Karapatan says 2 peasant leaders may have been abducted by military
Human rights group Karapatan suspects that two peasant leaders who have been reported missing since Monday have been abducted by the military as attacks against Mindanao communities have heightened.
Manila Bulletin, Mindanews, Philippine Star

PNP: 2 Lumad leaders arrested, not missing
PROGRESSIVE groups in Northern Mindanao have expressed alarm over the sudden disappearance of two leaders of Lumad and peasant organizations in Cagayan de Oro City last Monday, January 28, but police said the two were arrested on the strength of a supposed arrest warrant.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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ComVal declares NPA 'persona non grata'
The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) of Compostela Valley has declared the communist New People’s Army (NPA) as persona non grata. Provincial Information Officer Fe Maestre said the PPOC passed the resolution during its meeting in Nabunturan last Friday, and has submitted it to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Philippine News Agency

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ACT slams ‘persistent all-out attack’ by gov’t against teacher-unionists nationwide
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) vehemently condemned the “persistent all-out attack” of the current administration to “spread lies against and vilify our legitimate organization of teacher unionists nationwide.”
Manila Bulletin

DILG: ACT complaints mere ploy to earn sympathy, votes
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list group filed complaints against government and police officials merely to gain sympathy and votes for the May 2019 elections, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Army hunts down NPAs in N. Cotabato after bombings
The military in North Cotabato has launched manhunt against communist rebels who set off two roadside bombs that left a police officer dead and injured eight others on Monday night. Colonel Erlich Noel Paraso, the commander of the 19th Infantry Battalion, said operation is going on in the mountains of Magpet, especially near the country’s highest peak.   
NDBC News

3 more NPA rebels surrender in Batangas
Three members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) yielded to the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) on Monday and turned over several firearms, including a .30-caliber M1 Carbine and two .22-caliber rifles through the aid of an intermediary in Batangas.
Philippine News Agency, Kalinaw News

NPA member surrenders to 94th Infantry Battalion
A member of the New People’s Army (NPA) voluntarily surrendered without firearm to the troops of Alpha Company, 94th Infantry (MANDIRIGMA) Battalion (94IB), after conducting Community Support Program (CSP) in Barangay Tacpao, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, January 27.
Kalinaw News

Peace Talks

Duterte changes tune, says no more peace talks with communist rebels
President Rodrigo Duterte has changed his mind about resuming peace talks with the communist rebels just weeks after he broached the idea of reviving the negotiations. In a speech in Jolo, Sulu on Monday, Duterte rued anew the attacks by the insurgents on soldiers and policemen during peace negotiations, which the government interpreted as a sign of bad faith.
GMA News, Manila Standard

Go backs localized peace talks with Reds
Former special assistant to the President (SAP) and aspiring senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go announced that the Duterte administration was open to conducting localized peace talks to solve the insurgency problem in Capiz.
The Manila Times

Incidents/ Operations   

Two CPP-NPA died in encounter with government troops in Surigao del Sur
Two Communist Terrorists NPA (CNTs) died in a recent encounter with government troops in San Agustin town, Surigao del Sur last January 24, 2019. An M14 rifle, anti-personnel mines and ammunitions were seized by the troops from the lawless elements. Subversive documents and other war materials were also seized at the encounter site.
Kalinaw News

2 suspected NPA rebels killed in Samar after firefight with gov’t troops
Two suspected members of the New People’s Army were killed and three firearms were recovered after a 20-minute firefight at Brgy. Carolina, Matuguinao, Samar on Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine News Agency 

NPA rebel killed in clash with Army in CamSur
A New People's Army (NPA) rebel was killed in a clash with government troops in a village at the outskirts of Bato town in Camarines Sur province, an Army report said Tuesday.
Philippine News Agency

2 dead, 4 hurt in Zamboanga mosque blast
At least 2 people were killed while 4 others were injured in an explosion at a mosque in Barangay Talon-talon, Zamboanga City early Wednesday, police said. Col. Leonel Nicolas, commander of Joint Task Force Zamboanga, said 2 of the victims who were earlier reported to be in critical condition have died from severe injuries.
ABS-CBN News

Suspected Abu Sayyaf bomber slain in Zamboanga
Police commandos killed a suspected Abu Sayyaf bomber in a firefight in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, officials said Tuesday. Officials said Admar Asilon, an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf’s urban terrorist group under Marzan Ajijul, traded gunfire with police in the village of San Jose where he was tracked down late Monday.
The Manila Times

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Duterte: 2 suicide bombers behind cathedral attack
A couple set off the explosions at the Jolo cathedral that killed 21 people – mostly churchgoers – and wounded about 100 others, President Duterte suggested yesterday. Citing intelligence information from the military, Duterte said the “brazen attack” was carried out by a woman and her husband who blew themselves up at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral during a Sunday morning mass.
Philippine Star, The Manila Times, ABS-CBN News

'No suicide bomber': Woman left bomb inside Jolo church- military
 A woman supposedly carried the bomb that killed at least 21 people in a church in Jolo, Sulu last Sunday, the military said Tuesday. Two wounded victims revealed that a woman hid the bomb in a bag and left it in one of the pews inside the cathedral, the military said. 
ABS-CBN News

DILG chief: Jolo bombers used Jemaah Islamiya strategy
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año claimed on Tuesday that the strategy used in the bombing of a church in Jolo, Sulu, was similar to the work of international terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

2 bodies still unidentified days after Jolo Cathedral blasts
Two days after the twin bombing of the Jolo Cathedral that killed at least 20 and injured 111 people, authorities are still trying to pin down the identity of 2 fatalities. According to the list of deaths kept by officials and obtained by Rappler, the remains of two "unidentified civilian[s]" are still kept in the Jolo Trauma Hospital. The list identified both of them as male.
Rappler

Who's responsible for Jolo blasts? Officials issue conflicting claims
Authorities on Tuesday issued conflicting claims on perpetrators of the double bomb attack on a church in Jolo, Sulu that claimed at least 21 lives. President Rodrigo Duterte said suicide bombers were responsible for the blasts, noting that the perpetrators were a couple.
ABS-CBN News

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PRRD orders AFP, PNP to crush ASG
Crush them! Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said this was the directive given by President Rodrigo Duterte following his visit to Jolo, Sulu, where he assessed the situation there a day after the explosions at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler, Manila Standard

Military unleashes air strikes on Sulu after Duterte's 'all-out war' order
The Armed Forces of the Philippines Tuesday launched airstrikes on two Sulu towns where Abu Sayyaf members were sighted following President Rodrigo Duterte's order to crush the terror group. A report by GMA News said that one airstrike was unleashed on Patikul and the other on Indanan.
Philippine Star, Manila Standard

Jolo bombing suspect evades arrest; aide killed in raid
Government forces on Tuesday afternoon killed the companion of a suspect behind the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral bombings in Jolo, Sulu, the military said. Joint military and police forces launched a raid in Barangay Latih, Patikul, Sulu Tuesday afternoon, targetting alias Kamah.
ABS-CBN News

Hunt on for alias ‘Kamah,’ 2 other accomplices as Jolo blast persons-of-interest
Police are now hot on the trail of an alias “Kamah” and two other persons-of-interest believed to be behind the deadly bomb attacks at a church in Jolo, Sulu last January 27 which left at least 21 people dead and 112 others wounded.
Manila Bulletin

BI on heightened alert to prevent entry of terrorists in PH
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has placed on heightened alert its personnel in the different international airports and seaports to thwart the possible entry of foreign terrorists in the wake of the bomb attack in Jolo, Sulu.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler

Gov’t had info on Jolo church bombing as early as August 2018 — Lorenzana
Government has been receiving reports of bomb threats in Catholic churches in Mindanao as early as August 2018, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted on Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Times

