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Communist Rebellion
Food self-sufficiency can only be attained from the farmers’ struggle and movement for agrarian revolution!
This World Foodless Day, National Democratic Front – Negros reiterates call for genuine agrarian reform to ensure food self-sufficiency especially in the face of a worldwide pandemic. Ka Bayani Obrero, spokesperson of NDF-Negros, echoes the sentiments of farmers for free distribution of land to the tillers and enough agricultural support to ensure food security and sufficiency.
Communist Party of the Philippines 
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Concerning the Communist Party of the Philippines, The Philippine Revolution and International Situation
Interview with Jose Maria Sison
Communist Party of the Philippines 
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Cops, Army renew ties to eliminate NPA in Eastern Samar
Key police and military officials have laid out plans to dismantle the remaining guerrilla front of the communist terrorist group New People’s Army (NPA) in Eastern Samar.
Philippine News Agency

12 Ex-NPA Received P20,000.00 worth of Livelihood Cash Assistance from DSWD
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Office Region XI together with 27th Infantry Battalion, 10ID and 1003rd Brigade, 10ID handed-over the TWENTY THOUSAND PESOS (P20,000.00) worth of Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) Assistance to 12 former rebels held at Barangay Paquibato Proper, Paquibato District, Davao City on October 16, 2020.
Kallinaw News

Parents continue fight to raise awareness vs. NPA recruitment
Parents, whose children were once or still part of the communist rebellion, vowed to continue their fight and raise awareness that youth recruitment into the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) exists.
Philippine News Agency 

‘Testimonies’ from ex-rebels was basis of Badoy’s ‘red-tagging’ of Makabayan solons
Testimonies from supposed former rebels apparently served as basis for Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy in “terrorist-tagging” the Makabayan lawmakers of the House of Representatives.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Duterte Youth seeks probe of NPA youth recruitment, triggering ire of Kabataan partylist
The heat of the tense speakership squabble has barely subsided but a new feud is brewing in the House of Representatives, this time, involving representatives of youth partylist organizations.
Manila Bulletin

[Opinion] ‘Probe NPA campus recruits’
The Duterte Youth party-list representative has filed her first legislative measure, which is a resolution seeking to probe recruitment of the New People’s Army (NPA) in campuses and civic organizations.
Manila Times

Peace talks

Incidents/Operations


Suspect in Kidapawan radioman slay joins NPA: PTFoMS
In a desperate attempt to evade justice for the killing of Brigada News FM–Kidapawan station manager Eduardo Sanchez Dizon, prime suspect Dante Encarnacion Tabusares a.k.a. Bong Encarnacion has cowered behind the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) terrorist group by joining its ranks in Arakan, North Cotabato, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) confirmed.
Philippine News Agency 

Gov’t forces tighten watch for NPA supplies after food, toiletry cargo yields bombs, rebel items
Government forces are on a tighter watch at checkpoints in the Caraga region for communist guerrilla supply after a shipment of food and other items, believed to be headed to a New People’s Army (NPA) camp, had been seized in Surigao del Sur.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

NPA arms cache discovered in Zamboanga del Sur
Government troops have recovered an arms cache of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists in an area bordering Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur provinces, officials said Friday.
Philippine News Agency 
Extremism
‘Angels of Death’
Three years after it had stopped the Islamic State (IS) dead on its tracks from establishing an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia in Marawi City, the military now finds itself dealing with the same extremist violent group, this time in the form of suicide bombing.
Business Mirror 

Solon warns AFP vs ‘sweeping generalizations’ about Muslim schools
Madrasas or Muslim schools are centers of “peace and learning,” and are not breeding ground for terrorists, a lawmaker said Friday, warning the military to be cautious in associating the institutions with violent extremists.
Philippine Daily Inquirer | Manila Standard 

Rules approved for PH’s anti-terror law
mplementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA) have been completed and approved by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday, October 14.
Asian Journal 

MARAWI 

[Column] Eduardo del Rosario: Marawi City shelters on the rise
On Oct. 17, 2017, President Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi from the hands of Daesh-inspired terrorists who laid siege to our only Islamic City for five months in a failed attempt to establish a caliphate in the city.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Kin of Marawi’s missing seek closure
Over a hundred trapped during the 2017 siege still not located, identified
Philippine Daily Inquirer

'Marawi Siege: Stories from the Front Lines' – Chapter 1, The Raid
At the corner of the street, a group of elite soldiers in full battle gear dismounted from three vans. Two boys on the narrow strip stopped dribbling their basketball, frozen as they stared at the troops. Soldiers were a common sight in Marawi City, which hosts Kampo Ranao, the headquarters of the 103rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, across the street from the provincial capitol compound. 
Rappler

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD


RI seeks access to citizen charged under antiterror law in RP
The Indonesian government has written to the Philippine authorities requesting data and consular access to Rezky Fantasya Rullie, a woman reported to be an Indonesian national charged with violating the latter's newly signed antiterrorism law. Rezky, also known as Nana Israni, was arrested on Oct. 10 during a joint military and police operation in Sulu province in the southern Philippines.
The Jakarta Post 

Teacher decapitated in France after showing Mohammed cartoons
An assailant on Friday decapitated a history teacher in France who had recently shown cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in class, police said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer | USA Today | Washington Post 

Germany: Top police informant identified by Islamist and convicted terrorist
The undercover agent "Murat Cem" is reported to be under police protection after a well-known Islamist identified him. Clues to the informant's real name were apparently found in a book about his surveillance work.
DW Akademie

London Stansted Airport: Man arrested on suspicion of 'encouraging terrorism'
A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of "encouraging terrorism" and other terrorism-related offences at London Stansted Airport.
Essex Live

Fishmongers' Hall attack: Monitors of killer Usman Khan had no training on handling terrorists, court told
A team tasked with monitoring a convicted terrorist who went on to kill two people had "no specific training" in handling terror offenders, a court has heard.
Sky News 

Terrorism tsar warns about far right violence, as MPs and journalists face abuse
The Dutch counter-terrorism unit NCTV is warning that there is a continuing risk of extreme right-wing violence in the Netherlands, as the number of online threats in particular rise.
Dutch News

After Isis, Yazidi women forced to leave their children behind
Mothers who have returned to Iraq without their children say they would rather be back in the hell of their former lives
The Guardian

YPG terrorists release hundreds of Daesh-linked militants
The PKK terrorist group’s Syrian branch, the YPG, on Thursday released hundreds of Daesh terrorists who had been imprisoned in northern Syria, as part of a general amnesty in the region controlled by the U.S.-backed YPG terrorists.
The Daily Sabah 

Misuse of terrorism laws during conflict creates ‘unmitigated calamity’
The misuse of terrorism laws during conflict situations often leads to an “unmitigated calamity” on the ground, an independent UN expert has warned. 
United Nations News

[Opinion] The Danger of Denial: Ignoring Domestic Terrorism and the Propaganda that blinds us to its threat
One of the greatest tools we have available to understand the world we live in is looking at the past. Humans are a predictable species. People often say history repeats itself because humanity has not evolved enough to shift away from its ugliest habits. We still kill a ridiculous number of our own species for no good reason.
Milwaukee Independent 

[Commentary] For Baltic Defense, Forget the 'Forest Brothers'
The image of the partisan unexpectedly striking at the enemy, inflicting casualties and damage in a hail of gunfire, punctuated by explosions, before melting into the deep forests is a powerful metaphor for national resistance, determination, courage, and patriotism.
War on the Rocks

 
Bangsamoro
BARMM 

UNICEF, UK gov't, BARMM together vs. pandemic
The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund has provided the Bangsamoro government with more lifesaving supplies in support of its war on COVID-19 in five southern provinces.
NDBC News

BARMM agencies help fire, flood victims
The Bangsamoro government released Thursday P10,000 cash assistance each to the heads of the 13 families in Cotabato City whose houses were razed by fire last week.
NDBC News

500 orphans receive rice assistance from BARMM
In line with the continuous Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) response of the regional autonomous government, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is distributing rice and food items to at least 500 orphans in Cotabato City and some towns in Maguindanao and North Cotabato.
NDBC News

TF Zero Hunger launches food policies for PH, BARMM
The government launched on Friday twin initiatives to avoid hunger and secure food for every Filipino’s table during the culmination of the World Food Day at the Department of Agriculture (DA) compound.
Philippine News Agency

Task forces told to sustain gains
LIEUTENANT General Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), has ordered the joint task forces to sustain the gains and maintain focus on attaining the mission of the command.
Sunstar Zamboanga 

[Column] Latip-Yusoph: Education amidst Pandemic
Education these days have become more demanding than ever. The effect of this pandemic has forced us to leap five years forward without us noticing it. Teachers in the universities have to hasten their learnings to embrace the new normal and blended learning approaches. While teachers in the elementary and secondary level opted for the modular-worksheet approach. This drastic change brought changes not only in the schools but also in the homes.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY 

P8-M shabu destroyed in BARMM
Some PHP8 million worth of shabu was destroyed at a private incinerator facility in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao Thursday by personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM).
Philippine News Agency

Drug dealer in Maguindanao busted in PDEA operation
Anti-narcotics agents confiscated P136,000 worth of shabu from a trafficker arrested in Buluan, Maguindanao Friday
NDBC News

Woman, 60, arrested, yields P5M in meth in Cotabato City drug bust
Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested a 60-year-old woman and seized from her some P5 million worth of crystal meth, or shabu, during a buy-bust operation at a village here.
Philippine Daily Inquirer | NDBC News 

3 anti-COVID-19 volunteer frontliners killed in Maguindanao
Gunmen shot dead three Moro volunteer COVID-19 frontliners in a daring attack in Buluan town late Thursday. 
NDBC News | Philippine Daily Inquirer 

NORTH COTABATO

Unexploded Ordnance Found in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato
An unexploded ordnance (UXO) was accidentally found by a concerned citizen in Purok Cocacola, Barangay Igbaras, Pigcawayan, North Cotabato on October 10, 2020.
Kalinaw News

Search on for NoCot town’s missing farmer amid heavy rain
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) has sought the help of other agencies to augment the search and retrieval operation for a missing 40-year old farmer after recently falling from an overflow bridge here.
Philippine News Agency 

Proposed 2021 budget for Kidapawan City council “almost zero”
The proposed 2021 budget prepared by the office of the city mayor has reduced the allocation for the city council by 99.8 percent compared to this year’s allotment.
Mindanews

NoCot to launch 'free Wi-Fi for all’ project
orth Cotabato province’s 17 towns and one city will soon have free wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) services, courtesy of the government, Governor Nancy Catamco said Friday.
Philippine News Agency 

LANAO PROVINCES

Murder suspect arrested in Marawi City
Authorities arrested on Thursday, October 15, 2020, a man in Malawi City who was suspected of murder in Saguiaran town, Lanao del Sur.
Sunstar News

Poblacion of Lanao Norte’s capital town placed under ECQ
Barangay Poblacion of Tubod, the capital town of Lanao del Norte has been placed under an enhanced community quarantine effective 12:00 noon of October 16.
Mindanews

BASILAN

9 Basilan villages submerged in floodwaters
Nine barangays in Lamitan City, Basilan were submerged in floodwaters following heavy rains on Thursday.
Philippine Star 

Families flee flooding in Lamitan
At least nine villages in Lamitan City, Basilan were flooded after heavy rain on Thursday afternoon, forcing more than 2,000 families to evacuate to higher grounds.
Philippine Star 


SULU 


TAWI-TAWI 

17-ft long saltwater croc strays into Tawi-Tawi town
A saltwater crocodile bigger than a car found its way into the waters of Simunul town, Tawi-Tawi province on Wednesday (Oct. 15).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Siblings’ seaweed venture supports Tawi-Tawi farmers
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Manila-based sisters Alyssa Sahali Tan, 21, and Dayang Iman Sahali, 23, rushed home to Panglima Sugala in Tawi-Tawi to assist communities.
Philippine Star 
 
Shadow economies
DRUGS

Operations/ Incidents

Authorities destroy P11.4-M worth of marijuana in Benguet town
Operatives from the Benguet Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) have destroyed a total of PHP11.48 million worth of marijuana in Kibungan town on Thursday (Oct. 15)
Philippine News Agency

PDEA-9 destroys P20-M illegal drugs
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-9 (PDEA-9) has destroyed nearly PHP20 million worth of illegal drugs here, a PDEA official said Friday.
Philippine News Agency  | Philippine Star 

P750-K worth of ecstasy declared as keychains seized in Pasay
Authorities seized about P750,000 worth of party drugs stored inside a parcel, which was declared as “keychains,” the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

P2.4-million worth of illegal drugs seized at Davao checkpoint
Some P2.4-million worth of illegal drugs were seized by authorities at the Sirawan checkpoint in Toril, the Davao City government said.
UNTV Web

Recovery and Rehabilitation

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES, AND AMMUNITION

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING/ COUNTERFEIT GOODS  

Pagadian cops nab 5, seize P4.2-M smuggled cigarettes
Policemen have arrested seven people and seized some PHP4.2 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in a law enforcement operation in the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, an official said Friday.
Philippine News Agency 

ASIA PACIFIC: PIRACY, ARMED ROBBERY INCIDENTS IN ASIA RISE 39%
A total of 75 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia during January-September 2020 compared to 54 incidents during January-September 2019.
Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

KIDNAPPING/ ABDUCTION

ILLEGAL GAMBLING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS/ EXTORTION
 
Land issues
Indigenous People's
Tasaday man is now “Photovoltaic expert” under TESDA program
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the Soccsksargen region has trained a “Tasaday” man to become a photovoltaic expert under a government skills program.
NDBC News

Commander, 1003Bde participates in the IPRA’s 23rd Anniversary
BGEN NOLASCO A MEMPIN, Commander of 1003Bde joined the celebration of NCIP of the 23rd IPRA Anniversary on Oct 16, 2020 held at ALMACEN Training Center, Catalunan Pequeño, Davao City.
Kalinaw News 
Human Rights
Baby River laid to rest at Manila North Cemetery
Baby River, daughter of political detainee Reina Mae Nasino, was buried at the Manila North Cemetery on Friday afternoon a day after a court-sanctioned furlough to visit her daughter’s funeral was marred with tension.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Case vs. detained activist Nasino to proceed: DOJ
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the case against detained activist Reina Mae Nasino will proceed without any hitch.
Philippine News Agency

[Opinion] Court stole Baby River’s life
In November 2019, Reina Mae Nasino, 23, a Kadamay community organizer, was among 62 activists arrested in Metro Manila and Bacolod. She was pregnant.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Leftist groups harassed Nasino’s jail guards – DILG  Usec
Interior Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya on Friday said that leftists groups verbally abused jail escorts who accompanied and secured political detainee Reina Mae Nasino at her child’’s wake.
Philippine Daily Inquirer


Human rights group says 20 cops ‘blocking’ visitors to Baby River’s wake
Human rights group Kapatid on Friday raised concern over the presence of 20 police officers who are allegedly blocking visitors to the wake of Baby River, the child of detained activist Reina Mae Nasino.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Security arrangement in Baby River’s wake ‘not an overkill’–DILG exec
The number of security personnel deployed for the wake of River, the three-month-old daughter of detained activist Reina Mae Nasino, was not an “overkill” and was only in anticipation of the people who will be attending the funeral, an official from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer


CHR looking into Nasino case, ‘deeply concerned’ on how gov’t is handling it
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Friday said it is looking into the case of detained human rights worker Reina Mae Nasino as it also expressed concern on how the government is handling her case.
Philippine Daily Inquirer


Have ‘built-in’ empathy, kindness for Baby River’s mom, gov’t told
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday called on  government authorities to have “built-in” empathy and compassion, and to allow detained activist Reina Mae Nasino to properly attend the burial of her daughter Baby River this Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer


Press Freedom/ Freedom of expression

Indie publishing group Makó Micro-Press launches online shop
Independent publisher Makó Micro-Press has launched its online shop Makó Micro-Press Sari-Sari Store this October to help fund its operations.
Davao Today

On social media, PH military declares war vs rights defenders
The Philippine military has a social media problem.
Rappler

Martial Law 


 
Governance

COVID-19

Cases

786 new Covid-19 recoveries, active cases at 50K: DOH
The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday reported 786 new recoveries from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), bringing the country’s total now at 294,865.
Philippine News Agency

Daily Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila down to 500: DILG exec
There has been a significant decline in the daily number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections in Metro Manila in the past days, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Friday.
Philippine News Agency

PNP Covid-19 recoveries now 5.9K
The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported that 50 more police officers have recovered from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), bringing the total number of recoveries among its ranks to 5,900.
Philippine News Agency 

4 'sacadas' test positive for coronavirus
Four migratory workers or "sacadas" from Antique who recently arrived in Negros Occidental to work in sugarcane farms have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Sunstar Bacolod

Negros Occidental Covid-19 cases reach 3,790
Negros Occidental has a total of 3,790 confirmed coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases from March 27 to October 13.
Sunstar Bacolod

C. Visayas logs ‘very low’ Covid-19 positivity rate in 3 days
The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas has recorded a very low positivity rate pegged at an average of 2.3 percent in the past three days.
Philippine News Agency 

Tarlac reports highest single-day Covid-19 recoveries
A total of 71 patients from the province have recovered from coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the highest number reported in a single day as confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday.
Philippine News Agency

Department of Health

7 NCR hospitals still at full COVID-19 bed capacity — DOH
Seven out of the 127 hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) remained at full capacity for its COVID-19 beds, latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) revealed.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

COVID-19 test lab in Roxas City given green light
The Department of Health has issued a license to operate a COVID-19 testing laboratory in the capital city of Roxas in Capiz that is expected to fast-track testing and release of results in the province.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Baguio antigen test a failure? DOH says pilot test not conclusive
 It is too early to say that the pilot antigen testing for the coronavirus disease in Baguio City was a failure as the number of people who got tested is not that sufficient, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sinovac needs ethics review, FDA approval before COVID vaccine trials — DOST
China’s Sinovac Biotech will have to submit and ethics research and  secure Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval before starting trials in the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DOST: Sinopharm turns back on COVID-19 vaccine trials in Philippines
hinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm will no longer hold COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in the Philippines, Science Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña said Friday.
GMA News 

Pandemic factors in prevalence of heart failure among Filipinos
With most of Filipinos quarantined in their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic, heart experts on Friday feared this may lead to a prevalence of heart diseases such as heart failure among them.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

IATF/NTF COVID-19

IATF allows mall sales, promo events to revive economy
Malls and other business establishments may now hold sales and other marketing events to spur consumer activity amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis, Malacañang said on Friday.
Philippine News Agency

Persons 15 to 65 years old now allowed to go out: IATF
Persons aged 15 to 65 years old are now allowed to go out of their homes during community quarantine as part of the government's efforts to revive the economy amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Philippine News Agency

Gov't to allow non-essential outbound travel starting Oct. 21
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has lifted its ban on non-essential outbound travel of Filipinos effective October 21, Malacañang said Friday.
Philippine News Agency 

IATF allows cockfighting activities in MGCQ areas
Cockfighting activities are now allowed to resume in areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Malacañang said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Gov’t eases travel restrictions between GCQ, MGCQ areas
The government’s COVID-19 task force has allowed travel between general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ areas – including those who are not in the list of authorized persons outside of residence (APOR), Malacañang said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DILG eyes hiring of 20K contact tracers in next 10 days
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday said it aims to hire 20,000 contact tracers in less than two weeks to meet its target of 50,000 contact tracers to boost the country's response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Philippine News Agency

Tests for LGUs, offices with updated payment continue: Red Cross
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Friday clarified that it would continue to provide coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) testing for local government units (LGUs) and government agencies that have pre-arranged schedules and are updated in their payments.
Philippine News Agency

PhilHealth cites procurement issues over unsettled PH Red Cross debt
The failure of the Philippine Health Corporation (PhilHealth) to settle its debt owed to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) stemmed from procurement issues in an agreement the agency had entered, the state insurer’s chief Dante Gierran said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Regions

Luzon including NCR

Dagupan City logs 1K daily entries from outside Pangasinan
The city government here has recorded over 1,000 individuals entering the locality from outside Pangasinan daily since it started the quick response (QR) code registration on October 12.
Philippine News Agency

3 more patients in Quezon province die of COVID-19
Three more coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients died in Quezon province on Thursday and Friday, authorities said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Pageant contestants' visit in La Trinidad 'not an LGU initiative'
As the first batch of Miss Universe Philippines candidates arrived in La Trinidad, Benguet, officials stand firm: the invitation to bring the beauties to the Valley did not emanate from the town.
Sunstar Baguio

Visayas

Public warned against resurgence of coronavirus, urged to be vigilant

Central Visayas, particularly Cebu City which was once tagged as the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the country, cannot afford to have another surge in cases.
Sunstar Cebu

Maasin City locks down 5 villages due to Covid-19
Five villages in Maasin City, Southern Leyte have been placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), shutting down a police station, government office, school, and major shops due to the rising threat of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Philippine News Agency

Bohol town hall shut after worker contracts COVID-19
The municipal hall of Sagbayan town in Bohol was closed on Wednesday after one of its workers tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Mindanao

No international flights this year
International flights to and from Francisco Bangoy International Airport, or the Davao International Airport, are not likely to resume operations this year, as airline companies extended the suspension of their flights to Davao City, an official from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap)-Davao said.
Sunstar Davao

Security threat not main reason for curfew in Davao City
Davao City’s Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) denied that security threat is the main reason for the reimposition of curfew in the city.
Sunstar Davao

Davao City restaurants struggle ahead of new curfew hours
The new curfew hours in Davao City, which takes effect on Thursday, October 15, could strain further the already struggling restaurants in the city, hence, urging the local government unit to set it at a later hour in the evening, a business leader said.
Sunstar Davao

3 LSIs, 14 others new Covid-19 cases in Cagayan de Oro
Fourteen residents and three locally stranded individuals (LSIs) have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in Cagayan de Oro to 1,139.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

3 more healthcare workers in Oro infected
Three more healthcare workers have tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 in Cagayan de Oro, bringing the total number of coronavirus-positive frontliners in the city to 81.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

City Health: Lockdown will not make local cases disappear
Cagayan de Oro City Health Office (CHO) Epidemiologist Dr. Joselito Retuya said Thursday, October 15, that local cases will not disappear even with the imposition of lockdown in the city.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

COVID-19 spike prompts return of liquor ban, other strict measures in Zambo del Sur
The provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur ordered quarantine measures tightened for two weeks, starting last Thursday (Oct. 15), after health officials took note of a spike in new COVID-19 cases.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

World 

US coronavirus cases surpass eight million as infections spike nationwide
U.S. cases of the novel coronavirus crossed 8 million on Thursday, rising by 1 million in less than a month, as another surge in cases hits the nation at the onset of cooler weather.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Low risk of COVID-19 infection on planes if masks worn: US military
The risk of being infected with the coronavirus on an airliner is very low if passengers wear masks, according to a study carried out aboard Boeing long-haul jets by the US military and published Thursday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

$60 experimental vaccine rolled out in east Chinese city
A $60 double-dose experimental coronavirus vaccine is being made available to some residents in an eastern Chinese city, health officials have said, the first details of a mass rollout for an as-yet unproven vaccine.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

WHO study says remdesivir did not cut hospital stay or mortality in COVID-19 patients
Gilead Sciences Inc’s remdesivir had little or no effect on COVID-19 patients’ length of hospital stay or chances of survival, a clinical trial by the World Health Organization (WHO) has found.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Diplomatic, Development and Private Sector 

Ionos donates computers to Cebu public schools
Business process management firm 1&1 Ionos Philippines donated 120 personal computers to a state college and two public schools in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu as part of the company’s efforts to support education amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sunstar Cebu

Incidents and Violations

Editorial, Analysis, Opinion and Features

[Opinion] 'Game of Thrones' style infighting threatens Philippines COVID revival
If one believes the latest opinion surveys, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is the world's most popular leader.
Nikkei Asia Review 

Duterte’s strongman politics exacerbates the Philippines’ COVID-19 crisis
The strongman playbook was a well-established feature of the Philippine presidency well before Rodrigo Duterte emerged on the national stage in 2016. Despite the initial optimism that accompanied democratisation after Ferdinand Marcos, the executive branch has often flirted with authoritarian fantasies.
East Asia Forum 

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

[Column] APRIL 1989 DAPECOL HOSTAGE-TAKING 
I was then Davao City congressman in April, 1989 when a crisis situation happened. It was the first hostage- taking incident in the Davao Penal Colony ( DAPECOL) in Davao del Norte, a plantation-type national prison facility for sentenced prisoners. (excerpt of Jess Dureza's upcoming book, I walked with Presidents)
Mindanao Times

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT



AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

[Editorial] Probe SEA Games funds
Now that Alan Peter Cayetano has been pried off his former post as speaker, a thorough and transparent scrutiny of the unliquidated billions spent on last year’s 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) should be the first order of business—after the passage of the 2021 budget—in the reconstituted Lower House.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BI personnel in 'pastillas' scam reshuffled, to face admin raps
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Friday Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel implicated in the so-called “pastillas” scheme have been reshuffled. 
Philippine News Agency

COA: Contractor given ‘undue advantage’ by BCDA in SEA Games contract
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) gave private contractor MTD Capital Berhad (MTD) “undue advantage” in the P8.510 billion contract for the construction of the sports facilities used in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) which the country hosted, the Commission on Audit (COA) said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

DBM: P5.3B out of P165.5-B Bayanihan 2 funds released
One month after the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act was signed into law, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P5.3 billion in fresh funds to fight the health and socioeconomic crises inflicted by COVID-19.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND INVESTMENT

Aboitiz is PH rep at APEC food meeting
Tristan R. Aboitiz, President of Aboitiz food business unit Pilmico Foods Corporation, was one of three Philippine representatives tasked to represent the country’s interests and concerns at the recent 16th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Policy Partnership on Food Security (APEC PPFS) Meeting.
Manila Bulletin 

Ilocos Norte LGU helps MSMEs revive business
Another mobile weekend market is up in the province to encourage residents to buy and support their own products.
Philippine News Agency 

PH gold, silver production dips
January to June volume and value of locally produced precious metals, gold, and silver, have decreased this year as compared to the same period in 2019.
Philippine News Agency

Oil stocks surge as Duterte allows West PH Sea exploration
Manny Pangilinan's PXP Energy and Roberto Ongpin's Atok-Big Wedge are the biggest gainers on Friday, October 16, with stock prices soaring over 49%
Rappler

Union Bank raises $300 million as notes offering swamped
Union Bank of the Philippines raised $300 million in a successful return to the offshore debt market as investors swarmed the notes offering.
Philippine Star 

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

Senate committee approves Kennon Road rehab bill
The Senate Committee on Public Works approved House Bill 6491, proposing the full rehabilitation and maintenance of Kennon Road.
Sunstar Baguio

Duterte: DPWH corruption grave; Villar cites reforms
he Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is ridden with corruption, and no construction work begins without money changing hands, President Duterte said on Wednesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

DISASTER AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Army, PNP rescue 70 mountaineers, hikers, and cyclists left stranded due to bad weather condition in Pampanga
The joint elements of 48th Infantry Battalion and Floridablanca Municipal Police Station (MPS) rescued a total of 70 mountaineers, hikers, and cyclists who were stranded in two (2) consecutive days of Search and Rescue Operations (SAR) during the bad weather condition caused by a Low-Pressure Area affecting the country.
Kalinaw News

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[Analysis] How Cebu's CA Justice Marilyn Yap is fined at least P1.8M or a year's pay for 160 undecided cases. Why Supreme Court rejected charge of dishonesty.
The administrative charge stemmed from the failure of Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Marilyn B. Lagura-Yap to decide a total of 160 cases when she presided the Regional Trial Court Branch 28 in Mandaue City.
Sunstar Cebu

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Luna is new AFP intel chief
Joint Task Force - National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) chief, Brig. Gen. Alex DC Luna, on Friday was designated as the new Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Philippine News Agency

PCG gets 2 new rescue choppers
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has received two new Airbus H145 light twin-engine helicopters, boosting the maritime organization’s disaster response and humanitarian activities.
Philippine News Agency 

PH Navy eyes TC-12 'Huron' aircraft for air wing
The Philippine Navy (PN) on Friday said it is looking at the possibility of acquiring at least eight units of Beechcraft TC-12B "Huron" military turboprop aircraft to beef up its Naval Air Wing (NAW).
Philippine News Agency 


Philippine National Police

11 Caraga cops dismissed from service
The internal cleansing of the police force in Caraga continues. At least 11 policemen were dismissed from service by the Police Regional Office in Caraga (PRO-13) from January 1 to October 13, 2020 after being linked to various administrative cases.
CARAGA News Courier

Bacolod City police officials reshuffled
A minorreshuffling at the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) was implemented by its acting director, Police Colonel Manuel Placido, affecting five police officials effective October 7, 2020.
Sunstar Bacolod

PRO-COR chief assures more equipment for cops
Special forces of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR) will continue to receive appropriate equipment as support to their operational readiness, an official said.
Sunstar Baguio

EDUCATION

RDC backs stronger management of higher learning
The Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) has backed the proposal to establish a consortium that will manage the region’s flexible learning system in higher education during the health crisis.
Philippine News Agency

Group expresses concerns on the prevalence of suicide cases among youth
A group of guidance counselors expressed alarm on the prevalence of suicide cases among the youth and young adults less than two weeks after the classes for this school year started.
Manila Bulletin

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY  
 
Camiguin taps TikTok, vlogging in virtual lanzones fest
The province of Camiguin will be using online platforms, such as TikTok and video weblogging (vlogging), to mark the celebration of its 41st Lanzones Festival that aims to promote local tourism.
Philippine News Agency 

ELECTION RELATED


ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Project to save heritage trees in Davao City launched
Local and foreign environmental advocacy groups have launched a project to save the remaining heritage trees in Davao City.
Davao Today

Japan to release treated Fukushima water into sea — reports
Japan will release more than a million tons of treated water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea in a decades-long operation, reports said Friday, despite strong opposition from local fishermen.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Lacson cautions House vs. late transmittal of 2021 budget
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday urged the House of Representatives to pass the proposed 2021 national budget on schedule. 
Philippine News Agency | Philippine Daily Inquirer

Senate panel OKs reso on cash aid for rice farmers from excess tariffs
A joint resolution authorizing the use of excess collection of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) under the rice tariffication law as cash assistance for rice farmers to be included in the General Appropriations Act of 2021, has been approved at the committee level of the Senate.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

House of Representatives

House approves proposed P4.5T nat’l budget for 2021
After weeks of briefings and days of marathon sessions, the House of Representatives on Friday night passed on third and final reading the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

House OKs on 2nd reading bill granting PRRD anti-red tape powers
The House of Representatives on Friday approved on second reading a measure granting President Rodrigo Duterte the authority to expedite the processing and issuance of national and local permits, licenses, and certifications during national emergencies.
Philippine News Agency 

Government nurses’ pay hike next year pushed
A salary increase scheme for government nurses next year is being pushed in the House of Representatives.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

LRay dares Velasco: Show us ‘pork-free’ House-approved 2021 budget
Former Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuterte challenged Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Friday to present to the public the final version of the House-approved proposed 2021 budget prior to its approval by the bicameral conference committee to ensure there will be no illegal insertions of funds.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Cayetano replaced as legislative caretaker of Camarines Sur’s 1st district
After being ousted as the speaker of the House of Representatives, , Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano was stripped of another post as he was replaced Friday as the legislative caretaker of the first Congressional district of Camarines Sur.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

[Feature] Cayetano’s hubris turns Batasan into the House of Lord
Alan Peter Cayetano’s ambition – the presidency in 2022, according to political pundits – becomes his undoing.
Rappler

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

C. Visayas 'Lupon' execs hailed for traditional row settlement
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Region 7 (Central Visayas) has commended 1,000 village chiefs, council members, secretaries, and Lupong Tagapamayapa (peace committee) members for preserving community tradition in settling disputes among residents.
Philippine News Agency 

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE


FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

PRRD approves lifting of oil exploration moratorium in WPS
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Department of Energy (DOE) to lift the suspension of petroleum activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Philippine News Agency  | Philippine Daily Inquirer | Philippine Star

DOE: Resumption of WPS oil activities won’t affect PHL-China joint exploration talks
The Philippines’ move to allow the resumption of oil exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea will not affect the ongoing talks between Manila and Beijing on the joint cooperation on oil and gas development, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Friday.
GMA News 

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
 
600K rice farmers may get P5K cash aid from RCEF surplus — Villar
Approximately 600,000 rice farmers may get P5,000 each if the more than P3 billion excess collection of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) under the Rice Tariffication Law will be included as cash assistance under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2021, Senator Cynthia Villar said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Date 2020 offers wider market for agribiz
Agribusiness participating in the upcoming Davao Agri-Trade Expo (Date) 2020 can expect to reach a wider market as it goes virtual for the first time.
Sunstar Davao

WEBINAR: How is the Rice Tariffication Law affecting farmers in Mindanao? 
Filipino farmers are barely making ends meet as the buying price of locally grown rice continues to drop to as low as P10 per kilo in some areas in the country. They have already warned on the expected downtrend of palay prices due to the implementation of Republic Act No. 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which many have deemed as liberalization of the country’s rice industry.
Davao Today 

Coffee farmers get P10-M financing from Landbank
Landbank of the Philippines (Landbank) approved on October 2, 2020 a credit line of P10 million for the Balutakay Coffee Farmers Association (Bacofa) in Bansalan, Davao del Sur.
Sunstar Davao

HOUSING and SETTLEMENT

LABOR

Tondo Medical Center health workers protest budget cut, seek salary hike
Health workers from the Tondo Medical Center (TMC) on Friday protested the hospital’s budget cut and appealed for a salary increase.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Around 5,000 workers retrenched in ecozones due to COVID-19 —AFAB, SBMA
At least two investment promotion agencies (IPAs) on Friday lamented the retrenchment of thousands of Filipino workers in economic zones in the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
GMA News 

DOLE chief backtracks, says no exemptions from 13th month pay
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Thursday, October 15, 2020, backtracked on his statement that exemptions from the mandated 13th month pay may be granted to distressed companies.
Sunstar News 

Up to P13.7-B needed for workers’ 13th-month pay subsidy: DOLE
The government would need to spend up to PHP13.7 billion to subsidize the 13th-month pay of workers in businesses hit by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Friday.
Philippine News Agency

DOLE eyes Europe as potential new market for displaced OFWs
The government is looking at Europe as an alternative market for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were displaced by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Philippine News Agency 

POVERTY

World Bank: Heightened efforts needed vs poverty
The World Bank is urging its member countries, particularly developing economies, to increase efforts on alleviating poverty and preventing erosion of human capital.
Philippine Star

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT


TRANSPORTATION

Pasig River Ferry Service resumes operation
The Pasig River Ferry Service is now open to the public two days after tons of water hyacinths clogged portions of the Pasig River, causing a temporary suspension of the service.
Philippine News Agency 

Bacolod City allows entry of travelers via seaports, airport
The city government here has permitted the entry of passengers through its seaports and airport while the locality is still under the general community quarantine (GCQ) until Oct. 31 amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Philippine News Agency 

TOURISM

Travel agencies, tour operators allowed to operate in GCQ, MGCQ areas — DTI
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has allowed the operation of travel agencies, tour operators, reservation service, and other related activities in areas under relaxed community quarantine.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

WATER and ENERGY

DCWD introduces new online payment scheme
Davao City Water District (DCWD) has recently launched a new online payment scheme with more partner banks and payment centers.
Sunstar Davao

La Niña insufficient to normalize San Roque Dam water level
Water-starved San Roque Dam may not fully benefit from the onset of rain-bearing La Niña phenomenon and the northeast monsoon or "amihan" which state forecasters expect to prevail later this month.
Philippine News Agency 

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