NUJP: 4 years after Gerry Ortega slay, justice remains elusive

On the fourth anniversary of the murder of Palawan broadcaster Dr. Gerardo "Gerry" Ortega, media watchdog group National Union of Journalists of the Philippines criticized the lack of action by authorities in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

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US surgeon: World can learn from PHL disaster preparedness ‘turnaround’

The world can learn from the turnaround of the Philippines' disaster awareness as shown by its experiences with super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013 and Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) in 2014, a US surgeon who took part in the response to both disasters, said.

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Palace confirms getting info on kill plot vs. Pope

Malacañang on Saturday confirmed the government received information about a plot to assassinate Pope Francis during his visit to the Philippines, but insisted the information was unverified.

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Comelec to keep ‘Team Patay’ issue alive with motion for reconsideration

The Commission on Elections will keep the issue of the "Team Buhay/Team Patay" tarpaulins alive, its chairman said after the Supreme Court sided with the Diocese of Bacolod City on oversized campaign materials that have been hanging in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral since before the 2013 elections.

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4 more flights canceled due to bad weather

At least four more domestic flights were canceled due to bad weather before noon Saturday, the Manila International Airport Authority said.

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PNoy may go to Zambo City in wake of deadly bombing

President Benigno Aquino III may go to Zamboanga City in the wake of Friday's deadly bombing.

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Palace wishes Lastimosa good luck in Miss Universe tilt

Malacañang on Saturday wished good luck for Mary Jean Lastimosa, the Philippines' bet in this year's Miss Universe pageant.

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CBCP official: PNoy lied in telling Pope of church’s silence under Arroyo

A Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines official over the weekend called President Beingno Aquino III a liar for claiming before Pope Francis last week that the Catholic Church was silent about the abuses under his predecessor Gloria Arroyo.

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ARMM gov: Zambo bus terminal blast meant to kill innocent people

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman on Friday said the explosion across a bus terminal, which killed one person and hurt 48 others, was a "heinous act" intended to kill innocent civilians.

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MIAA: 2 domestic flights canceled due to bad weather

At least two domestic flights were canceled Saturday due to bad weather, the Manila International Airport Authority said.

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Parades kick off early registration for School Year 2015-16

A festive atmosphere kicked off the Department of Education's early registration for School Year 2015-2016.

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PCSO to start new Ultra Lotto 6/58 game Feb. 8

Starting Feb. 8, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office will hold a new lotto game that offers the highest minimum jackpot at P50 million.

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DepEd urges students, parents to take advantage of early registration

The Department of Education on Friday urged public school students and their parents to take advantage of early registration for the School Year 2015-2016.

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AFP: No reason to worry over US drones turning up in PHL territory

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday said that US military drones turning up in different parts of the country are no cause for alarm.

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Palace hopes govt programs will lower hunger rate further

Malacañang on Friday expressed hopes that the government’s anti-poverty programs will result in lower hunger rates in the coming years.

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Homeless sent away from Roxas Boulevard during Pope’s visit

When Pope Francis came to the Philippines to comfort the poor, he may not have had the chance to meet these street dwellers in Manila, as they were driven away from Roxas Boulevard—one of the roads used for his motorcades.

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LOOK: Nasugbu getaway for Manila’s homeless during Pope Francis visit

During Pope Francis' five-day visit to the Philippines, some 500 beneficiaries of the government's conditional cash transfer program spent six days and five nights at a resort in Nasugbu, Batangas

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PLM grad tops over 15,000 Nurse Licensure Exam passers

A total of 15,292 out of 26,690 passed the Nurse Licensure Examination given in November 2014, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced Friday.

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Binay camp dared to file perjury charges vs. Mercado

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Friday dared the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay to file perjury charges against former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado if they believe he is lying.

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Police officer sacked over food fund delay during papal visit

A police budget officer has been sacked over the delay in the distribution of food allowance for the 20,000 policemen who provided security for the recently concluded papal visit in the Philippines.

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After Pope visit, PHL gov’t ready to secure APEC delegates

The Philippine government is ready to secure Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) delegates after protecting Pope Francis during his recently concluded visit to the Philippines, officials said Friday.

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Comelec: 6 months needed to prepare for Bangsamoro plebiscite

If Congress would be able to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law in March, the plebiscite could be held six months after or in October, the Commission on Elections said Friday.

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‘Peace of mind’ among Napoles’ birthday wishes –lawyer

If there's one thing detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles wants these days, it's peace of mind.

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DILG to probe ‘delay’ of 20k cops’ food allowance in papal visit

The Department of Interior and Local Government will investigate why there was a delay in the distribution of food allowance for police personnel deployed during the papal visit, a report from GMA News' “Balitanghali” said Friday.

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Amid sea row, China to small countries: Stop ‘unreasonable demands’

The Chinese government said it deplores moves by big countries to undermine smaller states, but stressed that small nations should stop making “unreasonable demands.”

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CBCP to send excess papal visit funds to Pope Francis

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will send the group's excess budget for the papal visit to Pope Francis to help fund his various charity projects, its president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said on Friday.

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DSWD hit for treatment of homeless families during papal visit

A day before the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines last week, dozens of homeless families from Metro Manila found themselves being taken to a resort in Batangas, allegedly to "hide" them.

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PHL sticks to diplomacy in the face of China’s ‘growing’ reclamation work

In the face of China’s “growing” reclamation work in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine government said Friday that it will continue to pursue diplomatic means to address its territorial row with Beijing.

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Miriam plans to go to US for second opinion on her lung cancer

Cancer-stricken Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday informed her colleagues in the Senate of her plan to seek second opinion on her illness or further medical treatment abroad.

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PHL condoles with Saudi kingdom: King Abdullah’s death a loss to community of nations

The Philippines on Friday expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in mourning the passing of King Abdullah.

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Napoles bail hearing: Local execs deny receiving projects funded by Enrile’s pork

Local officials of municipalities listed as beneficiaries of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile on Friday denied receiving any funding for the supposed agricultural projects for the farmers in their municipalities.

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LTFRB eyes bus fare rollback next month

The Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board said a bus fare rollback next month is likely after the series of price cuts in oil and petroleum products, a television report said Friday.

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Pacquiao says he had dinner with Prince Harry in London

The Filipino King of the Ring on Friday (PHL time) had dinner with royal company in London.

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Roxas denies hand in supposed anti-Binay drive

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas has denied having a hand in the slew of corruption allegations now hounding Vice President Jejomar Binay, a television report said Friday.

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Senate panel OKs postponement of SK polls

A Senate committee approved on Friday the postponement of the Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled next month.

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VACC files graft, malversation raps vs. Isabela governor, 2 solons over ‘pork’ scam

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Friday filed criminal and administrative charges against Isabela Governor Faustino Dy III and two party-list representatives for their alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso pork barrel fund scam.

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TG Guingona makes final call to Junjun Binay: Attend hearings or face arrest

Attend hearings or face arrest. This was the final call made by Senator Teofisto Guingona III to Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and six others recommended by the blue ribbon subcommittee to be cited in contempt for their continued refusal to attend the hearings on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II.

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Drilon favors postponement of SK elections

Senate President Franklin Drilon on Friday added his voice to those favoring the postponement of the Sangguniang Kabataan elections set on Feb. 21, 2015.

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PNP release balance of food allowance of police on papal security detail

The Philippine National Police has released the balance of the food allowance of its personnel who were among the thousands who helped secure Pope Francis during his five-day state and pastoral visit to the country.

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Balanse ng food allowance ng mga pulis naka-duty sa papal visit, ni-release na

Ibinigay na ng Philippine National Police ang balanse ng food allowance para sa mga kawani nitong bahagi ng mga pulutong ng seguridad para kay Pope Francis sa kanyang pastoral visit, ayon sa mga ulat sa State of the Nation with Jessica Soho at sa 24 Oras gabi ng Huwebes.

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Abigail Binay: Persons who want to take control of Malacañang financing Senate probe

Makati Rep. Abigail Binay on Thursday said the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee hearing on the alleged corrupt activities of her father Vice President Jejomar Binay is financed by individuals out to take control of Malacañang in 2016.

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Superlotto bettor bags P16M jackpot

A lotto bettor is now P16 million richer after winning the jackpot of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's Superlotto 6/49 draw Thursday evening.

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Ex-ally Mercado: P200-M kickback went to VP Binay’s 2010 campaign

Vice President Jejomar Binay used the kickback of almost P200 million from a land deal between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and a property developer to fund his vice presidential campaign in the 2010 elections, his former ally and former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado said on Thursday.

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Suspect claims ability to clear US Embassy database of visa applicants’ ‘red flags’

A confessed forger of documents on Thursday claimed to have the ability to hack into the US Embassy's computer systems so he could clear his clients' red flags and pave the way for the much-coveted approval of US visa applications.

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LP exec says Pope Francis gave PNoy’s ‘Daang Matuwid’ a thumbs-up

For a ranking official of the Liberal Party (LP), Pope Francis’ dare for politicians to shun all forms of corruption at his recent speech in Malacañang was an expression of support for President Benigno Aquino III’s Daang Matuwid" (Straight Path) policy.

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China stepped up reclamation in disputed territory—expert

China continues to fortiify its presence in the contested territories in the South China Sea even with the arbitration case filed by the Philippines, a report from GMA's “24-Oras” said Thursday.

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COA chair’s retirement plans: Clean house, look after grandkids

After almost four years at the helm of the Commission on Audit, Chairman Grace Pulido Tan is set to step down in February. However, Pulido Tan, who has been praised for her leadership of the COA, was tight-lipped as regards a future for her in politics.

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Boy Scouts: No anomaly in property deal with Alphaland

The Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) on Thursday denied entering into an anomalous contract with property developer Alphaland Corporation for the development of a one-hectare property in Makati City.

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Alphaland’s Oreta to Mercado: It was you who wanted kickbacks

The land deal between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and Alphaland Corp. is one of "best and most successful investments" of the BSP, the president of the property developer has said in a letter to former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado.

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Outgoing COA chair to detained senators: ‘Trabaho lang’

A week before her retirement, Commission on Audit chair Grace Pulido Tan has something to say to the three senators detained in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam.

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