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Estrada says no evidence of links to flood scam

SENATOR Jose P. Estrada vehemently denied allegations that he demanded a percentage from government contracts during a Sept. 18 hearing, led by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. — SENATE PRIB

SENATOR Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada on Monday said that he “remains confident” that there are no documents that will link him to anomalous flood control projects, according to his spokesperson.

“Senator Estrada has always been firm and consistent in denying these allegations and we remain confident that no evidence exists linking him to any supposed kickbacks in flood control projects,” the senator’s Spokesperson Bianca Isabel D. Soriano said in a message to reporters.

The Philippine Senate is conducting a probe on anomalous flood control projects, where an estimated P500 billion has been allocated since 2022.

Earlier, former Department of Public Works and Highways district engineer Brice P. Hernandez had tagged Mr. Estrada and Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva for allegedly benefiting from flood control contracts. Both have denied their involvement.

Ms. Soriano added that there is “no valid ground or sound reason” for the Senator to inhibit from the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing set for Tuesday, Sept. 23.

“He has consistently denied the baseless allegations against him and remains committed to performing his duties,” she said.

Earlier, Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said that he has received the documents provided by the ex-Public Works engineer linking lawmakers and government officials to budget insertions and kickbacks from flood control projects.

Mr. Estrada said earlier that he intends to file criminal charges against Mr. Hernandez. — Adrian H. Halili

Power outages hit 11 provinces in Luzon amid onslaught of Super Typhoon Nando

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

ELEVEN electric cooperatives in Luzon have experienced power interruptions amid the onslaught of Super Typhoon Nando (international name: Ragasa), according to the National Electrification Administration (NEA).

In an update on Monday, NEA said that Abra Electric Cooperative (ABRECO) and Batanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. had to manually shut down operations for safety purposes.

Partial power interruptions were reported in several areas, including parts of Batangas, Benguet, Cagayan, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Occidental Mindoro, Mountain Province and Pangasinan.

NEA said that 387 out of 486 municipalities are energized, while restoration efforts are ongoing for 355,579 consumer connections.

Meanwhile, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said that three transmission lines were unavailable, affecting customers of ABRECO and Cagayan II Electric Cooperative, Inc.

The lines affected are the San Esteban-Bangued 69kV Line, Lal-lo-Sta. Ana 69kV Line, and the Magapit-Camalaniugan 69kV Line.

“Inspection and restoration of lines in the affected areas will be in full swing once the weather allows,” the grid operator said.

Nando, with sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 295 kph, made a landfall over Panuitan Island in Calayan, Cagayan on Monday afternoon, according to the 5 p.m. bulletin by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration.

The super typhoon is forecasted to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Tuesday morning. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

IBP offers P200K reward for info on Palawan lawyer slay

THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has offered a P200,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of the perpetrators behind the killing of lawyer Joshua Lavega Abrina in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The lawyer was gunned down by unidentified assailants on Sept. 17, shortly after attending a prayer meeting. He was attacked near his home.

In an advisory issued Sept., the IBP 27th Board of Governors said it “resolved to allot the amount of P200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Pesos) as a reward.”

The IBP said the resolution “reflects the IBP’s determination to support ongoing investigations and to ensure that justice is not denied.”

Its Committee on Security for the Legal Profession will coordinate with the Philippine National Police and other relevant agencies for implementation.

Condemning what it described as the “brutal murder” of Mr. Abrina, the IBP warned that “the killing of lawyers is not only an attack on individuals. It is a symptom of a deeper malaise in our democracy.”

“Each unsolved death reveals a culture of impunity, a weakness in state institutions, and a collapse of public trust in the rule of law,” it added.

The IBP vowed to pursue Mr. Abrina’s case “with vigilance” and said it will continue pushing for stronger safeguards for lawyers. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

Customs seizes P2.39B in smuggled goods under two months

MEMBERS of the Bureau of Customs-Customs Intelligence Investigation Service inspect various counterfeit shirts, perfumes and other luxury goods at a warehouse in Las Piñas City. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

AROUND P2.39 billion of smuggled goods have been confiscated within two months, mostly are illegal drugs and nicotine products, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) said.

In a statement on Monday, the BoC said it carried out 128 enforcement operations and intercepted P2.39 billion of illegal drugs, illicit cigarettes, and agricultural products from July to August of 2025.

Under Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno’s term, which started in July, the BoC seized P1.230 billion worth of illegal drugs, P929 million worth of illicit cigarettes, tobacco, and vape, and P178 million worth of agricultural products among other smuggled goods.

In July, an inspection of a shipment at the Manila International Container Port that resulted to finding 110.24 kilograms of crystal meth (shabu) worth P749.63 million, one of the largest drug seizures for the year.

The BoC is tasked with collecting P1.01 trillion this year, based on the 2026 Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing.

“Cracking down on the smuggling of agricultural products remained one of the agency’s top priorities,” the BoC said.

In coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the BOC seized over P178 million worth of fishery goods, onions, carrots, poultry, and sugar from July to August.

“These results, along with our steadfast commitment to instituting meaningful reforms, stand as strong evidence of our determination to combat smuggling in all its forms,” Mr. Nepomuceno said.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto earlier said Customs is expected to see P150 billion in foregone revenues due to the smuggling of general merchandise and oil products this year.  — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Environmental planners buck fund misuse for flood control

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A GROUP of environmental planners has slammed the misuse of public funds intended for flood control projects, saying the government must invest in nature-based solutions instead of “piecemeal” fixtures to solve the country’s flood problem.

In a statement on Monday, the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP) said flood management and control are not mere engineering problems, but are environmental, social, and governance issues.

“Engineering solutions like levees, dikes, and floodways are important, but they can only take us so far,” PIEP National President Jayson Edward San Juan said. “Relying only on concrete structures is costly to maintain, can fail during extreme weather, and too often opens the door to waste or misuse of public funds.”

“Instead of prioritizing grayfield development and purely structural fixes that have created opportunities for misuse of public funds, PIEP advocates for nature-based solutions as less expensive and more sustainable flood management strategies,” it said.

The group called on the need for nature-based solutions like restoring wetlands and mangroves, protecting watersheds, and creating urban green spaces.

It also cited the need for smart engineering and ecosystem restoration, land-use planning, and community involvement.

Meanwhile, construction must be supported by non-structural measures like hazard mapping, early warning systems, and stricter zoning.

The group also called on the government to exercise transparency and accountability to ensure that public funds achieve lasting results.

“We owe Filipinos flood solutions that last, not quick fixes that fail the moment the next storm arrives.”

Corruption linked to flood control projects have cost the Philippines up to P118.5 billion in economic losses since 2023, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said earlier. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

BARMM destroys P87-M seized drugs

COTABATO CITY — Officials on Monday incinerated P87 million worth of narcotics seized in separate operations in the Bangsamoro region in the past three years.

The confiscated crystal meth (shabu), marijuana and cocaine were burned at the powerplant of cornstarch manufacturer Lamsan Incorporated in Barangay Simuay in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.

The seized drugs were first used as evidence in drawn out judicial proceedings in different courts in central Mindanao.

The symbolic destruction of the seized narcotics was led by Gil Cesario P. Castro, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Maguindanao del Norte Vice Governor Marshall I. Sinsuat, BARMM’s police director, Brig. Gen. Jaysen C. De Guzman, the state prosecutor for region 12, Mariam April V. Mastura and Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf A. Macacua.

Mr. Castro, Mr. Macacua and Mr. De Guzman separately told reporters at the sideline of the event that they are grateful to the local communities for supporting the government’s anti-narcotics campaign.

Mr. Castro said mayors, provincial governors and field commanders of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were instrumental in the seizure of big volumes of shabu and marijuana from traffickers entrapped in separate operations since the creation of BARMM in 2019. — John Felix M. Unson

Switzerland’s Lugano tops FIBA 3×3 Manila Challenger tourney

SWITZERLAND’S LUGANO — WORLDTOUR.FIBA3X3.COM

SWITZERLAND’S Lugano romped off with the FIBA 3×3 Manila Challenger championship as SBP-Mandaluyong emerged the best-performing Philippine crew at eighth place.

Unbeaten since group play, Lugano put the finishing touches to a perfect run with a 21-19 upset of Serbia’s top-seeded UB in Sunday’s thrilling finale at Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City.

Eventual MVP Mike Efevberha knocked down a heavily-defended pump-fake two-point bomb to clinch it for the sixth-seeded Swiss side off a 19-19 count versus the heavily-favored Serbian outfit.

Efevberha and his pals Adris Jimenez, Bikramjit Gill and Westher Molteni banked $20,000 after this feat highlighted by a spotless 5-0 card and a tournament-best 104 points and led the advance to the World Tour Macau Masters set for Oct. 18 and 19. They’re joined by runner-up UB (4-1 and 97 points) as well as Taipei’s WanBao, which took third with 3-1 and 78 points.

It was WanBao, the seventh-seeded crew beefed up by European dynamos Petar Evanovic and Dorde Semeunivic, that earlier gave No. 12 Mandaluyong, the last Filipino standing in the two-day competition, the boot in the quarterfinal round, 21-17.

The quartet of Malick Diouf, Zedjay Etulle, Jeff Manday and Joseph Sedurifa trailed early, 3-9, but rallied to within 17-20. That was as far as they could go in the battle for a semis ticket, though, as the Taiwanese ended it on Hsin-wei Wang’s winner.

Senegalese Diouf finished with nine points and seven rebounds as Manday chipped in four and Etulle and Sedurifa had two apiece in the gutsy stand against a WanBao

Mandaluyong earlier split its two assignments in Saturday’s Pool A action, losing to UB, 13-16 but rebounding with a 13-12 nailbiter over Bahran’s Seef on Diouf’s last-second bucket to salvage a ticket to the Last-8.

The two other Pinoy teams failed to advance to the KO rounds. Terrence Romeo-led Manila Melmac went winless in Pool B against China’s Chongming (11-21) and Lugano (13-21) to bow out while wild card Cavite HCG failed to hurdle the Qualifying Draw against Taipei WanBao (6-21) and Singapore (15-16).

Manila placed 11th in the final standings with 24 points ahead of fellow winless Seef (21). Cavite was 15th and last. — Olmin Leyba

FIVB’s Azevedo ranks PHL as world-class host

FIVB.COM

TEN out of 10.”

That is how FIVB President Fabio Azevedo ranked the Philippines’ hosting of the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship.

“Filipinos love the sport. Each and every one of the athletes and entourage are extremely happy,” said Mr. Azevedo. “From the beginning, our athletes are 100% satisfied.”

It was truly a world-class hosting for the country as the country collectively banded together—from the Philippine National Volleyball Federation to the government and private sector.

It was no secret that the country is capable of hosting massive events like this one.

In fact, it was also this tiny archipelagic nation that staged the FIBA World Cup, a basketball event, two years ago.

And Mr. Azevedo was one of the many who were blown away by the country’s hosting magnificence.

“It is an Olympic international standard. So I would give it 10 out of 10,” he said. — Joey Villar

Mahomes leads Chiefs to season’s 1st win vs Giants

PATRICK MAHOMES — COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

PATRICK MAHOMES threw for 224 yards and a touchdown and Harrison Butker kicked three field goals to lift the visiting Kansas City Chiefs to a 22-9 victory against the New York Giants on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Reigning AFC champion Kansas City (1-2) earned its first victory of the season behind an efficient attack and a defense that limited Giants quarterback Russell Wilson to 18-for-32 passing for 160 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

New York, which became the last team in the league to host its home opener this season, was unable to avoid an 0-3 hole. Entering Sunday, 165 teams had started a season 0-3 since 1990; only four qualified for the playoffs.

The Chiefs produced a pair of second-half touchdown drives to pull away after a tight first half.

Mahomes went five-for-five for 45 yards on the opening possession of the third quarter, including a five-yard TD pass to Tyquan Thornton to cap the drive.

A 33-yard connection from Mahomes to Thornton on 3rd and 10 from the New York 34 set up the game-sealing score, a 1-yard scoring run from Kareem Hunt with 6:03 remaining in the game.

Butker missed the extra point following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Hunt.

The touchdown gave the Chiefs valuable breathing room after the Giants drew within 16-9 on Graham Gano’s 25-yard field goal with 10:12 to go. Gano’s availability wavered as he dealt with an injured groin.

Kansas City took a 9-6 lead into the locker room courtesy of makes of 54, 48 and 28 yards from Butker. The Giants tied the game at 6 on rookie Cam Skattebo’s 13-yard TD run with 1:44 left in the second quarter, but the Chiefs blocked Jamie Gillan’s point-after attempt.

Chiefs defensive backs Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie held New York wideout Malik Nabers to two catches for 13 yards

New York reached the Chiefs’ 10 late in the game but had a turnover on downs with 2:31 left. The Giants got the ball back with 2:04 remaining, but the possession resulted in another turnover on downs.

Isiah Pacheco rushed for 45 yards on 10 carries, while Hunt finished with 34 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Thornton had five receptions for 71 yards and a TD.

Butker missed a 40-yard field-goal attempt in the first half. Chris Jones notched his first sack of the season for the Chiefs.

Skattebo was New York’s top rusher with 60 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He also led the team with six catches for 61 yards. — Reuters

A’ja Wilson wins WNBA MVP for record fourth

LAS VEGAS ACES’ A’JA WILSON — WNBA.COM

A’JA WILSON is the WNBA’s first four-time WNBA MVP.

This is the second consecutive win for the Las Vegas Aces star, who also was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2020 and 2022.

Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, the WNBA said Sunday. Second was forward Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, who had 18 first-place votes and 534 points.

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas earned the remaining first-place votes to finish third, followed by Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, the other finalists.

With four awards in eight seasons, Wilson has one more than Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.

Wilson, 29, helped the Aces end the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, averaging 26.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 blocks per game in that run. She set a WNBA single-season record for games of 30 or more points with 13.

In 40 games this season, she averaged a league-high 23.4 points plus 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Wilson also won co-Defensive Player of the Year alongside Minnesota’s Alanna Smith this week; Wilson ranked second in the league in blocks (92) and third in steals (64).

Wilson will be in action Sunday as the Aces host the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of their WNBA semifinal series.

Collier was last year’s Defensive Player of the Year and the 2025 All-Star Game MVP. She became the second woman in league history to post a 50-40-90 shooting season, following Elena Delle Donne in 2019; Collier finished the year shooting 53.1% from the field, 40.3% from 3-point range and 90.6% at the foul line.

Collier averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals per contest over 33 games.

Thomas, who received MVP votes four of the last five seasons and was runner-up in 2023, averaged 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and a league- and career-high 9.2 assists over 39 games.

Mitchell played all 44 games for the Fever and averaged 20.2 points — third in the league to only Wilson and Collier — and 3.4 assists.

Gray put up 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 42 games for the Dream. She finished third in voting for the Most Improved Player award. — Reuters

Kelsey Mitchell leads Indiana Fever to stunning Game 1 upset of Las Vegas Aces in WNBA semifinal matchup

BEHIND Kelsey Mitchell’s playoff career-high 34 points, the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever spoiled the celebration for Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson and the host Las Vegas Aces with an 89-73 Game 1 upset in their WNBA semifinal matchup on Sunday.

Wilson received her league record fourth MVP before tipoff on Sunday, but it was Indiana taking the spotlight virtually from the get-go in the opener of the best-of-five series.

The Fever swarmed on Wilson defensively, forcing her into 6-of-22 shooting from the floor for the game and an 0-for-6 start on her initial field-goal attempts.

Wilson finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but through a combination of Indiana defense and foul trouble, was stymied in the second half. She managed just four points and two boards after intermission.

Mitchell, meanwhile, was hot offensively. She shot 12 of 23 from the floor, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. The last of her four triples on a stop-and-pop transition attempt snuffed out any hope of a rally for the second-seeded Aces.

“It’s one game,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “But to be able to come in here and steal this one was big for us.”

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Odyssey Sims complemented Mitchell’s big scoring performance with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor. Veteran Natasha Howard, who contributed to the defensive effort on Wilson, posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Howard also added a pair of steals.

Brianna Turner, who along with Aaliyah Boston held Wilson in check, said that Indiana emphasized “making all (Wilson’s) buckets tough.

“She’s the best player in the world,” Turner added. “We weren’t going to stop her completely, but we wanted to make sure every shot had a hand in her face.”

Boston grabbed another 11 rebounds for Indiana and dished five assists. All five Fever starters doled out at least two assists.

“They won all three categories. That much is obvious,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. “They played with a greater sense of urgency. We couldn’t catch up with their pace.”

With Wilson struggling to get going offensively, Las Vegas stagnated as a whole. The Aces shot 29 of 71 from the floor (40.8) percent, and got only 25 points from scorers other than Wilson, Jackie Young (19 points) and Chelsea Gray (13).

Of those 25, 14 came from Dana Evans off the bench. Former WNBA scoring champion Jewell Loyd finished with just three points, which came in the game’s final minutes.

“I know we’re capable, but not when we play like that. God forbid A’ja doesn’t drop 40 (points),” Hammon said, adding that the Aces committing 12 turnovers while dishing out only 12 assists hindered their offensive rhythm.

After rolling off 17 straight wins, Las Vegas has dropped two of its last three with Sunday’s setback. The Game 1 loss marked Las Vegas’ first defeat at home since Aug. 2. — Reuters

Sunwest, Hi-Tone among top 1000 corporations in the Philippines

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

Two controversial Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contractors ranked among the top 1,000 largest companies in the Philippines, data from BusinessWorld showed.

According to the 2024 edition of BusinessWorld Top 1000 Corporations in the Philippines, Sunwest, Inc. ranked 286th based on gross revenues in 2023, while Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corp. ranked 642nd.

Sunwest posted gross revenues of P14.34 billion in 2023, up by 14.6% from P12.51 billion in 2022. However, its net profits declined by 20.8% to P1.15 billion in 2023, from P1.45 billion in 2022.

Sunwest, founded by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co and his brother Christopher, first entered the Top 1000 league in the 2008 edition of the magazine where it ranked 578th with P1.81 billion in gross revenues for 2007.

Mr. Elizaldy Co has previously said that he has already divested from Sunwest.

Meanwhile, Hi-Tone posted gross revenues of P5.84 billion in 2023, up by 4.9% from P5.56 billion the previous year. However, its net income fell 13.3% to P275.22 million in 2023 from P317.42 million in 2022.

Hi-Tone, founded by former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Christopher S. Co, first entered the Top 1000 list in its 2010 edition, landing 810th with gross revenues of P1.32 billion for 2009.

The two companies were among the 15 contractors named by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. as cornering more than P100 billion worth of flood control projects between July 2022 and May 2025.

The BusinessWorld Top 1000 Corporations in the Philippines ranks private and public stock corporations based on gross revenue using the latest available full year audited financial statements.

BusinessWorld defines gross revenue as sum of net sales and nonoperating income, while net income is the profit realized by the company after deducting the cost of sales, operating and other expenses, and taxes.

The latest edition had a gross revenue cutoff of P3.15 billion for 2023. — Pierce Oel A. Montalvo

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