BY ALEX ALAGON
WE ARE not one of those who favored incumbent President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. However, we also cannot believe how easily some Filipinos are convinced to believe “disgraced” former Partylist Congressman Zaldy Co’s claim that Marcos, Jr. caused the insertion of some P100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 national budget.
For us, the claim is very preposterous. Common sense tells those who are willing to dig deeper into the budgeting process that the chief executive can very well do it when the National Expenditure Program (NEP) is being prepared. So, why would he wait for the budget bill to get reviewed by the Bicameral Committee and have the insertions done during the said process?
Besides, it was the President during his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) who exposed the prevalence of corruption-laden projects undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at the behest of several Congressmen. Why would he make himself vulnerable to the repercussions?
On another, Co made his charges to the President months after the SONA, and his having been pinpointed as the leading lawmaker in the insertion scheme. He also alleged the President’s involvement while he is making himself beyond the reach of the investigators of the graft-tainted flood control projects.
We believe, though, that Co can provide some degree of credibility to his claim if he comes back to the Philippines and reiterates his charges against the President either in the hearings conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee or directly to the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI).
He should disprove the common saying that “Flight is an indication of guilt.”
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We viewed with amazement our friend Romy Sabaldan’s vlog on the ongoing construction of the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) connector bridge project. In his post, Romy mentioned the possibility that with the way the construction goes, the multi-billion-peso bridge, targeted to be completed by 2028, may already be finished and used by 2027.
Viewing Romy’s vlog, we agree to his assumption that the bridge may be completed before the target year of completion.
We, however, are having some apprehensions. While the project is funded by a loan from China and constructed by a Chinese construction company, the ongoing dynamics between the present Philippine leader and his immediate predecessor on one hand, and between the apparently “strained” relations between the Philippine and Chinese governments on the other, might affect the project implementation, adversely at that.
Most Davaoeños, if not all, are hoping that the SIDC bridge project will be isolated from the political and diplomatic squabbles now raging in the Philippines.
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Davao City is putting up a P1.5 billion trust fund for the efficient operation of the local government’s Transport Modernization Program.
Yes, the trust fund has to be put up because, from what we learned, under the program, the buses ferrying passengers to and from designated destinations will not be collecting fares. So, without the trust fund, the Modernization Program will have no ready source of money for maintenance of the vehicles and for the program’s overall operation.
We can only hope that the trust fund will be managed well so that the money in it will not be “flown in cash” by some “innovative” fund managers.
Meanwhile, we are wondering how legitimate public utility franchise holders with vehicles plying the routes to be taken by the buses operated by the city government will confront a major forthcoming problem. The franchisees are well aware that they will be facing competition that can derail their transportation business.
We would not be surprised if, after the full operation of the Transport Modernization Program, financing companies will be busy filing replevin cases against the operators who failed to pay the monthly amortization of their units.
IN THE case of Davao City, who really issued the suspension of classes as a consequence of the series of earthquakes that hit the Davao Region recently?
Was it the local government, or was it the Department of Education? We are asking the question after we read on a social media a post apparently from the DepEd saying the agency acknowledges the authority of the LGUs to order the suspension of classes if it deems the prevailing situation demands it.
Nonetheless, the agency also requested the LGUs to balance safety of students and their learning in classes. While DepEd acknowledges the importance of caution, it also believes that an “extended suspension of classes can disrupt learning and might affect the students’ development.”
So, we find no need to reiterate our question on who really issued the suspension of classes in Davao City. It is now clear that the local government issued the order of class suspension. After all, the LGU is more knowledgeable of the actual situation after the earthquake hit the area.
But we agree with DepEd that the LGU must find a balance between safety of the students and the need to not disrupt their learning process.
In short the DepEd sees the need for the LGU of Davao City to hasten its assessment of the integrity of the school buildings so that classes can resume without the parents and school authorities fearing for the lives of the students.
And by the way, what is the status of the inspection of the various school buildings in the city as of yesterday? Has the teams organized by the city government to conduct the inspection and assessment completed more than 50% of school edifices? If not, then there might be a need to organize more inspector teams to hasten the job.
