the wickedness of corrupt government officials and their supporters in order for us to decide on what we should do to collectively rebuild this country?

The time is now as we are drowning in the multiple schemes of corruption that have been created as acceptable and systemic. Multiple corrupt practices, as Mayor Benjamin Magalong explained, that is going on inside the House of Representatives point to its former leadership, where corruption is linked to the very top level of its ranks. Change starts from the top but sometimes, corruption can also come from the top as well. This is the hard and bitter truth that all of us must be brave enough to express so that we can all make the very idea of corruption extremely nauseating and revolting to people and make them fully appreciate and support good governance.

I don’t think we all completely understand how difficult it is for us to build our country on good governance, considering that corruption is so deeply entrenched in our society. Former US president Woodrow Wilson said: ‘If you want to make enemies, change something.’ Anyone of us who is involved in trying to make a change would likely agree with this statement because change does not come easy, as we have to unite in working against habits and behaviors that have been formed over a long period of time, and doing this involves people.

But first and foremost, in order for us to achieve this change, we must be compelling in our commitment to communicate the need for change so that more people will understand what the problem is and why this problem can no longer continue to persist. Corruption hurts everyone and erodes the trust we have in public servants who are supposed to act in our best interest.

At this juncture, we are facing one catastrophe after another and the question is, how much more can we handle and how prepared are we to endure potential challenges yet to come? In the aftermath of the Cebu earthquake, we are finding out that while the Philippines lacks the resources of Japan, a country that has achieved the world’s most sophisticated earthquake response and mitigation system, addressing the gaps we face in building safety standards and structural integrity of building structures, including taking earthquake drills and go bag reminders seriously, Filipinos can respond bravely and more quickly during crisis situations. This is why we need to act and tune in to the multiple scenarios that are happening in order for us to be part of the solution.

In the time of Noah, God saw how the wickedness of people became so pervasive that their hearts were filled with only evil. The sin of omission is disobedience to God’s plan for all of mankind, as this is a clear neglect of what is good because, by failing to help the very same people we promise to protect and serve, we actively participate in the process that is indifferent to the people’s right to a dignified life. What has happened to our countrymen is nothing less than evil and the consequences of this, as the Bible says, is death, the kind that is worse than any form of death penalty.

While some countries do sentence their corrupt officials to death, this has not stopped, even just by example, all those who have robbed and raped us. While this does not frighten them, perhaps we can take comfort knowing that the law of the Lord will give us the justice we deserve. The penalty of death represents all that we need to express in order to put an end to greed, apathy, corruption and love for power. The change is within our grasp and this is where we must place our firm resolve.

The use of temporary and improvised license plates will be prohibited beginning Nov. 1, the Land Transportation Office said yesterday.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said the ban would be enforced as the agency cleared the backlog of license plates for motorcycles and four-wheel vehicles.

‘For those who have not yet claimed their license plates, we advise them to do so to avoid any inconvenience once the policy is implemented,’ he said.

Mendoza said motorists should no longer use improvised or temporary plates since there is no more backlog.

Under Joint Administrative Order 2014-001, violators face a fine of P5,000 and confiscation of the temporary or improvised license plates.

Motorists using such plates will not be accepted for registration renewal.

Mendoza, however, clarified that improvised plates may still be allowed if these are properly authorized by the LTO office that processed a request for a duplicate plate.

The much-awaited completion of asphalt works at the Ayala Heights diversion road in Barangay Pung-ol Sibugay has finally been realized, providing safer and better passage for commuters heading to Cebu City’s mountain barangays and those traversing the Transcentral Highway.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed the development in a public advisory issued yesterday, expressing gratitude to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and contractor WTG for fulfilling their commitment to complete the project.

‘Good news to all our commuters traveling to the mountain barangays and those passing through the Transcentral Highway! The Ayala Heights Diversion Road has already been asphalted, providing safe and smooth access to the public,’ Archival announced.

Archival also highlighted what cooperation can do.

‘This is a clear example of how cooperation and action truly bring service to the public. Padayon ta sa kaluwasan ug kalambuan,’ he added.

He personally inspected the site following weeks of delay that prompted the Cebu City Government to issue an ultimatum to the contractor.

Archival had warned that the city would take over the project if work did not proceed immediately.

The swift completion of the asphalt overlay is seen as a direct result of the city’s firm stance on contractor accountability.

Archival reiterated the importance of timely infrastructure delivery, noting that delays not only inconvenience commuters but also hinder the city’s broader mobility goals.

The Ayala Heights diversion road serves as a vital alternate route for upland barangays, helping decongest traffic and improving access to interior communities.

Its completion marks a significant step in enhancing road safety and connectivity in the area.

Team Jotun swept Boysen in their best-of-three finals series with a 95-86 victory in Game 2 to successfully defend their crown in the Cebu Architects Basketball Club (CABC) 7th Corporate Cup at the Game Changer Sports Facility along Hernan Cortes Street in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City recently.

Chester Hinagdanan sizzled with 23 points, two rebounds, five assists, and three steals to power Jotun to back-to-back titles.

Not to be outdone, Philip Alegado tossed in 19 points and six rebounds while Dex Caadan tallied 14 markers with seven rebounds and four assists for Jotun, which finished the tournament with a perfect 12-0 record.

Jotun actually suffered an offensive meltdown after establishing a huge 22-point lead, 69-47, late in the third quarter, enabling Boysen to pull within just four points, 71-75, early in the final period.

But Jotun held their ground against a tough endgame challenge by Boysen to breeze through a rousing nine-point triumph.

Kim Rebosura paced Boysen with 25 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Carlos Baltar and Alfredo Sanchez combined for 29 points while Joseph Cabigas scored 11 in a losing effort.

The Philippines had a total of 30 national winners for the 2025 Asian Academy Creative Awards, with recipients including Dingdong Dantes, Dennis Trillo and action series “Incognito.”

Half of the national winners were projects by GMA Network including “Pepito Manaloto – The Story Continues” (Best Comedy Program), “Stars on the Floor” (Best Music/Dance Program), “The Voice Kids” (Best Adaptation of an Existing Format, Non-Scripted) and “Beauty Empire” director of photography Jay Abello (Best Cinematography, Fiction).

GMA also dominated the documentary division as “Lost Sabungeros” won the One-Off category, “I Juander: History for Sale” won the History category and “Reporter’s Notebook: Asia’s Scam Cities” won the Series category.

Dennis won Best Lead Actor for his role in “Green Bones” while the movie’s writers Anj Atienza and National Artist Ricky Lee won Best Screenplay.

Dingdong won Best Entertainment Host as the face of “Family Feud Philippines” while Anjo Baraquel and Julie Anne San Jose’s track “Gemini” for “Slay” won Best Theme Song/Title Theme.

Other GMA winners were the “Inside the Crocodile Cage” episode of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” for Best Infotainment Program, the “YOLO sa Antique” episode of “Biyahe ni Drew” for Best Lifestyle Program, “Eleksyonaryo: The Dapat Totoo Digital Exclusives” for Best Short Form (Scripted) and “DigiDokyu: The Rice God of the Cordillera” for Best Short Form (Non-Scripted).

ABS-CBN meanwhile won four awards: “Incognito” for Best Drama Series, “Saving Grace” for Best Adaptation of an Existing Format (Scripted), “How to Spot a Red Flag” for Best Original Production by a Streamer (Fiction) shared with Viu and the “The Silent House (Maguad Family Story)” episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya” for Best Single Drama/Telemovie/Anthology Episode.

Other high-profile national winners were “Untold” star Jodi Sta. Maria for Best Lead Actress, “The Kingdom” star Piolo Pascual for Best Supporting Actor, “The Caretakers” star Dimples Romana for Best Supporting Actress, “Isang Himala” for Best Feature Film and its filmmaker Pepe Diokno for Best Director (Fiction).

Completing the Philippine winners were the third season of “Sing Galing” for Best Non-Scripted Entertainment, Gretchen Ho of “Morning Matters” for Best Factual Presenter, “Money Talks with Cathy Yang” for Best News Program, “Merry ang Vibes ng Pasko” for Best General Entertainment Program, “Ready, Set, Read!” for Best Children’s Program, and “JSM Travel and Tours” for Best Promo/Trailer.

Dennis is in good company as fellow category winners include Korean star Park Bo-gum for “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” Taiwanese F4 star Vic Chou for “The World Between Us: After the Flames and Australia’s Jacob Elordi for “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” while Piolo was accompanied by Australia-based actor Hugo Weaving for “How To Make Gravy.”

Jodi’s fellow winners are Oscar-winning “Disclaimer” star Cate Blanchett and “Pachinko” star Kim Min-ha, both of whom also won at the recent Seoul International Drama Awards. Min-ha’s co-star and another Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung won in Dimples’ category.

Other notable Korean winners are “When Life Gives You Tangerines” as Best Drama Series, “Culinary Class Wars” for Best Non-Scripted Entertainment and the 2024 MAMA Awards for Best General Entertainment Program.

All national winners will be invited to a conference, red carpet, and Grand Awards Gala taking place in Singapore this December 3 and 4.

Navy and police officers have foiled attempts to smuggle cigarettes with a combined value of P23.5 million in separate operations in Maguindanao del Norte and in this city.

The Navy on Wednesday night intercepted a motorized boat carrying P14 million worth of cigarettes in the waters off Barangay Talisayan, Zamboanga City.

The boat and its two crewmembers were escorted to the Naval Station Romulo Espaldon for the inventory of 40 master cases of cigarettes.

The crewmembers said the cargo came from Basilan.

Meanwhile, police officers yesterday intercepted a vehicle carrying suspected smuggled cigarettes valued at P9.5 million in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte.

