‘NDF man killed over fund misuse’
Randy Felix Malayao III, the slain consultant of the  National Democratic Front, was sentenced by the revolutionary justice system or kangaroo court for increasing the sum of revolutionary taxes or permit to campaign  and  permit to win  from political aspirants in Region II, Region I and Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), police said. This development belied the claim of the CPP-NPA leadership who put the blame on President Duterte and the Armed Forces of the Philippines  for what they called ‘summary execution’ of leftist symphathizers like Malayao, police said.
Manila Standard

Army disowns PNP statement
The Army’s 5th Infantry Division (ID) at Camp Melchor Dela Cruz here on Sunday denied issuing a press statement that the Cagayan Valley Police Regional Office released in which slain National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randy Felix Malayao was tagged as a New People’s Army member who had a quarrel with the rebel movement.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

On the slander against Ka Randy Malayao    
The Communist Party of the Philippines denounces the Duterte regime’s foulest move in sowing false information surrounding the murder of Ka Randy Malayao. This aims to coverup the responsibility of state agents, specifically Rodrigo Duterte’s death squads, which he himself ordered to carry out the killing.
NDFP

Reds vow to bring justice to NDFP consultant slay
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) vowed to bring justice for the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randy Malayao last week. "The revolutionary forces vow to attain justice for Ka Randy and punish the perpetrators of this fascist crime," its statement on Sunday said.
CNN Philippines

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NGO calls on DSWD to release children of detained farmers
A NON-GOVERNMENT institution serving children has called for the immediate release of the two children who were taken away from their detained mother and guardian who were tagged as New People's Army (NPA) rebels.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

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Response to Jan Vic Mateo of Philstar’s inquiry on social media and website attacks
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, through its US Army-trained “social media monitoring cell,” has intensified online attacks in a vain effort to silence the Communist Party of the Philippines and sow disinformation. This cyberwarfare group attached to the Civil Military Operations Regiment of the Philippine Army utilizes facilities and methods supplied by the US to suppress online activities of the regime’s political enemies which it arbitrarily labels as “terrorists.”
PRWC

Army boosts ops vs Negros Reds
The Philippine Army had deployed 220 troops to Negros Island to strengthen internal security operations there, Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, said over the weekend.
The Manila Times

Peace Talks

Incidents/ Operations   

Philippines: Concern over extreme ideology of armed groups
A member of Ajang-Ajang, an armed group accused of carrying out last week's twin bombings in the southern Philippines, has spoken exclusively to Al Jazeera. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) had initially claimed responsibility for the attack on a cathedral, which killed more than 20 people.
Aljazeera

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8 killed, 33 wounded in Sulu clash
Eight people were killed, including three Abu Sayyaf bandits, while 33 others were wounded in heavy firefight in the hinterlands of Sulu, the military disclosed Sunday. Col. Gerry Besana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer, said the firefight broke out around 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Sitio Sungkog, Barangay Kabbon Takas, Patikul, Sulu.
Philippine News Agency

Mortar rounds fired in Patikul as ops vs. Abus continue
One week after the twin blasts in Jolo church, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) continued its military operation against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Patikul, Sulu, according to a report of Peewee Bacuño on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.
GMA News

Government moves to thwart recruitment of suicide bombers
Government security forces are cracking down on Islamic radicals in Mindanao who have been indoctrinated by terrorist groups to be suicide bombers. An intelligence officer working for a counter terrorism unit in Central Mindanao, said the government is alarmed by the deadly bomb attack in Jolo said to have been carried out by suicide bombers.
Manila Bulletin

Muslims, Christians join forces vs terrorism in PH
In a show of unity and peace, Christians and Muslims joined forces in a prayer rally on Sunday, February 3, to condemn the deadly blasts that rocked the southern Philippines last week. "We are showing the world that we Filipino Muslims and Christians are one," said Imam Council of the Philippines Chairman Aleem Said Basher.
Rappler

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8 Islamic State-linked gunmen yield to Army in Maguindanao
Eight members of a Daesh- or Islamic State (IS)-inspired Moro armed group surrendered to the military on Friday, the Army here said Sunday. The surrenderees, led by bomb-making expert Salahudin Hassan of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), surrendered to Joint Task Force Central (JTFC) through the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

Eight bandits killed, 10 others wounded as Army captures bandit camp in Maguindanao
Eight members of the Daulah Islamiya were killed while ten others, including a sub-commander, were wounded after the Army captured their camp in Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao. According to 6th Infantry Division commander Major General Cirilito Sobejana, the leader of a BIFF faction, two Indonesians, two Middle Eastern-looking men and a Singaporean were among the bandits at the camp.
GMA News, The Straits Times

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Army chief vows to crush Abu Sayyaf in Sulu
The encounter in Patikul, Sulu, on Saturday between the troops of the Army’s 5th Scout Ranger Battalion and the Abu Sayyaf under Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan was a breakthrough in the military’s effort to pursue and neutralize the group.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

Caution raised on Israel, Russia help vs terrorism
THE INVOLVEMENT of Israel and Russia in the Philippine government’s counter-terrorism efforts, especially in Mindanao, will be advantageous to the military, but analysts cautioned against the potential for corruption in defense-related contracts.
Business World Online

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Roxas urges authorities, Muslim leaders to prevent religious conflict
Former Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II has called on authorities and the Muslim community leaders to exhaust all efforts at preventing a religious war from spilling over following the series of bombings in Mindanao.
Manila Bulletin

Palace calls for cooperation after Mindanao bombings
Malacañang has appealed to the public to cooperate with the security measures being implemented by security forces following the successive bombings in Mindanao in late January.
Manila Bulletin

Dino to ask UK to lift travel advisory vs southern Cebu; assures no terror threat exists in the south
Presidential Assistant for the Visayas  Michael Lloyd Dino wil ask the British government to lift the travel advisory that cautioned its citizens to travel to the southern section of Cebu province.
Cebu Daily News

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Soldiers wounded in Abu Sayyaf encounter receive medals
Soldiers from the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion who were wounded in a clash against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Patikul, Sulu on Saturday were awarded medals for their service, according to a report by Marisol Abdurahman on 24 Oras Sunday.
GMA News, NDBC News

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Jolo Blast

Doubts raised over claims Indonesians behind Jolo bombings
Analysts have raised doubts over claims made by a senior Philippine government official that an Indonesian couple was behind the church bombings in the southern Philippines, citing a lack of evidence. 
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Indonesia offers help in Jolo blast probe
Indonesia is ready to assist the Philippines with the investigation into the suicide bombings in Jolo, Sulu, last month. Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said they intend to work closely with Indonesia after initial probe showed that an Indonesian couple was behind the church bombing that killed dozens of people.
Manila Bulletin

Indonesian anti-terror squad travels to Philippines to help identify church bombers
A team from Indonesia's police Detachment 88 anti-terror squad is travelling to the Philippines on Sunday (Feb 3) to help local authorities identify the remains of two suspected Indonesian suicide bombers who carried out last Sunday's church attack that killed nearly two dozen people and wounded more than 100.
The Straits Times

Jolo bombing an attempt to ignite a ‘religious war’ – Año
The bombing of a Jolo cathedral in which 22 people were killed and over a hundred others were injured may have been an attempt to start a "religious war" in the Philippines, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Saturday.
GMA News

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Jolo after twin blasts: 4 Masses celebrated in other chapels
Strong faith, love, and healing. These were the messages imparted to the Catholics who attended four Masses in Jolo, a week after the twin blasts of the Marian Cathedral of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Barangay Walled City.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Talipao residents march for peace a week after Jolo attacks
Some 3,000 residents on Saturday participated in a peace rally organized by the Talipao local government in Sulu less than a week after two explosions rocked the Jolo cathedral.
GMA News

Terror cannot deter region’s push for hope
Extremists rejecting change are believed to be behind the bombing of a Catholic Church on the southern Philippine island of Jolo that killed at least 21 people, and for a separate grenade attack on a mosque in Zamboanga days later that left two worshippers dead.
South China Morning Post

Suicide bombers more dangerous, Lacson warns
If it’s true that the bomb attack on a Jolo church was carried out by foreign suicide bombers, the situation has become “more deadly and dangerous,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said Sunday.
Manila Standard

MARAWI

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD      

The real terrorist
The Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA), passed by Congress and then signed into law by President Donald Trump last year, has just come into force. This allows Americans to sue those receiving foreign aid from their country in US courts over alleged complicity in “acts of war”. The Palestinians have declined further US funding, at the request of the Palestinian Authority, worried about legal jeopardy.
Saudi Gazette

Inside deadly Al-Shabaab recruitment cells in the country
When authorities raided four mosques in Mombasa following their links to radicalisation of youth in 2014, police said they had made a “major” step in the fight against terrorism. The mosques – Masjid Musa, Masjid Sakina, Masjid Swafaa and Masjid Mina – located in Majengo and Kisauni were then temporarily shut down and opened later after an agreement between security agents and local Muslim leaders.
The Nation (Kenya)

