NDF consultant shot dead inside bus in Nueva Vizcaya
National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Randy Malayao was shot dead inside a passenger bus in Nueva Vizcaya early morning Wednesday, January 30. Malayao, 49, was aboard a Victory Liner bus bound for Isabela when the bus made a stop in Aritao town in Nueva Vizcaya past 2 am on Wednesday, according to the spot report of the Nueva Vizcaya police.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin

PNP tags NPA in killing of NDF consultant in Nueva Vizcaya
Members of the New People's Army could have been behind the assassination of National Democratic Front consultant Randy Felix Malayao, a top police official said on Wednesday. Chief Superintendent Mario Espino, the regional director of the Philippine National Police in Cagayan Valley, said the killing could have been in connection with Malayao being a former NPA commander.
GMA News

On the Brutal Murder of NDFP Consultant Felix Randy Malayao    
We, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Negotiating Panel express our outrage and strongest condemnation on the brutal murder of Felix Randy Malayao, a publicly known consultant of the NDFP on political and constitutional reforms.
NDFP

Murder of peace consultant outrages NDFP
The communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has expressed outrage over  the murder of its peace consultant Randy Malayao.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

CPP denounces killing of peace consultant
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) strongly condemned the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randy Felix Malayao.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rappler

Bayan Muna condemns slay of NDFP consultant, says gov't is anti-peace
The Bayan Muna party-list group has condemned the murder of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randy Felix Malayao, who was shot dead before dawn Wednesday while sleeping on a bus bound for Nueva Vizcaya.
GMA News

Friends, colleagues condemn killing of peace consultant
Colleagues, friends and rights activists are indignant over the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant, Randy Felix Malayao, 49. He died on the spot after a gunman fired at him inside a bus while he was asleep at 2:30 a.m. today, Jan. 30.
Bulatlat

NDF-Cagayan Valley condemns killing of Felix Randy Manayao, NDF Consultant and servant of the masses    
The NDF in Cagayan Valley region, with all its allied organizations and member individuals, condemns the murder of NDF Consultant Felix Randy Malayao by death squad elements of the 5th ID at 2.30 am today inside a bus while on a stop at Darapidap, Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya.
NDFP

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PNP forms task group to probe killing of NDF consultant
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has formed a special investigation task group to go after the killers of National Democratic Front (NDF) peace consultant Randy Malayao. In a press briefing on Wednesday, January 30, Cagayan Valley regional police chief Jose Mario Espino said they have no suspect yet in the killing of Malayao as they proceeded with their in-depth investigation.
Rappler

CHR to look into NDFP consultant Malayao's killing
The Commission on Human Rights will look into the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Randy Malayao on early Wednesday morning. CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a statement that the commission’s body in Cagayan Valley would investigate the killing “in recognition of the primacy of a person’s right to life and in helping make perpetrators accountable for this crime.”
Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer

CHR: NDF consultant's death comes amid threats vs activists, rights defenders
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed alarm over the killing of National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Randy Malayao on Wednesday, January 30. "His death comes at a time when voices of opposition and human rights groups are tagged as enemies, making them possible subjects of assaults," CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement.
Rappler

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No political agenda in filing of charges against AFP, PNP – ACT
Militant teacher’s group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said it was the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) which have the political agenda in insisting that the raps filed by the organization against the two agencies were legitimate.
Manila Bulletin

Cagayan de Oro rights groups slam arrest of two activists
Rights Groups in this city slammed what they said was an illegal arrest of a pair of activists on Monday morning, January 28, conducted by police and military. Courts records showed that Sergeant Elson Canatoy, Corporal Jose Adorna arrested Datu Jomorito Goaynon, chair of Kalumbay Lumad Organization and Ireneo Edarbe, chair of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas- Northern Mindanao around 11:30 am on Monday in Barangay Patag, this city.
Rappler

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NPA rebels wasting lives for lost cause
A ranking official of the Philippine Army on Tuesday said the New People’s Army (NPA) has totally lost its relevance and rebels who choose to go on fighting are just throwing their lives away for a lost cause. Maj. Gen. Rhoderick M. Parayno, 2nd Infantry Division commander, made these remarks as he welcomed three former rebels into the government’s fold and lauded them for their “commitment to peace” after choosing to give up their struggle and turn in their firearms.
Philippine News Agency

AFP: No letup in war against communist fighters
AN ARMY official said there has been no letup in the security operations against the New People's Army (NPA), which abducted an entire army unit in Barangay New Tubigon, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur in December last year.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

More than 40 NPA members surrender in Jan. — EastMinCom
ARMED MEMBERS of the communist movement, including 29 from the New People’s Army (NPA) and 14 from its allied Militia ng Bayan, surrendered this month, according to the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom). 
Business World Online

Cop slain in NoCot NPA attack set to marry pregnant fiancée
A police officer slain on Monday in a North Cotabato roadside bombing by communist rebels was set to marry his girlfriend next month. The girlfriend of PO1 Christopher Anadon, 28, told reporters she and the slain policeman were engaged and set to get married in February this year.
Philippine News Agency

Army Commander slams CPP-NPA Terrorist Group for Destroying Future of an NPA surrenderee
MGen Dinoh Dolina, 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division Commander, assured an NPA surrenderee from Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental that Army troops will ensure his safety after he abandoned the communist’s selfish and bloody armed struggle.
Kalinaw News

Peace Talks

Reds 'determined to overthrow' Duterte regime after Malayao slay
The Communist Party of the Philippines is now rethinking its stance of being open to peace talks with the government, following the the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randy Malayao on Wednesday. Moreover, CPP founder Joma Sison said in a statement that the government can expect an intensified offensive from communist rebels.
GMA News

NDFP is reconsidering policy of being open to peace negotiations due to the cold-blooded murder of Malayao and other Duterte crimes    
NDFP consultant Randy Malayao was not yet murdered by the armed minions of the Duterte regime when I reiterated yesterday the policy of the NDFP of being open to peace negotiations even with the regime. The heinous murder manifests the scheme of the Duterte regime to shun peace negotiations in the first place, escalate its attacks on the people and their leaders and use its all-out war on the revolutionary forces and people as the very excuse for imposing a fascist dictatorship on the people.
NDFP

Incidents/ Operations   

6 NPA rebels killed in CamSur clash —military
Six communist New People's Army (NPA) rebels were killed in an encounter with government security forces in Camarines Sur, the military said Wednesday. The soldiers launched an operation in Barangay Lupi in the town of Tinambac after receiving information on the rebels' presence in the area, according to Captain Joash Pramis of the Army's 9th Infantry Division.
GMA News, Philippine News Agency

Terror acts in Mindanao brought about by poverty — Arroyo
The twin bombings in a Catholic church in Sulu which killed 21 people over the weekend and the ensuing bombing in Zamboanga City early Wednesday morning which killed two others are terror acts done due to poverty, according to Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
GMA News

Intelligence agents monitoring 40 terrorists in Mindanao — Lorenzana
The government's intelligence sector is monitoring 40 terrorists in Mindanao, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Wednesday. "The intelligence people meron daw silang namo-monitor na 40 daw sa loob, scattered in Central Mindanao, Basilan...” Lorenzana told reporters during a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo.
GMA News

To divide people of Mindanao aim of explosions, says North Cotabato Gov
North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño Mendoza on Wednesday, January 30, said the grenade attack at a mosque in Zamboanga City and the twin bombings at the Jolo Cathedral was aimed at sowing division among the people of Mindanao.
Rappler

TURNING POINT: Rethinking the War on Terror
The state security forces ought to rethink its strategy in fighting terrorism to avoid the repeat of the embarrassing and devastating  Marawi siege. Although the situations are hardly similar, by all indications the AFP strategy will remain the same: overwhelming the enemy  with a greatly superior number of combatants and war material.
Mindanews