The vehicle, which was pulled over at a checkpoint in Barangay Poblacion, was found to be carrying 266 master cases of cigaretes with no tax stamps.

The driver and his helper were taken to the police station for questioning after they failed to present documents for their cargo.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has rebuffed accusations of foot-dragging on reported anomalies in flood control projects, saying it has already secured court orders to freeze billions worth of suspected illicit assets.

In a statement sent to The STAR, AMLC executive director Matthew David addressed criticisms raised in a column article that the council acted belatedly on the controversy, involving several public works officials and private contractors.

‘We acknowledge the concerns and questions raised regarding the AMLC involvement in the ongoing investigation into the alleged flood control project scam,’ David said. ‘We wish to clarify that the AMLC has taken decisive and impactful action in recent weeks.’

Boo Chanco, in his STAR column on Oct. 1, criticized what he described as government officials’ ‘lack of respect for the peso,’ citing wasteful projects and corruption scandals.

He singled out the AMLC for allegedly acting too late in freezing accounts linked to the Department of Public Works and Highways’ ghost flood control projects, saying legislators and contractors involved may have already moved their stash abroad before regulators took action.

But according to David, the Court of Appeals has granted three freeze orders on petitions filed by the AMLC over the past three weeks, effectively blocking the movement of an estimated P2.9 billion worth of suspected stolen public funds and assets.

The most recent freeze order covers 836 bank accounts, 12 e-wallets, 24 insurance policies, 81 motor vehicles and 12 real estate properties.

This was on top of two earlier orders that immobilized 1,563 bank accounts, 54 insurance policies, 154 vehicles, 30 real estate properties and 12 e-wallets.

Reports indicated that certain banks and even the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines facilitated questionable transfers linked to the scheme.

The Commission on Audit, meanwhile, has filed four more fraud audit reports against DPWH officials and their contractors for their part in four multimillion-peso flood control projects in Bulacan that were fully paid but never built.

The projects include the P92.7-million flood control structure in Barangay San Roque, Baliuag, and the P92.7-million flood control structure along Angat River in Barangay Taal, Pulilan, which were both awarded to SYMS Construction Trading.

Also included were the P69.5-million riverbank protection structure in Barangay Bagong Silang, Plaridel, awarded to Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc., and the P96.5-million riverwall in Barangay Pagala, Baliuag, awarded to Triple 8 Construction and Supply Inc.

In another development, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has announced his appointment of new officials, mostly assistant secretaries.

The Pangasinan Heatwaves leaned on Hesed Gabo and Pedrito Galanza to beat the Ilagan Isabela Cowboys, 98-91, on Thursday and advance to the playoffs in the Manny Pacquiao Presents MPBL 2025 Season at the Robert Estrella Sr. Memorial Gymnasium in Rosales, Pangasinan.

Gabo pumped in eight points, spiked by two triples, while Galanza added five in the extra period as the Heatwaves repeated their 96-94 victory over the Cowboys in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team, two-division tournament.

More importantly, the Heatwaves clinched the seventh playoff slot in the North Division, putting them on a collision course with the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, the No. 2 qualifier, in the best-of-three playoffs.

Gabo wound up with 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, atoning for his missed short jumper in the last two seconds, keeping the count tied at 82-82.

Galanza posted a game-high 23 points plus four rebounds.

Jorey Napoles also shone for Pangasinan with 17 points plus nine rebounds, and so did Allyn Bulanadi with 15 points, four assists and three steals.

The Cowboys, who led at 66-58, got 21 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals from Arth Dela Cruz; 14 points; three rebounds and three assists from Agem Miranda; 11 points, three assists, two steals and two rebounds from Donald Gumaru; and 10 points from Mark Dyke.

The loss sent the Cowboys into a do-or-die showdown with the Bataan Risers, who ousted Pasig City, 99-78, in the opener.

With Yves Sazon finding his range and four others joining the scoring fray, the Risers led by as far as 94-67 in avenging their 85-88 defeat to the Pasiguenos in the round-robin elimination phase on May 14.

Sazon drilled in six triples en route to 20 points, followed by Chris Javier with 13 points and nine rebounds; Robbi Darang with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists; Hubert Cani with 12 points and six assists; and Lorenz Capulong with 11 points plus four rebounds.

Pasig drew 21 points and 12 rebounds from Jacob Galicia; 17 points and eight rebounds from Chito Jaime; and 13 points from John Felix Corpuz.

Powered by Javier and Cani, the Risers surged ahead, 51-30, from which the Pasiguenos couldn’t recover.

Javier canned a triple and Jamil Gabawan completed a 3-point play as Bataan foiled Pasig’s rally, 71-49, with 1:22 left in the third quarter.

The league heads to the Pola Gymnasium in Oriental Mindoro on Thursday for the South Division play-in games featuring Cebu against Davao at 4 p.m., and Mindoro against Zamboanga at 6 p.m.