One in four Londoners have witnessed extremism according to poll
One in four Londoners have witnessed views “promoting, endorsing or supporting extremism,” a governmental survey has shown, amid warnings that radicalisation may be on the rise. The research found that as many as 1,5 million adults in Britain’s capital have witnessed support for extremism in the past year, suggesting that counter-radicalisation efforts may not be having a positive impact in all communities.
The National UAE

Pope visit to Gulf can help us defeat murderous extremists, top Emirati diplomat says
Welcoming Pope Francis to the Middle East will help deliver a rebuke to “murderous fundamentalists” who promote a warped and violent interpretation of Islam, a senior Emirati diplomat has said. Writing for Politico magazine, Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the US, said that promoting a vision of tolerance and peaceful coexistence with people of other faiths could prove more effective than force in defeating the ideology of ISIS and its “crazed followers”.
The National UAE 

Islamic State, Seeking Next Chapter, Makes Inroads Through West Africa
The battle began with two small drones buzzing over a base where more than 500 Nigerian troops guarded the shores of Lake Chad. Then came the clatter of gunfire from a column of armored cars, artillery units and tanks that also blasted jihadist battle songs from mounted speakers.
The Wall Street Journal

Nene Pimentel: “Keep on with our collective effort to establish a lasting peace”
Given the challenges brought about by the recent bombings of Jolo’s cathedral and a mosque in Barangay Talon-talon in Zamboanga City, former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel on Saturday called on Muslims, Christians and Lumads (Indigenous Peoples) in Mindanao to “keep on with our collective effort to establish a lasting peace that can lead to the development of our peoples and the progress of our country.”
Mindanews

Macrohon: Reimagining Mindanao
“DID you bring balut?” Joked the Immigration Officer. I laughed sheepishly and answered no. “Off you go then,” he cheerfully exclaimed, “Welcome to New York City!” A majestic entrance music played in my head, the exact same one as when Harry Potter stepped in the Great Hall at Hogwarts for the first time. I then hurried past the throngs of foreigners who like me, were queuing for over an hour, eager to get through the gates, and in to the arrival area of JFK International Airport. 
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

Genuine Bangsamoro autonomy is a mirage if…
If the bombing of the Jolo cathedral was retaliation against the Maguindanao-M’ranao dominated version of Bangsamoro autonomy, then so be it. For so indeed, some sectors of the Moro populace, principally Tausug, are against it. There have been Tausug advocates who rally for a Bangsa Su’uk. 
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BANGSAMORO ORGANIC LAW

MILF and MNLF in Lanao Norte: “Let Christians and Muslims vote, free of threats and intimidation”
“Let the Christians and Muslims in Lanao del Norte vote on the Bangsamoro organic law free of threats and intimidation.” Uniting behind the campaign for “yes” vote to include six Lanao del Norte towns in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), members and representatives of mujahideens of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) made this appeal in a statement issued on Friday in Cagayan de Oro City.
Mindanews

Over 3,000 cops to secure BOL’s Feb 6 plebiscite
More than 3,000 policemen will secure the second Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite on February 6 but the Philippine National Police (PNP) says this number might increase in the light of the recent bombing incidents in Mindanao.
Manila Bulletin

AFP, MILF meet to discuss security for Feb 16 plebiscite in 6 Cotabato towns
Units under the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade initiated on Saturday, February 2, 2019, an engagement with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders in connection with the security preparation for the upcoming Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite in the six municipalities of Cotabato.
Manila Bulletin

Lanao leaders urged to protect 2nd BOL plebiscite
Presidential Adviser on the Peace process Carlito G. Galvez Jr. has urged local leaders of the province of Lanao del Norte to protect the integrity of the plebiscite for the inclusion of six of its towns in the future Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) scheduled on Wednesday, February 6, 2019.
Manila Bulletin

Peace assembly set Monday for Feb. 6 BOL plebiscite
A GATHERING to reaffirm the commitment to peace is set on Feb. 4 at the Kapatagan Municipal Gym in Lanao del Norte as six towns in the province are set to cast their votes on Wednesday as to whether or not to join the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), those that will be participating in the plebiscite are the municipalities of Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Panta, Tagoloan and Tangkal.
Business World Online

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Duterte: Bangsamoro transition body members must show sincerity
President Duterte is counting on the soon-to-be constituted 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to ensure “effective governance” in the proposed new autonomous region. Presidential adviser on the peace process Carlito Galvez Jr. said they started to vet the people to constitute the BTA or the interim government in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and submit their names to the President for approval.
Manila Bulletin

Factions of Abu Sayyaf, BIFF hinted support for BOL —Murad
MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said he would be willing to dialogue with factions of the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters to convince them to support the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
GMA News

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

Lamps, not guns: Soldiers bring light to remote Maguindanao village
A company of Philippine Army soldiers "attacked" a remote village in southern Liguasan Marsh to save them from total darkness. Armed with solar lights, the soldiers went to the village to install solar lamp posts in Barangay Tugal. Abdullah Mokalib, 12, was among those who received a solar torch that works both as a flash light and study lamp.
ABS-CBN News

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

SULU 

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

Drug menace poses serious obstacle to attainment of Ambisyon Natin 2040
The drug menace in the country puts a strain on the ability of the government to achieve the government’s AmBisyon Natin 2040, the “collective long-term vision and aspiration” of the Filipinos to enjoy a “strongly rooted, comfortable, and secure life” by 2040, Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said.
Mindanews

Surprise inspection yields no drugs in Bulacan Provincial Jail
More than 100 operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Sunday morning carried out a surprise inspection at the Bulacan Provincial Jail.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Roxas says gov’t should exploit closer ties to China in ending entry of illegal drugs to PH
For senatorial candidate Mar Roxas, the closeness of the Duterte administration to China should be taken advantage of in order to prevent the entry of illegal drugs to the Philippines. “Ipinagmamalaki ng kasalukuyang gobyerno ang malapit na relasyon nila sa Tsina. Pero alam naman natin based on intelligence reports na ang kemikal na basic sa paghalo para makagawa ng droga ay nagmumula sa Tsina,” said Roxas.
Manila Bulletin

Gov’t prosecutors want informant in Kian Delos Santos murder case charged
Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors have sought to reinstate charges against a police informant, who tagged Kian Delos Santos as a drug runner before he was killed by three policemen in an alleged anti-illegal drugs operation.
Manila Bulletin

2 La Union mayors cleared of narco links
Two mayors in La Union who were included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s list of narco-politicians were cleared of any involvement in illegal drug activities. In a confidential report submitted to Malacañang by the Regional Peace and Order Council of Region 1, members of the RPOC Revalidation Subcommittee who investigated the narco-politicians unanimously recommended that the names of long-beleaguered Naguilian Mayor Reynaldo Flores and Bauang Mayor Eulogio Clarence de Guzman 3rd be deleted from the President’s narco-list.
The Manila Times

Operations/ Incidents

2 Chinese nationals killed in Cavite buy-bust
Two Chinese nationals on Sunday were killed in a buy-bust operation conducted by anti-drug operatives in Cavite. According to the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), its agents conducted a buy-bust operation against Vincent Du Lim and Hong Li Wen at Brgy. Amaya 1 Antero Soriano Highway, Tanza in Cavite.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Rappler, Bloomberg

CAFGU member, 5 others arrested in QC buy-bust
A Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member and five others were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Quezon City early Sunday. Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel Jr. identified the suspects as Raffy Maglaque, 28, a CAFGU member; Ryan Maglaque, 30; Sonny Mansano, 45; Jayson Jolo-an, 19; and two minors aged 16 and 17 years old.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

Duterte on rumored death: ‘Please pray for the eternal repose of my soul’
“For those who believe in the news that I passed away, then I request of you: Please pray for the eternal repose of my soul. Thank you,” President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday in a live video he did on Facebook with his common-law wife, Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, GMA News, Philippine Star

Palace assures Duterte is healthy
Malacañang assured the public that President Duterte is in the pink of health following rumors that the Chief Executive has passed. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after the President himself addressed new rumors surrounding his mortality.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Duterte impersonator sparks frenzy at Hong Kong church
A Rodrigo Duterte impersonator sparked frenzy and confusion during Sunday mass when he walked into a Hong Kong church popular with the city's Filipino community. Accompanied by Howard X -- the Hong Kong-based impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- the Filipino actor arrived at St. Joseph's Church dressed in the Philippine president's signature relaxed white shirt.
ABS-CBN News, Rappler, BBC News

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Imperial Manila and the Revolution We Need
President Duterte got it right when he said that Imperial Manila is the cause of many of the nation’s problems. This begs the question. Who exactly is Imperial Manila? Contrary to what many think, Imperial Manila is not the social elite nor the businessmen who operate in the capital. Rather, it is those who run the affairs of government and those who dictate policy. They are our congressmen, senators, cabinet secretaries and political appointees, along with their entitled next of kin.
Business World Online

