MAYNILA. Nagsampa ng kasong graft ang Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) sa Office of the Ombudsman laban sa 20 opisyal ng ahensiya at apat na kontratista kaugnay ng umano’y maanomalyang flood control projects sa Bulacan.
Pinangunahan ni DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon ang pagsasampa ng kaso na kinabibilangan ng malversation through falsification of public documents, paglabag sa Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, at paglabag sa Government Procurement Act.
Kabilang sa mga pinangalanang respondents ang St. Timothy Construction Corporation na kinakatawan ni Sarah Discaya; dating DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara; at dating Bulacan 1st District assistant engineers Brice Hernandez at Jaypee Mendoza.
Kasama rin sa mga sinampahan ng kaso ang mga opisyal ng DPWH na sina John Michael Ramos, Ernesto Galang, Lorenzo Pagtalunan, Norberto Santos, Jaime Hernandez, Floralyn Simbulan, Juanito Mendoza, Roberto Roque, Jolo Tayao, Benedict Matarawan, Christina Mae Pineda, Paul Jayson Duya, Merg Laus, Jaron Laus, Lemuel Roque, Arjay Domasig, John Carlo Rivera, John Francisco, at iba pang hindi pa pinapangalanang John Does at Jane Does.
Nakabilang din sa mga kinasuhan ang SYMS Construction Trading na kinakatawan ni Sally Santos; Wawao Builders na kinakatawan ni Mark Allan Arevalo; at IM Construction Corporation na kinakatawan ni Robert Imperio.
Ayon kay Dizon, ang mga kaso ay kaugnay ng limang flood control projects na pinaniniwalaang maanomaliya. Tiniyak niya na hindi rito nagtatapos ang imbestigasyon. “Simula pa lamang ito at marami pa kaming pananagutin,” aniya, kasabay ng anunsyo na sisimulan na rin ang proseso ng pagsibak sa mga sangkot.
BRASILIA. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced on Thursday to 27 years and three months in prison after being convicted of plotting a coup to stay in power following his defeat in the 2022 election. The landmark ruling, delivered by a panel of five Supreme Court justices, makes Bolsonaro the first former president in Brazil’s history to be convicted for attacking democracy.
Justice Carmen Lucia, who voted to convict, said the trial symbolized a confrontation with Brazil’s troubled political legacy. “This criminal case is almost a meeting between Brazil and its past, its present and its future,” she declared, adding that Bolsonaro acted “with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions.”
Four of the five justices found Bolsonaro guilty of five crimes: participation in an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently abolish democracy, organizing a coup, and damaging government property and cultural assets. One justice, Luiz Fux, dissented and questioned the court’s jurisdiction, a move that could open the door to appeals and prolong the legal battle.
The conviction adds to Bolsonaro’s growing list of legal setbacks. In 2023, Brazil’s electoral court barred him from holding public office until 2030 over repeated unfounded claims about the country’s electronic voting system. Despite this, Bolsonaro has said he intends to run in the 2026 election. “They want to get me out of the political game next year,” he told Reuters recently. “Without me in the race, Lula could beat anyone.”
The ruling also reverberated internationally. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Bolsonaro, denounced the verdict as “a terrible thing” and suggested it was “very bad for Brazil.” Trump had previously criticized the case as a “witch hunt” and imposed sanctions, tariff hikes, and visa restrictions against Brazilian justices. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the criticism on X, saying the court had “unjustly ruled” and warning that the United States “will respond accordingly.”
Bolsonaro’s son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, said from the U.S. that he expected Trump to escalate sanctions against Brazil and its judiciary.
The court also convicted seven of Bolsonaro’s allies, including five military officers, marking the first time since the republic’s founding almost 140 years ago that members of the armed forces have been punished for attempting to overthrow democracy. Historian Carlos Fico of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro said the verdict was unprecedented: “The trial is a wake-up call for the armed forces. They must be realizing that something has changed, given that there was never any punishment before, and now there is.”
Bolsonaro, a 70-year-old former army captain, rose from the political fringes in the 1980s to build a formidable conservative coalition that reshaped Brazil’s Congress. His presidency was marked by skepticism toward COVID-19 vaccines, environmental deregulation in the Amazon, and increasingly polarizing rhetoric, including his claim in 2021 that his future held only three outcomes: “being arrested, killed, or victory.”
