Church leaders, cops on lookout for fake priests as Pope’s visit nears

Not all priests are vested equally and some of them may be assassins in disguise, church officials and policemen warned on GMA 7's "24 Oras" Tuesday.

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Pope Francis’ Volkswagen SUV: Simple, sturdy, safe

During instances when Pope Francis will not be using the popemobiles in a motorcade, he will be riding in a German SUV—one without tint and in which he would still be quite visible to the faithful while seated in the backseat.

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MMDA to implement 5-day truck holiday during papal visit - PNA

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will implement a five-day truck ban in the metropolis during the visit of Pope Francis, state-run Philippines News Agency reported Tuesday.

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COA finds misuse of P110-M DOJ compensation fund

The Commission on Audit has taken to task the Department of Justice for failing to remit back to the National Treasury some P110 million in funds meant for the Victims' Compensation Fund. The DOJ has also failed to utilize the money to actually compensate its intended beneficiaries, the COA added.

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Drug raps filed vs. Bilibid inmate that yielded 11 grams of shabu

The National Bureau of Investigation has filed drug-related charges against one of the 19 high-profile inmates removed from the New Bilibid Prison and transferred to Manila.

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Solon hopes Pope Francis will convince PHL govt to resume talks with NDF

A lawmaker hopes Pope Francis will help convince the government to resume peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) and iron out any lingering issues with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during his visit to the Philippines.

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Ona: There are better qualified people to head the DOH than Garin

As far as former Health secretary Enrique Ona is concerned, there are individuals who are more qualified to head the Department of Health than Janette Garin.

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Manny Pacquiao, Jules Ledesma most absent congressmen in 2014

With a total attendance record of seven session days, Manny Pacquiao and Julio Ledesma IV are tied as the lawmakers with the most number of absences in the lower chamber.

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AFP to airlift Pope Francis from Tacloban to Palo if motorcade disrupted

If an emergency arises, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is prepared to airlift Pope Francis from Tacloban City to Palo town when he visits Leyte Saturday.

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Australia, UK nationals in PHL advised: Prepare for large crowd, traffic during papal visit

Prepare for large crowds and possible disruptions in traffic and business this week, during Pope Francis' five-day visit to the Philippines.

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Joma Sison thumbs down ex-AFP chief Bautista as govt peace negotiator

The government's supposed plan to designate former Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista as its chief negotiator with the communist rebels does not sit well with Jose Ma. Sison, the communist party's chairman.

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FULL TEXT: Pope Francis’ arrival speech in Sri Lanka

Pope Francis arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, January 13, for the first stop in his week-long, two-country Asian tour that will also bring him to the Philippines. He delivered a speech in English calling on Sri Lanka to uncover the truth of what happened during its bloody civil war as part of a healing process between religious communities. Here is the full text of that speech.

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PNoy to attend Pope’s Luneta Mass

President Benigno Aquino III will be one of the millions of Filipinos expected to attend Pope Francis’ concluding Mass at Luneta, Malacañang confirmed Tuesday.

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PNoy’s office reviewing DOJ’s executive clemency recommendations

President Benigno Aquino III’s office is already reviewing the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s list of inmates recommended for executive clemency, a Palace official said Tuesday.

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Palace to public: Stay put in case of commotion during Luneta papal Mass

Malacañang on Tuesday advised Filipinos planning to attend Pope Francis’ Mass at the Luneta this Sunday to stay put in case of a commotion during the event to prevent the possibility of a stampede.

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Cops from regions beef up Metro Manila, Leyte police for Pope’s visit

The Philippine National Police has started to deploy about 25,000 policemen ahead of the five-day papal visit scheduled on Thursday.

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Palace: No ‘epal’ during papal visit, please

Malacañang on Tuesday appealed to politicians and private firms not to use the upcoming papal visit to get publicity and media mileage.

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AMLC claims Jinggoy received P157.6M in pork barrel scam kickbacks

Senator Jinggoy Estrada received close to P158 million in kickbacks by funneling his priority development assistance fund allocations to bogus non-government organizations over a six-year period, the Anti-Money Laundering Council claimed, citing results of its investigation.

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PHL reaffirms commitment to fight immunity during ICC assembly

The Philippines has reaffirmed its commitment to fight impunity and pushed for a rules-based international relations among states during the 13th Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in December last year.

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French special environment envoy arriving Jan. 20-25 for presidential visit

France is sending a special envoy to the Philippines later this month to prepare for the visit of French President François Hollande in the first half of 2015.

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Ex-Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado faces graft, plunder raps

A private individual on Tuesday filed graft and plunder charges against former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado for the P80 million the official admitted to have received from Vice President Jejomar Binay as bribe.

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More security forces arrive in Tacloban for papal visit; X-ray scanner now at Nunciature

More security forces arrived in Tacloban City Tuesday, ahead of Pope Francis' visit to Leyte this coming Saturday.

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1987 charter framers on draft Bangsamoro Law: Set aside partisan politics, penchant for legal nuances, semantics

Fourteen surviving members of the Constitutional Commission issued on Monday their command stand supportive of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in response to challenges to the measure's constitutionality. The charter framers dared BBL critics to look beyond semantics and legalese and instead weigh the factors of human development and social justice.

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Watch: Commuters stranded as authorities conduct papal arrival dry run

Some passengers along a portion of Manila's Taft Avenue were stranded Monday evening while authorities simulated Pope Francis' Jan. 15 arrival.

