San Francisco’s District 4 supervisor Beya Alcaraz resigns as scrutiny over her former pet store’s inspection history intensifies
BEYA Alcaraz, the newly appointed supervisor for San Francisco’s District 4, resigned Thursday night, November 13, after roughly one week in office. Her departure followed intensified scrutiny over her former ownership of a Sunset District pet store, including questions stemming from inspection records and employee messages that surfaced in local media.
Alcaraz, 29, had been appointed by Mayor Daniel Lurie on November 6 to replace recalled Supervisor Joel Engardio. Community groups initially noted the milestone, as Alcaraz was described by several outlets as the first Filipina American to serve on the Board of Supervisors. The mayor presented her as a community-rooted resident of the
u PAGE 4
Marcos rejects resignation calls as protest wave and graft cases jolt PH politics
by AJPress
AS the Philippines confronts widening corruption investigations and the largest street protests of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term, Malacañang said the President has no plans to resign and will continue overseeing
the government’s response to the flood-control controversy. Officials say Marcos intends to allow investigations to proceed through the proper institutions while maintaining stability in government operations.
Mayors express support as pressure on Palace escalates
High-level departures test Palace response to expanding infrastructure controversy
Marcos reorganizes top leadership, names new Executive Secretary, DBM OIC and Finance Secretary as infrastructure and budget probes deepen
by AJPress
disputed budget insertions.
MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has accepted the resignations of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, two of the most senior officials to exit his administration as scrutiny widens over alleged ghost flood control projects and u PAGE 5
Budget insertion scandal deepens as Zaldy Co’s claims coincide with Cabinet shake-up
Zaldy Co’s 100 billion budget insertion claim intensifies scrutiny of the national budget process
by AJPress
al scrutiny of the administration’s budget process.
The League of Cities of the Philippines, representing 149 mayors, publicly reaffirmed its support for Marcos as the country’s elected leader. In a statement on Nov. 19, the group said it would continue aligning local programs with national priorities in education, health and
Senator Imee Marcos accuses President Marcos of drug use; Palace rejects claim as family members push back
by AJPress
MANILA — A new rift within one of the country’s most prominent political families erupted this week after Senator Imee Marcos publicly alleged that her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., has long used illegal drugs.
The accusation, delivered before a massive crowd at an Iglesia ni Cristo gathering on Monday, November 17, was swiftly rejected by Malacañang and members of the First Family, who pointed to official records and described
by Mark ErnEst VillEza Philstar.com
The Palace announced the departures on Monday, November 17, 2025, describing both decisions as acts of delicadeza (a gesture of ethical propriety). Neither official faces criminal charges, and both have publicly denied wrongdoing. u PAGE 7
FORMER Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co has escalated his claim that approximately P100 billion was added to the 2025 national budget at the direction of senior government officials. His allegations, delivered in a video released on November 14, now unfold alongside a significant Cabinet shake-up that has intensified public and institution-
Co alleged that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. issued the instruction through Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and that then House Speaker Martin Romualdez supported the move. He said the questioned items consisted largely of flood control and infrastructure projects allegedly inserted during
u PAGE 5
MANILA — Former Bamban mayor Alice Guo and seven others were convicted of qualified trafficking in persons by a Pasig trial court yesterday and sentenced to life in prison. The Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167 found Guo, Jaimielyn Santos Cruz, Rachelle Malonzo Carreon and Walter Wong Rong guilty of organizing human trafficking at the Baofu compound, while Chinese nationals Wang Weili, Wuli Dong, Nong Ding Chang and Lang Xu Po were convicted for acts of trafficking.
Each was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined P2 million per case. The entire u PAGE 2
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
FLOOD CONTROL. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority workers remove silt and debris from the Buhangin Creek in Barangay Plainview, Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, November 19. The activity was part of the “Bayanihan sa Estero” flood control program that will dredge creeks and canals. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc
Marcos rejects resignation calls...
infrastructure while calling for transparent public spending.
PAGE 1 not submitted these allegations under oath. Legislators, including Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, have urged him to testify formally and provide documents that can be evaluated in a congressional investigation.
The League of Municipalities of the Philippines also declared its backing for the President, warning that political instability could disrupt essential services in more than 1,400 towns. Both organisations acknowledged public frustration over alleged irregularities in flood-control projects but encouraged investigations that do not disrupt government workflows.
Their statements came as tens of thousands participated in anti-corruption protests across Metro Manila and several provincial cities. The largest turnout was on Nov. 16, when Iglesia Ni Cristo led a mass gathering at Rizal Park that drew hundreds of thousands calling for accountability over alleged “ghost projects” and substandard flood works. Student-led and civic-group demonstrations were also reported in Quezon City and several provincial centres.
Congress weighs investigation, not impeachment
In the House of Representatives, minority lawmakers said there is “no compelling reason yet” to initiate impeachment proceedings against Marcos. They noted that the Constitution requires a verified complaint supported by sworn affidavits and documents and that no such complaint has been filed.
Lawmakers across factions have called for a formal inquiry into allegations raised by former Ako Bicol representative Elizaldy Co, who previously chaired the House appropriations committee. Co has publicly claimed in interviews and online statements that “higher officials” influenced billions of pesos in flood-control budget insertions, although he has
Flood-control investigation enters new phase
The controversy traces back to an audit disclosed by Marcos in August that identified irregularities in thousands of flood-control projects. Investigators have since flagged incomplete, substandard or nonexistent works linked to concentrated contract awards. Authorities have frozen billions of pesos in assets tied to suspect projects and have begun filing criminal complaints.
On Nov. 18, the Office of the Ombudsman charged Co, several Department of Public Works and Highways officials and private contractors over an allegedly anomalous 289-million-peso flood-control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. Prosecutors filed counts of malversation of public funds through falsification of documents and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
On Nov. 21, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office may be able to file a case against House Speaker Martin Romualdez within six to nine months, although he emphasized that all actions must be evidence-based and that no determination has been made about whether the probe could eventually reach the President. As of this week, none of the complaints publicly filed name Marcos as a respondent. Debates intensify over sedition and foreign funding
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the Department of the Interior and Local Government is reviewing speech-
es made at recent rallies to assess whether any statements approached “inciting to sedition,” a crime under the Revised Penal Code. Human-rights lawyers and legal scholars disputed the interpretation, saying calls for a president to resign over public controversies fall within constitutionally protected freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly unless they explicitly promote unlawful acts.
Separately, Malacañang said on Nov. 20 that it is monitoring reports suggesting that some protests may have received foreign funding.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police are examining information, though officials have not released evidence publicly substantiating the claim.
Marcos stands firm as turbulence continues
Officials say Marcos aims to restore public trust by allowing investigations to run their course while continuing the administration’s economic and infrastructure programs. They point to strong expressions of support from mayors’ groups and the absence of any verified impeachment complaint as signs that the President retains key institutional backing.
How long that support holds may depend on the progress of the anti-graft probe, the testimony gathered in Congress and the outcomes of cases now moving through the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan. The coming months will test the resilience of the country’s oversight institutions in one of the most consequential corruption investigations in recent years. n
Guo gets life for qualified trafficking...
PAGE 1
P6-billion Baofu compound in Bamban, Tarlac was also ordered forfeited in favor of the government.
Guo, who attended the hearing through videoconference, will be transferred immediately from the Pasig City Jail to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the ruling demonstrated the impact of cooperation among agencies and whistleblowers. He said the conviction was “a victory for the government,” noting that the case started from an employee complaint.
“It’s a show of how unity works – that no matter how powerful or influential the opponent of the agency is, as long as everyone works together, including the community, because this started from a complaint of an employee, it really shows how big the impact is when everyone helps each other toward one goal,” Acorda said.
Acorda said he hoped the decision would discourage illegal operators.
“This should show others that the government is serious about enforcing the law,” he said, adding that agencies are updating baseline figures to determine how many offshore gaming operations remain active.
Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas said details of the ruling remained confidential due to the nature of the case, but confirmed that eight key players were convicted.
She said it was the first conviction by a court under Section 4(l) of the Anti-Human Trafficking Law for organizing trafficking activities. “The important thing is that the main players were all convicted,” she said.
The case stemmed from a joint Philippine National Police and PAOCC raid on the Philippine offshore gaming operator Zun Yuan Technology last year inside the Baofu compound, which was leased out to the firm by Guo’s company.
Torrevillas said several other accused remain at large.
Ruling hailed
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has hailed the conviction of Guo for qualified
human trafficking, saying that this is proof that the justice system in the country is working.
“Alice Guo and her cohorts’ conviction is a big win for the Philippines’ fight against human trafficking. It is also an indication that our justice system is working,”
DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said.
For his part, National Bureau of Investigation chief Angelito Magno said the conviction of Guo was a milestone in the government’s campaign against criminal syndicates and POGO-related abuses.
He said that the ruling showed that “no network is too sophisticated, no operation too well-funded, and no position too powerful to escape accountability,” stressing that public office can never shield criminal activity.
Senators Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian –who led the Senate investigation on the crime syndicate behind the now outlawed POGO – yesterday lauded the conviction of Guo.
“Today, justice has been served. The conviction of Alice Guo aka Guo Hua Ping is a victory against corruption, human trafficking, cybercrime, and many other transnational crimes,” Hontiveros said.
Gatchalian said Guo’s conviction “is a big win for the Filipino people, including foreign nationals who have been victimized by various criminal activities perpetrated by POGOs.”
“The rule of law has pre-
vailed, and justice has been served. Her conviction should serve as a wake-up call against Filipinos or foreign nationals alike who seek to take advantage of the bureaucracy to carry out atrocities such as human trafficking and online scams,” he said.
In Congress, deputy minority leader and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima welcomed yesterday the guilty verdict against Guo. “We are happy that Alice Guo was already meted her sentence that will give justice to her victims,” she said.
De Lima also called on Congress for the urgent passage of the proposed Anti-Espionage Act. “As we know, espionage today is not limited to shadowy operatives meeting in alleys. It comes disguised as business investments, online gaming hubs, recruitment agencies, students, telecom partnerships, and even public officials,” she said.
For Manila 6th district Rep. Benny Abante, the guilty verdict handed down to Guo has “strengthened the total ban on POGOs in the country.”
“For too long, these illegal POGO hubs operated like shadow syndicates—trafficking workers, violating human rights, and making a mockery of our laws. Today, justice finally caught up with one of the most visible symbols of this despicable crimes,” he said. – Daphne Galvez, Jose Rodel
(With reports from Daphne Galvez, Jose Rodel Clapano, Marc Jayson Cayabyab)
Clapano, Marc Jayson Cayabyab
Former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, who attended the hearing through videoconference, will be transferred immediately from the Pasig City Jail to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. STAR / File
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Malacañang photo
Court blocks GOP friendly Texas voting map in major blow ahead of 2026
Federal court blocks Texas’s new GOP drawn congressional
map,
ruling it racially gerrymandered. Decision keeps current districts for the 2026 midterms
by AJPress
AUSTIN, TEXAS – A federal judicial panel has barred Texas from using its newly drawn congressional map for the 2026 midterm elections, ruling that the Republican backed plan relied unconstitutionally on race when reshaping districts. The decision prevents the state from implementing a mid decade map that GOP leaders hoped would create an advantage in at least five additional U.S. House races. Republicans currently hold 25 of Texas’s 38 seats under the existing boundaries.
Judges find race predominated in key districts
In a 2 to 1 ruling on November 18, the three judge federal panel concluded that Texas lawmakers used race as a predominant factor when drawing the 2025 map. The court found substantial evidence that minority voters were either split apart or packed together in ways that reduced the number of multi ethnic coalition districts. These districts are places where no single minority group forms a majority, but where Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters collectively hold significant influence.
The panel ruled that the state failed to demonstrate that its use of race was justified or narrowly tailored. Because federal law prohibits racial gerrymandering, the judges ordered Texas to revert to the congressional
districts used in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
Implications for control of the House
The decision has immediate national consequences.
Republicans pursued a 2025 redraw after concluding that the existing map limited their ability to expand their majority in Washington. The blocked plan would have made several Democratic held seats more competitive and would have altered the political makeup of districts in fast growing suburbs around Dallas, Houston and Austin.
By keeping the current boundaries, Democrats retain a more favorable landscape in at least five districts that analysts expected to shift rightward under the disputed map.
For both parties, the ruling clarifies the districts under which candidates must file before December deadlines.
How the map fight unfolded
Texas lawmakers approved the new plan in August after a rapid redistricting process.
Civil rights groups, including the NAACP and voting rights organizations, sued immediately. They argued that the map diluted the voting strength of Black, Hispanic and Asian American residents, even though these communities account for most of Texas’s recent population growth.
The litigation centered on specific districts where minority neighborhoods were divided or consolidated in ways that increased the par-
tisan advantage of Republicans. These concerns formed the foundation of the court’s conclusion that racial considerations drove major components of the map.
Next steps in the legal battle
Texas officials are expected to appeal to the United States Supreme Court, arguing that the map reflected permissible political choices rather than unconstitutional racial targeting. If the high court declines to act quickly, the 2026 elections will proceed under the existing 2022 era lines.
Election administrators must now prepare ballots, precinct assignments and candidate filings based on the restored map. Legal experts note that even if the Supreme Court accepts the case, changes are unlikely before the upcoming cycle due to tight election deadlines.
What the ruling means for minority voters
Civil rights groups welcomed the decision, saying it protects the ability of Black, Hispanic and Asian American communities to elect candidates of their choice. The restored map preserves more competitive coalition districts and maintains minority voting influence in several suburban regions.
With Texas’s population continuing to diversify, advocates say the ruling reinforces the principle that political power cannot be reshaped at the expense of minority communities. (AJPress)
First Filipina American San Francisco supervisor...
PAGE 1
Sunset with experience as a small business owner and a background in arts and education.
Inspection trail casts long shadow
The controversy centered on The Animal Connection, a pet supply store Alcaraz operated until selling the business earlier this year. Public inspection reports obtained by Axios and confirmed through city health and animal welfare agencies documented multiple sanitation violations between 2023 and 2025. Inspectors cited rat feces, spilled seed and food debris, and persistent odor problems during several visits.
The store’s new owner, Julia Baran, who took over in May, told the San Francisco Chronicle that she encountered severe odor and rodent activity upon assuming control of the business. Baran provided reporters with copies of inspection notices and additional documentation detailing the store’s condition at handover.
ABC7 News also published text messages appearing to show Alcaraz discussing paying certain workers outside standard payroll procedures and describing personal outings as business expenses. Financial information reported by the Chronicle indicated the store had operated at a loss for several years and had fallen behind on rent in certain periods.
Alcaraz has publicly acknowledged the difficulties she faced running the business. In an interview with ABC7 last week, she said she
regretted the conditions documented by inspectors and noted that many small businesses struggle to remain compliant and financially stable in San Francisco.
A resignation shaped by rapid scrutiny
Coverage of the inspection findings and text messages accelerated within days of her appointment, prompting criticism of the mayor’s vetting process. Several civic groups argued that the controversy was overshadowing District 4’s concerns about public safety, small business recovery and coastal access.
Mayor Lurie said in a statement that he met with Alcaraz on Thursday and that they mutually agreed the unfolding attention on her former business risked distracting from the Sunset’s needs. He thanked her for her willingness to serve and said he respected her decision to step down. Lurie also stated that he regretted not doing more to support her success.
Her resignation took effect immediately.
Mixed reactions from a divided district
Reactions in District 4 reflected a spectrum of disappointment and frustration. Some residents said they were discouraged that the city’s first Filipina American appointee to the Board had such a brief tenure. Others argued that the situation demonstrated how intensely the past conduct of public officials will be examined, particularly for appointees stepping into high-visibility positions.
Jamie Hughes, lead organizer of the recall that
removed Engardio from office, said the episode underscored the need for deeper review and broader community consultation in selecting the next supervisor.
Mayor begins search for a successor
Mayor Lurie must now appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term, although his office has not provided a specific timeline for the selection. District 4 encompasses much of the Sunset neighborhood, which has faced ongoing debates over housing pressures, commercial corridor revitalization and safety concerns.
The Animal Connection continues to operate under Baran’s ownership. City health and animal welfare agencies maintain routine oversight of businesses within their jurisdiction, and there are no public indications of pending enforcement actions beyond previously documented findings.
A broader reckoning on representation and readiness
Alcaraz’s abrupt resignation has prompted conversations among Filipino American community leaders about the balance between representation and readiness for public office. Advocates note that historic firsts carry symbolic importance, yet public officials are expected to withstand rigorous scrutiny of their professional and business histories.
Alcaraz has not announced her next steps or whether she plans to remain engaged in civic work following her departure from the Board. (AJPress)
Beya Alcaraz
Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s office
Karl Eldrew is the younger brother of Paris Olympics gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
Budget insertion scandal deepens...
the bicameral conference committee proceedings.
Co later added a more explosive assertion: that P25 billion of the supposed insertion went to the President. These allegations have not been made under oath, are unsupported by documentary evidence and have been categorically denied by all officials named.
Cabinet resignations heighten political tension
On November 17, President Marcos accepted the resignations of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Pangandaman. Palace officials described the resignations as voluntary acts of delicadeza after their offices were linked to controversy. Both officials denied wrongdoing.
Their departure intensified speculation of internal pressure within the administration and added urgency to calls for greater transparency over budget decisions and infrastructure spending. Senior appointments were immediately announced to stabilize top government ranks amid the ongoing controversy.
Palace and DBM reject Co’s narrative
Malacañang has dismissed Co’s allegations and urged him to testify before the appropriate investigative bodies. Officials said the President will not respond to claims lacking sworn testimony or corroborating evidence, noting that the administration itself ordered expanded reviews of public works and flood control spending.
Before stepping down, Pangandaman outlined why Co’s account conflicts with the national budget process. She emphasized that any presidential directive for new appropriations must appear in the National Expenditure Program, which is drafted months before congressional deliberations. The Executive branch, she explained, cannot introduce new funding during bicameral negotiations, a process governed entirely by the Legislature. She said the scenario Co described is not possible under established budget rules.
Lawmakers and experts press for sworn testimony Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair Panfilo “Ping”
Lacson said Co’s assertions carry no probative value without sworn testimony. He noted that if the President intended to fund additional projects, they would have appeared directly in the NEP rather than through last-minute insertions. Several budget scholars echoed this view, pointing to inconsistencies in Co’s timeline and description of the budget process.
A controversy now shaped by evidence and institutional response
Investigators and lawmakers now face the task of parsing Co’s allegations against the backdrop of a national budget already enacted and a public works system under intensified review. Senate leaders say the next phase depends on whether Co appears under oath and whether procurement or audit records support any part of his narrative.
For now, his claims occupy a space between political shock and untested assertion, with their trajectory to be defined not by rhetoric but by the evidence, testimony and institutional responses that emerge in the weeks ahead. n
High-level departures test Palace response...
PAGE 1
A swift reordering at the center of the administration
To fill the resulting vacancies, Marcos appointed Ralph Recto as the new Executive Secretary, giving him oversight of daily Palace operations and cross-Cabinet coordination.
At the Department of Budget and Management, Undersecretary Rolando Toledo was designated officer in charge, ensuring continuity in preparing the 2026 National Expenditure Program and implementing the 2025 budget.
Former Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go will replace Recto as Finance Secretary. The Palace said the SAP role will remain vacant.
Budget allegations heighten scrutiny of flood control projects
The reshuffle comes as the administration faces sustained public attention on billions of pesos in flood control allocations.
Pangandaman became a central figure after former Ako Bicol representative and past House appropriations
chair Zaldy Co alleged that she relayed supposed instructions to insert roughly 100 billion pesos into the 2025 national budget during the bicameral conference. Pangandaman has denied the claim, saying presidential directives must appear in the National Expenditure Program and that issuing such an instruction at the bicameral stage would violate established budget procedures. n
NEW LEADERSHIP AT THE PALACE: Ralph Recto (left) takes over as Executive Secretary following the resignation of Lucas Bersamin (right)
NEW ECONOMIC TEAM. Frederick Go (left) assumes the post of Finance Secretary, while Rolando Toledo (center) steps in as officer in charge of the Department of Budget and Management following the resignation of Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (right).
FeAtures OPiniOn
In the path of every storm, and still unprepared
THE Philippines has lived with storms for as long as it has existed on the map. In this context, a storm refers broadly to severe weather systems that bring destructive winds and heavy rain. When these systems intensify over the warm Pacific and reach sustained winds of at least 119 kilometers per hour, they are classified as typhoons. Typhoons are the same powerful tropical cyclones known as hurricanes in the Atlantic and cyclones in the Indian Ocean, distinguished only by the region in which they form. Yet after two destructive typhoons that arrived just five days apart, the question persists: why does the country remain so storm-vulnerable, and what must finally change?
A geography that guarantees exposure
No one can alter the coordinates of the islands. The Philippines lies squarely in the Western North Pacific, the world’s most active breeding ground for tropical cyclones. The Philippine Atmospheric,
CAN corruption risk a country’s economic growth?
That question is at the core of discussions among some economists and political scientists amid the current national trauma over a trillion pesos disappearing at the hands of senators, congressmen, DPWH district engineers and private contractors.
Corruption, some economists say, is not a deterrent to
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the national weather and climate agency, reports that about 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility each year, and eight to nine make landfall.
Corruption and economic growth
economic growth. They cited South Korea, China and Vietnam as proof.
Yuen Yuen Ang, a professor of political economy at the Johns Hopkins University, in a recently published book by the Cambridge University Press, wrote that “while corruption is never good, not all forms of corruption are equally bad for the economy, nor do they cause the same kind of harm.”
“The rise of capitalism,” she pointed out, “is accompanied not by the eradication of corrup-
tion, but rather by the evolution of the quality of corruption from thuggery and theft to influence peddling.”
I take it that she is saying a corrupt developing country can still grow significantly and even reach developed-economy status, but corruption makes that path harder and riskier, and the costs are substantial.
Prof. Ang distinguishes four types of corruption: petty theft, grand theft, speed money and
PAGE 10
Its 36,000-kilometer coastline and 7,641 islands ensure that no region is spared for long. This is the natural burden of location. But geography alone does not explain why disasters become tragedies. Storms are inevitable. Ca-
THE peaceful, non-political rally of the Iglesia ni Cristo in Rizal Park became politically charged on its second night as it allowed a politician to address the crowd: President Marcos’ estranged elder sister, Sen. Imee Marcos.
Ate Imee reminded everyone of an issue that was hurled against her only brother when he was running for president in 2022: that he was a cocaine-abusing weakling who
tastrophe is not.
A season that exposes deeper fault lines This November, the Philippines was battered by two destructive typhoons that arrived just
Marcos vs Marcos
did not deserve to lead the nation.
The accusation was publicly made by then President Rodrigo Duterte, as he was trying to persuade his headstrong daughter Sara to either move to succeed him or else support his preferred successor, his anak-anakan and super alalay Bong Go.
It wasn’t even a new accusation. Since his days as the princeling of the first Marcos administration, rumors of illegal drug use have hounded Ferdinand Marcos Jr. While low-key even at the height of power of the conjugal dictator-
ship, Bongbong Marcos was rumored to lead a sybaritic lifestyle.
The brains and achiever in the family, with a sense of humor almost as formidable as that of Digong Duterte, has long been seen to be the elde`st: Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios Romualdez Marcos, a.k.a. Ate Imee. Probably because it’s dictator Ferdinand Marcos who needed redemption in global image, it was his only son and namesake rather than Imelda Junior who took on the role of savior of the family name (and
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PAGE 7
AnA MArie PAMintuAn Sketches
Demand and supply
Boo Chanco
Palace on speaker change: Up to House
by Alexis RomeRo Philstar.com
MANILA
— It is up to the members of the House of Representatives to decide on their leadership, Malacañang said on Thursday, November 20, as rumors swirled that Isabela Rep. Faustino Dy III may be replaced as Speaker.
“The change in the leadership of Congress is not in the President’s hands,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.
“Whatever they want to do at the House of Representatives is up to them,” she added.
Online media entity Politiko said Dy, who was elected Speaker last September, is “reportedly on shaky ground” as he had “not inspired confidence” and had “not built real relationships.”
According to the news website, there are talks that Malacañang “is eyeing yet another leadership shake-up” in the House as the Marcos administration grapples with the flood control mess.
However, Caloocan Rep. Egay Erice said the lower chamber cannot afford another shake-up just two months after a new speaker was elected.
“I don’t think that we can afford the leadership change right now,” Erice told One News’ “Storycon”, noting that the demotion of Suarez to deputy speaker shows that Dy’s power is growing.
Meanwhile, the Northern Luzon Alliance declared “unequivocal support” for Dy as
it highlighted the Speaker’s leadership, character and steady hand in guiding the House of Representatives.
House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos III of Ilocos Norte led the signing of the manifesto, together with Deputy Speakers Kristine Singson-Meehan of Ilocos Sur and Francisco Paolo Ortega V of La Union.
In a two-page declaration, the alliance—composed of lawmakers from Regions I and II and the Cordillera Administrative Region—said its support is grounded on conviction, unity and trust.
The House of Representatives in the meantime has elected South Cotabato Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez as its new senior deputy speaker during Wednesday’s plenary session.
Hernandez succeeded Quezon Rep. David Suarez, who in turn was elected as House deputy speaker.
Hernandez’s election as senior deputy speaker was approved upon the motion of House deputy majority leader and Sorsogon Rep. Wowo Fortes.
Prior to his election, Hernandez was already one of the House deputy speakers in the 20th Congress.
Hernandez is the principal author of 20 House bills aimed at providing or improving government support to various marginalized sectors, such as seniors, persons with disabilities, persons with mental health issues, health workers, teachers
and non-teaching personnel, among others. He is also listed as co-author of HB 404, 819 and 3839.
He sits as vice chairman of the House committees on appropriations, higher and technical education, transportation and ways and means.
Hernandez is also a member of the committees on accounts, banks and financial intermediaries, energy, games and amusements, good government and public accountability, national defense and security, and overseas workers affairs.
The Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats, for its part, closed ranks behind party chairman former senator Ramon Revilla Jr., issuing a strong call for due process and cautioning against hasty conclusions as public debate intensifies over ongoing inquiries into infrastructure-related matters.
In a joint statement signed by senior party officials from across the country, Lakas-CMD underscored its “full support” for Revilla and reminded the public that democratic safeguards are meant to protect every individual — public servant or private citizen — from prejudgment.
“As a party that has always upheld democratic values, we reaffirm a principle fundamental to any just society: every individual is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence,” the joint statement read. (With reports from Jose Rodel Clapano, EJ Macababbad)
In the path of every storm...
five days apart. Typhoon Tino cut across the Visayas, leaving at least 269 people dead, according to the Office of Civil Defense, with hundreds more injured and more than a hundred missing. Entire rural communities in Southern Leyte, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Palawan were submerged or swept away.
Before recovery could begin, Super Typhoon Uwan struck Dinalungan, Aurora, on November 9 with sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching 230. Updated government assessments report at least 27 deaths linked to Uwan as of mid-November, though officials caution that the number may rise once isolated municipalities become fully accessible.
Uwan affected more than 4.4 million people across Lu-
zon, and prolonged outages left 3 million to 3.4 million households without electricity. Nearly 300 domestic and international flights were cancelled as winds and low visibility grounded airports, and dozens of seaports were shut for days.
In the Visayas, the sugar industry alone has reported approximately P1.2 billion in losses after Typhoon Tino inundated plantations in Negros and Panay. Fisheries and farm systems across both typhoons’ paths continue to tally mounting damage.
Together, Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan have affected more than eight million people across 13 regions, with the combined death toll nearing 300. The scale of the crisis once again exposes how compounding disasters overwhelm local capacity long before recovery
Discaya couple may be next to be charged — Remulla
MANILA — Ombudsman
Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya are expected to be the next individuals charged in court over their alleged involvement in widespread anomalous flood control projects.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, November 19, Remulla said some of the Discaya cases have been "submitted for resolution."
"Sa tingin ko, baka sumunod rito, Discaya na. Tapos na 'yung PI [preliminary investigation] sa ibang Discaya cases eh. It's already submitted for resolution na 'yun," Remulla said in a press conference.
(I think the Discaya cases might be next. The preliminary investigation for some of the other Discaya cases is already finished. They have already been submitted for by iAn lAqui Philstar.com resolution.)
According to Remulla, the possible charges against the contractor couple may depend on the amount involved.
"At least three cases. There are nine Discaya cases in total. Ganun din 'yan. Malversation rin 'yan, saka plunder rin 'yan… depende sa amount involved. Baka early next week. Tingnan natin kung kaya abutin ang Friday. Kasi for resolution na 'yan eh," Remulla said.
Remulla said this a day after the Ombudsman filed malversation and graft cases against Zaldy Co, former officers of the Department of Public Works and Highways and some officers of Sunwest Construction and Development Corp.
When asked why malversation was filed and not plunder, Remulla said it is easier to prove compared to plunder.
"Ang malversation lang
kasi is easier to prove compared to uh plunder, which has so much jurisprudence that that will negate any attempts to convict people of plunder," he said.
(Malversation is simply easier to prove compared to plunder, which has so much jurisprudence that it will negate any attempts to convict people of plunder.)
Companies associated with the Discaya family secured approximately 421 government infrastructure and construction projects between 2022 and 2024, valued at roughly P31.04 billion.
The vast majority of these contracts—alleged to be anomalous—were for flood control projects. Firms directly established by the Discaya couple handled the bulk of this work, landing 345 solo and joint contracts worth P25.2 billion, with additional linked companies pushing the total beyond P31 billion. n
Senator Imee Marcos accuses President Marcos...
the claim as baseless.
Speaking from the stage at the Quirino Grandstand, Senator Marcos said she had long been concerned about her brother’s well-being and decision-making. She expanded her allegation by naming members of the First Family and several individuals she identified as close to the President. No documents, medical records or laboratory findings were presented to substantiate her remarks.
Palace cites 2021 test results and PDEA clearance
can take hold.
The science we already know
Climate science offers no comfort. The western Pacific is warming more quickly than many of the world’s oceans, and sea levels around the Philippines are rising nearly four times faster than the global average, particularly along the country’s eastern seaboard.
The University of the Philippines has recorded land subsidence of up to 10.9 centimeters a year in parts of Bulacan, Metro Manila, and several coastal cities nationwide. At the same time, the country has lost about half of its mangrove forests, erasing natural storm buffers that once absorbed the force of waves and tides.
Scientists have long warned that stronger, wetter storms
In a livestream later that evening, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed the allegation as unfounded and pointed to the President’s previously disclosed drug tests.
Castro cited Marcos’ voluntary test taken at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig in November 2021, which returned a negative result for cocaine. The test was released during the 2022 presidential campaign, and St. Luke’s later clarified that the printed report followed a standard format used by facilities authorized by the Department of Health to conduct dangerous drug testing.
Government records and widely reported accounts also show that Marcos tested negative for methamphetamine in a separate police laboratory test in 2021. In January 2024, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency issued
a formal statement saying the President “is not and was never” on its illegal drug watch list, a clarification made after drug-related allegations surfaced in political speeches that year.
Palace officials told several Philippine media outlets there are no immediate plans to pursue legal action against Senator Marcos. Any review, they said, would fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombudsman or the Department of Justice.
First Family responds
The controversy widened as other members of the Marcos family weighed in. An Associated Press report said the President’s camp described the accusation as a recycled political attack already contradicted by publicly released drug tests. On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos issued a statement calling his aunt’s allegation “dangerously irresponsible” and reiterating that no member of the First Family uses illegal drugs.
The First Lady has not issued a direct statement addressing the allegation. On her verified social media account, Liza Araneta Marcos posted, “…and speaking of FAKE NEWS… ‘welcome to entertainment, Pinoy style,’” a comment widely understood as a response to a fabricated quote card circulating online that falsely attributed statements to her. The Presidential Communications Office recently clarified that one such
quote attributed to her was fake.
Political reactions and broader context
The allegation drew reactions across the political spectrum. Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, the current chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and a longtime anti-corruption advocate, called the decision to raise such a claim at a mass religious event “un-Filipino,” saying that serious accusations of this nature should be brought through formal and accountable channels.
Palace officials, in separate interviews, suggested that the timing of the allegation may have been intended to distract from ongoing corruption and infrastructure investigations, though Senator Marcos did not link her remarks to any specific inquiry during her speech.
What public records confirm and do not confirm
Verified public documents confirm that President Marcos tested negative for cocaine and methamphetamine in 2021. PDEA’s 2024 statement similarly affirms that the President has never been on the agency’s drug watch list. These records, however, speak only to the specific tests disclosed at the time.
No new toxicology tests have been released by Malacañang, and no government agency has announced that further testing has been conducted. n
In the path of every storm...
will arrive more frequently as ocean temperatures climb. The back-to-back arrival of two major typhoons strengthens that warning. Climate volatility is no longer the exception. It is the expectation.
The failure of memory
The Philippines has faced far stronger and deadlier typhoons, including Yolanda in 2013 and Pablo in 2012, but the pattern remains unchanged: the severity of impact is shaped as much by governance and planning as by wind speed. After every storm, the country promises to build back better. But rebuilding is not reform. What remains missing is follow-through, continuity, and a national vision that links recovery to long-term risk reduction.
Forecasting and evacuation protocols have improved. PAGASA has modernized. Yet the Philippines remains one of the world’s most disaster-exposed nations because land-use planning remains poorly enforced. Unsafe settlements continue to rise in floodplains and coastal strips. Groundwater ex-
traction remains inadequately regulated, contributing to land subsidence in many urban and coastal areas even as sea levels continue to rise. Every storm confirms that danger increases when governance fails to keep pace with the risks.
A moral duty of governance
With around 74 percent of Filipinos considered vulnerable to multiple natural hazards, resilience is no longer just a technical matter. It is a moral obligation. Leaders must stop treating calamities as seasonal spectacles and start treating them as governance audits.
The test of leadership is not found in post-disaster visits. It begins long before a storm forms. It begins in zoning laws, environmental safeguards, and public investment choices.
The meaning of resilience
True resilience is not endurance through suffering. It is the ability to transform the conditions that make suffering inevitable.
That means restoring mangroves and wetlands so they can serve as natural storm
barriers. It means directing housing programs to higher ground. It means building public works that can withstand the cascading effects of extreme weather, not simply the storms of the past.
Climate adaptation is not a luxury. It is the cost of survival.
Where resilience must lead
Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan struck different regions but exposed the same national fragilities. They forced families to flee twice in one week. They overwhelmed shelters. They collapsed roads. They reminded the nation that disasters are no longer sequential. They are simultaneous.
The sea will not recede. The storms will not weaken on command. But the country can decide whether the next typhoon season unfolds as an annual tragedy or as evidence that lessons have finally been learned. The devastation left by Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan is a reminder of what is at stake and why prevention, not just response, must define the nation’s future. (AJPress)
Marcos vs Marcos...
PAGE 6
colossal fortune), by running for president in 2022.
Inday Sara and her bestie Imee ignored Tatay Digong’s rants and worked to get the UniTeam led by BBM elected –with spectacular results. Why keep quiet about the drug abuse issue in 2022, only to dredge it up now? And if the concern about drug abuse is genuine rather than opportunistic, why skip mention of the drug trafficking allegations against Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte?
* * *
The small pharmacies largely looked the other way and filled the bogus prescriptions.
Those were the same pharmacies, along with hole-in-thewall clinics, where drug abusers sold blood to finance their habit.
The young pushers and abusers I met were non-violent folks. Many of them liked rock music that was banned during martial law. No one packed a gun; many of them instead toted guitars.
at the time. Today the hiss in administration circles is that in dredging it up, Senator Imee wants VP Sara to replace BBM. Ate Imee can then become the VP, in a prelude to a 2028 team-up.
BBM must be thinking: with a sister like this, who needs enemies?
Recently, Rep. Sandro Marcos, who was also accused by his Tita Imee of being a dopehead, responded with a not-so-subtle reference to long-running rumors that she is Imeldific’s daughter by another man.
The beef about drug abuse is problematic in itself. I’ve always considered substance abuse a public health, social and personal problem. In impoverished neighborhoods, children still sniff rugby to forget their hunger. It’s a complex issue that can’t be lumped together with the motivations that drive drug trafficking, and the corruption and violence that the illegal drug trade engenders.
Drug abuse can be overcome, and those who want to kick the habit deserve full support in their effort. Many of them are youths and they deserve a second chance.
I entered my teenage years in the drug trafficking hot spots of Manila – Quiricada and its surrounding streets in Sta. Cruz where college students rolled joints around mounds of marijuana from the Cordilleras, piled high on shanty floors.
In the mom-and-pop pharmacies around the San Lazaro Hospital, you could buy strictly regulated drugs such as depressants and powerful tranquilizers along with cough syrups with high-inducing stimulant components that would later be removed by Big Pharma.
Genuine “yellow prescriptions” were stolen by teenage kids from their doctor parents, or by interns from hospitals, and used to buy the drugs.
Several of them died before they were 30, some from suspected suicide, including guys I would not hesitate to describe as gentle, fragile souls.
Duterte’s take-no-prisoners approach may work on the large-scale drug traffickers who can buy their way out of any criminal indictments, but confronting the demand side of the drug scourge calls for a different tack.
* * *
I learned to spot people high on drugs, or who were addicted. The habit takes a visible toll on the body.
So far, I haven’t seen either BBM or his wife in a public engagement with bloodshot eyes or looking, talking or behaving like they’re high on drugs.
The first lady in fact strikes many as her husband’s highly efficient secret weapon –someone who has brought out the best in Bongbong Marcos. Their marriage and family seem rock solid.
I’ve written that those who have been blessed with high public office in our country should follow the example of Barack Obama, who came clean on his cocaine and marijuana use to send the message to America’s youth that if he hadn’t kicked the habit, he would not have become U.S. president.
BBM won the presidency by the biggest margin ever despite the accusation that he’s a cokehead.
The story was brushed aside
As for the peanut gallery, there are folks who are wishing the warring camps mutual annihilation.
* * *
PS: Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco texted to inform me that in 2023, he didn’t go directly to then House speaker Martin Romualdez to request a P200-million funding insertion for a project in Tiangco’s home city of Navotas because it’s not in his nature to seek favors or “special accommodation.”
Reacting to my previous column, Tiangco clarified that at the time, he was still “OK” with Romualdez, his relative by marriage, but he didn’t want to be indebted to anyone because it usually entailed a quid pro quo.
“Even kay PBBM, I have not asked for anything special from him. I value my independence,” Tiangco told me, referring to President Bongbong Marcos.
“My first 9 years in Congress, I don’t recall entering the Speaker’s office, during the time of (Feliciano) Belmonte, (Pantaleon) Alvarez, GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo). Alam ko na ang special favor ay may kapalit yun kaya ayaw ko humingi.” (Philstar.com)
* * *
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
IN THE WORKS. The construction of the new footbridge and concourse at Metro Rail Transit Line 3's GMA-Kamuning Station, along EDSA, Quezon City, as seen on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, From afar is the stratospheric Kamuning footbridge that will be dismantled once the replacement is accessible. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
House elects Ferdinand Hernandez as senior deputy speaker
by AJPress
MANILA – The House of Representatives has elected South Cotabato Second District Rep. Ferdinand “Dinand” Hernandez as its new senior deputy speaker, completing a leadership adjustment under Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.
Hernandez’s election was approved during the House plenary session on Wednesday, November 19. House Deputy Majority Leader and Sorsogon Rep. Wowo Fortes moved for his election, which the chamber accepted without objection. The House Public Information Office confirmed the action.
Before his elevation, Hernandez served as one of the deputy speakers in the Twentieth Congress. He represents South Cotabato’s Second District and is a member of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the political party chaired nationally by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Quezon Second District Rep. David “Jayjay” Suarez, a
senior member of Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats, was then elected deputy speaker to fill the position vacated by Hernandez. Suarez previously held the senior deputy speaker post from July until November. Role of the senior deputy speaker
The senior deputy speaker is the highest ranking among deputy speakers. The position is next in protocol to the Speaker and is responsible for presiding over sessions in the Speaker’s absence, helping manage plenary debates and ensuring the continuity of legislative business.
Under House rules, deputy speakers are elected by a majority of members present, provided there is a quorum.
The senior deputy speaker coordinates with other deputy speakers, represents the House in official functions and assists in shepherding priority measures through the plenary.
Hernandez’s legislative background Hernandez previously served in Congress from
2013 to 2022 before returning in 2025. His background includes positions with the Office of the President, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. He took his oath before Speaker Dy following his election.
Suarez remains in leadership
Suarez, a former Quezon governor and vice governor, remains part of the Dy leadership team despite moving to a lower presiding officer rank. His appointment as deputy speaker maintains representation for Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats within the House majority coalition.