His conviction is being seen as a critical test of Brazil’s democratic resilience. Gleisi Hoffmann, Institutional Relations Minister under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, welcomed the decision: “Bolsonaro’s conviction ensures that no one dares again to attack the rule of law or the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box.”
The sentencing of Bolsonaro and his allies reflects Brazil’s judiciary’s aggressive approach under Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has spearheaded actions against misinformation, coup plots, and far-right attacks on institutions. The decision signals that Brazil’s courts are prepared to hold even its most powerful political figures accountable for threats to democracy.
MAYNILA. Maglalabas ngayong Miyerkules, Setyembre 11, ng show cause order ang Commission on Elections (Comelec) laban kay Centerways Construction president Lawrence Lubiano kaugnay ng umano’y paglabag sa election laws.
Ipapaliwanag ni Lubiano kung bakit hindi siya dapat kasuhan ng election offense matapos ang pagbibigay ng donasyon sa noo’y senatorial candidate at ngayo’y Senador Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
Ayon kay Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, kapag nakapagsumite na ng sagot ang contractor, susunod na hihingan ng paliwanag si Escudero. “May apat na kumandidatong senador ang nakatanggap ng campaign donation mula sa mga kontratista,” ani Garcia.
Dagdag pa niya, uunahin nilang pagpaliwanagin si Lubiano bago isunod ang iba pang contractors na nagbigay rin ng kontribusyon sa mga kandidato sa 2022 elections.
Kinumpirma ni Escudero na tumanggap ang kanyang kampanya ng P30 milyong donasyon mula sa Centerways Construction, ngunit itinanggi niya ang pag-impluwensya upang makakuha ng malalaking flood-control projects ang kompanya.
Samantala, sinabi ni Garcia na may siyam pang contractors na natukoy bilang donors ng mga kandidato, dahilan upang umabot na sa 52 ang kabuuang bilang ng mga kontratistang nagsumite ng kontribusyon sa iba’t ibang kandidato noong 2022.
Kabilang sa mga tumanggap ng donasyon ang ilang kandidato sa pagka-senador, party-lists, gobernador, at bise gobernador.
KATHMANDU, Nepal. Soldiers patrolled the streets of Nepal’s capital on Wednesday after two days of deadly unrest that toppled the government, left 25 people dead, and saw protesters set government buildings on fire.
Armed troops ordered residents to stay home as they secured key areas of Kathmandu, checking vehicles and dispersing crowds. The military, which is rarely deployed in domestic unrest, stepped in late Tuesday after police failed to contain escalating violence sparked by a government ban on social media.
The protests, dubbed the “Gen Z protest,” began Monday when authorities blocked platforms including Facebook, X, and YouTube, accusing companies of failing to register under new oversight rules. Police opened fire during early demonstrations, killing 19 protesters and fueling broader anger that culminated in Tuesday’s attacks on government institutions.
The death toll rose to 25, with 633 people injured, according to the Health Ministry.
Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli resigned on Tuesday as unrest intensified. President Ram Chandra Poudel asked him to head a transitional government, but Oli fled his official residence, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Representatives of the protest movement met with senior military officials on Wednesday to discuss an interim leadership. Some proposed Sushila Karki, Nepal’s only female former chief justice, as a transitional leader. “We have proposed to military leaders that Karki head an interim government,” said protest representative Rehan Raj Dangal. However, other demonstrators outside the army headquarters opposed the choice.
Karki, who served as chief justice from 2016 to 2017, was widely regarded as a popular and reformist figure.
Meanwhile, soldiers intervened to stop a jailbreak in central Kathmandu on Wednesday after inmates overpowered guards, set fire to buildings, and attempted to escape. Troops fired warning shots and transferred inmates to other facilities. No casualties were reported.
Protesters also attacked leading political figures. Videos shared online showed Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, being beaten and bleeding before being escorted to safety. The Congress party, Nepal’s largest, is part of the ruling coalition.
Fires were set at the parliament building, the presidential house, the central secretariat, the prime minister’s residence, and the offices of major ministries. Kantipur, the country’s largest media outlet, was also torched, while car showrooms and vehicles were destroyed across the city. Smoke was still visible from government buildings on Wednesday.
The demonstrations have highlighted deep frustration among young Nepalis over unemployment and political privilege. While youth unemployment stood at around 20% last year, more than 2,000 young people leave the country daily to seek work abroad, according to government estimates. Many protesters voiced anger at the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children, contrasting with the struggles of ordinary youth.
The unrest comes as Nepal’s government pushes a new social media regulation bill that critics say is aimed at censorship and silencing dissent. The proposed law would require platforms to establish local offices and comply with oversight rules. Rights groups warn the measure threatens freedom of expression.
Although the social media ban was lifted on Tuesday, protesters remained defiant, demanding systemic change and accountability from the political elite.
MAYNILA. Kinumpirma ng Department of Justice (DOJ) na nakapagsilbi na ng mga subpoena laban sa negosyanteng si Atong Ang, aktres na si Gretchen Barretto, retired Police General Jonnel Estomo at iba pang respondents kaugnay sa reklamong isinampa ng mga pamilya ng nawawalang sabungeros.
Sinimulan noong Martes ng gabi, Setyembre 9, ang pagsisilbi ng mga subpoena at nagpatuloy ito hanggang Miyerkules para sa mahigit 50 iba pa, kabilang ang 18 pulis, bilang bahagi ng preliminary investigation ng DOJ. Kabilang sa mga reklamong kinahaharap ang serious illegal detention, multiple murder at iba pang kaukulang kaso.
“Subpoenas have been issued from the preliminary report given by the National Prosecution Service as against the 59 or 60 respondents in the case of the missing sabungeros,” pahayag ni DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano.
Itinakda ang unang pagdinig sa Setyembre 18.
Samantala, patuloy ang search operations ng Philippine Coast Guard at iba pang law enforcement units sa Taal Lake, kung saan mas marami pang buto ng tao ang narekober. Ayon sa DOJ, kabilang dito ang mga bungo, tadyang at iba pang skeletal remains.
Noong Setyembre 5, nakakuha ang mga awtoridad ng hindi bababa sa 16 na buto, anim na sandbags at dalawang pirasong lubid.
Nitong Lunes, natagpuan ng mga divers ang isang pinong lambat, limang puting sako na naglalaman ng buto ng tao, isang puting t-shirt, isang maliit na itim na jacket, isang pink na tumbler at buhangin.
Pinakahuli noong Setyembre 9, isang sako na may 10 piraso ng buto ng tao, isang nylon rope at buhangin ang nakuha sa lawa.
BACOLOD CITY. Nilusob ng mga kasapi ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Negros ang opisina ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) sa lungsod nitong Martes upang igiit ang buong accounting ng flood control projects na nagkakahalaga umano ng P7 bilyon.
Ayon sa grupo, sa kabila ng malaking pondo na inilaan, patuloy pa rin ang matinding pagbaha sa Bacolod na naglalagay sa panganib sa mga residente.
“Gusto namin ng accounting ng pera ng taumbayan,” pahayag ni Bayan Muna spokesperson Noly Rosales.
Binatikos din ng mga nagprotesta ang DPWH dahil sa umano’y kakulangan ng koordinasyon sa mga proyekto, na nagdulot pa ng pagbagsak ng ilang poste ng kuryente.
Kasabay nito, nanawagan ang grupo ng masusing pag-usig at pagkakakulong sa mga umano’y “corrupt” na opisyal ng DPWH at iba pang sangay ng pamahalaan. Kinuwestiyon din nila ang pananahimik ni Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya hinggil sa isyu.
OREM, Utah. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a prominent ally of former President Donald Trump and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University in what officials described as a political assassination.
Kirk, 31, was addressing more than 3,000 attendees at the opening stop of his “American Comeback Tour” when a single gunshot struck him in the neck around 12:20 p.m. local time. Videos posted online show Kirk collapsing as blood poured from his wound, sending the crowd fleeing. The Associated Press verified the footage was taken at the university’s Sorensen Center courtyard.
Authorities said the shot appeared to have been fired from a rooftop overlooking the event. Utah Governor Spencer Cox condemned the killing, declaring, “This is a dark day for our state, it’s a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination.”
Confusion surrounded the suspect’s status. Cox said a “person of interest” was in custody, while the Utah Department of Public Safety reported the gunman was still “at large.” FBI Director Kash Patel also posted that the shooter was in custody. Police have not released the identity of the suspect or confirmed a motive.
Just moments before the attack, Kirk was taking questions from the audience about mass shootings and gun violence. In one exchange, he responded, “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Seconds later, a shot rang out.
The university immediately evacuated the campus, canceled classes, and ordered remaining students and staff to shelter in place as heavily armed officers searched the area. Police were seen showing residents in nearby neighborhoods a photograph of a possible suspect.
Trump, who credited Kirk and his organization for mobilizing young voters during his successful reelection bid, mourned the loss in a statement on Truth Social: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.” Trump also ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff until Sunday in Kirk’s honor.
Kirk, who had 5.3 million followers on X and hosted “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast and radio program, rose to prominence by promoting conservative causes on college campuses and frequently clashing with liberal critics. His organization, Turning Point USA, has grown into the largest conservative youth network in the country.
Bipartisan condemnation of the shooting followed swiftly. Vice President JD Vance wrote on X, “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.” California Governor Gavin Newsom called the attack “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” while former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, herself a survivor of political gun violence, expressed condolences to Kirk’s family.
The killing adds to a troubling surge of political violence in the United States. In the past year alone, Trump survived two assassination attempts, while other officials from both parties—including Democratic lawmakers and state governors—have been targeted in shootings, arson attacks, and plots.
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event, said security was present but insufficient. “It seemed like it was a close shot,” he told Fox News. “Utah is one of the safest places on the planet, and so we just don’t have these types of things.”
LUCENA CITY. Isang 28-anyos na binata ang dinukot, inabuso at ninakawan ng tatlong lalaki sa Eco-Tourism Road, Barangay Ibabang Talim, nitong Lunes ng gabi.
Ayon sa salaysay ng biktima na itinago sa pangalang “Jake,” nakaparada ang kanyang kotse dakong alas-8:40 ng gabi nang biglang pasukin ng dalawang lalaki at pilitin siyang magmaneho patungo sa madilim na bahagi ng kalsada. Doon, sinalubong sila ng ikatlong suspek na umanong nagsagawa ng pang-aabuso sa biktima habang pinapanood ng dalawa pa.
Matapos ang insidente, tinangay ng mga salarin ang cellphone ng biktima na nagkakahalaga ng P45,000 at cash na P6,000 bago tumakas sakay ng motorsiklo patungo sa direksyon ng Sariaya, Quezon.
Patuloy ang imbestigasyon ng pulisya upang matukoy ang pagkakakilanlan ng tatlong suspek.
Male rape case
Samantala, iniimbestigahan ngayon ng mga awtoridad ang pagpatay sa isang principal ng Islamic school at Ustadz matapos matagpuan ang kanyang bangkay sa gilid ng kalsada sa bayan ng Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, nitong Lunes ng hapon.
Kinilala ang biktima na si Ustadz Abu Sadid Landasan Mudeer, principal ng Madrasatul Alnor Al-Islamie sa Aleosan, North Cotabato.
Ayon kay PLt. Col. Hadji Esmael Madin, hepe ng Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station, natagpuan ang katawan ng biktima bandang alas-2:00 ng hapon sa Barangay Taviran. Tinuturing ng pulisya na posibleng kaso ito ng summary execution.
Batay sa imbestigasyon, huling nakita si Mudeer nitong Lunes ng umaga na sakay ng kanyang motorsiklo patungong bayan ng Carmen, Cotabato upang dumalaw sa isang kamag-anak. Nawawala rin ang kanyang motorsiklo at bag na may personal na gamit, ayon sa pamilya.
Patuloy ang masusing imbestigasyon upang matukoy ang mga responsable at ang motibo sa krimen.
KATHMANDU, Nepal. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday after days of violent protests led by young demonstrators, triggered by a controversial social media ban and deep-seated frustration over corruption in Nepal’s politics.
