National

PH trade keeps growth steady in October 2016

MANILA, Dec.12 –Total merchandise trade grew by 5 percent in October 2016, supported by growth in both imports and exports, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Based on a report by the Philippine Statistics Authority, total trade grew to US$11.7 billion in October 2016, with imports growing by 5.9 percent and exports, 3.7 percent. “Total trade was boosted by higher exports and imports to and from Asia and other major markets. For […]

COMELEC directs field offices to strictly follow registration hours, conduct widespread info dissemination

MANILA – The Commission on Elections directs all Offices of the Election Officers (OEO) to strictly follow the mandated registration hours, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, for the ongoing voter registration period which started last November 7, 2016. The OEOs are further required to conduct widespread information dissemination down to the barangay level for the early registration of qualified registrants without waiting for the last day of registration. “In exceptional situations wherein there is a large […]

Families of those killed in Duterte’s drug war hope for justice ahead of Human Rights Day

  (Reuters) — Grace Fonollera sat beside the coffin of her 18-year-old son, Ace Bacorro, at a funeral set up across their shanty home in Manila. Her son, along with his friend Rondolph Droyon, were killed on December 6 when unidentified gunmen shot them while they were out drinking. Closed circuit television footage by the local village showed men riding on two motorcycles firing at the group in the early morning. Fonollera said her son […]

Duterte tells casino boss to apologize, pay taxes

  (Reuters) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday (December 8) he would allow Jack Lam, one of Asia’s top casino kingpins, to do business in the country after he had ordered his arrest on charges of economic sabotage and bribery. Duterte said he would allow the casino boss to come back to the Philippines if he settles his liabilities, pays his taxes and apologises for allegedly bribing an official. Lam, from the Chinese […]

Duterte to De Lima: “Go ahead, impeach me.”

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte challenged Senator Leila De Lima to file impeachment charges against him after his speech defending policemen allegedly involved in the death of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. “They can go ahead. Bakit pa mas maraming daldal? Sige na, impeach na,” the President said. Duterte in a speech expressed that he would still support policemen who risk their lives in the line of duty and will not allow them […]

No massive human rights violations in PHL, says DILG

(Eagle News)– The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in its own human rights probe claimed there is no massive human rights violations in the country. “There will be human rights violations. Is it massive or not? Indications based on the case showed that it is not massive… indicatively there is no human rights violations or it is at the barest minimum,” Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III said Friday (December 9). “We should continue […]

Abaya, 6 other ex-DOTC officials face graft raps over anomalous license plate deal

(Eagle News)– Former transportation secretary Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya and six other officials of the dissolved Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)  and the Land Transportation Office  (LTO) are facing graft charges for the purchase of P3.8 billion worth of license plates under the Aquino administration. Former Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) general manager Al Vitangcol led the filing of the case against Abaya at the Department of Justice on Tuesday (December 6). Vitangcol told […]

VMMC to open its gates to ease heavy traffic

(Eagle News)– The Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) will open the gates of Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City to the public as part of the solutions to heavy traffic during the holiday season. “Ito’y makakaginhawa nang husto sa ating mga kababayan lalo na ‘yung napakabigat na North at Mindanao Avenue,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Thomas Orbos said. Once opened, vehicles passing North Avenue may enter the main gate of […]

Senate to conduct Charter change hearings outside Metro Manila

(Eagle News)– Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon said the Senate constitutional amendments committee will conduct hearings on Charter change (Cha-cha) in other localities outside Metro Manila. The Senate committee, which Drilon chairs, plans to hold hearings in Baguio, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro “to get as wide a spectrum as possible of our people’s views.” The Senate panel held on Thursday its first hearing on proposals to amend some provisions in the 1987 Constitution. […]

Senate panel: No proof of state-sponsored slays, DDS in Duterte’s drug war

(Eagle News)– Eleven senators have signed the committee report saying there was no proof of government-sanctioned killings related with President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs. The report also said the committee saw no evidence to prove the existence of Davao Death Squad (DDS). The report was principally drafted by Senators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate committees on justice and human rights, and public order and dangerous drugs, which jointly held […]

“Yellow” senators refute plans to oust Duterte

(Eagle News) — Liberal Party (LP) senators Franklin Drilon and Leila de Lima have dismissed allegations from President Rodrigo Duterte that his “yellow” critics are plotting his impeachment. “Walang katotohanan yan. We have not discussed any plot to change the President. We respect the mandate of the people,” Drilon told reporters. De Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte, said LP stalwarts were just making their voices be heard when they opposed the so-called extrajudicial killings, reimposing of death penalty, […]

Pamimigay ng bigas sa 4Ps beneficiaries, hindi tuloy – DSWD

Eagle News – Sa year-end conference sa Boracay kamakailan lamang, kinumpirma ng Department of Social Welfare and Development o DSWD na hindi maibibigay ngayong 2016 ang ipinangako ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na 20 kilo ng bigas na ibibigay sa bawat benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program o 4Ps. Kaugnay nito, ayon kay Beverly Salazar, focal person ng 4Ps, patuloy pa rin umanong inaalam ng DSWD central office kung bigas ba o cash na lamang ang […]