AFP says it’s closing in on BIFF as all-out offensive continues

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday said government troops may be closing in on the members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter as fighting continues to intensify in Maguindanao.

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Napeñas’ lawyer denies sacked SAF chief ‘fooled’ PNoy

The camp of Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. on Tuesday denied that the relieved Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) chief “fooled” President Benigno Aquino III by sending the latter wrong information about the botched operation in Mamasapano dubbed as “Oplan Exodus.”

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PNoy's pronouncement vs. Napeñas won't affect Senate report on Mamasapano clash –Poe

President Benigno Aquino III's recent pronouncements on the January 25 Mamasapano operation will not have any major effect on the Senate report being crafted following an investigation on the incident, Senator Grace Poe said Tuesday.

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Jack Enrile says JPE’s condition already improving

The condition of Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile has been improving after he was confined at the Makati Medical Center for pneumonia, a report on GMA's “QRT” said Tuesday.

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Foreign-looking rebel killed in campaign vs. BIFF may be a JI leader –military

The military on Tuesday said the foreign-looking rebel killed in the operation against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) may be a member of the regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.

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Fallen 44 kin to PNoy: Why blame Napeñas?

Families of the police commandos who died in the Mamasapano "misencounter" yesterday doubted President Benigno Aquino III's pronouncements indicating that former Special Action Force chief Director Getulio Napeñas was to blame for the operation that resulted in the deaths of more than 60 people, including 44 members of the elite SAF.

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PNoy to critics: Stop sowing discord between AFP, PNP

President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday called on his critics to stop sowing discord between the military and the police following the deadly January 25 Mamasapano clash.

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PNP to buy P17 million worth of guns, radios

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to purchase 743 firearms and 34 base radio units as part of the police force' capability enhancement program.

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House expects Senate to blink on passing cost of ILP to consumers

The House of Representatives and Senate are locked in a stalemate over the resolution granting President Benigno Aquino III special authority to address the looming power crisis during the summer months, with the lower chamber standing firm in its position to have the government shoulder the cost of tapping private generator sets for additional capacity.

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SC upholds removal of oil depot from Pandacan

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Chevron's motion for reconsideration that sought to reverse its November 2014 ruling ordering the relocation of the depot, which houses the oil storage facilities of the three major petroleum companies in the country.

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Spokesman says SC did not relax rules on marriage annulment

Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te on Tuesday said the tribunal's ruling upholding the nullification of a couple's marriage due to psychological incapacity does not apply to all cases, correcting media reports that say the court has eased the rules on marriage annulment.

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Graft raps filed vs. Nueva Ecija gov, pork scam whistleblower

Former Nueva Ecija Vice Gov. Edward Thomas Joson III on Tuesday filed a graft complaint against incumbent Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali and pork barrel scam whistleblower Marina Sula for allegedly conspiring with each other to benefit from Umali’s pork barrel when he was still a congressman.

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SAF 44 kin want House to resume Mamasapano hearings

Families of the 44 Special Action Force troopers who were killed in a clash with Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last January 25 want the House of Representatives to continue its hearingo on the incident, saying the Senate investigation left many questions unanswered.

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PNoy didn’t preempt BOI report, just presented truth to public, Palace insists

Not preempting, just explaining. This was how Malacañang on Tuesday described statements made by President Aquino on Monday enumerating supposed lapses and identifying possible violations committed by former PNP Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) Director Getulio Napeñas during the deadly January 25 Mamasapano operation.

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JV Ejercito to PNoy: Say sorry for Mamasapano clash

President Benigno Aquino III should finally own up on the Mamasapano operation which led to the deaths of 67 people, including 44 Special Action Force commandos, an opposition senator said Tuesday.

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PNP: Panel doesn’t need PNoy’s statement to complete Mamasapano report

Saying the Board of Inquiry already has enough information for its report, the chairman of the panel investigating the Mamasapano clash said it could proceed even without the statement of President Benigno Aquino III.

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PNoy didn’t refuse BOI interview on Mamasapano mission –Palace

President Benigno Aquino III did not refuse to be interviewed by the Philippine National Police’s Board of Inquiry (BOI) regarding the deadly January 25 Mamasapano operation, Malacañang said Tuesday.

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DOJ backs update of Penal Code: P200 no longer worth what it was 83 years ago

Assistant Justice Secretary Geronimo Sy said the Revised Penal Code had not been reviewed comprehensively aince its creation 83 years ago, in 1932. "Laws need to be responsive to current situation. The value of P200 83 years ago is just different from its worth today," he said.

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SC upholds Erap's eligibility to run for Manila mayor

The Supreme Court has affirmed an earlier ruling that former President Joseph Estrada was eligible when he ran for Manila mayor in 2013.

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Napeñas’ camp: Why isn’t PNoy taking responsibility for Mamasapano ops?

A day after President Benigno Aquino III blamed former Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) director Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. for the Mamasapano misencounter that killed 44 commandos, the beleaguered police officer on Tuesday through a lawyer talked back to the Commander-in-Chief.

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Prosecution insists there will be no settlement in Laude murder case

One of the private prosecutors for the family of slain Filipino transgender Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude reiterated their stand that they will not agree to a settlement with suspect US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, a TV report said Tuesday.

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PNP: BOI team will not be swayed by PNoy’s statement vs. Napeñas

The Philippine National Police said the Board of Inquiry investigating the bloody Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash will not be swayed in finishing its report by President Benigno Aquino III's pronouncements on Monday blaming relieved Special Action Force commander Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. for the incident.

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JV Ejercito: PNoy put BOI in awkward situation

Opposition Senator JV Ejercito on Tuesday scored President Benigno Aquino III for putting the police panel that investigated the January 25 Mamasapano clash in an awkward position.

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PNoy not skirting issue on Purisima’s role in Mamasapano mission –Palace exec

President Benigno Aquino III is not skirting the issue on the role of resigned Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima in the deadly January 25 Mamasapano mission, a Malacañang official said Tuesday.

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Media groups hit temporary liberty for Maguindanao massacre suspect

At least three media groups have criticized the Quezon City court order giving Andal Ampatuan Sr.'s son and massacre suspect Datu Sajid Islam temporary freedom.

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Opposing camps may discuss settlement in Pemberton murder case pretrial

A plea bargaining agreement between US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton and the family of slain Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude" may be discussed at the continuation of the pretrial for the murder case on Tuesday morning.

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Pope Francis names Cardinal Tagle to top Catholic Biblical Federation post

Pope Francis has tapped Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle to head yet another key Catholic Church position - as president of the Catholic Biblical Federation (CBF).

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Suspected BIFF wearing SAF uniform among dead in AFP offensive

As the Armed Forces of the Philippines continued its all-out offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the Marines attacked what is believed to be BIFF positions in Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao.

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SC relaxes rules on psychological incapacity as grounds for annulment of marriage

The Supreme Court has relaxed its guidelines on using psychological incapacity as grounds for nullifying a marriage, admitting it had set "rigid" guidelines on the matter in the past.

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FULL TEXT: PNoy’s open forum with Christian leaders

"‘Yon na ang point, kasama siya sa mananagot. Siyempre, may mga tumutuligsa sa atin dito. Inutusan daw siya, isinasalba ko ang sarili ko, ganoon—aba, hindi ah. Kung ako ang may kasalanan dito, bakit hindi ko aakuin lahat? Pero ‘pag nakita ho ninyo ‘yung pagpaplano nito, napakahusay ho ‘nung Power Point presentation."

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Senate to forgo PNoy-Purisima text messages for the meantime

The Senate will forgo for the meantime its efforts to secure a copy of the text messages between President Benigno Aquino III and resigned PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima regarding the January 25 Mamasapano clash.

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PNPA Alumni Assoc official: No pressure to keep cops from joining ‘illegal’ march

Senior Superintendent Jerome Baxinela, president of the Camp Crame chapter of the the Philippine National Police Academy Alumni Association Inc. (PNPAAAI) on Monday denied that he was pressured to discourage members from joining a march last Sunday to call for justice for 44 police troopers killed in the Mamasapano encounter on Jna. 25.

