Davao Norte town declares Satur Ocampo 'persona non grata'
Former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and 17 others are no longer welcome in Talaingod municipality after local officials declared them "persona non grata" following last year’s incident involving the alleged trafficking of tribal students.
Philippine News Agency

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We cannot expect the traitor Duterte to stand up for territorial integrity and sovereign rights    
We cannot expect the traitor Duterte to heed the call of Justice Carpio to stand up for the territorial integrity and sovereign rights of the Philipines and the Filipino people in connection with the Chinese occupation and construction on the Kagitingan Reef (Fiery Cross).
NDFP

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Cops release face sketches of suspects in murder of NDFP consultant
Cagayan Valley police on Friday released artist’s impression of the faces of two suspects in the murder of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randy Felix Malayao.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Nueva Vizcaya top cops fired over 'lapses' in Randy Malayao slay probe
Two police officials in Nueva Vizcaya have been sacked on Friday, February 1, by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde after allegedly committing "lapses" in probing the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Randy Malayao.
Rappler, GMA News, Manila Bulletin

Bello expresses ‘shock, disbelief’ over murder of NDFP consultant
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Thursday expressed sadness over the murder of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randy Malayao. “We are deeply saddened by this very unfortunate event,” he said in a statement.
Manila Bulletin

WAYWARD AND FANCIFUL: Randy on my mind
Death came like a thief in the night up north. And don’t we all wish that? – That, when we die, we die in our sleep? But surely not halfway down the long road, in a place uncharted in our cognitive map. 
Mindanews

Oust the satanic and killer Duterte! He has no more right to rule!
Around 2 o’clock this morning (Jan. 30), National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randy Felix Malayao was shot dead by an assailant inside a bus in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya. Nobody is to be blamed for this, but the satanic and killer Duterte and his death squad.
PRWC

Duterte and his death squads are cowards
The Cordillera People’s Democratic Front (CPDF) and the entire Cordillera people condemn to the highest degree the cold-blooded assassination of NDFP consultant Randy Felix Malayao. This dastardly act was committed in the wee hours of the morning of this date at Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya while Malayao was asleep inside a bus bound for Santiago, Isabela. The two hitmen immediately escaped on board a motorcycle.
PRWC

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Arrest of leaders of ‘lumad,’ farmers illegal, says rights group
A human rights group in Mindanao questioned the recent arrest of “lumad” and peasant leaders who were earlier reported missing in Cagayan de Oro City, comparing the actions by police and the military to the tactics used by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler against his enemies.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

‘Morong 43’ generals seek outright dismissal of illegal detention, torture cases
The military and police officials linked to the detention and torture of 43 health workers arrested in Morong, Rizal in 2010 have sought the approval of the Sandiganbayan for a leave of court allowing them to challenge the evidence of the prosecution.
GMA News

OPINION: Vilification campaigns prelude to attacks against priests, activists
Fr. Christopher Ablon of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) is used to threats. Along highways on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, his name and that of his older brother, Bishop Antonio Ablon, can be found on streamers, placards and red paintings on walls.
ABS-CBN News

Guihulngan residents protest against CNT atrocities
About 400 local folks from all walks of life staged another condemnation rally to show their extreme resentment against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army Terrorist (CNT) in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Thursday.
Manila Bulletin

Ex-NPAs to get housing units after cops, soldiers waive rights
The National Housing Authority (NHA) is set to award a total of 50 housing units to the first batch of New People's Army (NPA) surrenderers from Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental. This, after personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) — the original beneficiaries of the project — decided to waive their rights in favor of the former NPAs.
Philippine News Agency

Army commander denies 27 casualties claimed by NPA rebs
Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, denied claims by the New People’s Army (NPA) that at least 27 government troopers were killed in action in January 2019 through “sniping” and other offensive operations the rebels launched in Negros.
The Daily Guardian

14 NPA rebels surrender in Compostela Valley, Bukidnon
The military announced yesterday the surrender of two New People’s Army regulars and 12 members of the Militia ng Bayan in Compostela Valley and Bukidnon earlier this week. In a report, Lt. Col. Oscar Balignas said the rebels turned over a rifle, a Garand, a caliber .22 pistol, an improvised explosive device, six sacks of rice, canned goods, medical supplies, 12 bandoleers, jungle hammocks, personal belongings and subversive documents of high intelligence value.
Philippine Star

Another 2 Militia ng Bayan Cooperate with Army in Abra
Two (2) members of the Militia ng Bayan (MB) surrendered to Army’s 24th Infantry (WILDCAT) Battalion, at its headquarters in Sto. Barbarit, Brgy Tagodtod, Lagangilang, here, January 31.
Kalinaw News

Peace Talks

Incidents/ Operations   

Offensives, encounters in militarized Magpet scoff at AFP claims of weakened NPA    
A police officer was killed while 11 other PNP personnel were wounded in the wake of a successful demolition operation by Red fighters under Mt. Apo Sub-Regional Operations Command, January 28 at around 5:30pm, in Purok 4, Sitio Kabisig, Brgy. Poblacion in Magpet, North Cotabato. The tactical offensive, launched in the militarized town of Magpet, targeted fully-armed members of the PNP Provincial Mobile Company on board 2 patrol cars.
NDFP

Muslim leaders release guidelines to ensure maximum security in mosques in Davao City
Moro religious leaders here have prohibited backpacks, big bags, boxes, and bulky plastic bags inside all mosques in Davao City starting Friday, February 1.
Mindanews

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Modi, Xi, other Asian leaders vow war vs terror
A number of Asia’s top leaders have extended their condolences to families of victims who died or were injured by twin bombings in Sulu province in southern Mindanao on January 27.
The Manila Times

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EDITORIAL - Crushing the Abu Sayyaf
If words could kill, the Abu Sayyaf would have been annihilated many years ago. Since the extremists made their presence felt with their deadly bomb attacks in the early 1990s, every president has vowed to “crush” or “destroy” the group.
Philippine Star

Oledan: Peace spoilers
TERRORISM has no religion. The recent bombing of a Catholic Cathedral in Jolo that killed 20 and the blast in a mosque in Zamboanga City which left two preachers dead and four people wounded was meant to divide a wedge and breed mistrust among peoples. 
Sunstar Davao

Ledesma: Inviting aggression
THE deadly blast in Jolo of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral ushered gory memories of similar vicious bombing incidents of San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City. These dastardly and bestial attacks, especially on the house of worship, are condemned by both Christian and Islamic religions and can only be carried out by extremists. Both incidents were carried out under the aegis of martial law. 
Sunstar Cebu

Jolo Blast

Indonesians may have carried out the Jolo bombing – Secretary Año
Two suspected Indonesians carried out the recent suicide bombings at the Jolo church aided by the Abu Sayyaf Group, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año bared on Friday.
Manila Bulletin, CNN Philippines, NDBC News

PNP: Witness accounts suggest suicide bombing in Jolo Cathedral
Witness accounts suggest that the deadly twin blasts in the Jolo Cathedral were a case of suicide bombing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Friday, February 1. In a phone interview with Rappler, Superintendent Kris Conrad Gutierrez said a number of witnesses recalled seeing a woman entering the church who, they suspect, brought in the first improvised explosive device.
Rappler

PNP: Probers yet to confirm if suicide bombers perpetrated Jolo blasts
The Philippine National Police (PNP) clarified on Friday that investigators have yet to confirm if suicide bombers were the ones who perpetrated the twin blasts in Jolo, Sulu.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lorenzana convinced Jolo cathedral attack was a case of suicide bombing
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is convinced that the January 27 twin explosions at a Catholic cathedral in Jolo, Sulu was a case of suicide bombing. Lorenzana, in a text message to reporters on Friday, said: “I believe, with evidence at hand that the Cathedral bombing was a suicide bombing.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

Death toll in Jolo church bombings rise to 22
The Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said another victim of the Jan. 27 twin bombings at the Jolo Cathedral died at the Zamboanga City hospital. Colonel Gerry Besana, speaking for the Westmincom, said the death toll in the explosions at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo rose to 22 with the passing of Thelma Villanueva, one of those seriously hurt on Sunday’s blasts in Jolo airlifted to Zamboanga City Medical Center.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

UNHCR officer backs PH probe on Jolo terror suspects
An official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) regional office in Thailand is backing a full investigation into the suicide bombing in Jolo that killed 22 people, saying that terrorism is a global problem that affects many states.
ABS-CBN News

Soldiers killed in blasts show military not remiss in securing Jolo Cathedral —AFP
The military committed no security lapse at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo even after two explosions tore through the biggest Catholic church in Sulu on Sunday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has said.
GMA News

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Gutoc appeals to gov’t to prevent repeat of Marawi’s devastation in Jolo
Opposition senatorial bet Samira Gutoc has made an appeal to the government to prevent a repeat of Marawi’s devastation in Jolo, Sulu by focusing on “long-term, peace-centered solutions.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Game Changer?
GOVERNMENT security forces are enforcing stricter countermeasures—including intensified operations against lawless elements—in the aftermath of the deadly twin bombings at a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, last week, which, ironically, occurred despite the prevailing martial rule in the whole of Mindanao.
Business Mirror

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MARAWI

Philippine forces cleared this city of Islamist militants in 2017. It’s still a ghost town.
At the edge of a bridge leading into the heart of the devastation from a 2017 siege against Islamic State-linked militants, an electric-blue billboard stands apart from the ruins. “Marawi will rise again! Soon . . .” it proudly declares in rainbow-colored letters.
The Washington Post

Marawi City not yet drug-free – police
The police provincial office refuted claims that the Islamic city is already free of drugs. Earlier, Norhanie Marohombsar, city director for Interior and Local Government, said that “Marawi is now a drug-free city after the 2017 Marawi Siege.”
The Manila Times

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD      

Revealed: FBI investigated civil rights group as 'terrorism' threat and viewed KKK as victims
The FBI opened a “domestic terrorism” investigation into a civil rights group in California, labeling the activists “extremists” after they protested against neo-Nazis in 2016, new documents reveal.
The Guardian, The Hill

Terrorism Threatens a Former Oasis of Stability in West Africa
Burkina Faso’s government resigned on Jan. 18, following a series of terrorist attacks. President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who has led the country since 2015, announced a new prime minister, Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré, three days later. But the attacks have continued: On Jan. 28, terrorists killed four soldiers and injured five others on the border with Mali, the day after terrorists killed 10 civilians.
Foreign Policy

Russian Foreign Ministry: Washington not interested in global counterterrorism cooperation
Statements of US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats concerning the threat to the US from the side of Russia prove that Washington has lost interest in the international counterterrorism cooperation, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Friday.
Russian News Agency

FMs of Egypt, Jordan Gulf States talk counter-terrorism
Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia held a ministerial meeting in Jordan on Thursday to discuss the issues of mutual concerns, according to a statement from the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
Egypt Today

Muslim-Christian, IP community nurtures Peace
While the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was having another significant milestone in the conduct of the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the peace-loving ‘tri-people’ communities in Tantangan, South Cotabato continues to nurture peace by working together. The people have chosen to find a solution to a decades-long problem of lack of potable water and respect each other’s differences.
Davao Today

BANGSAMORO ORGANIC LAW

Moro youth might rebel if Lanao del Norte votes ‘no’ – MILF lawyer
A victory for the "no" vote in the Bangsamoro plebiscite in Lanao del Norte on February 6 will result in the disenfranchisement of Moro youth in the province, a lawyer of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) said.
Rappler

Commander Bravo urges Lanao voters: Vote 'yes' for peace
Vote "yes" to pave the way for peace and development in the Bangsamoro region. Or face continued violence. This was the message of controversial Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Abdullah Macapaar, better known as Commander Bravo, in a video that his group posted on Facebook on Thursday, January 31, five days before the scheduled second Bangsamoro plebiscite in 6 towns of Lanao del Norte and 67 barangays (villages) in North Cotabato. 
Rappler

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Minimal troop movement for 2nd BOL polls: AFP
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Friday the movement of troops for next week's second Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite will only be minimal.
Philippine News Agency

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

P8-B banana plantation plan shelved
The planned conversion of a former MILF camp to a billion-peso banana plantation is seen to be derailed after the primary investor for the project has been tagged in fraud and money laundering cases in Spain.
Philippine News Agency

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

SULU 

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

BOC chief: Corruption, culture in Customs ‘barometer’ of large-scale drug smuggling
A repeat of the undetected entry of a large-scale illegal drugs shipment into the country will only be prevented if Customs personnel stop their corrupt practices, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said Thursday.
Manila Bulletin

PDEA raises awareness on drugs through comics
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) hopes to curb if not totally resolve the country’s illegal drug woes by using comics as a major vehicle to achieve this goal.
Manila Bulletin

De Lima again refuses to enter plea in drug case
Senator Leila de Lima has again refused to enter a plea in connection with a drug-related case filed against her at a Muntinlupa court. As a result, it was the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 that entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf at the arraignment held Friday morning.
GMA News, Manila Bulletin

Operations/ Incidents

Woman nabbed in buy-bust in Ormoc City
A woman was arrested in a buy-bust along Zone 3, Malbasag Dist. 28 about 1:45 a.m. Friday (Feb. 1). City Drug Enforcement Unit chief P/SInsp. Romeo Franklyn Parangan identified the suspect as Mae Quintana, 30, a mother of two and residing in Barugo, Leyte.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

3 nabbed, yield ‘shabu,’ gun and ammunition
THREE persons with previous cases and on probation yielded guns and illegal drugs when arrested by authorities in Zamboanga del Sur province, the police said Friday, February 1.
Sunstar Zamboanga

PDEA, Zambo cops score P17-M ‘shabu’ haul in January
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the local police have netted some PHP17 million worth of illegal drugs in the anti-drug campaign in this city for January, a PDEA official said Friday. Lawyer Jacqueline de Guzman, PDEA 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) director, said they have so far confiscated a total of 2.5 kg. of suspected shabu worth PHP17 million in separate anti-drug operations here.
Philippine News Agency

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

129 ex-drug dependents finish Kidapawan rehab program
A total of 129 former drug personalities here have graduated from the drug rehabilitation program of the Kidapawan City government, officials said Friday.  Mayor Joseph Evangelista said the “Persons Who Used Drugs” (PWUDs) have finished various rehabilitation programs in six barangays in the past six months.
Philippine News Agency

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

Cops seize 19 loose firearms from Nueva Ecija man
Police on Friday seized at least 19 undocumented firearms with ammunition in Jaen town in Nueva Ecija. Authorities discovered the cache while serving a court-approved search warrant against Roderick Mauricio at Barangay Langla in Jaen, said Chief Supt. Joel Coronel, Central Luzon police director.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tricycle driver in Biliran yields firearms
A tricycle driver was the first violator of a Commission on Elections gun ban for the May election in Biliran province after he yielded several firearms during a raid in his house in Barangay Baso, Cabucgayan about 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

Customs raids warehouses in Binondo, Parañaque, confiscates P850M fake goods
The Bureau of Customs – Intelligence Group (IG), confiscated various fake items in separete raids Thursday, January 31, in Binondo and Parañaque. The Customs operation in Biniondo, Manila yielded P700 million worth counterfeit apparel and shoes from a group of warehouse units.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

Survey shows Duterte is ‘winning hearts and minds of the people’ – Panelo
A survey showing public optimism about the quality of life and the economy indicated that President Duterte was winning the hearts and minds of the people and proving his critics wrong, Malacañang observed Friday.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte not ‘feeling well,’ skips Leyte event 
President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday canceled his event in Palo town in Leyte province because he is “not feeling well,” his trusted aide said. “[Duterte is] not feeling well,” Former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go told reporters.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

Palace on PRRD skipping Leyte event: Only human, not Superman
President Rodrigo R. Duterte is just an ordinary human who does not feel well at times, Malacañang said Friday after he skipped a scheduled event in Leyte. "Well, he is not Superman, every person does not feel well sometimes. I don't think that the President cancelling an event in Tacloban because he is not feeling well is a cause of concern," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
Philippine News Agency