The leadership adjustments reflect efforts to align party blocs within the House while retaining experienced presiding officers. Both Hernandez and Suarez continue to play visible roles in the management of House proceedings and in representing their respective constituencies as the Twentieth Congress advances its legislative agenda. n
More skeletal remains found in Taal Lake in missing sabungeros search
by Zacarian Sarao Inquirer.net
MANILA — Fifty-seven more skeletal remains have been recovered from Taal Lake in November, said the Department of Justice on Thursday, November 20, as the search for the remains of the missing sabungeros (cockfighting aficionados) continued.
According to DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez, in a press conference, that 57 skeletal remains were recovered in three separate operations in the lake.
“This is following the resumption of the investigation and dive operations, which were suspended because of recent typhoons and volcanic conditions in the area,” said Martinez.
On Nov. 6, 25 pieces of human skeletal remains were collected, six pieces were recovered on November 17 and 26 more pieces were collected on November 18.
Martinez also noted that the bones discovered on Nov. 17
included several items, namely, black pants with a black belt, white underwear, and a single “cut wheat flour cloth.”
It was whistleblower Julie Patidongan who first revealed that all the missing sabungeros had been killed and buried beneath Taal Lake in Batangas
The government then began its search for the remains on July 10.
Patidongan then later claimed that businessman Atong Ang, Claudine Barretto, an ex-judge, a former local government official, and several police officers were also involved in the case. n
File photo of members of the Philippine Coast Guard deploying in the waters of Taal Lake off Talisay town in Batangas province on Thursday ahead of an organized search for the remains of dozens of cockfighting aficionados missing since 2021 to 2022. Inquirer.net file photo
ICI reviews Bernardo’s claim tagging 3 more senators
by Kathleen de Villa, Mary Joy Salcedo Inquirer.net
MANILA — The plan of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to recommend this week a new set of charges against three more senators has been delayed.
ICI Chair Andres Reyes Jr. told reporters Wednesday that the probe body will still have to “reevaluate” the affidavits submitted by former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, one of the officials so far found to have criminal and administrative liability over several anomalous flood control projects, before it comes up with recommendations to the Office of the Ombudsman against the unnamed legislators.
“We are evaluating everything because of the affidavit of (Bernardo). So we’re studying that. So we’ll have a delay of maybe 10 days… Hopefully, we’ll finish it,” he said in a media briefing.
The review will cover the first and second affidavits that the former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official presented before the commission when he appeared as a resource person in September.
The ICI chair last week said that the three senators are aside from incumbent Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, who were among the respondents in the ICI referral to the Ombudsman last Oct. 29.
Bernardo had skipped multiple scheduled appearances before the ICI in the last two months, citing medical reasons.
He was supposed to attend the hearings again this week, but did not appear on the grounds that he has applied to be admitted into the Witness Protection Program under Republic Act No. 6981.
A confidentiality clause in the law restrains Bernardo from disclosing further information related to his application as a state witness, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka had explained.
During the resumption of the Senate blue ribbon panel’s inquiry into the flood-control projects scandal on Friday, Bernardo repeated his previous testimonies implicating former senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay, as well as incumbent Senators
Francis Escudero and Jinggoy Estrada, as among the legislators alleged to have received “commitments” or kickbacks from DPWH projects.
“Moving forward, expect more names to come out and more filings to follow. We will continue to work hard for the Filipino people,” Reyes vowed.
Lookout bulletin
Also on Wednesday, the ICI asked the Department of Justice (DOJ), through the Bureau of Immigration (BI), to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (Ilbo) against 17 individuals, including officers of Sunwest Inc., the construction firm founded by former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, in light of the criminal cases filed against them in the Sandiganbayan on Monday.
In a request letter addressed to DOJ officer in charge secretary acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, Reyes said the Ilbo request was in relation to the criminal cases filed on Tuesday by the Ombudsman at the Sandiganbayan against Co, several officials of the DPWH, and key officers of Co’s construction company Sunwest Inc.
An Ilbo enables the BI to monitor an individual’s travel and is different from a hold departure order, which the court issues to bar a person from leaving the country.
The Ilbos were requested for Sunwest president and chair Aderma Alcazar; treasurer Cesar Buenaventura, and board members Consuelo Aldon, Anthony Ngo, and Noel Cao.
The others were DPWH officers and personnel from the DPWH Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) office, including its regional director Gerald Pacanan; assistant regional directors Gene Ryan Altea and Ruben Santos Jr., bids
Corruption and economic...
PAGE 6
access money.
Petty theft is when bureaucrats steal, extort, or misuse small amounts of public funds. The bureaucrat is simply pocketing money or valuables for personal enrichment, without providing any service in return. Like grand theft, it is directly growth-damaging by draining public and private wealth.
and exacerbates inequality, the professor warns.
Corruption is conventionally defined as the abuse of public office for private gain. But Prof. Ang pointed out that in China, local bureaucrats know that it doesn’t pay to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Korea did but we can do much better with a bit of focus on industrializing the countryside, focusing on a few manufacturing activities… And we need to understand that many things the government is doing are useless or not a priority.
”
and awards committee (BAC) chair Dominic Serrano; BAC vice chair Friedrich Camero, project engineer III Felisardo Casuno; materials engineer Timojen Sacar; accountant IV Lerma Cayco, and BAC member Grace Lopez.
Also asked to be covered by an Ilbo were the officers in charge or heads of various DPWH divisions: Montrexis Tamayo (planning and design); Juliet Calvo (maintenance), and Dennis Abagon (quality assurance and hydrology).
“Given the seriousness of the charges and the ongoing proceedings, their participation remains essential and there is a reasonable possibility that they may attempt to leave the country while the cases are pending,” the ICI said in the request letter signed by Reyes.
It added that the prompt issuance of an Ilbo is necessary to avert any attempts to obstruct the proceedings and ensure continuity of the probe.
Meanwhile, among the next resource persons the ICI is looking to call in is Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Rolando Toledo, who was recently named officer in charge after Amenah Pangandaman stepped down, Reyes noted.
Co, in a series of videos on social media, implicated former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangdandaman as one of the Cabinet officials who supposedly relayed and confirmed the instruction of Marcos to insert pet projects amounting to P100 billion during the deliberations for the 2025 budget when he was chair of the House appropriations committee.
“We’d like to talk to the new one (DBM OIC),” Reyes said, adding that the ICI would like to get Toledo’s insights about the “budget process.” n
Grand theft is the embezzlement or misappropriation of large sums of public money by political elites who have control over state finances. It is perpetrated by high-ranking officials and political leaders, as opposed to street-level bureaucrats.
Grand theft also involves the manipulation of government policies or contracts. This form of corruption is directly growth-damaging because it drains the public treasury for no productive return.
Grand theft is a clearly illegal and outright abusive form of corruption. This describes what Marcos Sr. and his cronies did and now the trillion-peso flood projects scandal.
“Speed money” is the small, petty bribes paid to low-level bureaucrats to get around red tape and expedite a process. The intent is not to obtain exclusive privileges, but to speed up an otherwise slow or inefficient process.
“Access money,” involves high-stakes bribes to powerful officials for exclusive privileges and can have growth-enhancing, though risky, effects.
This “access money” corruption, Ang argues, has acted like “steroids for growth.” It funnels huge investments into major state-led or public-private projects (infrastructure, real estate, etc.), helping drive rapid expansion.
Yet this does not mean that “access money” is “good” for the economy – on the contrary, it distorts the allocation of resources, breeds systemic risks
Ang explains that in China, local governments compete for investments and it makes no sense to try to extort from a potential investor.
I saw this first hand as top provincial officials from different regions rolled out the red carpet for Carlos Chan who was looking for sites for Oishi factories all over China. They were on their best behavior.
It is so unlike here where LGUs and even barangay captains will extort as much as they can from an entrepreneur (kasi mayaman naman sila) to the point of extinguishing any enthusiasm of a potential investor.
Some of my economist friends say that perhaps, it is not so much that corruption deters serious economic growth but that we lack the right industrial policies and economic goals and the structures to carry these out. And we lack focus.
One economist in my Viber Group explains:
“Park in Korea understood immediately that the shortest way out of poverty and low income in the 1960s (they were below the Philippines) was industrialization and exports. Very clear, targeted and focused.
“Korea in the 1960s-70s did not have a much better government than the Philippines, and it was very corrupt. But the focus on manufacturing and exports put the economy on steroids (corruption included).
“Korea reached high income in less than 30 years. In our case, please read the current Philippine Development Plan.
A Christmas tree with over 350 targets. Absurd.
“Today, we cannot do what
Prof. Ang rejects simplistic conclusions about corruption being either “good” or “bad” for growth. All corruption is harmful, she says, but the harms of different forms of corruption manifest themselves in different ways.
Some may say some corruption in an authoritarian regime may result in high economic growth, but we have tried that route with the martial law regime of Marcos the First and miserably failed.
Corruption and crony incompetence were major causes of that failure. Same problem with Duterte’s Chinoy crony from Davao whose companies are now bleeding after Duterte left office.
Crony firms are mostly managed badly. They are just out to milk government support. When things go bad, the government has to bail out many of them.
To answer our original question: Corruption and development can probably co-exist but not in our country with the kind of politicians and greedy rent-seeking economic elite that we have.
We must work smarter, harder and with a sense of national purpose. Grand corruption in our context is equivalent to treason because it threatens the country’s survival, as it does now. It should be punishable by death. (Philstar. com)
* * *
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
Boo Chanco’s email address is bchanco@gmail.com. Follow him on X @boochanco
FINAL RESPECTS. Senate President Vicente Sotto III (center) leads the chamber in paying respects to the late former Senate President and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile during the necrological service at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday (Nov. 19, 2025). Enrile passed away on Nov. 13 at the age of 101. Contributed photo
Roberto Bernardo NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
Rosa Rosal, beloved actress and humanitarian icon, dies at 97
The award-winning actress and longtime Philippine Red Cross humanitarian leaves a national legacy rooted in compassion, credibility and devoted
by AJPress
ROSA Rosal, the postwar screen legend who became one of the Philippines’ most respected humanitarian figures, died on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan. She was 97.
A family member, broadcast journalist William Thio, confirmed that she died at 9:17 a.m. of septic shock due to pneumonia and kidney failure. Family members said she had been bedridden and fell critically ill the day before. The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), where Rosal served for decades, announced her passing and honored her as a pillar of its humanitarian programs.
The PRC said Rosal dedicated more than seventy years to public service, describing her as a guiding force in voluntary blood donation and a trusted face of national relief efforts. Tributes from government agencies, civic groups and colleagues in entertainment and public service highlighted her compassion, credibility and lifelong commitment to those in need.
From Golden Age cinema to national recognition
Born Florence Lansang Danon on October 16, 1928, Rosal grew up in Manila with Kapampangan, French and Egyptian ancestry. After World War II she worked at San Lazaro Hospital, where her presence reportedly caught the attention of filmmaker Luis Nolasco during a film shoot. She made her screen debut in 1946 in Fort Santiago and later signed with LVN Pictures, becoming one of the most recognizable stars of the postwar era.
Ellen Adarna
goes public with
cheating allegations against
Derek Ramsay,
praises ex John Lloyd Cruz as very present father
by AJPress
public service
Rosal became known for depth and versatility in films such as Anak Dalita (1956), Badjao (1957) and Biyaya ng Lupa(1959). In 1955 she won the FAMAS Best Actress Award for Sonny Boy, a role that cemented her status as one of the leading actresses of Philippine cinema’s Golden Age. She later transitioned to television, which expanded her reach to households across the country.
A lifetime of service with the Red Cross Rosal’s humanitarian work began in the early 1950s when she volunteered with the Philippine National Red Cross blood program. In 1965 she was elected to the organization’s Board of Governors, a position she would hold for decades. Her celebrity status helped bring national attention to blood donation, and she led drives in schools,
and communities across the Philippines.
Beyond blood services, Rosal advocated for vulnerable women and children. She supported crisis assistance for unwed and disadvantaged pregnant women and helped place children in foster homes. She also managed scholarships for low income students, quietly connecting benefactors with deserving youth.
Her public service reached millions through programs such as Damayan and Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko, long running shows known for mobilizing medical and financial assistance for patients in need. These programs helped cement Rosal’s reputation as a reliable and compassionate advocate who used television to bring urgency to the plight of ordinary Filipinos.
For her decades of work, Rosal received the Ramon
ACTRESS Ellen Adarna has publicly accused her husband, actor Derek Ramsay, of cheating on her. She released screenshots, dated message exchanges and a recorded argument that she described as her receipts. Ramsay has denied the allegation and said he never cheated. The couple’s separation and living arrangements have since become a subject of wide public discussion.
Adarna also received attention for praising her former partner John Lloyd Cruz, the father of her son Elias. She described him in a media interview as honest, responsible and consistently present for their child.
Screenshots and early signs of marital strain
On November 17, Adarna posted a series of Instagram Stories that included screenshots of what she said were messages between Ramsay and another woman. She told followers that the content of the messages confirmed concerns she had carried for a long time. She said she chose not to confront Ramsay directly and instead released the screenshots publicly because she believed the timestamps and the content were clear.
Adarna said she experienced what she described as gaslighting. According to her, she was made to feel unreasonable or jealous for questioning Ramsay’s communication with another woman. She clarified that the woman she referred to is not any of Ramsay’s previous public partners.
She also said that she and Ramsay have not lived together for some time. She stated that she sought assistance from local authorities
in previous weeks and that Ramsay had already moved out of their home.
Argument video posted by Adarna
As reactions intensified, Adarna released a video of an argument that she said took place while she was six months pregnant with their daughter. In the video, a man identified by her as Ramsay can be heard calling her “duwag,” (coward) along with comments that she described as saying she was all talk. She said she shared the recording to show what she considered the emotional difficulty of the relationship.
Adarna also said in her posts that Ramsay had once suggested he may have been affected by what he believed to be “kulam,” or a curse, something she said he associated with a former partner. She stressed that she is not accusing anyone of physical
stated that no one is battered.
Ramsay denies cheating Ramsay issued short public comments denying the allegation. He stated that he did not cheat and that this is the truth. In another message that circulated online, he was quoted saying that he and Adarna had been separated for several months and that she learned certain information only weeks earlier. Adarna reposted those statements along with her own captions that emphasized the dates and timestamps of her screenshots.
As of this writing, Ramsay has not released a detailed statement addressing the screenshots, the argument video or Adarna’s additional claims. No legal action relating to the cheating allegation has been publicly announced by either party.
Ellen Adarna and Derek Ramsay with their children during their wedding.
Photo from Ellen Adarna’s Facebook page violence and
Rosa Rosal through the years: a young star of LVN Pictures during Philippine cinema’s Golden Age, a respected humanitarian leader with the Philippine Red Cross, and a Philippine Postal Corporation commemorative stamp honoring her contributions to film and public service.
Photos courtesy of LVN Pictures archival still; Philippine Red Cross archives; PHLPost commemorative stamp
Jimuel Pacquiao, partner Carolina welcome first child
by Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net
JIMUEL Pacquiao and his partner Carolina are officially parents as the latter already gave birth to their firstborn, a baby girl.
The child’s arrival was announced by Jimuel’s mom, Jinkee Pacquiao, through her Instagram page on Thursday, Nov. 20.
“Lord, thank you!” Jinkee said while showing the couple at a hospital in Los Angeles, California.
Aside from Jinkee, Carolina’s family was also present to assist the pair at the hospital. It was not immediately known if Jimuel’s dad, Manny Pacquiao, was also with them.
In a separate post shared by Jinkee’s twin sister, Janet Jamora, the first time grandmother was seen all smiles with Jimuel and Carolina, while the baby is wrapped in
a blanket on her mom’s chest.
Jimuel and Carolina made their romance public last May, with Jinkee sharing photos of the couple holding each other’s hands and bonding with the Pacquiao family.
Jimuel’s family met with Carolina’s family in July which fueled speculations of
engagement. Rumors that the couple was expecting their first child also arose at the time.
Jinkee then confirmed in October that Carolina was pregnant. The celebrity mom also revealed her first grandchild’s gender in the same month.
Kaye Abad loses bag, passport to Las Vegas thieves
by Jan Milo SeVero Philstar.com
MANILA — Actress Kaye Abad fell victim to thieves in Las Vegas as she lost her bag and passport.
On her Facebook account, Kaye said that her supposed fun Las Vegas trip with husband Paul Jake Castillo and their two sons become an unfortunate experience.
"We went to Vegas para magbakasyon and isuroy ang kids. Never did I think that one of the places I’d end up visiting was the police station," Kaye captioned her post.
"My bag was stolen inside the car. With all my IDs and 2 passports. (never leave [yo]ur bags inside the car) we just had lunch for 1 hr. And this happened," she added.
Kaye said that she still believed that everything happens for a reason, "Anyways, lesson learned. I still believe that everything happens for a reason. Kung ano man ang reason NYA." "Iniisip ko nalang everything can be replaced.
Importante my family is safe. God is good," Kaye ended.
Eman Bacosa Pacquiao joins show biz as he signs with GMA’s Sparkle
by jessicA Ann evAngelistA Inquirer.net
EMAN Bacosa Pacquiao, the 21-year-old son of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, has officially signed with Sparkle GMA Artist Center, marking a new chapter as he ventures into show biz while continuing his boxing career.
Sparkle GMA Artist Center welcomed Pacquiao to their family through a post on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
“Welcome to Sparkle, Eman Bacosa Pacquiao,” read the caption. “With his charm, discipline, and growing presence, Eman is ready to carve his own path in the industry! We’re excited to support his journey and see what’s ahead.”
Photos of the young boxing champ’s exclusive-contract signing were also posted on the talent agency’s Instagram page.
Eman is Manny’s son with Joanna Rose Bacosa. He started boxing at age 9, inspired by his father, and has steadily built his record. His most recent fight was during the “Thrilla in Manila 2” event.
In a recent interview with Jessica Soho, Eman opened up about his relationship with Manny, sharing that while they have a good relationship,
he prefers to use his mother’s last name.
Eman’s interview on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” also made headlines after he revealed that his celebrity crush is Kapuso actress Jillian Ward, who is also a Sparkle talent.
When asked to rate how strongly he’d like to court
Ward, Eman gave a “5” out of 10 as he extended a message to the young actress, saying, “Hi po! Sana magkita po tayo.” Eman is also currently gaining the attention of netizens for his striking resemblance to Piolo Pascual. The two recently met and had a friendly sparring match.
'Brutal but worth it': Nic Chien undergoes top surgery
by KriStofer Purnell Philstar.com
MANILA — Young actor Nic Chien, son of Broadway star Lea Salonga, revealed he managed to undergo chest reconstruction or top surgery.
In celebration of Transgender Awareness Week, Nic shared on Instagram photos of his surgery and recovery from the past month.
Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1999. She was later honored with the Order of the Golden Heart from the Philippine government and the UP Gawad Plaridel for her contributions to public service broadcasting. Reader’s Digest Asia named her the most trusted Filipino in 2010.
Family and personal life
Rosal married American pilot Walter Gayda in the 1950s. The marriage was brief but produced her only child, television host Toni
Rose Gayda. Rosal rebuilt her life in the Philippines, raising her daughter with the support of her mother while continuing her work in film and humanitarian service.
Rosal is survived by her daughter Toni Rose and her grandson Edward John Lim. She was predeceased by her grandson Edward James Lim, who died in 2010.
A legacy that endures Rosa Rosal’s life spanned more than six decades of film, television and humanitarian leadership. While she
was celebrated for her artistry, it was her service to others that defined her public legacy. Generations remember her gentle appeals for blood donors, her visits to hospitals and her unwavering advocacy for vulnerable communities. The systems she helped build remain part of the country’s humanitarian backbone. Her example of compassion and integrity continues to guide the work of those she inspired, ensuring that her legacy endures long after the cameras stopped rolling.
"Been waiting to heal enough to post a nice looking picture of myself," Nic wrote in the post's caption. "The healing process was brutal! But worth it."
Nic also took the opportunity to say undergoing top surgery has done wonders for his gender dysphoria and overall mental health.
"Not having to wear a binder, be afraid of judgment, and being able to be shirtless has been one of the most gratifying things EVER," Nic said.
The actor expressed gratitude for being able to receive gender affirming care, and hoped that recounting his experiences helped show the importance of such topics.
He ended his post acknowledging the support of his parents, Lea and entrepreneur Robert Chien.
Earlier this year Nic appeared in "Into the Woods" as Jack alongside Lea's The Witch for
Theatre Group Asia. He was just announced as part of the cast of The Sandbox Collective's "Spring Awakening", alternating the role of Moritz Stiefel "Bar Boys: The Musical" actor Omar Uddin.
In celebration of Transgender Awareness Week, Nic Chien shared photos of his surgery and recovery from the past month. Nic Chien Photo from Instagram/@nicchien.official
(From left) Carolina, Jimuel Pacquiao and Jinkee Pacquiao. Photo from Instagram/@jinkeepacquiao, @janet_jumalon79
Now based in Cebu, Kaye Abad is a doting and loving wife to husband Paul Jake Castillo and their children Joaquin and Iñigo. The STAR / File
Eman Bacosa Pacquiao Photos from Instagram/@sparklegmaartistcenter
Ahtisa Manalo comes home to overwhelming support from fans
by HAnnAH mAlloRcA Inquirer.net
DESPITE not winning the Miss Universe crown, Ahtisa Manalo felt like a queen upon coming home to overwhelming support from fans.
Manalo arrived in the Philippines via Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at around dawn, and was greeted by a crowd of fans, members of the press, and pageant vloggers, aiming to get a chance to see her up close.
The pageant veteran, who looked regal in a brown Filipiniana-inspired mini dress, was accompanied by Miss Universe Philippines (MUPh) organization EVP Voltaire Tayag at the airport.
“What an incredible welcome! Fans and media gathered in numbers to greet Miss Universe 2025 3rd Runner-Up Ahtisa Manalo, showing just how deeply Filipinos celebrate their queen,” the MUPh said.
In a separate clip, Manalo was also greeted by signs from airport staff, and was seemingly amused after seeing fans and the media pushing to get a closer look at her.
“The energy was unmatched. An overwhelming wave of fans and media greeted Miss Universe 2025 3rd Runner-Up Ahtisa Manalo, a testament to the love she inspires. The Philippines is beyond proud!” MUPh’s post read.
A veteran in her own right, Manalo has been competing in pageants for 18 years before arriving at her “ultimate destination” of representing the Philippines on the Miss Universe stage. She eventually finished as third runner-up, despite being touted as one of the favorites to take home the crown after her strong performance at the preliminary competition.
She also joined Miss International 2018 and Miss Cosmo 2024, where she finished first runner-up and Top 10, respectively.
The Miss Universe Philippines confirmed that the global tilt will be her final foray into pageantry, and that she would continue with her work for the nonprofit organization Alon Akademie.
Ellen Adarna goes public with cheating allegations...
Ramsay and Adarna married in November 2021. They share a daughter, Liana, who was born in 2024. Adarna’s son Elias is from her previous relationship with actor John Lloyd Cruz.
Adarna praises John Lloyd Cruz as a present father
In a media interview, Adarna said she has nothing but good things to say about Cruz. She described him as an honest and responsible father and said he is consistently present in Elias’s life. She recalled that Cruz made
efforts to attend important milestones for their son and remained engaged even during periods that required logistical challenges.
Adarna and Cruz have been co-parenting Elias since their separation and maintain a cooperative arrangement for his upbringing.
A public conflict with an uncertain path forward
Adarna’s decision to release screenshots, timestamps and a personal video to the public sparked wide reactions online that ranged from expressions of support
Mr. M set to build a worldclass,‘in-your-face’ artist center
by PAt-P DAzA Philstar.com
AT 78 years old, director and star-maker Johnny Manahan — better known in the industry as Mr. M — shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he has embarked on a new chapter in his storied career, signing a contract with MQuest Ventures and MQuest Artists Agency (MQAA) as part of a shared vision to develop and champion world-class Filipino talent.
The contract signing, held on Nov. 6 at the TV5 Media Center, brought together a powerhouse group led by Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP), chairman of MediaQuest Holdings; Jane Basas, president and CEO of MediaQuest Holdings and Cignal TV; Sienna Olaso, first vice president of Cignal TV, Inc.; and Jeffrey Remigio, head of MQAA.
Mr. M shared that he and MVP had been in talks as early as the pandemic, a period when he kept busy doing domestic chores — cleaning floors, washing dishes and tidying the house. Although the timing was not right then, he said that “all roads seemed to have led (him) to TV5” in the years that followed.
“The partnership feels like a natural fit for me,” he said. “MQuest Ventures shares the same passion I’ve always had for discovering, developing and celebrating great Filipino talent. I am excited to collaborate with this incredible team and help create opportunities that inspire.”
drivers of content.
Basas also expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, acknowledging Mr. M’s legacy in shaping the Philippine entertainment landscape. She shared that his commitment to building talent aligns perfectly with MQuest’s goal of creating and nurturing a world-class home for artists.
Never be late for your call time.
Come to work prepared. When asked to name his favorite actors, he cited Piolo Pascual, Jericho Rosales and John Lloyd Cruz. As for his favorite actresses, he playfully declined to answer, saying, “I know girls get more jealous.”
to calls for both parties to handle the matter privately. Many comments focused on the welfare of their children and encouraged a resolution away from social media. For now, the situation remains unresolved. Adarna maintains that her screenshots and videos reflect what she experienced. Ramsay maintains that he never cheated. With no formal proceedings or legal filings announced, the public continues to follow the story through posts, statements and brief interviews from both sides.
MVP expressed his full support, reiterating his longheld belief in the artistry and potential of Filipino talent. With the many companies under the MVP Group, he emphasized that there will be numerous platforms for artists to shine. He even joked that he and Mr. M share more than just a vision and a work ethic — they also share their age!
According to Mr. M, MVP gave him a clear mandate: to build a world-class, “inyour-face” artist center that will discover, train and elevate Filipino performers. MVP himself noted that talent is the industry’s most valuable asset — they are the creators, storytellers and
Already, Mr. M’s latest project, “Vibe,” has been gaining traction. The musical-variety program, which he directs, is an OPM countdown show driven entirely by fan votes, determining the week’s Top 10 songs. With a main Sunday show, weekday programs and a Saturday recap, “Vibe” provides a dynamic platform for both emerging and established artists. MVP himself expressed his delight at the show’s performance. It was refreshing to see Mr. M in the spotlight for once. Having known him for over two decades, I can say he has always preferred to stay behind the scenes, keeping a low profile. But at the press conference, all eyes were on him. He graciously answered questions from the press in his signature style: short, sweet and honest. He even participated in a pictorial for his official photos before the media event.
As expected of a renowned star-maker, Mr. M was asked what it takes to become a star. He shared two simple but essential rules:
The contract signing was attended by members of the print media, bloggers and several MQAA artists, including Cedric Juan, Dylan Menor, Ryle Santiago, Sam Coloso, Inday Fatima, Queenay, Ryrie Sofia and Zion Cruz.
With Mr. M now part of MQuest, it seems only a matter of time before we see even more of our favorite stars showcased across the various platforms of TV5 and Cignal TV. This partnership promises to bring about a new era of Filipino talent, combining Mr. M’s decades of experience and mentorship with the innovative resources and wide-reaching platforms of MQuest. It’s clear that this is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter — one that will likely have a lasting impact on the entertainment industry and continue to elevate Filipino artists on a global stage. And with Mr. M’s guidance, it will be just as exciting to see a new generation of stars emerge, ready to take their place in the spotlight with his expert mentorship and support.
Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Ahtisa Manalo.
Photos from Instagram/@themissuniverseph
Director-star-maker Johnny ‘Mr. M’ Manahan has embarked on a new chapter in his storied career, signing a contract with MQuest Ventures and MQuest Artists Agency (MQAA) as part of a shared vision to develop and champion world-class Filipino talent. At 78, he shows no signs of slowing down.
PhiliP S. ChuA, MD, FACS, FPCS
AS the world ushers in the age of Artificial Intelligence, allow me to take you back in time to revisit some of the great moments in medical science, which made possible the great strides man has made in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases that benefit all of us today. I had the great fortune and privilege in 1972 to train as a Fellow in Cardiac Surgery under one of the world’s giants of heart surgery, Dr. Denton A. Cooley, founder and cardiac surgeon-in-chief of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.
The management of heart diseases was still in the Dark Ages during my undergraduate years in the late 50s. Physicians then did not know how to treat heart diseases, much less save the lives of patients with these ailments. Looking back, the physicians at that time did not even know that simple aspirin had any potential role in the prevention or treatment of heart attacks. Treatment was mainly symptomatic, using pain pills or pain shots. The most sophisticated pill was the nitrate pill, a vasodilator that “relaxes open” the coronary artery, since the “current” knowledge in physiology then said angina pectoris (chest pain) was due to spasm in the coronary arteries, which supply the heart muscles with oxygen and nutrition.
The first milestone that started it all was in 1628 when an English physician first described blood circulation. Inspired by that, these historical events followed:
1706 - Raymond de Vieussens, a French anatomy professor, first described the structure of the heart’s chambers and vessels.
1733 - Stephen Hales, an English clergyman and scientist, first measured blood pressure.
1816 - René T. H. Laennec, a French physician, invented the first stethoscope.
1903 - Eillem Einthoven, a Dutch physician, developed the first electrocardiogram.
1912 - James B. Herrick, an American physician, first described heart disease resulting from hardening of the arteries, a fundamental concept that led to the modern therapy of today.
1938 - Robert E. Gross, an American surgeon, performed the first heart surgery (closed-heart, not open-heart).
Pre-AI era
1951 - Charles Hufnagel, an American surgeon, developed a plastic valve to repair the aortic valve.
1952 - F. John Lewis, an American surgeon, performed the first successful open-heart surgery.
1953 - John H. Gibbon, an American surgeon, introduced the heart-lung machine (which he published as a concept in 1937) and first used this mechanical heart and “blood purifier” to do the first “real open heart surgery” utilizing the heart-lung machine, precursor of the modern-day cardiopulmonary bypass machine.
1950 - John Hopps, a Canadian, invented the external heart pacemaker. That same year, Willem Greatbatch introduced the concept of an implantable (internal) heart pacemaker.
1960 - The first self-contained implantable heart pacemaker made by Medtronic was inserted by W. C. Lillihei. Over the years, this has been improved, made more versatile, smaller, better, and longer-lasting.
1961 - J. R. Jude, an American cardiologist, led a team in performing the first external cardiac massage to restart the heart, the foundation for today’s CPR.
1960s - Denton A. Cooley of Houston, Texas, rose to world fame for his extraordinary dexterity in performing thousands of congenital heart surgeries in infants, and for being the first to successfully remove pulmonary emboli (clots in the lungs).
1965 - Michael De Bakey and Adrian Kantrowitz, American surgeons, implanted a mechanical device to help the diseased heart.
1967 - Christian Barnard of South Africa performed the first whole heart transplant from one person to another.
