aaaDAYS before his inauguration, President Rodrigo Duterte bared the names of four more individuals who will join his Cabinet. Duterte chose Health Assistant Secretary Paulyn Ubial to head the Department of Health, Wanda Teo as Tourism Secretary, businessman Ramon Lopez as Trade chief, and Regina Lopez as Environment Secretary. Ramon Lopez was a...
aaaWHILE the country marked Araw ng Kagitingan, a bloody encounter between the military and the Abu Sayyaf left 18 soldiers dead in Basilan on April 9. Government Peace Panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the encounter happened in Bgy Silangkum, Tipo-Tipo and Bgy Baguindan, Al-Barka in Basilan. “True to the valor and heroism that we ...
aaaTHE Philippines has impounded a North Korean cargo vessel that is covered by a United Nations-imposed sanction against Pyongyang. Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armand Balilo said the freighter, M/V Jin Teng, remained docked in Subic where it was offloading palm kernel expeller. The ship, which came from Indonesia, was one of 31 vessels o...
aaaTHE United States has vowed to help the Philippines, a treaty ally, if its dispute with China turns into a “shooting war.” “The Philippines is a treaty ally of the United States. President Obama, when he was here, said that the treaty is ironclad. We take seriously our responsibilities, our obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty,” U...
aaaAT least 45 people were killed while more than 200,000 others were displaced as typhoon Nona battered parts of Luzon and Eastern Visayas days before Christmas. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 24 persons were also injured during Nona’s wake and some 65,318 families or 289,616 people in Central Luzon, Mimaropa, ...
aaaA fourth disqualification case has been filed against presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe before the Commission on Elections by former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez. Valdez, in his 34-page petition, questioned Poe’s natural-born Filipino status, a requirement for any presidential bet. “The fact that respondent has to pe...
aaaWASHINGTON has sent its warship to patrol near one of China’s artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, a move that President Benigno Aquino III said reflected a “balance of power.” The USS Lassen, a guided missile destroyer, entered a 12 nautical mile territorial limit around Subi Reef in Spratly Islands. “I see no issue as to...
aaaAFTER more than three years on the run, former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother Mario were arrested in Thailand over the murder of journalist and environment activist Gerry Ortega. According to Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma, the Reyes brothers were detained by Thai authorities in Phuket. ...
aaaANOTHER American national was victimized by a “laglag bala gang” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport [NAIA] terminal. This time it was an American missionary who was locked up for five and half days after he allegedly refused to give P30,000 to two security personnel from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) assigned at the NAI...
aaaIt's final: Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will not run for president in the 2016 elections. "After consulting my family and everybody else connected to my life, I would like to categorically state now and also for the agony of those waiting for those who believe in me: hindi ako tatakbo pagkapresidente," Duterte said. "Wala ako ambisyon in...
