NICA chief says CPP-NPA wants power, not peace
Despite several negotiations with the communist group, peace remains elusive because the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) used the talks as a means to overthrow the government. “We are not getting what we want which is peace because they do not really want peace, they want power,” National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo said in an interview at the Philippine Daily Inquirer office on June 18.
Philippine News Agency

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Outnumbered by soldiers, Duterte says NPA should just surrender
President Duterte said communist rebels will never be able to overpower the government, given their limited resources and being outnumbered by the soldiers. In a speech at Camp General Vicente Lukban in Catbalogan City Wednesday, Duterte suggested that members of the New People’s Army (NPA) should just surrender.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte: Communist insurgency in Eastern Visayas will end soon
President Duterte expressed renewed confidence that the country will soon see the end of communist insurgency in Eastern Visayas, encouraging the rebels anew to abandon their ideology.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine Star, Philippine News Agency

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Duterte is smart in serving his selfish interest but utterly stupid in betraying the Filipino nation    
Duterte is greedy and smart in serving his personal and family interest. But he is utterly stupid and despicable for betraying the sovereign rights and interests of the Filipino nation by selling out cheaply the natural wealth of the Philippines in exchange for commissions in economic deals with China and for payoffs from Chinese criminal triads that smuggle in and distribute illegal drugs in the Philippines.
NDFP

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Duterte honors soldiers killed, hurt in bloody Samar clash
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night led the awarding of the Order of Lapu-Lapu to the soldiers killed and wounded in a clash with communist terrorists in Calbiga, Samar two months ago.
Philippine News Agency 

Tribal community declares NPA as ‘persona non grata’
Another tribal community in Surigao del Sur has declared the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, as persona non grata. “We can no longer tolerate and just close our eyes on the rampant killings, threat, and intimidation being perpetrated by the CPP-NPA,” the tribal leader of Ominugra to Banwa said to Pabukada-a group of Lumad.
The Mindanao Times

No harassment by military in Mindoro town, says AFP brass
The commanding general of the Philippine Army's 203rd Infantry Brigade said accusations of harassment hurled against government troops by militant group Karapatan-Southern Tagalog are "baseless and untrue". Brig. Gen. Marceliano Teofilo said on Thursday that all the actions of the military in the aftermath of an encounter with communist rebels were above-board.
Philippine News Agency

Army turns over ex-rebels’ firearms to DILG, police
Four long firearms surrendered by former rebels in central Negros were endorsed by the Philippine Army to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Negros Occidental on Wednesday.
Philippine News Agency

One Milisyang Bayan, mass supporter surrender to Army
On 9:00am of June 18, 2019 one (1) Milisyang Bayan nine (9) other mass supporters voluntarily surrendered to Lieutenant Colonel Esteveyn E Ducusin, Commanding Officer of 71 st Infantry (Kaibigan) Battalion MB) at Headquarters of 71IB at Purok 8, Brgy. Nueva Visayas, Mawab Compostela Valley.
Kalinaw News

3 NPA rebels surrender in Bukidnon
HREE communist rebels have turned themselves in to the Army's 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) and yielded five anti-personnel mines and a rifle in Kalabugao, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon on Wednesday, June 19.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro, The Mindanao Times

NPA officer yields 9 IEDs
A ranking political officer of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered and turned over several explosives to members of the 16th Infantry Battalion based in Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District on Tuesday.
The Mindanao Times

Peace Talks

Incidents/ Operations    

PRO-9 steps up surveillance vs foreign terrorists
Police have stepped up surveillance in the region in response to the arrest in Zamboanga City of a Pakistani man with alleged links to Dawlah Islamiyah. Police Brig. Gen. Froilan Quidilla, director of Police Regional Office 9, has directed local police to work with other law enforcement agencies to track down foreign terrorists who may be in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Police Maj. Helen Galvez, regional spokesperson said.
Philippine Star

MARAWI

On World Refugee Day, public urged to ‘help Marawi get back on its feet’
Peace advocates has called for stronger solidarity for the people of war-torn Marawi  who “continue to be internally displaced” and feel the “profound pains” of the siege that resulted in many deaths and destruction in the city.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

Shoes parade
AROUND a thousand pairs of footwear are placed along the Sarimanok-Sagonsongan Diversion Road in Marawi City, symbolizing the civilians killed during the Marawi siege two years ago.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

DOH-10 OpCen steps up health care services for Marawi IDPs
In keeping with its commitment to continuously provide health care and medical assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPS) wrought by Marawi siege, the Department of Health (DOH)-10’s Satellite Operation Center conducted a series of health-related activities to the residents sheltered at the “Bakwit Village” in Barangay Pangue, Matungao, Lanao del Norte.
Bangon Marawi

Japan biz group to plant 10K Sakura seeds in Davao, Marawi
As they bank on building deeper relations with the Philippines, a Japanese business group on Thursday bared its plans of planting Sakura seeds in Mintal, Davao City and Marawi City in Lanao del Sur.
Philippine News Agency

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD     

Human Trafficking Continues To Be Used By Terrorists: The ICC Must Address It
Earlier this week, Julia Crawford from justiceinfo.net discussed the reasons why the International Criminal Court (ICC) has failed to prioritize human trafficking. These can be boiled down to three systemic obstacles: lack of evidence against criminals, stigma, and domestic laws that fail to protect the victims they should be assisting.
Forbes

UN Security Council condemns terrorist attack in Nigeria
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Sunday's terrorist attack in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno that killed at least 30 people.
Xinhua

Months after the fall of ISIS, Europe has done little to take back its fighters
European leaders have hammered the United States for nearly two decades about the injustice of Guantanamo Bay, where prisoners are held indefinitely at a detention camp outside the normal U.S. justice system.
The Washington Post

Terror group funding loophole must be closed
Khalifa Al Subaiy spent six months in prison in Qatar for financing terrorism and enabling others to be trained abroad. On his release in March 2008, he spent years channelling funds to senior Al Qaeda henchmen and dispatched recruits to the terror group’s training camps in Pakistan.
The National UAE

New Zealand Opens Gun Buyback After Mosque Killings
New Zealand opened a gun buyback scheme Thursday aimed at ridding the country of semi-automatic weapons similar to those used in the Christchurch mosque attacks that killed 51 Muslim worshippers.
Asharq Al-Awsat

Manila tour promotes closer Muslim-Christian ties
Quiapo district in the Philippine capital Manila has always been a hub of commerce and a center of piety among Filipino Catholics. It is home to shops that offer low prices and to the centuries-old image of the Black Nazarene, which is housed in a church in the middle of a busy marketplace.
La Croix International

Goodbye, Bapa Sam (A tribute to Sammy P. Maulana)
You were fresh from a long detention at Fort Bonifacio when we met after Edsa in 1986. You were politically tagged when everyone who was against the prevailing system was being Leftist – and was charged of subversion under the now repealed R.A. 9600, I was told.
Mindanews

BARMM

Bangsamoro transition officials, staff unpaid for months now, says member
The 80 members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority and their respective staff have received no salaries since the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao was established four months ago. Lawyer Laisa Masuhud Alamia, a member of the BTA, said the transition panel remained largely unfunded.
GMA News

Law enforcement ops vital in maintaining peace in BARMM
Enhancing law enforcement operations is vital in maintaining peace and security in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), particularly within government-acknowledged Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camps.
Philippine News Agency 

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

Good news greet Cotabato City as it turns 60
This city celebrated today its 60th foundation anniversary as chartered city with three good news. First, it is celebrating its diamond jubilee, second, it is one of the top 4 most competitive cities in Mindanao, coming next to Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Tagum cities, and that the Sangguniang Panglungsod received the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), Local Legislative Awards 2018.
NDBC News

