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Following Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival’s plan to distribute financial assistance for senior citizens on a monthly basis instead of quarterly, Councilor Pastor Alcover, Jr. described the proposal as ‘impractical.’

Alcover, chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Senior Citizens, said the quarterly payout scheme was adopted out of practicality.

Earlier, Archival announced his plan to shift to monthly distribution so the city government would not be burdened with releasing the full amount at once. He said the change would likely need the council’s approval.

But Alcover said the council’s approval is not necessary because the ordinance already mandates a monthly release. He explained that the quarterly scheme was preferred by them because it is more practical given the volume of beneficiaries.

‘Tungod kay nidako pag ayo ang numero sa mga senior citizens, sauna tingali madala pa og monthly2x kay naa ray 20,000, 30,000, kaya pa kaayo i monthly,’ Alcover said.

‘Pero karon unsaon nimo pag monthly ana nga 90,000 plus naman na (registered beneficiaries),’ he added.

Alcover explained that preparing payrolls and rollouts would take time, requiring about 12,000 pages of signatures, which would be difficult if done monthly.

‘Wala nay laing mahimo ang Cebu City, pag prepare nalang sa payroll,’ he said.

He also noted that each payout requires additional personnel, including disbursing officers from other departments, to be deployed in barangays.

As a solution, Alcover said he consulted senior citizens’ associations, who preferred quarterly distribution.

‘Kay bentaha kuno og quarterly kay dili sila kalas og pamilite, maka save sila kay kung i monthly nimo kada buwan sila mu plite,’ he said.

Moving forward, Alcover said he would file an amendment ordinance to formalize quarterly distribution, contrary to what the existing ordinance provides.

On another issue, Alcover also opposed a resolution seeking to increase financial assistance, calling it ‘false hopes’ for seniors.

The City Council earlier approved a motion to raise annual financial aid to P15,000 and adjust residency eligibility requirements to broaden coverage, following a privilege speech by Councilor Sisinio Andales, Minority Floor Leader.

Alcover said this too was impractical, warning it would only cause confusion among senior citizens.

Andales had proposed adjusting the residency cut-off from 2013 to 2021 to include more beneficiaries. Alcover, however, said budget constraints remain the main limitation.

‘Duna man gud tay limitasyon. Ang budget atong linitasyon maong di pa gyud ta kapasaka pa (eligibility),’ he said.

The local stock market is not expected to recover from its ongoing slump unless positive results emerge from ongoing investigations into corruption in flood control projects, according to Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE) president and CEO Ramon Monzon.

Asked on what he thinks of the market right now, Monzon said that it is ‘very bad.’

‘It reflects what is happening in our country,’ the PSE chief said.

‘The market’s number one ally is confidence – both local and foreign investors. It appears that we do not have that right now until what is happening stabilizes,’ he said.

Anomalies in the country’s flood control projects have opened the floodgates of heavy selling pressure in the PSE over the past two months.

Discoveries of substandard and ghost projects due public and private sector officials to pocketing trillions of pesos in public funds meant for flood control and infrastructure projects have led to a collapse in the local bourse.

‘Our foreign investors are selling. We’re already positive in July, then it reversed,’ Monzon said.

As of Tuesday’s closing, the Philippine Stock Exchange index has lost 426.29 points since ending at 6,379.75 on July 28, when President Marcos ordered an audit of flood control projects during his 2025 State of the Nation Address.

Analysts said the massive corruption scandal has impacted investor sentiment and outlook.

‘Hopefully, some very positive results from these investigation will come out,’ Monzon said.

‘I just hope they do a very good and credible investigation with really concrete positive results. That’s the only thing that could bring back confidence in the market,’ he said.

Monzon led the stock market contingent during the protest actions on Sept.21 where thousands gathered to demand accountability and punishment for those engaged in anomalous deals in the government and in the private sector, especially those who have pocketed trillions in public funds meant for flood control and infrastructure projects.

The Senate yesterday approved a resolution asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) to consider placing former president Rodrigo Duterte under house arrest on humanitarian grounds.

The resolution, a tapered version of a lengthier one filed by Duterte allies in the chamber, was approved 15-3-2 by the chamber.

It was introduced by Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and was sponsored by Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Robin Padilla, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, Bong Go, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva.

All of them voted yes alongside Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Erwin Tulfo and Mark Villar.

Meanwhile, senators who voted no were Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino.

In her explanation of vote, Hontiveros argued there was no proof the ICC was neglecting Duterte’s welfare, noting that his family recently described him as ‘well, even jolly.’

Pangilinan echoed Hontiveros, saying that the cries for justice from thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings must take precedence.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III abstained, saying he also would not like to disrespect families of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo also abstained, stressing he would have voted yes had Duterte’s being unwell was certain.

Senators Camille Villar, Lito Lapid, Francis Escudero and Pia Cayetano were not in the session hall when the chamber voted.

Meanwhile, Duterte-allied senators yesterday used a Commission on Appointments hearing to grill an Air Force general, Maj. Gen. Loreto Pasamonte, zeroing in on his unit’s supposed role in the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte during proceedings originally set to confirm the promotion of 39 military officers.

Former Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares, for his part, said Duterte’s present health status should not be a cause of delay or postponement of the confirmation of charges hearing against him.

World champion Carlo Biado and reigning Hanoi Open titlist Johann Chua will carry the flag high and proud as the World Nineball Tour, in partnership with Puyat Sports, brings the Philippine Open Pool Championship from Oct. 21 to 26 at Gateway Mall, Quezon City.

The top Filipino cue artists will take their rightful place in the spotlight as the Philippines hosts a brand new Matchroom Major, with Manila joining an elite list of global host cities such as London, Orlando, and Hanoi.

Cignal, as the official broadcaster, will show the event live on One Sports, One Sports+, and on the Pilipinas Live app together with the usual telecast on WNT TV.

Aside from the top Filipino players, expected to be part of the field are former world champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz of Spain and seven-time Mosconi Cup winner Jayson Shaw of United Kingdom among others.

Following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that jolted Cebu on Tuesday night, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered government agencies to immediately mobilize resources for relief and rescue operations in affected areas.

Marcos is expected to arrive in Bogo City today, October 2, 2025, two days after the destructive earthquake. The President will be inspecting and have a briefing of the situation in the aftermath of the quake.

Vice President Sara Duterte however arrived in Medellin last night and was seen talking to Medellin Mayor Edwin Salimbangon and some constituents. Duterte said to the constituents that she will be staying in Cebu until today.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) initially recorded the quake at magnitude 6.7 before upgrading it to 6.9. The tremor struck at 9:59 p.m. on September 30, with its epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu.

Health, relief operations

The Department of Health (DOH) quickly assessed its personnel closest to the epicenter. Staff from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and Cebu South Medical Center (CSMC) were accounted for and had started deploying medical teams to Bogo City and nearby areas.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), led by Secretary Rex Gatchalian, mobilized its Quick Response Teams and prepositioned family food packs (FFPs). The Visayas Disaster Response Center in Mandaue City continues to produce FFPs daily to replenish stockpiles.

‘The Department has enough stockpiles of food and non-food relief supplies as well as standby funds to augment the resources of the affected LGUs. Our Quick Response Teams are already activated, and they are already on the ground to support the needs of the affected families,’ Gatchalian assured.

DSWD vehicles, complete with a mobile kitchen, command center, water tankers, and filtration systems have been dispatched to northern Cebu.

The Philippine Coast Guard also loaded 1,000 Ready-to-Eat Food packs onto MV Sindangan bound for Bogo City.

Church response

Cebu Archbishop Alberto ‘Abet’ Uy called on the faithful to offer both prayers and concrete acts of solidarity. Visiting the quake-damaged shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan, Uy expressed gratitude that no lives were lost in the area but urged compassion for communities that suffered fatalities.

‘As your bishop, I appeal to everyone to work together for the safety and well-being of the earthquake survivors,’ Uy said in a message posted on his Facebook page.

The Archbishop also encouraged parishes across the Archdiocese of Cebu to heed the call of priests and parish moderators to organize fund-raising drives and in-kind assistance for affected communities.

He suggested initiatives such as an ‘Adopt-a-Parish’ program, where unaffected parishes can extend support to those badly hit by the disaster.

Archdiocesan Chancellor Msgr. Renato Beltran added that all parishes in northern Cebu have been instructed to suspend Masses inside churches until structural inspections are completed. A helpdesk will be set up to assist parishes requiring technical evaluations.

Government interventions

The Office of the Vice President (OVP), through VP Sara Duterte’s Cebu Satellite Office, activated its Disaster Operations Center for immediate mobilization of relief goods.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) directed agencies to use their Quick Response Funds (QRF), while the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) reported an available balance of ?8.008 billion for emergency relief and rehabilitation.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Energy (DOE) both enforced a 60-day price freeze in Cebu, covering basic necessities, LPG, and kerosene, to prevent profiteering and protect affected families.

Meanwhile, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Visayas Grid on yellow alert as several power plants went offline after the quake.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reminded employers in Central Visayas to follow labor advisories, allowing suspension of work during calamities without sanctions for employees who cannot report due to imminent danger.

The National Irrigation Administration-7 (NIA-7) has mobilized inspection teams to check the safety of irrigation infrastructure across Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Oriental.

Regional Manager Engr. Eusebio S. Villamanto said project engineers and field personnel were dispatched to assess dams, canals, and distribution systems serving thousands of farmers. NIA offices were also inspected to ensure safe working conditions.

The move is part of NIA-7’s disaster response strategy to detect hazards, safeguard communities, and sustain agricultural productivity despite the calamity.

Cultural Heritage at risk

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) expressed concern over heritage structures damaged by the quake and is coordinating with the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for Cultural Heritage and other agencies to craft emergency conservation protocols.

Red Cross on the ground

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC)-Cebu Chapter deployed four ambulances, two food trucks, two payloaders, an emergency response unit, an assessment team, cadaver bags, and five Swiss tents to Bogo City.

‘Our priority is to ensure that there is a functional command center on the ground to coordinate rescue, medical response, and relief distribution,’ said PRC-Cebu administrator Atty. Vera G. De Jesus-Patel.

She added that an Incident Command Post was set up in a tent since their branch office at the Bogo City Hall compound sustained damage.

Phivolcs issues primer

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has issued a primer on the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30, warning residents of aftershocks and related hazards.

The quake hit at 9:59 p.m. with its epicenter 19 km northeast of Bogo City at a shallow depth of 5 km. As of Wednesday morning, 722 aftershocks up to magnitude 4.8 had been recorded.

PHIVOLCS, in a press statement, said the strongest shaking, Intensity VII (Destructive), was reported in Bogo City, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, and Tabuelan. PHIVOLCS said poorly built structures may collapse, and landslides, liquefaction, and ground fissures are possible.

PHIVOLCS noted Cebu’s history of damaging quakes, including the 2012 Negros (M6.9) and 2013 Bohol (M7.2) earthquakes. It added that hazards such as landslides, rockfalls, sinkholes, and flooding remain possible.

A tsunami information was raised and later lifted, while monitoring of nearby volcanoes continues. The agency stressed the quake was tectonic, not volcanic.

PHIVOLCS urged residents to stay vigilant, avoid damaged structures, prepare for aftershocks, and rely only on official advisories. A Quick Response Team has been deployed to Cebu for hazard assessment and public information.

Here’s how things are looking so far, on this chilly morning of October in this scandal-filled nation of 115 million, magnified by the floods, traffic and an earthquake down south.

The House and Senate, once respectable institutions of decades past, are crumbling like a house of cards, with some of their members implicated in the flood control mess of kickbacks and corruption.

Its erstwhile leaders, ousted Senate president Chiz Escudero and resigned House Speaker Martin Romualdez, are trading barbs on who should be held liable for this grand loot, a verbal tussle that erupted after each one’s grand ambitions, meticulously crafted scripts and long-term political blueprints were, quite literally, washed away with the floods.

Now, it seems the question is not who else is guilty but who is the most guilty of them all.

Chiz, trying to salvage the repercussions of his alleged Cork-brewed deal, is pointing to the man he knows it to be – the presidential cousin himself – Martin Romualdez, who has also been implicated by other key players in this corruption scandal, but has yet to face any inquiry.

The mess has unraveled so grotesquely, it’s impossible for any tax paying citizen not to be shaken. Now we know why our economic managers had to resort to pulling funds from PhilHealth and PDIC because billions in much needed taxpayers’ money were being lost to kickbacks.

It seems there’s been a shadow government all along and President Marcos, perhaps too busy globetrotting, including watching an F1 race early into his term, was too oblivious not to know or care.

What emerged was more like a Rasputin-style government instead of a functioning Cabinet.

To salvage this monstrous crisis, which may soon spill over to the Palace gates, if it hasn’t happened yet, the President must send a signal to investigating authorities that there won’t be any sacred cows – whether they are political allies, friends or family, and that what must be done, must be done.

This is the only way forward if he really wants to clear the Marcos name. Otherwise, his administration will go down in history as a mere shadow of the first Marcos presidency – Kadiwa, Love Bus and corruption.

Bagong Pilipinas? Not really.

One ID to fight fraud

Remember those fake IDs used by the DPWH boys to gamble in Metro Manila’s casinos? No surprise here because it’s so easy to buy fake IDs in the Philippines.

To address this, we can have a centralized digital identification system. This ID could be easily cross-checked and verified by both public and private sectors, making it difficult for fraudsters to use fake or stolen identities.

Cross-sectoral information-sharing and the reporting of cases of fake ID use should be prioritized to better identify perpetrators.

In support of a centralized ID system that can act as both identifier and safeguard, the private and public sectors can benefit from (1) allowing the private sector to easily confirm the veracity of national IDs through automation, (2) providing a one-stop platform or channel to report fake IDs to the government and (3) and legal action against creators and distribution channels of these fake IDs.

Legal actions against fraudsters must also be taken. The PhilSys Act and the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act specifically target criminals and organized groups that perpetrate money-muling, social engineering and other related fraudulent schemes.

We can aspire to have a seamless biometrics-enabled centralized digital identity system such as India’s Aadhaar card and Singapore’s National Registration Identity Card (NRIC).

The mandatory NIRC ensures that government and commercial transactions are done by the actual person, together with multi-factor authentication. India’s Aadhaar card is one’s proof of identity in India.

It is high time that Filipinos embrace digital identification to protect ourselves and to work toward a fairer digital world.

SEC urged to resolve Liberty Flours dispute

A boardroom battle at Liberty Flour Mills Inc. (LFM) has reached the corporate regulator.

In a Sept. 11, 2025 letter to Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Francis Lim, lawyers of Stella Uy and Sandra Uy, who both previously served as part of LFM management and its board of directors, requested for an investigation on ‘grossly disadvantageous related-party transactions’ in the listed firm.

The two clients raised concerns to LFM’s board regarding LFM’s receivables from distributor Parity Values Inc. (PVI) amounting to P804.7 million as of 2024. The board did not act on the matter, allegedly causing the receivables to balloon.

These concerns were raised during LFM’s annual stockholders’ meeting last Aug. 27, 2025.

William Ang, speaking for the board, said the payment terms of PVI, indeed, extend up to approximately 360 days.

There are also interlocking directors between LFM and PVI, namely, John Carlos Uy, Willy Ng and Mr. Ang. Mr. Ang also serves as LFM’s corporate secretary and PVI’s treasurer, as reflected in PVI’s 2024 General Information Sheet, according to the letter sent by Bernaldo Po Resto and Poblador law firm.

These overlapping roles raise serious issues of conflict of interest, the letter said. Thus, the clients urged Lim to investigate the matter.

LFM is led by siblings William Uy and John Carlos Uy. According to InsiderPH, Sandra is the daughter of William Uy while Stella is not identified as a relative of the controlling Uy family.

This time 35 years ago, on Oct. 3, 1990, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), often referred to as ‘East Germany,’ and the Federal Republic of Germany were reunited after more than 40 years of division. This very important date in recent German history not only marks the end of the Cold War and the fall of the iron curtain. It also ended the separation of millions of people and families and had far-reaching implications for politics and economics worldwide.

German reunification was brought about by mass demonstrations of people living in the former German Democratic Republic. They went out to the streets asking for freedom, democratic rights and the right to travel freely also beyond the area of the former communist bloc. It was their fearless commitment and desire for freedom and unity that led to the collapse of the communist regime in East Germany.

Both the Philippines and Germany share a longstanding spirit of people-led movements that have shaped our dynamic histories. In 1986, the Filipino people led the People Power Revolution, exemplifying the significance and their capacity to exact systemic change. The People Power Revolution was a series of nonviolent mass demonstrations which toppled Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship, changing the course of Philippine history by way of civil resistance. Democracy was thus restored in the country, and has since been remembered by the world as an example of civic action and heroism.

The Berlin wall, separating East and West Berlin, was the cruelest symbol of the division of Europe and of the permanent threat of the Cold War. Its fall on Nov. 9, 1989 was a decisive moment on the road to reunification.

In 2020, a fragment of the Berlin Wall was donated by the city of Berlin to the city of Manila, serving as a reminder that democracy is a permanent challenge and a daily task that is kept alive through partnerships and reinforced through international cooperation in today’s political landscape. This gift – the fragment of the Berlin wall, standing today at Cecilla Munoz street near the Kartilya Ng Katipunan memorial – was given in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of German reunification, and continues to stand as a reminder of shared democratic values and a joint history of people-led movements.

Reunification brought enormous challenges, especially economically. The integration of the different systems is still not fully accomplished. Yet the different historical experiences have also culturally enriched German society.

The end of the division in my home country and the world paved the way for international cooperation on an unprecedented scale. Multilateralism, the commitment to international law and the United Nations became core elements of German foreign policy. In Europe, reunified Germany accelerated regional integration and became a strong advocate of the full integration of Central and Eastern European countries into the European Union and NATO.

For present-day Germany, the historical experiences of the Nazi dictatorship, the Holocaust, the Second World War and the subsequent division of Germany have led to a strong awareness of the key importance of freedom, democracy, peace and human rights. It also showed us that these values cannot be taken for granted but have to be protected and defended daily from internal as well as external threats.

Today, reunified Germany is an important political and economic partner and close friend of the Philippines. It is the Philippines’ biggest trading partner in the EU and a strong ally in safeguarding the rules-based international order, protecting human rights and the rule of law and defending media freedom and democratic values. Both our countries are strong advocates of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In an increasingly complex world where multilateralism and international norms and rules are under threat, and where transactional foreign policy approaches and the use of military power seem to become more broadly accepted, like-minded partners like the Philippines and Germany must work together even more closely on security. We have strengthened our military cooperation on multiple fronts. In September 2024, as part of the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024 (IPD24), the German Navy task group composed of the frigate Baden-Wrttemberg and the supply ship Frankfurt am Main paid a three-day port visit to Manila following their passage through the Taiwan Strait. In May this year, our defense ministers signed an arrangement on defense cooperation.

In a few days, mid-October, the Philippines will be the guest of honor at the Frankfurt book fair in Germany, the largest and most prominent book fair in the world. This marks another strong signal for the close cooperation between our countries on all fronts.

Two clear messages emerge from the past for the future:

Together with our partners in the European Union, Germany stands firmly committed to the Indo-Pacific and to our ever closer partnership. This commitment signals not only our support for the Philippines but also for other ASEAN partners as they navigate national interests in a challenging and constantly evolving regional environment.

Peaceful, yet massive people-led movements can change the course of history and inspire a dynamic that leads to freedom, democracy and a more prosperous and peaceful society.

Let’s continue to work together – on a government-to-government level, on the level of the private sector, on a people-to-people level – to defend multilateralism, human rights, an open and liberal society and the respect for international law.

Maynilad Water Services Inc. is finalizing this week details for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO), with the maximum offer price of the company’s maiden issuance expected to be reduced.

The IPO’s maximum offer price is now seen at P15 per share, lower than the previous P20 per share.

As a result, Maynilad could raise up to P34.3 billion from its IPO eyed next month.

‘The progress is promising and we will file the final prospectus by Friday,’ Maynilad president and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez said.

‘The market is bad. But we are putting in a very successful and incredible story,’ he said.

Fernandez also indicated that there may be additional cornerstone investors that could come in to join the IPO.

