Peace Talks

Incidents/ Operations   

NPA losing heavily in eastern Mindanao – military
The New People’s Army (NPA) operating in the area of responsibility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) has reportedly been suffering from severe setbacks as a result of the relentless security operations for the past three days.
Manila Bulletin

New People’s Army members kill militiaman in Negros Oriental
BACOLOD CITY , Philippines — The New People’s Army has claimed responsibility for the killing of a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Monday.
Philippine Star

Rebels, Army clash in Antique
ILOILO City – Ten days before the 50th anniversary of the New People’s Army (NPA) on March 29, government troops clashed with rebels in Barangay Osorio 1, San Remegio, Antique.
Panay News

Former front members yield to Cagayan LGU
At least 1,500 former members of various front organizations with ties to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) gathered at the Cagayan Provincial Capitol to participate in the flag raising ceremony on Monday morning, March 18, 2019.
Manila Bulletin

Karapatan condemns military for its human rights stance
The human rights watchdog Karapatan has condemned the military for supposedly boosting the illustrious human rights record of the current administration which the group claimed was “pure bunk’’.
Manila Bulletin







 

2 Abu Sayyaf bandits killed in Sulu encounter
TALIPAO, Sulu--Two Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed in a clash with government forces Tuesday afternoon here.
ABS-CBN News

DND: Only 10 IS men in PH
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday debunked a claim by an international security analyst that some 100 Islamic State (IS)-inspired terrorists have moved their operations to Mindanao.
Philippine Daily Inquirer


MARAWI

DOJ sets 1st hearing on Marawi vice mayor’s alleged role in siege
MARAWI City Vice Mayor Arafat Salic will undergo preliminary investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) over his alleged involvement in the 2017 Marawi siege that resulted in the death of nearly 200 persons.
Business Mirror

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD      

New Zealand’s Ardern vows never to speak killer’s name
Christchurch, New Zealand – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed Tuesday never to utter the name of the twin-mosque gunman as she opened a somber session of parliament with an evocative “as salaam alaikum” message of peace to Muslims.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DFA monitoring Utrecht shooting
The Philippine government is monitoring a shooting incident in Utrecht in the Netherlands that has left several persons wounded.
“The Philippines is greatly saddened that such an incident has occurred in a peaceful country such as the Netherlands. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dutch people and government during this difficult time,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.
Manila Bulletin

Australian PM pushes G20 to tackle internet extremism
SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called on world leaders to press technology firms to tackle the “ungoverned” space of extremist internet content in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.
Manila Times

New Zealanders give up guns after massacre, but some face blowback
CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealanders have begun handing in weapons in response to government appeals following the Christchurch massacre, but the gesture has put some squarely in the social media firing line.
Manila Times

NZ premier Ardern vows mosque gunman will face ‘full force of law’
CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised on Tuesday that the man responsible for last week’s deadly mosque massacres would face “the full force of the law”, as she vowed never to utter his name.
Manila Times






 

BARMM

Jabidah massacre remembered in BARMM
COTABATO CITY — The 51st anniversary of the Jabidah mas­sacre drew three separate com­memorations on Monday, two of which were held in this city, the official seat now of the Bang­samoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Manila Bulletin

Environment MILF’s new ‘war’
Cotabato City—War is most destructive to the environment, but in peace the Moro Islamic Liberation Front turns to being a leading steward of Mother Earth.
Manila Standard



MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

NORTH COTABATO

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

Troops recover Sayyaf’s remains, rifle after clash in Basilan
Sporadic gunfights between military troops and 10 Abu Sayyaf members under Furudji Indama Tuesday in Basilan resulted in the death of a militant and the seizure of a high-powered firearm.
Philippine News Agency, Manila Bulletin 

SULU 

TAWI-TAWI 

Tawi-Tawi eyed as world-class economic zone
ZAMBOANGA CIY – A group of Japanese businessmen and former governor of Tawi-Tawi led in the ground breaking, Monday of the $2- billion, or approximately P100- Billion, of an “economic zone and trans-shipment port” in Panglima Sugala in Tawi-Tawi.
Manila Bulletin

