Gazmin on MILF's efforts to capture Usman: That will show their sincerity

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday said the efforts of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to assist the government in capturing suspected bomber Basit Usman will show the Moro group's sincerity to the peace process with the Philippine government.

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Firearms of slain SAF men returned to PNP

The firearms of the elite PNP-Special Action Force troopers slain in a clash in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao last January 25 have been officially turned over to the Philippine National Police on Thursday.

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Masbate Gov. Lanete surrenders to CIDG

A day after she was ordered arrested, Masbate Governor Rizalina Seachon-Lanete surrendered to the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame Thursday morning, radio dzBB reported.

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Over 300 SAF commandos did nothing while clash was ongoing –soldier

Over 300 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos were on the highway doing nothing while not far from them some of their comrades were engaged in a fierce firefight with Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last January 25, a soldier interviewed by GMA News said.

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French president to bring Cotillard, Irons for Philippine climate tour

French President Francois Hollande will bring two Oscar-winning stars on a two-day visit to the Philippines next week aimed at building momentum for climate talks in Paris, his envoy said Wednesday.

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Former cops and soldiers in House urge PNoy to show 'decisive leadership'

A group of lawmakers who had served in the military and police called on President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday to step up and "show decisive leadership" in seeking the truth regarding the killing of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers in Mamasapano last month.

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Cabral, solon face graft, malversation charges for alleged PDAF misuse

Graft and malversation charges were filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against former Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Esperanza Cabral and former Caloocan City Representative Mary Mitzi Cajayon.

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Peping Cojuangco: Nothing wrong with being a critic of nephew PNoy

Former Tarlac Representative and current Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. said that there is nothing wrong with his being a critic of his nephew, President Benigno Aquino III.

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Jinggoy Estrada files new motion to block AMLC report on his bank accounts

Detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada is trying to block anew the admission of the Anti-Money Laundering Council's (AMLC) inquiry report on his bank accounts and other assets as evidence of the prosecution for his plunder case in connection with the pork barrel fund scam.

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Energy conservation to lessen risk of rotating brownouts in summer – Energy dept

The risks of the two-hour rotating brownouts next month in Metro Manila can be lessened if the public will conserve energy, according to the Department of Energy.

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Marwan was only one of the leaders of Khalifa Islamiya Mindanao

Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan was only one of the many leaders of a new terrorist group in Mindanao, a report from GMA's “24-Oras” program said Wednesday.

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Call to resign from PNoy’s uncle must hurt personally —Osmeña

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III on Wednesday described the call of Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco Jr for his nephew, President Benigno Aquino III, to step down as “morally damaging.”

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Military commander wants coup plot recruiters arrested

The head of the military in Southern Luzon has warned that coup plotters who will try to recruit soldiers from his command will be arrested.

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Some streets in Binondo closed Thursday for Chinese New Year revelry

Some streets in Manila's Chinatown district will be closed to traffic on Thursday for activities marking the Lunar New Year.

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‘New normal’ posing challenges to anti-poverty programs –Dinky

Along with criticisms and the breadth of their scope as the main agency for the poor, Social Welfare Sec. Dinky Soliman said the "new normal" has presented a new challenge in crafting and implementation of their programs geared toward poverty reduction.

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Families of SAF 44 to receive benefits, donations from agencies, private groups

The families of the 44 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force who were killed at a clash in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao last Jan. 25 are set to receive benefits and donations from different multi-sector agencies and some private groups.

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Lawmakers: MILF should return slain SAF men’s belongings, surrender members in clash

While they lauded the return of firearms of the slain policemen in the January 25 Mamasapano clash, lawmakers on Wednesday called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to surrender their members involved in the bloody encounter.

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Lawmaker: PHL received ‘peanuts’ from US for Tubbataha damage

A party-list lawmaker and an environmental group on Wednesday said the P87 million the Philippines received from the US government for the damage one of its warships caused to the Tubbataha Reef in 2013 was not enough.

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Pork barrel scam: Arrest order out for Masbate Governor Lanete

The Fourth Division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan on Wednesday ordered the arrest of former Masbate Representative and incumbent Masbate Governor Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, after the court found probable cause to try her for plunder and graft charges in connection with her alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam.

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Pacquiao visits wounded SAF men at Camp Crame

Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday afternoon visited some of the Special Action Force members who were wounded in the January 25 encounter with Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

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PDEA: 8k barangays considered ‘drug-affected’

A total of 8,629 barangays in the Philippines have been tagged as "drug-affected" by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

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DFA chief Del Rosario: No combat role for US in fight vs. terrorism in PHL

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Wednesday said there is nothing wrong with the United States helping the Philippines fight terrorism as long as they respect local laws and do not engage in any combat role which is barred by the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

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Senators meet to decide which info from executive sessions will be made public

Senators adjourned their session early Wednesday afternoon to conduct an all-party caucus to discuss what had been tackled regarding the January 25 Mamasapano clash during their executive sessions.

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Ex-PCSO exec asks Sandiganbayan for one-day furlough for eye check-up

A former budget official of the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office (PCSO) on Wednesday appealed to the Sandiganbayan to be allowed to leave his detention for one day to undergo a thorough eye examination.

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Police probers to visit Mamasapano clash site soon

The Philippine National Police's Board of Inquiry looking into the clash between elite police commandos and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mamasapano, Maguindanao is set to visit the clash site sometime this week or next week.

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Man who uploaded Mamasapano video goes to NBI in Davao

A man from Davao City on Wednesday showed up at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to admit being the one who uploaded the viral video of an elite police commando being shot to the head at close range allegedly during the January 25 armed clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

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VP Binay camp: Senate inquiry fails to prove anomaly in BSP-Alphaland deal

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay claimed Wednesday that the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee is now on a witch-hunt after former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado allegedly failed to prove that the Vice President had a role in the land deal between Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Alphaland.

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Appeals court affirms estafa conviction of ‘pyramid queen’

The Court of Appeals has affirmed the estafa conviction of "pyramiding queen" Rosario Baladjay, infamous for duping victims into investing in her company, Multi-national Telecom Investors Corporation (Multitel).

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Palace: MILF’s return of SAF 44’s weapons a sign of trust, but not enough

A Palace official on Wednesday said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s decision to return some of the weapons of the slain PNP-Special Action Force commandos is one way to build the trust President Benigno Aquino wants from them, in order for the peace process to move forward.

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VP Binay urges PNoy to convene NSC to assess country's peace and security situation

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday urged President Benigno Aquino III to convene the National Security Council (NSC) to assess the peace and security situation in the country and define appropriate measures.

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Cavite solon denies suspected drug pusher is his grandson

Dasmariñas Rep. Elpidio Barzaga has belied reports that suspected drug pusher Harrel Barzaga Gatuz is his grandson, although he admitted that they were distant relatives.

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Alphaland owner Ongpin: Boy Scouts to benefit from land deal

The owner of Alphaland Corp. on Wednesday belied former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado’s claim that the Boy Scouts of the Philippines got shortchanged in the land deal it entered into with his property development firm.

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Returned firearms to be tested, inventoried, sealed before turnover to SAF

The 16 firearms of PNP-Special Action Force commandos killed in a clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25 and returned Wednesday by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front will be tested, inventoried and sealed before they are turned over to the Philippine National Police.

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Iqbal denies MILF issued call to prepare for all-out war if BBL is shelved

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Boy Scouts exec: Mercado’s accusations vs. VP Binay driven by politics

Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado’s accusations against Vice President Jejomar Binay are only driven by “politics and personal vendetta,” an official of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) said during a Senate inquiry on Wednesday.

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MILF to formally turn over to govt ‘15 to 20’ firearms of slain SAF men

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Wednesday is set to over to the government the firearms of Special Action Force troopers slain in a clash in Mamasapano in Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

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VP Binay got up to P651M from Boy Scouts land deal, ex-ally Mercado claims

Vice President Jejomar Binay got up to P651 million from a land deal between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and property developer Alphaland, his former ally and former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado said Wednesday.

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Alphaland, Boy Scouts execs face Senate probe on VP Binay’s alleged P200-M kickback

Officials of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and property developer Alphaland Corp. on Wednesday faced a Senate inquiry to answer accusations that Vice President Jejomar Binay received P200-million kickbacks from their joint property development venture in Makati City.

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LOOK: Catholics in Visayas, Mindanao observe Ash Wednesday

Filipino Catholics in the Visayas and Mindanao on Wednesday started the Lenten season by going to church to have ash placed on their foreheads.

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PHL gets P87-M compensation from US over Tubbataha damage

The Philippines has received P87.03 million from the United States for the damage caused to Tubbataha Reef by the minesweeper USS Guardian in 2013, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

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Australia ratchets up pressure on Indonesia over executions

SYDNEY - Indonesia owes it to Australia not to execute two Australian drug offenders on death row, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday, ratcheting up a diplomatic war of words that is threatening to sour relations between the neighbors.

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During El Shaddai gathering, SAF police officer reveals details of Mamasapano ordeal

A member of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force who was part of the January 25 Mamasapano operation shared his survival story at a weekend gathering of the Catholic religious group El Shaddai.

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SAF survivor recalls moments of despair, courage during Mamasapano clash

A police officer of the Special Action Force who survived the Mamasapano clash on Tuesday recounted how he and fellows despaired during the day-long gunbattle in which 44 troopers were killed, but nevertheless continued to fight.

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Superlotto 6/49 combination hits jackpot of P42.6M

A lotto bettor is now P42.6 million richer after bagging the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's Superlotto 6/49 draw Tuesday night.

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Superlotto 6/49 combination hits jackpot of P42.6M

A lotto bettor is now P42.6 million richer after bagging the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's Superlotto 6/49 draw Tuesday night.

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Cayetano bares seeming pressure to stop Mamasapano hearings

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday said there seemed to be pressure to stop the hearings on the Mamasapano incident.

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DFA might be invited to Mamasapano probe to explain cooperation with US

The Senate committees looking into the Mamasapano incident might invite foreign affairs officials to explain the agreements entered into by the country with the United States as regards military and law enforcement cooperation, Sen. Grace Poe told reporters on Tuesday.

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Body of male Caucasian recovered in Mamasapano after clash –Gabriela

A body of a male Caucasian was among those recovered from the site of the bloody encounter between elite policemen and Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, on January 25, according to party-list group Gabriela, citing information reaching them.

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More residents flee as MILF, BIFF clash in Maguindanao continue

More residents of towns of Pagalungan, Maguindanao, and Pikit, North Cotabato have fled their homes as the clashes between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters continue on Tuesday.

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Gloria Arroyo’s defense chief: Two or three groups, including PNoy pal, planning coup

A national security adviser of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday warned President Benigno Aquino III that one or two more controversies could result in a coup being launched against him, GMA News "24 Oras" has reported.

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