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Companies linked to resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co tried to deregister three choppers from the Philippines to put these units up for sale, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said on Tuesday.

Dizon said that he received this information from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap).

Deregistration is an act of removing an item from an official registry.

‘Companies connected to Congressman Zaldy Co tried to deregister three choppers,’ Dizon told reporters in an interview.

‘What Caap told me is that the firms tried to deregister the units because they have plans to sell them, because you can’t sell them if you don’t deregister them first in the Philippines,’ he explained.

Dizon said that they managed to stop the deregistration, and the Caap already issued a standing order that all air assets linked to Co cannot be deregistered.

Last Wednesday, the public works and highways secretary revealed that Co has P4.7-billion worth of air assets registered under different companies.

He also said that he had already informed the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Department of Justice, and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure about the assets.

His presentation showed that Misibis Aviation owns air assets with a combined estimated value of $74.6 million (equivalent to P4.2 billion at the current exchange rate).

These assets include two AgustaWestland AW1398 helicopters worth $16 million each, a Gulfstream 350 jet valued at $36 million, two Bell 407 helicopters pegged at $3 million each, and a Bell 206B3 helicopter estimated at $650,000 (P19 million).

Hi-Tone Construction Development Corp. holds aircraft valued at a total of $7.9 million (P456 million).

Its fleet consists of a Cessna 414A Chancellor worth $700,000, an Agusta A109E helicopter pegged at $6.9 million, and a PA 31-350 Chieftain aircraft estimated at $340,000.

Meanwhile, QM Builder lists a single air asset, a Bell 505 helicopter, worth around $2 million (P114 million).

Going after Co’s assets

When asked to react to the statement of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla that Co might not return to the country, Dizon said that the government will go after all his assets, whether he comes home or not.

‘Now that the ICI filed a report before the Ombudsman, we will ask for the freezing of all his assets, bank accounts, real properties, air assets, potential sea assets, land assets and vehicles,’ Dizon said in the same interview.

‘It’s not enough to hold someone accountable and send someone to jail. The [public] funds need to be returned and this is included in ensuring that the public funds will be retrieved,’ Dizon pointed out.

Co has resigned from his post as the representative of Ako Bicol Party-list amid allegations of his involvement in the anomalous flood control projects.

In his letter to House Speaker Faustino Dy III, Co cited ‘the real, direct, grave and imminent threat’ to him and to ‘the lives of my family members.’

The resigned lawmaker has been accused of receiving billions of pesos in kickbacks, based on the testimony of contractors and DPWH officials.

The allegations came from the testimonies of dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways-Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez that an estimated P1 billion in cash, packed in suitcases, was delivered to Co’s penthouse.

The Department of Justice has requested the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a blue notice on Co.

The notice advises the member states of Interpol ‘to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.’ /apl

The Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) on Tuesday expressed alarm over what it described as a troubling use of media access as a form of censorship, following the temporary revocation of Spin.ph’s credentials by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).

In a strongly worded statement, the PSA condemned the September 23, 2025 decision of PNVF president Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara to pull Spin.ph’s accreditation. Though the credentials were later restored, the group said the act itself should not have taken place.

‘The very fact that the press is barred, however briefly and inconsequentially-and for no justifiable reason-is unacceptable,’ the PSA said.

The association, which counts the country’s leading sports journalists among its members, announced a new policy in response. Moving forward, any sports official or organization that withholds or forfeits access to PSA members without due process and prior notice will be declared persona non grata.

‘Censorship does not always arrive as a law or an organizational rule. Sometimes it comes as a locked gate, a revoked pass, or an admonished question,’ the PSA said, warning that such actions amount to prior restraint and strike at the heart of press freedom.

To prevent abuse of the new rule, the PSA said it will provide continuous guidance to its members on fair and impartial reporting and form a committee to facilitate dialogue between journalists and sports officials in disputes over accreditation.

The group also noted the broader implications of the PNVF’s move, saying that even after Spin.ph’s credentials were reinstated, a ‘chilling effect lingers’ as journalists may now fear repercussions for critical reporting.

Quoting the 1987 Constitution’s guarantee of press freedom, the PSA emphasized that ‘no sports official or organization’ can override that protection.

‘We don’t ask for favors; we ask for fairness. We don’t seek permission to speak; we seek protection for our speech,’ the group said.

The statement closed with a vow that the PSA will continue covering sports ‘with the same vigor and fairness, respect and responsibility, commitment and passion’ but will not stand idle when press freedom is threatened.

A Mandaluyong court has ordered the arrest of former police Col. Royina Garma and retired police officer Edilberto Leonardo on nonbailable charges of murder and frustrated murder in connection with the 2020 killing of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga.

The warrant of arrest issued by the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court Branch 279 on Sept. 13 directed authorities to arrest Garma, Leonardo, as well as Jeremy Causapin, Santie Mendoza, and Nelson Mariano.

Barayuga, a former police brigadier general and a lawyer, was gunned down in broad daylight on July 30, 2020, by a motorcycle-riding gunman in Mandaluyong while on his way home. His driver survived the attack.

Alleged masterminds

Garma and Leonardo were tagged by Mendoza as the alleged masterminds behind the killing of Barayuga.

During House inquiries into extrajudicial killings and the bloody antinarcotics campaign of the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Mendoza, a member of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, testified that between October 2019 and July 2020, Leonardo-then chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Davao-contacted him several times about a ‘special operation’ targeting Barayuga, allegedly for his involvement in illegal drugs.

Mendoza said he understood ‘special operation’ to mean an order to kill and claimed Leonardo told him the directive came from Garma.

He added that he felt coerced into joining the plot because Garma and Leonardo had the strong backing of Duterte and were his seniors at the Philippine National Police Academy.

Both Garma and Leonardo denied Mendoza’s allegations, insisting they had never met him prior to his testimony at the House hearing.

In October 2024, the National Bureau of Investigation ordered the revival of the cold case into Barayuga’s July 2020 ambush-slay.

Potential witness

Garma, who was appointed general manager of the PCSO by Duterte following her retirement from police service, had separately revealed in the House hearings that the Duterte administration implemented a ‘Davao template’ reward system for police officers tasked to carry out killings in its signature ‘war on drugs.’

She was also implicated in the killing of three convicted Chinese drug lords at the Davao prison in 2016, when she was still in the police force.

She applied for asylum in the United States, but the application was denied, and she was deported earlier this month from Los Angeles.

Shortly after her deportation, she traveled to Malaysia to meet with representatives of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a potential witness in the crimes against humanity case against Duterte.

NBI chief Jaime Santiago told the Inquirer on Monday that Garma was still in Malaysia.

Department of Justice spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano IV said the government could now move to have her passport canceled, since ‘local processes have to take precedence.’ For his part, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he believed the arrest warrant against Garma would not affect her possible testimony before the ICC. -with a report from Inquirer Research INQ

House of Representatives Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III has asked for the inclusion of eight bills into the list of priority measures, including a proposal to bar contractors related or linked to government officials from participating in bidding for projects.

Dy, in a statement on Tuesday, said he mentioned the bills during the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting earlier, adding that the House is willing to work hand-in-hand with the Senate and the executive in passing these proposals.

The eight measures are the following:

proposed Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Framework to ensure swift and transparent calamity response

proposals to strengthen the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) by extending its corporate life and opening select lands for development

proposed Presidential Merit Scholarship Program to reward outstanding graduates from low- and middle-income families

proposal disqualifying relatives of officials up to the fourth degree from government contracts to strengthen integrity in public service

proposal regulating digital campaigning through a Fair Use of Social Media, AI, and Internet Technology in Elections

proposal modernizing the Bureau of Immigration by professionalizing its ranks, adding visa categories, and upgrading border security

proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act to stabilize prices and empower the National Food Authority

proposed Magna Carta for Barangays will institutionalize long-overdue benefits and ensure resources for local officials and communities

‘We meet today in a spirit of collaborative governance to align our legislative agenda with the administration’s Philippine Development Plan and its 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda,’ Dy said.

‘With the President’s leadership and the collective will of this Council, we are confident that we can achieve these legislative goals,’ he added.

The bill barring contractors related to government officials came after revelations of an expansive corruption scheme in infrastructure projects, particularly flood control.

In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. condemned government officials and firms who allegedly earned kickbacks at the expense of people suffering from heavy floods.

Eventually, the President released a list of contractors, along with flood control projects that were either faulty or non-existent.

Observers and netizens were quick to establish links between contractors and lawmakers and other politicians like former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, Senate President Francis Escudero, and former Pasig mayoral candidate Sarah Discaya.

Escudero is not related to any contractor but he admitted to receiving campaign donations from an individual who owns a company doing infrastructure projects with the government.

The Senator last August 4 filed a bill that seeks to disqualify public officials and their relatives up to fourth civil degree from entering into government contracts, saying that he believes Senate Bill No. 783 would sharpen the country’s procurement safeguards as part of the continuing efforts to fight graft and corruption.

Co meanwhile founded Sunwest Corporation – another company doing flood control projects. Co, who resigned as congressman on Monday, however insisted in the past that he has divested his interests in Sunwest.

Aside from Dy, other House leaders were present during the meeting, including Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.

The Senate contingent meanwhile, was headed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

According to Dy, of the 33 measures identified by the executive, 32 are bills already filed in the House. This, the speaker said, ‘sets a positive tone for our productive collaboration with all branches of government.’

Dy also said that the House legislative agenda for the 20th Congress is ‘anchored on economic growth, stronger social protection, and governance reforms,’ which means the chamber will focus on bills that would provide ‘affordable food, generate sustainable jobs, expand digital connectivity and raise the quality of public services for all Filipinos.’

Last May 29, former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez told the Ledac that the House of the 19th Congress was able to approve 27 out of the administration’s 28 priority legislation.

Among the bills that have been approved by the House and has been transmitted to the Senate for further action:

National Water Resources Act

amendments to the Right-of-Way Act

National Citizens Service Training Program Act

Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension System Act

Water Treatment Technology Act

Single-use Plastic Bags Tax Act

Revised Government Auditing Act

Immigration Modernization Act

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will make sure the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 will be free of any anomalies, Palace press officer Claire Castro said on Monday.

Castro stressed in a briefing that the president would veto any questionable allocations in next year’s budget.

‘As we have said, the President truly wants the budget to be correct and allocated to the right programs for the future and the benefit of the people,’ she said.

‘We can be assured, with all these things happening, that the people can expect the 2026 budget to be in order and that the President will not allow anomalous projects,’ Castro added.

‘The president,’ she said, ‘already said before that if there are any mistakes or anomalies again in the 2026 budget, he will veto them.’

‘Humongous’ insertions

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson revealed on Sunday that ‘almost all’ of the 24 senators in the 19th Congress had inserted at least P100 billion worth of items in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Lacson noted that the roster of congressmen who made similar insertions was equally lengthy.

The chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee described the individual insertions by his colleagues as ‘humongous.’

‘I have never seen such amounts. Before the Priority Development Assistance Fund was declared unconstitutional in 2013, pork amounted to hundreds of millions. Now it’s at least P100 billion total for senators alone,’ said Lacson.

The insertions were made when the spending bill reached either the ‘small committee’ after it hurdled the second reading or during the bicameral conference committee when members of the House of Representatives and Senate reconciled the provisions of the third reading version of their respective bills.

These amendments, discussed not in open plenary but made in closed-door meetings by only a handful of lawmakers, were then parked under big-ticket projects of agencies, including the flood mitigation program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

‘No detailed knowledge’

But according to Castro, Mr. Marcos is opposed to such practices and did not know the extent of the amendments made.

‘When the 2025 budget was being crafted, the president definitely did not have detailed knowledge of what insertions certain senators had made,’ Castro said.

‘But now, because the president has truly seen and taken notice of what happened to the funds for flood control projects, he would make sure that these insertions would not happen again,’ she added.

Directing her remarks to legislators, Castro said, ‘As shown by the public’s anger – something that the president also feels – we can see that they should have already learned to fulfill their mandate of being true public servants.’

Zero allocation

The Department of Budget and Management submitted to Congress in August the 2026 National Expenditure Program amounting to P6.793 trillion. It was 7.4 percent higher than the enacted 2025 budget of P6.326 trillion and equivalent to 22 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

For the 2025 GAA, Marcos vetoed P26.065 billion worth of DPWH projects related to flood mitigation and control for being ‘inconsistent’ with the government’s infrastructure program.

He has ordered zero budget to be allocated to locally funded flood control projects under the 2026 proposed budget of the DPWH.

The move created a fiscal space of P255.5 billion, which will be realigned to other agencies to fund the government’s social programs.

The 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant heats up with the public encouraged to support their favorite delegates through online voting.

With the release of the official glam shots of the 43 delegates on the pageant’s social media pages, the voting for Miss Photogenic has also started, with the eventual winner taking home $500 in cash.

A like or a reaction on the photo of a delegate will earn for her a point, while a ‘meaningful comment’ will merit two points. Three points will be counted for the lady if her photo is shared publicly on Facebook or Instagram.

This comes as more delegates from other countries arrive in Cebu, where the finale of the pageant will be held. Among those who have arrived are delegates from Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, Spain and Israel.

Voting for Miss Photogenic will run until Oct. 3, at 12 noon. ‘The final results will be determined by 100% social media engagements from both platforms,’ the international pageant said.

Online voting for the ‘People’s Choice’ has also started, and the winner gets a guaranteed spot in the quarterfinals. To vote, fans may visit the SQORS platform, whose link is shared on the pageant’s social media pages.

To vote, visit the SQORS link, select the chosen delegate, choose the preferred voting package, and pay using a debit or credit card, PayPal, or QR payment.

Voting ends on Oct. 8 at 4 P.M., and the winner will be revealed in the actual coronation ceremonies on the same day. The 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant will hold its final competition in Cebu.

