PH Politics

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Thursday in Manila that a court issued arrest warrants for contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and nine others over an alleged P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental. Marcos said the accused face non-bailable graft and malversation charges. He also disclosed that eight additional Department of Public Works and Highways officials have expressed willingness to surrender in connection with the same case. Authorities will pursue arrests, process voluntary surrenders, and continue investigations into the planning, procurement, and implementation of the flood control project. Marcos said the administration will keep filing charges against all individuals found involved in the Davao Occidental flood control scandal and will review similar infrastructure projects nationwide for possible irregularities.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday in Manila rejected claims that label the Philippines as an ISIS training hotspot, following reports that Bondi Beach shooting suspects previously traveled to the country. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, citing the National Security Council, said authorities have not validated any report that the suspects received terrorist training in the Philippines. She said Philippine agencies, working with international partners, continue to verify all available information but have not seen evidence that the country hosted ISIS training for those involved in the Bondi Beach incident.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday appointed Ma. Belen Ringpis-Liban as presiding justice of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) in Manila, Philippines, according to Malacañang. Ringpis-Liban, previously an associate justice of the CTA and a Regional Trial Court judge for 17 years in Malolos and Quezon City, brings experience from both public and private sectors, including roles at the Office of the Solicitor General and Court of Appeals. She holds a law degree from the University of the Philippines and an economics degree from the University of Santo Tomas.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed lawyer Anna Liza Logan as the new chief presidential legal counsel, Malacañang announced on Tuesday. Logan, who previously served as deputy executive secretary for Legal Affairs at the Office of the President, replaces the late Juan Ponce Enrile. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Logan brings extensive experience in civil and criminal litigation, family law, labor cases, Human Settlements Adjudication Commission cases, and corporate and commercial practice. Logan previously worked with several law firms, including Logan Masukat Ronulo Huang, Marcos Ochoa Serapio and Tan, and Agabin Verzola Hermoso Layaoen & De Castro.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday in Manila urged Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to admit and correct alleged errors in the computation of cost reductions for 10,000 Department of Public Works and Highways projects in the proposed 2025 budget. Lacson warned that blaming the Senate for the adjustments could lead to a budget deadlock and delay passage of the national spending plan. He asked the DPWH to provide a detailed breakdown of the affected projects, clarify how the agency computed the reductions, and state where the miscalculations originated. He said accurate data from the DPWH is essential for the Senate to complete deliberations and avoid disruptions to next year’s infrastructure program.