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Purisima cooperated in Senate, police investigations on Mamasapano – lawyer

Police Director General Alan Purisima, who resigned as chief of the Philippine National Police on Feb. 6, cooperated in investigations into the Mamasapano clash, his lawyer said on Monday.

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Jinggoy dares Ruby Tuason: testify in my bail hearing

Detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Monday said the prosecution panel in his plunder and graft cases have not presented socialite and self-confessed bagwoman Ruby Tuason as a witness because she will “crumble” during cross examination.

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Poe: Purisima’s refusal to cooperate with BOI is proof he is hiding something

The refusal of resigned Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima to cooperate in the investigation of the Board of Inquiry on the Mamasapano clash and to allow the release of the text messages between him and President Benigno Aquino III are proof that he is hiding something.

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PNoy to BBL critics: Read draft bill, offer better alternative

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday dared critics of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to offer a better alternative to the controversial measure.

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PNoy: Napeñas ordered to coordinate with AFP days before Mamasapaño mission

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday said he gave orders to former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Director Getulio Napeñas to coordinate with the military days before the deadly Jan. 25 Mamasapano mission.

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PNoy: Napeñas fooled me on Mamasapano mission

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday said former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. fed him wrong information during the January 25 Mamasapano clash.

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Like domino effect: De Lima fears delay in own probe of Mamasapano clash

Just like a chain reaction, the postponement of the submission of the Philippine National Police probe results on the January 25 Mamasapano clash could also trigger a delay in the Department of Justice's parallel investigation on the incident.

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PNoy: Napeñas ordered to coordinate with AFP days before Mamasapano mission

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday said he gave orders to former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. to coordinate with the military days before the deadly January 25 Mamasapano mission.

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Graft charges filed vs. Zamboanga Sibugay mayor, 4 others

The Office of the Ombudsman on Monday filed graft charges against Mayor Gemma Adana of Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay, and four others for allegedly failing to comply with the Government Procurement Reform Act.

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Amid resignation calls, PNoy gets support from evangelical church leaders

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday received support from evangelical church leaders amid calls for him to resigned over the bloody Mamasapano operation last January 25.

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House panel pushes back deadline for BBL passage anew

The ad hoc committee discussing on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the House of Representatives has again moved its timeline for the approval of the measure after the Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry (BOI) failed to submit its report on the Mamasapano clash.

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SWS poll: ‘Neighborhood fears’ remain high despite fewer crime victims

More Filipinos are afraid of drug addicts, while their "neighborhood fears" remain high despite there being fewer crime victims in 2014, a new survey by Social Weather Stations said.

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NPA rebels burn seven trucks in Bukidnon

Suspected New People's Army rebels attacked and burned at least seven trucks in Bukidnon province on Sunday.

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Massacre suspect Sajid Ampatuan released on P11.6-M bond

After posting a surety bond of P11.6 million, Andal Ampatuan Sr's son Sajid has been ordered temporarily released by a Quezon City court - a first in the five-year trial.

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DOJ secures dialogue with MILF, probers to push through with ocular inspection

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and investigators from the National Prosecution Service (NPS) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are set to return to Mindanao on Tuesday to have a dialogue with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

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US terror suspect believed killed in campaign vs. BIFF – AFP spokesman

Government security forces have killed 56 Moro rebels, including one described as "foreign-looking" who may be among terror suspects sought by the United States, the spokesman for the military said Monday.

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Gloria Arroyo being persecuted? Palace tosses question to Sandiganbayan

Malacañang on Monday played coy about the case filed by British lawyer Amal Alamuddin Clooney against the Philippine government over the continued detention of former president and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

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Four large suitcases of evidence delay submission of Mamasapano report

The head of the police board that investigated the January 25 Mamasapano incident admitted Monday that the bulk of evidence they had to scrutinize—contained in four large suitcases—made it difficult for them to meet their March 9 deadline.

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