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Pope's trip to Sri Lanka, PHL to address poverty, dialogue, climate change

COLOMBO/VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis returns to Asia for the second time in less than six months, travelling to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in coming days to underscore his concern for inter-religious dialogue, poverty and the environment.

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300 families affected in Sta. Cruz, Manila fire

At least 300 families were affected in a fire that razed a residential area in Manila's Sta. Cruz district Monday evening.

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LOOK: Cardinal Tagle rides a pedicab in Pasay City

As Pope Francis continues to promote humility and modest living among the world's religious, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle took a pedicab ride on Sunday.

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CBCP asks 5M Filipinos to secure Pope, one another

With millions expected to troop to public events during the papal visit, particularly the concluding mass at Luneta, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the key to ensuring the security of Pope Francis and the crowd was Filipinos "taking care of one another."

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Prosecution to seek garnishment of Jinggoy’s assets

Government prosecutors will soon be asking the Sandiganbayan to order the garnishment of Senator Jinggoy Estrada's bank accounts and other assets, the Office of the Ombudsman's Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosquera confirmed in a press conference.

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Another high-profile Bilibid inmate contests transfer before SC

Another high-profile inmate has contested his transfer from the New Bilibid Prison to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) compound.

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UPCAT results for academic year 2015-2016 out

The results of the University of the Philippines College Admission Test for the academic year 2015-2016 were released and posted online early Monday evening.

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PHL working with INTERPOL, ASEAN to thwart terror threat to Pope Francis

The Philippine government is working with the international community to thwart any possible terror threat to Pope Francis, who is set to visit the Philippines from January 15 to 19.

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No selfies during papal visit, police told

The Philippine National Police on Monday reminded its personnel that selfies with Pope Francis are barred, stressing that they are deployed strictly for security reasons.

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Afternoon masses in Manila cancelled Sunday

Afternoon masses in the Archdiocese of Manila will be canceled this Sunday, Jan. 18, to give way to the Mass of Pope Francis at the Quirino Grandstand on that day.

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CA issues amparo writ, seeks De Lima side on Bilibid inmate’s transfer

The Court of Appeals on Monday issued a writ of amparo ordering Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and several others to comment on a petition contesting the transfer of an inmate from New Bilibid Prison last December 15.

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PNoy: Selfies with Pope could lead to problems during Francis’ visit

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday appealed to Filipinos to practice “bayanihan” and cooperate in the government’s efforts to secure Pope Francis, who will be in the country starting Thursday.

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Comelec gears up for two more elections before 2016

Less than a month before his retirement as the country's poll chief, Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Monday said the poll body is preparing for two more elections before 2016.

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Jinggoy Estrada hits prosecution panel for ‘trial by publicity’

Detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Monday hit the prosecution panel for what he called "trial by publicity” after a newspaper came out with a report on alleged bank transactions amounting to at least P150 million.

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Pork barrel scam: Ombudsman upholds probable cause to sue Lanete, et al.

The Ombudsman on Monday affirmed its earlier ruling finding probable cause to file plunder and graft charges against Masbate Governor Rizalina Seachon-Lanete and three other former lawmakers in connection with their alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso pork barrel fund scam.

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Raids fail to stop drug ops inside Bilibid, De Lima admits

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said the Bureau of Corrections is "under siege" as she admitted that the series of surprise raids conducted by law enforcers had failed to stop the drug operations inside the New Bilibid Prison.

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Bicolanos start trips to Leyte for papal mass

Catholics in Bicol over the weekend started flocking to Leyte to take part in the Mass that Pope Francis will lead in Tacloban City on Saturday, Jan. 17.

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CBCP’s Villegas: Leyte to be ‘the centerpiece’ of Pope Francis’ visit

Pope Francis' visit to Tacloban City and Palo in Leyte will be the "centerpiece" of his five-day visit to the Philippines, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said in a forum Monday.

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CAAP sets more no-fly zones during papal visit

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has set additional no-fly zones for Pope Francis' visit from Jan. 15 to 19.

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PNoy picks QC judge as new CA justice

President Benigno Aquino has appointed a Quezon City judge as the newest associate justice of the Court of Appeals to fill up the post vacated by Court of Appeals Associate Justice Amelita Tolentino.

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VP Binay camp still optimistic of public support despite record-low satisfaction rating

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday remains optimistic of the people's trust in him despite the record-low decline in his satisfaction rating in the fourth quarter of 2014 based on a recent Social Weather Stations survey.

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Bettor bags P160M Superlotto jackpot

A lotto bettor bagged a P160-million jackpot of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's Superlotto 6/49 draw Sunday night.

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LTFRB to taxi drivers: Sport IDs by Jan. 15 or else

Hefty fines await taxi drivers who still do not sport the new IDs specified by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board by Jan. 15, Thursday.

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Pope Francis to use 3 popemobiles during PHL visit

Pope Francis will be using three Popemobiles during his visit to the Philippines on Jan. 15 to 19, Bishop Ruperto C. Santos of the Diocese of Balanga said on Sunday night.

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VP Binay satisfaction ratings drop to record low in Q4 2014 – SWS

Vice President Jejomar Binay's net satisfaction rating fell to a record-low in the fourth quarter of 2014, a new Social Weather Stations poll found.

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PNP, govt agencies start ‘expanded’ dry runs for papal visit

For the next three days, the Philippine National Police and other government agencies will hold more dry runs of their responses to various scenarios that may occur during Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines.

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