Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
Malacañang on Tuesday night, July 30, announced that the suspension order imposed on the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) lotto operations has been lifted by President Rodrigo Duterte. “The suspension of lotto operations is lifted immediately,” said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo in a TV interview. However, the rest of the PCSO’s games with franchises, licenses…
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday, July 29, ordered mayors nationwide to clear roads of illegal structures and illegally obstructing activities within 60 days. “All local officials are enjoined to exercise their powers essential to reclaim public roads which are being used for private ends and in the…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night, July 25 said he prefers using ropes to execute criminals instead of bullets, following his call earlier this week to reinstate the death penalty. Hanging is a cheaper alternative to execute criminals instead of employing a firing squad or using lethal injection, the president said. During his fourth State…
The Philippine Department of Justice on Friday, July 26 has sent out subpoenas for Vice President Leni Robredo and 35 others in connection to the “Bikoy” narco list videos. DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a statement the preliminary investigation will be set on August 9 at 10 a.m. This comes after the Philippine National…
A Social Weather Stations survey released Thursday, July 25 said fewer Filipinos expect their lives and the Philippine economy to improve in the next 12 months. According to the survey, which was conducted from June 22 to 26, the net personal optimists score in the second quarter fell to +42 — a number five points…
Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday, July 25, said that once the death penalty bill is signed into law, law enforcers who are found guilty of planting evidence on suspects should also be sentenced to death. During his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, President Rodrigo Duterte asked Congress to…
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, July 23, said he refuses to renegotiate the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States despite the Department of National Defense (DND) seeking a review. “I refuse to renegotiate the MDT to make it more specific as DND wants because I believe with sound authority…
Malacañang on Tuesday, July 23, clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte was referring to a liquor ban during certain hours when he called for the closure of establishments by midnight. In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, Duterte asked Congress to pass a law requiring business establishments to adopt a…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 22, delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) that lasted for an hour and 33 minutes. He arrived 55 minutes late at the Batasang Pambansa Complex and started his speech at exactly 5:15 p.m. After the initial pleasantries, Duterte thanked his supporters, threatened erring government agencies, and…
THE Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 46 on Tuesday, July 23 opened trial for the cyber libel case against Maria Ressa, the chief executive and executive editor of online news site Rappler. Known as a staunch critic against the current Duterte administration and a Time Magazine ‘Person of the Year’ in 2018, Ressa is…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, July 17, has called on the United States to invoke its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines amid the maritime tension in the disputed West Philippine Sea. “I’m calling now America. I’m invoking the RP-U.S. pact. I would like America to gather all their 7th Fleet in front of…
Malacañang on Tuesday, July 16, said that President Rodrigo Duterte will be the first to follow the recently signed “Bawal Bastos” law, which penalizes catcalling and other gender-based harassment in public spaces and online. According to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Duterte recognized the need to prevent gender-based sexual harassment when he signed Republic Act 11313…
by Nestor Burgos Jr THE inter-agency task force managing the rehabilitation of Boracay Island appealed to tourists and residents on Wednesday, July 17, to give the rehabilitation more time after flash floods brought by heavy pour hit the island on Tuesday, July 16. “We are appealing to tourists … until the middle of next year,…
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, July 15, declared a national dengue alert after 450 people, including infants and a centenarian, died in the first six months of the year due to rapidly increasing cases of dengue in several regions. “This is the first time we’re declaring a national alert because the objective is…
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, July 16, said the Philippines will remain in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) despite the Council’s approval of a resolution calling for an international review of the country’s war on illegal drugs. “UNHRC vote is a small and harmless matter,” Locsin said on Twitter. “We’re…
‘Anti-bastos’ bill seeks to prevent sexual harassment, including catcalling President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law the anti-bastos bill, which seeks to prevent gender-based sexual harassment from occurring in streets, public places, online workplaces, and educational and training institutions. Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of the law’s principal authors, said in late May that the bill…
The Philippines’ population is predicted to grow twice its size by 2058, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia. Since the last census conducted in 2015, the country’s population rate has already slowed down at 1.76 a year. “Under this growth rate, our population, which is now 108.1 million, is expected to double in 39…
The Philippines on Thursday, July 11 rejected a United Nations resolution that mandates a “comprehensive” international review of the drug war that has been ongoing since President Rodrigo Duterte took office three years ago. The United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) resolution seeks an investigation into the rising death toll, which has been disputed, ranging…
A recent survey revealed that 93% of adult Filipinos believe that it is important for the Philippine government to take back control of islands occupied by China in the West Philippine Sea According to the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations from June 22 to 26, 74% of the respondents said this is “œvery…
Two separate bills seeking to promote local movies and film tourism have been filed by Senator Mary Grace Poe. Under the proposed Philippine Independent Film Incentives Act of 2019, up to P5 million in incentives will be granted to production outfits of award-winning movies. P5 million will also be granted to full-length award-winning films, while…
A total of 3,489,270 tourists were recorded to have visited the Philippines for the first five months of 2019, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the numbers — which mark a 9.76 percent increase from the same period last year — are very encouraging. “The numbers are very encouraging….
Delisted martial law victims and their relatives on Tuesday, July 9, confronted American lawyer Robert Swift about why they were taken off the official list of people to be awarded compensation after winning the Hawaii class action suit that resulted in a nearly $2-billion award for some 6,000 martial law victims. “We were one of…
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, July 9, justified the Philippines’ exit from the International Criminal Court (ICC), likening it to a ‘fairy tale endeavor.’ “Better we stick to real science instead of fairy tale endeavors like the ICC which like the Queen in Alice in Wonderland cries out, ‘First the judgment, then the…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, July 5, dared the United States to declare war against China following criticisms he received over his handling of the maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing. “We can never win a war with China. But I hope that China would not overdo things also because there is always America pushing…
Amnesty International on Monday, July 8, said extrajudicial killings related to the government’s anti-drug campaign continue to occur, destroying lives and devastating communities. The rights group released a report entitled “They just kill: Ongoing extrajudicial executions and other violations in the Philippines’ war on drugs” and urged the United Nations to immediately investigate possible rights…
President Rodrigo Duterte has reportedly accepted U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to visit Washington, Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Romualdez said on Wednesday, July 3. In 2017, Duterte swore he would never step foot in America after a U.S. congressman said he should not be welcomed to the White House due to his lack…
United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim on Wednesday, July 3 said the U.S. will “stand by” its obligations to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) should an armed aggression against the latter country happen. This response comes after Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s statement that the Philippine government should not wait for an…
Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao filed a measure this week seeking to establish a Department of Homeland Security to protect the country’s borders against terrorists and other transnational crimes. The bill, which was released to the media on Wednesday, July 3, said the government agency would “prevent terrorist attacks within, and the occurrence of transnational crimes…
In light of the recent incident in the West Philippine Sea, Senator Francis Tolentino filed a Senate bill that seeks to implement provisions in international maritime law for the safety of Filipino fishermen’s lives. In his explanatory note, Tolentino said the Bill 209 — also known as the “Good Samaritan at Sea Law — “was…
Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is urging all those who attended the 90th birthday party of former first lady Imelda Marcos to seek immediate medical attention if they start experiencing various symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. This is in light of the suspected food poisoning that affected 261 guests on Wednesday, July 3…