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Broadcaster and print media columnist Ramon Tulfo who claimed to have lived in Manay, Davao Oriental, called residents disrespectful after chanting the name of Vice President Sara Duterte while President Marcos was in town for a personal assessment of the damage as result of the earthquake.
We strongly agreed with him. We too, believe that if one’s partisan position in politics does away his or her respect to a person he or she at least respect the position the said person holds. Moreso if that person is the President of the Republic.
In other words, it is also our take that the crowd shouting the VP’s name right at hearing distance of the President should have shown their disdain for the Chief Executive in more appropriate venues.
There is, however, one thing that we would strongly disagree with Mon Tulfo’s actuation. That is, his calling in general terms the people of Manay as “Pusaka, living in the mountains far from civilization…”
Personally, we think it is too much of a disrespect to citizens of this country who just happen to live in a rural town of a distant Mindanao province.
Yet, Tulfo seems to pride himself as once having resided in Manay during the assignment of his father in that Eastern Davao Province.
Perhaps it is worth reminding the infamous media personality that most residents of Manay, especially those lording over the politics in that town, are of Luzon descent.
For now, we have no idea how the provincial officials, as well as the congressman of that district where Manay is part, are taking the description of Tulfo on the Manayanons. The Dayanghirangs are from that earthquake-stricken municipality.
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Why are some people in the National Capital Region talking of possibly putting former House Speaker Martin Romualdez under the government’s Witness Protection Program? Is not Romualdez the prime suspect in the massive corruption in government, especially on infrastructure project implementation by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)?
And here come reports of him possibly becoming a protected witness! Against whom, against himself? Whoever bankrolled that crazy idea could have presented to the former speaker a better way out of his bind.
And even if it is assumed that he can meet the requirements of becoming a protected state witness, there must be someone higher than the former speaker that should make him fear for his life.
Meaning, it could not be any one except his cousin President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Unfortunately, the protests held every now and then supposedly intended to denounce corruption and make those involved accountable for their misdeed, to us, are not helping the efforts to stamp out corruption. Instead, it is muddling the issue with the suspects pointing at each other as the main culprit.
All these allow those who are really involved to find ways to downplay their participation in the massive heist of government money. In fact, one major suspect has even claimed to have done a huge sacrifice for the people with his resignation as congressman after being identified as second biggest taker of the demanded bribes.
IN A recent statement that was also posted on social media, Vice President Sara Duterte claimed that certain Philippine officials were allowed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct some so-called “welfare check” on former President Rodrigo R. Duterte. The former Philippine leader is currently detained in an ICC detention center in The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged crimes against humanity.
According to the Vice President, the visits are not authorized by any of her family. The VP felt they had serious apprehension about the visits conducted, despite these being dubbed as “welfare checks.” She said having no idea of the visits and who the officials were allowed by the ICC might compromise the safety and security of their father.
For these unauthorized actions by the ICC and the officials of the Philippine government, VP Sara issued a strong warning that the Philippine government and the ICC itself will be accountable should anything untoward happen to the former President.
Without any iota of hesitation, the Vice President said the visits allegedly disguised as “consular functions” are “on orders of President Marcos, Jr.”
We actually cannot take it away from a daughter to feel afraid for the life of her father. But is VP Sara that certain of the laxity of the ICC officials in securing the person of their detainee, even if the latter is a former President who is clearly still getting the support of a good number of his constituency?
Somehow, with the manifested hatred of the Vice President towards her former tandem in the 2022 elections, we can say that the “apple of discord” between the President and his VP must be so deep for the Vice President to slow down even a little in her attacks on the President, his men, and his entire government.
Imagine, anything that may be connected to her father’s security, she sees the hands of the President! And imagine further that she now sees nothing of what the President does as beneficial to the country!
But will the 2028 national elections, and later, history prove her right? “Let us to see,” according to the late Senator Landring Almendras, political mentor of VP Sara’s grandfather, the late Governor of the undivided Davao Province, Vicente Duterte.