Calida: ISIS eyeing Mindanao as Asian base
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has chosen Mindanao as its “epicenter” on its plan to establish control in East Asia, Solicitor General Jose Calida told the Supreme Court Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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INTERNATIONAL ALERT PHILIPPINES: Protect the gains of peace in hopeful yet fragile conditions
International Alert Philippines grieves with the families of civilians and soldiers that perished during the twin attacks in Jolo, Sulu and with hundreds who were wounded. The cathedral bombing will not be the last tragic event in Muslim Mindanao as the entire region transitions from war to peace and from deprivation to development.
Mindanews

MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT: We will not allow them to succeed.
The leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) joins all peace-loving individuals in strongly condemning the twin bombing of the Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu on January 27, 2019.
Mindanews

DARUL IFTA of Region 9 and Palawan: All Muslims and other faiths ought to unite against all those who terrorize innocents and those who permit the killings
Condemnation Statement on the crime bombing of the Cathedral of our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Jolo, Sulu on 27th January 2019 Darul Ifta’ of Region 9 and Palawan condemns in the strongest termst he bombing of Jolo Cathedral which are against all human and Islamic norms.
Mindanews

Jolo twin bombings an affront to MILF
Islamic State claims handiwork of Sunday’s “suicide bombings” of the Jolo Catholic Cathedral. That’s meant to mislead. In saying suicide, IS wants investigators to think there no longer are perpetrators to hunt down. Yet CCTV footages reportedly show four to six lads likely planting the explosives then scurrying from the blasts.
Philippine Star

Enrile warns against rise of radical Muslim, Christian extremist groups
Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, defense minister of former president Ferdinand Marcos during the martial law period, warned on Tuesday against the rise of radical forces such as Muslim and Christian extremist groups, following the explosions that claimed 20 lives at a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu last Sunday.
Manila Bulletin

Christians, Muslims in Mindanao respond to challenges of post-Jolo Cathedral blasts
The high level of interfaith dialogues in Mindanao is a major factor in ensuring Christians, Muslims and Lumads are able to rise to the challenges they are facing in the post Jolo cathedral bombings, the anger and pain notwithstanding, Christian and Muslim religious leaders said.
Mindanews

Muslim religious leaders condemn Jolo carnage
Muslim religious leaders condemned the twin bombings on Sunday of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu that killed 21 people and wounded 112 others, which the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility.
The Manila Times

Lidasan: How to be a peaceful extremist
MY STAFF and I had an interesting discussion over a late lunch we had the other day. We usually have meetings once or twice a month just to keep track of where we are going as a team. Because they are mostly youth, I get to have very interesting points of view. One of the sentiments we shared is about how repetitive our statements have become regarding extremist behavior.
Sunstar Davao

Triumph, Then Tragedy in the Philippines
Once in a while, there is a glint of optimism in Muslim Mindanao, on the Philippines’ wildest island, a region long torn by sectarian violence and dominated by warlords. So it was when cars honked in the night in Cotabato City for victory in a plebiscite for a greater autonomous region that has been almost two decades in the making. A strong 59 percent of voters opted to join the new Bangsamoro entity against 41 percent who voted no.
The Asian Sentinel

The best proactive approach to prevent terrorism
IN HIS statement regarding the bombing of the Jolo Catholic cathedral, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that he has directed his troops to be on high alert, to secure all places of worship and public places, and to initiate proactive security measures to thwart hostile plans.
The Daily Guardian

Caveat for the MNLF
THE Sulu Cathedral bombing came as no surprise. It has and will always be par for the course in that part of the Philippines. The incongruous application of two laws in our Republic is evident, when stricter enforcement and compliance is served in Luzon and Visayas, with Mindanao discrepant, trumpeting variant culture and history as basis to be errant of Constitutional governance. 
Tempo

Leaders of new Bangsamoro gov’t should help in solving problem on terrorism – Recto
The bombing at the Jolo Cathedral in Sulu last Sunday should put to test officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who are poised to lead the interim Bangsamoro autonomous government, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

PCEC condemns ‘ruthless’ action in Jolo
The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) said the bombing of the Jolo cathedral was an attempt by lawless persons to subvert the majority’s will and sincere desire of the Bangsamoro people for genuine peace in Mindanao.
Manila Bulletin

Heartbreak and bashing
One’s heart just has to break after news of the twin bombings inside and just outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Jolo, Sulu. It is a tragedy by any measure: around 20 dead (the final number keeps shifting) and 112 injured. The first bomb went off in the middle of Sunday Mass, and when first responders, law enforcers and fleeing Mass-goers gathered outside, further mayhem awaited them when a second bomb, believed stored in the compartment of a motorcycle, went off again.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Honoring our martyred dead
THE whole city of Jolo is on a total lockdown following the twin explosions at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral on Sunday, January 27, that killed 20 civilians, soldiers and Coast Guard personnel, wounded 100 others, and shattered the peace promised to war-torn Southern Philippines by the January 21 ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law creating the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The Manila Times

International Red Cross on Jolo bombing: We deplore attack on civilians
The bombing in Jolo, Sulu, which killed at least 20 people and injured many, was deplored by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Martin Thalmann, ICRC delegation head in the country, said that they are “deeply concerned” by the number of civilians injured and killed by the attack using improvised explosive devices at a place of worship in Jolo, Sulu.
Manila Bulletin

OMI Philippine province statement on Jolo bombings
We have lost brothers, sisters, and friends.  We are one with their families in this difficult time – for they were also a family to us.  Our grief is even greater as the bombing happened at a time when the Holy Mass is being celebrated at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral.  Indeed, they have died as martyrs witnessing to their Christian faith as they braved to stay in Jolo despite constant intimidation and risks. 
NDBC News

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'Heartless actions': US solons slam Jolo bombings
Two lawmakers from the United States condemned the deadly twin blasts at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu. "We are completely stunned by the Jolo cathedral bombing. Many innocent people lost their lives in a double assault as they were worshipping and trying to escape the explosion," US Representatives Bobby Scott of Virginia and Steve Chabot of Ohio said in a statement.
ABS-CBN News

France, Japan condemn Jolo attacks, convey solidarity with PH
The governments of France and Japan on Monday condemned the attack against the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo on January 27 that resulted to the deaths of 21 people and dozens of others injured as they both extended their condolences and sympathies to the victims’ families and to all those affected by the twin bombings.
Manila Bulletin

China vows support for PH fight against 'barbarian violence'
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences and sympathy to the families of victims of the fatal Jolo blast. Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua on Tuesday said Xi has issued a message to President Rodrigo Duterte to express condolences and sympathy to families who suffered losses in the Jolo blast “and express once again China’s determination to work side by side with the Philippine government in the fight against terrorism and for peaceful socio-economic development in Mindanao.”
ABS-CBN News, Xinhua

Russia’s Putin offers help to PH in fighting terrorism
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his country’s readiness to “further step up” interaction with the Philippines in fighting terrorism following the bloody twin bombings in a Jolo cathedral that killed 27 people and injuring dozens of others.
Manila Bulletin

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Lacson: let authorities finish probe on Jolo blasts
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson advised yesterday the public to withhold their conclusions on the reasons behind the bloody Sunday in Jolo, Sulu where some 20 persons were killed in a bombing inside and outside the Cathedral in Jolo on Sunday.
Manila Bulletin

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Davao City bans backpack in churches after Jolo blasts
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has ordered a ban on backpacks in churches and other places of worship in the city following the deadly twin blast in Jolo, Sulu. “The city mayor has instructed us that churchgoers should no longer bring backpacks in going inside their places of worship for security reasons,” Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) chief Benito de Leon said in a statement.
ABS-CBN News, Philippine News Agency

Zamboanga mayor calls for sobriety, vigilance
THE residents of Zamboanga City have been urged to be very vigilant against the presence of suspicious-looking persons and unattended packages in their community, and report them immediately to the authorities.
Sunstar Zamboanga

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MARAWI

Marawi rehabilitation is urgent issue for Bangsamoro gov't – Murad
The rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City will be among the top priorities of the Bangsamoro government as it leads the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Rappler

Justice Carpio: Displaced Marawi folk may spark rebellion
Preventing displaced residents of war-ravaged Marawi City from returning to their homes could give birth to a  new breed of rebels, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned on Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Habitat to give 1.5K housing projects for Marawi IDPs
The United Nations Habitat is set to give 1,500 housing projects for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Marawi City, almost two years after the siege that left the city in ruins. UN Habitat Country Programme Manager Christopher Rollo said the groundbreaking ceremony for the PHP500-million housing project will be on February 28.
Philippine News Agency

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD      

Saudi issues new law to combat terror financing
Saudi Arabia’s new anti-terrorism law came into effect this week as the country looks to tackle the global network of funding for extremist groups, state media confirmed on Monday. The details of the plan, published in the national gazette Um Al Qura, shows that authorities will clamp down on 12 financial activities used to support and deliver funds to terrorist groups.
The National UAE

Most Londoners believe terror threat increasing: report
Violent terrorism poses one of the biggest threats to London, Sadiq Khan, mayor of the UK capital, said Tuesday. Khan was commenting on a new report which revealed more than 60 percent of Londoners think the threat from extremism is increasing.
Xinhua

US officials in contrast to Trump warn of stark threat posed by ISIS
Intelligence officials on Tuesday offered stark warnings of the threats posed by the terrorist organization ISIS, a message in contrast with President Trump's declarations that the group has been defeated. 
The Hill 

In God's name: How extremists hijacked Pakistan's blasphemy laws
Politicians have been assassinated, European countries threatened with nuclear annihilation and students lynched, all in the name of combating blasphemy in Pakistan, where the legal punishment for insulting the Prophet Mohammed is death.
The Straits Times

Learning from an American drawn to Indonesian Islam
Before I turned to Islam, I was living in a life of suicide." This what my friend, James (not his real name), said when I asked him about how important Islam was to him. I have been living in the United States, near Chicago in Illinois since 2014. I work in the grocery store while my husband completes his graduate studies. James, an African-American who teaches at a local high school has become one of our close friends. 
The Jakarta Post

Didsbury Mosque 'military jihad' sermon probe ends
An investigation into a sermon at a mosque where the Manchester Arena bomber worshipped has found no offences were committed. Two Muslim scholars claimed the sermon by Imam Mustafa Graf at Didsbury Mosque in 2016 called for the support of fighters in Syria.
BBC News

France will take back 130 former ISIS fighters jailed in Syria, report says
Around 130 French citizens believed to have joined ISIS in Syria will be released from jail and repatriated to their home country, according to a new report. The former fighters are currently being detained in northern Syria by the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who have expressed grave concerns regarding their ability to safeguard the jails once U.S. forces withdraw from the region. 
Fox News

French yellow vest movement dogged by intolerance, extremism
Intolerance and conspiracy theories have haunted the margins of France's "yellow vest" movement since the first protests over fuel taxes roused the discontented middle of French society. The men and women in fluorescent safety vests blocking traffic and intimidating shoppers on the famed Champs-Elysees Avenue vent a range of grievances against the government.
ABC News 

U.S. Close to Taking All Islamic State Land in Syria, Shanahan Says
U.S.-backed forces are weeks away from liberating all the remaining land held by Islamic State in Syria, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said, though its territorial defeat doesn’t spell the end of the militant group’s ability to carry out attacks.
Bloomberg
 

