National

Duterte not after term extension, Palace reiterates

MANILA -- Malacañang on Tuesday reiterated that President Rodrigo R. Duterte is dead set on stepping down from his post once the government has a working federal system in place by 2020.Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark after former chief justice Reynato Puno said that a... Read More

Malacañang declares half-day work on Holy Wednesday

MANILA -- Malacañang on Tuesday has suspended work on all government offices from 12 noon onwards on Holy Wednesday to allow employees to prepare for the observance of Holy Thursday and Good Friday.Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag... Read More

PDEA hosts 9th ICAD meeting

MANILA -- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) hosted the 9th Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) meeting held Monday.PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino presided the meeting as ICAD Chairman who has the overall responsibility in ensuring the efficient and effective... Read More

109 examinees pass foreign service exam

MANILA -- More than 100 out of the 628 examinees were declared Career Foreign Service Officer eligible by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on Monday.About 109 or 17.36 percent of the total number of examinees passed the Career Service Examination for Foreign Service Officer (CSE-FSO) held on... Read More

No Filipino casualty in Russia mall fire: DFA

MANILA -- The Philippine Embassy in Moscow said no Filipino was reported among the casualties in a shopping mall fire in Western Siberia that killed 56 on Sunday (Russian time), based on a list released by local authorities as of March 26.Philippine Ambassador to Moscow Carlos Sorreta said the... Read More

Banner stories of Manila's leading newspapers, Tuesday, March 27, 2018

BUSINESS MIRROR – Exports feared to take hit from US-China trade warINQUIRER – Reds ready to talk peace, but Du30 isn’tMANILA BULLETIN – HPG to run after colorum PUVsMANILA TIMES – SC favors Lucio Tan in PAL labor disputeMANILA STANDARD – Con-Com rules out Du30... Read More

PRRD appeals for Muslim unity as Congress deliberates on BBL

PATIKUL, Sulu -- President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday appealed for unity as Congress is set to decide on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) aimed at ending the decades-long Mindanao separatism.In his speech during the handover ceremony of loose firearms and presentation of Abu Sayyaf members who returned... Read More

NAT12 not a requirement for graduation: DepEd

MANILA -- An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) clarified on Monday that the National Achievement Test (NAT) 12 is not a requirement for graduation for senior high school (SHS) students.

DepEd Undersecretary Lorna Dig-Dino said SHS students can graduate and enroll in college even... Read More



U-turn slot on Commonwealth Ave closed for MRT-7 construction



MANILA -- Motorists should expect heavy traffic as the existing U-turn slot along Commonwealth Avenue near the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Quezon City will be closed starting Thursday, March 29, to give way to the construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7).

This, as the... Read More

Ifugao solon enters ‘not guilty’ plea to graft charges

MANILA -- Ifugao Rep. Teodoro "Teddy" Baguilat, Jr. on Monday entered before the Sandiganbayan a plea of “not guilty” over the allegedly overpriced purchase of a second-hand vehicle for his province in 2003.During his conditional arraignment at the Sandiganbayan 5th Division, Baguilat... Read More

Aguirre to review dismissal of parricide raps vs. Bohol exec

MANILA -- Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday said that he will review the dismissal of the parricide case against Bohol Provincial Board Member (BM) Nino Rey Boniel, the alleged mastermind in the murder of his wife Gisela, who was mayor of Bien Unido town in Bohol.Aguirre made the... Read More

TESDA seeks to expedite training of more construction workers

MANILA -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) seeks to expedite the training of more construction workers.This, after DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III revealed that there is a shortage of construction workers... Read More

1998 PAL retrenchment of 1,400 cabin crew legal

MANILA -- The Supreme Court (SC) affirmed the retrenchment of some 1,400 flight attendants and stewards of Philippine Airlines (PAL) in 1998 as part of its measure to counter financial losses.In a 55-page decision dated March 13 but was released to media on Monday, the SC en banc, in a 7-2 vote,... Read More

No Filipino casualty in missile attack in Saudi Arabia



MANILA -- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday reported that no Filipino was among the casualties of the latest ballistic missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, which left one person dead and two others wounded.

Houthi rebels in Yemen fired seven ballistic missiles towards Riyadh... Read More

Sandiganbayan allows Jinggoy Estrada’s 31-day US trip

MANILA -- The Sandiganbayan has approved the request of former Senator Jinggoy Estrada for a 31-day trip to the United States to attend a conference, undergo a medical consultation, and go on a vacation with his family.Estrada is facing plunder and 11 counts of graft for allegedly pocketing PHP183.8... Read More

Oil firms to raise pump prices on Holy Tuesday

MANILA -- Oil firms will implement increases in oil pump prices effective 6 a.m. on Holy Tuesday (March 27).Seaoil, Eastern Petroleum, Phoenix Petroleum, PTT Philippines, Flying V, and Petron will implement a price hike of PHP1.15 for gasoline and PHP1.10 for diesel.Seaoil, Flying V, Pilipinas... Read More

Dureza welcomes Congress call to resume talks with Reds

MANILA -- Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza has welcomed the call of the House of Representatives (HOR) for President Rodrigo R. Duterte to resume peace talks with communist rebels represented by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).The NDFP is the political arm of the... Read More

Tagle's 'violent, arrogant kings' remark not for PRRD: Panelo

MANILA -- Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle was not referring to the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte when he took a swipe at "violent, cocky kings" in his Palm Sunday sermon, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said Monday.“I’m sure he (Tagle) was... Read More

Recall of HK labor attaché part of due process: DOLE chief

MANILA -- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III explained that the recall of Hong Kong Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre is part of the due process as they are investigating the complaint against the latter.In an interview, he noted that the decision is not a penalty,... Read More

BOC ‘secures’ 2 Bulacan warehouses to prevent release of shipments

MANILA -- Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Isidro Lapena on Monday inspected the two warehouses where most of the contents of the 105 illegally withdrawn containers at the Asian Terminal Inc. (ATI) container yard were delivered.With this, he said that Customs police are now deployed at the... Read More