(Eagle News) — Budget Secretary Ben Diokno on Friday announced his office’s proposal for a base pay hike for the military, police and other uniformed personnel has been approved by the Office of the President. In a statement, Diokno said the OP approval was made on Sept. 25, with the draft now endorsed to Congress. “We need the approval of both houses of Congress to implement this because Congress has the power of the purse,” […]
Tag: military
QC court acquits military officer in Jonas Burgos abduction
(Eagle News) — A Quezon City court on Thursday acquitted Major Harry Baliaga Jr. of arbitrary detention charges that stem from the abduction of activist Jonas Burgos over 10 years ago. Branch 216 Presiding Judge Alfonso Ruiz II made the acquittal after ruling that the prosecution “failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the identity of (the) accused as the person who abducted and arbitrarily detained (Burgos).” “No eyewitness testified to identify the accused Baliaga as […]
US sacks top navy commanders after deadly warship collision
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The US navy on Wednesday sacked two top commanders from a warship that was involved in a deadly collision with a tanker off Singapore, citing a “loss of confidence” in the officers. On August 21, the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain smashed into a tanker as the warship headed to Singapore, tearing a huge hole in the hull. The collision killed 10 sailors and injured five others. That incident came after another […]
US has ‘many’ military options in Korea crisis: Mattis
WASHINGTON,United States (AFP) — The United States has “many” military options against North Korea, including some that don’t put Seoul at risk, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday. His comments come after President Donald Trump’s administration ramped up pressure on North Korea on Sunday, warning Pyongyang will be “destroyed” if it refuses to end its “reckless” nuclear and ballistic missile drive. “There are many military options, in concert with our allies, that we will take […]
US flies bombers over Korean peninsula for drill: Seoul
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The US flew four stealth fighter jets and two bombers over the Korean peninsula on Monday in a show of force after North Korea’s latest nuclear and missile tests, South Korea’s defense ministry said. Four F-35B stealth fighters and two B-1B bombers flew over the peninsula to “demonstrate the deterrence capability of the US-South Korea alliance against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” the ministry said in a statement. They were the first flights since the North conducted its […]
Marawi City Police Station at ang Grand Mosque, nabawi na ng militar
(Eagle News) — Paliit na raw ng paliit ang lugar na hawak ng teroristang grupong Maute sa ika-siyam-na-pu’t apat (94) na araw ng bakbakan sa Marawi City. Kahapon tuluyan na umanong nabawi ng militar ang Marawi City Police Station na kinubkob ng mga terorista noong May 23. Maituturing daw itong strategic location at malaking bagay sa patuloy na pag-usad ng militar. Bukod sa police station, nabawi na rin daw ng militar ang Grand Mosque na […]
US-South joint drills begin amid North Korea tensions
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea and the United States began annual war games on Monday, US Forces Korea said, amid heated warnings by Pyongyang that the exercises will worsen tensions in the region. Tens of thousands of troops are taking part in the “Ulchi Freedom Guardian” joint military drills, a largely computer-simulated exercise that runs for two weeks in the South. They are described as defensive, but nuclear-armed Pyongyang views them as a […]
Japan, US conduct live-fire drill amid regional tension
ENIWA, Japan (AFP) — Some 300 Japanese and United States military personnel on Wednesday carried out live-fire artillery training in northern Japan, officials said, amid high regional tensions over North Korean missile threats. The drill, part of a 19-day exercise, came after a tense war of words between the US and North Korea over Pyongyang’s threats to fire missiles towards the Pacific island of Guam. Troops from Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) and US Marines fired live ammunition […]
Over 100 military personnel deployed to battle Portugal’s wildfire
VILLA DE REI MUNICIPALITY, Portugal (CCTV) — The Spanish Military Emergency Unit (UME) deployed 116 military personnel and 26 vehicles on Monday to battle Portugal’s wildfire in the center of the country, according to reports. The troops came from the First and Fifth Battalion Emergency Intervention with headquarters in Madrid and Leon respectively, the Emergency Support and Intervention Regiment and the Transmission Battalion in Madrid, detailed the UME. The deployment has been carried out near […]
Venezuela’s military: Key things to know
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — The powerful military in riot-torn Venezuela has sworn “unconditional loyalty” to the leftist government of embattled President Nicolas Maduro. It is a key player in the ongoing political crisis. Maduro in turn has granted it vast powers, not just in military matters but over key government ministries — active or retired officers head 12 of 32 ministerial posts — and in vital economic sectors including petroleum. The military’s capabilities — and […]
Abella: 20,000 more soldiers needed, Duterte says
President Rodrigo Duterte has asked lawmakers to approve the recruiting of 20,000 more soldiers to tackle security threats, his spokesman said Sunday. Ernesto Abella made the statement as government security troops continued to battle Islamist militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Marawi. The militants, waving the black IS flag, have occupied parts of the war-torn city since May 23, prompting Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao. “The request of the […]
China tells Trump not to link trade to N. Korea
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China said Monday the United States should not link trade to discussions about North Korea’s nuclear program, after President Donald Trump accused Beijing of failing to restrain Pyongyang despite profiting from business with America. “We believe that the North Korea nuclear issue and China-US trade are two issues that are in two completely different domains,” Vice Minister of Commerce Qian Keming told a press briefing, adding the issues “are not related, […]





