TAAL Volcano in Batangas Province has erupted early Wednesday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. It said that the white ash and steam plume has reached 820 feet or 250 meters. A fisherman catch fish at the Taal Lake in Talisay, Batangas on March 26, 2021. "This happens when a hot material comes into contact with water, producing steam," Bacolcol told The Manila Times via Viber. It is different from the phreato-magmatic eruptions which are driven by the direct interaction of magma and water.

Taxis collide on Ching Cheung Road as a 10-vehicle pileup causes early morning traffic jams in Cheung Sha Wan. Previous NextStacy ShiA monkey set off a 10-vehicle pileup in Cheung Sha Wan yesterday morning, causing serious traffic jams, after a driver slammed on her brakes in a vain effort to avoid running over the mammal. But the vehicles behind her were unable to brake in time and rammed into the rear of the sedan, pushing it forward, and leading to the 10-vehicle pileup. The monkey was found under the pileup and was later retrieved by Food and Environmental Hygiene Department officers with a black bag. According to dashcam footage, the monkey rushed out onto the road and crashed into the front wheel of the motorcycle.

8 Bilibid inmates plead guilty as accomplices, accessories to killing of middleman in Percy Lapid caseFamily members grieve the loss of journalist Percival Mabasa at their home in Las Pinas, suburban Manila on October 4, 2022. Inmates Mario Alvarez, Christian Ramac, Ricky Salgado, Ronnie Dela Cruz And Joel Reyes pleaded guilty as accomplices — meaning they participated in the commission — to the crime of murder. Meanwhile, inmates Alvin Labra, Aldrin Galicia and Joseph Georfo pleaded guilty as accessories to the crime of murder. Pending arrestMeanwhile, the case against Bantag and Zulueta, alleged masterminds in the case, has been archived by the Muntinlupa court. “Considering that the other accused in this case, accused [Bantag and Zulueta] are not yet arrested, let this case be sent to the archive subject to revival upon the arrest of said accused,” the ruling read.

The greatest goodAt 75 years old, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno wishes to see the poverty incidence in our country reduced during his lifetime. “We are planning to revise our revenue collection targets further upward to take into consideration the implementation of tax measures that we are prioritizing in the medium term,” Diokno announced. Also pending approval by the Senate, Diokno added, is the proposed value added tax (VAT) on digital services. “These corrective tax measures aim to achieve the twin goals of curbing excessive consumption of unhealthy foods such as chips and sugary drinks while increasing fiscal resources for public programs,” he stressed. Amid the severe criticisms on pushing such tax measures, Diokno comforts himself hewing close to English philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s “the greatest good for the greatest number” principle.

A total of 181 people were arrested for illegal activities of triad societies, including some that were found to be involved in the monopoly of the lunchbox business at construction sites in Yuen Long and the operation of an unlicensed food factory. Police also found some of the arrestees were related to the monopoly of the lunchbox business at construction sites in Yuen Long. Investigations revealed that the triad would charge lunchbox traders a one-off operating fee of HK$10,000 and then a monthly fee ranging between HK$1,000 and HK$3,000. The triad would also charge traders HK$5 for every lunchbox sold and earn at least HK$500,000 every month. Police in May sent four officers to go undercover as lunchbox traders, and one of them came into contact with suspected triad members.

(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he agrees with the "incomplete" grade given him and his Cabinet by economic experts as he wraps up his first year in office. "I saw a report earlier this morning where one of the economists said the grade that I will give for the President is incomplete. ALL ABOARD President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presides during a full cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Thursday, June 22, 2023. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO ALL ABOARD President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presides during a full cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Thursday, June 22, 2023. "The problem [is] during the beginning of this year there had been some sort of crisis: food supply, food prices, fertilizer prices, etcetera," Marcos said.

Alleged NPA leader arrested in Caraga — policeCOTABATO CITY, Philippines — The police nabbed a man accused of being a senior leader of the New People’s Army in the Caraga region. Gen. Pablo Labra II, director of the Police Regional Office-13 (PRO-13), told reporters via Viber Thursday that the 51-year-old Edgar Manlapaz was arrested last Monday in Barangay Don Alejandro in San Luis, Agusan del Sur. Labra said Manlapaz is wanted for alleged execution of villagers who refused to pay “protection money” on a monthly basis. One of the warrants for his arrest that personnel of the San Luis Municipal Police Station and the Agusan del Sur PPO showed him was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 7 in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur. That arrest warrant against Manlapaz was for allegedly killing an unarmed off-duty soldier on June 20, 2020, in one of the barangays in San Luis.

Police were called to an industrial building in Tai Kok Tsui Wednesday night after a security guard found a batch of suspected rifles. The call came in at around 7 pm after a security guard spotted the firearms near a dumpster on the ground level of the On Yip Factory Building on 33 Ivy Street. Officers found 13 firearms, suspected to be air rifles and around 100 rounds of ammunition that had been dumped at the scene. Police located a unit inside the building suspected to be connected with the case after midnight and took away a wooden box, a piece of luggage, and several Styrofoam boxes to help with the investigation. Sources said the unit was under renovation, and the construction workers had dumped the firearms earlier while clearing out the unit.

9 Northern Mindanao cops axedMANILA, Philippines — Nine policemen were relieved from their posts in connection with the death of their colleague whose body was found floating in a river in Wao, Lanao del Sur. The policemen, who are with the Regional Mobile Force Battalion’s 1004th Maneuver Company, were disarmed and placed under restrictive custody, Northern Mindanao police spokesperson Maj. Joann Navarro said in a phone interview. Navarro said one of the policemen is a lieutenant while the rest are non-commissioned officers. They were said to be the last people seen with Cpl. Initial investigation showed Dabuco attended a party at a patrol base in Barangay Pamotolon in Kalilangan on June 23 at around 1:30 a.m.Navarro said probers have information on the possible reasons behind Dabuco’s death, but did not give details.

Vietjet Air makes emergency landing at Laoag airportMANILA, Philippines — An Airbus A321 of Vietjet Air carrying 214 people made an emergency landing at the Laoag International Airport yesterday. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio said the plane departed from Incheon, South Korea and was bound for Vietnam when the pilot decided to land at the Laoag airport at around 5:11 a.m. The passengers and crew were unhurt and brought to the airport lounge while waiting for a replacement aircraft. Apolonio said the pilot did not declare an emergency and only informed the tower of difficulty due to an unspecified technical problem.

Marcos appoints Maguindanao Norte provincial government execsMANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has appointed Abdulraof Macacua and Fatima Ainee Sinsuat as governor and vice governor, respectively, of Maguindanao del Norte, Malacañang announced yesterday. The President also named Abdulnasser Abas, Mashur Biruar, Rommel Sinsuat and Alexa Ashley Tomawis as board members. Alonto Bangkulit Jr., Ahmil Hussein Macapendeg, Bobby Midtimbang and Yussef Paglas were appointed as provincial board members of Maguindanao del Sur. Residents of Maguindanao ratified in a plebiscite in September last year the division of Maguindanao into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur. In April, Marcos appointed Abdulraop Macasena as Maguindanao del Norte governor.

The government said on Wednesday that the law enforcement department continues to conduct criminal investigations into the incidents concerning the construction quality of the MTR Shatin to Central Link project. The government’s statement came one day after construction company Leighton Contractors (Asia) has been fined HK$40,000 for its substandard work while building the city’s most expensive rail link, which partly caused HK$2 billion in extra costs for the project. But neither Leighton nor others involved in the project were charged for other issues revealed during an independent inquiry into the scandal, such as missing paperwork, subsidence, and building works carried out with unapproved designs. Meanwhile, the Buildings Department said in a statement yesterday that contractors who contravene the relevant provisions of the Buildings Ordinance in carrying out building works may be subject to disciplinary action, liable to be fined, reprimanded, or removed from the registered contractors' register. Neither did the Buildings Department nor the MTR indicate they will hold relevant parties accountable for other issues revealed in the independent inquiry.

A truck caught fire when traveling towards Kowloon in the Western Harbor Crossing around 4 pm on Wednesday. Firefighters later came to extinguish the fire, and no casualties were reported. The driver exited the truck and filed a police report as a tunnel staffer came and tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. The driver later drove the truck out of the tunnel after firefighters came to put out the fire. The tunnel tube slow lane of Western Harbor Crossing (Kowloon bound) has reopened to all traffic as of 5.30 pm, while the traffic queue will take time to disperse, the Transport Department said.

Filipino professional volleyball player Jaja Santiago is set to return in Japan this coming season. Jaja Santiago PVL PHOTO Jaja Santiago PVL PHOTOJapanese V.League 1 side JT Marvelous has announced that Santiago will join the team in an Instagram post on Wednesday. Marvelous' website also shows Santiago's name on their roster. Santiago started the season training with Premier Volleyball League (PVL) side Chery Tiggo.

MenaceThe Putin regime in Russia is a menace to the rest of humanity while in power. It could be an even greater menace as it dissembles. The 40,000-odd Wagner fighters are invited to integrate into the regular Russian army – the very organization Wagner denounced as incompetent and corrupt. Like all mafia organizations assembled on the basis of personal loyalty, the Putin regime cannot survive the demise (political or literal) of its leader. The corrosion or implosion of the Putin regime can happen quickly or in painfully slow motion.