Police on Imam murder: No suspects yet
THE Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) have clarified that Special Task Group (STG) Bedijim is looking at possible suspects and not four individuals, as earlier reported, possibly linked to the killing of Imam Bedijim Abdullah in December 2018.
Sunstar Baguio

ADB renews commitment to Mindanao peace process
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) renewed yesterday its commitment to extend assistance to the peace process in Mindanao following last weekend’s bombing of the Catholic cathedral in Jolo that killed 21 people and left about 100 others wounded. “On behalf of ADB, I offer my deepest sympathies to the people of Jolo, Sulu and to the families of the victims,” ADB vice president Stephen Groff said in a statement.
Philippine Star

BANGSAMORO ORGANIC LAW

Bangsamoro gov't to prioritize education, health, social services – Murad
Education, medical services, social services, and infrastructure will be the top priorities of the future interim Bangsamoro government, said its likely chief, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim.
Rappler

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[OPINION] To our future leaders in the Bangsamoro: Prove us right
I want to let you know what most people my age think and feel. These are opinions, fears, and doubts from our collective experiences of having lived in the Muslim Mindanao area. I apologize if I have to be really frank. It's the only way to get the message across.
Rappler

A tale of two cities: Why Catholics took opposing sides in Bangsamoro plebiscite
One church. Two opposing votes in the historic plebiscite for the new Bangsamoro region in Muslim Mindanao. Known to vote as one on key national issues, the Catholic Church went separate ways in two key Muslim cities courted to expand the territory of the soon-to-be replaced Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Rappler

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Turkish government marks the ratification of BOL as a very important milestone
The Turkish government on Tuesday welcomed the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) during the plebiscite held on January 21 in at least five provinces in the Mindanao region. In a statement, the Turkish Embassy in Manila said the latest political exercise in Mindanao is of “utmost importance to end the decades-long conflict and for the establishment of a final, just and lasting peace in the region.”
Manila Bulletin

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

SULU 

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

House legalizes medical marijuana
Voting 163-5 with three abstentions, the House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the measure legalizing and regulating the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
GMA News

Operations/ Incidents

Woman nabbed in Bacolod buy-bust
A woman was arrested following a buy-bust operation in Purok San Jose, Barangay Sum-ag this city on Tuesday morning. Police classified the 22-year old suspect as a street-level target.
ABS-CBN News

5 drug suspects killed, 13 others arrested in Bulacan
Five suspected notorious drug pushers were slain on Tuesday, the second day of the intensified Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO) in this province. Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna, Bulacan Police director, said three of the suspects were killed in anti-illegal drug operations in Meycauayan City and in the towns of Baliwag and Pulilan.
Philippine News Agency

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

Panelo to CBCP: Stick to 'spiritual' matters, don't criticize Duterte
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo has advice for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) after it delivered stinging criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte's tirades against the Catholic Church and his other policies. Panelo said the CBCP has no business commenting on government policy as bishops should see themselves as limited to speaking only on "spiritual" matters.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin

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 Solicitor General asks CA to issue arrest order vs Trillanes
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has sought before the Court Appeals (CA) the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for a coup d’etat case concerning his alleged participation in the so-called 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
Manila Bulletin

DISASTER

MINDANAO

Elusive peace in Mindanao
After the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law creating the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in place of the ARMM, President Rodrigo Duterte led many to believe that unity and peace, and then development, would finally come to Mindanao.
Manila Standard

ELECTION RELATED

ACT a political party, should not serve in May polls – Tao Muna
The Tao Muna party-list wants members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) prohibited from serving as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) in the forthcoming May 13 polls. 
Manila Bulletin

Election-related Violence, Incidents and operations

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Gatchalian bats for P70 excise per-pack on cigarettes
The chairman of the Senate economic affairs committee yesterday expressed alarm that Filipinos’ proclivity for cigarettes remained high despite the current P35 per pack excise on tobacco products.
Manila Bulletin

House special panel approves bill granting cash gifts to senior citizens aged 85, 90 and 95
The House Special Committee on Senior Citizens has approved a substitute bill granting, P25,000 cash gifts to senior citizens, who reach 85 years old; another P25,000 to those who reach 90; and an additional P50,000 who reach the age of 95.
Manila Bulletin

Bicam agrees to remove funds for dredging projects in 2019 budget
Lawmakers in the bicameral conference committee on the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 agreed to remove all allocations for dredging projects in a bid to lessen sources of corruption.
Rappler

BUDGET AND FINANCE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

60-km diversion road from Bukidnon to Iligan City underway – DPWH
A 60.4-kilometer diversion road that will provide another route from Bukidnon to Iligan City is now underway, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said. DPWH Region 10 has started the construction of the Sta. Felomina-Bonbonon-Digkilaan-Rogongon Road in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte
Manila Bulletin

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

Philippines slightly improves in 2018 global corruption index
The Philippines' score in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of Transparency International improved slightly, compared to 2017. Meanwhile, efforts against corruption have "stalled" in most countries, and corruption has "undermined democracy" worldwide, said the global watchdog in its report released on Tuesday, January 29.
Rappler

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

LABOR

Displaced Hanjin workers given assurance of priority employment in the country
The Department of Labor and Employment said re-employment in the country of Hanjin Heavy Industries workers affected by the company’s rehabilitation, a top priority. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III personally made this assurance to Hanjin workers and their union in a dialogue Monday.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine News Agency

TRANSPORTATION

LTFRB orders tight security measures in transport terminals
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has directed public utility vehicle (PUV) operators to implement stricter security measures in terminals following the deadly twin blasts in Jolo, Sulu over the weekend. “The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board are directing all PUV operators to install safety equipment in terminals, following the bombing incident in Jolo, Sulu. 
Philippine News Agency

HEALTH 

Pinoys with HIV may reach 250,000 in 2030
The number of Filipinos living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may reach over 250,000 by 2030 if no drastic measures are done, with majority of new infections likely teens and young adults aged 15 to 24 based on current trends, the Forum for Family Planning and Development Inc. (The Forum) said Sunday.
Mindanews

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

De Lima wants Piñol held accountable for oversupply of fruits and vegetables
Detained Senator Leila de Lima has said the Duterte administration should hold Secretary Emmanuel Piñol accountable for the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) failure to address the concerns on the oversupply of fruits and vegetables that beset the farmers of Benguet instead of evading the issue.
Manila Bulletin

EDUCATION

DepEd will be more strict with age requirements for incoming pupils
This coming school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) will be more “strict” with the compliance of age requirements for particular grade levels prior to enrollment in both public and private schools.
Manila Bulletin

ENERGY



POVERTY

HOUSING

TOURISM

Palace: Jolo bombing won’t hurt Philippine tourism
The bomb attack  in Jolo, Sulu won’t adversely affect tourism in the Philippines, Malacañang said Tuesday, after the United Kingdom warned its citizens against travelling to parts of Mindanao and the south of Cebu “due to the threat of terrorism.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

LOOK: Which part of Manila Bay is swimmable?
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is aiming for “certain parts” of the Manila Bay to be safe for swimming by December. For bodies of water to be safe for swimming, the coliform levels should only be at 100 most probable number per milliliters (mpn).
Rappler

IN PHOTOS: After massive cleanup, here’s how Manila Bay looks now
Photos of a more pleasant, less toxic-looking Manila Bay coastline along Roxas Boulevard have been circulating online, as netizens applauded the result of a massive weekend cleanup drive. Here are some photos of the bay: 
ABS-CBN News

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Senate to look into Mislatel compliance with franchise terms
THE Senate committee on public services will resume its hearing looking into the selection process for the telecommunication industry’s third player on Wednesday. The panel is investigating the award of third-player status to a consortium that includes the Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc. (Mislatel), and whether the latter violated the conditions of its franchise.
Business World Online

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