National

Magnitude 3.6 quake jolts Sarangani

Magnitude 3.6 quake jolts Sarangani

December 11, 2018, 9:37 pm

MANILA -- A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was recorded 118 kilometers southeast of Sarangani, Davao Occidental on Tuesday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. The quake of tectonic origin had a depth of 88 km. Phivolcs is not expecting damages or… Read More

Senate needs special session to pass 2019 budget

Senate needs special session to pass 2019 budget

December 11, 2018, 9:33 pm

MANILA -- Unless President Rodrigo Duterte calls for a special session, it would now be “physically impossible” for the Senate to pass the proposed 2019 national budget on second and third reading, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday. In an interview, Zubiri said this is due… Read More

Be ready for new way to end insurgency, Madrigal told

Be ready for new way to end insurgency, Madrigal told

December 11, 2018, 8:49 pm

MANILA -- President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday ordered new Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, to be ready to take on a new approach to ending local communist armed conflict in the country. Duterte made this remark during Madrigal’s assumption of… Read More

LGUs support martial law extension in Mindanao: DILG

LGUs support martial law extension in Mindanao: DILG

December 11, 2018, 7:48 pm

MANILA -- All local government units (LGUs) in Mindanao as well as the national league of local governments support the extension of martial law in Mindanao, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Tuesday. DILG Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jonathan… Read More

New AFP chief vows to bring in 'culture of excellence'

New AFP chief vows to bring in 'culture of excellence'

December 11, 2018, 7:35 pm

MANILA --- Newly-appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal on Tuesday vowed to bring a "culture of excellence" to the 145,000-strong military. "As we pursue a culture of excellence, we will also endeavor to achieve good governance and professionalism… Read More

Palace thanks Andaya for addressing infra allocations issue

Palace thanks Andaya for addressing infra allocations issue

December 11, 2018, 7:24 pm

MANILA -- Malacañang on Tuesday thanked House Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. for addressing the infrastructure allocations allegedly inserted in the proposed PHP3.575-trillion national budget for 2019. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this reaction after Andaya clarified… Read More

Ex-agri chief, 5 others’ bids to dismiss graft raps junked

Ex-agri chief, 5 others’ bids to dismiss graft raps junked

December 11, 2018, 6:54 pm

MANILA -- The Sandiganbayan has junked the requests of former Department of Agriculture secretary and five other others to dismiss and have the graft raps against them voided over the alleged anomalous Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice) car loan in 2009. The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division, in a… Read More

Japan mulls financial aid to Bangsamoro body

Japan mulls financial aid to Bangsamoro body

December 11, 2018, 6:28 pm

MANILA -- The Japanese government is planning to modify its existing support to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for the establishment of the new Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda said Tuesday. "The new BTA that will replace the ARMM government… Read More

SPD acting director now 1-star general

SPD acting director now 1-star general

December 11, 2018, 6:10 pm

MANILA -- National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Director Guillermo Eleazar, on Tuesday confirmed that the acting director of the Southern Police District (SPD) has been promoted to the next higher rank. Senior Supt. Eliseo Cruz was promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent, which… Read More

OFWs warned vs. recruiters offering jobs in Malta

OFWs warned vs. recruiters offering jobs in Malta

December 11, 2018, 6:06 pm

MANILA -- The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) cautioned Filipinos who are looking to apply for work in Malta against unscrupulous individuals offering jobs in the said country. In POEA Advisory No. 53-2018 dated Nov. 22 and released Tuesday, the agency revealed that several… Read More

Balangiga Bells' return proves PH will always assert sovereignty

Balangiga Bells' return proves PH will always assert sovereignty

December 11, 2018, 5:50 pm

MANILA -- After being taken by US troops as war booties during the Philippine-American war, the return of the Balangiga Bells to its home is proof that Filipinos will always assert their sovereignty, Malacañang said on Tuesday. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark after the… Read More

Go vows to push for rural dev’t

Go vows to push for rural dev’t

December 11, 2018, 5:26 pm

MANILA – Former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Monday said he would push for rural development to decongest Metro Manila, if given a Senate seat. Go made this commitment during his visit to fire victims in Quezon City, where he cited the need for fair… Read More

Ressa posts bail for tax evasion raps

Ressa posts bail for tax evasion raps

December 11, 2018, 5:26 pm

MANILA -- Rappler's chief executive officer, Maria Ressa, on Tuesday posted bail worth PHP204,000 before the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) for her temporary liberty in the four counts of tax evasion filed against her by the government last month. "In view of the voluntary surrender of the accused… Read More

House issues subpoena vs. construction firm in infra scam

House issues subpoena vs. construction firm in infra scam

December 11, 2018, 5:20 pm

MANILA -- The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the issuance of a subpoena against the proprietor of CT Leoncio Trading and Construction, which was involved in the so-called "large-scale scam" worth billions of pesos in infrastructure spending under this year's appropriations. The… Read More

House OKs draft federal charter on final reading

House OKs draft federal charter on final reading

December 11, 2018, 5:08 pm

MANILA -- The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading its proposed federal charter. With 224 affirmative votes, 22 negative votes and three abstentions, the Lower Chamber approved Resolution of Both Houses 15, which seeks to propose revisions to the 1987… Read More

Trillanes lawyers inform Makati court of appeal to SC

Trillanes lawyers inform Makati court of appeal to SC

December 11, 2018, 5:00 pm

MANILA -- Defense lawyers of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV have formally informed the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 that it will appeal its case to the Supreme Court (SC). In a seven-page motion and notice of appeal dated Dec. 10, Trillanes' counsel Reynaldo Robles told the Makati court… Read More

CBCP lauds return of Balangiga Bells to PH

CBCP lauds return of Balangiga Bells to PH

December 11, 2018, 4:49 pm

MANILA -- The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday welcomed the return of the Balangiga Bells to the country after more than 100 years. With this, Archbishop Romulo Valles, CBCP president expressed gratitude to both the Philippine and United States governments for… Read More

DOJ eyes Kerwin Espinosa’s driver as state witness

DOJ eyes Kerwin Espinosa’s driver as state witness

December 11, 2018, 4:14 pm

MANILA -- State lawyers have formally asked the Manila Regional Trial Court to use Kerwin Espinosa’s driver as key witness in the charges they have filed against the self-confessed drug lord. In a three-page motion, the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked to Manila RTC Branch 51 to grant its… Read More

PUP graduates urged to fuel PH development

PUP graduates urged to fuel PH development

December 11, 2018, 4:02 pm

MANILA -- Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Tuesday called on graduates of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) to help fuel the nation’s development, noting that they are longer scholars but graduates of the country. “…You are not just Iskolar ng Bayan, you are now… Read More

Alvarez's allies got huge allocations in 2019 budget: Andaya

Alvarez's allies got huge allocations in 2019 budget: Andaya

December 11, 2018, 4:00 pm

MANILA -- House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. on Tuesday revealed that the allies of former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez supposedly got the biggest allocations for their districts in the PHP3.757-trillion proposed national budget for 2019. Andaya disclosed this in his letter to President Rodrigo… Read More