MANILA, Philippines, Nov 5, 2023 (AFP) – A radio broadcaster was fatally shot inside his studio in the Philippines on Sunday, police said, the latest in a long list of journalists killed in the country. Juan Jumalon, 57, was in his home-based studio on the southern island of Mindanao when a gunman shot him in the head, said Captain Deore Ragonio, police chief in Calamba municipality. Jumalon is the fourth journalist to be slain since […]
Tag: philippines
Four people killed in Philippine village elections
By Cecil Morella and Pam Castro MANILA, Oct 30, 2023 (AFP) – At least four people were killed in the restive southern Philippines on Monday as millions turned out to vote for village leaders following months of deadly poll-related violence. Security forces were on high alert across the country for the long-delayed nationwide vote for more than 336,000 council positions. While villages are the lowest-level government unit, the council posts are hotly contested because they […]
Philippines detains nearly 600 in anti-trafficking raid
MANILA, Oct 30, 2023 (AFP) – Philippine police have detained nearly 600 people during a raid on a suspected sex trafficking and online scam operation in Manila, authorities said Saturday. Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Filipino nationals were among the people found inside the compound during Friday night’s operation, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said in a statement. Authorities were interviewing 598 detainees to determine who was a victim or suspect, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla […]
Myanmar nationals ask Philippines to probe alleged war crimes
MANILA, Oct 25, 2023 (AFP) – Five Myanmar nationals asked the Philippines on Wednesday to investigate alleged war crimes committed by 10 serving or former members of Myanmar’s military against the mainly Chin minority. Filipino lawyers representing the Myanmar nationals told reporters they lodged the “landmark” criminal complaint against junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and nine others at the Department of Justice in Manila. They asked prosecutors to open an investigation into alleged war crimes […]
Manila says Chinese vessels ‘intentionally’ hit Philippine boats
MANILA, Oct 23, 2023 (AFP) – Manila said Monday that Chinese vessels “intentionally hit” Philippine boats at the weekend, escalating a diplomatic row over two collisions in the South China Sea. The countries have traded blame over Sunday’s incidents near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, with both sides filing diplomatic protests and releasing videos to support their accusations. The two collisions happened during a Philippine resupply mission to troops stationed on a navy […]
Maritime spat escalates: Philippines and China lodge protests after South China Sea collisions
By Pam Castro with Peter Catterall in Beijing MANILA, Oct 23, 2023 (AFP) – Manila summoned Beijing’s ambassador and China lodged a complaint on Monday in a growing spat over two collisions between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed South China Sea. The countries have traded blame over Sunday’s incidents near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, with both sides filing diplomatic protests and releasing videos to support their accusations. The two collisions […]
China and Philippines point fingers over South China Sea collisions
By Cecil Morella with Sebastien Ricci in Beijing MANILA, Oct 22, 2023 (AFP) – Beijing and Manila traded blame for two collisions Sunday between Chinese vessels and Philippine boats on a resupply mission to Filipino troops on a remote outpost in the disputed South China Sea. The incidents happened near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, a hotly contested region where Beijing deploys ships to assert its claims over almost the entire sea. A […]
Musk’s X starts charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines for basic features
WASHINGTON, Oct 18, 2023 (AFP) – The social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, said Tuesday it has started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines for basic features such as posting messages in a trial aimed at reducing spam. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who bought Twitter last year for $44 billion, has long complained about fake accounts, bots and spam on the platform, introducing a number of controversial changes that have […]
5.2-Magnitude earthquake rattles Manila, prompting concerns of damage and aftershocks
MANILA, Oct 13, 2023 (AFP) – A magnitude 5.2 earthquake shook buildings in the Philippine capital on Friday, the US Geological Survey said, with local authorities warning of possible damage and aftershocks. The shallow quake struck about 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Manila at 8:24 am (0024 GMT) and sent students and office workers fleeing from their buildings. “So far everything’s okay. No casualties although this is the epicentre,” said Rafael Cuevas, a disaster […]
Living in extraordinary times! ASEAN in Focus – October 11, 2023
Philippines win first Asian Games basketball gold in 61 years
By Martin PARRY HANGZHOU, China, Oct 6, 2023 (AFP) – The Philippines won their first Asian Games basketball gold since 1962 on Friday in a 70-60 victory over Jordan with American-born Justin Brownlee pouring in 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Former Brooklyn Nets starter Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored a game-high 24 points but it was not enough to deliver Jordan a first basketball gold in their history. Both sides started slowly in an error-riddled first […]
Bomb threat sparks security alert at 42 Philippine airports
MANILA, Oct 6, 2023 (AFP) – Security patrols and sniffer dogs were deployed at dozens of Philippine airports Friday, after the aviation regulator received a bomb threat against commercial planes. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said it was investigating the threat received via email on Wednesday warning that aircraft at Manila airport and four others would “explode”. The regulator said in a statement Friday that 42 commercial airports “are on heightened alert” and […]
