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Communist Rebellion

Leftist solon says finishing off NPA in 3 yrs ‘unachievable’
Makabayan solon Anakpawis Party-List Rep. Ariel Casilao described on Wednesday the government’s plan to “finish off” the New People’s Army (NPA) by the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term as unrealistic. As such, Casilao reckoned that the Duterte administration would be better off resuming the stalled peace talks with the National Democrat Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
Manila Bulletin

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Another teacher’s group slams PNP for alleged ‘profiling’
After the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), another teacher’s group slammed the Philippine National Police (PNP) with the supposed connivance of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the profiling and surveillance of public school teachers in particular.
Manila Bulletin

Briones to cooperate with ‘lawful’ requests, vows to protect teachers
Amid the alleged profiling of teachers who are members of a militant group, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday said that it will remind its officials on the protocols when it comes to releasing potential sensitive information of both teaching and non-teaching personnel.
Manila Bulletin

NUJP: Red-tagging of journalists ‘idiotic,’ puts them in danger
A group of journalists found itself the subject of Red-tagging even before the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) was subjected to profiling by the Philippine National Police as part of state efforts to defeat communist rebels. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) decried reports alleging that the media group was a “legal front” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing New People’s Army, and umbrella organization National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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DepEd urges Lumad school to adhere to operating permit's location restrictions
The Department of Education reminded tribal schools that government permits granted to them are location-specific after reports that a Davao del Norte-based Lumad school is holding classes inside a church compound in Davao City. Jenielito Atillo, DepEd spokesperson in Davao Region, told state media on Tuesday evening that even though the permit is valid, it could only be used "in the location to which it was given."
Philippine Star

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UN workers on DOJ ‘terror’ list thank Baguio defenders
Two Baguio residents working for the United Nations and who were listed as “terrorists” by the Department of Justice (DOJ) appeared before the City Council on Monday to thank it for standing up for them. “What you did, when you stood up for us, you [also] stood up for human rights,” Joan Carling, a convenor of the UN Indigenous People’s Major Group for the Sustainable Development Goals, said in her address to the council, with Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN special rapporteur for indigenous peoples concerns, by her side.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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NPA hit men targeting Iloilo cops?
New People’s Army (NPA) hit men from Negros Occidental have allegedly crossed to Iloilo province to kill policemen. The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) is verifying the allegation spread through text messages, according to Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, director. The police is not leaving anything to chance, he stressed.
Panay News

Peace Talks

NDFP always ready for peace talks, says chief negotiator
Communist rebels are willing and very much ready to resume peace negotiations with the government if the latter is really serious, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines' chief negotiator said.  Last Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte hinted in a command conference in Pili town in Camarines Sur that his administration was still open to resuming the peace negotiation with the Reds. 
ABS-CBN News

Incidents/ Operations   

NPA hit squad kills CAFGU in Negros
Members of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) assassination squad killed an off-duty CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA) member in Linantuyan, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, Sunday. Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Central Command (Centcom) acting spokesman Maj. Abel Potutan identified in a media release to Manila Bulletin the militiaman as Joseph Gabia, a resident of Linantuyan.
Manila Bulletin

Extremism


MARAWI

USAID turns over solar-power project to Marawi
The United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) recently turned over the completed solar-electrification project to at least five barangay health centers and temporary relocation sites here. The project included those completed in September for Sarimanok Evacuation Sites 1 and 2, and in October in Sagonsongan temporary relocation site, said MinDA Secretary Abul Khayr D. Alonto.
Business Mirror

Marawi IDPs receive DOST intervention
Hundreds of Marawi IDPs from Sagonsongan Transitory Site’s Area 1 gather here today for a culmination program of the Department of Science and Technology Food and Nutrition and Research Institute’s (DOST-FNRI) “Nutrition Intervention Model in Time of Calamities: A Quick Response to Emergency” project. DOST-FNRI Nutrition Assessment and Monitoring Division (NAMD) chief, Dr. Imelda Agdeppa, said the project benefited 375 individuals from 75 families temporarily living in the area.
TFBM

