00:00Today on Rappler
00:06Former Ombudsman Samuel Martires reversed a 2016 dismissal order against Senator Joel Villanueva in secret.
00:20Two separate criminal complaints are filed before the Ombudsman in connection with flood control projects in La Union and Davao Occidental.
00:26A fire broke out at a DPWH office in Quezon City on Wednesday, October 22.
00:33More than 4,000 households still have no power as rehabilitation efforts continue in earthquake-stricken areas of northern Cebu.
00:41And in a historic first, Britain's King Charles and Pope Leo pray together in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.
00:49Former Ombudsman Samuel Martires appears to have reversed a 2016 dismissal order against Senator Joel Villanueva in secret.
00:57Newly-installed Ombudsman Boying Remulia wanted the Senate to implement the 2016 decision from then-Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales that stemmed from the pork barrel scam.
01:06But to everyone's surprise, Villanueva had already been cleared in the administrative case that ordered him dismissed.
01:12To my surprise, when I got to the office, I was confronted with a decision signed by former Ombudsman Martires dated July 2019.
01:24Earlier, Martires confirmed to Rappler that he granted Villanueva's motion for reconsideration in the administrative case reversing Carpio Morales' 2016 decision.
01:33A quick scan of Villanueva's Facebook and X pages yielded no results.
01:38The lawmaker also made no mention of it in any press release.
01:42Even reporters covering the constitutional body had not heard of the decision.
01:46The Department of Public Works and Highways filed separate criminal complaints before the Ombudsman in connection with flood control projects in Davao Occidental and La Union.
02:04It is based on the recommendation of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure.
02:10DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon says both complaints involve malversation of public funds and fabrication of documents, which are non-bailable offenses.
02:18Rappler is still waiting for the list of respondents in the case as of this posting.
02:23The first complaint was about a P96.5 million flood control project in La Union given to Silverwolves Construction Corporation.
02:30The DPWH adds the project was fully paid.
02:33During an inspection last September 16, Dizon and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong discovered that fake tubes were attached to the flood control project.
02:42Dizon described these tubes as mere props.
02:45Ombudsman Boying Remulia says the person of interest in the Silverwolves case is former Axis representative and now Benguet Congressman Eric Yap.
02:53He is believed to be the company's beneficial owner.
02:55The second complaint stems from two projects in Davao Occidental worth P89.73 million each or a total of P179.5 million.
03:06The two projects were awarded to St. Timothy Corporation, a company linked to controversial contractors Sara and Curly Diskaya.
03:14A fire broke out at the Department of Public Works and Highways office in Barangay Piñahan, Quezon City on Wednesday, October 22.
03:23The Quezon City office was home to the DPWH Bureau of Research and Standards, the office tasked to conduct research, studies, pilot testing, and formulation of policies for government infrastructure projects.
03:34According to the Bureau of Fire Protection, the blaze started at around 12.39 p.m. and quickly spread, reaching the third alarm by 12.56 p.m.
03:43Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control by 1.34 p.m. and declared it out at 1.49 p.m.
03:49The DPWH was quick to say that, quote,
03:51No documents related to the ongoing investigation into the flood control anomalies were in the Bureau of Research and Standards building that caught fire in Quezon City.
04:00So according to the BFP, nanggaling sa kisame yung short nung electrical wires.
04:11Yun ang initial resulta nung kanilang investigation.
04:16More than 4,000 households still have no power as rehabilitation efforts continue in the earthquake-stricken areas of northern Cebu.
04:24Electric distribution company Cebu-2 Electric Cooperative Inc. General Manager Lowell Belisinha says, quote,
04:31We have already energized all our lines up to the barangay level and what we are only waiting for, we have a recorded 4,000-plus households subject for total rehabilitation and total repair.
04:41He adds, the company has sought help from the local government units to check which houses were damaged.
04:46Based on Cebeco-2's damage assessment, 86 utility poles and 16 transformers were left damaged after the September 30 earthquake.
04:56Belisinha adds, the damaged poles and transformers have been replaced.
05:00While many houses still have no power, residents, especially those displaced, have chosen to stay outside their homes in makeshifts or in tent cities.
05:08Britain's King Charles and Pope Leo pray together in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel Thursday, October 23.
05:14This is the first joint worshipped by an English monarch and a Catholic pontiff since King Henry VIII broke away from Rome in 1534.
05:23The King and Queen Camilla are on a state visit to the Vatican, marking closer ties between the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion.
05:29The royal couple, who visited the Vatican earlier this year to see Pope Francis, also had a private meeting with Leo Thursday morning.
05:37Buckingham Palace also announces Thursday, Charles approved two British honors for the Pope,
05:42making him the papal comforter of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle and conferring on him the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.
05:50And that's today's wrap. I'm JC Gotinga. Thank you for watching.
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