Truth prevailed about Reds-linked party-list groups: NTF ELCAC exec
A ranking official of the National Task Force to end Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) said Sunday the truth has prevailed about militant party-list groups after the latter’s severe vote losses.
Philippine News Agency, Manila Standard

-------------------------------

Bacolod police chief wants Reds declared ‘persona non grata’
Colonel Henry Biñas, the city’s police chief, wants to declare members of the Communist Army of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as “persona non grata.”
Panay News

Peace Talks

Incidents/ Operations    

Elected officials recommend diplomacy versus Islamic militants
Two governors -- a newcomer and the other to assume as congressman on June 30 -- want a peace program to quell religious extremism plaguing some areas in central Mindanao. Public officials close to North Cotabato governor-elect Nancy Catamco, congressional representative of the province, said Sunday she is likely to tap Moro elders to talk to misguided Islamic militants to determine what socio-economic and other humanitarian interventions are needed to hasten their reintegration into mainstream society.
NDBC News

Why ISIS has its eyes on the Philippines
With the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria, ISIS fighters are exporting their combat to other parts of the world. One of the places they're eyeing with interest is the Mindanao region in the southern part of the Philippines.
The New European

Anti-terror bill takes priority as sessions resume
The amendment to the Human Security Act is among the priority measures that the Senate intends to approve with today’s resumption of sessions after Congress went on break in February for the midterm elections.
Manila Standard, Business Mirror

MARAWI

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD     

Time for South Asia to more closely monitor regional terrorism with global reach
The Middle East traditionally has been seen as the cradle of terrorist threats that resonate globally; this year, however, has illustrated how a set of potential dangers exists in South Asia with the potential to ultimately wreak havoc around the world – crying out for closer monitoring.
South China Morning Post

The Terrorists Can Be Beaten, But Not the Way We’re Trying
Americans can all sleep a little easier knowing that across our government there are people who spend every waking moment thinking about how to stop global terrorism.  But we’d sleep a lot easier if we knew they were thinking about it the right way.
Bloomberg

Burkina Faso: The New Land of Islamic Jihad and Christian Slaughter
Last Sunday, May 12, in the small West African nation of Burkina Faso, as many as 30 armed Islamic terrorists stormed a Catholic church, slaughtered at least six Christian worshippers — including the officiating priest — then burned the church to the ground.
Gatestone Institute

This Is Why You Need Kidnapping Insurance For Travel
Before he left for a recent business trip to Lagos, Nigeria, Jay Libove had a thought: What if things took a turn for the worse? Specifically, did he need kidnapping insurance for travel?
Forbes

What's at stake for Libya?
On April 4, forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar launched a surprise attack on the capital, Tripoli, in an attempt to remove the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).
Aljazeera

Commentary: One racist slogan fuels violent extremism of many kinds
Every wave of terrorism has its intellectual point of departure. For al-Qaida’s attacks in the West, it was Osama bin Laden’s seminal Declaration of Jihad of 1996; in the case of Islamic State-inspired terrorism, it was the announcement of the Islamic caliphate in 2014.
Press Herald

Qatar participates in global conference to fight terrorism
Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe hosted yesterday an international conference on regional and international cooperation in counter-terrorism and its financing through drug trafficking and organised crime.
MENAFN

BARMM

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

A Mangudadatu elected 1st woman governor of Maguindanao
BESTING FIVE other candidates, Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu has won as the first woman governor of Maguindanao with 256,338 votes. Her closest rival was Freddie Mangudadatu, who received 201,565 votes. 
Business World Online

NORTH COTABATO

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

SULU 

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

Operations/ Incidents

Pipe installer nabbed with P2.8-million worth of illegal drugs
A pipe installer  landed behind bars after he was caught with 425 grams of suspected shabu valued at P2.8 million in a police operation in Barangay Mabolo on Sunday afternoon, May 19.
Cebu Daily News, Sunstar Cebu

3 drug suspects slain in Luzon
Three suspected drug traffickers and users were killed in separate incidents in Bulacan and Laguna over the weekend. Rustom Parata, 56, was shot dead by an unidentified assailant in front of his house in San Pedro, Laguna shortly after midnight yesterday.
Philippine Star

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

CHR 'ready to engage' next Congress in 'frank, factual' discussion about death penalty
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is prepared to engage in a "frank and factual" conversation about capital punishment with members of the 18th Congress, the agency's chair said Sunday.
CNN Philippines

#EndRainbowViolence is the wake-up call we need
Following the success of their #DontTellMeHowToDress campaign, SPARK! Philippines launched another exhibit to shed light to sexual misconduct and violence experienced by the LGBTQ+ community.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

UNICEF urges Senate not to lower minimum age of criminal responsibility
With the Senate set to debate on proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility, the United Nations' children's agency UNICEF over the weekend urged Congress to implement the Juvenile Justice Law instead.
GMA News

Press Freedom/ Freedom of Expression

Martial Law   

Martial Law year 2
THERE were fears when martial law in Mindanao was declared on May 23, 2017. Many feared that this may usher the country towards another dark history reminiscent of the late president Ferdinand Marcos' martial law. We take a closer look at Davao City and Davao Region to see how it has been coping with martial law in the last two years. 
Sunstar Davao

Duterte dispels rumors he’s in hospital, shows copy of Inquirer May 19 issue
Former special assistant to the president Christopher “Bong” Go released on Sunday photos of President Rodrigo Duterte to dispel speculations he was sick and was hospitalized. The photos showed the President having a snack with Go at the Bahay Pangarap in Malacañang. On the table was a May 19, Sunday issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Palace says Cardema deemed resigned, urges him to vacate NYC post
Malacañang on Sunday told National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Ronald Cardema to vacate his post as he was already deemed resigned after he filed for substitution as first nominee of the Duterte Youth party-list.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sara on Duterte’s prolonged absence: I have no news of his sickness or death
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she has not received any report of sickness or death of President Rodrigo Duterte following speculations he was hospitalized at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Pulong piqued by fake news saying his father President Duterte suffered cardiac arrest
Presidential son and this city’s incoming first district Representative Paolo Z. Duterte lambasted those who tried to spread wrong information that President Rodrigo Duterte was admitted to Cardinal Santos Medical Center due to cardiac arrest on Sunday.
Manila Bulletin

Palace on Duterte’s absence: He neither confirms nor denies he went to hospital
President Rodrigo Duterte neither confirmed nor denied he went to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Malacañang said Sunday, after speculations that he was hospitalized there.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

-------------------------------------

Sotto warns those ‘obsessed in wanting Duterte sick’: Beware of ‘karma’
Sen. Vicente Sotto III warned of “karma” as he questioned Sunday why some people were “obsessed in wanting” President Rodrigo Duterte sick.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Duterte rating ‘rubbed off’ on his Senate bets
THE high satisfaction rating of President Rodrigo Duterte “rubbed off” on his candidates for senator in the midterm elections, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said, as four of five core bets are poised to enter the Senate.
The Manila Times

--------------------------------------

Winners and losers under Duterte's 2019 budget
This year's fiscal plan is the most controversial yet, with both chambers of Congress accusing one another of manipulating items in the budget bill to suit their interests. It caused a months-long delay before its enactment, pushing the government to operate on a reenacted budget until the appropriations bill was signed on April 15. It meant that new projects were stalled, as the same amount of funds allocated in 2018 were used for the first quarter of 2019.
Rappler

ELECTION RELATED

Proclamation of winners of nat’l posts to take place this week — Comelec
The proclamation for the newly elected senators and party-list representatives may happen at most this Wednesday. This development came as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) await for the transmission of only six certificates of canvass (COCs) as of 3:35 p.m. of Sunday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Comelec prefers full, not partial, proclamation of Senate winners
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) prefers to have a full proclamation of all 12 of the newly elected senators instead of a partial proclamation of just six.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

-----------------------------------

PPCRV to release report on transparency server’s logs on Monday
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) will be releasing their report on the transparency server’s logs on Monday, Commission of Elections (Comelec) commissioner Rowena Guanzon said Sunday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Encoded election returns now nearly 50 percent — PPCRV
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said that as of 12 a.m. Sunday they had encoded 39,776 out of 87,540 election returns nationwide with still no major difference with figures from the transparency server.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Villar passes 25M votes, keeps lead in Senate race — PPCRV tally
Reelectionist Senator Cynthia Villar has garnered more than 25 million votes, the latest partial and unofficial tally from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) transparency server showed.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

------------------------------------

Canvassing of votes for senators, partylists nearly complete
The canvassing of votes for senators and partylists at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City is nearly complete. On Sunday, Commission on Elections Education and Information Department Assistant Director Frances Arabe reported that the canvassing of votes is now 96.41 percent complete.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

Election outcome
The Duterte administration won big in the midterm elections. Although the full tally still has to be completed, with 94.39% of voters already accounted for, the likelihood is that the opposition will suffer a shutout in the senatorial elections.
Business World Online

Midterm polls bare campaign lessons
THE RECENT MIDTERM elections showed the ineffectiveness of negative campaigning and the limits of social media drives, observers said in separate interviews late last week.
Business World Online

Comelec has reason to defer proclamation of winning senators, party-lists
IT does not raise public confidence in the recently concluded midterm elections and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to see the poll body eagerly schedule a proclamation of winners in the Senate and party-list races for 4 p.m. yesterday, issue invitations to the event, and then back off just hours later to announce that the proclamation would not push through.
The Manila Times

Sereno asks Comelec: How free were midterm polls from vote buying?
Former Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno on Sunday called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to explain different election-related complaints, particularly the alleged cases of vote-buying in the country during the polling season.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

HOW IT WORKS: Party-list seat allocation in the House
Unlike the senatorial race where the top 12 vote-getters can easily be proclaimed as the winners, determining successful party-list groups in elections is more complicated than simply determining the rankings.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DISASTER

Japanese volunteers conclude training on disaster management skills in PH
Three young Japanese volunteers have just concluded their activities in the Philippines to help the raise disaster management skills in some of the country’s most vulnerable areas such as Aklan, Negros Oriental and Albay.
Manila Bulletin

Demo showcases Diwata 2’s capabilities, value in times of disasters
A demonstration of Philippine microsatellite Diwata 2’s Amateur Radio Unit (ARU) was recently showcased by members of the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (STAMINA4Space) Program which can be used in times of disasters where lines of connection are unavailable.
Manila Bulletin

MINDANAO

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Trailblazing bills passed into national laws in the 17th Congress
With the first woman to become the Speaker of the House of Representatives, members of the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo-led 17th Congress made sure that even in a short period of time given to them before they bow out from the Lower House ahead the midterm elections, they still fulfilled the legislative agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte, proving the true functions of the Working House.
Manila Standard

A tribute to those who passed on
The 17th Congress is at a close, and in only a few weeks we welcome the 18th Congress with new names and familiar faces.  The 17th Congress saw significant bills filed, passionately deliberated in vehement readings, until finally becoming milestone laws. It was a combined effort from the working house of representatives. 
Manila Standard

SGMA: Epitome of #TheWorkingHouse
After a historic run as the first woman to lead the House of Representatives, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is about to finish her term as the representative of the second district of Pampanga and step down on her house speakership, she looked to leave as an inspiration to a magnitude of women in Congress.
Manila Standard

PDP-Laban to regain speakership — Pimentel
Buoyed by its successful campaign in the May 13 midterm elections, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is poised to secure the leadership of the House of Representatives, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said yesterday.
Philippine Star

Lagman tells House super majority to choose ‘common candidate for Speaker’
Opposition congressman Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman reckoned Sunday that those jockeying for the House Speakership who happened to be allies of President Rodrigo Duterte should just choose a “common administration candidate” among themselves.
Manila Bulletin

Congress resumes sessions
Both houses of Congress resume their sessions today in a bid to approve several pro-people measures in nine days before the 17th Congress formally adjourns sessions on June 7.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET, FINANCE and TAXATION

DOF, DOH step up efforts to get lawmakers to hike sin taxes
With just three more weeks before the 17th Congress officially comes to a close, the Departments of Health (DOH) and the Department of Finance (DOF) are pulling out all the stops to convince legislators to pass bills that will slap higher taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic drinks — or so-called sin products.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

PNP wants own plane, better equipment
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is hoping to have it own aircraft as well as high-end logistical and communications equipment to boost its capabilities in securing future elections.
Philippine Star

US National Security Cutter Bertholf visits Manila
The US Coast Guard cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) arrived in Manila for the first visit by a US cutter to the country in over seven years.
The Manila Times

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

Construction of PNR Clark Phase 1 to start Monday
The civil works component of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1 will start on Monday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said. Civil works include the construction of six commuters’ stations in the cities of Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, and towns of Marilao and Bocaue.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

Singapore, Philippines to strengthen bilateral relations
Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. had his introductory visit to Singapore on May 7 to 10 at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan.
The Manila Times

-----------------------------------

News Analysis: Diplomatic spat escalates over Philippines, Canada trash row
The diplomatic spat between Manila and Ottawa escalates as Canada failed to meet the May 15 deadline imposed by the Philippines to take back the tons of trash that the North American country illegally dumped in the Southeast Asian country from 2013 to 2014.
Xinhua

Trash talk in the Philippines reveals waste trails in Southeast Asia
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is notorious for exhibiting an unconventional diplomatic style and in recent weeks, ahead of local elections, he has picked a new foe. Duterte has been trash-talking the Canadian government – quite literally – insisting that containers of rubbish sent from Canada which have been sitting unwanted in Manila International Container Port and Subic Container Terminal for about five years be immediately returned to their country of origin.
The Interpreter

West Philippine Sea

LABOR

TRANSPORTATION

LRTA shoulders medical expenses of LRT-2 collision victims
The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) will be shouldering all medical expenses of 34 injured passengers in the collision of two coaches of the Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT-2).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The real reasons behind NAIA’s runway congestion
Through the peak summer months and especially during the Holy Week, social media sites were flooded with tirades about delayed flights, delayed landings and long waiting times in the taxiways resulting from NAIA’s runway congestion.
Business World Online

HEALTH 

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Fertilizer prices rise in April — PSA
THE average price of four grades of fertilizer increased year-on-year in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. The average price of Urea fertilizer rose 16% year-on-year to P1,153.59 per sack, but fell 0.1% compared with the previous month.
Business World Online

EDUCATION

Australia builds alternative school model in Samar
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson AO, attended the launch of the newly completed Alternative Learning System–Education and Skill Training (ALS-EST) Learning Center in Lawaan, Eastern Samar.
The Manila Times

ENERGY

POVERTY

HOUSING

TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

Philippine govt needs to invest in environmental R&D
Despite being tagged as a biodiversity hot spot, the economic and ecological potential of the country’s indigenous plant species remains untapped, as the majority of its flora have yet to be discovered and studied.
Business Mirror

Institutional issues plague mining law implementation–PIDS study
INSTITUTIONAL issues continued to plague the country’s implementation of mining laws, preventing the Philippines from maximizing the benefits of these policies, according to a Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) consultant. 
Business Mirror

Water crisis

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR