Latest news with #P1.2
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Nearly P3mil shabu seized in Zamboanga weeklong ops
ZAMBOANGA CITY: Authorities arrested eight drug suspects and confiscated shabu (crystal methamphetamine) worth P2.9 million (US$51,101) across the Zamboanga Peninsula on Aug. 1 to 8. The most significant drug haul took place on Aug. 7 in this city, where P2.5 million worth of shabu were separately confiscated from three high-value targets, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula Director Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta said in a news release Sunday (Aug 10). 'Such accomplishments are a direct result of inter-unit collaboration, actionable intelligence and the professionalism of our personnel,' Matta said in a statement. One of the suspects, aged 22, was arrested in a buy-bust operation at a motel in Barangay Guiwan. He yielded some 250 grams of shabu worth P1.7 million. The two others arrested in Barangay San Roque and Barangay Tulungatung on Aug. 7 had a combined 130 grams of shabu worth more than P1.2 million. 'The four other suspects were arrested during separate anti-drug operations in Zamboanga del Norte within the same period,' Matta said. Matta encouraged the public to stay alert and work with authorities by reporting suspicious activities in their communities. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
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GMA Network
4 days ago
- GMA Network
Woman nabbed in Manila for posing as BOC broker, stealing millions in cash
Police arrested a woman in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Monday who is accused of posing as a certified Bureau of Customs (BOC) broker and stealing millions of pesos from her victims. Based on an initial investigation, the suspect allegedly contacted the two victims from Ilocos Sur on social media, who were looking to buy tractor heads online. Police said she allegedly presented fraudulent ID cards, identifying herself as a licensed BOC broker. However, the suspect and her cohorts did not return hours after collecting the supposed payment. "Nangyari 10 o'clock, nag-report sila satin 7 o'clock. By 10:30, nahuli natin. Since mayroon naman na alam natin na modus operandi, nagtatawag na ko ngayon at nakipag-coordinate ako sa theft and robbery," Manila Police District Station 13 Commander Police Lieutenant Colonel Rommel Anicete said in Jhomer Apresto's Unang Balita report on Wednesday. (The incident occurred at around 10 and was reported to us by 7. By 10:30, we had arrested them after coordinating with the theft and robbery division.) "Ang amount na naloko sa kanila ay P1.2 million," he said. (The amount taken from them was about P1.2 million.) Authorities have yet to recover the victims' money, which they believe was in the possession of the suspects' accomplices. The suspect declined to comment on the allegations. In March, the female suspect and her 63-year-old accomplice also victimized a male victim in Caloocan City, replacing his P5.5 million cash with paper. The victim said the money was meant to purchase a sports car. The MPD is investigating if the suspects are part of a criminal syndicate. —Sundy Locus/VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Jinggoy seeks accountability from DPWH over fallen Isabela bridge
'This incident is more than a structural failure. It is a failure of governance. It exposes weaknesses in our systems, weaknesses that will persist if we refuse to confront them with transparency and resolve,' Estrada said. Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Monday questioned the lack of accountability on the part of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) nearly six months after the collapse of the P1.2 billion Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela. In his privileged speech, Estrada emphasized that aside from the truck driver, design consultant, and bridge contractor, there should also be public officials who exercised oversight functions that must be held accountable for the collapse. 'Why is there no mention of disciplinary actions against these supervising officials whose approval and oversight, or lack thereof, enabled this tragedy? Mr. President, wala tayong nabalitaan na nasuspinding opisyal ng DPWH na may kinalaman sa proyektong ito. Wala rin tayong nabalitaang inimbestigahan sila upang panagutin,' the Senate president pro tempore said. (Mr. President, we have not heard that any DPWH official was suspended concerning this project. We've also not heard that any official was investigated to be held accountable.) 'This incident is more than a structural failure. It is a failure of governance. It exposes weaknesses in our systems, weaknesses that will persist if we refuse to confront them with transparency and resolve,' he added. Estrada urged the DPWH to take full responsibility and accountability on the matter, not just by pursuing private contractors, but also by holding its officials who were involved in the planning, approval, and implementation of the project liable. 'Explain the approval process, identify the lapses in monitoring and enforcement, and most importantly, assure the public that this will never happen again—not through promises, but through concrete reforms in design, review, safety compliance, and project oversight,' he said. On February 27, a portion of the bridge that connects the town of Cabagan to Santa Maria in Isabela province collapsed, leaving six people injured. The DPWH said the bridge can only accommodate up to 44 tons, which is far from the weight of the truck, which was 100 tons. President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. visited the collapsed bridge a week after the incident and noted that it had a 'design problem.' But the engineer behind the bridge refuted this, asserting that the structure adhered to the Bridge Code of the Philippines. During the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee's investigation in March, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano expressed belief that the collapse of the Sta. Maria-Cabagan Bridge was not an 'accident,' as he presented several reports from the DPWH and a private construction firm that claim to show there are defects in the bridge even during its construction. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
18-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
House urges VP Sara to respect budget process
House of Representatives spokesperson Princess Abante on Wednesday called on Vice President Sara Duterte to "respect" the budget process, including the congressional authority to scrutinize it. The statement comes after Duterte said on Monday that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) will submit a P733 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2026. 'Magre-request siya sa House of Representatives ng budget. Sana, nare-recognize din niya na kasama sa responsibilidad ng Kamara, 'yung hindi lang yung makapag-request siya, kundi kasama sa responsibilidad ng Kamara, suriin 'yung paggamit ng pondo na nailaan sa Office of the Vice President,' Abante told reporters. (She will request a budget, and she should recognize that the House has the responsibility not only to look at her request but also to scrutinize the budget use of her office.) 'Dapat ma-justify rin ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) yung budget na hinihingi nila. So, we will wait and see kung talagang i-recognize talaga ni Vice President Sara 'yung budget role ng House of Representatives at respetuhin 'yung proseso ng pag-approve ng budget,' Abante added. (The OVP should also be able to justify the amount they are asking for. Let's see if she respects the role of the House here and the budget process.) Likewise, Abante dismissed the Vice President's comments that congressional budget deliberations tend to shame the OVP personnel. 'Wala namang pong pinapahiya ang House of Representatives sa budget process. Kasama sa trabaho ng House to scrutinize the use of public funds. Ang importante lang, sumagot, [sumagot] ng tama,' Abante said. (There is no shaming involved here. It is part of the House's job to look at the proposed budget. What is important here is for them to answer questions and answer them appropriately.) 'This is for the Filipino people, who we are accountable to,' Abante added. During the 2025 budget deliberations, the Vice President initially showed up but refused to answer queries on disbursements of P612.5 million worth of confidential fund granted to OVP in 2022, 2023 and 2024, of which p73 million was issued notice of disallowance by the Commission on Audit. A notice of disallowance means that the expenditure is 'either irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable." The House later reduced the OVP's proposed 2025 budget by P1.2 billion, a move that also gained support in the Senate. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
