Other News

Gov’t implements preventive measures after report of MERS-CoV infection

MANILA, PIA- President Benigno S Aquino III has directed Acting Health Secretary Janette Garin to carry out the necessary preventive measures after a nurse from Saudi Arabia tested positive for MERS-CoV and was admitted to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for treatment, the Palace has said. “Contact tracing is being done to locate fellow passengers of the patient who travelled from Saudi Arabia to Manila last week,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said […]

Family of unarmed man shot dead by police demands a conviction

The family of an unarmed black man shot and killed by a police officer called for a conviction at the trial, which had started just the other day. On Wednesday, rookie New York City police officer Peter Liang was charged with second-degree manslaughter and five other offenses for the fatal shooting of Akai Gurley inside a dark stairwell of a housing project last November. Officer Liang was patrolling with his partner in the Brooklyn housing […]

Chinese relatives of MH370 arrive in Malaysia to demand answer

Relatives of passengers aboard the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that disappeared nearly a year ago arrived in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur today to seek answers from the Malaysian government and the airline itself. A group of mainly Chinese relatives arrived at the airport wearing red t-shirts that read “Pray for MH370”, in a trip arranged after the government declared flight MH370 an accident, clearing the way for the airline to pay compensation to […]

Iqbal testifies in Senate

For the first time, Mohagher Iqbal, Chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attended the senate probe of the carnage in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that claimed the lives of 44 Special Action Force (SAF). Mohagher Iqbal didn’t attend the previous hearings happened last February 9 but able to submit a letter on February 10 that was read by representative MILF Coordinating Committee of the Cessation of Hostilities chairman Rashid Ladiasan, part of the letter […]

Sen. Miriam grills Purisima, Napenas, Iqbal on Mamasapano incident, notes MILF’s “bad faith”

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago grilled resigned Philippine National Police director general Alan Purisima, Special Action Forces chief Getulio Napenas, and Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Mohagher Iqbal as the senate resumed its inquiry of the Mamasapano incident. Santiago told Purisima that he should not have involved himself in the Mamasapano incident and questioned why he had been meeting with President Aquino regarding the Mamasapano operation, when he was already suspended at the time. Santiago, who […]

Espina and Napeñas breakdown

It was an emotional scene as Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Director General Leonardo Espina announced the results of the medico legal of several Special Action Force (SAF) in the bloody incident which occurred in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last month. “We are all for peace process, because most and foremost we are all peace keepers. We seek a very clear answer from the other party of the peace process, ano ba itong overkill na ginawa ninyo […]

MILF’s Iqbal attends senate inquiry on Mamasapano, says MILF wants to pursue peace

The chair of the peace panel of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attended the continuation on Thursday, February 12, of the senate inquiry on the Mamasapano operation where 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Forces  (PNP-SAF)and 18 MILF members were killed. Mohagher Iqbal, MILF peace panel chair, read a statement where he said that the Mamasapano incident was an “unfortunate” incident, but insisted that the MILF was still committed to pursue peace. […]

Sharing of Stories: Jewish Survivors in the Philippines during the Holocaust

The alumni members of the American School in Manila had organized a reunion that not only promised the rekindling of memories but a remembrance of the plight of the Jews who faced annihilation during the Holocaust. The event, “Sharing of Stories”, was organized by the Pilipinas Sandiwa Heritage Foundation and the Embassy of Israel and highlighted the major role that the Philippines had played in Jewish history when President Manuel L. Quezon welcomed the Jewish refugees […]

Increase of collected taxes in QC in 1st qtr of 2015

Collected business taxes in the first quarter of 2015 by the Quezon City government are hauling in up to 7.75 % or PHP 234 million. Based on the report submitted to Mayor Herbert Bautista by the treasury, the QC government has collected PHP 3.26 billion or PHP 234 million tax increases, over than PHP 3.02 billion taxes collected in the same quarter of 2014. City Administrator Aldrin Cuña said that “For the past five years, […]

Earthquake shakes MM, Batangas, Eastern Samar

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has recorded a 5.0 magnitude at 22 kilometers southwest of Nasugbu town early 12:09 am. An aftershock was felt in parts of Metro Manila as well. The tectonic quake had a depth of 109 kilometers, felt in various parts of the metro, particularly in Muntinlupa and Quezon City. Intensity 3 was felt in Nasugbu and intensity 2 in Pasay City. There were no reports of heavy damage […]

Purisima invokes executive privilege, won’t divulge President’s instructions on Mamasapano operation

Resigned Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima invoked executive privilege as congressmen pressed him to reveal details of his conversations with President Aquino on the Mamasapano operation. Purisima insisted he cannot tell the congressional inquiry what the President had told him regarding the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force operation to get Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli bin hir, alias Marwan. When asked if he can reveal the details of his conversations with the President in an […]