1968 - Denton Cooley performed the first heart transplant in the United States on a 47-year-old man, using a donor heart from a 15-year-old. The patient lived for 204 days. He had done 22 heart transplants over the next year, a record at the time.
1969 - Denton A. Cooley implanted the first artificial (mechanical) heart on a man to “tide him over” and keep him alive while waiting for a donor heart.
1972 - In the field of clinical application, Denton A. Cooley had, by this time, performed more than 10,000 open heart surgeries, more than any other surgeon in the world. That
year, in his honor, the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society was founded. Its members are more than 800 heart surgeons from 50 countries around the world, whom he trained at the Texas Heart Institute (THI) in Houston. (As a Filipino-American heart surgeon, I was truly humbled to be elected as its first president.) The THI has been doing more than 30 open-heart surgeries per day since then.
1970s - Michel Mirowski, M.D., and his associates, Morton Mower, Stephen Heilman, M.D., Alois Langer, PhD, and a company called Medrad in Pittsburgh, developed the automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator. In 1980, the prototype AICD was implanted at Johns Hopkins to prevent sudden cardiac death.
1982 - Willem DeVries, an American surgeon, implanted a permanent artificial heart, designed by Robert Jarvic, also an American physician. O. H. Frazier and his team under Dr. Cooley at the Texas Heart Institute have performed more than 600 heart transplants, and are doing extensive work on artificial (mechanical) hearts. Someday, they will be available on the shelf like pacemakers today, and heart bypass and cardiac valve surgeries will be a thing of the past.
A Crazy Idea
A most worthy pioneer was Werner Forssmann, who, as a surgical resident in Germany in 1929, experimented on himself by inserting a catheter through a vein in his arm and into his heart. He walked to the basement where the X-ray machine was, and X-rayed himself to prove that the catheter was in his heart. In another experiment, he injected dye into his heart through that catheter and took X-ray film. Many of his fellow physicians were outraged by his “daring and insane” acts.
This, by the way, was the origin of what we know today as coronary or heart angiogram or cardiac catheterization, which made possible life-saving procedures, like angioplasties and heart bypass surgeries, all over the world. Thanks to Forssmann’s “crazy idea.” In 1956, Forssmann was awarded a Nobel prize, shared with Dickinson Richards and Andre Cournand, physicians in New York who studied heart function and physiology using catheters.
NEXT WEEK: Part II – Conclusion
What Jericho Rosales learned after ‘Quezon’: ‘To
JERICHO Rosales is aware of the good, bad, and ugly reactions to “Quezon,” where he starred as the titular character, saying it was a film that taught him to be the bigger person.
The film made headlines after Manuel L. Quezon’s grandson Ricky Avanceña called out Rosales and its director Jerrold Tarog for allegedly disrespecting and distorting the former president’s legacy. This led to a swarm of mixed reactions from netizens on social media, with some speaking up in its defense.
“I did Manny Pacquiao, I did [Jesse] Robredo, but for ‘Quezon,’ ang daming lessons. It just really pushed me to become a bigger person,” he told reporters on the sidelines of Esquire Philippines’ Man at his Best award ceremony. “Someone kinder. I picked up wisdom talaga.”
“I learned to be more compassionate, humble, stronger, braver, and [have more] conviction. I never swayed and I learned about myself. It is what it is, we are actors and artists, and we serve the art,” he continued.
After the weeks-long promotion, Rosales has been more chill. Looking back, he admitted that “Quezon” was one of the films where he gave everything he had into sharing it to the public.
“We had more busy promotion days than shooting days, and I never promoted a film this much. It’s because I believe in the film
be the bigger person’
and I believe what it added to cinema. We welcomed naman everything,” he said.
“Open kami sa reactions so it was a very interesting year for me. I learned a lot. I became calmer, wiser, more understanding, more accepting, so there were a lot of big lessons. All good ones. I still believe in what we made, I love what we did, and I’m so honored to serve cinema and our audience, and to be a helper of history, “ he further added.
For now, the actor will be taking a short break in December to catch up on his private life and, according to him, “learn more” about himself and his craft. But when asked if there’s anything he wanted to change about what happened this year, he declared that he won’t change a “single thing.”
“Not a single thing. Really. I feel like I’m blessed beyond what I asked for in terms of the good, the heavy, and the light, everything. I learned so much this yea,r and I worked so hard this year. I want more. I want to learn
as a person,
One of the actor’s reported projects is a film with Anne Curtis, marking their reunion in 14 years since the Philippine adaptation of “Green Rose.” He clarified that he doesn’t want to disclose further details but he’s excited about it.
“I’m very excited. I’m nervous, just because it’s another big and bold move for me, and for my team also. But I’m really excited about it now that I’ve learned so much,” he said.
by HAnnAH mAlloRcA Inquirer.net
Jericho Rosales in a scene from “Quezon.”
Courtesy of TBA Studios
Jericho Rosales as Manuel L. Quezon in “Quezon” (2025). TBA Studios
Jericho Rosales during Esquire Philippines’ Man at his Best awards in Pasay City. Hannah Mallorca/INQUIRER.net more. I want to be even bigger
he said.
A Timely Gathering Amid Calls for Good Governance
rogelio ConStAntino MeDinA
A TIMELY Gathering Amid Calls for Good Governance
The recent Law and Governance Forum in Makati City stood as a premier convergence of legal wisdom, ethical leadership, and enlightened discourse.
Organized by Rising Tigers Magazine and its holding company TAG Media Group, in collaboration with the Embassy of Malaysia in the Philippines and the Carl E. Balita Review Center, the event highlighted the power of multi-sectoral cooperation. Together, these institutions created a platform where governance, diplomacy, media, and youth leadership intersect—an inspiring testament to how collaboration can elevate national conversations.
The speakers were as follows: Supreme Court Justice Midas Marquez; Justice Undersecretary Atty. Margarita Gutierrez, Congressman Brian Poe Llamanzares, Atty. Margarita Nograles, Atty. Lyca Balita, and Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Dato' Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino.
The forum was moderated by Engr. Grace Bondad Nicolas (President and Editor-in-Chief of Rising Tigers Magazine, and the first female President of the American Association of the Philippines) and Faye Arellano Marquez (Board Member of the Indonesia Philippines Business Association). Their presence brought depth and dynamism, reflecting Rising Tigers’ vision to highlight today’s most inspiring leaders.
The forum offered anoth-
er avenue for active citizenship—shaping dialogue, strengthening democratic institutions, and cultivating leaders who can guide the nation forward.
*
3rd Dangal ng Lahing Filipino Awards 2025
I was deeply honored to learn from Maria Liza F. Lorenzo that I will be recognized at the 3rd Dangal ng Lahing Filipino Awards 2025, to be held on November 23 at Lancaster Hotel, Mandaluyong City.
To my surprise, I will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Freelance Journalism.
The organizers shared this humbling tribute on their Facebook page:
“Honoring a Leader with a Heart to Serve! We are awarding Rogelio Constantino Medina the Lifetime Achievement Award for Most Outstanding Freelance Journalist of the Year. His work goes beyond titles; he serves with compassion, integrity, and genuine concern for others. Through his dedication, he has touched countless lives and inspired many to lead with kindness and purpose. Congratulations, Sir! Your legacy of service is truly worthy of recognition.”
Other awardees include Director Romm Burlat, Elia Ilano, Camille Postolero, Jigo Postolero, Nanette Medina, Tonz Llander Are, Cyline Emerlli Tabares, Cyean Ernest Gabrielle Tabares, Joselito Alamares, Darwin Leonardo Granados, Ronald Timogan, Leah Deang Ocampo, Hannah Marie Alejandro, Jefrey Hernandez, Jinwen Emei Sumanda, Nicol Ramador, and Sixteen P. Ablero, among others.
Two Pinoys Shine at SXSW in Austin, Texas
Two Filipino artists, Kimmortal and Muri, made
waves at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas—a globally recognized celebration of technology, film and TV, music, education, and culture.
• Kimmortal (Kim Villagante): A Filipino-Canadian musician, singer-songwriter, and visual artist based in Vancouver.
Muri (Muriel Gonzales): A Filipino indie R&B/soul-pop singer-songwriter and violinist, also a member of The Ransom Collective. She has gained international recognition for her soulful melodies and genre-blending artistry. In March 2025, CITEM supported her exposure through its benchmarking mission at SXSW.
Founded in 1987, SXSW has become a premier destination for global professionals to network, discover talent, and achieve creative goals. It is renowned for launching careers and shaping cultural trends, while generating hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact for Austin annually.
The 2026 SXSW is scheduled for March 12–18 at Brazos Hall, 800 Congress, and The Downright. *
First Lady Trump & Second Lady Vance in North Carolina
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Usha Vance spent time with military members and their families in North Carolina this holiday season, express-
ing appreciation for their service.
Their engagements included activities with students on base, focusing on children’s education initiatives. The day concluded with formal remarks to a large gathering of service members and military families at a hangar in Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River.
* * *
Dr. Sonny de Guzman Installed as MCC President
A historic milestone for Mabalacat City College (MCC) unfolded during the 2025 Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU) National Conference at The Heritage Hotel Manila, as Dr. Sonny N. De Guzman was formally invested as MCC President.
The solemn ceremony was led by Dr. Raymundo P. Arcega, CESE (President of
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general
ALCU), alongside Jose Francisco “Kiko” B. Benitez (Secretary of TESDA) and Henry Rhoel Aguda (Secretary of DICT). Their participation underscored the importance of strong leadership and collaboration between local colleges and national institutions in advancing education and innovation.
This investiture marked a defining moment in MCC’s journey, symbolizing renewed commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community service under Dr. De Guzman’s leadership.
* * *
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
rogeliocmedina@yahoo.com
medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.
* * *
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United
States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, pugilist Muhammad Ali, David Letterman, distinguished educators, scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today. SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com. On Amazon.com, search for “Where is My America?” Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.
Asian Journal columnist Rogelio Constantino Medina.
Grace Bondad Nicolas, editor in chief of Rising Tigers Magazine.
Malaysian Ambassador Dato' Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino.
Supreme Court Justice Midas Marquez
Filipino artist Muri, or Muriel Gonzales.
Filipino Canada-based artist Kimmortal, or Kim Villagante.
US First Lady Melania Trump (right) with Second Lady Usha Vance
Mabalacat City College President Dr. Sonny N. De Guzman (seated) with TESDA Secretary Kiko Benitez (in blue barong).