The government’s ban on popular platforms, along with a proposed law requiring social media companies to register and submit to local oversight, sparked outrage across the country. At least 19 protesters were killed on Monday as security forces opened fire, intensifying public anger and forcing Oli to roll back the ban before stepping down.
“Protests over the social media ban were just a catalyst. Frustrations over how the country is being run have long been simmering under the surface. People are very angry and Nepal finds itself in a very precarious situation,” said Prateek Pradhan, editor of the independent news website Baahrakhari.
The demonstrations, dubbed the “Gen Z protest,” were led largely by teenagers and young adults who expressed anger at corruption, nepotism, and widening inequality. Many cited the lavish lifestyles flaunted by politicians’ children on TikTok, while the average Nepali earns just $1,400 annually.
Rights groups condemned the proposed legislation as a tool for censorship, while critics accused the government of failing to address corruption scandals and high youth unemployment, which stood at 20% last year, according to the World Bank.
“All these issues have made the youth of Nepal dissatisfied. They saw no other option but to take to the streets,” Pradhan said.
The unrest has been described as Nepal’s worst in decades, more violent than the 2006 uprising that led to the end of the monarchy. Protesters have also called for the government to dissolve entirely, raising fears of further instability in a nation that has seen 13 governments since 2008.
“A transitional arrangement will now need to be charted out swiftly and include figures who still retain credibility with Nepalis, especially the country’s youth,” said Ashish Pradhan, senior adviser with the International Crisis Group.
Protester Nima Tendi Sherpa, 19, who was shot in the arm by police, said the movement must continue. “I don’t have any harsh feelings toward the policemen. They were just doing their duty by following orders. But I am angry and enraged at the ones who gave those orders. Now that the fire has already started, I believe it must continue until we achieve true freedom.”
The protests, which have now spread beyond Kathmandu, are being compared to youth-led uprisings in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that toppled governments in recent years.
“It appears people are just done with how things have been going on. They want a change,” Pradhan said.
MAYNILA. Isiniwalat ng kontraktor na si Sally Santos ng SYMS Construction na nagbigay umano siya ng P1 bilyong komisyon kay dating Assistant District Engineer Brice Erickson Hernandez mula sa mga ghost projects sa Bulacan.
Sa pagdinig ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, sinabi ni Santos na sina Hernandez at dating Construction Section Chief ng 1st District Engineering Office na si Jaypee Mendoza lamang ang kanyang naging katransaksiyon. Ayon sa kanya, ang sistema ay pinapakontrata sa kanila ng Wawao Builders ang proyekto ayon sa direktiba nina Hernandez at Mendoza matapos magpahiram ng lisensiya.
Matapos maiproseso, pumapasok ang bayad ng gobyerno sa Wawao Builders, na idinedeposito naman sa account ng SYMS. Mula rito, inilalabas umano ni Santos ang pera na aabot sa P245 milyon at dinadala sa opisina ni Hernandez na nakalagay sa kahon ng noodles at mga tsitsirya.
Aminado si Santos na umabot sa P1 bilyon ang naideliber niya kay Hernandez mula 2022 hanggang 2025. Iginiit din niya na hindi niya nakatransaksiyon si dating District Engineer Henry Alcantara.
Samantala, inanunsyo ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na magtatatag siya ng isang independent commission na mag-iimbestiga sa mga anomalya sa flood control projects.
Ayon sa Pangulo, bubuuin ang komisyon ng mga abogado, mahistrado, imbestigador, at forensic accountant mula sa NBI at COA. “Wala pang formal name, pero ‘yun ang binubuo namin, independent commission para imbestigahan ito ngang mga lumalabas na anomalya sa mga flood control projects,” pahayag ni Marcos.
Dagdag pa niya, bibigyan ng kapangyarihan ang komisyon upang maglabas ng findings at rekomendasyon kung sino ang dapat kasuhan sa DOJ o Office of the Ombudsman.
“Who is more important, your friend, your political supporter, or every single ordinary Filipino citizen? Who is more important? To me, it’s the Filipino citizen. Nobody is more important than Filipinos. Nobody, nobody, not one person is more important,” diin ng Pangulo.
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