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It looks like the controversy generated by the issue of massive corruption in the implementation of flood control projects has literally deprived the local government opportunity to highlight issues and/or programs and projects happening in the local scene.
In Davao City, for example, for the past many weeks since the surfacing of the massive corruption scandal at the national level, we haven’t heard of issues with serious significance on the city’s socio-economic growth.
Even floods that had been frequent some months back appear to be so “cooperative” with local officials that none of the projects for the purpose of their control ended up getting discovered as wanting in quality, ghost, or unfinished, even long after the prescribed deadline.
Maybe this is how lucky Davao City is. Or are our officials just so engrossed in their desire to bring home former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who is now under detention in the ICC jail in The Hague, Netherlands?
We also want to assume that the city’s political leaders are in full focus in the “war” with the national leadership that they, along with thousands of other Filipinos, believe to be the real culprit in the country’s socio-economic instability due to massive corruption and bad governance.
Meanwhile, if our personal voice as resident of the city merits listening by our city councilors, we will again call their attention to the still unused concrete bridge roughly 15 meters long. The bridge, which for several times has already been the subject of our column, spans the creek that serves as the boundary of Barangay Catalunan Grande in the first district and Barangay Tacunan in the third.
The Tacunan end of the span does not have an approach that connects the bridge to the road leading to Tacunan proper. On the other hand, the Catalunan end already has an approach, but it is not connected to the road leading to Catalunan proper. This condition of the bridge has existed since the middle of the pandemic years.
Now, if it would not be asking too much of a citizen in the city, can any one of our Honorable City Councilors, especially from the first or third districts, initiate an investigation into the matter?
After all, the construction of that bridge also used people’s money, though only a minuscule amount compared to the money stolen in the implementation of supposed flood control projects in Bulacan and Mindoro. We hope for a positive response.
BY ALEX ALAGON
BY ALEX ALAGON
FINALLY, the Davao City Council has created an Ad Hoc body to oversee efforts at helping resolve whatever bars that are hampering the completion of the Maa-C. P. Garcia Diversion Road flyover project.
For certain, Davaoeños are happy with this development. And it is everyone’s hope that the body will be able to facilitate the resolution of issues that have surfaced only recently when certain sectors in the city decided to make public their concern on the long overdue project in billboards erected on strategic locations within the unfinished project’s vicinity.
In relation to the issues, we cannot help but resurrect once more what we had been harping on in this space for years already.
We are referring to a bridge about 15 meters long spanning a creek that divides barangays Catalunan Grande in the first district and Tacunan in the third.
The bridge itself was completed some three years ago. But it cannot be used as the Tacujnan end of the span does not have the necessary approach. On its end at the Catalunan side, the approach road has already been provided. Unfortunately, however, it has not been connected to the main road.
Despite our repeated haranguing on this issue in our column, not a single reaction came from the most likely agencies of government ever came out. We had been calling the attention of the Department of Public Works and highways (DPWH) Region XI, and the City Engineer’s Office.
We are assuming that the bridge project could either be that of the national government, or that of the local government of Davao City. Also, our suspicion is that either the DPWH or the CEO, if one of these offices is implementing the project, may be facing the same road-right-of-way problem that is hampering its full completion and utilization.
But no, we did not get any reaction from the two agencies. Sometimes we already started suspecting that no one cares to read our column. Luckily, though, we got comments on some other issues. And the reactions did not only come from Davao City residents but from as far as the Visayas and the National Capital Region. We assume that the reactors read about the issues we tackled in our column through this newspaper’s online edition. But in the case of the unused Tacunan-Catalunan Grande Bridge, we have not gotten any, not even a whimper.
So, it is our take that the officials of the DPWH and the CEO may have started to develop calluses on their faces, or deafness and muteness are already creeping on their ears and mouth.
