Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
- Zaldy Co tags Marcos, Romualdez in bicam insertion scheme - Ex-DPWH official links Angara, Poe, Estrada to infra scam - Mark Villar, Bonoan, Cabral operated kickback system in DPWH – witness - Rappler’s women founders welcome Amal, George Clooney to Manila
00:06Former Congressman Zaldico accuses President Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of orchestrating corruption in the 2025 national budget.
00:20Former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo claims Jingoy Estrada, Grace Poe, and Sonny Angara received kickbacks from flood control projects.
00:30Bernardo also alleges former Public Works Chiefs Mark Villar and Manuel Bonoan oversaw a kickback scheme at the DPWH.
00:37And Rappler welcomes power couple Amal and George Clooney to Manila.
00:43Former Congressman Zaldico breaks his silence alleging that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez orchestrated the insertion of 100 billion pesos worth of projects in the 2025 national budget.
00:55Coe says this in a video statement on Friday, November 14, which happens to be the birthday of Romualdez, his former ally.
01:02He claims, at the start of last year's bicameral conference committee deliberations on the 2025 budget, Budget Secretary Amina Pangandaman told him the President had ordered billions in insertions.
01:13Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Head Adrian Bersamin allegedly confirmed it.
01:17Bersamin and Pangandaman supposedly met with Coe and Romualdez about 100 billion pesos in government projects that the President allegedly wanted to insert in the budget.
01:26Pagkatapos ng ilang araw, I informed si na dating Speaker Martin Romualdez, Sekmina Pangandaman, Yusek Adrian Bersamin, and Yusek Jojo Cadiz,
01:36na kung pwede 50 billion lang ang ipasok sa program funds dahil so sobra ang DPWH funds versus sa DepEd.
01:44Pagkatapos ng isang araw, tinawagan ako ni Sekmina at sinabi niya ang mensahe ng Pangulo, ipasok ninyo yan dahil pinangako na sa akin ni Speaker Martin yan, at hindi na pwedeng baguhin.
01:59Coe also claims he left the Philippines on July 19 for a medical checkup abroad but was asked by Romualdez not to return.
02:05Speaking for the administration, Acting Communications Secretary Dave Gomez says Coe's accusations are pure hearsay and without basis.
02:12Rep. Saldico should come back to the country and sign everything he said under oath with the proper judicial authorities.
02:23Former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo names officials who allegedly received kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects.
02:31He links Sen. Jingoy Estrada, former Sen. Grace Poe, and former Sen. now Education Secretary Sonny Angara during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's hearing on Friday, November 14.
02:41Bernardo claims a staff member of Poe named J.Y. De La Rosa asked whether she could be accommodated in the 2025 National Expenditure Programme.
02:50He adds then DPWH Chief Manuel Bonoan later informed him that 500 million pesos in infrastructure projects would be allotted to Poe.
02:58Bernardo also says he worked with DepEd Undersecretary Trigib Olayvar during budget preparations when Angara chaired the Senate Finance Committee, the panel that sponsors the national budget.
03:07Yusik Trigib and I also had transactions concerning Sen. Angara between 2019 and 2024 where Yusik Trigib received deliveries representing 12% of the projects of Sen. Sane Angara while the latter was Chairman of Finance.
03:21Angara denies the claim in a post.
03:24Bernardo also provided more details on his supposed working relationship with Estrada whom he first named during his testimony on September 25.
03:31Former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo says former Public Works Secretaries Mark Villar and Manuel Bonoan allegedly ran the kickback system at the agency with then-undersecretary Kathy Cabral as the main operator of the scheme.
03:46As a general rule, with very little exceptions, it is Yusik Maria Catalina Cabral with the imprimatur of Secretary Mark Villar and later continued by Sekmani Bonoan who had control at the DPWH level to remove, include, add, deduct or modify insertions of items in the NEP for infrastructure or those pertaining to DPWH.
04:10Villar promoted Bernardo to undersecretary in 2017, but Bernardo says he was often sidelined as he was perceived to be against then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
04:20At the time, Bernardo said Cabral would clear all projects, acting on behalf of Villar.
04:25Bernardo also claims they collected 10% from these projects, half allegedly given to Villar's cousin Carlo Aguilar, presumably for Secretary Mark Villar.
04:34Bernardo said the rest was split between himself and Cabral.
04:37Carlo Aguilar and his family members co-own MotionTrade, a DPWH contractor.
04:44Bernardo also says he had direct knowledge of Bonoan's alleged involvement.
04:48Sek Bonoan entrusted me with more operational functions and let me work more closely with you, Sek Cabral.
04:55Bernardo became emotional when talking about Bonoan. He says he had a close relationship with his former boss.
05:01Rappler's founders welcome international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and award-winning actor, director, and humanitarian activist George Clooney to Manila.
05:11This kicks off the days-long visit that culminates with the couple headlining Rappler's Social Goods Summit 2025.
05:18The couple pays a courtesy call to President Marcos on Friday morning, November 14, in Malacanang.
05:22Amal then speaks with Philippine lawyers and local civic groups in a forum at the UP College of Law BGC campus.
05:29We are focused on both minimizing the potential harms of AI where they intersect with the justice sector, and also harnessing the power of AI.
05:40The starting point is AI is here, it's not going anywhere, so let's use it for good where we can.
05:45Ombudsman Boyeng Rimulya and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales are present in the forum.
05:51Amal is set to deliver the opening address at the Social Goods Summit on Sunday, November 16, to tackle mounting global challenges to free speech and civil liberties.
06:00Amal says, quote,
06:01The Philippines holds a special place in our hearts, a country of courageous journalists who have given up so much for press freedom, and of citizens who value the rule of law.
06:09George, whose father Nick Clooney was a longtime journalist, says he is excited to be in the Philippines and to support Rappler's work.
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