Army takes over posts of Marines in Maguindanao
Army personnel will take over the areas in Maguindanao towns vacated by the Marines this week for deployment Sulu to augment security forces fighting the Abu Sayyaf in the hostile island province.
NDBC News

NORTH COTABATO

LANAO PROVINCES

Sunio: No 'proof of existence'
WHAT would you do if the government does not even recognize your existence? A Certificate of Live Birth (Colb) is a proof of one’s citizenship. By having one, a person may access some of the State’s basic services such as education and hospitalization, among others. 
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

BASILAN

Poorest village chair reigns in Basilan town
Barangay Linuan, one of 16 villages in Basilan’s Al-Barka town, is now ruled by a Muslim cleric trying to abide by the modest leadership style required by his religion. For Ustaz (Islamic cleric) Abdulhalim Maranie Atain, poverty is a natural stimulant for good governance.
Manila Bulletin

SULU 

Abus snatch, kill retired gov’t employee in Sulu
Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits killed a retired government employee they seized in Patikul, Sulu on Sunday. The bandits also reportedly ransacked the house of Kirah Tiblan in Sitio Lingon Gitung, Barangay Igasan before setting it on fire.
Philippine Star

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

PDEA takes measures to deter use of private airstrips and ports for drug trafficking
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has taken proactive measures to deter the use of private airstrips and private ports as entry and exit points of illegal drugs.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine Star

Int’l drug crime boss had heyday in Philippines, says book
An international drug kingpin now awaiting sentencing in the United States had operated his crime network unmolested from his base in the Philippines by bribing high officials that included those from the national government and police, according to a new book that detailed the crime empire built by Paul Calder-Le Roux, a South African information technology (IT) genius who turned his internet drug distribution network into one of the world’s biggest underworld organization.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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PNP to also probe alleged drug link of murdered ex-Cebu town mayor
Investigation on the murder of a former mayor of Medellin, Cebu will include his alleged links to the illegal drug trade, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said Thursday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Operations/ Incidents

Ex-Catholic priest nabbed for selling shabu in North Cotabato
Police arrested on Wednesday a former Catholic priest for peddling illegal drugs during an anti-drug operation in Matalam town, North Cotabato, police said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, NDBC News

Drug suspect slain at cemetery in Nueva Ecija buy-bust
A suspected drug peddler was killed inside a public cemetery here after a shootout with policemen in a buy-bust operation on Thursday. Police Capt. Ronnie Caagbay, the town’s police chief, identified the suspect as Ronald Grevialde, a resident of Barangay Platero here.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Cop shot dead while driving his car in Cebu town
A policeman was shot dead by unknown assailants on Thursday in Barangay Poblacion, Cordova town. Police Chief Master Sergeant Deogenes Carrillo, the acting deputy chief of the Cordova Police Station, was driving his car on his way home to Barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City past 10 a.m. when two men on board a motorcycle shot him several times.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Suspected drug pusher dead in Laguna
A suspected illegal drug pusher was killed in a buy-bust operation in Calamba City in Laguna province on Thursday. Laguna police director Col. Eleazar Matta, in a text message, identified the suspect as Marco Magnaye, a resident of Barangay Pansol.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

QC drug bust yields P480K worth of shabu, 3 arrested
Three suspected drug pushers were arrested and some P480,000 worth of shabu were seized during a buy-bust operation in Fairview, Quezon City on Wednesday night.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

27 suspects nabbed in Bulacan anti-drug ops
Twenty-seven drug suspects were arrested in separate anti-illegal drug operations conducted by Bulacan police Wednesday and early morning of Thursday.
Philippine News Agency 

4 'pushers' arrested in NegOr drug operations
Anti-illegal drug operatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP) in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Negros Oriental have arrested four suspected drug pushers in separate operations in several parts of the province.
Philippine News Agency 

