UNA exec eyes charges vs. Senate security after being barred from entering VIP gallery

An official of the opposition coalition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) on Thursday threatened to file charges against Senate security personnel after he and fellow lawyers of Vice President Jejomar Binay were barred from entering the Senate session hall's VIP gallery during a hearing on accusations against their client.

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DOH: More water, fruit, vegetables; less salt, oily foods during hot weather

More water, fruit and vegetables, and less salt and oily foods. This was the advice of the Department of Health Central Visayas to the public as temperatures continue to rise, GMA Cebu reported Thursday.

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DND creates panel to look into alleged chopper deal anomaly

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has created an investigating committee to look into the alleged irregularities in the defense department's procurement of 21 refurbished UH-1 or Huey helicopters.

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Mayor Junjun Binay firm on defying suspension order

Makati Mayor Junjun Binay on Thursday remained at his office in the Makati City Hall despite a six-month suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman.

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Sandiganbayan defers arraignment of ex-CDO Rep. Jaraula

The Sandiganbayan First Division has deferred the arraignment of former Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula for multiple charges in connection with his supposed involvement in the alleged pork barrel fund scam.

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Top Alphaland execs skip Senate hearing on Boy Scouts land deal

Top officials of property developer Alphaland Crop. skipped on Thursday the continuation of the Senate probe on the controversial land deal it entered into with the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, which supposedly benefited Vice President Jejomar Binay.

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CIDG chief Magalong: BOI report still being printed

The Board of Inquiry report on the bloody Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash is still being printed Thursday morning, PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group head Director Benjamin Magalong said.

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Magalong: BOI to submit report on Mamasapano clash Thursday

The Board of Inquiry is set to submit on Thursday its report on the bloody Mamasapano clash last January 25.

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Sen. Osmeña stands pat on making Luzon consumers pay for ILP

Senator Sergio Osmeña III said on Wednesday he will not relent on his position to let Luzon consumers shoulder the cost of the interruptible load program, amounting to four centavos per kilowatt hour.

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Danish police arrest 10 over Philippine online child sex abuse

COPENHAGEN - Danish police on Wednesday arrested 10 men and raided their homes on suspicion that they paid for watching the live-streaming of children being sexually abused in the Philippines.

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Walden Bello hits PNoy for fraternity-like style of running govt

Having severed his political alliance with President Benigno Aquino III, outgoing Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello criticized the president anew by likening his governance style to that of leading a fraternity wherein loyalty is what matters.

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China putting up mall-sized building on Burgos reef – DND

The Department of National Defense said China is constructing a permanent building as large as the Mall of Asia on Burgos reef in the West Philippine Sea, citing surveillance photos shot last February.

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DOE asks wealthy households to use generators

The Department of Energy on Wednesday encouraged households that have their own generator sets to use them at certain times over the dry season when the country is expected to feel the effects of thin energy reserves, GMA News' "24 Oras" has reported.

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PNP gets 55 new crime lab police vans, expects 1,470 patrol jeeps

Fifty-five brand new Toyota Hiace vans will be distributed to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory Group for the transport of equipment used in processing crime scenes.

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Intl journos’ group calls Sajid Ampatuan’s release on bail a denial of justice

An international media watchdog group this week voiced outrage over the release on bail of a suspect in the infamous 2009 Maguindanao Massacre.

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DepEd secretary to 2015 graduates: Education gave you skills, pursue your dreams

As this year's graduates leave their schools, they were reminded to become better Filipinos, practicing acceptance, tolerance and peace.

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AFP says BIFF running out of bullets, food

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday said the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters continued to weaken as the all-out offensive against the armed group continued in Maguindanao.

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Court allows Bong Revilla to have heels X-rayed

The Sandiganbayan has allowed detained Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. to undergo an X-ray procedure to determine what is causing his heels to swell.

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WATCH: SAF’s 84th Seaborne clash with MILF after killing Marwan

All members of the team of police commandos that neutralized suspected terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan were alive when one of its members who survived the Mamasapano incident started recording on his mobile phone their firefight with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

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PHL, Malaysia pledge stronger defense ties

The Philippines and Malaysia have committed to further strengthen defense cooperation amid dispute over parts of the South China Sea, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Wednesday.

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Belmonte vows to block Congress attempts to suspend K-12 implementation

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Wednesday vowed to block attempts at the House of Representatives to suspend the implementation of the K-12 program, following an appeal from the . Department of Education (DepEd) for more time and understanding as it firms up its preparations for the new education initiative.

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Kin of Fallen 44 to receive P100k each from Senate savings

In recognition of the gallantry and courage of the 44 Special Action Force commandos killed during the Mamasapano clash, the Senate is set to remit Thursday P100,000 in financial assistance to each of the families of the fallen police officers.

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Purisima submits position paper on Mamasapano clash to Senate committee

Police Director General Alan Purisima, who resigned as chief of the Philippine National Police on Feb. 6, has submitted his position paper to the Senate inquiry on the Mamasapano clash.

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Bello defers resignation speech as House adjourns session early

Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello has reset the delivery of his privilege speech formally announcing his resignation as a lawmaker to March 16 after the House of Representatives abruptly ended its session Wednesday.

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Alan Cayetano says Bangsamoro law could cause more conflict in Mindanao

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday challenged President Benigno Aquino III's position that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law was the key to a sustainable peace with Moro rebels in Mindanao. In a privilege speech, the Senate majority floor leader indicated that the BBL could lead to more conflict in the southern Philippines and warned that the new autonomous entity could even play host to terrorists.

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China slams ASEAN chief for South China Sea comments

BEIJING - China expressed anger on Wednesday at the Vietnamese head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for comments he made on the disputed South China Sea, rejecting Chinese claims based on the so-called nine-dash line.

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739 pass Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination –PRC

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Wednesday announced that 739 out of 1,247 passed the Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination given this month.

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Roxas says DILG to implement Mayor Binay’s suspension

Saying nobody was above the law, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the Department of Interior and Local Government would implement the six-month suspension of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay as ordered by the Ombudsman in connection with the graft raps filed against the local official.

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Erap wants house arrest for Gloria Arroyo

Former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada on Wednesday called on President Benigno Aquino III and the justices of the Sandiganbayan to be more “compassionate” to former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and place her under house arrest.

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Junjun Binay seeks TRO vs. suspension order

The camp of Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeals for temporary restraining order to stop the Office of the Ombudsman from implementing its suspension order against him and several others in connection with the controversial Makati City Hall Building II.

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Belmonte shrugs off Bello’s impending resignation from House

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is not bothered by the impending departure of Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello from the administration coalition because of his plan to resign as a lawmaker following a falling out with the Aquino administration.

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PNoy’s phone turned off during Mamasapano ops? It’s normal, says Palace

So why was President Benigno Aquino III’s phone unreachable at the time of the Mamasapano operation, and during the early hours of the deadly encounter? Aquino’s spokesman, Secretary Edwin Lacierda, replied via text message, “I don’t understand your question. It is normal for anyone to turn off their phone when they go to sleep.”

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Arthur Lim confirmed as Comelec commissioner

Without objections, the nomination of former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Arthur Lim as Comelec commissioner was finally confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on Wednesday.

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Witness to Mamasapano clash now with NBI –De Lima

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) now has a witness under its custody who claimed to have personally seen how some of the police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos were killed during the January 25 Mamasapano encounter.

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Six of ten Filipinos see selves as poor —IBON survey

Some 64.6 percent or more than six out of 10 Filipinos see themselves as poor, according to a new survey by think tank IBON Foundation.

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PHL to submit more evidence vs. China on or before March 16 deadline – DFA chief

The Philippines has completed its response, including maps, charts and “voluminous” documents, to additional questions raised by The Hague-based tribunal over Manila’s arbitration case against China, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Wednesday.

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Oplan Nognog behind Mayor Binay’s ‘quick’ suspension, Senator Nancy says

Sen. Nancy Binay on Wednesday accused the Aquino administration of using the Office of the Ombudsman in an alleged plot to discredit Vice President Jejomar Binay and members of his family as the 2016 presidential elections draws near.

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Espina tells BOI to refuse pressure, stick to the facts on Mamasapano incident

Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina on Wednesday reminded the members of the Board of Inquiry investigating the bloody Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash to stay true to the fact, and not be swayed by pressure.

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De Lima downplays Amal Clooney’s involvement in Arroyo case

Even with celebrity lawyer Amal Alamuddin Clooney in the picture, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday remained confident the Philippine government can secure a conviction in former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's plunder case.

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Walden Bello bolts admin coalition, will resign as Akbayan party-list representative

Administration ally turned critic Walden Bello is set to resign as the representative of Akbayan party-list in the House of Representatives after officially severing ties with Malacañang over President Benigno Aquino III’s alleged “brazen cover-up” of his role in the controversial Mamasapano police operation.

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Mayor Binay suspended for 6 months over controversial Makati building

The Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday announced that it has suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay for six months over corruption allegations concering the alleged overpricing in the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II.

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PNP OIC Espina: No gag order vs. Napeñas

Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina on Wednesday denied issuing a gag order against relieved PNP-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) commander Director Getulio Napeñas Jr.

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Sandiganbayan suspends DBM exec Relampagos, 9 others over ‘pork’ raps

Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos has been placed under a 90-day preventive suspension over his alleged involvement with the multi billion peso pork barrel fund scam.

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Appointments body to tackle nomination of Comelec exec Arthur Lim

The Commission on Appointments is set to discuss in a caucus Wednesday morning the appointment of Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim.

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Solon calls on PNoy to stop info ‘striptease’

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz on Tuesday called on President Benigno Aquino III to once and for all reveal his involvement in the Mamasapano clash, instead of dropping pieces of information every now and then in an "information striptease."

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AFP recovers ‘BIFF of the MILF’-shirts in Maguindanao

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, which has gone on an offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao, has recovered clothing which alleges collusion between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the BIFF.

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Opposition solons criticize PNoy for blaming Napeñas for Mamasapano clash

Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Tuesday criticized President Benigno Aquino III for his Monday speech, in which he again blamed sacked Special Action Force (SAF) director Getulio Napeñas for the bloody results of the Mamasapano clash.

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De Lima, MILF’s Murad discuss DOJ’s Mamasapano probe

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Tuesday expressed optimism that the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front would come to a common position as regards MILF members who would be found responsible for the deaths in Mamasapano incident.

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Solon sees problems in K-12 implementation, might seek suspension

A year before the full implementation of the government's K-12 program, the chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education said the Department of Education (DepEd) is still unprepared for its full implementation.

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Jinggoy respects but disagrees with Supreme Court decision on plunder case

“We totally respect the decision of the Supreme Court although we still maintain that the filing of charges against Sen. Estrada violated his right to due process and equal protection,” lawyer and Jinggoy Estrada's spokesperson Alexis Abastillas said in a text message.

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