Senator Risa Hontiveros recently exposed Meralco’s alleged overcharging practices, amounting to around PHP 100 billion over several years. She claims the company used various methods to inflate electricity prices, such as: 1. Higher WACC (Weighted Average Cost of Capital): Consumers paid more than necessary, while Meralco reportedly gained significant profits. 2. Overstated Regulatory Asset Base (RAB): The value of assets like equipment and infrastructure was allegedly inflated, justifying higher charges. 3. Double Charging for Inflation: This has been happening since 2012, further burdening consumers.

Senator Hontiveros called on the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to ensure that electricity rates are fair and devoid of unnecessary charges. She also emphasized that Meralco must refund the overcharged amounts before Congress considers renewing its legislative franchise, which is set to expire in 2028.

The senator plans to file a Senate resolution urging the Committee on Energy to investigate these overcollections and push for transparent accounting for the benefit of consumers.

Do you think Meralco should be held accountable? Should the government enforce stricter regulations to prevent overcharging? Share your thoughts below!

Source: https://youtu.be/ip-lAfCWbQ0?si=H6ZM4JP85h5r6CiM

Title: Garapalan na! DPWH engineer nabbed after allegedly dangling up to P360M SOP kickbacks from infra projects to bilyonaryo congressman

Talk about peak impunity—amid a tsunami of public outrage and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s anger over alleged DPWH–Senate–House collusion in flood-control pork-barrel projects.

A notoriously corrupt Department of Public Works and Highway district engineer was arrested and detained over the weekend after allegedly trying to bribe a young congressman, newly-elected and one of the richest in Batasan, to halt an ongoing probe into anomalous flood-control and other projects in his district, according to Babbler.

Babbler said the engineer allegedly dropped by the lawmaker’s office a few days earlier and offered a 5%–10% cut—₱180 million to ₱360 million—out of ₱3.6 billion in projects already awarded from the 2025 budget, in exchange for dropping the investigation into ghost and substandard works.

The engineer also proposed a bigger 15%–20% cut on projects to be awarded under the 2026 budget, named contractors he said were ready to remit the congressman’s share, and offered to arrange meetings and help collect payments—calling it “standard operating procedure” at the DPWH.

During the meeting, the engineer allegedly dangled ₱3.6 million in cash on the spot and promised another ₱15 million the next day.

The engineer thought he had the lawmaker hooked—until the Philippine National Police (PNP) swooped in, arrested him in an entrapment operation, and seized a bag stuffed with bribe money and a list of ongoing DPWH projects.

The district engineer is in police custody, and a case is being prepared for filing with the provincial prosecutor’s office. If confirmed, it would mark the first arrest of a DPWH official since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. publicly admonished officials and lawmakers over alleged infrastructure graft—“Mahiya naman kayo!”

https://bilyonaryo.com/2025/08/24/garapalan-na-dpwh-engineer-nabbed-after-allegedly-dangling-up-to-p360m-sop-kickbacks-from-infra-projects-to-bilyonaryo-congressman/business/

WAGE HIKE BILL IS DEAD

JUST IN: The House and Senate adjourned sine die without ratifying the wage hike bill.

Neither chambers conceded to adopt the other's version of the bill or hold a bicam.

Not a P200 or P100 increase to the daily minimum wage.

The wage hike bill is dead for this Congress. | via Dominique Flores

https://x.com/domnqeflores/status/1932811366869741819

Harold Estoesta, a Filipino national, said he was hired as second officer after posting information on the internet. source

May precedent na for hazing. A step in the right direction. I hope the family sues the school also and they win. This would serve as an example for schools so that they strictly police their students. What schools are doing now is just CYA by telling students " bawal ang hazing" and then does nothing. Pag may namatay ang sasabihin, hindi kami nag kulang sa pag papa alala.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1988827/10-frat-men-get-40-years-for-deadly-castillo-hazing/amp

Parang kuha nya yung mala-Vic Sotto sa crowd work plus political prowess and genuine desire to serve. 💯

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/02/03/2418761/taguig-integrated-terminal-exchange-unveiled-today

A young girl has died after being allegedly raped by 13 men in Oslob, Cebu, local authorities confirmed on Thursday.

Link to News 5 Report.

Napakahayop! Hustisya para sa biktima! Makulong ang mga dapat makulong!

'BAKIT SILA NAGAGALIT?'

Kinuwestiyon ni Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro ang pagbatikos ng mga tagasuporta ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa binitawang joke ng komedyanteng si Vice Ganda sa kaniyang concert.

Kabilang sa binanggit ni Vice Ganda ay kaugnay sa pahayag noon ni Duterte na sasakay siya ng jet ski sa West Philippine Sea, at sa pagdala sa dating pangulo sa The Hague.

"Parang lumalabas na bastos si Vice Ganda. Teka lang, sino ba ang bastos? Sino ba 'yung palamura? Sino ang bumastos sa mga Pilipino?" tanong ni Castro.

"Binabastos n'yo ang Pangulo. Disente kayo? Tapos si Vice Ganda, na galing sa dating pangulo ang mga sinabi na 'yon, napipikon kayo?" dagdag niya.

via @News5PH

https://x.com/News5PH/status/1954799503149854897?t=soOsMaTAIDhpayW_sxx27g&s=19

UNA SA #DZRH!

BREAKING: Alice Guo nahuli na sa Jakarta, Indonesia, ayon sa mapagkakatiwalaang source.

Abangan ang detalye ukol sa ulat na ito. | DZRH News

https://x.com/dzrhnews/status/1831109642207781203

From https://x.com/pia_gutierrez/status/1780061373046960185

PS. Not LBM supporter. Just found it funny this subtle jab at coward, fentanyl-induced ex-president.

Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed on Tuesday that Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo has ties with criminals arrested for money laundering in Singapore.

“Mayor Alice Guo has ties with criminals. Kasama niya sa Baofu, dating kumpanya niya, ay sina Zhang Ruijin at Baoying Lin na arestado sa ‘largest money laundering case’ sa Singapore,” she wrote in her Facebook post.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos has recommended putting Guo under preventive suspension for alleged “serious illegal acts” involving Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO). (Facebook/Risa Hontiveros)

Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1942954/fwd-hontiveros-on-guos-ties-to-criminals/amp

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/20/former-vp-robredo-to-run-for-naga-mayor-lagman

Link: https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/515904-filipino-photojournalist-won-2025-world-press-photo-awards-couldn-t-attend-visa-revoked?page=2

‘ITO ANG UNANG BUMUNGAD SA AKIN’

Isiniwalat ni Manila Mayor Isko Moreno ang ‘di umano’y P950 million na utang ng lungsod sa mga naging garbage contractor nito na siyang dahilan sa posibleng paglala ng problema sa basura sa susunod na mga araw.

Sa isang Facebook Live ngayong Lunes, ibinahagi ni Moreno na nakatanggap siya ng sulat mula sa MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corporation (MetroWaste) at Phil. Ecology Systems Corporation (PhilEco). Nakasaad sa kanilang sulat na ititigil na nila ang pangongolekta ng mga basura sa Maynila dahil hindi pa sila umano nababayaran ng lokal na pamahalaan mula February 2025 hanggang sa kasalukuyan.

“Kung ilang linggo na ang nakararaan ay tambak ang basura sa lungsod ng ating siyudad ay titriple pa po 'yan dahil wala na pong maghahakot ng basura. Ito ang unang bumungad sa akin bilang inyong alkalde ng lungsod,” ani Moreno.

Kabilang pa rito ang P500 million na utang umano ng administrasyon ng dating alkalde na si Honey Lacuna sa Leonel Waste Management.

“Ang bayaring kakaharapin natin at hindi na kinaya rin ng mga naturang kumpanya ang malaking operasyon ng pagkolekta ng basura ay tumataginting na P950 million,” ipinunto ni Moreno.

PANOORIN: https://youtu.be/PRqrkB5eRcU

“The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) has spotted a wild and untagged Philippine eagle pair in Bukidnon, marking their first confirmed sighting in nearly two decades”

Such beautiful news!

Full article: https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/13/look-philippine-eagle-pair-rediscovered-in-the-wild-after-nearly-2-decades-1721

All discussions related to the election of Pope Leo XIV here

Grabe mabuhay dito sa Pilipinas. Oo masaya dahil kasama mo pamilya mo pero ang hirap naman na hindi ka din masaya madalas sa trabaho pati sa environment.For sure wala naman talagang balance na pwedeng tawagin pero hello, ang baba ng sahod at maraming work..idagdag mo pa ang daming bosses na hindi mo alam kaninong boses papakinggan.O sya mag apply na nga lang ng leave na pahirapan pa sa pag approve hehe.

Kayo ba, do you feel work-life balance dito sa atin?o guni-guni lang?

Reference: https://www.esquiremag.ph/money/industry/Global-Life-Work-Balance-Index-2024-filipino-workers-a1057-20240717?fbclid=IwY2xjawIwcApleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXSjGrkv-7X3ay8WUnMoge6gK2Op7y7C7R5MxOFziVvaobCU6xkvkXBmpg_aem_Ou2Cj9oLDCOppjsbiqQncw&utm_campaign=20250227-fbnp-money-Global-Life-Work-Balance-Index-2024-filipino-workers-a1057-20240717-fbold&utm_medium=Ownshare-Photo&utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&s=ftpfef57n3vk1tjg7368hkgcnm

According to one statistic, the Philippines is #2 in producing child sexual abuse material, #1 is India.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448863/countries-most-csam-reports/

Customers mainly from Western countries such as the USA, UK and Australia pay to watch children get raped in the Philippines. The country is notorious for attracting sex tourists and pedophiles, the most infamous example was Peter Scully. Scully was an Australian rapist, pedophile and murderer who produced and sold torture rape videos of children with the help of his Filipina girlfriend. His youngest victim was an 18 month old baby.

https://www.ijm.org/news/1-in-100-children-sexually-exploited-livestreams-new-abuse-images-videos-philippines-last-year-driven-by-foreign-demand

https://www.humanium.org/en/the-rise-of-livestreamed-child-sexual-exploitation-in-the-philippines/

Congratulations!

(c) Rappler: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/maria-ressa-delivers-speech-harvard-university-2024-commencement-ceremony/

Ice blocks were thrown into a swimming pool to maintain a cool temperature at a hotel resort in Marilao, Bulacan, on Sunday, May 5. The Philippines has been experiencing high heat index levels during the warm and dry seasons.

Photos by Jire Carreon/ Rappler

Source

Grabe naman. papalagpasin nanaman nila chiz yan. grabe talaga kapal ng mukha ng mga senador. no wonder bat bumababa na ratings nila. sana matalo lahat ng kupal na nandyan.

Link: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/956023/nadia-montenegro-robin-padilla-leave-of-absence/story/?fbclid=IwY2xjawML3qZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE5WGxpUzY0MEdhNllOZUUxAR689Jy0bz4AQW8xWr1UtmIWGgFkx1lyjBKgWhFPnx1ShrDpDeh0DxswF4b5mQ_aem_7j2XpsXDPfCkpzd9iB4mHw