2 Cebu traffic aides nabbed in drug bust
Two traffic enforcers of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) were arrested Wednesday night in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Tejero here. Nabbed were Ervic Navarro, 38, of Barangay Inayawan, and Francis Mordeno, 40, of Barangay T. Padilla, Cebu City. Both are traffic aides of CCTO.
Philippine News Agency 

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

P22.5-M smuggled cigarettes seized in Zamboanga
The Naval Forces Western Mindanao (Navforwem) intercepted on Thursday a shipment of an estimated PHP22.5 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off this southern port city, an official said.
Philippine News Agency 

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

KIDNAP FOR RANSOM

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

TURNING POINT: Fraud, the Land of Promise
“If it’s too good to be true, it’s fraud.” So said President Rodrigo Duterte on the KAPA investment scam that victimized millions of Filipinos.
Mindanews

Kapa members give Duterte an ultimatum
MEMBERS of Kapa-Community Ministry International Inc. (Kapa) hold a two-day synchronized rally, which was started Thursday, June 20, in different areas in the Philippines, hoping that their pleas to reopen the investment firm will be heard.
Sunstar Davao 

Rough Cuts | This other face of greed
The operators of illegal Ponzi style investment schemes that have proliferated lately in Mindanao and expanding over the Visayas and Luzon areas are not the only greedy individuals in this part of the planet. We have also noted that residential subdivision developers and most of their partners have long been in insatiable greed.
The Mindanao Times 

Police targets firms 'secretly operating' investment schemes
The Police Regional Office (PRO-11) here is monitoring companies secretly engaging in investment schemes. P/Brig. Gen. Marcelo Morales, PRO-11 Director, said the Regional Inter-agency Task Force (RITF) already laid down plans against these firms, which continued to operate secretly despite the series of raids conducted by government authorities to stop them.
Philippine News Agency 
 

UNCHR reports high level of internal displacement in PH    
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) tagged the Philippines as among the countries with high levels of internally displaced persons (IDPs) by the end of 2018. In its Global Trends Forced Displacement report, the international agency said that the Philippines has as many as 212,600 victims of forced internal displacement “due to armed conflict, generalized violence and human rights violations.”
Kodao

Press Freedom/ Freedom of Expression

Martial Law 

SC junks pleas vs. martial law extension with finality
The Supreme Court (SC) denied for being moot the motions for reconsideration filed by parties in four cases which questioned the validity of a resolution by both houses of Congress approving the extension of the declaration of martial law and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao.
Philippine News Agency, CNN Philippines

Mayor Sara to ask President Duterte to exempt Davao City from martial law
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will request her father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, to exempt Davao City from his declaration of martial law and only place areas under military rule where peace and order is unstable because “it doesn’t have to be the entire area of Mindanao.”
Mindanews

PRRD limits incentive rates for GOCC directors
The Office of the President has approved the revised Interim Performance-Based Incentive (PBI) System for the appointive directors of Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), as proposed by the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG), setting the limits and conditions on its grant.
Philippine News Agency 

Duterte OKs Tesda ‘blueprint’ to boost vocational sector
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the adoption of the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan (NTESDP) 2018 -2022.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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ELECTION RELATED

DICT to present proposal on alternative automated election system
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is set to present its proposal for an alternative automated election system on Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DISASTER

MINDANAO

SWS: Families in Mindanao who consider themselves poor decline to 37%
The number of families in Mindanao who considered themselves poor has declined to 37% in the first quarter of 2019, the lowest in almost a decade, according to the first quarter 2019 survey of the Social Weather Survey (SWS) on Self-Rated Poverty (SRP) released on June 18.
Mindanews

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

House of Representatives

Romualdez bats for more military budget
Leyte Representative-elect Martin Romualdez has joined President Rodrigo Duterte in calling for more budget allocation for the Armed Forces modernization plan and improvement of welfare programs for the families of military personnel.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUDGET, FINANCE and TAXATION

Gov’t disbursements decline in first 5 months after budget delay
FUNDING releases backed by Notices of Cash Allocation (NCAs) fell 13.48% to P1.136 trillion in the first five months, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said. In the five months to May, P1.050 trillion of the releases was utilized, down 3.22% from a year earlier, the DBM said.
Business World Online

DOF pushing Congress to relax trade, investment, public service measures
The Duterte administration will again push for the passage of its trade and investment measures in the 18th Congress and attempt to lift the foreign ownership limits in certain sectors, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.
Manila Bulletin

BIR forms two regions in Metro Manila to monitor more than P400-B taxes
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has formed two regions in Metro Manila to supervise and monitor closely the assessment and payment of taxes estimated at more than P400 billion for the year.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

PNP-IMEG arrests 4 cops, civilian employee for drinking, online ‘sabong’
Four policemen and a civilian employee of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were arrested after they were caught engaging in a drinking session in Cubao, Quezon City.
Manila Bulletin

‘Treat subordinates with respect’, Eleazar warns commanders of maltreatment
Major General Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), warned on Thursday all police commanders to treat their men with respect amid the controversial bullying of a police general on a female cop in San Juan last month.
Manila Bulletin

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

Peso appreciates for 3rd consecutive day
The Philippine peso extended its winning streak against the US dollar for the third consecutive trading day on Thursday, as the Federal Reserve opened the possibility to more rate cuts for the rest of the year.
GMA News

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

JICA supports five railway projects with P285-B loans
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is supporting five priority railway projects of the Duterte administration with a total loan commitment of 595 billion yen (approximately P285 billion).
Manila Bulletin

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

AUDIT, GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

Trillanes claims Duterte ‘never’ tried to stop corruption
President Duterte cannot stamp out corruption in government because he “never” tried and even tolerated it, opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed.
Manila Bulletin

COA calls out DOJ for 'huge' travel spending
The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out the Department of Justice (DOJ) for “huge amounts of traveling expenses” amounting to P5.5 million benefiting the same group of officials and personnel in 2018.
Rappler

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

China’s sea militia fingerprint seen in Reed Bank sinking
The sinking of a Filipino fishing boat at Reed Bank has raised fears it might be the handiwork of Beijing’s maritime militia, a crucial component of its sea force asserting its sweeping claims over the South China Sea.
ABS-CBN News

China proposes joint investigation of Recto Bank boat sinking incident
China on Thursday proposed a joint investigation with the Philippines regarding the recent sinking of a Filipino fishing vessel off the waters of Reed Bank in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to be conducted at an “early date.”
Manila Bulletin, Rappler

Duterte open to PH-China probe into Recto Bank boat sinking
President Rodrigo Duterte finds a joint Philippines-China investigation into the Recto (Reed) Bank boat sinking acceptable, Malacañang said on Thursday, June 20. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Chief Executive "welcomes" such a probe, which was suggested by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Rappler

Guevarra proposes PH-China probe of Recto Bank incident
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Thursday, June 20, that he has proposed a joint inquiry with China into the sinking of a Philippine boat in Recto Bank (Reed Bank) in the West Philippine Sea.
Rappler

Joint exploration deal with China could have prevented ramming incident — Cayetano
The implementation of the proposed joint exploration between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea could have prevented the ramming incident involving vessels of the two countries, former Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano said Thursday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

‘Let us not build China’s defenses for them’ – Gordon
The Philippine government should “stick to its strongest position” and not “build China’s defenses for them,” Senator Richard Gordon said Thursday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

Solon accuses gov’t of ‘pressuring, threatening’ skipper of PH boat
An opposition lawmaker in the House of Representatives said it is no longer surprising that Junel Insigne, the captain of the Filipino boat rammed by a Chinese vessel in the West Philippine Sea, seemed to have changed his tune after meeting Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol on Wednesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Piñol denies govt intimidated Filipino fishers into revising Reed Bank story
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has denied allegations the government intimidated the 22 Filipino fishermen in the Recto Bank incident into changing their initial story.
Manila Bulletin

Robredo to dialogue with Gem-Ver fishermen on June 21
Vice President Leni Robredo is set to visit on Friday, June 21, the 22 fishermen of F/B Gem-Ver, the boat that was rammed and sunk by a Chinesse vessel in the West Philippine Sea.
Rappler

Changing narratives make a fishy story
Let us go back to the original version of this story when it first broke out in the media. While the Filipino nation was observing our Independence Day last June 12, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana broke the news that about 22 of our fishermen on board the F/B Gem-Ver nearly perished at Recto Bank located at West Philippine Sea.
Philippine Star

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Rushed oil search by ‘MVP’ firm triggered hostile stance toward China
IT was the rush by an “MVP” firm to implement its tight program to extract oil and gas in Recto Bank in 2011 that triggered a chain of events which, under President Aquino 3rd, resulted in making China the Philippines’ de facto foe. 
The Manila Times

South China Sea: Satellite image shows Chinese fighter jets deployed to contested island
A satellite image obtained by CNN International shows China has deployed at least four J-10 fighter jets to the contested Woody Island in the South China Sea, the first known deployment of fighter jets there since 2017.
CNN Philippines

LABOR

35 illegal Chinese construction workers arrested, to be deported
Thirty-five illegal Chinese workers will be deported and barred from reentering the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Thursday. “We will initiate deportation proceedings against these illegal aliens for blatantly disobeying the law,” BI chief Jaime Morente said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TRANSPORTATION

Airline companies to face stiffer penalties for slot misuse — DOTr
Airline operators that misuse their allocated slots at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) are set to face stiffer sanctions, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Thursday after transport officials signed a memorandum seeking for the efficient utilitization of airport slots to help decongest the country’s busiest airport.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

HEALTH 

Retired military general to get PhilHealth top post
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday confirmed that retired Gen. Ricardo Morales is poised to take the helm of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) at a time when the state insurance firm is under fire for corruption as well as for failing to spot bogus claims.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rappler

Lacson to Duque: Claiming ignorance not a valid defense
The claim of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III that he is no longer involved in the transaction between his family and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is “not a valid defense,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said Thursday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

EDUCATION

Teachers’ group thumbs down staggered pay hike
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio denounced Thursday the warning of business groups that an immediate salary increase for public school teachers would worsen the pay disparity between public and private school personnel.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

4 Philippine universities among world’s top 1000
Four universities in the Philippines made it to the QS World University Rankings 2020. The rankings, released on Wednesday, showed that University of the Philippines (UP), the country’s flagship state university, moved up from 384th last year to 356th.
Manila Bulletin

ENERGY

POVERTY

HOUSING

TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

DENR warns Manila Bay polluters of full operations shutdown
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would not just close establishments polluting Manila Bay, they would also order a full shutdown of their operations.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Water crisis

MWSS to water firms: Strictly observe published service interruptions
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System has pressed Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services to strictly follow their published schedule of water service interruptions.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

Red Cross readies tankers for water supply of Metro Manila hospitals
Senator Richard Gordon who is also the chairman of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), ordered the preparation of PRC water tankers for the delivery of water in Metro Manila amid the impending water shortage.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Angat Dam water level nears critical mark
Angat Dam’s water elevation level on Thursday dropped to160.73 meters, down 0.57 meters from Wednesday’s level (161.26 meters), data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) showed.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

DICT: Too late for telcos to question waived interconnection fee
It is “too late” for telecommunications companies (telcos) to question the removal of all interconnection fees as mandated by the Mobile Number Portability Act, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Is Social Media Simply Too Sick And Depraved To Continue?
The Verge’s latest expose on the inhuman working conditions of Facebook’s content moderators sheds light once again on the depravity of the human condition and the indescribable horrors that people all across the world share on social media. Has social media become so dark as to be beyond hope?
Forbes

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR