UP-CMC laments culture of impunity beyond media killings

While many associate the culture of impunity with the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, such a culture goes way beyond the heinous murder that took place five years ago.

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China building South China Sea island big enough for airstrip – report

Satellite images show China is building an island on a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands large enough to accommodate what could be its first offshore airstrip in the South China Sea, a leading defense publication said on Friday.

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Palace on supposed APEC 2015 media blacklist: Accreditation hasn't even started

Malacañang on Friday denied that it is barring Hong Kong journalists who yelled at President Benigno Aquino III last year from covering the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be hosted by the Philippines next year.

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Ozone fire victims' 18-year wait for justice an isolated case—De Lima

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday said the delay incurred in the 18-year-old Ozone Disco fire trial was an "isolated case."

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AFP chief to skip Pacquiao fight to honor fallen soldier

Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. will skip the much-awaited fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and American slugger Chris Algieri on Sunday to honor a fallen soldier.

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Mercado challenges Binay to a debate

After backing out of a debate with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday got another challenge from another of his critics—former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado.

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Maguindanao massacre victims’ kin write Pope Francis for justice

Two days before the fifth anniversary of the infamous Maguindanao Massacre, relatives of the victims turned to Pope Francis to help them get justice.

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QC court junks bail plea of cop suspect in Maguindanao massacre

A suspended municipal police chief said to be involved in planning the November 2009 Maguindanao Massacre will have to remain behind bars for the remainder of the five-year-old murder trial.

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Beijing’s cold caught up with PNoy?

President Benigno Aquino III on Friday suffered a coughing fit while delivering a speech lauding the Araneta family of Quezon City.

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Get masterminds or kidnap groups will be ‘back with a vengeance’, group tells PNP

A crime watchdog group reminded the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group to go after the masterminds behind abductions — 43 incidents have been reported this year — to make sure kidnapping rings will not "come back with a vengeance."

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PNoy goes to the mall

President Benigno Aquino III went to a Quezon City mall on Friday afternoon, a photo posted on Twitter by Radio Television Malacañang showed.

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PNoy wants to step up counter-terrorism efforts –Palace

President Benigno Aquino III wants security officials to step up counter-terrorism efforts, Malacañang said Friday, after the Philippines ranked higher in the Global Terrorism Index Report.

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PNP records 43 kidnap cases since January

A total of 43 kidnapping cases have been recorded in the country from January to November this year, according to records from Philippine National Police's anti-kidnapping unit, with most cases already solved.

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Former Senator Paterno dies

Former Senator Vicente Paterno passed away at 8:40 in the morning Friday. He was 89 years old.

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De Lima: Nothing wrong with Binay accuser leaving PHL

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima neither confirmed nor denied on Friday information that former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado, a whistleblower against Vice President Jejomar Binay, has left the Philippines.

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Witness says Ong had Napoles acquitted for Kevlar mess

A witness in the multi-billion pork barrel fund scam on Friday said dismissed Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong was behind the acquittal of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles in the malversation case she faced in connection with the alleged anomalous sale of 500 Kevlar Helmets to the Philippine Marines in 1998.

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Govt to keep papal visit simple – Palace exec

The Philippine government will heed Pope Francis' request to keep his visit to the country as simple as possible, a Malacañang official said Friday.

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Laude killing highlights struggle for rights

The killing of a Filipina transgender woman, allegedly by a US Marine, has stoked nationalist outrage in the Philippines but activists say the spotlight should also be shone on "hate crimes" by locals targetting minority groups.

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Drilon: ICC construction hits snag due to Mejorada’s allegations

Senate President Franklin Drilon on Friday blamed the allegations hurled by former Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada for the delay in the construction of Iloilo Convention Center.

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London-based group asks world leaders to stop ‘dangerous’ child labor

A London-based health and safety organization on Friday called on world leaders to stop children from "doing dangerous jobs."

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Ex-Makati vice mayor says he is in US, will return Nov. 30

Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado on Friday confirmed he is in the United States, but said he will return by Nov. 30.

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Intl media group scores govt failure to protect Maguindanao massacre witness

An international media group on Thursday scored the government for its failure to protect witnesses in the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, after an ambush that killed one prospective witness.

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NAIA: 2 domestic flights canceled due to bad weather

At least two domestic flights were canceled Friday due to bad weather conditions, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport said.

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CBCP renews call to stop corruption for Year of the Poor

Catholic bishops made a fresh call to stop corruption as the Church prepares to open the Year of the Poor on November 30.

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Ebola survivor backs DOH's quarantine protocol for PHL peacekeepers

A Liberian doctor who contracted the deadly Ebola virus and got well from it said that the Department of Health's protocol in dealing with Filipino peacekeepers who have returned from Liberia is correct.

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Trillanes to seek higher office in 2016

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will run for a higher position in the 2016 presidential elections.

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‘Cheap’ anti-Ebola suits for training purposes only – DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) has admitted that they used cheaper personal protective equipment (PPE) while training health workers expected to deal with Ebola.

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Ozone Disco survivor: ‘We’ve moved on but it’s good to know justice has been served’

Sherilyn Bruan, a production manader with GMA Network, was 18 years old and a second year college student during that fateful night in March of 1996. She was with her two cousins and two friends in Ozone Disco when tragedy struck.

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Sandiganbayan employees join protest for P16k minimum wage

Several Sandiganbayan employees on Thursday joined the nationwide protest demanding a higher national minimum wage of P16,000 for all workers in the private and public sectors.

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Vatican wants PHL to spend less on Pope Francis’ visit

The Vatican wants the Philippines to keep to a minimum the expenditures for Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines this coming January, and instead give more resources to help victims of recent calamities, a member of the papal visit organizing committee said on Thursday.

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No ‘epal’ acts please on Pope Francis’ visit—organizers

Organizers of the Pope Francis' visit in January on Thursday called on the country's politicians to refrain from using the event to somehow promote themselves before the Holy Father and the public.

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De Lima: Mercado has admitted involvement in anomalies

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday said it is but normal to discover irregularities or anomalies involving former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado, as he had admitted to being part of some illegal activities in the past.

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132 pass Aeronautical Engineer Licensure Exam –PRC

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Thursday announced that 132 out of 282 passed the Aeronautical Engineer Licensure Examination given in Manila in November.

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Calls for PNoy’s ouster over human rights record ‘unreasonable’ – Palace

Malacañang on Thursday described as "unreasonable" calls from some groups for President Benigno Aquino's removal from his post over his administration's human rights record.

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Makabayan bloc threatens to withdraw co-authorship of FOI bill

The seven-member Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives has threatened to withdraw its co-authorship of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill if the public information committee passes what it calls a “watered down” and “toothless” measure.

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Security may be ‘challenging’ with ‘Pope of surprises’ – Church officials

Ensuring Pope Francis' security may be "challenging" during his visit to the Philippines in January next year since he is known for his spontaneity and his habit of breaking protocol in order to reach out to people.

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Tiangco: Miss Earth pageant should not be held at Mercado-owned resort

An ally of Vice President Jejomar Binay has asked the organizers of Miss Earth International pageant to reconsider using a resort in Coron, Palawan as the contestants' official residence, saying that the resort is part of the "ill-gotten wealth" of its purported owner, former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado.

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Guingona: Senators safe when Janette Garin attends budget debates

Department of Health officer-in-charge Undersecretary Janette Garin on Thursday found allies in Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senator Teofisto Guingona III amid the flak she received for visiting quarantined Filipino peacekeepers without any protective gear. In an interview with Senate reporters, Guingona said it was safe to shake hands with Garin when she attends the plenary deliberation on the budget of DOH on Monday.

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5 years later, fate of Ampatuan patriarch’s bail plea known next month

After five years of hearing the high-profile murder case, the Quezon City judge in the Maguindanao massacre trial is finally set to decide whether or not to allow principal suspect and clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. to enjoy tenporary freedom.

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Hard to distinguish between working and campaigning, VP Binay admits

Is Vice President Jejomar Binay already campaigning for the 2016 presidential polls? Maybe yes. Maybe not.

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Sandiganbayan suspends arraignment of Elenita Binay

The Third Division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan on Thursday suspended the arraignment of Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay, on malversation and graft charges in relation to the alleged anomalous purchase of P45-million worth of hospital beds and medical supplies during her incumbency as the mayor of Makati City.

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Palace: No more family feud, but PNoy wants justice for Martial Law victims

Amid a renewed call to put the Aquino-Marcos family feud behind, a Malacañang official on Thursday said President Benigno Aquino III no longer harbor ill will against the Marcoses, but he wants justice for the victims of Martial Law.

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Senate may probe Binay accuser over unexplained wealth –Drilon

The Senate will investigate former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado, chief accuser of Vice President Jejomar Binay, for alleged unexplained wealth once a resolution has been filed seeking for it, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Thursday.

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Govt working to thwart Islamic State recruitment in PHL – Palace

The government is exerting efforts to thwart reported recruitment activities of Islamic State militants in the Philippines, a Malacañang spokesman said Thursday.

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Preparations ‘on time’ for Pope Francis visit, say church officials

Church officials on Thursday said preparations are in place and are being followed on schedule so far for Pope Francis' visit in January 2015.

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Bong Revilla’s handwriting expert paid P200k

Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. paid a former handwriting expert of the National Bureau of Investigation P200,000 to boost his case in the bail hearing in connection with the plunder charges filed against him in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

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Bong Revilla says Sandigan may rule on his bail petition next week

Detained Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. on Thursday said the Sandiganbayan First Divison may decide on his bail petition as early as next week if the summation of the bail hearings finishes within the day.

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SC workers seek 16k minimum wage, oppose taxes on bonuses

Supreme Court employees on Thursday used a portion of their lunch break to hold a protest for a higher national minimum wage of P16,000 and against the imposition of taxes on their bonuses and allowances.

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AFP: Alleged involvement of Pinoy in beheading of Syrian soldiers may be ISIS propaganda

Claims that a Filipino was involved in the beheading of 18 Syrian soldiers may just be a propaganda by Islamic State fighters, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Thursday.

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Killing of Maguindanao massacre witness may have ‘adverse impact’ on the trial – media group

The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines on Thursday expressed concern over the killing of another potential witness in the Maguindanao massacre case, saying the incident may have an adverse impact in the trial.

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