00:00Good evening, I'm Denise Osorio and this is PTV News Now.
00:07Our top story tonight, first up, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has accepted the resignations of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amena Pangandaman following their alleged involvement in an anomalous flood control project.
00:23According to the Palace Press Office, both officials voluntarily stepped down as an act of delicadeza to allow a full investigation into the so-called flood control scam.
00:35The President thanked both officials for their service and emphasized that accepting their resignations reflecting this commitment to strengthen government integrity and ensure stability for Filipino families.
00:47The Chief Executive appointed Finance Secretary Ralph Recto as the new Executive Secretary and Frederick Goh as the new Finance Chief, while Undersecretary Rolando Toledo will serve as OIC of the DBM.
01:01The President assured that government operations and next year's budget rollout will proceed without delay, including continued support for calamity victims and ongoing economic and social programs.
01:13So much grist and grift are being churned out from the flood control mess since the President let the cat out of the bag in his State of the Nation address in late July.
01:25Among the latest, an accusation from a former House lawmaker against the NBI, blaming it for illegally detaining and shipping out to South America,
01:34former Acobico Partylist Zaldi Coz bodyguard and his wife to keep them from testifying in the Senate Blue Ribbon or ICI investigation.
01:44Today, the NBI pushed back against the allegation it knew or participated in the reported abduction of Coz bodyguards, John Paul Estrada, and his wife in sending them to Chile.
01:55Also, the NBI called out ex-Representative Mike Defensor to back up his serious claims with solid evidence or verifiable proof on Coz allegedly missing whereabouts.
02:07Defensor, a staunch ally of Senator Rodante Marcoleta, whose reputation on spreading fake news harkens back to the pandemic and the invermecting treatment,
02:18claims Estrada and spouse were unlawfully held in custody, beaten up by NBI agents then flown to Chile to keep them from testifying in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings.
02:30For its part, the NBI says it has sought the help of the Bureau of Immigration to determine if Estrada and wife left the country.
02:38In a stunning reversal, U.S. President Donald Trump earlier today said House Republicans should release the rest and all of the Epstein files
02:49after months of persistently pushing back on it, even as bipartisan support for its release continue to mount.
02:56Trump's change of heart or strategy switch comes after his nasty split with loyal MAGA ally and Georgia House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene,
03:06who has kept on fighting for its release along with a handful of Republicans and the entire Democrat House role.
03:14Greene, along with party mates Thomas Massey, Lauren Bobert and South Carolina's Nancy Mace,
03:21joined Democrats in opposition to Trump's keeping the rest of the Jeffrey Epstein files confidential and under lock and key.
03:27But Donald Trump's latest about face is to assuage the sentiments of Greene, Bobert, Mace, Massey and the rest in the House voting in support of the bill urging for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
03:42Trump knows and is assured the prospects of the bill passing muster in the Senate is zilch.
03:49And that brings us to the end of tonight's broadcast.
03:55We'll be back tomorrow. Tune in for the latest headlines.
03:58And don't miss the Global News Roundup by Charms Espina on Friday evening.
04:03I'm Denise Osorio. Thank you for letting us be a part of your evening.
