Suspension order vs. Purisima valid –Napolcom

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Wednesday said the Office of the Ombudsman's preventive suspension order against Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima is valid and must be honored by him.

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Palace: Bukidnon bus bombing to be fully probed; victims to be assisted

A Malacañang official assured the public on Wednesday that deadly bus explosion in Bukidnon will be fully investigated.

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Govt rushes aid to displaced storm survivors

The national government and aid agencies rushed relief supplies Wednesday to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by a powerful typhoon, as survivors sifted through debris to rebuild their lives.

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NDRRMC: Ruby official death toll rises to 11, estimated damage up to P2.55B

The number of confirmed fatalities from Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) rose to 11 as of Wednesday afternoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

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PNoy’s good ratings won’t deter critics—Palace

Malacañang on Wednesday expressed appreciation for President Benigno Aquino III’s improving satisfaction rating, although it admitted that these figures would not be enough to deter critics.

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Syjuco files malversation complaints vs. Abad

Former Iloilo Rep. Agusto Syjuco has filed malversation complaints against Department of Budget and Management Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, over the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program.

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Purisima ‘acknowledges’ preventive suspension –PNP spokesman

Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima has acknowledged the suspension order issued against him by the Office of the Ombudsman, PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said Wednesday.

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PHL govt efforts saved lives, says British envoy

The British ambassador has lauded the Philippine government for the precautionary measures it conducted in the face of Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit).

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Still too early to base 2016 plans on surveys—Chiz Escudero

Senator Francis Escudero on Wednesday said it is premature for anyone to make a decision on whether to run or not in the 2016 elections based on the survey results released now as the trend would surely change as the poll nears.

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New People’s army poses ‘minimal’ risk to PHL typhoon rescue mission

Rescue teams were struggling on Wednesday to reach upland communities on in eastern Samar, which took the brunt of Typhoon Ruby at the weekend amid security fears in an area known as a hotbed of Maoist insurgents.

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Ex-Marinduque solon, DA officials face raps over alleged fertilizer fund scam

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has ordered the filing of malversation and graft charges against former Marinduque Rep. Edmundo Reyes and several other officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in connection with their supposed involvement in the alleged P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

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Roxas: Purisima ‘okay’ with DILG’s service of suspension order

Suspended Philippine National Police chief Director-General Alan Purisima is "okay" with the Department of Interior and Local Government's service of the Ombudsman's suspension order against him, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said on Wednesday.

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Purisima lawyer insists suspension order should've come from Napolcom

The camp of Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima on Wednesday clarified an earlier statement saying the top official will not honor the suspension order issued against him by the Office of the Ombudsman.

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Palace on Mar’s lower poll ranking: PNoy yet to anoint ‘chosen one’

Malacañang on Wednesday maintained that President Benigno Aquino III has not yet anointed his “chosen one,” after the administration’s presumptive bet, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, ranked lower in a recent survey on 2016 presidential preferences.

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House bill seeks hike in campaign expenditure limits for poll bets

A lawmaker has proposed a four-fold increase in the maximum amount a candidate or political party can spend for an electoral campaign to keep up with inflation.

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PNP chief Purisima asks CA to stop suspension

Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima on Wednesday sought refuge from the Court of Appeals, seeking to stop his preventive suspension in connection with a supposed anomalous contract the PNP entered into with a courier service in 2011.

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Sandiganbayan ‘sekyu’ faces probe for soliciting from Napoles’ lawyer

A security guard of the anti-graft court is facing an investigation for allegedly soliciting money from the lawyer of businesswoman and alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

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Groups urge govt: Lead way in protecting human rights defenders amid ASEAN integration

On the 67th year of the historic adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948, human rights groups called on the Philippine government to lead the way in protecting rights defenders amid an integrated ASEAN economy.

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DOH declines US medical mission for Ruby-affected areas

"Approximately midday local time, the Philippine Department of Health announced that the services of Foreign Medical Teams such as ours were no longer needed to assist in the rescue effort," said founder and CEO Dr. Michael Karch.

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Despite high ratings, Grace Poe still has no plan to run for president in 2016

Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday said she still has no plan to seek higher post in the 2016 despite her improving rating in terms of people's choice, but she admitted: the survey result "is truly heartwarming."

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Allies remain upbeat despite VP Binay’s Pulse Asia ratings decline

Despite yet another decline in ratings, the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday still welcomed the result of the recent Pulse Asia survey.

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On Human Rights Day, group scores PNoy for continued failure to uphold rights

On Human Rights Day Wednesday, a human rights group gave President Benigno Aquino III yet another failing grade for his leadership in human rights.

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NDRRMC: Official death toll from Ruby climbs to 9; damage nears P2B

The number of confirmed deaths from Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) rose to nine Wednesday morning, with a 72-year-old man being the most recent verified fatality.

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Japan NGOs, dentists awarded for contributions to PHL

Two Japanese non-government organizations and two dentists were awarded for their voluntary charitable work in the Philippines.

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200 priests from abroad to join Pope Francis, PHL priests at Luneta Mass

Some 200 priests from dioceses outside the Philippines will get to join Pope Francis in celebrating Mass at the Luneta in Manila on Jan. 18, the papal visit's organizers said.

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PNoy visit to South Korea on again as storm departs

President Benigno Aquino will go ahead with a visit to South Korea this week after the Philippines weathered its latest typhoon better than expected, his spokeswoman said Tuesday.

