Here are today's headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world: - Senate probe flags ghost flood control projects, corrupt practices - Top Bulacan contractor under investigation for ghost projects - Lawmakers question 2025 ‘insertions’ in first 2026 budget briefing - Sotto, Villanueva clash over composition of powerful CA - ‘Ketamine queen’ to plead guilty to supplying dose that killed actor Matthew Perry
00:08The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probes ghost flood control projects and questionable practices.
00:19A top government contractor is under probe for ghost public works projects in Bulacan.
00:24Lawmakers questioned the 2025 budget insertions in the first budget briefing for 2026.
00:30Senate Minority Leader Tito Soto questions the Commission on Appointment's initial composition.
00:34And Ketamine Queen agrees to plead guilty to supplying the dose that killed Friends star Matthew Perry.
00:41The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee zeroes in on ghost projects and questionable practices in the government's flood control program in a hearing Tuesday, August 19.
00:50Out of the top 15 flood control contractors, only seven showed up in the hearing.
00:55Among those absent were Sara Deskaya of Alpha and Omega and Lawrence Lubiano of Center Waste Construction.
01:00Lubiano was represented by his lawyer at the hearing.
01:03During the hearing, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan reveals many projects proceeded without feasibility studies.
01:10He adds,
01:10Senator Rafi Tulfo alleges, only 13.5% of project funds actually reach construction.
01:26He claims the rest goes to government officials and contractors, some of whom flaunt wealth through helicopters and mansions.
01:32Senator Sherwin Gatchelian meantime warns the DPWH could face a zero budget if it continues to fund substandard or AMPAO projects.
01:42At least two government agencies are investigating ghost public works projects in Bulacan by top government contractor, Wawaw Builders.
01:50Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan confirms this during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on flood control projects on Tuesday, August 19.
01:57He says he received the same information as Senator Jingo Estrada, who identified Wawaw Builders as the contractor behind the alleged ghost projects in Kalumpit and Hagonay, Bulacan.
02:07Wawaw Builders ranks 12th among the top 15 flood control project contractors previously named by President Ferdinand Marcus Jr.
02:14Bonoan also says he has relieved the entire district office, referring to the 1st District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
02:22A fraud audit is also on the way. From 2022 to 2025, Wawaw Builders was awarded 9 billion pesos worth of projects in the entire country.
02:36Bonoan says they will file all necessary charges if their investigation verifies the ghost projects.
02:44Several lawmakers asked the country's economic managers if they were aware of the insertions made in the 2025 budget before it was signed by the President.
02:52This as the House of Representatives kicked off deliberations on the over 6.7 trillion pesos 2026 budget proposal.
02:59At least three lawmakers raised this question during the House Committee on Appropriations briefing with the Development Budget Coordination Committee on Monday, August 18.
03:08They were referring to about 142.7 billion pesos in last-minute changes to the 2025 budget.
03:13These included splitting some projects into phases or moving some foreign-funded projects to the unprogrammed funds.
03:19Each time the question was asked, Department of Budget and Management Secretary, Amina Pangandaman, said they were not given a copy of the insertions before the 2025 budget bill was signed into law.
03:30Pangandaman and Finance Secretary, Ralph Recto, also reiterate, those types of amendments can only be done by Congress, and the executive branch only proposes and executes the budget.
03:40Senate Minority Leader Tito Soto questions the composition of the powerful Commission on Appointments, particularly the initial allotment of 10 members from the Majority Block.
03:51Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva nominated 10 majority members, which Soto questioned, five were from the Duterte Block.
03:59Villanueva explains the allocation followed an 80-20 split between the majority and minority.
04:03With this ratio, 80% of the 12 Senate seats is 9.6, rounded up to 10 for the majority, while 20% is 2.4, rounded down to 2 for the minority.
04:15Soto argues the Commission on Appointments composition should not be based on percentages, but should follow the Supreme Court's ruling on proper allocation.
04:22If this body elects to follow the Supreme Court decision on the articles of impeachment, why can't they follow the decision of the Supreme Court when it comes to the computation of membership in the Commission on Appointments?
04:38Cayetano later withdrew his nomination to give the Senate more time to discuss. Only nine majority members were elected.
04:44Meantime, Senators Risa Ontiveros, Meg Zubiri, and Loren Legarda have been elected as members of the Commission, joining the nine majority members.
04:55A Los Angeles woman known as the Ketamine Queen agrees to plead guilty to charges that she supplied the dose of the prescription anesthetic that killed Friends star Matthew Perry.
05:04Authorities say Jazmine Sanga ran an illegal narcotic stash house in the North Hollywood District of Los Angeles.
05:10She is due to stand in trial in September and plead guilty to five charges under the deal with federal prosecutors.
05:16Four other co-defendants in the case, two physicians, Perry's personal assistant, and another man who admitted acting as an intermediary in selling ketamine to the actor, already pleaded guilty to various charges.
05:28None has yet been sentenced, but all five were charged in the case one year ago.
05:32Sanga faces up to 15 years in prison for the ketamine distribution that killed Perry, and 10 years for each of the three other distribution counts.
05:40And that's today's wrap. I'm Cara Oliver. Thank you for watching.
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