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD      

How Does Terrorism Overlap With Criminality?
Over the years, terrorist organisations - including Islamic State - have concentrated their efforts on recruiting members from criminal groups in Europe. Propaganda has claimed, for example, that by joining Islamic State, prospective members will receive redemption for their sins. The terror group also encourages fundraising through criminal activities, and promotes this as a divinely sanctioned method of raising money for jihad when operating in the Dar al-Harb (Lands of War).
Forbes

Terrorism is not a thing to cry wolf about
In the manic push for a border wall, some officials in the Trump administration have cried wolf about the number of terrorists caught trying to enter the United States. Terrorism is a serious threat and should not be trotted out to justify an unpopular policy proposal. It is a false alarm that, as the ancient story of the shepherd boy who cried wolf teaches, results in no one believing the cry when the wolf eventually does come to eat the sheep.
The Hill 

LESSONS FROM THE LONG WAR: THE ROLE OF INFORMATION IN COUNTER-INSURGENCY
Goodbye Syria. Goodbye Afghanistan. The Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute – axed. Publication of the Army’s history of the war on terror – indefinitely postponed. The U.S. Army is withdrawing from its longest wars and pivoting towards conflict against state opponents. Though some are calling to abandon all things counter-insurgency, the Army must preserve hard-won lessons from fighting against non-state opponents. With more leaders lacking combat experience, the military risks losing these lessons from its long wars.
War on the Rocks (Texas University)

Al-Shabanah underscores Arab media’s counter terrorism role
Minister of Media Turki Al-Shabanah underscored the Arab media’s role and responsibility in countering terrorism through implementing specific programs that disseminate awareness about this dangerous phenomenon.
Saudi Gazette

US Syria withdrawal highlights unresolved fate of SDF's ISIS prisoners
The fate of hundreds of foreign ISIS fighters and their families held by Kurdish forces in northern Syria is becoming a sticking point as the United States prepares to withdraw its troops from the country. Some 2,000 American troops have been helping the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fight ISIS since 2015. But after President Donald Trump announced an imminent US withdrawal last month, SDF officials reportedly considered releasing its ISIS foreign prisoners, which they say are not their responsibility.
The National UAE

Hong Kong counterterrorism officers on Xinjiang trip saw no human rights violations, security chief John Lee tells lawmakers
All counterterrorism measures in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang that Hong Kong officers saw during a recent visit were humane, security minister John Lee Ka-chiu told the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
South China Morning Post

China passes five-year plan to sinicise Islam, as Beijing tightens grip on major faiths in China
China has passed a five-year plan to make Islam more Chinese, even as it faces withering criticism for the large-scale detention of Muslims in Xinjiang. The plan aims "to guide Islam to be compatible with socialism and implement measures to sinicise the religion" so as to foster patriotism.
The Straits Times

Riyadh forum aims to protect society from extremism
A forum aimed at protecting Saudi society from terrorist groups is to be held in Riyadh on Friday. Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh will lead the first Cooperative Libraries Forum to be organized in the Kingdom.
Arab News

Bangsamoro

PSE: Shariah-compliant listed firms drop to 56
THE NUMBER of listed firms compliant with Islamic principles of finance dropped to 56 as of Dec. 25, according to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). A quarterly review posted on the PSE website on Tuesday showed the removal of Ayala Land, Inc., IRC Properties, Inc., Jollibee Foods Corp., Mabuhay Vinyl Corp., Philippine H2O Ventures, Inc., and SPC Power Corp. from the list of Shariah-compliant firms.
Business World Online

BANGSAMORO ORGANIC LAW


Justice Leonen to handle all Bangsamoro cases
ASSOCIATE Justice Mario Victor Leonen, former government chief negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), will handle all petitions assailing the legality and constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) expanding the autonomy of Muslim Mindanao.
The Manila Times

Senators assert constitutionality of BOL
Senators on Wednesday stood pat on the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) amid disputes regarding its implementation. Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel defended the BOL against petitions before the Supreme Court questioning its constitutionality, saying the 1987 Constitution does not disallow the creation of a new autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao.
Manila Bulletin

Zubiri lauds SC for not granting TRO on BOL plebiscite
Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri hailed the Supreme Court (SC) for not issuing a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lorenzana: Mayor Sayadi wants Cotabato City out of new Bangsamoro Region
Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi does not want the city to join the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region provided under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday. Lorenzana, in an exclusive interview with GMA News resident political analyst Richard Heydarian for GMA News Online's FYI segment, said that Guiani-Sayadi fears that she would not have a chance for an elective post if the city votes to become a part of the new Bangsamoro Automous Region.
GMA News

DoH, Comelec regional offices gear up for Bangsamoro vote
WITH AN expected 2.8 million voters for the coming Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite, the Department of Health (DoH) and Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have laid out plans to ensure immediate response to critical situations. All health offices and hospitals in the ARMM have been ordered to be on code white alert status, according to DoH-ARMM Secretary Khadil M. Sinolinding, Jr. “This is an SOP (standard operating procedure) for us, especially in highly-sensitive activities that need the participation of the people. 
Business World Online

Tawi-tawi residents celebrate BOL’s victory ahead of plebiscite
Residents of the southernmost island-province of Bongao, Tawi-tawi are already celebrating the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) on Monday less than three weeks before the conduct of the plebiscite on January 21. “The event right now is not a campaign rally for the BOL. Rather, we are already celebrating its victory as early as now,” Tawi-tawi Gov. Rashidin Matba said.
Manila Bulletin

Catholic leaders appeal for calm ahead of Bangsamoro plebiscite
Two Catholic Church leaders in Mindanao renowned for their peace works have appealed for sobriety amid the anxiety gripping some parts of the island that will participate in the plebiscite to ratify the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (OLBARMM).
Mindanews

COMMENT: At Stake in BOL Plebiscite
What is at stake at the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite on January 21 and February 6? Not the ratification of BOL which is a certainty but the assurance of the unity and resolve to make Bangsamoro a reality. It means not just a majority but a unanimous YES of the five provinces constituting the vital core of Bangsamoro and their component cities.
Mindanews

Self-determination and consensus
ONCE more, the issue of the autonomy of Bangsamoro goes to the Supreme Court. Once more, a judicial solution is sought to what is a very complex problem involving geography, culture, politics and history. While the Consultative Committee constituted by the President was still in session, I wondered why proponents of the Bangsamoro Organic Law were persistent about seeing it through Congress.
The Manila Times

Lanao del Norte concerned over social services, security if 6 towns vote for BOL
The provincial government of Lanao del Norte has raised concern that the delivery of social services and security could be affected if its six municipalities would be separated from the province due to the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). This as Governor Imelda “Angging” Quibranza-Dimaporo and other local officials spearheaded an assembly to express their opposition in the inclusion of Tagoloan, Balo-i, Pantar, Munai, Tangcal and Nunungan to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Politiko

Bangsamoro Martial Arts Associations declare Yes to BOL
There were 48 Bangsamoro Martial Arts Associations that declared yes to the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in a General Assembly held at Camp Darapanan, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on January 6, 2019.  The declaration was made many times but they were unanimous just like from the first declaration.
Luwaran

Special action force to augment BOL security
A battalion of elite police commandos will be deployed in Cotabato City and other areas in the central and western part of Mindanao as part of security for the conduct of the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite. Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the send-off for a battalion of Special Action Force (SAF) commandos are expected to be done on January 18, or two days before the first plebiscite schedule.
Manila Bulletin

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MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

Military seizes 3 IEDs following Maguindanao clash with BIFF
Government forces believe they have foiled at least three bombing attacks following the recovery of three improvised explosive devices (IED) during a firefight with Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) forces in Maguindanao. "The group is also bent to spoil the peace, hence, their possible intention is to disrupt the upcoming plebiscite through IED attacks which we don't want them to succeed," Major General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Army's 6th Infantry Division, said Wednesday.
GMA News, Manila Bulletin, NDBC News, Philippine Star

Gov’t engineer shot dead inside commuter van in Maguindanao
An engineer working at the local government of Pagalungan, Maguindanao was shot dead by a still unidentified gunman inside a passenger van plying the Maguindanao-North Cotabato route Tuesday afternoon. Engineer Mustapha Andoy, 45, who works at the municipal engineering office of Pagalungan town, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds from a .45-caliber pistol.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

SULU 

Abu Sayyaf member surrenders to military
AN ABU Sayyaf bandit has surrendered to government authorities amid the continuousmilitary offensive against them in Sulu, officials announced Wednesday, January 9. Abdulbaki Boyohan, 53, surrendered around 9 a.m. Tuesday to Lieutenant Colonel Ronaldo Mateo, Philippine Army 32nd Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, in Camp Bud Datu in the village of Tagbak, Indanan, Sulu. 
Sunstar Zamboanga, Philippine News Agency

TAWI-TAWI 

Health official found dead in Zambo pension house
A health official in the province of Tawi-Tawi was found dead Tuesday inside his room at a pension house in Barangay Canelar, this city, the police disclosed. Chief Insp. Elmer Solon, chief of the Police Station 11, identified the health official as Dr. Emmanuel Bactong, a native of Zamboanga Sibugay province.
Philippine News Agency

Shadow Economies

DRUGS

Sarangani among PH's top performers in anti-drug campaign
The province of Sarangani has emerged as among the country's top performers in the campaign against illegal drugs in the past two years, an assessment conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) showed. 
Philippine News Agency

How Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ endangers journalists
Under Duterte’s flagship program of so-called war on drugs, journalism has become an even more dangerous profession. Journalists are not only silenced but also targeted as potential victims in drug bust operations. The police and other law enforcement institutions have forced journalists to sign as witnesses to the inventory of narcotics seized during anti-drug operations, even if they are not required to do so by law.
Bulatlat

Operations/ Incidents

High-value target nabbed in buy-bust ops in Agusan del Norte
A suspect tagged as a high-value target was arrested in a buy-bust operation on Monday night conducted by operatives of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Office 13 and the Jabonga Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Purok 4, Barangay Magsaysay, Jabonga town, Agusan del Norte province, Dindo de G. Abellanosa, Regional Information Officer lll (RIO) of PDEA 13, disclosed Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

P750K worth of shabu seized in Iloilo City
An estimated PHP750,000 worth of suspected shabu were seized by authorities during a buy-bust operation Tuesday afternoon. The suspects, Raymond S. Baclado, 28, from Mandaue City and Janice S. Pansoy, 22, from Naga, Cebu, were arrested during a buy–bust operation in Barangay Tanza Esperanza Zone 1 at 5:30 p.m.
Philippine News Agency

2 killed in S. Kudarat drug bust
Two suspected drug pushers were killed Tuesday after they reportedly shot it out with police anti-narcotics operatives during a drug entrapment operation in Barangay Tuka here. Chief Insp. Rodney Binoya, Bagumbayan police chief, identified the slain suspects as Santiago Magno and Joey Diente who were killed by arresting lawmen after they reportedly resisted arrest during the buy-bust operation.
Manila Bulletin

8 suspects nabbed, P237K ‘shabu’ seized in NegOcc
Eight persons were arrested while PHP237,500 worth of suspected shabu were seized during separate buy-bust operations in six cities across Negros Occidental on Tuesday, police reports showed. In Bacolod, personnel of Police Station 3’s Drug Enforcement Team confiscated seven sachets of shabu weighing at least 6 grams, valued at PHP80,000, from two suspects in Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago at about 12:07 a.m.
Philippine News Agency

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

2 High-powered firearms handed-over to Army’s 6ID
The sincerity of 6th Infantry Division personnel in the performance of their avowed mission is now paying off.  The Local Government of Rajah Buayan handed over two high-powered firearms to 40th Infantry Battalion, 6ID officials based in Brgy Tabungao, Radjah Buayan, Maguindanao , January 9 during a simple rite.
Kalinaw News (Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army)

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

KIDNAPPING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

Land Issues
Duterte accelerates land reform, orders Masbate coverage
President Duterte is planning to place Masbate province under the agrarian reform program to improve the plight of the people. The President visited Masbate Wednesday and disclosed plans to distribute agricultural lands, initially lands owned by the government, to farmer beneficiaries.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Indigenous Peoples
Human Rights
CHR tells Duterte: Don't use torture, kidnapping in jokes
The Commission on Human Rights has cautioned President Rodrigo Duterte on the use of kidnapping and torture, even as a joke, in his public statements. The President should not have said that auditors from the Commission on Audit should be kidnapped or tortured as they are a hindrance to the work being done by the executive department, said CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia.
ABS-CBN News

Progressive solons slam Duterte for ‘joke’ about kidnapping, torturing COA personnel
Progressive lawmakers from the House of Representatives on Wednesday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for his supposed joke about kidnapping and torturing Commission on Audit (COA) personnel. In a statement, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate said that the President's statement only enforces the climate of impunity in the country.
GMA News

Human rights 'core guiding principle' of new HIV, AIDS law
Lawmakers hailed the passage of the new law strengthening the country's comprehensive policy on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), saying human rights is one of its central principles. On Wednesday, January 9, Dinagat Islands Representative Kaka Bag-ao and Akbayan Representative Tom Villarin – two of the law's principal authors – welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte's signing of the HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018.
Rappler

How Facebook is reconfiguring freedom of speech in situations of mass atrocity
Facebook has been described as a service to democracy. This perception arguably peaked during the Arab Spring uprisings, touted as Facebook’s crowning glory in its mission to connect people. The past two years have effectively undermined that rhetoric, as serious lapses in the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the Russian hacking in the 2016 US Presidential election have shown.
Rappler

Killings 

Martial Law  

 
Governance

66% of Filipinos worried about Duterte's health – survey
A big majority of Filipinos, 66% to be exact, are worried about President Rodrigo Duterte's health, while almost half believe him to have health problems, according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
Rappler, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Stop smoking and live longer — Duterte
President Duterte urged smokers, especially the young ones, to quit smoking and live longer after noticing the high tobacco consumption despite higher sin taxes. The President, a former smoker, has warned about the health risks of smoking, saying cigarette users could end up getting diseases such as lung cancer.
Manila Bulletin

I’ve hit pay dirt in my political career — Duterte
President Duterte no longer considers himself a politician after hitting pay dirt in his political career. The President, musing about his long stint in government, admitted he has reached the “apex” of his career and looks forward to the end of his six-year term.
Manila Bulletin

Heidi Mendoza on Duterte's latest rant vs COA: Auditors doing jobs well
If President Rodrigo Duterte is increasingly angry at state auditors, it means they are doing their jobs well, a former top government auditor said on Wednesday, January 9. "Ang pag-aawdit ay parang artistang kontrabida sa pelikula. Kung maraming nagagalit sa iyo, ibig sabihin ay epektibo at makatotohanan ang iyong pagganap," said former Commission on Audit (COA) commissioner Heidi Mendoza in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
Rappler, GMA News

Torture COA auditors? Obviously another Duterte joke, says Palace
President Rodrigo Duterte's stand-up routine continues. A day after he said state auditors of the Commission on Audit ought to be kidnapped and tortured for getting in the way of governance because of their stringent protocols, his spokesman said the statement was obviously a joke.
GMA News, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Diokno: Gov't workers' salary hike 'unconstitutional' without 2019 budget
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday, January 9, thumbed down calls to implement the government workers' salary hike ahead of the passage of the 2019 budget, saying it was "unconstitutional."
Rappler

DBM to study gov't workers' salary hike for 2020 to 2022
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will be studying a new round of salary hike for government workers, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno announced Wednesday, January 9. In a media briefing, Diokno said that a task force "has been organized to study the wage structure for 2020 to 2022" for the public sector.
Rappler

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De Lima urges leaders to spend more time listening to needs of the people
As Manila commemorated the Feast of the Black Nazarene, opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima urged political and civic leaders to step up their efforts in listening to the stories of ordinary Filipino families.
Manila Bulletin

DISASTER

‘Usman’ death toll reaches 140
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Wednesday said that the death toll reportedly brought about by tropical depression Usman has climbed to 140. NDRRMC Executive Director and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad said that, as of 6 a.m. January 9, the number of injured persons has also climbed to 105.
Manila Bulletin

MINDANAO

Australian firm to complete draft masterplan on Davao traffic, transport
Australian-based consultancy firm GHD Group will complete the draft of Davao City’s Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Master Plan (CTTMP) within the first semester of 2019, City Planning and Development Office head Ivan Cortez said Tuesday. Cortez said GHD Group has already started drafting the plan, a requirement for the implementation of the High Priority Bus System (HPBS), to address the city’s traffic woes.
Mindanews

ELECTION RELATED

LIST: 2019 election-related bans
The election period begins on Sunday, January 13, along with prohibition on various activities. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will enforce these bans during various periods before, during, and after the elections to ensure the orderly conduct of the polls on May 13, 2019. 
Rappler

15 sure winners among 70 senatorial bets if polls held today – Pulse Asia
Fifteen out of 70 senatorial candidates have a statistical chance of winning should the May 2019 elections are held today, results of the Pulse Asia survey on Wednesday showed. The nationwide survey conducted last Dec. 14-21, 2018 among 1,800 respondents found that the 15 probable winners are either incumbent or former members of Congress.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

43% of Filipino voters have complete Senate slate – Pulse Asia
Five months before the midterm elections, a "big plurality" or 43% of Filipinos voters have a complete list of preferred senatorial candidates, according to the results of a Pulse Asia, Incorporated survey held in December but released only on Wednesday, January 9. Based on Pulse Asia’s Nationwide Survey on the May 2019 Senatorial Elections held from December 14 to 21, 2018, 2.2% of registered voters refuse to identify their senatorial candidates, 1.6% said they were not inclined to support any of the candidates, and 1.1% were unsure of their choices.
Rappler

Police, military map out security for midterm polls
The police and military in Davao region have mapped out measures to ensure a peaceful and orderly mid-term elections this year, with the start of the poll period on January 19. Though the election period is still to officially start on January 13, Sunday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) will start implementing a gun ban on January 10, Thursday, according to Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 spokesperson Chief Insp. Jason Baria in a joint AFP-PNP press conference at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.
Manila Bulletin

Election-related Violence

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

4 fearless judges give hope to cause of justice – De Lima
Detained Sen. Leila de Lima on Wednesday underscored the importance of an independent judiciary as she hailed four fearless judges whom the Inquirer had named Filipinos of the Year, saying they give hope to the cause of justice. In a statement from her detention cell at Camp Crame in Quezon City, De Lima commended the judges and said their recognition was timely.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

LEGISLATIVE

House group to consolidate bills seeking to regulate social media
The House Committee on Information and Communications Technology has formed a technical working group (TWG) that would consolidate measures seeking to regulate the use of social media. The panel, chaired by Tarlac Rep. Victor Yap, sought to consolidate House Bills 4093, and 5021, authored by Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. and former Speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez, respectively.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

Ease of doing business initiatives by LGUs
JANUARY is the period for mayor’s permit renewal and payment of corresponding local taxes, a process that entails not just financial but valuable man-hour costs for businesses. With the passage of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, more and more local government units (LGUs), mostly cities, have been rolling out systems to make the annual renewal operation simpler and faster. 
Business World Online

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

PH to consider decommissioned USCG cutters
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the Philippines will consider accepting Hamilton-class cutters from the United States if offered. Lorenzana made the remark as the United States Coast Guard gradually phases out its Hamilton-class cutters from its inventory.
Manila Bulletin

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

Neda: Rice tariffication to stabilize inflation
The National Economic and Development Authority said the immediate enactment into law of the Rice Tariffication bill will stabilize food prices and overall inflation rate. Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said once signed into law, the Rice Tariffication bill would make rice affordable from various sources. Rice supply will also no longer the sole responsibility of the National Food Authority.
Manila Standard

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

Sandiganbayan convicts 5 Ex-NHA officials
The Sandiganbayan Second Division has convicted five former officials of the National Housing Authority (NHA) of graft due to the overpaid construction project in Bacolod City back in September 1992.
Manila Bulletin

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

Vibrant democratic traditions
Manigong Bagong Taon po sa inyong lahat! 2019 will be an important year for both our countries. In the UK we will leave the European Union on 29 March, in line with the results of our referendum held in 2016. Here in the Philippines there will be two important popular votes, the first later this month in the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the second in the Mid-Term elections in May. A referendum, a plebiscite and country-wide elections are testimony to the vibrant democratic traditions common to both our countries.
Philippine Star

PHL, US seek enhanced pacts on energy, people-to-people ties
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. met with US State Secretary Michael Pompeo on December 20, as both sought ways to increase the cooperation between the Philippines and the United States in the areas of energy and people-to-people exchanges. The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., was a follow-up to the two foreign ministers’ phone conversation in October 2018.
Business Mirror

West Philippine Sea

Opposition solon has reservations about China coral rehab project
Opposition solon Magdalo Party-List Rep. Gary Alejano finds China’s coral rehabilitation project “laudable” but, at the same time, aired reservations about the unilateral endeavor. According to the Marine captain-turned-congressman, the Philippine government should monitor and even get involved in the coral rehabilitation project which would take place in the South China Sea.
Manila Bulletin

LABOR

CHR, Qatar human rights body ink deal to support distressed OFWs
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and its Qatari counterpart, the National Human Rights Committee, signed Wednesday a cooperation agreement for the protection of rights of its citizens in both countries. The agreement covers 10 areas of cooperation including protection mechanisms for Filipino workers in the handling and referring of their cases to proper institutions.
ABS-CBN News, Manila Standard

TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH 


Duterte signs law strengthening HIV, AIDS health services
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a new policy that makes health services for HIV/AIDs (Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) more accessible to Filipinos. Duterte signed Republic Act No. 8504 or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018 on December 20, 2018, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said on Wednesday, January 9.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin, GMA News, CNN Philippines

Hontiveros hails Duterte for signing HIV/AIDS policy law
Sen. Risa Hontiveros praised President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday for signing the HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018. “I am happy that the measure was finally signed into law by the President. It is a great way to start the new year,” Hontiveros, principal author and co-sponsor of the measure, said in a statement.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Low-lying villages in Cotabato hit by mild El Nino
At least 24 of 37 villages in the town of Mlang in North Cotabato province are experiencing the mild effect of El Nino phenomenon, a disaster officer confirmed. Bernardo Tayong, Mlang town Disaster Reduction and Management Officer-Designate said some of these villages are dependent on rain while the rest though near the irrigation canals get less water supply.
GMA News

PH seeks to update agri deal with Spain
The Philippines has informed the Spanish government of its desire to update the existing memorandum on agricultural cooperation between Manila and Madrid to further strengthen trade cooperation between the two countries.
Manila Bulletin

EDUCATION

DepEd discourages police from visiting schools
The Department of Education (DepEd) reminded the Philippine National Police (PNP) to coordinate with the agency first before entering the premises of schools amid reports of uniformed personnel asking schools to give out teachers' personal information.
Rappler

ENERGY

POVERTY

HOUSING

TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

Tourism department says it 'fully supports' Duterte order for Manila Bay rehab
The tourism department said Wednesday it "fully supports" President Rodrigo Duterte's order to rehabilitate the Manila Bay, which has long been plagued by a trash problem. In a statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said it would hold consultations with the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force to "ensure that accredited tourism establishments in all parts of the country will conform with the highest standard of environmental conservation."
ABS-CBN News

COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR 

International Alert Philippines is an independent peacebuilding organization that focuses on eradicating vertical and horizontal conflicts through research and analysis, advocacy, and capacity-building. We pool relevant news articles, blog posts, social media materials, and press releases through this daily digest to update ourselves and our partners on important events and ideas that may affect our programmes. Know more about us by following our social media accounts:

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