DAVAO CITY, Philippines — After watching the video about the havoc brought about by typhoons Vinta and Urduja in the Zamboanga Peninsula, an angry President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to immediately close two logging concessions in the area. The stop order was issued by DENR Regional Director Felix […]
Archives for January 2018
Paniki Falls, a gift from Magbabaya
KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — Experience the wonders of nature, sip the pristine waters and enjoy the freezing mountain breeze at the foothills of Mt. Apo at Paniki Falls in the tribal village of Mook, Balabag this city. We travelled under the prickly heat of the morning sun and I was quenching for a cold water […]
Former Mayor, Vice Mayor indicted for getting transport allowances while using government car
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Former Mayor Reynor Gonzales and Vice-Mayor Cesar Gonzales of Lambunao, Iloilo, are set to face charges for receiving transportation allowance (TA) in 2014. The complaint stemmed from the 2014 Commission on Audit (COA) Annual Audit Report finding that respondents received TA despite being assigned government vehicles for their official use. Based […]
Militants accuse government of food blockade
TAGUM CITY, Philippines – Hunger welcomed the lumads in Davao del Norte and Agusan del Sur this 2018 brought by intensified food blocked implemented by ALAMARA, a paramilitary group, and the 60th and 72nd IB of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). On December 23, 2017, ALAMARA and AFP started to bar the communities […]
Customs employee convicted for failure to file SALNs
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Metropolitan Court of Manila convicted Walter Reynoso, a Customs Operations Officer of the Bureau of Customs over failure to file his Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net worth (SALNs). Reynoso, was convicted on 14 counts of violation of Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees […]
Congress to ensure free tuition only for deserving students
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will ensure ensure that state funds allocated for the government’s free college tuition program would be used only on deserving students and not wasted on malingerers and recidivist absentees or ‘bulakbol’ students. House Appropriations Committee Chair Karlo Nograles said state and local colleges and universities should not become “Iskul […]
Duterte signs resolution increasing the salaries of soldiers and cops
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte signed the joint resolution by the Senate and House of Representatives authorizing the increase in base pay of military and uniformed personnel (MUP) in the government. Duterte signed the joint resolution earlier passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on January 1. A copy was released […]
Minors caught having pot session
Isabela City, Philippines— Five senior high school students of Basilan National High School were arrested while having pot session Tuesday afternoon, January 9, 2018 at the rubber plantation in Barangay Sunrise, Isabela City. Police Superintendent Restituto Pangusban, OIC chief of Isabela police said a concerned citizen sounded off that five persons where holding pot session […]
Duterte targets corrupt local officials
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte wants corrupt local government officials out. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in the Tuesday press briefing at the Palace said the President would expand his “cleansing of the bureaucracy” to local officials. In 2017, Duterte fired ten top officials of his administration over corruption issues. (duterte-fires-10-top-officials-in-2017/) Last week he […]
WHO lauds PH’s sugar-sweetened beverage taxes
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. on Monday, January 8, took note of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) remarks saying that taxation of SSB “is a great step forward in protecting the health of Filipinos”. The Philippines is among the first Asian countries to implement taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). “With this […]
Former Negros Occidental mayor charged for SALN violations
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman charged former Mayor Francisco Nazareno of Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, for four counts of violation of Section 8 of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and two counts of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Ombudsman investigators from […]
Tourism Secretary says she transferred 27 officials “To flourish”
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo says the major reshuffling she is implementing at her agency is to enable the regional directors to “flourish” and get them out of their “comfort zones.” The Business Mirror in an interview quoted Teo saying “We’re transferring them to get the best out of them. We need […]
T’was yesterday : 1 Mayor, 3 top officials suspended and 1 convicted
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan and the Ombudsman issued three separate resolutions yesterday. 1. The Sandiganbayan has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension against Sipalay City, Negros Occidental Mayor Oscar Montilla, Jr. for delaying the implementation of the suspension order involving his staff. The anti-graft court directed Montilla “to cease and desist from performing and/or […]