OPINION: The Marionettes of Malacañang
Or why the Philippine legislature is quite unlike any other, the world over.  There is an unspoken impact upon our democracy that is manifestly oozing out of the acrimony arising from the unabashed attempt of this administration to molest the innocents. I am speaking of the Malacañang-mandated legislative assault upon the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR) that is presently afire. Reducing the same to age 9, at first, and as if responding to public clamor, then to 12.
ABS-CBN News

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DISASTER

MINDANAO

ELECTION RELATED

Comelec says reenacted budget would have ‘serious impact’ on election preparations
A reenacted national budget for 2019 would have a “serious impact” on the conduct of the May 2019 national elections, an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Friday. Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said that if the budget is reenacted, the compensation for election workers such as teachers and barangay officials would be hit.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

Harry Roque withdraws from Senate race
Former Duterte spokesman Harry Roque on Friday, February 1, announced his withdrawal from the 2019 Senate race. Roque, in an email sent to media on Friday, said he was dropping his Senate bid due to health reasons.
Rappler, GMA News

Comelec: Roque's name won't be on May 2019 ballot
Former Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr’s name will be removed from the May 2019 ballot after he withdrew his senatorial candidacy, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Friday.
GMA News

Sara Duterte backs Roque’s withdrawal from Senate race
The decision of former Presidential spokesman Harry Roque to quit the Senate race due to health reasons got the support of  Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Where to, Harry?
After his withdrawal from the Senate race, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he would take a rest for two months following a cardiovascular procedure, which he did not elaborate.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Poll watchdog calls party list selection a mockery
Poll watchdog Kontra Daya has lamented how party-list groups of the rich and powerful were allowed to run in the May 13 midterm polls while groups that were organized by marginalized sectors themselves were disqualified. In a statement, the group said such “double standard” makes a mockery of the party-list system.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler

Batangas mayoralty candidate arrested for harboring criminal
A mayoralty candidate in Batangas was arrested for allegedly harboring a criminal after he was caught on Thursday evening, January 31, with his bodyguard – who is tagged as the No. 2 most wanted person in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon).
Rappler

Election-related Violence, Incidents and operations

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

SC to hear oral arguments on gov’t nurses’ pay scale
After four years, the Supreme Court (SC) has set for oral argument the question on the legality of reducing the salary of nurses in public healthcare institutions. The oral argument on the petition filed by Ang Nars party-list on January, 2015 is scheduled on February 26, 2019 based on the high court’s advisory released Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

JBC to announce candidates for Supreme Court this weekend
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) is set to reveal over the weekend its official list of candidates who will be vying for the Supreme Court (SC) spot vacated by Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin. “The official list of candidates for consideration by the JBC en banc will be published tomorrow,” said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday (Feb. 1).
Manila Bulletin

LEGISLATIVE

Senate leader sees ratification of P3.757-T budget amidst sustained accusations
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Friday said the P3.757-trillion proposed national budget for 2019 would most likely be approved and ratified by both houses of Congress next week.
Manila Bulletin

Strict requirements for SALN disclosure ‘unconstitutional’ — solon
The strict requirements for the disclosure of congressmen’s statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs) is “unconstitutional,” Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin warned Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Senate Committee bats for bill that seeks to protect women from discrimination
The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development is pushing the approval of a bill which seeks to expand the prohibition on acts of discrimination against women in workplaces.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET AND FINANCE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

PH Navy's first 2 anti-submarine choppers to arrive in May
The Philippine Navy’s (PN) first two anti-submarine helicopters, the AgustaWestland AW-159 "Wildcat", are set to arrive in May. "Anti-submarine helicopters are in the process of being acquired (and) additional info from the PN (said) they will arrive in May 2019," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) when sought for an update on the aircraft Thursday night.
Philippine News Agency