DRUGS

Operations/ Incidents

2 Aussies, 4 others nabbed in ‘shabu’ session in Angeles City
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Six drug suspects, including two Australians, were arrested during an anti-illegal drugs operation in Angeles City on Monday, police said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

P1.37-M shabu, firearms seized from slain suspects in NegOcc
BACOLOD CITY -- Police operatives recovered PHP1.37 million worth of suspected shabu and a cache of firearms after the buy-bust operation that claimed the lives of four drug suspects in Manapla, Negros Occidental on Monday morning.
Philippine News Agency

PDEA agents bust 4 Chinese citizens with P1.1 billion worth of shabu in Ayala Alabang
Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) nabbed four Chinese citizens and confiscated 149 kilograms of shabu with an estimated market value of P1.1 billion during a buy-bust operation at the posh Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City Tuesday night.
Manila Bulletin ABS-CBN News

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

KIDNAPPING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

Palace: Int’l organizations ‘unconsciously conspiring’ vs Duterte
MANILA, Philippines—International human rights groups “appear to have conspired” against President Rodrigo Duterte in criticizing his brutal war on drugs, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ICC to push through with PH probe despite withdrawal from statute
An International Criminal Court prosecutor on Monday said the Philippines will still be examined for alleged crimes against humanity despite its withdrawal from the Rome Statute.
Manila Bulletin

PH can’t quit ICC — Drilon
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Monday said the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) “must be [done] with the concurrence of the majority of the senators.”
Manila Times

Duterte's withdrawal from ICC an 'act of desperation' – Human Rights Watch
'[President Rodrigo Duterte]'s bald-faced effort to protect himself from the court’s reach looks more like an act of desperation for a man who appears deeply implicated in alleged crimes against humanity,' HRW's Param-Preet Singh says.
Rappler

Can PH return to ICC in the time of Duterte? ‘Yes, through void ab initio’
MANILA, Philippines – The Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Tuesday, March 19, that it hopes the Philippines can rejoin the tribunal in the future.
Rappler

 Press Freedom/Freedom of Expressioin

Killings 

Quezon police chief axed after ‘shootout’ between cops and mayor’s son
MANILA, Philippines — The director of the Quezon Police Provincial Office has been relieved from his post for command responsibility in the wake of the alleged shooting incident between police officers and the son of a Quezon town mayor, Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, director of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police, said on Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer Rappler

Pangasinan teen dead, mother hurt in gun attack
DAGUPAN CITY — A 15-year-old student was killed while his mother was wounded when an unidentified gunmen shot them while they were sleeping inside their house in Umingan, Pangasinan on Monday, police said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lumad kid slain in Davao del Norte
DAVAO CITY — A 15-year-old Lumad was allegedly shot dead by a militiaman in the hinterlands of Talaingod, Davao del Norte last March 15, a spokesperson of child rights advocacy group said on Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Martial Law  

ELECTION RELATED

Police, Comelec list 54 Ewas in Central Visayas
THE police has identified 54 places in Central Visayas as election watchlist areas (Ewas) for the May 13 midterm elections.
Sun Star

Comelec admits ‘difficulty’ in catching vote buyers
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it would be “difficult” to act on reports regarding candidates distributing cash to disaster displaced families and consider it as vote buying.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Army renews call for peaceful, orderly polls in Samar
TACLOBAN CITY -- The top army official in Eastern Visayas is asking local candidates in Samar province to refrain from resorting to violence and vote buying to win in the May 2019 midterm elections.
Philippine News Agency

Opposition

Administration

Election-related Violence, Incidents and operations

DISASTER

Bridge in Davao Oriental impassable due to ‘Chedeng’
DAVAO CITY — A bridge in Mati, Davao Oriental is now impassable due to damage caused by Tropical Depression “Chedeng” as it moved closer towards Davao Occidental on Tuesday morning.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

471 families evacuated as ‘Chedeng’ landfalls in Davao Occidental
MALITA, Davao Occidental — At least 471 families evacuated to safer ground and evacuation area here and the nearby town of Don Marcelino, the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said on Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Davao City gov’t deploys buses to ferry stranded commuters
DAVAO CITY – The Davao City government provided free bus rides for stranded commuters, starting 1 p.m. Tuesday, after the low pressure area (LPA) brought heavy rains here that kept many public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers from plying their usual routes.
Manila Bulletin

MINDANAO

GenSan police gets new patrol cars, assault rifles
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The city government has donated eight new patrol cars and 10 additional assault rifles worth over PHP11 million to the city police, as part of its peace and security interventions.
Philippine News Agency

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

Boracay workers, tourist appeal Supreme Court ruling for island closure
The two Boracay workers and a tourist who challenged the six-month island closure have appealed the Supreme Court ruling upholding the rehabilitative shutdown.
GMA News Online Rappler

LEGISLATIVE

Motorcyclists buck double plates law
Some 200 motorcycle riders and manufacturers went to the Senate on Tuesday to express their opposition to a law recently signed by President Rodrigo Duterte that mandated the use of bigger license plates on the front and back of motorcycles.
Philippine Daily Inquirer


Law abolishing Road Board signed
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19) — President Rodrigo Duterte has finally signed the law abolishing the graft-ridden Road Board.
The President enacted Republic Act (RA) 11239 on March 8, according to the document released by Malacañang on Tuesday. The law abolishes the Road Board, which previously manage the road user's tax or motor vehicle user's charge (MVUC) for repair and maintenance of roads. State auditors have repeatedly slammed the agency for supposed fund irregularities.
CNN Philippines

Sotto nixes more meetings with House on 2019 budget
MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday said the Senate will no longer agree to a meeting with the House of Representatives regarding the issues plaguing the still-pending 2019 budget.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Arroyo: House has not withdrawn its version of budget
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has not withdrawn its version of the proposed 2019 national budget, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo clarified on Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lacson: ‘Dizzying pork’ causing budget impasse in the House
MANILA, Philippines — The waiting game starts for the Senate after the House of Representatives failed to recall on Monday its new version of the 2019 General Appropriation Bill (GAB).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUDGET, FINANCE and TAXATION

Government posts higher budget surplus over low spending in reenacted budget
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19) — The delayed 2019 budget is rearing its ugly head in the form of low spending that has resulted in a budget surplus in January - four times more that what was posted in the same month in 2018, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said Tuesday
CNN Philippines

BSP seen cutting RRR to boost money supply
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may slash its reserve requirement ratios (RRR) this month, as cash supply growth in recent months was stuck at single digit, according to a local economist.
Buisness Mirror

Treasury makes partial award of T-bills
THE Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised P13.442 billion from the partial award of all the T-bills it auctioned on Monday, with the government tempering rates for the security due to lower inflation.
Business Mirror

BIR income tax forms for mixed earners/estates/trust now available
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said on Tuesday that mixed income earners as well as estates and trusts filers may now start submitting their 2018 returns manually following the release of the revised BIR Form No.1701.
Manila Bulletin

Gov’t underspends P500 M a day as budget squabble continues
The government is losing the op­portunity to provide funds amounting to around P500 million a day for better education, healthcare, infrastructure and job creation with every week that the Duterte administration is forced to operate on a reenacted budget, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

Año to mayors: Revoke business permits of establishments polluting Manila Bay
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has directed local government leaders to revoke the business permits of establishments inside the Manila Bay Watershed Area that are violating environmental laws.
GMA News Online Manila Bulletin Philippine Daily Inquirer


DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Philippine Air Force receives Huey spare parts from Japan
CLARK FREEPORT — Some of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) Huey helicopters that are idle in hangars will soon be back in the skies.
Philippine Daily Inquirer Manila Bulletin

US Navy won't alter sail-bys at sea despite China maneuver
MANILA -- The US Navy won't alter its so-called "freedom of navigation" sail-bys in the disputed South China Sea and has pressed ahead with such operations despite a dangerous maneuver by a Chinese navy ship against an American destroyer, a senior US Navy commander said Monday.
Sun Star Manila

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

PH will disclose infra deals with China, Palace assures
Malacañang is open to disclosing infrastructure agreements with Chinese companies to promote transparency in the bureaucracy.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Razon-Violago venture among new dams planned
THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) on Monday announced the construction of dams and other possible sources of water as long-term solutions to the water crisis in Metro Manila and nearby areas.
Business Mirror

PHL, China eyeing to forge more infrastructure deals
OFFICIALS from the Philippines and China are set to firm up new agreements on infrastructure cooperation, which would include the Duterte administration’s projects under the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).
Business Mirror

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

Sandigan junks plea of ex-Batangas lawmaker to dismiss graft case
MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has denied the request of former 4th District Batangas Rep. Oscar Gozos to dismiss the graft case against him which stemmed from the alleged anomalous purchase of farm equipment in 2004.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

CA affirms dismissal of 2 DSWD officials on PDAF allocation
The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed its 2018 decision that ordered the dismissal from service of two ranking officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the illegal release of P1 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
Manila Bulletin


FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

LABOR

TRANSPORTATION

MRT-3 suspending operations on Holy Week
MANILA, Philippines – The Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) management on Tuesday announced that it will suspend operations during the Holy Week to make way for annual general maintenance works.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Short circuit caused smoke at MRT-3 train – management
MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) said Tuesday that a short circuit caused the smoke inside one of its trains and prompted the unloading of passengers on Monday night.
Philippine Dailyl Inquirer

NLEX reduces toll rate hike by P1
The NLEX Corporation has reduced its toll rate hikes by P1 to mitigate the impact of recent adjustments approved by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) which shall take effect on March 20.
Manila Bulletin

Oil firms hike pump prices
Consumers will have to pay for more expensive fuel as oil companies announced a hefty price increase in gasoline effective on Tuesday morning.
Business Mirror

HEALTH 

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Government to amend palay-buying scheme–Piñol
DAVAO CITY—The government will come up with a new buying price for rice after the midterm elections in May, but Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the National Food Authority’s (NFA) procurement scheme will likely be favorable to farmers.
Business Mirror


EDUCATION

DepEd eyes insurance for teachers, learners in public, private schools nationwide
The Department of Education (DepEd) is looking at the possibility of providing year-round insurance to learners and teachers in all public and private schools nationwide.
Manila Bulletin


ENERGY

POVERTY

HOUSING

TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

Marinduque could soon be declared a mining-free zone
The House Committee on Natural Resources has endorsed for plenary approval a bill declaring the province of Marinduque a mining-free zone.
Manila Bulletin

DENR shuts down 1,800 gold processing plants in Diwalwal
MT DIWATA, Monkayo – The De­partment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) launched its three-day “Lihok Alang sa Naboc” program to implement a closure order to the 1,797 ball mill and the batch-type Carbon-in-Pulp (CIP) tank operators in Barangay Mt. Diwata (popularly known as Diwalwal) in Monkayo, Compostela Valley starting on Saturday.
Manila Bulletin

Mercury pollution assessment set for release
The Philippines is set to release its initial assessment of mercury pollution in the country in preparation for its ratification and implementation of the Minamata Convention, the world’s first legally binding treaty to phase out the highly toxic substance.
Manila Bulletin

Water crisis

MWSS clarifies: Manila Water can be penalized, but…
MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) on Tuesday clarified that it can indeed impose penalties on Manila Water Co. for its water service interruptions since March 8.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Possible ‘adjustment’ in water bills eyed for affected consumers  
MANILA, Philippines — Consumers of Manila Water Co. affected  by water  interruptions may expect “some relief” like an “adjustment” in their bills.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR