Bishops call for accountability in Mamasapano, won’t call on PNoy to resign

Leaders of the Catholic church in the Philippines on Tuesday for the truth to come out in connection with the Mamasapano operation and for accountability among those who will be found responsible for the deaths in what authorities called a misencounter on Jan. 25.

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28 SAF men alive because of military reinforcement in Mamasapano –Catapang

The military reinforcement may be delayed, but it was able to save 28 policemen engaged in a clash with Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last January 25.

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Gov’t wants ‘quieter’ EDSA anniversary this year, but not due to coup rumors

The government is preparing a “quieter” commemoration of the EDSA Revolution anniversary this year, but not due to coup rumors against President Benigno Aquino III’s administration.

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Nothing wrong with US sharing info to find Marwan –Palace

Malacañang sees nothing wrong if the United States indeed provided information that helped locate Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan during the Mamasapano mission.

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Admin allies on PNoy resignation calls: Ridiculous, comedic

Administration allies in the House of Representatives have described calls for President Benigno Aquino III to step down as “ridiculous” and “comedic,” while admitting that the January 25 Mamasapano incident has somewhat dented his popularity.

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No cover-up in Senate probe on Mamasapano clash, Grace Poe assures public

Senator Grace Poe assured the public Tuesday that there will be no-cover up on the Senate’s probe on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash that left over 60 people, including 44 PNP-Special Action Force commandos, dead.

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No cover-up: House to resume Mamasapano probe in two weeks

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Tuesday vowed to resume the chamber’s investigation on the Mamasapano incident in two weeks’ time after the Board of Inquiry (BOI) formed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) finished its own probe.

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De Lima: Govt to go after sellers of gruesome Mamasapano video

Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has warned merchants from selling DVD copies of the viral videos allegedly showing the events during the bloody Mamasapano clash, a report from GMA's “Balitanghali” program said Tuesday.

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Comelec retains PPCRV as citizens' arm for 2016 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved the application of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) to be its citizens’ arm in the 2016 national and elections.

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Slain SAF trooper’s kin dismayed over slow probe

Relatives of one of the 44 Special Action Force troopers killed in a clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25 are becoming impatient with the slow pace of the investigation into the tragedy.

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Govt lawyers insist Bong Revilla’s assets should remain frozen

The prosecution in the case of Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla is opposing the motion for reconsideration of the detained senator regarding his frozen assets.

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Recto dares peace adviser to replace rickety footbridge in Mamasapano

The wooden bridge leading to the Mamasapano cornfield where most police commandos died on Jan. 25 should be replaced by a concrete crossing using funds of the government's office on the peace process, a Senate leader said on Tuesday.

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Gloria Arroyo’s security adviser denies role in alleged coup plot vs. PNoy

Norberto Gonzales Jr, a former national security adviser and defense secretary of ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, denied Tuesday his involvement in a reported coup plot against President Benigno Aquino III. He, however, admitted being part of an initiative calling for the latter to step down.

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Majority bloc’s support for BBL has eroded after Mamasapano, House leader admits

Support for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) among the majority coalition in the House of Representatives has eroded in the aftermath of the Mamasapano incident, a House leader admitted Tuesday.

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SC junks Jinggoy TRO plea, seeks Sandigan comment

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has failed to get an immediate relief from the Supreme Court against the presentation of disbursement reports related to the charges he is facing related to the alleged pork barrel scam.

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Purisima, PNP intel official face grilling in closed-door Senate hearing

The Senate resumed Tuesday afternoon its executive session on the Mamasapano incident which resulted in the deaths of 44 Special Action Force commandos. An advisory from the office of Senator Grace Poe said the closed-door hearing started at 1:05 pm with 13 senators present.

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Palace expects MILF to recognize possible revisions to proposed BBL

Although the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) earlier urged Congress to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) with "no changes,” Malacañang expects the group to recognize revisions that the legislature may introduce to the controversial measure.

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PNP spokesman: Nothing wrong with US help

The spokesperson for the Philippine National Police on Tuesday said he sees nothing wrong with the United States' supposed assistance in extricating the injured police commandos following the January 25 clash with Moro guerillas in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

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NBI deports British drug convict

The National Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday said it will deport a British national who escaped to the Philippines in 2013 after being convicted of drug-related charges.

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Asian workers, including Pinoys, sue casino employer in CNMI

Some six weeks after suing the US government for supposedly denying their work petitions, over 500 Filipinos and other Asian workers also filed a lawsuit against their casino employer in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) for allegedly lying to them about their immigration status for at least 18 months.

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ARMM gov: MILF must prove it can police its own ranks

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) must prove that it is capable of policing its own ranks, particularly if the investigations on the bloody Mamasapano clash show their members are also accountable, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Mujiv Hataman said.

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US role in Mamasapano ops discussed in Senate executive session

The supposed participation of US forces in the Mamasapano operation was discussed during the Senate’s executive session with relieved PNP-Special Action Force chief Director Getulio Napeñas. But the senators present during the closed-door hearing are not expected to reveal details of what were discussed on the issue.

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Koko condemns killing of Bohol radioman, calls for Senate probe on media killings

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Tuesday condemned the murder of Maurito Lim, a local radio broadcaster in Tagbilaran, Bohol, as he reiterated his call for the Senate to probe the spate of media killings.

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Pinay nurse’s co-passenger to undergo one more test for MERS-CoV, others cleared

The co-passenger of the Filipina nurse from Saudi Arabia confirmed to have been afflicted by the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is set to undergo another set of examinations after testing negative on the first try.

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Phivolcs: No tsunami threat from Japan quake

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Tuesday allayed fears of a tsunami from a magnitude-6.9 quake that occurred off Japan.

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Police arrest two on suspicion of aiding Copenhagen shooter

Danish police have arrested two people on suspicion of aiding a gunman in deadly attacks on a synagogue and an event promoting free speech at the weekend that have shocked a nation proud of its record of safety and openness.

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Intel report alleges MILF recruitment, training despite peace process

Video footage of Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces training how to attack a military column has surfaced despite the ongoing peace process between the rebel group and the Philippine government, GMA 7 news program "24 Oras" reported on Monday.

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PNP SAF trooper: "Bakit ang tagal ng reinforcement?"

"May nagsasabi na wala na si Cordero (PO2 Roger Cordero), patay na. Mamaya, may nagsasabi na naman na wala na si Tayrus (P/Insp. Rennie Tayrus), patay na. Nagsisigaw na ng 'Sir, reinforcement, Sir? Wala ba tayong [casualty] evac, Sir? Saan na yung reinforcement natin, Sir?' Sigaw ng mga wounded na kasama ko," a member of the 84th Seaborne or the assault team of the Oplan Exodus, told GMA News, on condition of anonymity.

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‘Pork’ scam witness confirms P10-M fund transfer to Jinggoy’s alleged dummy

A whistleblower in the pork barrel fund scam case on Monday testified that she transferred P10 million to the bank account of Juan Ng, the alleged dummy of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

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Kalibo airport OIC sacked, 4 CAAP staff suspended after Pinay slips through checks, flies to Korea

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has relieved the Kalibo International Airport officer-in-charge after a Filipina managed to slip past security and get a free trip to Korea.

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Ex-solon warns of more ‘Mamasapanos’ if BBL passage is delayed

Bloody incidents similar to the January 25 Mamasapano clash are likely to happen again if the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law by Congress is delayed, a member of the 1987 Constitutional Commission said Monday.

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Witness tells court how missing UP students were tortured, abused

A witness for the prosecution in the serious illegal detention case against retired General Jovito Palparan on Monday narrated how the University of the Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan were tortured by men believed to be soldiers inside a military camp in November 2006, GMA News' 24 Oras reported on Monday.

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Jinggoy seeks SC help vs. presentation of JLN documents

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Monday asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Sandiganbayan's decision allowing the presentation of disbursement reports related to the charges he is facing in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam.

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Grace Poe: Napeñas ties up some loose ends in closed-door inquiry on Mamasapano

Kept from live television cameras and with only one resource person answering their questions for almost four hours, the joint inquiry into the Mamasapano clash on Monday managed to somehow tie the loose ends on how the mission went down on Jan. 25.

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Palace warns coup plotters: Govt ready to defend itself

Malacañang on Monday warned individuals supposedly plotting a coup d’etat against President Benigno Aquino III that the government is ready to defend itself against any destabilization attempt.

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Witness' testimony enough to convict Palparan, human rights group says

A human rights group said on Monday that the testimony of the prosecution's witness is enough to convict retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, who has been charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

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PNP dedicates foundation day to Fallen 44

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday dedicated its 24th founding anniversary ceremonies to the 44 Special Action Force commandos who were killed in the January 25 Mamasapano encounter with Moro guerillas, a TV report said.

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Sandiganbayan bars former solon from leaving PHL

The Sandiganbayan's Fifth Division on Monday issued a hold departure order (HDO) against former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) party-list Rep. Edgar Valdez over his plunder and graft charges in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel fund scam.

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Cayetano: Documents, emails betray terrorist Marwan’s ties to the MILF

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Palace to CBCP head: PNoy already claimed responsibility for Mamasapano incident

Malacañang on Monday said President Benigno Aquino III has already claimed responsibility for the January 25 Mamasapano clash, in response to the call of the head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines for a “full accounting” of the incident.

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DFA asks US on superpower’s role in Mamasapano mission

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said it was looking into reports that the United States allegedly supervised the covert operation to seize Southeast Asia’s most wanted terror suspect, which eventually led to the death of 44 elite Filipino commados in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last month.

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De Lima: Mamasapano probe to cover US role

(Updated 4:09 p.m.) The reported US role in the infamous January 25 clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, will be covered by the ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to Secretary Leila de Lima.

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PNoy’s words belie late afternoon briefing on Mamasapano —Bongbong Marcos

Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr on Monday reiterated his call to President Benigno Aquino III to explain in detail his participation in the Mamasapano operation which resulted to the death of 44 Special Action Force commandos.

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PNP probers to look into ‘defective’ firearms used by SAF at Mamasapano clash

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will look into the condition of the M203 grenade launchers used by the Special Action Force during the January 25 Mamasapano clash as part of its investigation.

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De Lima: Let US comment on American claiming $5-M Marwan reward

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said it is the US government that should respond to a claim by an American "political consultant" that the $5 million informant's reward for the arrest of Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan should go to him.

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Jinggoy’s birthday wish: Speedy resolution of ‘pork’ cases

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has one wish for his 52nd birthday on Tuesday, February 17: to be a free man.

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Mamasapano viral video uploader known, other videos to be probed too

After identifying the place where it was uploaded, the National Bureau of Investigation has now zeroed in on the identity of the person who put on the Internet the viral video of a wounded elite police commando being shot at close range to the head.

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Witness: Palparan tortured, raped two missing UP students

The prosecution's first witness in the kidnapping case of retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. on Monday claimed that the two missing female UP students were tortured and raped by the accused, a report on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali” said.

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Reports of foreign involvement in Mamasapano bugs Senate panel

The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order wants to quickly finish its investigation into the Mamasapano clash but Sen. Grace Poe said more questions had yet to be answered after three hearings and an executive session with the concerned resource persons.

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Trillanes says Norberto Gonzales is one of those planning coup

Norberto Gonzales Jr., former national security adviser and defense secretary of ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was among those planning to oust President Benigno Aquino III, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Monday.

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