Here are today's headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world: - Ex-DPWH official Bernardo tags Escudero, Binay, Revilla in flood control ‘kickbacks’ - How millions were delivered to Romualdez’s home, as per Zaldy Co’s ex-security aide - Ex-SC spokesperson Brian Hosaka is ICI's executive director - Embassy visit to Duterte made with his consent, a consular duty – ICC, DFA - Jessica Sanchez wins ‘America’s Got Talent’ season 20
00:18Sen. Cheese Escudero and former Senators Bong Revilla and Nancy Binay
00:22allegedly received kickbacks from flood control projects.
00:26Zaldico's security consultant testifies
00:29He regularly delivered luggage filled with cash to the residents of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in Makati City.
00:36Lawyer Brian Hosaka is assigned as the Executive Director of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.
00:41The Department of Foreign Affairs in the International Criminal Court say
00:45the welfare check visit with Rodrigo Duterte was made with his consent.
00:50And Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez wins Season 20 of America's Got Talent.
00:56Former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo says
01:02Sen. Cheese Escudero and former Senators Bong Revilla and Nancy Binay
01:06allegedly received kickbacks from government flood control projects.
01:10Bernardo made the claims during a Senate hearing, his first appearance as a witness.
01:15He alleges he personally delivered 160 million pesos, or 20% of 800 million pesos worth of government projects,
01:22to Maynard Ngu, a friend and campaign donor of Escudero, reportedly on the Senator's behalf.
01:28Ngu was one of the top donors of Escudero, donating 30 million pesos to his campaign in 2022.
01:34I would like to add that deliveries of cash were personally made to me, by me, to Maynard Ngu at his office in Manila.
01:43He also confirms the previous testimony implicating former Sen. Bong Revilla,
01:48saying he met Revilla in Makati in 2024 where he handed him a list of projects provided by former DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara.
01:57Sen. Villia asked for a commitment which I suggested that he approved at 25% of the total amount of the projects indicated in the list here to attach as Annex C.
02:06In Binay's case, Bernardo says that in 2024, her staff member Carlene Villia allegedly contacted him to request a 15% commitment for the former Senator.
02:16I relayed the 15% commitment to Engineer Alcantara. Engineer Alcantara collected 15% commitment, or about 37 million, which was turned over to me, and which I then delivered to Sen. Binay at a house in Quezon City.
02:32Escudero vehemently denies the allegations.
02:35Meantime, in a statement, Binay denies Bernardo's allegations.
02:39Divina Law, which represents Revilla, says in a statement, Bernardo's allegations are absolutely untrue.
02:46Orly Guteza, a former security consultant of Acovical Representative Zaldico, testifies, he regularly delivered luggage filled with cash to the residents of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in Makati City.
02:58Halimbawa, nag-aakyat kami ng 46 malita. Ibababa lamang namin ay 35 malita para i-deliver sa bahay ni House Speaker Martin Romualdez sa 42, Makini Street, Tagig.
03:21Guteza tells the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee he also saw bags stuffed with cash being brought to
03:26Kao's residence when he was working for the then-Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
03:30Guteza worked as a security consultant for Kao from December 5, 2024 to August 5, 2025.
03:36He reported for duty in Kao's residence at the 56th floor of Horizon Homes, Shangri-La in BGC,
03:42Taguig. Guteza reveals whenever he was tasked to deliver money, he would go to another residence
03:47of Kao in Valle Verde 6, Pasig City. Sources also confirmed Kao resided in this property.
03:53The cash was referred to as basura or garbage, a code word. Each luggage allegedly contained
03:5848 to 50 million pesos with a post-it note indicating the amount inside. Guteza identified Kao's
04:04executive assistants John Paul Estrada and Mark Texay as the people responsible for receiving
04:10and handling the money. Lawyer Brian Keith Hosaka will be the executive director or the day-to-day
04:16boss of the ad-hoc Independent Commission for Infrastructure. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
04:21signed Hosaka's appointment paper on Wednesday and sent it to the ICI the same day. This completes
04:26the leadership of the commission investigating a possible billion-peso corruption case in public
04:30works. Meantime, the House of Representatives ends its investigation into anomalous flood control
04:35projects. House Infra Committee Chairperson Terry Ridon says the suspension is meant to give way to
04:41the full and impartial proceedings of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. He adds,
04:45the Infracom would turn over all transcripts, documents, and other pieces of information and
04:50evidence to the ICI, and they are committed to fully cooperating with the ICI on any and every aspect
04:56of their previous proceedings. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in the International
05:01Criminal Court say the welfare check visit with former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was made
05:07with his consent and was part of any Foreign Service Post's duties. The DFA says in a statement,
05:13quote, This is a duty of all Philippine Foreign Service Posts and is no different from what the
05:17DFA does for other Filipino citizens who are in detention abroad. The DFA is reacting to allegations
05:23made by Vice President Sara Duterte that Malacanang and the department are supposedly abusing the rule of
05:29the detention unit concerning consular visits. The Vice President claims she had received disturbing
05:34information from Malacanang that a report about her father was submitted to President Ferdinand
05:38Marcos Jr. from the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands. She also claims the welfare check was
05:43mere false pretense. It's a full-circle moment and 20 years in the making as Filipino-American
05:50singer Jessica Sanchez wins Season 20 of America's Got Talent. Sanchez dominates the stage during the
05:57show's finale night on Thursday, September 25, Philippine Time. She sang a stellar rendition of
06:02Die with a Smile, originally sung by fellow Filipino-American artist Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.
06:20The Filipino-American singer impresses celebrity judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara,
06:26and Spice Girls member Mel B. Jessica Sanchez first tried her luck during the first season of
06:31AGT in 2006 when she was only 11 years old.
06:35And that's today's wrap. I'm JC Gotinga. Thank you for watching. Click the link below for the full story.
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