📰 News & Current Affairs

“During the Maritime Dialogue, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement announced Php450 million ($8 million) in new funding for the modernization of the PCG,” the US embassy said in a statement. “This funding will support the PCG’s infrastructure enhancements, training program development, and resource acquisition and management planning,” it added Source: US announces P450M funding for PCG modernization

“Yesterday the Upper Chamber was ‘invaded’ by the former president of the republic,” the former senator wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday, October 29. “Only one consistently and steadfastly stood up to preserve the dignity of the Philippine Senate. She happens to be a woman who answers ‘present’ during a roll call. Her name: Risa Hontiveros,” he added. Source: Lacson thinks ex-President Duterte ‘invaded’ Senate in drug war probe

Vice President Sara Duterte must first be impeached before any graft or plunder charges can be filed, a House leader said on Monday, October 28. Sounding confident that Duterte will be impeached, Chua said at a press conference, “So after the impeachment, once proven or impeached, that’s the time for cases to be filed against the vice president.” Source: Impeachment of VP Sara Duterte needed before plunder raps — House leader

The Philippines is confident in the continuity of U.S. policies in the Asia-Pacific region after the U.S. presidential election and the two countries' ties will remain strong regardless of the outcome, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-confident-us-security-policy-continuity-regardless-election-2024-10-28/

Liam Payne, a former member of boyband One Direction, has died after falling from the window of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to police there. He was 31. Payne’s death occurred Wednesday at a hotel on Costa Rica Street in the Palermo neighborhood, according to a statement from police provided to CNN. Buenos Aires police said that personnel from the 14B Police Station went to the hotel on Wednesday afternoon after receiving a 911 call about an aggressive man who was possibly under the influence of drugs or *******. The police’s statement did not identify that person as Payne. Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/16/entertainment/liam-payne-death-one-direction/index.html

“The motive of the incident was hatred. The suspect was informed by the victim that he will be left in the hospital despite paying the required hospital bill,” said Lt. Col. John Kareen Escober, chief of Tagbilaran City Police. When Linguis was about to be released on Thursday morning, he grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the nurse several times. A utility worker identified as Francis Justiniare, 21, was about to intervene but he was also stabbed by the suspect. Source: Patient kills nurse in Bohol private hospital

"The China Coast Guard-5402 (CCG-5402) re-entered the Indonesian jurisdiction on Friday," Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency said in a statement Saturday. It added that the Chinese vessel on Monday had disrupted a survey being conducted by state-owned oil company Pertamina, and that when contacted by an Indonesian ship, the Chinese coast guard said the area was part of Beijing's jurisdiction. Source: https://www.philstar.com/world/2024/10/27/2395641/indonesia-drives-chinese-ship-disputed-waters-again

Pop superstar Beyoncé provided the latest shot of stardust to Kamala Harris' White House campaign on Friday, as the United States vice president and her rival Donald Trump courted voters with just 11 days to go in a neck-and-neck election. Source: Beyoncé backs Harris at pro-abortion Texas rally

Davao City police chief Col. Hansel Marantan noted that KJC has been publicly claiming to have 8 million followers. “However, based on interviews conducted by us, only about less than 8,000 members are believed to be currently active members of the said religious denominations worldwide,” Marantan said during the same hearing. Source: Quiboloy claims KJC has 7M followers, but PNP says it’s less than 8,000

According to one of the agents, they discovered that the person behind the account was in Cebu after investigation and coordination with the service provider, Facebook. Through Facebook’s response, they were able to retrieve the mobile number used to register the account and its corresponding IP address. The agents then verified the number with other platforms and records at the university, which showed that the number was used by one of their enrollees for this semester. Source: Bomb scare in Cebu City university: Student, 19, tagged, nabbed

If enacted, the law would allow couples to file for divorce if they have been separated for at least five years and reconciliation is deemed impossible, or if they have been legally separated for more than two years. It would also incorporate justifications already recognized in annulment and legal separation cases, such as abandonment and infidelity. Source: Is divorce coming to the Philippines? – DW – 10/11/2024

The United States on Wednesday confirmed that some 3,000 North Koreans are training in Russia at military sites. The troops were moved into the former Soviet state between early to mid-October and are now undergoing basic combat training at what they assessed to be three military sites, according to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. Source: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4951989-north-korean-forces-russia-ukraine-combat-zone/

This directive was issued by Marcos to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, he said in a statement on Thursday. Source: DILG: Marcos wants an enhanced delivery of medical aid in Naga

“You can’t fight a war, especially against the drug personalities, by being decent, by being cute. No way you can win the battle… To win the war, you have to be forceful enough to send your message down the spine of these criminals,” he added. Source: Bato on drug war: No regrets, will do it again

Garcia explained that the TRO issued by the SC effectively restrains the Comelec from enforcing a previously issued resolution automatically removing from the official list of candidates for the May 2025 elections those ordered by the Office of the Ombudsman to be perpetually disqualified from holding public office. “That means all those with perpetual disqualification to hold public office should not be removed from the list until the Supreme Court makes a final decision or until it removes the TRO,” he said. Source: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/10/24/2394810/sc-comelec-sacked-government-officials-can-run

THE PHILIPPINES slipped to 13th place among 30 economies engaging in sustainable trade best practices, according to a report by the Hinrich Foundation and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). Source: Philippines drops in Sustainable Trade Index - BusinessWorld Online

The SC has granted TRO in favor of the petition of Rama and Cortes against the Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution, mandating the immediate disqualification of officials from running in the May 2025 polls following the perpetual disqualification penalty from the Office of the Ombudsman. The TRO halted the implementation of the Comelec resolution 11044-A, dated Sept. 4, mandating the immediate cancellation of all certificates of candidacy (COCs) of any candidate with a disqualification penalty from the Ombudsman. Source: SC favors Rama, Cortes

In an ambush interview on Wednesday after the Senate committee on women’s hearing headed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Quiboloy said the committee is not responsible for deciding whether he is guilty or not. “This one is like a trial by publicity, we don’t have a resource person, nothing from us, everything comes from the other side,” Quiboloy said. “With these heavy allegations, without facts, they need to testify in court where I can defend myself, and know the truth,” he added. Source: Quiboloy labels Senate probe unfair and a trial by publicity

“[This is a] request for the appearance of Apollo Quiboloy, Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada alias Enteng, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemañes before the public hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality on October 23, 2024 at 10:00 in the morning,” Hontiveros’ letter to the Pasig RTC reads. Source: Hontiveros asks courts to allow Quiboloy to attend Senate hearing

A man in China flew a DJI drone from China to North Korea during the plandemic. It's widely known that flying a drone between these two countries is îllégâl. Both China and North Korea have strict airspace regulations, and unauthorized entry into North Korean airspace can result in serious consequences, such as confiscation, fines, or other penalties. Hidden content all credits to xiaohao2

Aside from the short notice given him, my client just arrived in Davao from Metro Manila last October 17, 2024. Considering his advanced age and the several engagements he had to attend, he is currently not feeling well and is in need of much rest. However, Duterte, according to his lawyer, is committed to take part in proceedings that will take place “after November 1, 2024.” Source: Duterte to skip House's October 22 drug war probe, vows to show up in November

Data from the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) showed rice shipments as of October 17 totaled 3.58 million metric tons (MT), close to surpassing the 3.61 million MT total last year. The figures are even higher than the 2.84 million MT record from January to October 2023. Source: Rice imports to surpass 2023 level

Dalawang WPP pala ang nag-a-away. Workers and Peasants Party (WPP) at Workers Party Philippines (WPP). But, nevertheless, detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy has revoked his acceptance of nomination of the Workers' and Peasants’ Party and will run instead as an independent candidate for senator in the 2025 midterm elections. Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/21/apollo-quiboloy-to-run-as-independent-candidate-for-senator-1505

Fajardo said the invitation was received by Duterte’s representative on Sunday. Former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo on Sunday said Duterte E×ρréššed intent to present himself in the House QuadComm hearing if he received an invitation. Source: PNP: Ex-Pres. Duterte received House QuadComm invitation for EJKs probe

Navalnaya knows she faces arrest if she returns home while President Putin is still in power. His administration has accused her of participating in extremism. This is no empty threat. In Russia, it can lead to death. Her husband, President Putin’s most vocal critic, was sentenced to 19 years for extremism, charges that were seen as politically motivated. He died in February in a brutal penal colony in the Arctic Circle. Source: Alexei Navalny's widow Yulia says she'll stand as Russian President

As China’s “îllégâl, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions” at sea continue, the Philippines appears to be the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to openly resist them and voice condemnation, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday. Source: PCG: Philippines is sole ASEAN member fighting back vs China aggression

The prosecutor general is a powerful position as it heads the office which holds the power to probe and approve criminal cases to be filed in courts against citizens. Source: Duterte-appointed chief prosecutor resigns

“I proposed to the Senate leadership to convene a Senate committee of the whole, so that the whole Senate can investigate the previous administration’s war on drugs,” Hontiveros said in an interview wth dzXL. “It is important to find out the truth about the bloody war on drugs, for the families of the victims of extrajudicial killings.” Source: Entire Senate eyed to probe drug war EJKs

The regulatory authority confirmed the Kansai Electric Power Co.'s management assessment, stating that the pressure vessel can endure neutron exposure and the concrete's durability remains intact even after prolonged heat and radiation. Source: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1235742

Edding said Eastman came to the Philippines to marry a woman from Zamboanga City, who later turned out to be a scammer. The victim lost a lot of money to the scammer but then met the woman from Sibuco, whom he married about five months ago. Source: Armed group abducts American in Zamboanga del Norte

Hoping to settle the debate, researchers tracked down over 150 king cobras from several Asian countries, analyzed their DNA and compared their appearances. A pattern began to emerge. The king cobras from southern India were genetically and visually distinct. Sources: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article294115469.html MSN

“I didn’t know why I was summoned to the office of Asec [Assistant Secretary] Shine. And then, I was given an envelope. It was later on I found out there was money in it. It’s not because I was BAC member yet, because wasn’t at that time,” Osias added. Source: Another DepEd exec admits receiving envelopes with cash from VP Sara Duterte