Duterte pushes Muslim self-rule in bid to head off extremism
President Duterte has offered self-rule to the Muslim minority in the south of the Philippines in the hope of heading off violent extremism. The president hopes the promise of autonomy …
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Communists vow nationwide offensives if martial law extended
Communist rebels have vowed to launch “armed counteractions and offensives” nationwide to protest at the proposed extension of martial law in Mindanao. The leadership of the Communist Party of the …
Duterte asks congress to extend Mindanao martial law until year’s end
President Duterte has today (Tuesday, July 18) asked Congress to extend martial law on Mindanao until the end of the year. The island, which is home to 22 million people, …
Rich, full-bodied and dry? DU30 wines launched to honour president
A pair of Europe-based Filipino entrepreneurs have launched a range of DU30 wines in honour of the president. Maria Elizabeth Briton Famorcan and Chona Abiertas Tenorio have pledged that 0.20 …
Duterte: I’ll resign if law forbids threatening to kill criminals
President Duterte has lashed out at Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales after she criticised his repeated threats to kill suspected criminals. Speaking today (Monday, July 17), the president said: “Do not …
Bacolod City identified as hotspot for online sex abuse of children
Bacolod has been identified as a hotspot for the online sexual abuse of children. Superintendent Maria Shiela Portento, head of the Women and Children Protection Division at Camp Crame, said …
Abu Sayyaf terrorists kidnap five, just hours before presidential visit to Sulu
Abu Sayyaf terrorists abducted five Zamboangueño construction workers and painters in Sulu shortly before a presidential visit today (Saturday, July 15). Local police say that at about 1.30am, six armed …
President Duterte makes yet another ‘joke’ about raping women
President Duterte has made yet another off-colour remark about raping women. The insensitive ‘joke’ was made yesterday (Friday, July 14) when the president was addressing a group of Filipino diplomats …
Filipinos have the most positive view of North Korea in region
The Philippines is the only country in the Asia-Pacific region where people have a positive view of North Korea, a study has found. According to the Spring 2017 Global Attitudes …
Active volcano reopens to trekkers after three-year ban
Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island Region has reopened for trekking after a three-year ban. Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, head of Special Concerns of the Negros Occidental Provincial Environment and Natural Resources …
No ifs, no butts: Date announced for smoking ban
The nationwide crackdown on smoking in the Philippines will come into force on Sunday, July 23, it was announced today (Friday, July 14). In a press briefing, Department of Health …
Woman arrested for pimping five-year-old daughter to Dutchman
Police rescued six children and a young woman from a suspected cybersex den in Bacolod yesterday (Thursday, July 13). A 35-year-old woman was arrested during the entrapment operation. Police rescued …
Senators slam decision to reinstate ‘killer cop’
Shocked senators have condemned the reinstatement of a police officer charged with the shooting of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa and another inmate in a Leyte jail last year. Superintendent Marvin …
Philippine church group buys Connecticut ghost town
Philippine-founded church group, Iglesia Ni Cristo, has purchased a ghost town in Connecticut for $1.85 million. The 62-acre hamlet of Johnsonville — a former mill town turned into a Victorian-themed …
UN urges more family planning to reduce poverty in the Philippines
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has appealed for better access to family planning services to reduce poverty in the Philippines. UNFPA country representative Klaus Beck said that impoverished Filipino …
Philippines plans to drill for oil and gas in disputed South China Sea
Drilling for oil and natural gas in the South China Sea’s Reed Bank may resume before the end of the year, a Philippine energy official announced today (Wednesday, July 12). …
Marawi City death toll passes 500 as 50th day of crisis looms
The number of fatalities confirmed since chaos broke out in Marawi has passed the 500 mark. Speaking at a press conference today (Monday, June 10), presidential spokeswoman Marie Banaag gave …
Bye-bye Bertha: World’s oldest hippo dies at Manila Zoo
Bertha, the world’s oldest hippopotamus, has died at Manila Zoo aged 65. Following an inquest since her death on Friday, zoo director James Dichaves said the 2.5-tonne female died due …
Bibles for evacuees and plan for Muslim-only ID “risk inflaming tensions”
A Christian group has risked providing a pretext for Islamist radicalisation by handing out Bibles to Muslim evacuees from Marawi city. Similar concerns have been expressed over proposals for a …
Now you can visit presidential museum from the comfort of your armchair
Although open to visitors by appointment, you can now tour the Malacañang presidential palace from the comfort of your home. The Presidential Museum and Library (PML) can now be explored …
Despite martial law and marawi crisis, Duterte more popular than ever
President Duterte has achieved his highest ever public satisfaction rating, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. The president garnered a net satisfaction rating of +67, categorised as “very …
Palawan smugglers caught with bodies of 70 critically endangered turtles
A boat carrying the bodies of 70 Hawksbill turtles — a critically endangered species — was intercepted off the coast of Palawan yesterday (Thursday, July 6). The boat, operated by …
Ambulance hit by train after slow trikes ‘trap’ it on track
Five people were injured when an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman was hit by a train in Manila after being ‘trapped’ by trikes. The injured, who were all aboard the …
Flights disrupted after potholes found on Manila airport runway
Potholes on the runway at Manila’s main airport saw flights diverted today (Thursday, July 6). Octavio Lina, operations chief at Ninoy Aquino International Airport said the two holes, both about …
One killed in collapsed building after powerful quake rocks Leyte
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines today (Thursday, July 6), killing at least one person inside a collapsed building. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said aftershocks …
Filipino boxing fans heap vile abuse on victorious Horn
Enraged Filipino boxing fans have taken to social media to attack Australian Jeff Horn after his controversial victory against Manny Pacquiao last weekend. A tidal wave of abuse has been …