Latest news with #CIF
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
De Lima files bill to disclose confi, intel fund outlays flagged by COA
A bill lifting the secrecy on the disbursement details of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) and limiting the CIF allocation to 10% of the agency's budget, among others, has been proposed in the House of Representatives. Former Justice secretary and current ML party-list Representative Leila de Lima on Monday made the proposal under her House Bill 1845, or the CIF Utilization and Accountability Act. IN the bill, all CIF information and documents will remain confidential, but will automatically lose confidentiality and will thereafter be disclosed to the public once the Commission on Audit (COA) issues a Notice of Disallowance (ND) on a CIF disbursement. State auditors issue NDs if when the expenditure is found to be 'either irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable.' The ND, however, can be appealed by the concerned agency. 'The CIF, including all the information and documents related thereto, will then be subject to inquiries and investigations, with documents and related information to be made public, without need of compulsory processes,' the bill read. In addition, de Lima's proposal states that CIF allocations for any single agency, considering the population serviced, should not exceed 10% of the total annual budget of the agency, unless otherwise explicitly authorized by law. Further, the bill limits the allocation of CIF to agencies as indicated under the General Appropriations Act and to all other agencies, departments, and units 'with mandates related to national security, peace and order, and intelligence gathering.' 'While the initial guidelines in 2015 may have been appropriate and sufficient at that time, recent developments have exposed the vulnerability of the existing design, implementation, and auditing process of confidential and intelligence funds. Particularly significant among these recent developments is the reported misuse and malversation of confidential funds amounting to P612.5 million appropriated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) Sara Duterte and the Department of Education (DepEd) of which Duterte served as Secretary,' de Lima said in her explanatory note on the measure, referring to the subject of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte. She then cited the findings of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability panel on its inquiry on such funds which include: confidential funds were appropriated to civilian government agencies whose mandates do not include surveillance, nor involve national security and peace and order confidential expenses were unrelated to national security and peace and order, or confidential funds appropriated for non-confidential activities and expenses liquidation reports submitted had either unreadable, incomplete, unstated, repeating,or made-up or fictitious names of payees; or liquidation reports had forgeries or no signatures at all Special Disbursement Offices (SDOs) hired were clueless on how the confidential funds were spent after turning the funds over to another unauthorized individual upon instruction from Vice President Duterte and absence of reports on accomplishments of the use of confidential funds. 'The obvious misuse and malversation of millions in taxpayer money as a result of exploiting the weak and insufficient guidelines on confidential and intelligence funds, poses a serious threat to the preservation of public trust in the government and the legitimacy of its institutions,' de Lima said. 'As such, legislative intervention is deemed necessary to ensure that CIF are strictly appropriated to justifiable activities and agencies with mandates to maintain national security and peace and order, and are properly audited with as much transparency as permitted without compromising confidential and intelligence operations,' she added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jaden Bailes, JSerra win California Live Grip Spritz bracket title
Get ready for yet another big year from JSerra boys basketball. Despite graduating impact seniors such as BJ Davis-Ray and Grayson Sinek, the Lions look like a CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoff team once again. With returning senior Brannon Martinsen and St. Augustine senior transfer Jaiden Bailes leading the way, JSerra handled fellow CIF-SS Open Division team Redondo Union 69-56 to cap off a title run at California Live 2025 in the Grip Spritz bracket. Bailes had 31 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, and Martinsen added 11 points. Before that, JSerra opened with a 68-33 rout of Riverside Poly, a 57-55 win over St. Joseph (Santa Maria), and a 73-66 victory against Corona Centennial. Advertisement The rest of the bracket had many more big-name programs: Archbishop Riordan, La Mirada, Cathedral Catholic, San Joaquin Memorial, Archbishop Mitty, Sunnyslope (AZ), Olympian, Central Catholic, Destiny Christian, San Joaquin Memorial, Mission Bay, Fairmont Prep, and Mountain Pointe (AZ). Bailes received an offer from Cal right after the tournament. RELATED:
Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Taylor Fritz: Here's all about the Wimbledon star's girlfriend, net worth and more
Taylor Fritz on Friday, July 11, faced defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles semifinal match of Wimbledon 2025. The American tennis player lost the first set 4-6 before bouncing back 7-5 in the second set. Fritz reached the final four in the tournament after defeating Russia's Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinal and Jordan Thompson in the Round of 16. Boasting a perfect 5-for-5 record in finals, Fritz is widely considered as one of the successful active players in the US. US player Taylor Fritz is currently dating Morgan Riddle(AFP) While fans are very well aware about his on-field performances, here we present to you the 27-year-old's compelling personal journey. Who is Taylor Fritz? Born on October 28, 1997, in California's Rancho Santa Fe, Taylor Fritz hails from a family that has a rich history in tennis. His mother, Kathy May, remained among the top 10 in the world rankings during the late 1970s, while his father, Guy Fritz, played professionally and later worked as a coach. A native of California, Taylor enjoyed a successful junior career and bagged the CIF singles title during his maiden year of high school. He became a pro player after his success in the Junior US Open and went on to win consecutive Challenger titles in Sacramento and Fairfield in 2016. Also Read: Swiatek and Anisimova battle to be new queen of Wimbledon Taylor Fritz came into the spotlight in 2022 when he defeated an injured Rafael Nadal in the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000. At that time, Nadal was on a 20-match win streak. Later on, he reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open, where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner. Father at 19 Taylor Fritz was earlier married to tennis player Raquel Pedraza. The former couple tied the knot in 2016 and went on to welcome their first child, Jordan, in January 2017. At that time, Fritz was 19 years old, according to People magazine. Fritz and Pedraza got divorced in December 2019 when their child was two. Despite being a pro tennis player in the past, Pedraza lives a private life with their son and shares custody with Fritz. Also Read: Fabio Fognini announces his retirement at Wimbledon after a first-round loss to Carlos Alcaraz Fritz is currently dating social media influencer Morgan Riddle. They met each other on a dating app. Riddle is often seen cheering for Fritz during his matches. Taylor Fritz net worth The American professional tennis player has total earnings of $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. FAQs Is Morgan Riddle still with Taylor Fritz? Yes, the two of them have been in a romantic relationship since 2020. What is Morgan Riddle famous for? She is a popular social media influencer, known for her presence on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. How did Morgan Riddle meet Taylor Fritz? Riddle met Taylor Fritz on the dating app Raya.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
St. Ignatius boys basketball wins California Live title in NHSBCA bracket
As has been the case many times before in recent decades, it's a good time to be a St. Ignatius College Prep boys basketball fan. The Wildcats made the CIF-Central Coast Section Open Division finals and Division I regional semifinals/state quarterfinals this past season, and they're in good shape for another big year ahead led by rising senior guards and SF Chronicle All-Metro selections Raymond Whitley (2nd Team) and Shawn Boquiren (Honorable Mention). Look no further than California Live 2025, as Whitley and SI opened with three consecutive one-possession victories before cruising past Palisades 90-70 for the NHSBCA title. The first three victories came 61-58 over Cypress, 78-76 over Vanden, and 73-71 over Inderkum. What's more, all three of those teams went 3-0 other than their losses to St. Ignatius. Throw in Palisades, and St. Ignatius went 4-0 against teams that otherwise went 12-0. Talk about powering through a brutal path to the crown – but the Wildcats had more than enough juice left when they dropped 90 points in the final game. Advertisement The rest of the bracket was no joke either. It consisted of Cardinal Newman, San Ramon Valley, Saguaro (AZ), Colony, Franklin (Elk Grove), Viewpoint, San Marcos, Maranatha, Leuzinger, San Juan Hills, and Shadow Ridge (NV) as countless Division I scouts looked on. Whitley averaged better than 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists a game as a junior, and was also named 1st Team All-WCAL. The versatile 6-foot-3 combo guard is a serious candidate to make a push for Bay Area MVP honors as a senior, and he and Boquiren are a lock to constitute one of the premier backcourts in the Bay Area and beyond. Other top expected returners include senior guard Steele Labagh and 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Alex Moore. RELATED:
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump administration sues California Department of Education over transgender athlete policy, citing Title IX violations
President Donald Trump In a move that has reignited the national debate around transgender rights in school sports, the Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education and its high school sports authority, alleging that the state's policies allowing transgender girls to compete on girls' teams violate federal law. The Justice Department argues that California's long-standing policy, which allows students to participate in sex-segregated programs based on their gender identity, violates Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education. The suit claims such inclusion 'unfairly displaces' cisgender girls from podiums, awards, and potential college opportunities. A larger culture clash This legal action escalates a broader ideological clash between Republican-led federal agencies and Democratic states like California, which have championed transgender rights in education and athletics. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stark warning to other states with similar policies: 'If you do not comply, you're next.' California Governor Gavin Newsom's office pushed back, calling the lawsuit a 'cynical distraction' from more pressing education issues—such as the federal withholding of funds for enrichment programs. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs high school sports and is also named in the lawsuit, declined to comment, citing pending litigation. However, it has supported the inclusion of trans athletes under state law for over a decade. Legal and political fallout The lawsuit follows Trump's public criticism of a transgender student-athlete who recently won state-level track titles. A letter from Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon to CIF claimed that this participation violated the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. The federal Education Department had earlier launched investigations into California and other states, including Maine and Oregon, over similar policies. Maine's governor, Janet Mills, has also clashed with Trump over threats to withdraw federal funding. Meanwhile, three Oregon athletes have filed a federal suit seeking to disqualify records set by transgender competitors, claiming their rights under Title IX were violated. Divided responses The issue continues to polarize the public. Conservative groups argue these lawsuits are necessary to protect 'fairness' in girls' sports. On the other hand, LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, including Equality California, say the lawsuit is part of a broader assault on transgender youth and their right to participate fully in school life. Interestingly, even Governor Newsom has shown nuance. In a recent podcast, he questioned whether existing policies adequately ensure fairness, sparking criticism from both sides of the debate. What this means for students As this legal battle plays out, the future of trans inclusion in school athletics remains uncertain. While more than 25 U.S. states have enacted laws banning transgender girls from female sports, many of those laws are being challenged in court. For students, particularly those involved in competitive sports or applying for athletic scholarships, this ongoing legal conflict could affect team participation rules, eligibility standards, and how schools approach gender identity policies moving forward. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