Duterte orders marksmanship training for 1,000 gov’t snipers to boost fight vs terror
At least 1,000 government snipers would undergo marksmanship training to boost the government’s campaign against terrorism, President Duterte announced recently. The President said these sharpshooters could be deployed to Jolo, Sulu, the site of the two deadly bombings, to assist government forces battling lawless elements.
Manila Bulletin

Locsin calls for extreme measures vs terrorism
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has asked countries that have expressed sympathy and solidarity with the Philippines after a deadly bomb attack on a Catholic church in Jolo, Sulu province, to support the country’s decision to take measures to “crush terrorism without mercy.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Duterte’s peace adviser calls for calm amid attacks on cathedral, mosque
President Rodrigo Duterte's adviser on the peace process on Wednesday called for sobriety amid the two terrorist attacks that hit Mindanao over the past week. Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the quest for peace should not be set back by the spate of violence in southern Philippines.
GMA News

Domondon: Defeating the Abu Sayyaf
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte seemed pretty sure that it was the bandit group Abu Sayyaf that staged the twin bombings of a Catholic church in Jolo, Sulu and now has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to get the group at all costs and by whatever means.
Sunstar Baguio

Editorial: Blasts greet Mindanao in 2019
MINDANAO has been welcoming the New Year with the wrong kind of "bang.” In a month, three bombing incidents occurred in different parts of the island. The first was during the New Year's Eve in 2019 while the other two happened during the last week of January 2019 at places of worship. 
Sunstar Davao

Zamboanga Mosque Bombing

LIST: Zamboanga City bombings since 2000
Just 3 days after twin blasts killed at least 21 and left over 100 people injured in Jolo, Sulu, an explosion left 2 dead and 4 others injured at a mosque in Zamboanga City. There have been at least 17 blasts in Zamboanga City since 2000. In a scan that covered 2000 to January 2019, Rappler found the earliest to be on October 28, 2001.
Rappler

Preacher spared from Zamboanga mosque blast recounts ordeal
Thirst might have saved preacher Sukri Halling from the Zamboanga City mosque bombing that killed or injured his fellow preachers who were resting at the place of worship. In an interview with Rappler on Wednesday, Halling said he was part of a tablig – a group of preachers – from Basilan who went from town to town to teach Islam to children and repentant adults.
Rappler

Cops tag 2 'persons of interest' in Zamboanga mosque blast
Police have identified two persons of interest in the bloody grenade blast at a mosque in Zamboanga City Wednesday. Senior Superintendent Thomas Joseph Martir, Zamboanga City Police Office director, said they are gathering more evidence and testimonies from witnesses before formal charges are filed.
ABS-CBN News

Malacañang vows to hunt down 'godless murderers' behind Zamboanga mosque blast
Malacañang condemned the deadly blast inside a Zamboanga City mosque, vowing to catch perpetrators of the second attack inside a place of worship in 3 days. "The successive attacks on two different places of worship depict the ruthlessness and the godlessness of these mass murderers. The Armed Forces of the Philippines will unleash its might and weaponry against these enemies of the state and hunt them ferociously and relentlessly until the law rolls down its guillotine on them," said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo on Wednesday, January 30.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin

No link between Jolo blasts, Zambo City grenade attack —police
Local police have not seen any connection between Sunday's twin blasts at a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, and the grenade attack on a mosque in Zamboanga City early Wednesday morning. "Initially parang hindi po namin sila kino-connect kasi grenade throwing po ito eh. Sa Jolo is IED (improvised explosive device) pero 'yung level naman po ng aming alertness ay mataas pa rin po," Senior Inspector Shelamie Chang, Zamboanga City police spokesman, said in a phone interview on Unang Balita.
GMA News

AFP calls for sobriety, calm in aftermath of Zamboanga mosque explosion
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has called for sobriety and calm in the aftermath of another explosion, this time inside a mosque in Barangay Talon Talon in Zamboanga City, early Wednesday morning.
Manila Bulletin