Populist tactics
At around the time of President Rodrigo Duterte’s ascent into office in 2016, the term populism seemed to have simultaneously entered popular lexicon. As the term implies, the idea of “the people” is central to the word’s definition in political science. In Populism: A Very Short Introduction, Cas Mudde and Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser argue that populism is broadly the idea that society can be separated into two groups at odds “with one another: ‘the pure people’ and ‘the corrupt elite’”.
Manila Standard

DISASTER

MINDANAO

ELECTION RELATED

Ballots for overseas absentee voting to be printed first — Comelec
Ballots to be used in the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) will be printed first, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The poll body will start printing the official ballots for the May 13, 2019 midterm polls at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City on February 7.
Manila Bulletin

Comelec to hear petitions to cancel Cayetano couple’s candidacies
A Commission on Elections (Comelec) division will hear on Monday, February 4, arguments on petitions to cancel the congressional candidacies of former foreign affairs secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and wife Lani Cayetano.
Rappler

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Robredo to actively campaign for ‘Otso Diretso’
Vice President Leni Robredo will be actively involved in the senatorial campaign of the 8-member opposition slate called “Otso Diretso” once the campaign period starts on February 12. In her weekly radio show, Robredo gave her word that she will campaign for the opposition senatorial candidates to boost their chances in the May 13 midterm elections.
Manila Bulletin

Poe keeps lead in new SWS survey; Dela Rosa out of ‘Magic 12’
While reelectionist Senator Grace Poe continued her lead in the pre-election surveys, former police chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa failed to land in the so-called “Magic 12” of a new commissioned poll of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

PDP-Laban: Fielding 5 Senate bets not a sign of weakness
They are fielding only 5 senatorial candidates in the May 13 elections, but ruling party PDP-Laban denied it is a sign of weakness for them. "Strategic decision para mauna, mas madaling dalhin. If we win 5 out of 5, 100% ang aming batting average," said Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, PDP-Laban president, in an interview on Bottomline with Boy Abunda on Saturday, February 2.
Rappler

Election-related Violence, Incidents and operations

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Bicam presses DBM for report on unreleased 2018 funds
The bicameral conference committee of Congress have demanded that Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno furnish it with a report on the total unreleased appropriations and unobligated allotments from 2018.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lacson: Thanks to Bravo, Castro for enlightening public about ‘evil pork’
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson on Sunday “thanked” two congressmen who have been criticizing him over the 2019 national budget for enlightening the public on the controversy.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

House leader assures critics of new SALN rule that it will not be abused
Majority Leader and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro appealed Sunday to critics of the Lower Chamber’s new rules on Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) not to prejudge the members of the Review and Compliance Committee, who will decide on whether or not the request for the lawmakers’ SALN copies would be valid or not.
Manila Bulletin

House leadership to shepherd the final passage of mandatory ROTC bill
The House leadership will shepherd the final passage of a bill seeking to breathe life into the mandatory Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for Grades 11 and 12 in public and private schools nationwide before Congress adjourns this week.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET AND FINANCE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

Bicam’s approval to institutionalize DILG program to raise governance standards
The bicameral conference committee has approved the bill seeking to institutionalize the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) to motivate local government units (LGUs) to reach the highest standards of governance.
Manila Bulletin

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

EU flags ‘almost flat trend’ in PHL exports
THE European Union has urged the Philippines to make the most out of the EU Generalized System of Preferences program as Philippine exports to the EU have not been moving upward. “Exports are basically at the same level. So they are not increasing. I would like the Philippines to benefit from the European market more than they are currently. I think there’s a very big potential for Philippine exports to the EU,” EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen told reporters last week in Makati City.
Business World Online

PH drops in 'economic freedom' ranking due to corruption, tax burden: study
The Philippines dropped 9 notches in the world's Economic Freedom ranking this year, settling at the 70th spot, due to issues in government integrity and taxes, among others, a recent study showed. The Philippines occupied the 61st spot in 2018, but received a lower ranking this year due to "drops in scores for monetary freedom, government integrity, and the tax burden," data from the 2019 Index of Economic Freedom showed. 
ABS-CBN News

Airbus sees Philippines as aviation investment destination
The Philippines, with its continuing economic expansion and population growth, is now seen as the best place to invest in Asia as far as the aviation industry is concerned, an executive from European aerospace giant Airbus said.
Philippine Star

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

Build Build Build or Bust
Foreign analysts are putting a lot of weight on the ability of this administration to carry out its massive Build Build Build program, specially the Japanese financed Manila Subway project. Fitch Solutions last week made upward revisions to their  Philippines’ construction industry and railway subsector forecasts for 2019 and 2020 “to reflect positive progress of the Metro Manila Subway Project.”
Philippine Star

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

PH won’t take sides in Venezuela row
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Sunday nixed the idea of the Philippines expressing its position on the current political crisis gripping Venezuela, citing the principle of the “Monroe Doctrine” as the reason.
Manila Bulletin

West Philippine Sea

Philippines will protest against China's rescue centre in South China Sea: envoy
The Philippines will protest against China's opening of a maritime rescue centre in the South China Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said, just days after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said the nation should be grateful for the move.
The Straits Times

LABOR

DOLE cites high rate of compliance to drug-free workplace policy
The Department of Labor and Employment said the drug- free workplace policy of the government is being implemented by a large percentage of private establishments nationwide. It cited the report of the Bureau of Working Conditions which revealed that of the 59,380 private establishments inspected in 2018, 57,837, or 97.4 percent, are compliant with Department Order No. 53-03, or the Guidelines on the Implementation of a Drug-Free Workplace.
Manila Bulletin

Labor groups march to Senate in final push for passage of anti-contractualization bill
VARIOUS labor groups will march on Monday to the Senate in a final push for the approval of the proposed security of tenure (SoT) bill, which if passed into law, would end the illegal practice of contractualization all over the country.
The Manila Times

TRANSPORTATION


HEALTH 

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Solon blasts ‘unli’ importation of sugar
Butil Party-List Rep. Cecil Chavez has advised the Duterte administration to put in check the supposed “importation mania” that’s currently gripping the country’s policies on food, particularly sugar.
Manila Bulletin

EDUCATION

ENERGY

Gov't urged to speed up electrification efforts in rural areas
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is calling for more efforts to electrify rural areas, noting that many households in different provinces around the country are still without electric power. Administrator Edgardo Masongsong of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) must take a deep thought about his agency’s rural electrification efforts,  he said during a visit here Saturday.
Philippine News Agency

Power co-op group hits ‘flip-flop’ on franchises
An umbrella group of 121 electric cooperatives across the country expressed frustration over the Department of Energy’s (DOE) flip-flop over a recommendation to revoke the franchises of 17 of the group’s members, saying this showed the haste and unjustness of DOE actions.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

POVERTY

HOUSING

TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

[OPINION] 7 reasons why we should oppose Manila Bay reclamation projects
I have been in the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) several times to do coastal cleanups as part of the environmental efforts of the university I am affiliated with. LPPCHEA is considered as a wetland of international importance under the Convention on Wetlands. It functions as a natural barrier against storm surges, protecting many barangays in Las Piñas and Parañaque from severe flooding. 
Rappler

Netizen catches students littering at newly-cleaned Manila Bay
After barely a week since the government’s Manila Bay Rehabilitation project, some students were already caught throwing trash in the newly-cleaned bay.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DILG to issue show-cause orders to 107 LGUs for allowing Manila Bay pollution
A total of 107 mayors and baran­gay chairmen will soon be issued show-cause orders for their supposed involvement in the massive pollution of Manila Bay. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Martin Diño vowed to administer the stiffest possible sanction against those officials found to have been remiss in their duties.
Manila Bulletin

Save Taal Lake to save the ‘tawilis’
‘Gulay, bangus, tilapia kayo diyan [Please buy vegetables, milkfish, tilapia]!” shouted Jose (not his real name) as he passed by a group of people just outside a flea market in General Trias, Cavite.  Jose, an ambulant vendor, was asked by a customer if he is selling tawilis (bombon sardines).
Business Mirror

Pangan: Long overdue clean up drive
THE National Government’s clean up drive has been long overdue. It took President Rodrigo Duterte's strong political will to start it. First, the Boracay clean up which entailed the hard sacrifice of closing it for six months to allow massive efforts of cleaning. Other similar tourists' attractions were targeted for upgrading, improving and cleaning: Puerta Gallera in Mindoro, El Nido in Palawan and Panglao Island in Bohol. 
Sunstar Pampanga

Seven-year effort to save Manila Bay unwraps
January 27 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Manila Bay. In a historic first, cleaning and dredging operations kicked off a planned 7-year Save Manila Bay program.
Manila Standard

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DEVELOPMENT SECTOR