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

Economic freedom: Philippines ranks 70th
The Philippines has the world’s 70th freest economy though its overall economic freedom score decreased by 1.2 points from last year to 63.8 points, The Heritage Foundation said. In its 2019 Index of Economic Freedom report analyzing 180 countries throughout the world and which was released recently, the think tank cited drops in scores for monetary freedom, government integrity and the tax burden outweighing a higher score for property rights.
Philippine Star

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

Gov’t infra development strategy keys economic growth — Nograles
The government is determined to pursue infrastructure development to spur economic growth and generate job opportunities for Filipinos, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles. At the groundbreaking of a new North Luzon Expressway interchange in Bulacan, Nograles affirmed that the government'”Build, Build, Build” program would usher in the golden age of infrastructure in the country.
Manila Bulletin

Subway project to boost Philippine construction sector
FITCH Solutions said it raised its growth forecast for the Philippine construction and railway sectors this year with the expected groundbreaking of the Metro Manila Subway Project within the first quarter.
Business World Online, The Manila Times

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

Alejano chides Malacañang over Panelo’s statement on rescue center built by China
By thanking China for putting up a rescue center at the Kagitingan Reef in West Philippine Sea, Malacañang has practically given China the right to occupy and govern the said area belonging to the Philippines.
Manila Bulletin

LABOR

Labor seeks passage of security of tenure bill
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Friday appealed anew to President Rodrigo Duterte to urge senators to pass Senate Bill (SB) 1826 and end the contractualized work scheme before time runs out.
The Manila Times

TRANSPORTATION

9 PH airports get on-time star ratings from UK firm
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) welcomes the result of 2017-2018 Official Aviation Guide (OAG), On-Time Performance (OTP) Star Ratings for airlines and airports.
Manila Bulletin

HEALTH 

PAO denies accusing gov’t of bribing Dengvaxia victims’ kin
A Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) statement on Friday said its chief, Persida Rueda-Acosta did not accuse the government of bribing families of Dengvaxia victims in exchange for dropping criminal charges.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Japanese company provides DOH, RITM advance technology for TB diagnosis
Japanese company Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd is sharing with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) its advanced technology on the diagnosis of tuberculosis given the Philippines’ high ranking among the TB-burdened countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Manila Bulletin

National cancer center plans OK’d by House panel
The House Committee on Health has approved several bills for the construction of a national cancer center in support of the National Integrated Cancer Control Bill now awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Manila Bulletin

WHO warns against fake anti-rabies vaccine in PH
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against a counter­feit anti-rabies vaccine now circulating in the Philippines. “This Medical Product Alert relates to falsified Verorab® vaccines that have been identified in the Philippines and reported to WHO. 
Manila Bulletin

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

EDUCATION

ACT badgers DBM on salary increase plan
The government is determined to pursue infrastructure development to spur economic growth and generate job opportunities for Filipinos, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles. At the groundbreaking of a new North Luzon Expressway interchange in Bulacan, Nograles affirmed that the government'”Build, Build, Build” program would usher in the golden age of infrastructure in the country.
Manila Bulletin

No financial clearance required for students transferring to public schools — DepEd
Students coming from private schools who wish to transfer or enroll at public schools should not be required to submit a “financial clearance,” the Department of Education (DepEd) clarified. DepEd, through Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla, clarified that a “financial clearance” is “not a mandatory requirement” should a learner from private school chooses to enroll or transfer to a public school. 
Manila Bulletin

ENERGY

Power co-ops face performance review
Electric cooperatives nationwide will undergo a performance review in line with the government’s goal of achieving total electrification by 2020, the Energy department said on Friday, with those failing the audit likely to be stripped of their franchises.
The Manila Times, Manila Standard

POVERTY

HOUSING

TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

Save our pine trees, Baguio kids ask Duterte
Jewel, a kindergarten pupil here, drew numerous stick figures of girls, surrounded by pine trees under a blue sky. The drawings accompanied her short handwritten message to President Duterte: “Please help us save the trees. Trees are what we need, not buildings. Thank You.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Crowdsourcing to clean up Manila Bay
The crowds marching to clean Manila Bay reminded me of the crowds who went to Luneta to show who they wanted to lead political change. The million crowd showed up on the miting de abanse of Davao Mayor.
Philippine Star

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR