The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has found that the joint testimony of 18 former bodyguards of fugitive and former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, alleging they delivered billions of pesos in flood control funds to lawmakers, has “no probative value,” as it was mostly hearsay and a “coordinated narrative.” “The evidence is weak....
Tag: flood control scandal
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When the Senate majority senators stage a ‘boycott’
The majority senators led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano were nowhere to be seen at the scheduled start of the 5 p.m. session on Monday and well into the evening. There was neither word nor explanation to the minority bloc (all 11 present and accounted for). Shortly the man posted online that the minority...
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The Senate’s accountability gap in 4 points
The May 11 drama in the Senate was surprising only for its theatrics—a leadership coup in the afternoon, a fugitive senator hiding in the chamber’s inner recesses by early evening, and law enforcers kept at bay by closed doors and barbed wire. The Senate has long been the place where senators charged with serious crimes...
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Only 2 more signatures needed for flood control corruption report to reach Senate floor
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson is seeking two more members of the blue ribbon committee that would sign the controversial partial report on the flood control corruption so the chamber can push for reforms to “dismantle” its “very anatomy.” Reporting on the partial committee report on Tuesday on the floor, Lacson acknowledged that only...
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In numbers: Dynasties and contractors capture party-list seats in the 20th Congress
Nearly 40 years ago, the framers of the post-Marcos Constitution provided for a party-list system to ensure that Congress would not be dominated by political families. Today, the hope that party-list representatives would provide a counterweight to the power of dynasties has been completely dashed. In the 20th Congress, half of the 64 party-list representatives...
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Lacson confident of 9 senators’ signatures on blue ribbon committee’s partial report
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson believes he can get nine members of the blue ribbon committee that he chairs to sign its controversial partial report on the corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects. So far, only he and three others — Senators Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, and Francis Pangilinan — have signed...
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The Veep’s declared run for No. 1 and her ‘ready’ running mate
Vice President Sara Duterte’s announcement of her presidential run in 2028 was hardly unexpected. She has been projected as front-runner; her approval ratings stay strong despite her questioned disbursement of P612 million in confidential funds taken from taxpayer money. The continuing absence of explanation for the disbursement is again in prime spot among the burning issues...
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Bayan@40: ‘The real power rests with the people, not politicians’
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) founded during Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship marks its 40th anniversary this week and continues to perform its avowed role as a voice for the people. The nationwide alliance celebrated the occasion on Jan. 14 with a program titled “Bayan Kwarenta” at the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Ignacio B. Gimenez...
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No big fish? Confidence eroding in government inquiry into corruption scandal
With no apparent result in the Palace’s promise to jail ranking officials “before Christmas,” one more lawmaker has expressed loss of confidence in the government’s sincerity in unraveling the corruption scandal involving the multibillion-peso plunder of taxpayer money. “I no longer believe that the government is sincere in uncovering the truth behind the flood control...
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ICI member quits as Marcos fails to jail ‘big players’ in flood scandal
Seasoned accountant Rossana Fajardo resigned from the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday, leaving Chairman Andres Reyes as the sole official steering the body just over three months after its creation. Lawmakers say the departure of key figures from the ICI highlights the body’s failure to effectively investigate multibillion-peso flood control projects. In a...