PNP to public: Don’t fall for rumors of papal visit security threats

The Philippine National Police on Tuesday appealed to the public not to believe rumors that there are security threats to Pope Francis' upcoming visit and the Philippines' hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2015.

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Monitor your temperature, solon advises DOH’s Garin

Former military chief and incumbent Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon on Tuesday advised acting Health Secretary Janette Garin to monitor her temperature for 21 days following the latter's visit to the Filipino peacekeepers undergoing a 21-day quarantine on Caballo Island.

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Ex-ally says VP Binay owns units in 60 percent of Makati condos

Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado on Tuesday alleged before the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee that presumptive presidential candidate, Vice President Jejomar Binay, was given units in 60 to 70 percent of condominium buildings in the city in exchange for faster processing of permits, tax relief and other privileges for the developers.

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EDCA oral arguments start; Saguisag says Aquino has no say on EDCA

Oral arguments at the Supreme Court on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement started on Tuesday, with former Senator Rene Saguisag insisting President Benigno Aquino III has no authority to decide on the controversial bilateral pact.

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Apology not a bad idea, says ex-DOH Sec. on AFP, DOH execs’ visit to peacekeepers without protective gear

It is "not a bad idea" for Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. and Acting Health Secretary Janette Garin to issue an apology for not wearing protective gear during their visit to quarantined Filipino peacekeepers on Caballo Island, former Health Secretary Dr. Esperanza Cabral said Tuesday.

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SC denies Laude plea to intervene in EDCA cases

The Supreme Court has denied a bid from the family of slain transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude to intervene in the pending cases against the controversial Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the US.

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Bong Revilla leaves St. Luke’s Medical Center after checkup

After an overnight stay at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City, Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. left for the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame at noon Tuesday.

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Ex-Makati Vice Mayor Mercado donates part of alleged Binay property to govt

Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado on Tuesday voluntarily surrendered to the government a part of the 350-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas, which is registered under his name.

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PNoy’s Singapore trip to cost P11.6M

President Benigno Aquino III's two-day trip to Singapore will cost the government P11.6 million, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said Tuesday.

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COA: Initial cost estimate for Makati Science building was only P348.6 million

Commission on Audit chairperson Grace Pulido Tan on Tuesday said the initial estimate cost for the 10-storey Makati Science High School with dormitories was only P348.6 million. Documents from the Makati City Hall showed the local government has shelled out P1.3 billion out of the P1.5-B budget for the 54-classroom school building.

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Experts: Makati Science HS building construction should only cost between P489M to P644M

Experts said Tuesday the cost of construction of the Makati Science High School should be lower than the P1.3 billion the local government shelled out for it.

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French president Hollande to visit PHL in 2015, climate change tops agenda

French President François Hollande will visit the Philippines in 2015, in reciprocation for President Benigno Aquino III's visit to France last September.

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Aquino boards chartered flight for working visit to Singapore

President Benigno Aquino III and a Philippine delegation on Tuesday morning boarded a chartered flight to Singapore for a two-day working visit.

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4 to 6 million expected at Pope Francis’ Luneta mass

Organizers of Pope Francis' papal visit are bracing for four to six million people at the Mass the pope will lead at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Jan. 18 next year.

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Close to a year after Terminal 3 shooting, NAIA still lacks CCTV cameras

Close to a year since four people were shot to death at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, the Manila International Airport Authority has yet to finish installing security cameras at the country's primary airport.

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SC, parties all set for EDCA oral arguments

With the guidelines for the debate already in place, parties in cases contesting the constitutionality of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement are set to lay their arguments on the controversial bilateral deal before the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

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House set to resume floor debates on Cha-cha, anti-political dynasty proposals

Discussions on two controversial measures — the anti-political dynasty bill and the charter change resolution — are set to resume on the floor of the House of Representatives now that the proposed 2015 national budget has been submitted to the Senate.

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Doctors’ group hits AFP, DOH execs for visiting quarantined peacekeepers

The Philippine College of Physicians has criticized military and health officials' for visiting peacekeepers from Ebola-hit Liberia at their quarantine facilities in Caballo Island over the weekend.

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Albay mulling school holidays during APEC-ISOM on Dec. 8 and 9

Classes in Albay province may be suspended on December 8 and 9, Monday and Tuesday, when the province hosts a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

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Solon seeks passage of Bill of Rights for Taxi Passengers

With the holiday season fast approaching, a lawmaker has renewed his push for the passage of a proposed “Bill of Rights for Taxi Passengers” to protect them from abusive and picky cab drivers.

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Only 2,000 attendees allowed for Pope Francis’ Mass at Manila Cathedral

Only 2,000 bishops, priests, and religious individuals are allowed to attend the Papal Mass at the Manila Cathedral on January 16, 2015, the second day of Pope Francis' visit in the Philippines.

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VP Binay’s affidavit: Senators acting as judges, witnesses

Vice President Jejomar Binay has submitted an eight-page affidavit to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee formally denying the overpricing in the construction of the P2.7-billion Makati City Hall Building II and chiding senators for acting as prosecutors, judges and even witnesses against him.

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Senators remember Flavier as friend, confidant, father

Despite his achievements as a lawmaker, the late Senator Juan Flavier made his mark on his colleagues not just as an outstanding legislator but as a friend, confidant, adviser, and father.

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Bong Revilla leaves detention for overnight stay at St. Luke’s

Detained Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. on Monday left his detention facility at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame to undergo various medical checkups at St. Luke's Medical Center (SLMC) in Taguig City.

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Senate adjourns session early in honor of Flavier

The Senate on Monday adjourned its session early in honor of the late Senator Juan Flavier.

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AFP: Quarantined peacekeepers in Caballo Island all okay

The Filipino UN peacekeepers who are currently on their 21-day quarantine period at Caballo Island near Corregidor are in good condition, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc reiterated on Monday.

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Strike down EDCA, Laude kin ask Supreme Court

The family of slain Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude on Monday asked the Supreme Court to declare the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States as unconstitutional.

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Gazmin: AFP to acquire P23B worth of new ships, equipment

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will soon acquire more than P23 billion worth of brand new boats, helicopters, rifles and other combat and communication equipment, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin announced on Monday.

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Turkish PM to diplomat: Don’t return to Turkey until MILF disarmament

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday pledged his country's full support behind the Mindanao peace process, particularly the task of disarming the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

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Justice irked by delays in Estrada bail hearing

Even justices of the Sandiganbayan have started to grow impatient with the slow pace of the bail hearings of detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada, with Justice Roland Jurado, chairman of the Fifth Division, saying the 2016 elections might be over before a decision on bail can be reached.

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Osmeña: Give Drilon accuser one more chance to prove case

Senator Sergio Osmena III believes the Senate should give former Iloilo Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada another chance to present his evidence on the alleged overpricing in the P700-million Iloilo Convention Center.

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Osmeña: Senate might not pass PNoy’s emergency powers before 2015

Senator Sergio Osmena III on Monday expressed doubt that the Senate would approve before the year ends the bill granting President Benigno Aquino III special powers to address the looming power shortage next year.

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PNoy to hold bilateral talks with Turkey PM

President Benigno Aquino III is scheduled on Monday to hold a bilateral meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who is currently on his first official visit to the Philippines.

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Tacloban mayor says Lacson tirades slowed down Yolanda rehab efforts

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez on Monday blamed Rehabilitation Secretary Panfilo Lacson for the delay in the recovery efforts in the Yolanda-hit city.

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SWS poll result disproves critics of govt disaster response – Palace spokesman

The recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll showing higher satisfaction rating for the Aquino administration proved critics of the government wrong, a Malacañang spokesperson said Monday.

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National Press Club draped in black as Maguindanao massacre anniversary nears

The facade of the National Press Club was draped in black Monday as the fifth anniversary of the infamous Maguindanao massacre nears.

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Senate probe not meant to persecute VP Binay, Trillanes insists

Insisting that the Senate probe on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall building II was not meant to persecute Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday said proposed measures have been submitted as a result of the ongoing investigation.

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Senate pays last respects to Flavier

The urn containing the ashes of the late Senator Juan Flavier was brought Monday morning at the Senate session hall to allow his former colleagues to pay their respects to him.

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Phivolcs: No tsunami threat from mag-6.7 New Zealand quake

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Monday allayed fears of a tsunami from a magnitude-6.7 quake that jolted New Zealand.

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Aquino govt satisfaction rating recovers in Q3 – SWS

The Aquino administration's satisfaction rating recovered in the third quarter of 2014, registering a "good" +35 in September from the "moderate" +29 in June, according to a poll taken by the Social Weather Stations.

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Overpricing at Makati Science High School? Just lies – VP Binay

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Sunday denied alleged overpricing in the P1.33-billion Makati Science High School saying that the allegations were just "lies" by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

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Admin ally: LP-NP alliance ‘unbeatable’ in 2016

Even though the Liberal Party (LP) and Nacionalista Party (NP) have yet to formally join forces, an official of the ruling party said Sunday that a coalition between the two will spell victory for their candidates in the 2016 national and local elections.

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Ending Iloilo Convention Center probe a betrayal of public trust, Mejorada warns

Former Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada on Sunday said that ending the investigation into alleged overpricing in the Iloilo Convention Center "at a time when more questions emerged than were answered would be tantamount to betrayal of public trust."

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House eyes approval of emergency powers for PNoy before end of 2014

With Luzon facing a looming power shortage next year, the majority bloc in the House of Representatives will exert all its efforts to expedite the approval of the joint resolution granting President Benigno Aquino III emergency powers before the end of 2014, House Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales II said Sunday.

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DBM: Govt workers to receive bonus, cash gift, 13th month pay this week

Government employees will receive this week their year-end bonus, the last tranche of their 13th month pay, and a cash gift of P5,000, the Department of Budget and Management said Sunday.

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Twenty killed, including civilians in fresh clashes in southern Philippines

Twenty people died in a single day in the southern Philippines following a fresh outbreak of unrest in the strife-torn region, officials said Saturday. The military earlier said that 15 people were killed Friday after heavy fighting between government forces and al Qaeda-linked militants in the jungle region, where various Muslim extremist and bandit groups are active. A police report indicated civilians, including an eight-year-old girl were among fatalities in late last week's clashes.

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Palace: DSWD team to look into conditions at vagrant children’s facility in Manila

A fact-finding team of the Department of Social Welfare and Development will look into the conditions at a center in Manila for rescued vagrant children operated by the DSWD, after a photo of a "severely malnourished boy" in the facility circulated online, a Palace spokesman said on Sunday.

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Peacekeeper with malaria to finish 21-day quarantine on Caballo Island

The Filipino peacekeeper who tested positive for malaria will be sent back to Caballo Island in a week’s time to complete the 21-day quarantine once he has recovered from malaria, the Department of Health said Sunday.

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Groups picket Hacienda Luisita to mark 10 years after massacre

Militant groups on Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita massacre with a picket seeking justice for seven farmers gunned down in the 2004 incident.

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Organizers remind Pinoys: No tickets to Papal visit events

Organizers of Pope Francis' upcoming visit to the Philippines in January on Saturday reminded Filipinos to be wary of those selling tickets to events related to the papal visit.

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