Maynilad’s latest prospectus as of Sept. 26 showed that multilateral lending institutions International Finance Corp. (IFC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are looking to invest up to $245 million in Maynilad as cornerstone investors for its upcoming IPO.

IFC has agreed to participate as a cornerstone investor in the offer for an investment size of up to $100 million in peso equivalent at a subscription price of up to P15 per offer share, subject to certain closing conditions and customary requirements.

ADB, meanwhile, is currently contemplating participating as a cornerstone investor in the offer for a potential investment size of up to $145 million in peso equivalent, also at a subscription price of up to P15 per offer share.

The offer period for the IPO is scheduled from Oct. 23 to 29, with Maynilad targeting a listing date of Nov. 7.

Next year, the Philippines is going to host the ASEAN Conference and the President is going to chair this meeting of the heads of state of the ASEAN members. This is a critical time in the history of our region. The US-China competition has become more intense, complex and dangerous than even the US-Soviet rivalry during the Cold War.

China is a much more formidable competitor than the old Soviet Union. There are also many potential flash points in Asia, including in the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. As this rivalry becomes more intense, each superpower will try to get as many countries on its side. There are some countries in the region, like the Philippines, that already has strong alliance treaties with the United States. The Philippines believes that it has very little choice except to maintain security ties with the United States because of the aggressive claim of China of territories that belong to the Philippines.

There are countries in the ASEAN who believe that the presence of US military power in the region results in a balance of power that is conducive to peace and stability.

Most countries in the region have not yet chosen between Beijing and Washington and would prefer to stay neutral. The usual view is that Southeast Asian countries look to the United States for security and to China for trade and investments.

These different attitudes over relations with China and the United States have tested ASEAN’s solidarity in the past and will do so again in the future.

Two Singapore-based professors at the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang University of Singapore developed an index which shows where each ASEAN country is aligned – China or the United States. They call it ‘The Anatomy of Choice Alignment Index.’

Again, according to them, the index offers two major findings. Their findings show that four countries have remained relatively neutral. These are Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Three countries are clearly aligned with China: Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Brunei is trying to be neutral but is leaning towards China. The Philippines is clearly aligned with the United States. Vietnam is expected to become more neutral in the near future.

Trump’s return to the White House has led to anxiety about US military commitment to the region.

The ASEAN countries have even now expressed concern about Trump’s announcement that it would reduce US overseas commitments. Last April, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stated that ASEAN must be prepared for a world in which ‘America is stepping back from its traditional role as the guarantor of order and the world’s policeman.’

If the United States seriously disengages economically and militarily from the region, the 10 ASEAN countries will increasingly have to rely on one another. For the Philippines, one clear option is to form a mutual defense agreement with Australia, Japan and South Korea. These three countries share the same security concerns and Chinese aggression in their territory.

The Philippines has also witnessed changes in its foreign policy towards China in the last two decades. Under president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from 2002 to 2010, the Philippines leaned towards China. Her successor, Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino Jr. who ruled from 2010 to 2016, pulled the country back towards the United States. Rodrigo Duterte, who followed Aquino, actually formed an alliance with China. However, his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has brought back the alliance with the United States.

Even as China rises, polls reveal that Southeast Asians have considerable reservations about how China might use its power. According to the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s 2024 poll, when asked whom they trust, elites from the various sectors of society rank Japan first, United States second, the European Union third and China, a distant fourth.

The annual ASEAN meeting next year will be very crucial for Southeast Asian nations.

The recently organized Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has just begun its work. At this early stage, it has generated some controversy. I would like to join the debate on whether the commission hearings should be livestreamed or not.

I definitely support the idea of conducting the hearings open to the public. If the hearings are kept secret or away from the public eye, this will generate suspicion as to whether the commission itself is keeping anything secret or confidential. This will lessen trust in the hearings. Right now, the ICI is the only public institution left that has the support and the confidence of the Filipino people. The commissioners must take every step to maintain this trust so that the results of the hearings will be believed by the whole nation.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) plans to summon former speaker Martin Romualdez, resigned congressman Zaldy Co, as well as Senator and former public works chief Mark Villar as part of its ongoing investigation on corruption in infrastructure projects.

