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The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said it has immediately implemented the close monitoring of 33 individuals.

The list includes former Speaker Martin Romualdez as well as five incumbent and former senators, who have been implicated as having had roles in the questionable insertions in the national budget that led to ghost or substandard public infrastructure projects.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that immigration officers have started keeping a close watch of the travel movements of 33 key personalities who were the subject of the immigration lookout bulletin order (Ilbo) requested by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). ‘We confirm receipt of the ILBO issued by the Department of Justice against 33 individuals,’ Sandoval told the Inquirer. ‘Their names have been immediately included in our centralized database, and their travels will be strictly monitored.’

The ICI on Wednesday sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ) an ‘urgent request’ for the issuance of an Ilbo for 33 individuals, including Romualdez, as well as three incumbent and two former senators.

Among them were former Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero; Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva; former Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr.; former Sen. and now Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay. According to the ICI request sent to the DOJ, its ongoing probe into ghost or substandard projects ‘puts the subjects in a relevant position that operates to make him (or her) an inevitable personality during the fact-finding process.’

‘The timely issuance of an Ilbo is of utmost necessity to enable the Commission to proceed without delay and to hold those liable accountable to the Filipino people,’ it added.

The DOJ, through the Bureau of Immigration (BI), can keep watch of certain individuals under Ilbo should they attempt to depart the country. The BI has earlier clarified, however, that the Ilbo does not ban individuals from leaving the country, as it is merely for ‘monitoring purposes’ only.

Should immigration agents encounter an individual who is a subject of an Ilbo, the BI would relay the matter to the concerned authorities.

While it is good that lawmakers found a way to increase the proposed allocation for classroom construction and repair for 2026, it might be better to also consider cutting the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project costs to address the country’s over 160,000 classroom gap.

In a privilege speech on Wednesday, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste reiterated his suggestions – to lower the DPWH’s Detailed Unit Price Analysis (DUPA) and to cut costs or outright cancel existing but unbidded or unimplemented projects – and save up to P400 billion. ‘The country lacks over over 165,000 classroom, according to DepEd. The good news is, today, the funding for 25,000 classrooms in 2026 was approved. The question, my dear colleagues is, how do we fund fund new classrooms in every school nationwide.’ Leviste said in Filipino.

‘The answer: We can save more if we reduce by 25 percent the cost pf DPWH projects. Current and planned DPWH projects cost P1.6 trillion. If we reduce the cost by 25 percent, we can save P400 billion, enough to build new classrooms in every school nationwide, without additional expenses, debts or taxes from the government,’ he added.

According to Leviste, there is a provision in the New Government Procurement Act that allows for the termination of contracts, due to the changes in government policy – just like what happened in his district in Batangas. ‘Para sa mahigit P1 trilyon na mga kasalukuyang proyekto ng DPWH, maaari pa itong kanselahin o i-reprice. Ang Government Procurement Reform Act ay may probisyon para sa Termination for Unlawful Acts at Termination for Convenience. Sa aking distrito sa Batangas, nakansela na ng DPWH ang isang flood control project sa ilalim ng Termination for Convenience ‘bunsod ng pagbabago sa polisiya ng pamahalaan sa pagpapatupad ng mga proyektong kaugnay sa flood control,’ nang walang multa sa gobyerno,’ he said.

‘For the current DPWH projects worth over P1 trillion, such can be cancelled or repriced. The Government Procurement Reform Act has a provision for Termination for Unlawful Acts and Termination for Convenience. In my district in Batangas, the DPWH cancelled one flood control project under the Termination for Convenience due to a change in government policy in implementing flood control projects,’ added Leviste.

Earlier, at the hearing of the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc), appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing said they have found a way to increase the proposed budget under the Basic Education Facilities (BEF), from P22.5 billion to P35 billion.

The BEF includes allocation for the construction, completion, rehabilitation of classrooms, and the provision of furniture.

‘We have found the fiscal space to add more to the basic education facilities program, towards the new construction, completion, rehabilitation of classrooms. So if before what the BARSc approved is P22.5 billion, we are able to find the space to increase that to P35 billion, so that’s an additional P13 billion towards the creation of classrooms,’ Suansing said. ‘So just to clarify po, that’s in addition to what’s already there in the NEP for the BEF. So there is currently P28 billion in the NEP (National Expenditures Program) for BEF, so if we add the P35 billion, that will be P63 billion in total for classrooms,’ she added.

Quezon City has intensified its surveillance and case investigations against dengue, including its community awareness campaigns, after the city saw a steep increase in the number of cases since the start of the year.

In a statement, the city’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (ESD) said the city recorded 8,729 cases from Jan. 1 to Oct. 7, a 91-percent increase from the 4,581 cases recorded during the same period last year.

‘Mga batang 10 taong gulang pababa ang pinakaapektado ng sakit na ito (4,235 cases). Tatlumpu (30) naman ang naitalang nasawi kaugnay ng sakit na ito (Children 10 years old and below are the most affected by this disease (4,235 cases). Thirty deaths related to this disease have been recorded),’ it said.

On Monday, the QCESD conducted investigations in Barangays Pansol and Tagumpay in District 3, as well as in Barangay Pasong Putik in District 5, to identify possible mosquito breeding sites.

They also encouraged residents to seek early consultation to prevent severe dengue complications.

About 1,684 students and teachers from Lagro High School attended a health education session focused on preventing WILD or Water-borne, Influenza, Leptospirosis, and Dengue diseases, as well as Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease.

Parents and guardians were also advised to bring children with dengue-like symptoms, including fever, headache, and rashes, to the nearest health center for free check-ups and dengue testing. The QCHD continues to urge residents to maintain cleanliness in and around their homes, cover water containers, and use protective measures such as long-sleeved clothing, insect repellents, and window screens, and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, while emphasizing the importance of preventive actions such as regular handwashing, cough etiquette, mask-wearing when symptomatic, and early medical consultation.

The city government said its health centers are open from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Education agencies and lawmakers are pushing for the extension of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2), citing the ‘momentum’ it gained over the past three years since it was established.

In the Senate, the Edcom said Senators Loren Legarda and Risa Hontiveros filed separate bills extending the commission for another two years after its term was set to expire on Dec. 31 this year while at the House of Representatives, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo and Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre, who are both co-chairpersons of the commission, filed their respective bills as well.

‘The push for extension is gaining momentum as lawmakers in both chambers have filed legislation to ensure that Edcom 2’s extensive research and policy recommendations translate into long-term, systemic improvements for the Philippine education system,’ the commission said in a statement.

Legarda, during an Edcom hearing on Wednesday, hailed Edcom for doing ‘wonderful work’ and hopes that the commission will be able to sustain its ‘policy momentum’ once its operations have been extended.

Even the key education agencies of the government have also backed the extension of the Edcom, according to the commission, citing how its data has helped them in improving their policies for students, teachers and even education workers.

‘Overwhelmingly, the data that is being generated by Edcom is really very helpful to us in terms of planning and setting priorities,’ said Shirley Agrupis, chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

Francisco Benitez, chair of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), also supported the measures filed in the Senate and the House to give Edcom another set of two years. Benitez noted that the studies by Edcom have already helped them in looking into their own backyard such as its bureaucratic concerns.

As for the Department of Education (DepEd), they noted how Edcom’s gathered data has helped them shape their policies and how it became ‘instrumental’ in forming a connection between them, Tesda and CHEd. Edcom is an independent government body tasked to oversee the Philippine education system, coming up with annual reports that exposes the persistent challenges faced by the country such as the lack of personnel and teacher positions in public schools, shortages in classrooms, the mismatch of degree holders to the careers they have entered and even the process of textbook procurement.

Philippines’ bet Anita Rose Gomez is closer to winning the Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 crown as she has advanced to the Top 5 of the competition on Wednesday night, Oct. 8.

Gomez reached the final round after she displayed her wits during the question-and-answer portion, where she made a mention of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu and affected the pageant’s Benefit Gala Night last Sept. 30.

‘You’ve met people whose stories inspire strength and compassion. How did their stories transform your own perspective?’ the question read.

Gomez answered, ‘I always believe that each one of us carry a story and power that can positively impact the world that we’re living in. And as of my journey here in Miss Asia Pacific International, I’ve met so many people that literally gave me the inspiration, their story, and the lessons-and those are the stories of my 42 lovely ladies. And as I continue this journey, I have learned that winning is not just about winning. Sometimes it’s about experiencing the challenges, just like the earthquake that we experienced and knowing the stories of everyone and realizing that we’re all here. We have our purpose and we are all our own transformational journey. Thank you so much.’

Aside from Gomez, other delegates who made it to the Top 5 are Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil and Thailand.

Prior to the question-and-answer segment, the candidates exuded radiance in their swimsuit attires and evening gowns.

Gomez is among the 43 delegates from around the world who is vying to inherit the crown from reigning Miss Asia Pacific International Janelis Leyba. Leyba, however, is not present at the coronation night to relinquish her title.

Authorities confiscated petroleum products worth P9.14 million and cigarettes valued at P6.03 million in Batangas and Quezon provinces, respectively, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said.

In a statement on Wednesday night, the CIDG said it caught three male suspects last Monday at a gasoline station along Balete Road in Barangay Balagtas, Batangas for allegedly smuggling the petroleum products in violation of Presidential Decree 1865.

‘Authorities seized two fuel tanker trucks containing 26,000 liters of diesel fuel, 10,000 liters of unleaded, and 4,000 liters of premium,’ the police noted.

The CIDG only identified the arrested suspects as ‘Ed,’ ‘Sam,’ and ‘Sid.’ Meanwhile, in the same statement, the CIDG said operatives confiscated 95 master cases of cigarettes supposedly bearing the name of various brands during a buy-bust operation at a warehouse along Dalahican Road in Barangay Mayao Crossing in Lucena City, Quezon also last Monday

Police arrested one suspect – whom they identified only as ‘Joseph’ – for allegedly violating Republic Act No. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code, RA No. 8424 or the Internal Revenue Code and RA No. 10643 or the Graphic Health Warnings Law.

Pressure mounts on the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to open its hearings to the public, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself joining the calls of different stakeholders to promote more transparency in its investigations.

‘The President, in all instances, wants transparency. Every investigation must be transparent, with nothing hidden,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a briefing on Wednesday.

‘However, how the ICI will carry this out – how it will make its proceedings public, how it will ensure transparency, and to what extent – that is up to the ICI. Still, the President continues to advocate for transparency in all investigations,’ she added.

When Marcos created ICI last month, he assured it would be fully independent and would not meddle with its work, especially on the way its three members would conduct hearings and investigations.

Castro said the President was not even asking for updates with the ongoing investigation of the ICI.

No approval needed

‘The reports are entirely in the hands of the ICI, and whatever recommendations they make will come from them alone as they do not need the President’s approval,’ she added.

The ICI, however, maintained its position of keeping its hearings in the flood control fiasco behind closed doors. ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said it was the commission’s way to avoid ‘trial by publicity,’ and to not allow itself to be used for any political leverage or agenda by any individual or group.

Past and present lawmakers have been urging the ICI to open its hearings to the public to show Filipinos that there would be no coverup and its investigations on the flood control mess would not protect anyone. Despite their differences in many issues, the Catholic Church and the Filipino megachurch Iglesia ni Cristo – both politically influential religious institutions in the country – agreed that by ensuring transparency in the ICI’s proceedings and findings was the only way to restore public trust. Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio also called for the ICI to let the public have access to its hearings, warning that the body was ‘losing its credibility very fast.’

In an interview on dzBB on Wednesday, Carpio said he was ‘very suspicious’ of the ICI’s decision to make its hearings private, when even criminal trials of the courts were open to the public.

If the ICI was not amenable to live-streaming the hearings, similar to the congressional inquiries on the flood control projects, the media at least should be allowed to cover these.

‘Because of these closed door hearings, people will lose faith in that ICI. That’s the number one thing that they have to correct,’ Carpio said. Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who was also an SC justice, shared the same view, expressing doubts over the results of the ICI’s insistence to conduct its hearings in secrecy.

‘I don’t understand why. Because even the courts, sitting as courts, it’s open to the public. It’s only in the interest of morality and decency that the judge may conduct hearings in private,’ she told journalist Karen Davila in an interview.

Carpio-Morales also rebuffed ICI’s defense that it wanted to prevent trial by publicity and undue political pressure in keeping its hearings behind closed doors.

‘The mere fact that Congress or the Senate conducts hearings openly does not make them a trial by publicity. It is the ICI [members] who will decide, but their decision will only be recommendatory. It should be the Ombudsman who should do the investigating,’ she added.

Malacañang maintained that the ICI, and not the Office of the Ombudsman, should take the lead in investigating alleged anomalies in flood control projects and related infrastructure.

Delays in probe

Castro dismissed calls to abolish the ICI just because Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla was appointed as the next ombudsman.

While Remulla was familiar with the flood control projects under scrutiny, Castro rejected the idea that the ombudsman should conduct the investigation by itself, raising concerns about possible delays.

‘The ombudsman does not focus only on flood control projects. There are many cases that the Ombudsman needs to pay attention to. So, we do not see this as a reason to abolish or end the work of the ICI,’ she said.

Castro told critics: ‘Would they really want the Ombudsman alone to handle all of this? How long would it take for a single case to be resolved that way? That’s why there truly needs to be an independent commission that will focus on the issue.’ She added that the work of the ombudsman and the Department of Justice would be expedited once the ICI completed its document gathering and preliminary investigations into the anomalous flood control projects.

Enforcers from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) caught a jeepney driver in Quezon City for alleged reckless driving and overcharging.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) attached a video showing the driver having a heated conversation with a passenger for supposedly charging an overpriced fare. Another passenger said in the DOTr’s second video that the driver also allegedly drove the jeepney erratically and was also speeding in the inner lanes.

The DOTr mentioned that passengers said the jeepney was coming from Fairview, heading to Ali Mall in Quezon City.

‘When he arrived at Kalayaan Avenue, the driver was arrested and it was discovered that he did not have a license,’ the agency pointed out, adding that he presented a driver’s license with a different name.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said they will not tolerate improper behavior of drivers, especially those of public vehicles. ‘There is no room on the road for such wrongdoings by drivers. Without a license, it is very dangerous to drive. We will ensure that the driver involved is held accountable,’ Lopez said in Filipino. The jeepney that the driver was driving has been impounded, while the passengers were taken to their destinations in an LTFRB service vehicle.

The DOTr said the driver will face multiple charges and will be banned from getting a license for life.

After opening its UAAP Season 88 title defense with back-to-back losses, University of the Philippines has turned things around with three straight wins.

The Fighting Maroons extended their streak in style on Wednesday, handing Ateneo its first loss of the season, 83-69. ‘I believe we started well in the first quarter,’ coach Goldwin Monteverde said after the game. ‘We told our bench players to try and sustain our momentum.’

Francis Nnoruka spearheaded the UP win with a near double-double of 28 points and nine rebounds while Noy Remogat was all over the place with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Remogat, however, did not finish the game after being ejected just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter for a flagrant foul penalty two on Ateneo’s Ian Espinosa.

Shawn Tuano once again led the Blue Eagles with 17 points, while Kymani Ladi added 15 in a losing effort as Ateneo fell to 4-1. UP improved to 3-2 and will try to extend its streak to four when it faces Far Eastern University on Sunday at UST’s Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Ateneo, meanwhile, aims to bounce back when it hosts University of Santo Tomas on Saturday at Blue Eagle Gym.

Sen. Imee Marcos questioned the appointment of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as the new Ombudsman while Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa criticized his priorities.

‘Bonget, is it really Boying? Are you sure? Are you still OK? I’ve been saying since last year that plan A, which is People’s Initiative, is a failure, as well as plan B, which is impeachment. The Ombudsman is the plan C,’ Sen. Marcos said.

‘Right now, all I can think about is the safety of VP Sara. I think what we need is a People’s Ombudsman-one who is credible, trustworthy, and one who is not an accomplice of anybody,’ she added.

Remulla’s Ombudsman bid has been hounded by controversy after reports in August claimed he had been disqualified due to pending criminal and administrative complaints filed by Senator Marcos in connection with the March 11 arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Marcos also claimed on Facebook that Remulla would be appointed despite the Supreme Court’s clarification that there was no shortlist yet.

She said it was a ‘forced appointment of a person who is unqualified, has pending cases, and is tainted with injustice.’

Dela Rosa, meantime, said he has no problem with Remulla taking over the Office of the Ombudsman since it is the prerogative of the President. He, however, he said he finds it strange for Remulla to announce he will prioritize investigations into Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds.

‘With so many problems facing the country today, especially the problem on ghost flood control projects, why is his first order of the day already focused on VP Sara Duterte?’ Why not focus on the anomalous flood-control projects?,’ Dela Rosa said in an interview on True FM.