📰 News & Current Affairs

He said that a president of the country who sees the proliferation of these activities has a choice to either allow them to continue openly in a disorderly manner or let the POGO operator corrupt the government, police, mayors, congressmen, and governors. “These numbers games had been there. What the government should do is regulate it.” he said. Source: Duterte to solons eyeing POGO probe: Present proof of allegations

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman says the Department of Education under Vice President Sara Duterte received a ‘huge increase’ in its 2024 budget. Ryan Baldemor MANILA, Philippines — Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman yesterday disputed Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that the 2024 General Approriations Act (GAA) was “mishandled,” saying adjustments in budget proposals depend on Congress. “We always respect the wisdom of Congress if they want to make adjustments in the budget,” Pangandaman told reporters at Malacañang when asked to comment on Duterte’s allegation. In an interview on GMA News recently, Duterte said the “mishandling” of the budget for 2024 was among her “long list of reasons” for resigning as chief of the...

Rep. France Castro —HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has been directed to submit audit reports involving the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) — including reports on confidential fund (CF) expenditures for 2022 and 2023. At the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations’ hearing on COA’s proposed budget for 2025 on Tuesday, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro questioned the commission about the audit reports on these two offices, noting that this has been the subject of previous requests made by her office. COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba said the OVP has already submitted its liquidation reports, and they have already released...

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Tuesday assured aid to commuters who will be affected by a planned three-day nationwide transport strike transport groups Manibela and Piston starting Thursday through its Libreng Sakay (free ride) program. Source: OVP assures Libreng Sakay aid to commuters amid 3-day transport strike | Philippine News Agency

The Senate began plenary deliberations on the proposed law creating the Department of Water Resources, with Senators Grace Poe and Joel Villanueva justifying the need for its creation. Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/12/senate-kicks-off-plenary-debates-on-department-of-water-resources-2245

While no formal impeachment complaint has yet been filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, it would come as no surprise if she faced one sooner or later, a leader at the House of Representatives said Monday. Source: Impeach VP Sara move possible — House leaders

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday not to worry about the country's rising national debt levels, pointing out that it is commensurate to the country's economic growth. Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/8/13/dof-chief-recto-tells-senators-nothing-to-worry-about-ph-debt-1212

on Sunday, August 11, reiterated the need for robust air defense amid continuing deadly Russian barrages, the latest of which killed a father and his four-year-old son in a Kyiv suburb. He went on to call for the supply of long range missiles that can reach deep into Russian territory and hit Russian launch sites. https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin/videos/1278158363146338/?mibextid=8HI2vyzhxhZ0rFJs

Ukraine’s top military commander says his forces now control 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russia’s neighboring Kursk region, the first time a Ukrainian military official has publicly commented on the gains of the lightning incursion that has embarrassed the Kremlin. Source: Top Ukrainian commander says his forces now control almost 390 square miles of Russia's Kursk region

BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. ordered on Saturday the sacking of an officer from the service after he and two other individuals yielded 10 kilos of suspected shabu worth P68 million in an anti-îllégâl drugs operation in Parañaque last Friday. Source: BuCor exec in P68M shabu seizure sacked

Elon Musk should face “personal sanctions” and even the threat of an “arrest warrant” if found to be stirring up public disorder on his social media platform, a former Twitter executive has said. It cannot be right that the billionaire owner of X, and other tech executives, be allowed to sow #forbidden# without personal risks, Bruce Daisley, formerly Twitter’s vice-president for Europe, Middle East and Africa, writes in the Guardian. He said the prime minister, Keir Starmer, should “beef up” online safety laws and reflect on whether the media regulator, Ofcom, “is fit to deal with the blurringly fast actions of the likes of Musk”. “In my experience, that threat of personal sanction is much more effective on executives than the risk of...

The survey by Oculum Research and Analytics, conducted from June 25 to 30, found that 49 percent of 1,200 respondents nationwide are against divorce, while only 30 percent support it. Source: Most Filipinos still oppose divorce — survey

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Monday said he would recommend to local government units (LGUs) the creation of ordinances banning children from playing in floodwater. Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1971995/doh-chief-wants-ordinances-banning-children-from-playing-in-floodwater

Widespread use of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) for fraud and scamming has prompted Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to consider certain amendments to the SIM registration law. Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1971837/gatchalian-eyes-changes-to-sim-registration-law

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is scheduled to receive the first of two long-range patrol aircraft (LRPA) next year from Israel’s Elbit Systems Ltd., expanding its capabilities to patrol the archipelago. Source: PAF acquires two Israeli-made LRPA - Manila Standard

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act which grants up to P10,000 allowance to public school teachers. Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1970275/angara-signs-irr-of-law-increasing-public-school-teachers-allowance

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved a sovereign guarantee for the flagship national housing program of his administration. https://www.google.com/amp/s/newsinfo.inquirer.net/1970632/marcos-oks-sovereign-guarantee-for-4ph-program/amp

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said a Philippine Air Force (PAF) NC-212i aircraft was conducting a routine maritime patrol over Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) on Aug. 8 when two Chinese fighter jets executed a dangerous maneuver at around 9 a.m. and dropped flares in the path of the NC-212i. Source: Chinese jets harass PH patrol aircraft

That Gen Z E×ρréššion was probably on the minds of the House "Young Guns" bloc members when they found out about Speaker Martin Romualdez's 16-percentage point increase in public satisfaction rating. Source: 'How to be you po?': House 'Young Guns' call Romualdez their 'idol'

Thousands of Ukrainian troops are taking part in an incursion aiming to destabilize Russia by showing up its weaknesses, a top Ukrainian official has told AFP as the assault entered its sixth day. Source: https://globalnation.inquirer.net/245018/ukraine-says-thousands-of-troops-on-incursion-to-destabilize-russia

The Russians, meanwhile, are finally bringing to bear their heaviest firepower—lobbing powerful glide bombs at Ukrainian columns rolling along Russian roads. Source: Russian Warplanes Are Bombing Russia, Aiming To Block Invading Ukrainian Troops

The Philippine Navy on Tuesday said that China has reclaimed around 3,000 hectares in the South China Sea (SCS) including some features in the West Philippine Sea. “This includes Subi Reef, which I would like to correct is outside our EEZ, although it is roughly 12 to 15 nautical miles from Pag-asa,” he added. Source: China reclaimed 3,000 hectares in SCS including WPS features —PH Navy

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday gifted commemorative coins to two visiting US congressmen, one of whom gave him cowboy boots. Source: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/589304/bongbong-marcos-buys-cowboy-boots-from-texas-lawmaker

Aging jeepneys, which once held the proud distinction of being the “Hari ng Kalsada” (King of the Road), will not be abruptly pulled from the streets, as the government is now going the way of a gradual phaseout. Source: Gov’t relaxes PUV tack to ‘gradual’

The Court of Appeals has ordered to restore the certificate of incorporation of the company that runs news website Rappler and its owner, Rappler Holdings Corp., voiding a 2022 ruling by the Securities and Exchange Commission that declared the company was not 100% Filipino-owned. Source: Court of Appeals restores Rappler's media license

File photo shows a NC-212i light transport aircraft of the Philippine Air Force. Two China air force jets dropped flares in the path of a similar plane while patrolling the skies in the vicinity of Panatag Shoal on Aug. 8. AFP MANILA, Philippines — Two People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter jets executed “dangerous and provocative actions” against a Philippine Air Force (PAF) plane patrolling the skies in the vicinity of Panatag Shoal, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday. Two China air force aircraft “executed a dangerous maneuver at around 9 a.m. and dropped flares in the path of our NC-212i,” AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said, recounting the alleged incident that happened on Thursday over...

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara on Friday said the Matatag curriculum will be amended based on the experience of teachers and students. Source: Matatag curriculum to be amended – Angara

The shift started in 2017 with a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ban on using Kaspersky products on any government computer systems. Now, the Department of Commerce has given the company a final push to leave the United States. Source: Time's up: Kaspersky is finally leaving the U.S.

President Marcos has vowed to invest in job-generating infrastructure and social protection programs to further lower the country's poverty rate to nine percent in 2028 after reporting that the poverty rate dropped to 15.5 percent last year. READ: Marcos vows to cut PH poverty rate to 9% in 2028

THE country’s economy grew faster at 6.3 percent in the second quarter of 2024, the fastest acceleration since the first quarter of 2023, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. PH hits 6% GDP growth in first half

EVERY DAY IS ANOTHER DAY 😔 Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan face the harsh reality of doing whatever it takes just to wear the Philippine flag at #Paris2024 due to their uniforms not arriving on time 💔🇵🇭 📹 Dottie Ardina https://www.facebook.com/tiebreakertimes/videos/476138165276784/

SALAMAT SA LABAN! 🇵🇭 #Paris2024: Olympic bronze medalist Aira Villegas is all smiles during the medal ceremony for the women's 50 kg boxing final at the 2024 Paris #Olympics in Paris, France. #INQOlympics | 📷: Ariana Cubillos/AP