2 men set on fire for picking fights in Dumagat community
CITY OF CAUAYAN — Two drunk men suffered first-degree burns after being set ablaze at Maconacon town in Isabela province on Thursday, police said. Recuperating from burns at the rural health unit in Maconacon was Fernando Sesuca, of Dicatian village; and Acorda Cortez, of Dicaroyan village, both Dumagat and laborers in Divilacan town, according to Sr. Insp. The two men were reportedly drunk and trying to deliberately start a fight in Malasin village – a Dumagat community. ADVERTISEMENTAlarmed, the community sought out Dumagat elder, Renato Castillejo. But when the drunken men refused to heed his plea, Castillejo threw bottles filled with gasoline at the rowdy men before lighting a match.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 10, 2018 01:18 UTC
Alleged NPA members raid police station in N. Samar; 2 cops hurt
PALO, Leyte—Two policemen were wounded early Friday morning when communist rebels raided the police station in Lapinig town, Northern Samar. Reports reaching the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas (PRO-8) based here identified the two policemen as PO2 Jerry Quilecol and PO1 Edizon Aguere. Noli Montebon, police chief of Lapinig town, and PO2 Mark Mejedo were initially reported missing but were later found. It is the second time that the police station was raided by the NPA. On January 12, 2012, NPA raided the police station and took several firearms.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 10, 2018 00:56 UTC
Women yield P6.5M ‘shabu’ in Tondo buy-bust
Twenty sachets of suspected illegal drugs estimated to be worth P6.5 million were confiscated from alleged drug pushers in Tondo, Manila early Friday morning. Police recovered from the suspects Girlie Lopez De Ocampo, 38, and Leah Campo Aguilar, 34, the sachets of alleged shabu weighing 1000 grams, according to police report. ADVERTISEMENTPolice also recovered the buy-bust money worth P5,000 and a weighing scale from the scene. The suspects will face charges in violation of the Republic Act No. 1965 or the Dangerous Drugs Act, according to authorities.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 10, 2018 00:11 UTC
Grand jury indicts 17-year-old in Texas school shooting
GALVESTON, Texas — A Texas grand jury on Thursday indicted a 17-year-old student accused of fatally shooting 10 people in May at a Houston-area high school. ADVERTISEMENTPagourtzis is being held at the Galveston County Jail without bond. Investigators have said Pagourtzis admitted going on a shooting rampage at Santa Fe High School that killed eight students and two teachers. In Texas, grand juries have 90 days from the date of a suspect’s detention to indict or not indict a suspect, said Galveston County prosecutor Ross Hill. The Pagourtzis case was presented to a Galveston County grand jury impaneled last month, he said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 23:48 UTC
Solid North to form alliance with Hugpong Party, says Imee
Imee Marcos was referring to a likely alliance between northern Luzon politicians under the Marcos wing and the rising Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP) Mindanao regional party of President Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. ADVERTISEMENTThe governor joked that she risked being branded a renegade because she came all the way from the North to join a southern regional party. Hugpong is set to become the voice of Mindanao and a force to reckon with like the Solid North, Marcos said. In the meantime, we will stay as a regional political party,” the mayor said. In Digos City, Davao del Sur, Mayor Duterte also swore in 4,000 other members on the same day.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 23:03 UTC
Duterte ‘hates gambling,’ rules out new casinos
After firing the entire management and board of directors of a government agency that leased land for a $1.5-billion casino project, President Duterte ruled out the operation of new casinos during his term, saying he had an aversion to gambling. The Philippines is one of Asia’s fastest-growing gambling markets and its integrated casino-resorts have helped create jobs and generate tax and tourism revenue. It also benefits from bans on gambling in many Southeast Asian nations. I do not want it,” Mr. Duterte said during a speech at the Philippine National Police anniversary rites on Wednesday. Review of contractADVERTISEMENTPresident Duterte on Tuesday ordered a review of Landing’s contract on the same day he fired the NPF directors as they were breaking ground on the project.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 23:03 UTC
‘G-spot’ ad raises hackles
VILNIUS, LITHUANIA — The capital of this Baltic country is pressing ahead with controversial plans for a raunchy international advertising campaign that refers to the city as the “G-spot of Europe,” despite opposition from the Church and central government. Vilnius, the G-spot of Europe,” says the advertisement, which is aimed at portraying the city as the continent’s undiscovered treasure. ADVERTISEMENTThe reference to the elusive erogenous zone has raised hackles in the devoutly Catholic country of 2.9 million people. Viral on social mediaImages of the campaign banner have already gone viral on social media, provoking both support and criticism. But the campaign organizers refused, arguing that the advertising will end before the Pontiff’s visit and is in no way associated with him.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 23:03 UTC
Federalism still Duterte priority, says Malacañang
Despite the fears of the government’s economic managers about the havoc a shift to federalism could wreak on the Philippine economy, the change remains a priority for President Duterte, Malacañang said on Thursday. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the whole Cabinet supported President Duterte on the proposed change to federalism. At one point, Dominguez said the credit rating agencies viewed the proposed shift to federalism as spelling “uncertainty” and “political risk” for the Philippines. Roque said Dominguez, a close friend of the President’s, supported federalism and only wanted “to find answers to unanswered questions” about the proposed change. If Mr. Duterte really wanted a change to federalism, he should tell Congress to “pass a federal Constitution,” Aquino said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 23:03 UTC
6% GDP growth below gov’t target
ADVERTISEMENTPernia earlier said the closure of Boracay would cut GDP growth this year by 0.1 percent. Others put the blame on the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act. The National Economic and Development Authority chief reiterated that the TRAIN law must not be blamed for the slower growth. He said the tax reform law even boosted consumer spending in the second quarter. “In the case of household consumption, higher disposable incomes resulting from the recently passed tax reform package and improved labor market conditions are seen to help sustain growth,” he said.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 22:52 UTC
‘Habagat’ to bring rains as ‘Karding’ exits PH
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said scattered to widespread, moderate to heavy rains would prevail over western sections of northern and Central Luzon on Friday, even as Karding continued to move away from the country. Weather specialist Ariel Rojas said that as of 3 p.m. on Thursday, Karding was estimated at 1,160 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes. ADVERTISEMENTThe storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 80 kph. A low pressure area spotted outside of the PAR in the West Philippine Sea will possibly form into a cyclone on Friday or Saturday, according to Rojas. According to Pagasa, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon and Western Visayas will experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms, while the rest of the Visayas and the whole of Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains due to the southwest monsoon or “habagat.” —MELVIN GASCONADVERTISEMENT
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 22:30 UTC
Amid infighting, Duterte to meet with PDP-Laban officials
Amid the reported rift between its rival factions, President Duterte wants to unify the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). The President was scheduled to meet with the PDP-Laban party officials and members in Manila on Thursday in order to address the internal dispute. “He wants to unify the party. ADVERTISEMENT“As far as the President is concerned, he is chair of PDP-Laban and there is only one PDP-Laban,” he added. Roque had previously declined to comment on the alleged infighting in the party, choosing to defer to the ruling party’s spokespersons.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 22:30 UTC
Missile test fire ‘a success’
The Philippine Navy successfully tested on Thursday its newly acquired missile capability on its multipurpose attack craft (MPAC). Commander Jonathan Zata, the Navy spokesperson, said the sea acceptance test (SAT), held in Lamao Point, Bataan province, for the Rafael Spike ER (extended range) missile system mounted on three Mark III MPAC was “a success.”The test was supposed to have been witnessed by President Duterte but he was unable to attend it due to previous commitments. ADVERTISEMENTThe Navy said it would schedule within the month another live firing demonstration of the Spike ER missile for the commander in chief. “A Spike ER missile was fired and accurately hit the designated target at [a distance of] approximately 6 kilometers from the firing platform,” he added. ADVERTISEMENTThe missile system was fired from the MPAC with hull number BA-491, according to the authoritative defense website MaxDefense Philippines.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 09, 2018 22:18 UTC
Melania’s parents get US citizenship
NEW YORK: The Slovenian-born parents of US First Lady Melania Trump became US citizens at a naturalization ceremony in New York on Thursday (Friday in Manila), their immigration lawyer Michael Wildes confirmed to AFP. President Donald Trump ‘s in-laws, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, took the oath of citizenship, Wildes said. He did not specify how long it had taken the Knavs to complete the citizenship process, nor whether the 48-year-old First Lady had sponsored their permanent residency. Trump has taken a hardline on immigration policy, criticizing so-called chain migration that allows naturalized US citizens to sponsor close relatives for permanent residency. The Republican president argues that the system steals jobs from Americans and threatens national security, calling for a merit-based system that preferences more educated, English-speaking professionals.
Source:Manila Times
August 09, 2018 19:41 UTC
73% of Filipinos support National ID System–SWS
MAJORITY of Filipinos support the newly-signed Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) law, a pollster said late Tuesday night. The measure was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday afternoon in Malacanang. The survey from June 27 to 30 that 73 percent of the 1,200 Filipinos surveyed approved of the law, while 18 percent disapproved. The remaining nine percent did not know enough of the law to give an opinion, the pollster said. The survey has sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Source:Manila Times
August 08, 2018 04:52 UTC
DOJ welcomes SC nod on Precautionary Hold Departure Orders
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court allowing the issuance of Precautionary Hold Departure Orders against suspects. “I am so happy that the SC understands the predicament of the DOJ resulting from the court’s previous ruling which nullified the [Hold Departure Orders, Watchlist Orders] etc issued by the DOJ,” the justice chief added. Immigration Look Out BulletinWhen the SC issued a halt order against the WLOs, De Lima implemented the issuance of the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order. The ILBO tasks Immigration agents with alerting the DOJ should subjects attempt to leave the country. Guevarra said that the DOJ is reviewing the use of the ILBO, but will not issue one in the meantime.
Source:Philippine Star
August 08, 2018 04:18 UTC