📰 News & Current Affairs

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has been invited to Russia next month to attend an economic forum there and renew the sisterhood agreement between the Cebu Province and St. Petersburg. Source: Gwen invited to visit Russia

Let's go, Joe!!! "To help Manila uphold sovereign rights..." by deploying a 3rd non-party and outsider CG in its sovereign waters to confront another country that may escalate the issue further? What if China also asks its allies like Russia and Pakistan to patrol the area to help them uphold their 'sovereign' rights to their claim? What is our end game BBM?

File photo shows a typical office of a licensed Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator or POGO. STAR / File MANILA, Philippines — At least 186 people, 157 of them foreigners, were rounded up in a raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Angeles City, Pampanga on Tuesday night. At least 126 of the foreigners are Chinese while the rest are from Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and South Korea. Twenty-nine Filipinos are among those taken into custody. It is unclear who among the foreigners and Filipinos are suspects and victims. Members of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), police and Department of Justice conducted the raid, which targeted the Lucky South 99 firm along Fil-Am Friendship Highway. The...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has warned China not to cross a red line in the South China Sea, where a standoff between the countries continues to escalate. Source: Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr warns China against 'acts of war'

Ayan na. Sino nga ulit ang kalaban ni Mr. Putin na bumisita sa atin kamakailan lang na pinangakoan ni BBM na kanyang susupurtahan sa laban nito against Russia? Sino nga ulit ang kaibigan ni Mr. Putin na pino-provoke at binabadtrip ni Bongbong dyan sa South China Sea? Ibig sabihin Marcos Jr. in the eyes of Russia and China is now an adversary. Grabe talaga ang tama ni Bangag at biro mo na dalawang nuclear-armed na Superpower ang kinakalaban n’ya. Piliin mo si Angkol Sam! Hahaha. Russian military doctrine sets a threshold for the use of Tactical Nuclear Weapons of 5 kilotons or less. Small but large enough to level a dozen or so city blocks. Once the Russo-Ukraine war goes nuclear then all bets are off. It will be uncharted...

Dr. Elmer Empiales, the City’s public information officer said that no representative from the Phivolcs observatory deck informed them about the “imminent eruption.” More details here: Canlaon official laments Phivolcs’ ‘silence’

MANILA — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation had excess funds that totaled P89.9 billion from government allocations in the last three years, PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. confirmed before the House Committee on Appropriations on Monday. Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/3/philhealth-excess-funds-for-2021-2023-total-nearly-p90-b-2101

MANILA, Philippines — Two police officers were relieved from their posts following the escape of eight detainees from the San Jose del Monte (SJDM) Police Station jail on Sunday. Source: San Jose del Monte cops sacked over escape of 8 PDLs

In this Facebook post on May 30, 2024 shows Mayor Alice Guo meeting the winners and participants of the Bamban Battle of the Bands Poster Making Contest. Facebook / Mayor Alice Leal Guo MANILA, Philippines — Controversial Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac has a net worth of P177.5 million, with assets of P367 million and liabilities of more than P189 million as shown in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as of December 2023. In Guo’s SALN submitted to the Senate committee on women and children chaired by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the mayor has a total liability of P189.633 million and net worth of P177,553,060.13. Guo has listed nine pieces of property, including six in Marilao, Bulacan, two in Bamban and one in...

President Marcos said that the country's military needs to boost its capabilities as it transitions from internal operations to external defense posture. However, Marcos cleared that the Philippines is not waging war by doing so. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. troops the line during his arrival at the 73rd founding anniversary of the Philippine Army's First Scout Ranger Regiment (PA-FSRR) at Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan on Nov. 25, 2023. (Photo by Philippine Army) Citing that internal threat has been reduced, Marcos on Thursday, June 6, vowed to provide the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with the necessary resources, training, and equipment given that they also now have to think about external threats. “Now, I am sure...

Mayor Alice Leal Guo of Bamban, Tarlac on Thursday, June 6, asked the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) to lift her six-month preventive suspension on administrative charges filed against her. In her motion, Guo told the OMB her suspension should be lifted "on the ground that grave errors of facts or law or serious irregularities have been committed prejudicial to the interest of the movant (Guo)." The OMB ordered the preventive suspension for not more than six months of Guo and two other town officials after finding that there is strong evidence against them in the administrative charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service, and gross neglect of duty. Also preventively suspended without pay in an order...

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Wednesday that the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) should expel Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo due to her alleged links to criminal activities involving a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in her municipality. Source: Senator Gatchalian: NPC should expel Alice Guo

Grabi naman

China started bringing back the world's first lunar samples from the far side of the moon on Tuesday as part of the Chang'e-6 mission, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The ascender of the Chang'e-6 spacecraft took off at 7:48 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the moon's surface to dock with the orbiter and will eventually bring the samples back to Earth. The 3000N engine operated for about six minutes and successfully sent the ascender into the designated lunar orbit. The Chang'e-6 lunar probe was launched on May 3. Its lander-ascender combo reached the moon on June 2. The probe spent 48 hours and completed intelligent rapid sampling in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, and then encapsulated...

TIGHT GUARDING A China Coast Guard vessel keeps a close watch on a small Filipino fishing boat in this photo taken earlier this month some 93 kilometers (50 nautical miles) away from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. —Richard A. Reyes MANILA, Philippines — The China Coast Guard (CCG) has been accused of seizing and dumping overboard food and other supplies meant for Filipino troops stationed at a remote outpost in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and allegedly obstructing a medical evacuation of ailing soldiers. Both incidents took place on May 19, when the Philippine Navy performed an airdrop operation to bring the items to the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated warship grounded in 1999 to protect Manila’s claims to...

Anatoly Antonov has urged the US "not to open Pandora's Box" and follow Russia’s suit "by taking all necessary steps to ensure global stability and predictability" Source: US deploying missiles in Philippines to endanger global security â Russian envoy

Netizens divided on divorce in the Philippines Story by Immae Lachica Source: MSN . . Netizens divided on divorce in the Philippines© Provided by Cebu Daily News . CEBU CITY, Philippines— Marriage in the Philippines goes beyond just signatures on papers for records. Marriage in the Philippines is seen as something sacred, especially when it is done in front of the altar of a Church and in front of the closest people in your lives. Sometimes, though, some marriages become toxic as years pass. Then this leads to the unhealthy breaking up of families, causing trauma to everyone involved. The Philippines is one of only two Catholic nations, along with Vatican City, that do not allow divorce. Recently, the House of...

Europe has never seen an election like this one. On election day, guns will be blazing in a neighboring country. Great wars do not come out of nowhere. Economic crisis, shortage of raw materials, arms competition, pandemics, false prophets, assassination attempts, sinister shadows all around us. This is how it starts. There have been generations on this earth – our grandparents and great-grandparents – whose worst nightmares became reality. We observe the signs. We see the writing on the wall. Hungarians know the nature of war. They know that a war always ends differently from the way it was first imagined. This is why today millions of young Europeans lie in mass graves. This is why there are not enough Europeans, why there are not...

China has imposed a four-month fishing ban in the South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea where Filipino fishers source their livelihood. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday, May 27, disclosed China's latest fishing moratorium that covers areas of South China Sea 12 degrees of the north latitude. The ban started in May and is expected to end by September 16, according to DFA. In a statement, the agency said Beijing's move heightens tension between the Philippines and China as it is "unilateral" and "contravenes" the understanding reached by President Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their bilateral discussion last year. China's action came at the heels of its continued harassment...

MAYOR Sebastian Duterte of Davao City has announced the dismissal of all 37 employees of the Davao City Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) who tested positive during a random drug test. Source: 37 PSSO workers dismissed

(2nd UPDATE) Zelenskyy's trip to Manila follows his surprise appearance at a defense forum in Singapore, where he rallied Asia-Pacific nations to support his peace summit on June 15, and accused Russia and China of trying to undermine the upcoming event MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Malacañang on Monday, June 3, a historic meeting that is expected to catch the attention of Russia and China. Rappler first reported about Zelenskyy’s surprise visit to Manila on Sunday night, June 2, but Malacañang did not confirm his presence in the Philippines or his schedule with Marcos until Monday morning. “I know that the crisis in your country has occupied all of...

Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in this May 7, 2024. MANILA, Philippines — The alleged Chinese mother of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo can no longer be located in the country, according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian. Latest information provided to the Senate by the Bureau of Immigration is that Guo’s father Jian Zhong Guo and alleged mother Lin Wen Yi or “Winnie” have not yet returned from abroad, Gatchalian said in a dzBB interview yesterday. The two could still be staying in China, their native country, he added. “That makes our call for a DNA test with the mother unlikely,” said the senator, who earlier dared Guo to take a DNA test with Lin Wen to disprove allegations that she lied about having a Filipino househelp mother. “Because they are...

A bill that could ban applications controlled by foreign governments deemed adversaries has been filed in the Philippine House of Representatives. House Bill 10489, authored by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., proposes to prohibit the distribution, maintenance, and updates of such apps within the Philippines. The legislation empowers the President to designate a foreign country as an adversary based on threats to national security and territorial integrity. This designation would trigger a ban on apps controlled by companies in those countries. One major target of the bill appears to be TikTok, the popular social media app owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance. Abante E×ρréššed concerns that TikTok collects sensitive user data...

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is expected to sell P29 per kilogram (kg) of rice in Kadiwa trading stores by August, Administrator Eduardo Eddie Guillen said Tuesday. Source: NIA to sell P29/kilo rice in August

Alitagtag sa Davao Pinalitan nila ang kapulisan sa Davao matapos ang ilang araw, eto naman naman palabas nila - may nasabat na 14.4 million halaga ng shabu sa checkpoint. Ang gustong iparating ng gobyerno: 1. Madali lang nila nahuli sa checkpoint ang droga; 2. Walang namatay; 3. Therefore, mas maganda ang war on drugs ng BBM Admin kesa sa war on drugs ng mga Duterte Kaso, madaming problema ang story nyo: 1. 14.4 million ang 900grams ng shabu. As of March 25, 2022, the street price of shabu is Php 6000-8000. Let us say Php8000 per gram ang shabu ngayong 2024, 8000x 900 grams is 7.2 million lang. Impossible yang 14.4 million nyo sa 900grams, eh mas mura na droga ngayon. Duh...

Seven Chinese nationals "illegally working" in a quarry site in Taysan, Batangas have been arrested by agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI). In a statement, the BI identified those arrested as Wang Zhenglai, 34, and his father Wang Shou Min, 67, and Gao Zhengyao, Wang Yongshang, Song Ke Wei, Cai Wenbi, and Huang Hai Min. It said the initial target of the operation was Wang Zhenglai who was found to have a working visa but was petitioned by a fake company. “However, during the operation, BI agents who were assisted by the Taysan police were able to apprehend six others who were found to be illegally working in the same area,” it also said. It added that one of those arrested was found to have a tourist visa while the five...

May agam-agam ang bagong Senate president sa panukalang imbestigahan ng Senado ang gentleman's agreement ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa China kaugnay ng West Philippine Sea. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/23/escudero-who-will-senate-probe-in-alleged-secret-deal-with-china-2333?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2edTOMXYH_x-wTWsFq_cWg0eDad852aGECD0ssWluC0BrVE9XESzEDlaU_aem_ATC2LDBU1y255chV-N3s8Krc0kDXuu-C4bTQE4FXW7lG_kDjIK1gd5Q-la6gmOYAxhGfraPxvGol0lFE4LBncsaQ

MANILA, Philippines – After the delivering the keynote address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)’s Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Friday night, May 31, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. got his first question from a Chinese military general who asked about the Philippines’ “behavior” in the South China Sea. Source: WATCH: Marcos responds to Chinese general's question on PH 'behavior' in South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines need not fret about China’s new regulations in the South China Sea as long as no “illicit” acts will be committed, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said. Source: China assures PH: No need to worry over new SCS detention policy

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 1, 2024. AFP / Nhac Nguyen SINGAPORE – Asia-Pacific remains Washington’s “priority theater of operations,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday, noting “the United States can be secure only if Asia is.” “We are all in and we’re not going anywhere,” Austin said at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major security forum attended by defense officials from around the world. The Philippines, a US treaty ally, is a key focus of Washington’s efforts to build an arc of alliances across the region. Given its position in the South China Sea and proximity to self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own, Philippine support would be...

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros’ committee on women can hold as many hearings as possible to unravel the curious case of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, according to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero. Source: Escudero: Senate can hold ‘unli’ hearings on Guo

The Philippines has emerged as a standout performer in the 2023 Open Budget Survey (OBS), solidifying its position as a frontrunner in budget transparency and public engagement in Southeast Asia. The recently released OBS survey results underscored the country's progress in upholding open governance principles and fostering inclusive participation in the budgetary process. Scoring an impressive 75 out of 100 in the open budget index, the Philippines recorded an increase of seven points in transparency, surpassing its 2021 score of 68. Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandman said this achievement has not only outstripped the government's target score of 71 outlined in the Philippine Development Plan 2023 - 2028 but also secured the...