Brian Keith Hosaka, ICI executive director, said Romualdez ‘has been invited already,’ but did not specify when the subpoena was issued.

It remains unclear whether Co, who stepped down from his post on Monday and is currently abroad, has also received an invitation.

Romualdez and Co are key figures in the investigation on anomalies in flood control projects, being the speaker and the chairman of the House appropriations committee, respectively.

Romualdez, a cousin of the President, relinquished his speakership on Sept. 17. During a hearing by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, retired Marine sergeant Orly Guteza testified delivering 46 suitcases of ‘basura (trash)’ – code for kickback money – to Romualdez’s residence. Co had also received several suitcases containing cash, according to Guteza.

On Sept.24, former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo appeared before the ICI. He did not speak to the media.

Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also visited the ICI’s office in Taguig to face the three-member fact-finding body.

Hosaka announced that starting next week, ICI hearings would be held every Tuesday and Wednesday.

Waste of time

For former finance chief Benjamin Diokno, lawmakers should drop their ongoing investigations on the alleged corruption in flood control projects and instead prove their integrity by passing a national budget without congressional insertions for next year.

Calling the ongoing investigation a waste of time, Diokno said passing an insertion-free budget for 2026 would be a litmus test of politicians’ sincerity as well as their act of contrition that could prove that they aredifferent from lawmakers from previous congresses.

‘This is just publicity, they are just taking advantage of the airtime. There is no point here,’ he said. ‘Cut the drama, cut the telenovela, focus on the 2026 budget.’

Over P142 billion, primarily allocated for infrastructure projects, was reportedly inserted into the 2025 national budget during the bicameral conference committee deliberations held in the latter part of 2024.

Senate Blue Ribbon committee chairman Sen. Ping Lacson said the committee is set to release a report detailing insertions by ‘almost all’ senators of the 19th Congress of at least P100 billion worth of projects into the 2025 national budget.

Diokno, who sits as a member on the country’s Monetary Board, said that congressional hearings would lead nowhere and further erode the confidence of foreign investors in the country ‘since their only output is to recommend to the Department of Justice or the Office of the Ombudsman to go after some people.’

P220 million earnings

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it expects to earn P220 million if the 13 luxury vehicles owned by the contractor couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya, would be auctioned off.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno yesterday said there were sufficient grounds for the government to seize and offer for auction 13 of the 30 luxury vehicles of the Discaya couple, as there are irregularities in their importation and documentation. Of the 13 vehicles, seven were said to have no Import Entry or Certificate of Payment.

Nepomuceno said they have issued warrants of seizure of detention on the 13 cars, and would give the Discayas 15 days to present the proper documents or face forfeiture of their ownership of the vehicles in favor of the government.

The first hearing on the status of the vehicles has been set for Oct. 9.

The vehicles consist of Toyota Tundra, Toyota Sequoia, Mercedes-Benz AMG SUV, Mercedes-Benz G 500, Lincoln Navigator 2021, Bentley Bentayga, Lincoln Navigator 2024, GMC Yukon Denali, Cadillac Escalade 2021, Maserati Levante Modena, GMC Yukon Denali, Cadillac Escalade ESV and Rolls Royce Cullinan.

The 17 other cars were found with correct payment and certification and would be returned to the Discaya family.

The BOC chief also said 10 Custom employees, including examiners, appraisers and deputy collectors, have been issued show cause orders requiring them to explain why they should not be sanctioned for allowing the release of the 13 vehicles.

Nepomuceno said they have requested a meeting with the ICI so they can share information related to the flood control anomaly.

Meanwhile, the ex-wife of controversial Bulacan district engineer Brice Hernandez resigned as OIC of the DPWH Bureau of Research and Standards Technical Services Division last Sept. 22 or just more than a month after her appointment on Aug. 11.

Hernandez earlier drew flak for mentioning in his Senate testimony that he is married to an employee of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and not to Mel Clarisse Sto. Domingo of DPWH.

It was Hernandez’s lawyer Ernest Levanza who clarified that Sto. Domingo is no longer the wife of his client, who is now married to a certain Rica of GSIS.

‘Brice and Rica got married in 2023 and remain together to this day. We hope this clears the air and puts an end to the confusion,’ Levanza said.