Philippines News Insider

16/09/2025

“Malay Ko Ba na si Martin Romualdez ang Uupong Presidente” — Barzaga, May Banat na Naman

Muling nagpasabog ng maaanghang na salita si Cavite 4th District Rep. Elpidio “Kiko” Barzaga laban kina Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Sa kanyang pinakabagong pahayag, sarkastikong sinabi ni Barzaga:

“Malay ko ba na si Martin Romualdez ang uupong presidente?”

Isang patama na tila kumukuwestyon sa impluwensiya ni Romualdez sa kasalukuyang administrasyon.

Bago ito, iginiit na ni Barzaga na dapat ding imbestigahan si Romualdez kaugnay ng mga umano’y anomalya sa flood control projects, mga isyung patuloy na kinakaharap ng Kamara.

Ang panibagong banat ni Barzaga ay lalong nagpapainit sa tensyon sa pagitan ng ilang mambabatas at ng liderato ng Kamara, sa gitna ng mga haka-hakang may namumuong banggaan sa loob ng mismong administrasyon.

11/09/2025

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Do you remember 911 ATTACKED.

The World Trade Center Twin Towers is a pair of iconic Skycraper located in Manhatan, New York.

Since construction in 1973 each towers stood at an impressive 110 storey's.

The North Tower reaching a height of 1,368 feet or 417 meters While the south tower reaching 1,362 feet or 450 meters.

In the morning of September 11, 2001 at around 8:45am, an American Boeing 767 was hijacked and hits the north tower and after 18 minutes, another plane hits the south tower and it was seen live in television worldwide.

The 110 storey"s were collapsed in just 1:42 minutes and atleast 3,000 dIed Including civilians.

While at the eve of that day around 10:20pm (PST) i was on standby to deliver a News over DZRH Radio, but due to the universal coverage and most important News coverage i was not able to call to report and able to resume my report after 2 hours....
How can i forgot the Time and Date to remember... via| Romy Corpuz

11/09/2025

DPWH confirms to Hontiveros: Taxpayers shouldn’t pay twice for failed, substandard flood control projects

Officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways have confirmed to Senator Risa Hontiveros that taxpayers should not pay twice for failed or substandard flood control projects, and that contractors should instead shoulder these costs.

During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe on anomalous flood control projects, Hontiveros quizzed DPWH officials on existing policies covering warranties on substandard or failed projects, saying that the burden of fixing these projects shouldn’t be placed on taxpayers.

“Gusto ko lang pong i-remind lahat at ang department, na hindi dapat taongbayan ang gumastos ng doble kapag palpak yung flood control project,” Hontiveros said.

In response, DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral said that current rules impose various periods for warranty on infrastructure projects, wherein any defect or irregularity that may be observed “should be corrected by the contractors, at no cost to government.” If corrections are not timely made, she said, erring contractors will not be allowed to claim final billing, and retention money will not be released to them, among other penalties.

Cabral then mentioned to Hontiveros that flood control projects, which are considered semi-permanent structures, have a warranty period of five years, while permanent structures like bridges have a warranty period of 15 years.

“So within the five years, kapag po nasira o nakitang substandard or ghost, it should not take five years to see or unsee a ghost project na flood control,” Hontiveros stressed.

Cabral also said that the DPWH will support Hontiveros's proposed "1-strike" or "0 tolerance" policy for contractors involved in fraudulent or glaringly substandard flood control projects or other vital infrastructure projects.

Likewise, the DPWH official positively responded to Hontiveros's proposed “Doble gastos, doble danyos” (double expense, double penalty) policy, in which contractors responsible for ghost or substandard projects will be required to pay twice for construction and repair costs.

Hontiveros later said that she will follow up on DPWH’s pronouncements, so that contractors responsible for anomalies will not escape accountability


.

11/09/2025

Kinumpirma ni Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson na may hawak ang Senado ng CCTV footage na umano’y nagpapakita sa isang staff ng WJ Construction Company na kinilalang si “Mina,” na dumalaw sa gusali noong Agosto 19, 2025 upang maghatid ng tinatawag na “obligasyon.”

Ang naturang impormasyon ay lumutang matapos isiwalat ni dating DPWH district engineer Brice Hernandez sa pagdinig ng House infrastructure committee ang umano’y pagkakasangkot ng nasabing kumpanya sa maanomalyang flood control projects sa Bulacan.

Bagama’t kinilala ang presensya ni “Mina” sa Senado, nilinaw ni Lacson na hindi pa natutukoy kung aling tanggapan ang kanyang pinuntahan at kung ano talaga ang nilalaman ng dala niyang “obligasyon.”|

11/09/2025

Nagsagawa ng protesta sa EDSA Shrine ang Akbayan Partylist kasama ang Tindig Pilipinas at Youth Against Kurakot laban sa umano’y trilyong pisong flood control scam.

Giit ni Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña, hindi lang ito hiwalay na anomaly kundi sintomas ng mas malalim na “political epidemic.” Aniya, “May nakakatakot na bagong epidemya—ang sakit na Kleptospirosis. Imbes katawan, kaban ng bayan ang pinupuntirya.”

Tinawag naman ni Akbayan President Rafaela “Paeng” David na “state parasites” ang Discaya couple at binatikos ang umano’y pagtatangkang magpasok ng “squid tactics” para guluhin ang katotohanan.

Nagpahayag din ang grupo ng panawagang ilabas ang SALN ng lahat ng kongresista, buuin ang isang independent commission para imbestigahan ang korapsyon, at ipasa ang “Open Infra Law” para gawing transparent ang mga proyekto.

Maglulunsad din daw sila ng mas malaking kilos-protesta sa September 21, anibersaryo ng Martial Law, laban sa authoritarianism at plunder.

📷Akbayan

10/09/2025

10/09/2025

PACC Exposes Delays in Digos River Flood Control Project (Sections 2)

Digos City, Davao del Sur — September 9, 2025. The Philippine Anti-Corruption Czar (PACC), led by Chairman Doc. Louie F. Ceniza, PhD, has uncovered alarming irregularities in the implementation of the Digos River Flood Control Project, Barangay Ruparan (Sections 2–6), following formal complaints from residents and concerned citizens of Digos City.

The inspection team included PACC President VADM Andres Visaya (PCRGA), Board of Trustees members Pastor Allan Japor and Pastor Richie Cubos, PACC Spiritual Adviser Bishop Rod Cubos of the Christ the Healer International Missions Movement, and members of the local media.

Project Background

1. Contract ID 22L00080 (Section 2)
- Contractor: Rely Construction & Supply / Dreirich Builders (JV)
- Project Cost: ₱173,168,697.86
- Scope: 705 linear meters (both banks)
- Start Date: March 25, 2022
- Original Completion Date: February 7, 2023 (320 days)
- Revised Completion Date: October 6, 2025 (1,292 days)

2. Contract ID 22L00081 (Section 3)
- Contractor: MAC Builders Corp. (formerly MAC Builder’s Development Corporation)
- Project Cost: ₱173,625,230.25

3. Contract ID 22L00082 (Section 4)
- Contractor: MAC Builders Corp.
- Project Cost: ₱173,700,000.00

4. Contract ID 22L00083 (Section 5)
- Contractor: MAC Builders Corp.
- Project Cost: ₱173,700,000.00

5. Contract ID 22L00084 (Section 6)
- Contractor: P.L. Sebastian Corporation Inc. (formerly P.L. Sebastian Corporation)
- Project Cost: ₱173,600,437.58

Key On-Site Findings

1. Section 2 “paper vs. ground” mismatch.
- DPWH reports 80.03% accomplishment as of August 31, 2025, yet field validation showed only ~20 linear meters hurriedly completed near the access road—leaving most of the section unfinished.

2. Sections 3–6 need independent technical validation.
- Although reported as completed, these sections require third-party checks to confirm quality, durability, and compliance with specifications.

1. “Missing” Section 1.
- Project documentation begins at Section 2. When questioned, DPWH officials admitted the records start with Section 2—fueling public concern: “Why did the project start with Section 2? Where is Section 1? Was it deliberately excluded from the program of works?”

According to Engr. Marcos T. Pacifico of DPWH Region XI, Section 2 was suspended on January 3, 2023 due to ROW (right-of-way) issues and pending revisions.

Chairman Ceniza rejected this justification, stressing:

This project lies within the river channel, which under the Civil Code of the Philippines and the Water Code (PD 1067) is public domain and subject to easements. Right-of-way is not a valid reason to halt a project in a river easement. These issues should have been resolved before awarding the contract—not after construction began.”

Residents compared the situation to the Plaridel, Bulacan ghost flood-control scandal, where work resumed only after public exposure.

PACC President VADM Visaya warned:

“We are seeing a disturbing pattern—projects stalled or abandoned for years, only to suddenly resume when investigations begin.”

Bishop Rod Cubos, PACC Spiritual Adviser and head of the Christ the Healer International Missions Movement, declared:

“I fully support PACC’s mission to eradicate corruption in our country. We will stand with communities to demand transparency and integrity in every public project.”

Bishop Cubos also serves as Chairman of the First World Philippines Movement, whose objective is to mobilize citizens and institutions to bring the Philippines to First-World status through honest governance, accountability, and nation-building.

Bishop Rod Cubos, Calls for immediate audit, possible charges vs. erring officials and contractors; PACC Spiritual Adviser vows full support to eradicate corruption

Accountability Measures Sought by PACC

1. Immediate audit of Contract IDs 22L00080–22L00084 by the DPWH Central Office and the Commission on Audit (COA).

2. Filing of administrative and criminal charges against responsible DPWH officials and contractors for possible violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019).

3. Price reasonableness review in response to community complaints raising possible overpricing.

4. Institutionalized citizen-reporting mechanisms to expose ghost, abandoned, substandard, and overpriced projects nationwide.

The missing Section 1, the unexplained delays, the specter of overpricing, and weak oversight make this project a textbook case of corruption risks. The Filipino people deserve transparency, accountability, and infrastructure that truly protects communities. Contractors and officials who waste public funds must know—PACC will not stop until corruption in infrastructure projects is eradicated.” via| PACC

06/09/2025

A Filipino politician visited a Chinese politician in Beijing.

The Filipino was amazed:
“Wow! Ang ganda ng mansion mo, may swimming pool pa! How can you afford this on a government salary?”

The Chinese politician smiled & pointed out the window:
“See that big bridge? 10% goes to me.”

A year later, the Chinese politician visited the Filipino politician in Manila. He was shocked to see a HUGE palace with 5 pools, 20 cars, and a private golf course.

He asked: “How did you pay for all this?”

The Filipino smiled & pointed out the window:
“See that bridge?”

The Chinese politician looked carefully & said: “I don’t see any bridge.”

The Filipino whispered:
“Exactly.” 😅
Di ba mas magaling ang Filipino kz may Ghost projects