Ulama council appeals for calm amid attack on Zambo City mosque
The Ulama Council of Zamboanga Peninsula (UCZP) on Wednesday called on Muslims and Christians to "maintain solidarity and harmony as advocates of peace" following the attack on a mosque in Zamboanga City that killed two people.
GMA News

Mindanao mosque blast signals rising communal tensions
A predawn grenade attack today (January 30) on a mosque in Zamboanga City killed two and injured four, sparking concerns that a new wave of communal violence is on the rise in the Philippines’ southern region. The two victims were Islamic teachers, according to reports.
Asia Times

SM bomb threat a hoax, police say
Authorities on Wednesday dismissed an alleged bomb scare at SM malls by terror group Abu Sayyaf as hoax, saying the threat is a rehash done by pranksters. "This is a replay of a similar hoax meant to sow alarm and panic among the citizens in Metro Manila, and done by people who are clearly enemies of the State or by irresponsible pranksters," said National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Guillermo Eleazar.
ABS-CBN News

Jolo Blast

Madrigal tells CA: Witness saw a woman carry a backpack inside Jolo Cathedral
The bomb that exploded and killed 20 persons and injured scores of others at a Catholic Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu was carried by a woman during the second mass. During a confirmation hearing by the Commission on Appointments (CA) on his fitness to become a four-star General, Benjamin R. Madrigal Jr. told CA members that a woman wounded in the attack saw another woman come to the Cathedral with a backpack.
Manila Bulletin

Info on suicide bombers behind Jolo attack not yet verified —Lorenzana
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday said information that a pair of foreign suicide bombers was behind the January 27 twin bombings of a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu was unverified. At a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Lorenzana said he received the same information that a Yemeni couple took part in the attack on the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral but added security officials have yet to verify it.
GMA News

Foreigners in Jolo bombing? PH gov’t to DNA-test unidentified bodies
The Philippine government will test the DNA of unidentified bodies found after the Jolo Cathedral bombing, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Wednesday, January 30.
Rappler

Two Jolo bombing suspects caught on CCTV surrender to clear names
Two of the persons caught on CCTV at the time of the explosions that hit the Jolo cathedral on Sunday have surrendered to the authorities. According to a series of tweets by Jonathan Andal of Super Radyo dzBB, the two individuals submitted themselves to the police to clear their names.
GMA News

Cops clear 2 others in Jolo blast CCTV footage
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 9 and the Sulu Police Provincial Office have cleared the last two individuals tagged as "persons of interest" in the twin blasts in Jolo, Sulu. The two were among those seen in CCTV footage during the explosions. 
ABS-CBN News

Abu Sayyaf used ransom money to launch Jolo explosions, claims former JI member
A self-confessed former member of the extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) claimed that the bombings in Jolo, Sulu were funded by the ransom money received by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) from hostaging an Indonesian national.
GMA News

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Church group wary that Jolo bombing could be precursor to martial law declaration in PH
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) is worried of the possibility of Sunday’s bombing of the Jolo Cathedral in Sulu being used as an excuse to declare martial law in the country. “We deem these bombings as acts of terrorism. But they should not give credence or legitimacy to the continuing repression of human rights and intensifying militarization in the region,” the group said in a statement.
Manila Bulletin

CHR: Recent attacks no cause for declaring nationwide martial law
The Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday condemned the bombings in Jolo, Sulu, which killed at least 21 people; the attack on a mosque in Zamboanga City, which left two dead; and the murder of National Democratic Front consultant Randy Malayao in Nueva Vizcaya, but these incidents would not justify the declaration of martial law nationwide.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Archdiocese of Davao bans bags, boxes from being brought into churches
As a security measure, the Archdiocese of Davao has prohibited the bringing of bags and boxes in churches. This was contained in a circular issued by Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles which was released days following the twin blasts that hit the Jolo Cathedral.
Manila Bulletin, Mindanews, The Manila Times

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PCG gives honor to members killed in Jolo twin blasts
The Philippine Coast Guard gave arrival honors for the remains of two of its men killed in the blasts that ripped through the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu last Sunday, leaving 20 people dead.
GMA News

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Hungary extends PHP1.89-M to victims of Jolo explosions
Hungary on Wednesday offered 10 million Hungarian forints or about PHP1.89 million in emergency assistance to the victims of the twin bombings in Jolo, Sulu last Sunday.
Philippine News Agency

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DILG: 'Safe Philippines' can help thwart another Jolo attack
An advanced monitoring system can help prevent another terror attack like the deadly blast at a church in Jolo, Sulu, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said. Speaking to ANC's "Future Perfect," Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said the "Safe Philippines" project can reduce crime prevention by receiving important information ahead of time.
ABS-CBN News

We sow violence, we’ll all pay for it
VIOLENCE has been taking too many innocent lives. The explosions in places of worship in Jolo and Zamboanga this week are the latest manifestations of the culture of violence that misguided policies have been cultivating ironically in the name of peace and order.
Philippine Star

Archbishop Lampon: ‘My heart bleeds for my people in Jolo’
Archbishop Angelito Lampon of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate had mixed feelings when he assumed his post as head of the Archdiocese of Cotabato. He should be celebrating over his new position, which he took over from Archbishop Cardinal Quevedo, who recently retired.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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MARAWI

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD      

Russia vows to help Iraq battle terrorism after US withdrawal from Syria
Russia pledged on Wednesday to support Iraq in fighting ISIS and to re-establish security ties between the two states, especially as the US plans to withdraw troops from Syria. Baghdad declared victory against ISIS in December 2017. The group seized a third of the country in nearly three years ago, but since losing the majority of its caliphate, the group has maintained sleeper cells and resorted to guerrilla tactics.
The National UAE

US anti-terrorism act costs Palestinian students in Lebanon their scholarships
Nearly 30 undergraduate Palestinian students at two major Lebanese universities will lose their US State Department scholarships due to new US anti-terrorism legislation, shocking students who say it unfairly jeopardises their future in the name of politics.
The National UAE 

Lebanon fights terrorism financing, money laundering efficiently: president
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday that his country acts efficiently in the international efforts to fight terrorism financing and money laundering.
Xinhua

Turkey to continue anti-terror fight ‘uninterruptedly’
Turkey’s National Security Council on Wednesday discussed the latest developments in Syria and fight against terrorism. In a statement after a five-hour meeting in the capital Ankara, the National Security Council said that Turkey will maintain its stance on preserving current status in Syria’s Idlib, implementation of Manbij roadmap and deals east of the Euphrates River.
Anadolu Agency

Is there still a way to lasting peace in Mindanao?
BEFORE anything else, one offers deepest condolences and fervent prayers for the more than 20 killed and scores injured in the Jolo Cathedral bombing last Sunday.
The Manila Times

BANGSAMORO ORGANIC LAW

Jolo bombing may affect voter turnout of the February 6 BOL plebiscite – Comelec
An official of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is not discounting the possibility of the Jolo cathedral bombing affecting the voter turnout of the Febuary 6 Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said some voters may feel worried about their safety.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine News Agency, The Manila Times

DND won't recommend BOL poll suspension despite Jolo blasts
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday he would not recommend the postponement of the second Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite on February 6 despite the twin explosions that hit a church in Jolo, Sulu over the weekend. "No. Because malayo naman ito sa mga pinangyarihan. Malayo sa Zamboanga, malayo sa Basilan, plus remember these six municipalities in Lanao del Norte. Wala namang nakikitang kaguluhan diyan, in connection with the BOL plebiscite. Pati na yung 67 barangays sa North Cotabato, we don’t see any problems there (The area where the blasts occurred is far from where the plebiscite will be held.
Philippine News Agency, ABS-CBN News

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Comelec to send monitoring teams to Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato for Feb. 6 plebiscite
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will send special monitoring teams to Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato for the February 6 plebiscite on their inclusion to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
GMA News

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

Hunt on for gunman in Cotabato City village dad’s murder
Policemen are hunting down the suspect in the murder of a village councilman inside a coffee shop along Quezon Ave. here on Tuesday afternoon. Senior Supt. Michael Lebanan, city police director, identified the victim as Abie Sumdad, 50, village councilor of Barangay Poblacion 4, Cotabato City.
Philippine News Agency

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

Now peaceful Basilan island province hosts ARMM athletic meet
Thousands of athletes from four provinces are here since Monday for a regional athletic meet never held anywhere around when the Abu Sayyaf was yet a threat to local security. The January 28 to February 2 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regional athletic meet in Sumisip, Basilan is also the last since ARMM shall soon be replaced with a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or BARMM.
NDBC News

SULU 

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

PDEA files charges against parents of children used in illegal drug trade
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has filed charges on Wednesday before the Navotas City Prosecutor’s Office against the parents of the children rescued in an anti-drug operation conducted last January 16 in an ‘Oplan Sagip Bata’ operation in the city.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine News Agency

DOJ consolidates PDEA, NBI raps on multi-billion shabu haul
Prosecutors on Wednesday asked the respondents in the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the case involving illegal drugs which were smuggled into the country inside magnetic lifters to submit their counter affidavits on February 11. 
Philippine News Agency, GMA News

Operations/ Incidents

Suspected shabu worth P9M seized from fast food employee in Cebu City
At least P9 million worth of suspected shabu were confiscated from a kitchen staff of a fast food restaurant in a buy-bust operation in Cebu City. Leonorman Tabal, 25, was arrested inside his rented apartment in Sitio Nazaren, Barangay Tinago.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Drug pusher killed in Argao buybust
A BUYBUST operation conducted in Sitio Himombongan, Barangay Taloot in Argao town on Wednesday afternoon, January 30, resulted to the death of one suspected drug pusher.
Sunstar Cebu

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

Duterte cautions public against voting for “bright” senatorial candidates
President Duterte has cautioned the public against voting for “bright” senatorial candidates who might only introduce absurd laws in the country. The President encouraged voters to choose candidates wisely after lamenting the election of US-educated Senator Francis Pangilinan who authored a law that supposedly let young criminals get away with their offense.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte defends Bato’s biopic: ‘It’s a tribute to a soldier of the Philippines’
President Rodrigo Duterte has defended the film about the life of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now senatorial aspirant Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Neda submits report on sexual harassment probe to Duterte
The National Economic Development Authority (Neda) on Wednesday said it has already submitted to the office of President Rodrigo Duterte the result of its investigation on the complaint of sexual harassment against one of its top officials.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business World Online

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Malacañang issues MC directing gov’t agencies to support hosting of SEA Games
In Memorandum Circular No. 56, all government agencies, including government owned or controlled corporations must provide support to the Philippine Sea Games Organizational Committee Foundation (PHISGOC) Inc. in the preparation, organization and holding of the international sports event.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine News Agency

DISASTER

MINDANAO

Mayor Duterte getting impatient with Davao-Samal Bridge project
City Mayor Sara Duterte showed her dismay at the pace of the the Davao City-Samal Island Bridge project by joking she will commit suicide if it’s not finished by 2022. “Niingon ko nga maghikog ko kung dili mabuhat ang Davao-Samal Bridge (I said I will commit suicide if it’s not done). 
Mindanews

Davao won’t negotiate for railway RROW
Negotiating for the road right of way (RROW) for phase 1 of the 1,550-kilometer Mindanao Railway Project is not the job of the local government unit, an incensed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte told the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Mindanews

ELECTION RELATED

Comelec eyes start of printing of ballots on February 2
The Commission on Elections is targeting to start the printing of ballots for the May 2019 elections this weekend. At a press briefing, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said February 2 may be the earliest start of printing.
GMA News

Comelec asks bets to take down billboards, ads before start of campaign period
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday asked those running in the May elections to take down campaign materials that may be deemed non-compliant to the standards set by the poll body before the campaign period starts.
GMA News

DepEd: 262,500 teachers to administer midterm polls
The assistance of more than 250,000 teachers is needed in the upcoming midterm polls, the Department of Education said on Tuesday.“They are required to fill out about 262,500 members of the electoral board. By the end of the month, January 31, 2019, those who will be appointed therein as members of the electoral board shall already be finished by that time,” DepEd Undersecretary Alain Pascua said.
GMA News

Diokno confident Comelec to exempt big infra projects from election ban
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday, January 30, expressed confidence that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will exempt big-ticket infrastructure projects from the election ban. In a media briefing, Diokno explained that requests to exempt some public works projects from the election ban had been granted "several times before."
Rappler

Comelec dialogue with candidates eyed to curb poll violence
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Wednesday he will recommend to the Comelec en banc a scheduled dialogue with candidates as a measure to curb election-related violence. Jimenez’s remark came as a barangay chairperson seeking a congressional seat in Quezon City was ambushed along with her three companions.
GMA News

Election-related Violence, Incidents and operations

Barangay captain killed in Quezon City ambush
A barangay captain who was seeking a congressional seat was killed in an ambush in Quezon City on Wednesday, January 30. In a phone interview with Rappler, Quezon City Police District Station 6 commander Superintendent Joel Villanueva said Bagong Silangan Barangay Captain Crisell Beltran was attacked by gunmen at around 11:30 am.
Rappler

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

COMMENTARY: Why Filipinos resist Charter Change
The 1987 Constitution is considered one of the most enduring constitutions in the world because it has stood for almost 32 years without any amendment. This is an odd quality considering that most constitutional scholars will agree that a constitution is never infallible or immortal even as they continue to debate amongst themselves the ideal lifespan of a nation-state’s charter.
Mindanews

JUDICIARY

22 vying for SC seat vacated by CJ Bersamin
Twenty-two persons including Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Deputy Commissioner Lanee Cui-David, the former lawyer of pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim Napoles, will vie for the vacant Supreme Court (SC) seat left open by Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

LEGISLATIVE

'Sick and tired' of pork claims, Sotto pushes reenacted budget for whole 2019
Amid allegations of pork barrel and fund insertions in the proposed 2019 budget, a seemingly irked Senate President Vicente Sotto III has proposed a reenacted budget for the whole of 2019.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin

Senate approves bill on Magna Carta of the Poor
The Senate approved on Tuesday, January 29, a bill seeking to create a Magna Carta of the Poor, which aims to address hunger and ensure full access to basic services to help alleviate poverty.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin

House panel approves bill reviving ROTC
The House of Representatives’ Committee on Basic Education and Culture on Wednesday approved a bill seeking to revive the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) training for senior high school students in public and private schools throughout the country. The still unnumbered substitute bill was approved in only the panel’s second hearing following a motion to approve from one of the bill’s authors, Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu.
Philippine News Agency, Manila Bulletin

BUDGET AND FINANCE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

EDCA warehouse activated in Pampanga
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim on Tuesday led the inauguration of an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) multipurpose warehouse at Basa Air Base, Floridablanca, Pampanga. “I am delighted that we have finally undertaken the first among the many activities and projects under the EDCA,” Lorenzana told reporters.
Philippine News Agency

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

Ombudsman: Revilla must pay back plundered P124.5M
Ombudsman prosecutors are now running after senatorial candidate Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr to return to the national treasury the P124.5 million plundered through the pork barrel scam. The Ombudsman's Office of the Special Prosecutor filed on Monday, January 28, a motion for execution of judgment on Revilla's civil liability.
Rappler

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

How Washington’s ambiguity in South China Sea puts the Philippine-US alliance at a crossroads
“I announce my separation from the United States,” the tough-talking Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte declared during his first state visit to China. Two years later, the Philippines has formally called for a formal review of its decades-old alliance with the US.
South China Morning Post

LABOR

PLDT workers lose P2-M labor case at Court of Appeals
The Duterte administration's promise to weed out the illegal scheme of labor-only contracting takes a hit as the Court of Appeals (CA) threw out a labor case against telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company at the expense of 279 workers.
Rappler

TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH 

Duterte renews vow to improve healthcare in PH
President Duterte reiterated his promise to improve government hospitals to be able to deliver better services that will cater to the needs of the Filipino people. “I reiterate this administration’s resolute commitment to enhance and strengthen the operational capabilities of government hospitals to cope with the healthcare and medical needs of the Filipinos, especially the poor and the marginalized,” Duterte said during the groundbreaking ceremony of the
Manila Bulletin

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

NAPC to focus on helping farmers in Mindanao
THE National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) will focus on bringing quality social services closer to the unserved and underserved Filipinos in Mindanao, an official of the agency said. NAPC Secretary and Lead Convenor Noel Felongco noted that Mindanao has a poverty incidence of 40 percent, higher than the 21.6 percent national poverty incidence. 
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

EDUCATION

DepEd exec urges parents to teach right values at home
An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) has urged parents to help schools in instilling good and positive values in their children. "The Department of Education wants to maintain a happy and healthy learning environment at iyan po ay hindi magiging magik o instant, kelangan po ng tulong ng mga magulang (and that won't be magic or instant, it requires the help of parents)," DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said on Tuesday in a television interview.
Philippine News Agency

DepEd observes big improvement in Early Registration
Compared to the previous years, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that the first day of the ongoing Early Registration for the coming school year yielded “better” results.
Manila Bulletin

5, 000 campus journalists urged to differentiate between truth and falsehood
Amid the prevalence of fake news, Education Secretary Leonor Briones urged campus journalists to enhance their skills to discern journalism from propaganda to be able to tell the “difference between truth and falsehood.”
Manila Bulletin

ENERGY

Indonesia’s Pertamina interested in LNG hub project
INDONESIAN oil and gas producer PT Pertamina (Persero) has expressed interest in setting up a regasification hub in the Philippines worth some $1 billion, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). In a statement Wednesday, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said the plan was presented to the department on Jan. 29.
Business World Online, Philippine Star, Business Mirror

POVERTY

HOUSING

The mass housing mess: Why Filipinos continue to struggle with owning a home
MASS housing should be for all, but many Filipinos, particularly those belonging to lower-middle income families, still feel left out of the equation. The family of Bituin Mendoza (not her real name) is an example. Her family has been a renter for over a decade. Her mother, a domestic helper in Hong Kong, has been saving up for a home since she started working abroad 13 years ago.
Business Mirror

TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

No postponement for Manila Bay rehab – DILG
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) insisted the massive rehabilitation of severely polluted Manila Bay “cannot be postponed.” DILG Assistant Secretary and Spokesman Jonathan Malaya said the statement was after the Makabayan Bloc called on the government to postpone the Manila Bay Rehabilitation program to pave the way for more “study and consultations.”
Manila Bulletin

Manila Bay rehab to continue beyond Duterte admin
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) assured House members Wednesday that the ongoing rehabilitation of Manila Bay would last beyond the Duterte administration. Deputy Speaker, Sorsogon 1st district Rep. Evelina Escudero on Wednesday congratulated the DENR for its cleanup efforts in the famous body of water, but at the same time wondered out loud whether or not the endeavor would last more than three years.
Manila Bulletin

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Possibility to grant Mislatel franchise eyed
Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday raised the possibility that the Senate can cure the “defects and the questions” surrounding the validity of the franchise of the Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc. (Mislatel), a part of the consortium that bagged the third telco slot.
Philippine News Agency

Mislatel franchise 'ipso facto' revocation has legal effect: IBP
The "ipso facto" revocation of Mislatel's franchise must be seriously considered with regard to its status as the country's new major player in the telecommunications industry, the national president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said Wednesday. During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services, Abdiel Dan Fajardo said the panel's finding that Mislatel violated Section 7 of the company's franchise is of "great importance" and must not be disregarded.
Philippine News Agency

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR