DPWH turns over Cabral files

December 23, 2025 | 8:14 pm

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday turned over the computer unit and a decade’s worth of records from the office of the late former Undersecretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral to the Office of the Ombudsman.

The turnover, which includes documents and data related to the programming of the National Expenditure Program and other records from the past 10 years, was conducted in full compliance with a subpoena issued by the anti-graft body.

“The CPU and files of Usec. Cabral have been sealed and delivered to the custody of the Office of the Ombudsman. It will remain sealed until we are able to conduct a digital forensic test,” Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV told reporters.

The DPWH said the data storage devices will be submitted to the Philippine National Police anti-cybercrime group for digital forensic testing to examine their contents for evidence and other relevant information. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

Vigilance against corruption urged

December 23, 2025 | 8:13 pm

Gatchalian — SHERWIN T. GATCHALIAN — PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A SENATOR on Tuesday urged heightened vigilance over government projects, warning that corruption risks persist beyond budget approval.

“We have reconciled the numbers, but vigilance must continue from budgeting to implementation if we are to purge corruption from the bureaucracy,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who heads the Finance panel, said in a statement.

Lawmakers are set to approve the bicameral conference report on the P6.793-trillion national budget by Dec. 28, followed by its ratification by both chambers on Dec. 29. It will then be sent to the President for approval.

He added that the transparency measures implemented by the Senate should encourage the public to be more engaged in the implementation of government projects.

“Vigilance builds a culture of integrity and accountability. We painstakingly instituted transparency measures in the entire budgeting process. We hope these measures will help encourage our people to be engaged in the implementation of government projects,” Mr. Gatchalian said.

He added that the upper chamber had also made sure that all projects in the Public Works department’s budget would have unique station numbers and a project description, including coordinates, to enable public monitoring and deter ghost and substandard projects.

The Department of Public Works and Highways has been under heightened scrutiny over reports that officials, lawmakers and contractors have siphoned off funds meant for flood control projects. — Adrian H. Halili

Over 1M register for 2026 BSKE

December 23, 2025 | 8:13 pm

Sangguniang Kabataan Elections-voter — Hundreds lined up at a Quezon City mall on Aug. 10, the last day of the voter registration for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reached the one-million mark in voter registrations for the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), with its latest running data as of Dec. 21 showing more than 1.02 million processed applications nationwide.

Of the total, 785,420 are regular applicants, while 235,274 are registered under the Sangguniang Kabataan category, representing youth aged 15 to 17.

These figures include new registrations, document transfers, reactivations, reinstatements, and correction of entries.

Among them, 278,388 are new registrants aged 18 and above, while 230,666 are new youth applicants who want to participate in next year’s elections.

Region IV-A (Calabarzon) leads with 216,859 registrants, followed by the National Capital Region with 121,863 and Central Luzon with 118,610. The Cordillera Administrative Region recorded the lowest tally with 13,005, followed by Western Visayas at 29,870. Nationwide voter registration for the 2026 BSKE continues until May 18, 2026.

In a separate development, the Comelec has suspended the scheduled filing of Certificates of Candidacy for the March 2026 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. Under Resolution No. 11183 issued on Monday, the filing period — originally set for Jan. 5-9, 2026 — has been deferred pending the enactment of a new parliamentary districting law by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

The suspension follows the Supreme Court ruling directing the BTA to determine parliamentary districts, which have yet to be enacted. Comelec said a new filing period will be set once the necessary districting law is in place. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

BSP warns vs fake documents

December 23, 2025 | 8:12 pm

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Tuesday cautioned against illegal documents falsely attributed to the central bank, which are being used to carry out scams across the country.

This came after the BSP discovered several documents that illegally incorporated the central bank’s name and logo, or an official’s name and signature.

“The BSP reiterates that it does not authorize or endorse individuals or firms to collect ‘fees’ or payments purportedly for anti-money laundering clearance, taxes, insurance, and other fabricated charges,” the central bank said in a statement. “Legitimate financial regulators, law enforcement agencies, and financial institutions do not ask for this type of sensitive information through unsolicited calls, e-mails, or text messages.”

The BSP said the scammers have used the scheme for documents, including assurance letters, confirmation of beneficiary bank, terms of loan contract, as well as requests for one-time passwords and certifications for loans, deposits, withdrawals, fund transfers, credit cards, money changing, investments or insurance.

They often attempt to fish for individuals’ personal information such as bank details and passwords or extort money under false pretense, the central bank added.

The BSP also advised the public to exercise caution against suspicious advertisements, requests or documents that may be posing as the central bank and to refrain from engaging with them.

The central bank said such incidents may be reported to the BSP, the Philippine National Police or the National Bureau of Investigation. — Katherine K. Chan

SC dismisses Zamboanga judge

December 23, 2025 | 8:12 pm

THE Supreme Court (SC) en banc has formally dismissed and disbarred a former presiding judge in a regional trial court branch in Zamboanga del Norte, following findings that he orchestrated the murder of a fellow judge.

In a 16-page ruling made public on Tuesday, the high court upheld the Judicial Integrity Board’s recommendation that Judge Oscar D. Tomarong be held administratively liable for committing a crime involving moral turpitude.

“The commission of a crime by a judge against a fellow judge represents one of the gravest breaches of judicial duty,” the SC said in a per curiam ruling.

The case stemmed from Mr. Tomarong’s criminal conviction for planning the 2019 killing of Judge Reymar L. Lacaya, who was shot dead shortly after court hearings at his court branch. Testimony during the criminal trial showed that Mr. Tomarong hired killers and paid them P250,000 through an aide.

While his criminal conviction remains under appeal, the SC ruled that administrative penalties require only substantial evidence and found sufficient proof that Mr. Tomarong orchestrated the murder.

“The Judiciary’s task of maintaining the people’s trust is undermined whenever judges neglect their duties, and worse, violate the laws that they are supposed to uphold,” the SC said. “This case is the Court’s proof of its commitment to the public that no judge who so callously breaches the law and perpetrates an injustice will go unpunished,” it added.

The SC ordered Mr. Tomarong dismissed from service, disbarred, barred from government reemployment, and stripped of retirement benefits, following his 2022 criminal conviction for murder and sentence of reclusion perpetua. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

Aboitiz Construction to help boost waste management in Cebu school

December 23, 2025 | 8:11 pm

ABOITIZ CONSTRUCTION, the construction development arm of the Aboitiz group, is looking to boost waste management and environmental awareness among Cebuano students with its new eco-station.

In a statement on Tuesday, the company said it donated an eco-station to Buhingtubig Elementary School in Balamban, Cebu to help facilitate waste segregation.

The eco-station, which was made using eco-panels from sourced recycled plastics, was turned over on Dec. 3, in line with Aboitiz Construction’s Waste Action for Yielding Sustainability (WAYS) Project.

The company also donated printers and tumblers to support the school’s eco-initiatives.

“Through this project, we hope to help students understand the importance of proper plastic waste management and recycling,” Aboitiz Construction Project Manager Marife Balbarino said.

During the project launch, Grades 5 and 6 students participated in an instructional session on waste sorting and minimizing plastic.

It also allowed the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office to plan future waste collection initiatives for the school, the company said.

The Philippines is among the world’s most climate vulnerable nations, ranking 7^th in Germanwatch’s latest Climate Risk Index.

The Cebu province is among those feeling the impacts of climate change-induced disasters after facing three earthquakes and two typhoons this year alone.

“Even small actions, like segregating waste and reusing materials, can make a big impact, nurturing a generation empowered to protect our communities and natural resources,’’ Ms. Balbarino said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Athletics and swimming youth brigades made their marks in SEAG

December 23, 2025 | 7:46 pm

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OFFICIALS of athletics and swimming see a rosy future as their youth brigades made their marks in their big hauls in the recent Southeast Asian Games (SEAG).

The track and field stalwarts emerged as the top-performing group for Team Philippines with five gold medals, seven silvers and 19 bronzes — their most medal haul (31) since the 1983 edition (32).

Their counterparts in the pool accounted for a third-best production of 3-9-2 — their best since a 4-6-11 harvest in 2009.

And the young guns were a big part of this success.

“The Philippines is now slowly building up an inventory of world-class, very young heroes and with great potential to be worthy of emulation by Filipino youngsters,” said athletics association chief Terry Capistrano.

Naomi Cesar, at 16 became the youngest SEAG athletics gold medalist with her sizzling performance in the women’s 800-meter (m) run while Hussein Loraña, 21, topped the men’s side.

Jeralyn Rodriguez, 18, took the bronze in the women’s 400 m and added another podium finish in the women’s 4×100-m relay, while Alfred Talplacido, 18, got bronze in the mixed 4×400-m relay.

It’s the same in swimming.

“The young swimmers did really, really well,” Philippine Aquatics, Inc. Secretary General Eric Buhain told The STAR.

Heather White, 18, helped the Kayla Sanchez-led crew in winning the historic women’s 4×100-m freestyle relay then netted a solo silver in the 100-m free plus two more runner-up finishes in the 4×200-m free relay and 4×100-m medley relay and a bronze in 50-m free.

Miranda Renner, 19, grabbed silver in the women’s 50-m butterfly and 4×100-m medley relay while Gian Santos, 19, placed second in the men’s 200-m individual medley and Logan Noguchi, 20, made the podium in the men’s 50-m fly.

Though without a medal, Kyla Bulaga, 15, drew raves after advancing to the finals in all her seven events in Thailand. — Olmin Leyba

Tim Cone not expanding Gilas Pilipinas training pool despite bevy of Thailand SEAG standouts

December 23, 2025 | 7:45 pm

AS MUCH as he wanted to after being impressed by a bevy of standouts in the 33^rd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), Gilas Pilipinas “A” team head coach Tim Cone is not keen on expanding his training pool anytime soon.

Mr. Cone served as one of the biggest fans of the alternative Gilas unit squad under the tutelage of his pal Norman Black that defied all odds in delivering the country’s second straight and 20^th overall gold medal in the biennial tourney.

And a lot of players, new and old who have become part of the previous Gilas teams, left an impression on Mr. Cone leading to calls by fans for consideration of their inclusion to the main squad.

Among those were Robert Bolick, Ray Parks, Jr., Thirdy Ravena and Matthew Wright but for Mr. Cone, there’s a reason why he keeps his core small and intact given the tight schedule of the PBA and overseas leagues for FIBA tournaments.

“We’ve had all those guys on our radar but there are only 12 guys,” said Mr. Cone on the heels of Gilas’ 70-64 win over host Thailand in the controversial but satisfying finale, crediting the return to fine form of Jamie Malonzo, who’s also in his “A” team.

“We don’t want to increase it to a huge pool because it’s too unwieldy for the time of preparation that we have.”

Mr. Cone admitted having Messrs. Bolick, Parks and Wright in discussions all these years along with Jordan Heading and the Ravena brothers (Kiefer and Thirdy) before picking his final squad that mainly competes in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments.

Since being named the permanent head coach of Gilas last year, Mr. Cone veered away from the traditional creation of big national team pool — usually made up of 20 players every tournament — by establishing a 12-man core.

For Mr. Cone, having a big pool is only applicable with long preparation time like Gilas under coach Chot Reyes did in the 2023 FIBA World Cup hosting after being together for more than three months. But the FIBA calendar is long, winding and with only short breaks now, thus his decision to keep a tight-knit unit.

Leading the permanent team that made waves overseas including a massive 89-80 upset of world No. 6 Latvia at its own home in the 2024 Paris Olympic qualifiers is naturalized player Justin Brownlee, nine-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, 7-foot-3 sensation Kai Sotto and Japan league standout Dwight Ramos.

Also in the fray are rising stars Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo and AJ Edu, PBA vets Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana and Mr. Malonzo. Mr. Cone recently added Quentin Millora-Brown, Troy Rosario, RJ Abarrientos and Juan Gomez de Liaño.

They are tasked to compete mainly in bigger tournaments like the FIBA Asia, World Cup Qualifiers and the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya leading to the ultimate goal of making it to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as part of Mr. Cone’s four-year roadmap.

And for him, that might be the pool for good as Gilas braces for the second window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers next February at home against Australia and New Zealand in Group A.

“When you’re talking about maybe five, six practices before you have to play, you can’t bring in 20 guys and get them ready. So, like I said, there’s only 12 guys,” he clarified.

Mr. Cone’s Gilas is coming off a 2-0 sweep of the first window against Guam just before the SEAG, which wasn’t part of the FIBA calendar as well as the schedule of PBA and overseas leagues that prompted the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to field a different squad.

SBP managed to form a still competitive and contender Gilas “B” team for SEAG but Thailand’s multiple rule changes ruled half of it as ineligible before Mr. Black successfully included last-minute replacements for the gold medal nonetheless. — John Bryan Ulanday

Cess Robles and Karen Verdeflor beef up ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles

December 23, 2025 | 7:44 pm

FRESH from its best performance in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) thus far, ZUS Coffee has acquired a pair of players that it hopes would be keys that would unlock the championship puzzle.

“We have Mses. Robles and Karen (Verdeflor) in our team,” ZUS coach Jerry Yee on Tuesday told The STAR referring to outside hitter Cess Robles and libero Karen Verdeflor, who were tabbed after their former team, Chery Tiggo, recently disbanded.

The arrival of Mses. Robles and Verdeflor should further beef up an already formidable ZUS roster that included Thea Gagate, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Alexis Miner, Alyssa Eroa, Fiola Ceballos and Riza Nogales.

That same core have pushed the Thunderbelles just a victory closer from claiming their breakthrough PVL crown before ending up as runner-up to eventual PVL Reinforced Conference champions in the Petro Gazz Angels.

It was the best finish by the Strong Group Athletics-owned franchise since it joined the league last year.

And the future looks brighter with the arrival of Mses. Robles and Verdeflor.

“They’re great additions to the team,” said Mr. Yee. — Joey Villar

Oklahoma City Thunder brush aside Memphis Grizzlies, 119-103, maintain perfect home mark

December 23, 2025 | 7:44 pm

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER scored 31 points as Oklahoma City remained the NBA’s only team with a perfect home record, as the Thunder posted a 119-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

The Thunder improved to 14-0 at home while shaking off a season-worst run of two losses in three games. The Grizzlies have dropped back-to-back games and three of their past five.

Oklahoma City seemingly took control with a 12-2 run that started late in the third quarter and bled into the fourth, and they stretched their lead as high as 18 less than two minutes into the final quarter.

But Memphis didn’t go away, cutting the deficit to four on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 3-pointer with less than six minutes remaining.

The Thunder immediately answered with back-to-back 3-pointers from Gilgeous-Alexander and Branden Carlson to push the lead back to 10. That stretch eventually ballooned to a 14-2 run in which Gilgeous-Alexander had seven points and a pair of assists to virtually put the game away with less than two minutes remaining.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 10 rebounds, eight assists and four steals.

Jalen Williams added 24 points for Oklahoma City, while Ajay Mitchell scored 16 off the bench.

Oklahoma City typically uses a two-big starting lineup with 7-footers Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. However, with Holmgren out due to illness and Hartenstein sidelined because of right soleus soreness, Carlson made his first career start. He finished with 11 points in 25 minutes.

The Thunder also were without Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins and Ousmane Dieng.

The Grizzlies were plenty short-handed themselves, with Ja Morant missing his third consecutive game with a left ankle sprain, Brandon Clarke out with a right calf strain just two games after making his season debut, and John Konchar and Zach Edey remaining out.

Oklahoma City scored 12 points off seven Memphis turnovers in the second, helped by four steals in the quarter from Kenrich Williams.

Williams wound up with 11 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists.

The Thunder outscored the Grizzlies, 56-28, in the paint and scored 31 points off Memphis’ 23 turnovers. — Reuters

Salah scores late winner as Egypt rallies to beat Zimbabwe, 2-1

December 23, 2025 | 7:43 pm

AGADIR, Morocco — Mohamed Salah snatched a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Egypt came from behind to beat Zimbabwe, 2-1, in their first fixture at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco on Monday.

Egypt’s captain, starting his first game after four successive matches on the bench at Liverpool, fired home a left-footed effort in the 91^st minute to earn the seven-time champion a late victory after Zimbabwe had stunned them by going ahead in the first half.

Egypt laid an early siege to Zimbabwe’s goal, but it was the underdogs who netted first through Prince Dube in the 20^th minute.

It was left to Egypt’s Premier League contingent of Omar Marmoush, who equalized in the 64^th minute, and talisman Salah to see them to a last-gasp victory.

It was as much as Egypt deserved, breaking a run of six successive draws over the last two editions of the Cup of Nations. — Reuters

Westbrook’s confidence

December 23, 2025 | 7:43 pm

On yet another outing, the Kings seemed to be drifting further into a morass of mediocrity. They trailed the heavily favored Rockets by 14 with nine minutes and change left in the fourth quarter, and there was little in their effort that portended a comeback. In fact, conventional wisdom pegged a setback that would extend their ignominious streak to six outings. And then, from out of the blue, transcendence came; lo and behold, they managed to rally from a late deficit to force overtime and ultimately walk off with a 125-124 victory.

Dennis Schroder’s game-winning dagger from the sideline with 2.2 seconds left in overtime completed the narrative. The reserve finished with 24, seven, and 10 to add to DeMar DeRozan’s 27, four, and nine, as well as to Keegan Murray’s 26 and four. All the same, the biggest subplot to the rare triumph at the Golden 1 Center involved Russell Westbrook. Admittedly, his stat line of 21 points, 13, and four was far from the stuff of legend, especially since he needed 24 shots and committed four turnovers in the process. Then again, there could be no discounting his psychological import.

Westbrook may be 36 and long past his prime, but he continues to command attention all the same. And he remains his unapologetic self: inefficient and mistake-prone, but likewise assertive, direct, and unafraid of the moment. Which was why he couldn’t help but express his exuberance in the postmortem. He may have looked arrogant in so doing, but relief was his more likely motivation. Relief that the Kings, who were 6-22 coming in, had pulled off a win they desperately needed to feel alive again. Relief that a hard-fought contest brought reward beyond the numbers. And yes, relief that his presence still carried real juice.

To be sure, relevance is another matter altogether. As much as Westbrook’s contributions weighed in the Kings’ comeback, his overall fit remains an open question. Their season has cratered under the weight of injuries, uneven shot creation, and an utter lack of identity. He brings positives, but his style also breeds impotence, rhythm disruptions, and, on occasion, confusion. Against the Rockets, his Hyde side was evident in missed attempts and hesitant possessions late in the extra period.

Make no mistake. Westbrook’s confidence has an intangible value that doesn’t always show up in plus-minus logs. His unwavering willingness to take the big shot speaks to a competitive instinct that the Kings need. On the other hand, there is reason to wonder if progress, even in increments, will come with him as a vital cog. Will he get to strike the right balance as mentor and creator? Or will he once again overstay his welcome? Only time will tell.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.