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Aquino Q4 satisfaction rating improves slightly – SWS

President Benigno Aquino III's satisfaction rating improved slightly in the fourth quarter of 2014 with a "good" net rating of +39 from the third quarter's +34 (59 percent satisfied and 25 percent dissatisfied), pollster Social Weather Stations said Tuesday.

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Purisima not keen on honoring ‘illegal’ suspension order –lawyer

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima will not honor the suspension order issued against him by the Office of the Ombudsman, as a portion of it was illegal, his lawyer said Tuesday.

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PNoy changes mind, to push through with SoKor trip

After initially canceling his trip, President Benigno Aquino III has decided to push through with his visit to South Korea this week.

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No need for law protecting male domestic abuse victims –Pia Cayetano

There is no need for a law providing protection to male victims of domestic abuse, Senator Pia Cayetano said Tuesday.

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‘Whiplash’ Typhoon Ruby a cruel blow for already poverty-stricken Visayas

The typhoon's international name was Hagupit, which means "whiplash" in Filipino, and for the poverty-stricken rice farmers, fishermen, village workers and children of the eastern central Visayas, it was an especially painful blow.

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NDRRMC: Official death toll from Ruby rises to 8

At least eight people have been confirmed and verified dead due to Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) as of Tuesday afternoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

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PNP chief Purisima to seek CA help vs. suspension

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima will ask the Court of Appeals (CA) to stop the implementation of the six-month suspension slapped on him by the Office of the Ombudsman.

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Drilon: Enough allocations in 2014 budget for post-Ruby relief

There are enough allocations in the 2014 General Appropriations Act for the government to respond to the need for relief and rehabilitation in the wake of Typhoon Ruby, Senate President Franklin Drilon on Tuesday.

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US govt study challenges China’s claims in South China Sea

A United States government study has challenged China’s claims in the South China Sea.

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PNP chief Purisima charged before Ombudsman for alleged land-grabbing

Charges of estafa and graft were filed against Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima, his wife and a retired military official in connection with a disputed 9.5-hectare property in Talisay, Batangas.

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Singapore Red Cross donates P2M to Ruby relief efforts

International aid agency Singapore Red Cross has donated S$60,000 (roughly P2 million) to the victims of Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) which hit parts of the Visayas and Luzon over the weekend and early this week.

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Rescuers struggle to reach villages after Ruby ‘folded homes like paper’

DOLORES, Eastern Samar - Emergency workers struggled on Tuesday to reach coastal villages on an island hardest hit by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) where thousands of homes have been wrecked, suggesting the Red Cross's estimated death toll of 27 may rise.

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Gov’t funds not wasted on Yolanda bunkhouses damaged by Ruby –Palace

Malacañang on Tuesday confirmed that some bunkhouses built by the national government for Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors were damaged by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit), but denied government funds were wasted.

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Heads will roll over 2-storey mansion inside Bilibid compound –De Lima

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered an investigation into reports that two inmates have been able to build a two-storey house and a swimming pool inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

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Military plane carrying Ruby relief goods delayed by flat tire

One of the country’s only three C-130 planes failed to take off as scheduled from Borongan, Eastern Samar, when it encountered a flat tire, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Tuesday.

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Palace: Lag in Ruby casualty count due to verification process

The government’s count of Typhoon Ruby-related casualties tends to be slower compared to those being conducted by other groups due to a strict verification process, Malacañang said Tuesday.

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PNoy suffering from ‘very bad’ cold, skips Pasay event

President Benigno Aquino III is under the weather and decided to skip an event in Pasay City where he was scheduled to deliver a speech on Tuesday.

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VACC to file raps vs. suspended PNP chief Purisima over Batangas property

Another case is set to be filed against suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima, this time over his alleged 9.5-hectare property in Talisay, Batangas.

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Red Crescent and Red Cross provide aid to Typhoon Ruby victims

International aid agencies Red Crescent Movement and International Red Cross are now moving volunteers to provide aid to areas hit by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit), especially to remote areas that have yet to recover from Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

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Ruby weakens further as clearing operations begin

DOLORES, Eastern Samar - Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) weakened further on Tuesday as the storm crawled across the central Philippines, while rescue workers struggled in its aftermath to reach towns in central provinces where thousands of homes were wrecked and at least 27 people killed.

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Ruby affects 2 million people, causes P1 billion in damage

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Tuesday said the number of people affected by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) had breached the two-million mark while damage breached the P1-billion mark.

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Coast Guard: 1,126 still stranded as Ruby moves away from PHL

While Tropical Depression Ruby (Hagupit) may have weakened and may be moving away from the country, more than 1,000 people are still stranded in various ports as of Tuesday morning, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

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Ombudsman asks Drilon, nine others to answer raps on ‘overpriced’ ICC construction

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered Senate President Franklin Drilon, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, and seven other public officials and private individuals to answer the accusation of a former Iloilo official on the alleged overpricing of the Iloilo Convention Center.

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Ruby death toll rose to 27 – Red Cross

The death toll from a giant storm crossing the Philippines rose to 27 on Tuesday, the Red Cross said, but there was widespread relief after it brushed the capital without causing major damage. But data from the National Disaster Coordinating Council showed only three fatalities so far, with eight reported deaths still being verified.

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