Telegraphing punches

“I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.”

—Khalil Gibran

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THERE’S nothing wrong with reporting to the public that at least 421 of the 8,000 flood control works in the entire archipelago were non-existent or “ghosts.”

But the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under aggressive and tough-talking Vince Dizon appears to be telegraphing the government’s punches against unscrupulous contractors.

We’re sure the number does not end in 421. It appears it’s only the tip of the iceberg—especially when probers go down deep in the Visayas and Mindanao.

If Dizon’s team composed of field inspector from the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) will conduct the probe in full swing, more skeletons will emerge from the closet.

Why not continue with the investigation and flood control project scam-hunting, gather sufficient pieces of evidence against the erring contractors and their politician padrinos, and file cases in court thereafter before disclosing how far they have gone, so far?

 

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We advocate transparency in as far as the findings of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the fact-finding body created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to look into the flood control anomalies, are concerned.

But we think it’s healthier and more effective if Dizon, et al refrain from revealing all the aces in their sleeves while the marching orders to locate all those “ghost” projects are ongoing and not yet concluded.

“Initially, 8,000 projects nationwide were validated, and of these, 421 were identified as ghost projects by the AFP, PNP, and (DepDev),” Dizon was reported to have declared recently in a press conference after a closed-door meeting with ICI officials.

“This is just the initial phase, because there are so many. Hundreds of thousands of these projects still need to be validated.”

While so many cooks spoil the broth, excessive talking is a leakage that will sink you into the ocean of troubles.

While Dizon, et al showboat in every press conference they assemble to report the latest figures of their scam-hunting, fraudulent contractors and their politician collaborators study and plot their next move and may be bidding to forestall the government’s next move.

With their billions of loots, these rascals can afford to dilly dally the course of justice system and might succeed to wiggle out from the abyss by doing the offensive move and employing squid, among other dirty tactics.

Money still talks and everyone has a price in the Philippines, pardon this frankness.

 

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People in the East Coast, especially here in New York City, have started to notice it's almost peak leaf peeping season, when the colors of fall are seen in full, but it's looking a little different this year.

Recent weather patterns are causing leaves to change earlier and into different autumn colors, reported CBS News’ Vanessa Murdock, quoting nature experts.

Trees are reportedly showing signs of stress.

Upstate in Lake Placid, New York, near-peak fall colors pop against the tranquility of Mirror Lake, making the journey driving through the Adirondacks on I-87 much more enjoyable.

About 70 miles north of the city, the burning red of Virginia creeper plants and maroon of dogwood trees enhance the already breathtaking scenery at the Testimonial Gateway in the Mohonk Preserve in Ulster County.

"We're seeing a lot of changes in late September, which is way earlier than normal," Murdock quoted Niamh Keane, an ecological field technician at the preserve.

 

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According to Keane, abnormally dry conditions and unseasonable warmth put stress on the trees, and it shows. She said stressed trees have leaves that are browned and curled up.

That causes them to change their leaves early and drop them a little earlier than in previous years," she said.

"This year might be a little bit more muted than previous years," said John Zeiger, who manages the New York Botanical Garden's Thain Family Forest.

Once more, Zeiger said lack of rain is to blame.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul enacted an outdoor burn ban statewide until at least Oct. 15 because of the dry conditions.

Leaves get their green color in the spring and summer because of chlorophyll, which breaks down in the fall, revealing the leaves' true colors. Those colors come from two main pigment types: carotenoids and anthocyanins.

Carotenoids produce yellow and orange hues, which already exist in leaves. But anthocyanins boost reds and purples, which can only be created by a chemical reaction.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

 

While the iron is hot

“Investigation may be likened to the long months of pregnancy, and solving a problem to the day of birth. To investigate a problem is, indeed, to solve it.”

—Mao Zedong

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

ILOILO Governor Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. did not heavily press the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office to do something with the P680-million scandal-ridden Aganan Flyover in Pavia, Iloilo in the previous years probably because he sensed the past DPWH hierarchy was inutile to solve the mess.  

Thus, he decided to act lock, stock, and barrel to address the scandal when the new DPWH administration under the leadership of fire-spewing Secretary Vince Dizon took over.

Defensor’s move was timely, acting feverishly while the iron is hot, so to speak.

The governor is aware Dizon is in the mood to let the chips fall where they may in as far as disciplinary action against erring contractors and unscrupulous DPWH minions are concerned.

Amid the flood control project anomalies crackdown, Dizon may include other substandard and neglected infrastructure projects around the country, particularly Defensor’s concern, in the ongoing blitzkrieg against irregularities committed by DPWH double-dealers and their ilk.

 

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Zeroing in on consultant discrepancies and delayed central office action as the main causes of the construction halt, Defensor informed Dizon in a letter, “I am writing to respectfully request a comprehensive update and clarification regarding the current status of the Aganan Flyover project in Pavia, Iloilo. The prolonged delay significantly disrupts traffic flow and continues to affect the daily lives and convenience of our residents.”

Defensor cited in his letter to Dizon that the flyover, which unwrapped in July 2020 with a 24-month target completion, has remained unfinished for years without an official resumption timeline.

The original contractor, United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP), allegedly committed discrepancies in assessing the foundation depth, leading to the DPWH central office’s disapproval.

An estimated P275 million to P300 million additional funds may be needed for design revisions and rectifications tied to flawed soil testing, it was reported.

Funding for corrections has not been secured, leaving the project in limbo even if the DPWH regional office had submitted the revised design for review back to the DPWH central office.

Defensor explained: “Given these circumstances, the unresolved state of the project continues to burden the public—both in terms of daily traffic congestion and lost confidence in timely infrastructure delivery.”

Copies of the governor’s letter had been furnished to DPWH Region VI OIC Regional Director Joel F. Limpengco, Iloilo 2nd District Representative Kathryn Joyce Gorriceta, and the Infrastructure Committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC) VI.

 

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THE billions of pesos stolen by corrupt DPWH contractors and politicians in various flood control projects would have been enough to help rebuild the central Philippines, particularly Cebu, devastated by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on September 30, 2025.

The money could have been used to erect shelters and edifices, build hospitals and public schools, concrete defense systems like sea walls, repair dikes and protects rivers just in case a tsunami occurs.

Most of the earthquake victims were from Bogo, a small town on one of the largest islands in the Visayas Islands, the Philippines' central region and the place closest to the earthquake's epicentre.

Many of them will rely on national and even international aides to rebuild their shattered lives as a result of the catastrophe.

Images coming out of Bogo showed body bags lined on the street and hundreds of people being treated in tent hospitals. Officials have warned of "a lot of damage" caused by the earthquakes.

The local authorities have appealed for volunteers with medical experience to help deal with injuries.

Buckled and cracked roads, and fallen bridges were also making access difficult for emergency services. Power lines in many places were down, meaning that it's also been hard to speak to those affected.

Seven of those who died in Tuesday's earthquake in Bogo had lived in a village built to house victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central Philippines 12 years ago, killing more than 6,000 people.

 

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According to the Science of Earthquakes, the earth has four major layers: the inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. The crust and the top of the mantle make up a thin skin on the surface of our planet.

But this skin is not all in one piece – it is made up of many pieces like a puzzle covering the surface of the earth. Not only that, but these puzzle pieces keep slowly moving around, sliding past one another and bumping into each other.

We call these puzzle pieces tectonic plates, and the edges of the plates are called the plate boundaries. The plate boundaries are made up of many faults, and most of the earthquakes around the world occur on these faults.

Since the edges of the plates are rough, they get stuck while the rest of the plate keeps moving. Finally, when the plate has moved far enough, the edges unstick on one of the faults and there is an earthquake.

While the edges of faults are stuck together, and the rest of the block is moving, the energy that would normally cause the blocks to slide past one another is being stored up.

When the force of the moving blocks finally overcomes the friction of the jagged edges of the fault and it unsticks, all that stored up energy is released.

The energy radiates outward from the fault in all directions in the form of seismic waves like ripples on a pond. The seismic waves shake the earth as they move through it, and when the waves reach the earth’s surface, they shake the ground and anything on it, like our houses and us!

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

 

God again?

“Why let the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes.” 

–Psalm 115:2-3

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE caution everyone from jumping into conclusion that the powerful earthquake that walloped the central Philippines, particularly Cebu on September 30, 2025 was “an act of God.” 

We also don’t agree that the same magnitude of quake that blasted Negros and Iloilo on February 6, 2012 was also “an act of God.” 

Science tells us that when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another, an earthquake happens. 

The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane, according to Earthquake Hazards Program. We believe in science and eschew superstition.  

It explains that the location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter.

On February 8, 2012, or two days after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Tayasan, Negros Occidental and was strongly felt in Iloilo, triggering a tsunami alert and causing panic in Iloilo City, a group of Christian pastors reportedly gathered for a prayer meeting.

They agreed that God had very little to do with the powerful tremor while assessing impassable roads and damaged buildings.

 

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Since the earth is under the Curse from Creation, earthquakes and other natural disasters simply happen according to laws of nature.

Our earth is actually not immune to disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes.

“So how does God fit in? Intuitively, people know God is in charge. When tragedy strikes, people call out to Him,” asked Dr. Erwin Lutzer of Monergism.

“We know that when something is outside of our control, we need to call upon a higher power for help. But if people intuitively know that God is in charge, how do we explain the heart-wrenching suffering that accompanies such disasters?”

Among the numerous earthquakes that have shaken this earth, none has had such significance and publicity as the catastrophe of Lisbon. 

For the student of Bible prophecy it has a particular meaning, but Bible students were not the only ones to be impressed by it.

On November 1, 1755, the greater part of the city of Lisbon, Portugal, was destroyed. 

Besides the earthquake, a tidal wave followed and wrecked the shipping in the river Tagus on which Lisbon is built. In addition to that, fire broke out and completed the work of destruc­tion. 

Sixty thousand were said to have lost their lives, and the property damage, although it cannot be estimated accurately, was of course enormous.

 

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According to the Ministry, an international journal for pastors, the immediate repercussions of that Lisbon tragedy were registered in religious as well as antireligious circles. 

That was particularly true in France, where the Encyclopedists tried to vulgarize the achievements of the human mind, and where Reason had its most eloquent spokes­men. 

France was, at the time of the occurrence of the earthquake, the focal point of rational­ism. Everything was examined by the philoso­phers: the origin of the world, the creation of man, the church, education, et cetera. 

Among the most influential writers, explained the Ministry, none were more read and followed than Voltaire and Rousseau, who both saw in the Lisbon catastrophe a signif­icance that brilliantly, although tragically, proved and illustrated their systems.

Voltaire was always clear, but never well co­ordinated. He is considered an infidel, a man without a Christian's faith, rejecting divine rev­elation; holding that the Holy Scriptures are not God's Word, nor is the church the visible body of those "called out." Christ was, to Vol­taire, neither the Redeemer nor God Incarnate. 

On the other hand, Voltaire was not an atheist; he was a deist, as it was intellectually fashion­able to be in the eighteenth century. While al­most all philosophers were deists, there were shades of difference in their individual beliefs.

 

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Voltaire believed that God is the Source of all life and substance. He was convinced of the ex­istence of God for two reasons: First, he thought that the world could not be explained without God, that is, without a "First Cause." 

However, Voltaire thought that God the Creator cannot be reached by man, nor can God be conceived by our knowledge. But by our very reasoning we are forced to admit God's existence, and only ignorance could attempt to define Him. 

Second, without God there is no foundation of morality, and thus God is the basis of human society. 

It was Voltaire who coined the cynical phrase, "If God did not exist, we would have to invent Him."'

It is evident that Voltaire's views were not only mistaken but superficial. He could not discern spiritually because his concept of the world was that of a rationalistic investigator. 

It is especially in the field of prophetic Bible in­terpretation that Voltaire's judgments are often erroneous and sometimes childish, particularly his pert remarks on Isaac Newton's Observa­tions Upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John. 

Yet he cannot be con­sidered an atheist. One of his most outspoken statements against atheism is in his letter to the Marquis of Villevieille: "My dear Marquis, there is nothing good in Atheism…. This sys­tem is evil both in the physical realm as well as in that of morality…" 

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

‘Thrilla in Manila’: A world record in heavyweight boxing

“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”

—Muhammad Ali

By Alex P. Vidal

FIFTY years since it was held, the record established by Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manila” remained intact.
The biggest heavyweight boxing title fight in the world was held at the Araneta Colesium in Cubao, Quezon City on October 1, 1975.
It was a duel that defined Ali, formerly Cassius Clay, both as a sports icon and human being.
Ali (48–2, 35 KOs) settled his feud with Frazier on a spectacular 14th round TKO (technical knockout).
Frazier (32–2, 27 KOs) did not fall flat on his face.
Trainer Eddie Futch refused to let Frazier continue before the 15th round when he sensed the fight was no longer a sport.
Referee Carlos Padilla terminated the bout as Frazier protested to no avail wailing at Futch, “I want him, boss.”

“It’s all over. No one will forget what you did here today,” Futch barked at Frazier, whom Ali slandered earlier and called “ape.”
Both ring titans were exhausted and standing only on survival instinct.
Frazier’s lips had been busted and his face was crimson.
Ali also suffered a black eye in both eyes.
Ali described that third duel with Frazier as “next to death.”
The charismatic heavyweight champion admitted later that he asked Frazier to quit after 10 rounds.
“C’mon, Joe, that’s enough. There’s still life after this fight,” Ali allegedly whispered to his nemesis while they were swapping bombs.

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I asked Padilla if he heard those words when I had a chance to work with him in 1996 during the 12-round WBF welterweight fisticuffs between Amerasian William Magahin and Australian Brad Moderidge.
Padilla told me he didn’t exactly hear Ali’s exact sentence, but confirmed Ali was saying something only the two boxers could understand.
As a kid, we watched the fight on a black and white TV set in Molo district, Iloilo City after our classes at the Iloilo Central Commercial High School (ICCHS) in the morning.
My other recollection of the astonishing showdown was based on the journals, magazines and newspaper clippings I had gathered.
I also watched some of the videos of the fight and interviewed some personalities involved in the epic battle here and in the United States.
Many years back, I met Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines (SCOOP) president Eddie Alinea, who acted as Frazier’s press liaison officer, when we covered Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Joshua Clottey in Arlington, Texas.
Alinea said he was assigned by the Office of Media Affairs (now the Philippine Information Agency) to accompany Team Frazier while the boxer was in Manila.
He described challenger Frazier as “a monster in the ring but a gentleman outside.”
Alinea showed to me a black and white photo of a press briefing taken at the Manila Hotel where he sat beside the behemoth champion from Louisville, Kentucky who called himself as “The Greatest” and was formerly known as Cassius Clay.

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Alinea also kept some souvenir items bearing the signature of Frazier who thanked Alinea for the Filipino scribe’s services and presence in Team Frazier.
According to many boxing experts and historians I met in the United States, the “Thrilla in Manila” was the greatest ever world heavyweight championship in history.
In terms of heated rivalry, intensity, brutality, action and courageous display of skills, talent and spirit, nothing can beat the “Thrilla in Manila.”
There have been great marquee names in the heavyweight division that emerged after Ali’s exit.
They were Trevor Berbick, Greg Page, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson, to mention only a few.
But none of them could match his charisma and impact in the hearts of sports fans all over the universe.
The record established by “Thrilla in Manila” has not been broken until today.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.— Ed)

Pinoys ready na for the guillotine?

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

―Friedrich Nietzsche

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE are against the death penalty, and we can’t imagine watching government thieves, including Filipino political celebrities tainted by graft and corruption, being beheaded one by one if we have the death penalty—or if the government has fallen under the “Reign of Terror,” reminiscent of the French Revolution in 1789.

Even if we are very angry at the level of corruption allegedly committed by the likes of Zaldy Co, Martin Romualdez, Sara Duterte, Joel Villanueva, Bong Revilla, Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, among other high and mighty political clan kings and queens linked to misuse of intelligence funds and flood control project anomalies, we reject any act of barbarism as a punitive measure.

Which probably explains why we can’t duplicate what happened recently in Indonesia and Nepal.

We still hold the record of owning the most peaceful revolution in history—the 1986 EDSA Revolution. There are rosaries and flowers, but no bloodbath when we drive away dictators, ruffians and plunderers.

 

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In Indonesia and Nepal, protesters against graft and corruption and abuse of power by government officials were willing to vandalize government facilities and infrastructures at all costs and execute rapacious and greedy public officials by hook or by crook.

Filipinos, the only Christian inhabitants in Asia, could hardly replicate it. Not even close to duplicating it.

On September 21, 2025, a small number of Pinoy “protesters” wanted to do what the Indonesians and Nepalese did to their governments but failed miserably because they weren’t legitimate rallyists agitating for genuine reforms and social justice.

They were bandits, gangsters and paid troublemakers who couldn’t even understand what they were fighting for, and why they needed to turn violent while marching toward the parameters of Malacanang.

Criminals can’t be reformers or dispensers of social justice.

When it comes to mob, we are good at assembling it in the guise of expressing or to seek redress for our legitimate grievances against massive graft and corruption and plunder, but as to the real objectives and mission, we aren’t united.

Going back to the guillotine. Many Filipinos continue to advocate for death penalty while a broad segment of the population spurns it mainly because of religious and cultural considerations.

 

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Now that graft and corruption has turned deadly, or is now in the level where the Philippines will almost collapse economically, many Filipinos have now openly expressed their pent-up outrage not only in the social media, but also in the streets—and we’re referring to legitimate protest actions being initiated by the multi-sectoral segments of society that continue to grow.

For a lot of people, a mention of the French Revolution conjures up images of wealthy nobles being led to the guillotine.

Many have been left with the impression the revolution was chiefly about chopping off the heads of kings, queens, dukes and other cashed-up aristocrats, thanks to countless movies, books and half-remembered history lessons, according to The Conversation.

The Bastille Day and what is known in French as Quatorze Juillet–a date commemorating events of July 14 in 1789 that came to symbolize the French Revolution—it’s worth correcting this common misconception.

In fact, most people executed during the French Revolution–and particularly in its perceived bloodiest era, the nine-month “Reign of Terror” between autumn 1793 and summer 1794–were commoners.

Among those who died under the “national razor” (the guillotine’s nickname) were King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, many revolutionary leaders such as Georges Danton, Louis de Saint-Just and Maximilien Robespierre. Scientist Antoine Lavoisier, pre-romantic poet Andre Chenier, feminist Olympe de Gouges and legendary lovers Camille and Lucie Desmoulins were among its victims.

But it wasn’t just “celebrities” executed at the guillotine.

 

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If we have the guillotine in the Philippines and the death penalty, those expected to be executed are politicians who have repeatedly stolen the taxpayers’ money by hundreds of millions and even billions.

There are the so-called “repeat offenders” who had spent years in jail for plunder and yet were able to wiggle out from their crimes against the taxpayers because of political affiliations and manipulations.  

Politicians who enriched themselves while the people suffer from neglect, betrayal, and death like in the flood control project scandal. Those who collected mansions in the Philippines and abroad, bought imported vehicles worth hundreds of millions of pesos, private planes and yachts, among other pieces of evidence of opulence and mindless show of grandiosity.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Editor)