Anyhow, why cannot the newly created Ad Hoc body created to help settle issues on the Maa-C.P. Garcia Flyover project expand the coverage of its responsibility to include looking into the problem nagging the Catalunan Grande-Tacunan Bridge?
To make sure the members of the body can have a better appreciation of the issue, why cannot they find time to visit the place? It is only a little over a kilometer away from the house of First District Rep. Paolo Duterte.
Who knows they might discover? It might be one of those projects long-fully paid and reported completed but actually not.
Or, if it would not be too much, why cannot any auditor of Commission on Audit XI or the one stationed at the city government visit the project area? With such a visit, we might lose the idea that the auditors are only doing table auditing and looking into documents prepared by the contractor of the project.
O, this is one other “system” resorted to by corrupt public officials in cahoots with greedy contractors that leads to corruption in our country becoming “systemic.”
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One thing that we can boldly say as a major mistake the President made while delivering his 4th State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) was when he lambasted those officials, primarily members of Congress, for being largely responsible in the prevalence of corruption – big time at that.
His erroneous line was, “Mahiya naman kayo.” What would have been correct is, “Mahiya naman tayo.”
Why? Clearly, even if the President is not a party in the big-time money making ventures of concerned lawmakers and other officials, especially from the DPWH, he still cannot escape with clean hands and clear conscience.
Yes, with the implementation of hundreds of billions worth of projects that have become the milking cows of corrupt government officials, certainly the President cannot escape involvement under the doctrine of “Command Responsibility.”
Also, there is something he might have missed out in his scrutiny of his selection of who among his Cabinet Secretaries to be re-appointed after they tendered their courtesy resignation.
Now, it is clear to the public who the Cabinet Secretaries and other heads of offices’ resignation he should have accepted.
We are one with the observation of Davao City Acting Mayor Baste Duterte that the present overly-boasted by the national administration, the realization of a campaign promise by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo – is basically far from fulfilled. For instance, Mayor Baste claims that the low-priced rice is only made available in certain very limited areas in the country.
Mayor Baste was short of saying that making the P20 per kilo rice available only in a few places is discriminatory, more so because the areas concerned are either known to have officials close to the President, or that these went all out for him in the 2022 election.
Yes, Acting Mayor Baste could not have been more correct in his observation that having the P20 per kilo rice in those areas is selective and discriminatory. Why is that so? Are the places not reached by the low-priced cereal like Davao City and several other areas in Mindanao and the Visayas, and even in Luzon, not having population considered in the margin of society?
We do not think so. It is common knowledge that everywhere in the country there are a huge number of disadvantaged sectors. So why is the government not apportioning the low-priced rice to all the provinces and cities all over? Why does it brag of so many outlets now open to serve people desiring to buy the Filipino’s staple grain in so less number of places?
Isn’t the national government making a much greater number of marginalized Filipinos salivate for the affordable rice that is beyond their reach in distance? Is limiting the places for the marketing of the cheap rice intentionally making the marginalized population in the country crave for the affordable basic food?
On the other hand, we are also not in agreement with the suggestion of the acting Davao City mayor for the national government to instead give for free the rice intended for sale at P20 a kilo. What if the President decides to give the rice for free to the people of the same areas, currently provided with the P20 per kilo cereal?
Will it not further raise suspicion that the national government is giving favor only to selected beneficiaries? We have no doubt that going to such an extent as fully subsidizing the rice so that it could be given free to people in selected areas only, will further stoke the fire of disgust of the many marginalized Filipinos against the President.
Therefore, it is our humble take that perhaps Acting Mayor Baste will be giving a more sane and acceptable recommendation if he pushes instead for the expansion of areas of coverage for the marketing of the P20 per kilo rice.
In that manner, the acting local chief executive will not be confronted with similar issues should any from his family be catapulted again to the highest position of the land and will face problems of the same nature.
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The more appropriate word the President should have used is “tayo.” After all, being the highest official in government, he cannot escape or dodge the doctrine of “command responsibility.”
There is one word used by the President during his fourth State-of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) last July 28. That is, his inappropriate use of a Tagalog pronoun in that portion of his speech where he lambasted those who rob the people of their money in the form of taxes they paid the government.
While humbly acknowledging that indeed massive corruption is being committed by certain government officials, including lawmakers, the President somehow knowingly dissociated himself from the omissions of the people running the government with him.
He simply did his “distancing” by using the wrong pronoun when he called on those concerned, “Mahiya naman kayo.” He could have appeared more sincere in his call for the corrupt government officials had he said, “Mahiya naman TAYO.”
Yes, the more appropriate word the President should have used is “tayo.” After all, being the highest official in government, he cannot escape or dodge the doctrine of “command responsibility.”
Meaning, with his failure to make all other officials in the government, especially the heads of agencies and members of the two Houses of Congress, keep their hands off the money intended for the implementation of projects, the President too is equally guilty of graft and corruption; of defrauding the Filipino people.
After all, even if the President did not receive a single centavo from contractors or suppliers, if he allows himself to be a passive part of a corrupt system, then he is as corrupt as the others – those who actually demanded kickbacks and received grease money.
And the sad thing about the President’s call of “Mahiya naman kayo,” most of those who he might have directly hit are those members of his Cabinet and other team mates who tendered their resignation in what the President termed as a cleansing process of his administration. Yet, the chief executive rejected their resignation because he was probably convinced they were doing the right thing in the performance of their job.
But with all the President’s clear attempts at distancing himself from the corruption he now subtly agrees is raging in his administration, he can still have a “shot at redemption” if he pursues his commitment to bring the corrupt officials to the open and have them prosecuted. He must make them suffer the consequences of their corrupt activities, even if they are his friends or relatives.
Yes, the President can still salvage his condition as leader of the present government if he is able to take down the more pervasive corrupt officials and have them convicted of their sins against the Filipinos. That is his only “shot at redemption.”
MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has shown recovery in performance and trustworthiness in the latest Pahayag 2025 Second Quarter (PQ2-2025) survey.
His approval rating rises (19% in Q1 to 25% in Q2), while his trust rating improves (14% to 19%). At the same time, disapproval fell (57% to 47%) and distrust dropped (63% to 52%), indicating a modest rebound in public perception. However, ongoing controversies involving the Duterte clan continue to weigh heavily on the President’s overall performance.
Top among these issues is the alleged illegal rendition of former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague at 21%. This was followed by the filing of the fourth impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte (14%), and revelations made by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, regarding the same Hague-related matter (13%).
Marcos Admin’s performance improves
Despite these challenges, the overall performance rating of Marcos’ cabinet members has improved (26% to 31%). The increase is most pronounced in South Luzon (36%), Visayas (30%), and Mindanao (22%), while approval ratings in the National Capital Region (31%) and North-Central Luzon (33%) remain stable.
Mixed approval, trust ratings for top officials
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has seen a decline in approval (31% to 28%) and in trust (22% to 19%). House Speaker Martin Romualdez continues to struggle with low ratings, holding only 15% approval and 10% trust. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, on the other hand, maintains relatively stable figures, with a 20% approval and 15% trust rating.
TESDA remains the most approved, trusted gov’t agency
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) remains the most approved and trusted government agency, with 64% approval and 49% trust. Rounding out the top five are the Department of Science and Technology or DOST (55% approval, 41% trust), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or BSP (54% approval, 42% trust), Commission on Higher Education or CHED (54% approval, 41% trust), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines or AFP (53% approval, 45% trust).
PQ2-2025 is an independent, non-commissioned nationwide purposive sampling survey conducted from June 27 to 30, 2025, comprising 1,500 respondents who are registered Filipino voters, randomly selected from the market research panel of PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace with global operations and a regional office in Singapore.
PAHAYAG is a CSR of PUBLiCUS Asia Inc., which has tracked key metrics since 2017, while Vox Opinion Research is its commissioned research arm since 2013.
For more information on the survey methodology and detailed results, please visit www.publicusasia.com/pahayag.
Photo from Presidential Communications Office