Anita Rose Gomez is hoping to post the Philippines’ sixth victory, following Maria del Carmen Inez Zaragoza (1982), Gloria Dimayacyac (1983), Lorna Legaspi (1989), Michelle Aldana (1993), and Sharifa Areef Mohammad Omar Akeel (2018). /edv

Five new undersecretaries of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon administered the oath-taking of the five new officials on Monday, September 29.

The five new undersecretaries are:

Arrey A. Perez-Undersecretary for Operations in charge of Convergence Projects and Technical Services

Arthur V. Bisnar-Undersecretary for Regional Operations

Charles T. Calima Jr.-Undersecretary for Special Concerns

Ricardo Bernabe III-Undersecretary, Office of the Secretary

Samuel Rufino J. Turgano-Undersecretary for Legal Services

In an interview on Tuesday, Dizon said that he is ‘happy’ now that the new undersecretaries are joining him in the agency. He also said that more appointees will be named in the coming weeks.

When asked why the new DPWH officials are fit for their positions, Dizon said that they are trustworthy.

‘Kilala ko sila. Kailangan trusted. It’s a good mix of technical people, may experience both sa gobyerno and private sector,’ Dizon said.

(I know them. They need to be trusted. It’s a good mix of technical people who have experience both in the government and private sector.)

Dizon noted that he needs lawyers, like Bernabe and Turgano, and investigators like Bisnar.

He also shared that Bisnar is a good friend of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and new Independent Commission for Infrastructure Special Advisor Rodolfo Azurin.

In a Senate blue ribbon panel’s hearing last Thursday, former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo confessed that he committed ‘wrongdoings’ in anomalous flood control projects. He also vowed to cooperate in the investigation.

Meanwhile, former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral was previously tagged by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson as the one who allegedly contacted Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto to request insertions in the proposed 2026 national budget.

Dizon earlier said that as Cabral denied the allegations to him, he told her to explain herself before the Senate. cb

Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala overcame a tough opening challenge from Katarzyna Kawa of Poland, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, in their rain-delayed round of 32 match at the WTA 125 Suzhou Open on Tuesday in China.

Rain suspended play for a few hours in the first set with the score knotted at 2-2 but that didn’t stop Eala from getting the headstart when the match resumed.

Eala’s hard-earned victory came just days after she fell to Lulu Sun of New Zealand in the semifinals of the Jingshan Tennis Open.

The 20-year-old Eala, seeded fourth in the tournament, advanced to face Greet Minnen in the round of 16 on Wednesday.

Minnen, 28, swept China’s Shi Han, 6-4, 6-0, in her opening match.

It’s been a hectic September for Eala, which began with a maiden WTA title win at the Guadalajara 125 Open.

The World No. 58 Eala then suffered a quarterfinal exit at the Sao Paolo Open before bowing out in the Jingshan Open semifinal on Saturday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) extension office here warned the public against the operation of investment venture ‘Infin8 Success Global’ in Soccsksargen region (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City).

According to the SEC Koronadal, an entity named ‘INFIN8 Success Global, INFIN8 Success-Global Health and Beauty Products Trading,’ operated by a certain Jerson Saballa, has been enticing the public to invest their money in its scheme with the promise of high monetary rewards or profits.

The SEC said the company maintained a physical office and conducted operations online through the webpage i8sucess.com and other digital platforms, where it enticed the public to be part of its business through what appeared to be a binary-like marketing scheme or recruitment-driven model, a structure commonly associated with illegal or unauthorized investment schemes that are inherently unsustainable and detrimental to the public.

‘[Based on] our records, INFIN8 Success Global/INFIN8 Success-Global Health and Beauty Products Trading is not a registered as a corporation and has no secondary license or authority to solicit investment from the public,’ the SEC Koronadal said in a public statement.

The SEC Koronadal explained that the mere registration of a corporation did not grant it the authority to solicit investments from the public.

Stop

It issued the advisory to urge the public to exercise extreme caution in dealing with entities that offer or promise earnings that appeared ‘too good to be true.’

The SEC advised the public not to invest in these schemes; and for those who have already done so, to stop.

It warned that any entity found soliciting investments without such a license, along with all individuals involved in its promotions, shall be subject to corresponding administrative, civil and criminal penalties under the law.

In 2016, a huge number of ‘investors,’ including those from Koronadal and South Cotabato, fell victims to the infamous ‘Kapa’ (Kabus Padatuon/Enrich the Poor) investment scheme, losing millions of pesos. The Kapa-Community Ministry International, founded by Pastor Joel Apolinario became one of the biggest investment fraud scandals in Philippine history.

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.