Archived News Headlines from
March 1, 2018 to April 30, 2018 (Please note: some articles may have been removed by their respective
publications)
04/30/2018
Kuwait issue fixed? What officials said before the expulsion of a Philippine envoy
A day before Kuwait declared the Philippine ambassador persona non-grata and told him to leave, Filipino government officials proclaimed that all was well with the oil-rich gulf state. Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano personally apologized to the Kuwaiti ambassador in the Philippines after the embassy there “rescued” distressed Filipino household workers ...
Tourism Department leads #SaveBoracay clean-up drive
BORACAY, Aklan, April 28 -- On the first day of the Boracay rehabilitation, the Department of Tourism (DoT) led the first wave of clean-up drive along the stretch of Bulabog Beach as part of #SaveBoracay rehabilitation efforts. More than 200 volunteers arrive from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)'s Environmental Management Bureau ...
Fr. Ventura and other related killings of people in the religious sector
Four months after the death of Roman Catholic priest Marcelino “Tito” Paez, another man of the cloth was killed on Sunday after celebrating the morning Mass in Gattaran, Cagayan. Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura, known for his anti-mining advocacy, was in the middle of blessing the children and talking to the choir in a gymnasium in Barangay Piña Weste when he was shot on the head and chest.
Department of Agrarian Reform identifies 15.5 hectares of CARP-ready land in Boracay
MANILA -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has identified tracts of agricultural land in Boracay ready to be subjected to the government's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). DAR Acting Secretary John Castriciones said on Monday his agency is just awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte's official go signal to start implementing agrarian reform in the world-famous Philippine island.
Shake-up at Department of Justice: deputies told to resign
A REVAMP looms in the Department of Justice after acting Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra asked undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of his predecessor Justice Secretary Vitaliano
Aguirre II to submit their courtesy resignations ...
04/25/2018
Triple whammy on media: US, China, Russia—watchdog
Press freedom around the world is under threat from a triple whammy of United States President Donald Trump, Russia and China’s bid to crush all dissent, a watchdog said Wednesday. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned that a “climate of hatred and animosity” towards journalists combined with growing attempts to control the media pose a “threat to democracies.”
Sewage mess drives Boracay into ‘cesspool’
BORACAY — Two months after someone finally had the will to address the “crisis” in Boracay, the government has hunted down business establishments breaching management standards, in a bid to restore Boracay’s glory. These multi-billion properties, after all, cared less about their sewage.
Last-ditch bid to stop Boracay closure filed
THE Supreme Court has been asked to stop the government from proceeding with its six-month closure of Boracay Island, the country’s most popular tourism destination. In a petition filed through lawyers from the National Union of Peoples´ Lawyers, petitioners Mark Anthony Zabal and Thiting Jacosalem, both workers and residents of Boracay, asked the Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the closure of the island.
Department of Finance official to ConCom: Make sure no region is left behind
MANILA -- An official from the Department of Finance (DOF) on Wednesday told the Consultative Committee reviewing the constitution to make sure that no region is left behind in the shift to a federal system. “We just have to think, if it will be regional, the other regions might get left behind.
2019 elections preview: New names and alliances, old faces and surprises
With just around a year before the country heads back to the polls, the recent Pulse Asia survey on possible senatorial hopefuls has set politics-savvy Filipinos abuzz. The list of 58 possible candidates for next year’s race reveals not just the turning of the tide through new alliances, but an old guard that refuses to be replaced.
04/23/2018
From behind bars, De Lima keeps reaping international recognition
With a slew of international accolades she has reaped over the past year, Sen. Leila de Lima could still be the most visible critic of the Duterte administration despite her time in detention since February last year. Last week, De Lima, who is in jail over drug-related charges, was named one of 2018’s 50 World Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine.
Palace finds US State Dep't report inconsistent with Trump remark
MANILA – Malacanang on Monday said the report of the United States (US) State Department is not consistent with the stand of President Donald Trump who praised the campaign against illegal drugs of President Rodrigo Duterte. “I personally heard the discussion between President Trump and President Duterte when they were here in the Philippines during the ASEAN Summit ...
Remittances at all-time high, says World Bank
WASHINGTON—Payments from immigrants back to their home countries rebounded to reach a new record in 2017 but the costs of transferring funds also increased, the World Bank said Monday. The stronger-than-expected recovery in remittances—payments that are key to supporting the economies of many poor countries—was driven by growth in Europe, Russia and the United States, the World Bank said in a report.
Palace vows to sustain robust Philippine economic growth
MANILA -- Malacañang on Monday assured that the country’s robust economic growth will be backed up by solid macroeconomic fundamentals and sustained investments in infrastructure and social services. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark as he welcomed two studies seeing the Philippines’ economy growing by at least 6.8 percent for the first quarter of the year.
Duterte sets window for peace talks with communist rebels
MANILA — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Saturday he had set a 60-day timeframe for peace talks he is seeking to revive with communist guerrillas, urging the rebels’ exiled leader to come home to hammer out a deal. The conflict between the government and the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the communist party, has raged for half a century and killed more than 40,000 people.
04/20/2018
The first step in fact-checking the Philippines’ Facebook posts
When Facebook announced that it tapped VERA Files’ to fact check false information being shared on the social network, it was not exactly the best news to Malacañang’s top honchos. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, for one, expressed his reservations about Facebook’s tapping of Vera Files and Rappler as its fact-checking partners.
New generation currency coins highlight Philippine floras
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, -- Various Philippine endemic floras are featured in the Philippine New Generation Currency (NGC) Coin Series of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Endemic flowers such as kapa-kapa, tayabak, waling-waling, katmon, kapal-kapal baging and mangkono mirror the different characteristics of Filipinos’ resiliency amidst pressures.
Drug war toll: 13 killed, 58 arrested in Bulacan
AT least 13 drug suspects were killed while 58 others were arrested in separate, simultaneous police operations in nine different areas in Bulacan province Friday. The killing of the still unidentified drug
Palace slams ‘unfortunate’ European Parliament resolution
MANILA – Malacañang on Friday described as “unfortunate” the European Parliament’s resolution calling for an end to the alleged extrajudicial killings amid the country’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs. “We, of course, find it unfortunate that members of the European Parliament once again interfered with the affairs of the Philippine state ...
Restaurant in Texas proves that it’s more pun in the Philippines
Humor and food are two traits Filipinos pride themselves with. This is why a Filipino restaurant in Texas is gaining attention for mixing Pinoy humor with Filipino cuisine. Be More Pacific Kitchen + Bar is a brick-and-mortar restaurant found in Shoal Creek Boulevard in Austin, Texas.
04/18/2018
Rights groups condemn nun’s arrest, detention
THE Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday released from its custody Sister Patricia Fox, a 71-year-old Catholic nun from Australia, a day after she was arrested in her convent for allegedly violating immigration laws by engaging in political activities and anti-government demonstrations.
LTFRB approves accreditation of ride-hailing firm Hype
MANILA -- The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved the accreditation of Hype Transport Systems Inc. as a new transportation network company (TNC). LTFRB has released Wednesday Accreditation No. 2018-001 which authorizes Hype to operate for two years.
Japan must respond to China's growing naval power
The crisis over North Korea's nuclear program has dominated security debate in Northeast Asia over the past year. But Japan must not be distracted from a much more important long-term challenge: China's enhancement of its military capabilities in the region and its growing assertiveness, driven by President Xi Jinping's more hawkish and nationalist foreign policy.
Cordillera student to lead PH team competing in 8th ASEAN Regional Quiz in Indonesia
QUEZON CITY, April 18 -- A student from the Cordillera Administrative Region emerged as the grand winner in the national finals of the 8TH ASEAN QUIZ, and will lead the PH contingent that will represent the country in the 8th ASEAN Regional Quiz late this year.
Pinoy newsman, two others win Pulitzer for reporting on drug war
A FILIPINO correspondent and two other journalists from the news agency Reuters won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for their coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. Manuel Mogato, a correspondent for Reuters for 15 years, and two of his colleagues, Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall, were recognized “for relentless reporting that exposed the brutal killing campaign behind Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.”
04/16/2018
Notes on Duterte’s threat to arrest ICC members
President Duterte says he will arrest the members of the International Court. How likely is this? (Artwork by Uela Badayos)
When President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he would arrest any member of the International Criminal Court who sets foot in the Philippines, it raised eyebrows among casual news readers who knew the order was next to impossible.
OFWs, expatriates promote Kalinga native wearables
CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga, April 13 (PIA) - - Local woven products are finding their way to other countries through the patronage of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and expatriates from the province. Renen Szilardo de Guzman, Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines- Baguio Institute of Management presented this input during a value chain analysis workshop organized by the Department of Trade and Industry provincial office here.
Philippines bars EU Socialist Party official for criticizing Duterte
MANILA — Immigration authorities on Sunday denied entry and deported a Socialist Party official from the European Union, who had criticised President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal anti-drugs crackdown. Giacomo Filibeck, deputy secretary-general of the Party of European Socialists (PES), was denied entry at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport ...
Palace tags Facebook fact-check partners partisan
THE Palace on Monday objected to Facebook’s fact-checking partnership with Rappler and Vera Files to prevent the spread of “fake news,” saying they were guilty of political partisanship. “I commiserate with those who object to the selection of Rappler and Vera files because they know, we know, where they stand on the political spectrum,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
04/10/2018
Duterte is fond of 6-month deadlines. Will he meet this one? President Rodrigo Duterte announced another six-month plan and people are no longer taking him seriously given his previous six-month promises. The president declared before leaving for a meeting in China that he wanted all mining companies to plant trees in the area they are currently operating in for six months or else they will lose their permits.
Philippines, China sign six bilateral agreements
HAINAN, China — President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, April 10, witnessed the signing of six bilateral agreements following the bilateral meeting held between the two leaders here. President Duterte is here in China for his attendance to the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), where he participated as one of the speakers.
Palace exec advises vigilance vs ‘new enemies’
PILAR, Bataan, April 9 (PIA) -- Remembering the horrors of World War II (WWII), Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea urged the country to be vigilant in acts against the sovereignty of people instigated by foreign bodies. Medialdea recalled the Battle of Marawi where 165 soldiers and police died to free the city last year from the invasion of Islamic State-inspired attacks.
Feuding justices spark ‘verbal fireworks’ at Supreme Court
ORAL arguments on the quo warranto case against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno turned into a shouting match Tuesday, as she and Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro traded barbs at the Court Session Hall in Baguio City. Sereno had suffered a setback earlier when the Supreme Court rejected her motion to have five of her colleagues on the bench ...
03/26/2018
Numbers not adding up as Duterte produces new estimate on police deaths
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that he loses three to four policemen a day in a March 21 speech before 108 new graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy Class of 2018. But this latest statistical claim differs from his own previous estimates.
Supreme Court compels SolGen to provide documents on drug war
MANILA -- The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) asking it to recall its December 5 order requiring them to submit documents in connection with the two consolidated petitions seeking to halt the government's anti-illegal drug operations.
Food supplement ad claims Filipinos have low IQs, receives no mercy in return
MANILA, Philippines — The country has seen its fair share of unconventional but successful commercial ads in recent years. Among these were a series of heartbreaking short films that doubled as fast food commercials and a popular snack company’s morbid but surprisingly appetizing online comic strips.
Duterte okays closure of Boracay for 6 months starting April 26
MANILA -- President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the recommendation to close Boracay for six months starting April 26, his spokesperson said on Wednesday night. “Bora closed for 6 mos effective 26 April,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said on his official Twitter account after the Cabinet meeting.
San Juanico, Eastern Visayas’ iconic bridge, to be lit up by end of 2018
PASAY CITY, Mar. 22 -- The San Juanico Bridge is set to be lit up by 08 November 2018, in time for the commemoration of the Fifth Anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda. The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Board approved last 12 January 2018 the P80 million – San Juanico Bridge Lighting Project, proposed by Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan.
Crossing party lines, over 50 House members call for resumption of GRP-NDFP peace talks
MANILA – Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate has expressed optimism the stalled peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) can resume, as at least 58 House members filed House Resolution 1803 to jumpstart the talks.
3-year US GSP extension to benefit the Philippines
MANILA -- The country’s gains from the United States Generalized System of Preferences (US GSP) will be extended for three years after US President Donald Trump signed the Omnibus Spending Bill, which reauthorizes the trade preference program. In a statement Sunday, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the US government approved the renewal of GSP ...
Duterte confident Bong Go has ‘huge chance’ in Senate bid
DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo R. Duterte expressed high hopes that his top aide, Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, would win in the senatorial race in the 2019 midterm elections. “You’ll see, he will win as senator,” the President said ...
03/24/2018
Loida Nicolas-Lewis challenges Duterte to substantiate ICC link allegation
Filipino-American businesswoman Loida Nicolas-Lewis on Friday published a Facebook post challenging President Rodrigo Duterte to substantiate his accusation that she had prior knowledge of a prospective preliminary examination by the International Criminal Court into possible crimes against humanity allegations against him.
Duterte leads Army’s 121st founding anniversary Tuesday
MANILA -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will be the guest of honor and speaker during the Philippine Army’s (PA) 121st founding anniversary ceremonies on Tuesday afternoon. This was confirmed by Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva in a message Monday.
ICC executive evasive on way forward but ready to fly to Manila, talk to ‘my friends’ in PH
MANILA – International Criminal Court (ICC) Assembly of States President O-Gon Kwon has declared he is “ready to fly to Manila to be involved in any dialogue with any authorities” and “to plead with the Philippine people to reconsider” the government’s withdrawal from the ICC ...
Francisco Balagtas to be 'buried' on his 230th birthday
MANILA -- The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), the government agency tasked to promote the Philippines' national language, will mark Philippine literary giant Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar's 230th birth anniversary next month by leading the interment of his "remains" in Bataan province.
House okays bill on foreign marriage
The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill recognizing the foreign degree of termination of marriage and allowing its subsequent registration with the Philippine Civil Registry.
03/19/2018
Divorce bill sails through House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives on Monday approved the divorce bill on third and final reading, on a 134-57 vote, with two abstentions. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte was not supportive of the bill, which seeks to institutionalize absolute divorce and dissolution of marriage in the country.
Palace sees more countries leaving ICC amid Philippines' pull out
MANILA – The International Criminal Court (ICC) is bound to lose more members even without President Rodrigo Duterte calling other countries to withdraw their membership, Malacanang said Monday. “I think even without the President calling for the member countries to pull out from the ICC ...
One-year withdrawal from ICC begins as the Philippines sends UN note verbale
MANILA – The countdown for the one-year withdrawal period of the Philippines from the International Criminal Court (ICC) started Friday, March 15, as the country formally transmitted its notice to the international body that it has decided to opt out of the Rome Statute.
Wanted: 500-600 new AFP officers yearly
FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) needs to recruit at least 500-600 new officers every year to take the place of officers who resign and retire from government military service. Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana disclosed this to media ...
Manila Pavilion fire: Death toll rises to five
FIVE people have perished in a raging inferno that tore through a hotel and casino complex in Manila, authorities said Monday, after firefighters battled more than 24 hours to douse the flames. Rescuers said billowing smoke, sometimes so dense it obscured the 22-floor Waterfront Manila Pavilion ...
03/17/2018
ICC exit reaches UN Govt takes first steps to withdraw from Rome Statute
THE Philippines said on Friday it had given official notice to exit the treaty that created the International Criminal Court, which is examining President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war. The move comes days after Duterte announced his nation would quit the court ...
Alleged ‘pork barrel queen’ Napoles provisionally covered by Witness Protection Program
Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles has been provisionally covered by the Witness Protection Program as of February 27. This is according to documents from the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Security and Benefit Program (WPSBP), which it released on Friday.
President Rodrigo Duterte not ‘evading liability’ with ICC withdrawal
MANILA - President Rodrigo R. Duterte is not evading any “liability” with his decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), his spokesperson said. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the fact that the ICC could still proceed with its preliminary examination ...
Philippine Air Force gets 6 ScanEagle UAVs from US
US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim oversees the turnover of six ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) units to the Phlippine Air Force at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.
Duterte to smugglers: ‘Not during my watch’
STA. ANA, Cagayan, Following the destruction of at least 14 luxury vehicles smuggled through Port Irene, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte warned smugglers to refrain from importing illegal goods and commodities as it will never be allowed under his administration.
Roque says Philippine exit marks ‘beginning of the end’ for ICC
MANILA – Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque on Thursday said the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court could be “the beginning of the end” for the institution, as more countries would follow suit and non-members would be discouraged from joining.
Japan hands over new equipment for Marawi City
MANILA, The Japanese government through Ambassador Koji Haneda has turned over 27 sets of brand new heavy equipment to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea representing the Office of the President and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar ...
China defends Duterte in United Nations psychiatric test remark
MANILA, Philippines — China has come to President Duterte’s defense against a United Nations human rights chief who questioned his mental stability. The Chinese foreign ministry said the international community, including the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, should respect the sovereignty of the Philippines and the will of its people.
03/12/2018
Puno: We can’t give power to federal states if they are infested with political dynasties
MANILA – Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, the chairman of the Consultative Committee tasked to review the 1987 Constitution, on Monday stressed the need for an anti-political dynasty provision in a revised Constitution which will pave the way for a federal form of government.
Pres. Duterte promises houses, livelihood to rebel returnees in Sulu, Basilan
ZAMBOANGA CITY, -- President Rodrigo Duterte tonight in a speech at the Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) here promised rebel returnees especially those in Sulu and Basilan that they will be given houses and livelihood to help them live better lives after struggling for so long.
Global IP movement blasts DOJ petition, Duterte’s ‘terrorist rule’
MANILA, Philippines — A global movement of indigenous peoples condemned the Duterte government for including human rights activists and advocates in a list of alleged “terrorists” that forms part of a petition to designate the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army as terrorist organizations.
03/10/2018
Duterte ‘needs psychiatric evaluation’ – U.N. rights chief Zeid
GENEVA
— President Rodrigo Duterte’s slurs against U.N. rights experts
suggest he needs to see a psychiatrist, U.N. High Commissioner
for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein told a news conference on
Friday.
PCOO launches ‘DU30 Mobile App’
DAVAO
CITY, Feb. 21 -- A new media platfrom that will serve as Filipinos' link, here
or abroad, for updates on the plans and programs of the Duterte administration
was formally launched here Tuesday.
US lauds the Philippines on rescue of minors from sex trafficker
MANILA -- The United States Embassy in Manila on Friday
lauded the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) Anti-Human
Trafficking Division, and the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Women
and Children Protection Center for the rescue of five minors during a
raid in Bulacan.
Justice prods Palace to assert PH rights over Benham
SUPREME Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has
rebuffed the position of Malacanang that there is nothing wrong with
China naming undersea features in the Philippine Rise.
A day before Kuwait declared the Philippine ambassador persona non-grata and told him to leave, Filipino government officials proclaimed that all was well with the oil-rich gulf state. Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano personally apologized to the Kuwaiti ambassador in the Philippines after the embassy there “rescued” distressed Filipino household workers ...
BORACAY, Aklan, April 28 -- On the first day of the Boracay rehabilitation, the Department of Tourism (DoT) led the first wave of clean-up drive along the stretch of Bulabog Beach as part of #SaveBoracay rehabilitation efforts. More than 200 volunteers arrive from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)'s Environmental Management Bureau ...
Four months after the death of Roman Catholic priest Marcelino “Tito” Paez, another man of the cloth was killed on Sunday after celebrating the morning Mass in Gattaran, Cagayan. Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura, known for his anti-mining advocacy, was in the middle of blessing the children and talking to the choir in a gymnasium in Barangay Piña Weste when he was shot on the head and chest.
MANILA -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has identified tracts of agricultural land in Boracay ready to be subjected to the government's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). DAR Acting Secretary John Castriciones said on Monday his agency is just awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte's official go signal to start implementing agrarian reform in the world-famous Philippine island.
A REVAMP looms in the Department of Justice after acting Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra asked undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of his predecessor Justice Secretary Vitaliano
Aguirre II to submit their courtesy resignations ...
Press freedom around the world is under threat from a triple whammy of United States President Donald Trump, Russia and China’s bid to crush all dissent, a watchdog said Wednesday. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned that a “climate of hatred and animosity” towards journalists combined with growing attempts to control the media pose a “threat to democracies.”
BORACAY — Two months after someone finally had the will to address the “crisis” in Boracay, the government has hunted down business establishments breaching management standards, in a bid to restore Boracay’s glory. These multi-billion properties, after all, cared less about their sewage.
THE Supreme Court has been asked to stop the government from proceeding with its six-month closure of Boracay Island, the country’s most popular tourism destination. In a petition filed through lawyers from the National Union of Peoples´ Lawyers, petitioners Mark Anthony Zabal and Thiting Jacosalem, both workers and residents of Boracay, asked the Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the closure of the island.
With just around a year before the country heads back to the polls, the recent Pulse Asia survey on possible senatorial hopefuls has set politics-savvy Filipinos abuzz. The list of 58 possible candidates for next year’s race reveals not just the turning of the tide through new alliances, but an old guard that refuses to be replaced.
With a slew of international accolades she has reaped over the past year, Sen. Leila de Lima could still be the most visible critic of the Duterte administration despite her time in detention since February last year. Last week, De Lima, who is in jail over drug-related charges, was named one of 2018’s 50 World Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine.
MANILA – Malacanang on Monday said the report of the United States (US) State Department is not consistent with the stand of President Donald Trump who praised the campaign against illegal drugs of President Rodrigo Duterte. “I personally heard the discussion between President Trump and President Duterte when they were here in the Philippines during the ASEAN Summit ...
WASHINGTON—Payments from immigrants back to their home countries rebounded to reach a new record in 2017 but the costs of transferring funds also increased, the World Bank said Monday. The stronger-than-expected recovery in remittances—payments that are key to supporting the economies of many poor countries—was driven by growth in Europe, Russia and the United States, the World Bank said in a report.
MANILA -- Malacañang on Monday assured that the country’s robust economic growth will be backed up by solid macroeconomic fundamentals and sustained investments in infrastructure and social services. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark as he welcomed two studies seeing the Philippines’ economy growing by at least 6.8 percent for the first quarter of the year.
MANILA — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Saturday he had set a 60-day timeframe for peace talks he is seeking to revive with communist guerrillas, urging the rebels’ exiled leader to come home to hammer out a deal. The conflict between the government and the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the communist party, has raged for half a century and killed more than 40,000 people.
When Facebook announced that it tapped VERA Files’ to fact check false information being shared on the social network, it was not exactly the best news to Malacañang’s top honchos. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, for one, expressed his reservations about Facebook’s tapping of Vera Files and Rappler as its fact-checking partners.
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, -- Various Philippine endemic floras are featured in the Philippine New Generation Currency (NGC) Coin Series of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Endemic flowers such as kapa-kapa, tayabak, waling-waling, katmon, kapal-kapal baging and mangkono mirror the different characteristics of Filipinos’ resiliency amidst pressures.
AT least 13 drug suspects were killed while 58 others were arrested in separate, simultaneous police operations in nine different areas in Bulacan province Friday. The killing of the still unidentified drug
MANILA – Malacañang on Friday described as “unfortunate” the European Parliament’s resolution calling for an end to the alleged extrajudicial killings amid the country’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs. “We, of course, find it unfortunate that members of the European Parliament once again interfered with the affairs of the Philippine state ...
Humor and food are two traits Filipinos pride themselves with. This is why a Filipino restaurant in Texas is gaining attention for mixing Pinoy humor with Filipino cuisine. Be More Pacific Kitchen + Bar is a brick-and-mortar restaurant found in Shoal Creek Boulevard in Austin, Texas.
THE Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday released from its custody Sister Patricia Fox, a 71-year-old Catholic nun from Australia, a day after she was arrested in her convent for allegedly violating immigration laws by engaging in political activities and anti-government demonstrations.
MANILA -- The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved the accreditation of Hype Transport Systems Inc. as a new transportation network company (TNC). LTFRB has released Wednesday Accreditation No. 2018-001 which authorizes Hype to operate for two years.
The crisis over North Korea's nuclear program has dominated security debate in Northeast Asia over the past year. But Japan must not be distracted from a much more important long-term challenge: China's enhancement of its military capabilities in the region and its growing assertiveness, driven by President Xi Jinping's more hawkish and nationalist foreign policy.
QUEZON CITY, April 18 -- A student from the Cordillera Administrative Region emerged as the grand winner in the national finals of the 8TH ASEAN QUIZ, and will lead the PH contingent that will represent the country in the 8th ASEAN Regional Quiz late this year.
A FILIPINO correspondent and two other journalists from the news agency Reuters won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for their coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. Manuel Mogato, a correspondent for Reuters for 15 years, and two of his colleagues, Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall, were recognized “for relentless reporting that exposed the brutal killing campaign behind Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.”
President Duterte says he will arrest the members of the International Court. How likely is this? (Artwork by Uela Badayos)
When President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he would arrest any member of the International Criminal Court who sets foot in the Philippines, it raised eyebrows among casual news readers who knew the order was next to impossible.
CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga, April 13 (PIA) - - Local woven products are finding their way to other countries through the patronage of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and expatriates from the province. Renen Szilardo de Guzman, Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines- Baguio Institute of Management presented this input during a value chain analysis workshop organized by the Department of Trade and Industry provincial office here.
MANILA — Immigration authorities on Sunday denied entry and deported a Socialist Party official from the European Union, who had criticised President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal anti-drugs crackdown. Giacomo Filibeck, deputy secretary-general of the Party of European Socialists (PES), was denied entry at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport ...
THE Palace on Monday objected to Facebook’s fact-checking partnership with Rappler and Vera Files to prevent the spread of “fake news,” saying they were guilty of political partisanship. “I commiserate with those who object to the selection of Rappler and Vera files because they know, we know, where they stand on the political spectrum,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced another six-month plan and people are no longer taking him seriously given his previous six-month promises. The president declared before leaving for a meeting in China that he wanted all mining companies to plant trees in the area they are currently operating in for six months or else they will lose their permits.
HAINAN, China — President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, April 10, witnessed the signing of six bilateral agreements following the bilateral meeting held between the two leaders here. President Duterte is here in China for his attendance to the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), where he participated as one of the speakers.
A statement released Monday by Phelim Kine, Human Rights Watch Asia Division Deputy Director, said President Rodrigo Duterte “and his minions are misguided if they believe that gross intimidation tactics can derail moves toward ‘drug war’ accountability by the International Criminal Court and the UN.
ORAL arguments on the quo warranto case against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno turned into a shouting match Tuesday, as she and Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro traded barbs at the Court Session Hall in Baguio City. Sereno had suffered a setback earlier when the Supreme Court rejected her motion to have five of her colleagues on the bench ...
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that he loses three to four policemen a day in a March 21 speech before 108 new graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy Class of 2018. But this latest statistical claim differs from his own previous estimates.
MANILA -- The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) asking it to recall its December 5 order requiring them to submit documents in connection with the two consolidated petitions seeking to halt the government's anti-illegal drug operations.
MANILA, Philippines — The country has seen its fair share of unconventional but successful commercial ads in recent years. Among these were a series of heartbreaking short films that doubled as fast food commercials and a popular snack company’s morbid but surprisingly appetizing online comic strips.
MANILA -- President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the recommendation to close Boracay for six months starting April 26, his spokesperson said on Wednesday night. “Bora closed for 6 mos effective 26 April,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said on his official Twitter account after the Cabinet meeting.
MANILA, Philippines — It is the Filipinos who came up with the saying “Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay,” the age-old dictum on pacifism and diplomacy that translates to “If they throw stones at you, throw bread at them.”
MANILA – The territorial dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea remained a security challenge despite an improvement in bilateral ties, the Philippine defense chief said on Monday as he accepted three maritime surveillance planes from Japan.
PASAY CITY, Mar. 22 -- The San Juanico Bridge is set to be lit up by 08 November 2018, in time for the commemoration of the Fifth Anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda. The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Board approved last 12 January 2018 the P80 million – San Juanico Bridge Lighting Project, proposed by Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan.
MANILA – Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate has expressed optimism the stalled peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) can resume, as at least 58 House members filed House Resolution 1803 to jumpstart the talks.
DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo R. Duterte expressed high hopes that his top aide, Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, would win in the senatorial race in the 2019 midterm elections. “You’ll see, he will win as senator,” the President said ...
Filipino-American businesswoman Loida Nicolas-Lewis on Friday published a Facebook post challenging President Rodrigo Duterte to substantiate his accusation that she had prior knowledge of a prospective preliminary examination by the International Criminal Court into possible crimes against humanity allegations against him.
MANILA -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will be the guest of honor and speaker during the Philippine Army’s (PA) 121st founding anniversary ceremonies on Tuesday afternoon. This was confirmed by Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva in a message Monday.
MANILA – International Criminal Court (ICC) Assembly of States President O-Gon Kwon has declared he is “ready to fly to Manila to be involved in any dialogue with any authorities” and “to plead with the Philippine people to reconsider” the government’s withdrawal from the ICC ...
The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill recognizing the foreign degree of termination of marriage and allowing its subsequent registration with the Philippine Civil Registry.
MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives on Monday approved the divorce bill on third and final reading, on a 134-57 vote, with two abstentions. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte was not supportive of the bill, which seeks to institutionalize absolute divorce and dissolution of marriage in the country.
MANILA – The International Criminal Court (ICC) is bound to lose more members even without President Rodrigo Duterte calling other countries to withdraw their membership, Malacanang said Monday. “I think even without the President calling for the member countries to pull out from the ICC ...
MANILA – The countdown for the one-year withdrawal period of the Philippines from the International Criminal Court (ICC) started Friday, March 15, as the country formally transmitted its notice to the international body that it has decided to opt out of the Rome Statute.
FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) needs to recruit at least 500-600 new officers every year to take the place of officers who resign and retire from government military service. Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana disclosed this to media ...
FIVE people have perished in a raging inferno that tore through a hotel and casino complex in Manila, authorities said Monday, after firefighters battled more than 24 hours to douse the flames. Rescuers said billowing smoke, sometimes so dense it obscured the 22-floor Waterfront Manila Pavilion ...
THE Philippines said on Friday it had given official notice to exit the treaty that created the International Criminal Court, which is examining President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war. The move comes days after Duterte announced his nation would quit the court ...
Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles has been provisionally covered by the Witness Protection Program as of February 27. This is according to documents from the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Security and Benefit Program (WPSBP), which it released on Friday.
MANILA – Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman has listed what he described as “six dire implications and consequences” of the Duterte-initiated Philippine withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim oversees the turnover of six ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) units to the Phlippine Air Force at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.
STA. ANA, Cagayan, Following the destruction of at least 14 luxury vehicles smuggled through Port Irene, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte warned smugglers to refrain from importing illegal goods and commodities as it will never be allowed under his administration.
MANILA – Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque on Thursday said the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court could be “the beginning of the end” for the institution, as more countries would follow suit and non-members would be discouraged from joining.
MANILA, The Japanese government through Ambassador Koji Haneda has turned over 27 sets of brand new heavy equipment to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea representing the Office of the President and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar ...
MANILA, Philippines — China has come to President Duterte’s defense against a United Nations human rights chief who questioned his mental stability. The Chinese foreign ministry said the international community, including the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, should respect the sovereignty of the Philippines and the will of its people.
MANILA – Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, the chairman of the Consultative Committee tasked to review the 1987 Constitution, on Monday stressed the need for an anti-political dynasty provision in a revised Constitution which will pave the way for a federal form of government.
Ifugao Representative Teddy Brawner Baguilat has called for the urgent investigation into the killing of Ifugao environmental activist Ricardo Mayumi and the worsening attacks against indigenous peoples around the country.
Statistically, an average 53% of adult Filipinos nationwide support the legalization of divorce for irreconcilably separated couples, based on the Social Weather Surveys of March 25-28, 2017 and December 8-16, 2017.
MANILA, Philippines — A global movement of indigenous peoples condemned the Duterte government for including human rights activists and advocates in a list of alleged “terrorists” that forms part of a petition to designate the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army as terrorist organizations.
GENEVA
— President Rodrigo Duterte’s slurs against U.N. rights experts
suggest he needs to see a psychiatrist, U.N. High Commissioner
for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein told a news conference on
Friday.
DAVAO
CITY, Feb. 21 -- A new media platfrom that will serve as Filipinos' link, here
or abroad, for updates on the plans and programs of the Duterte administration
was formally launched here Tuesday.
MANILA,
Philippines — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV dared President Rodrigo
Duterte on Friday to go ahead and show his bank accounts to anyone but
him, even as he voiced skepticism the chief executive would keep his
word.
