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@newsinfo 5 hours ago
Alcantara's office has 'secret room' for alleged kickbacks – witness
MANILA, Philippines — State witness and former Public Works-Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara has a "secret room" in his office where the money for alleged kickbacks were counted and stored. A witness disclosed this to the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Thursday. Wirt Walter Rosales, Alcantaras personal assistant since 2021, made the revelation when he testified
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@newsinfo 5 hours ago
Oriental Mindoro hog raisers join 3-day 'pork holiday'
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Hog raisers in Oriental Mindoro have joined a nationwide three-day pork holiday from Thursday to Saturday (October 22 to 24) to protest the continued drop in farmgate prices of hogs and other challenges facing the local industry. The Oriental Mindoro Alliance of United Hog Raisers said it is heeding the
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@newsinfo 5 hours ago
Undas 2026: PNP on full alert starting Oct. 30
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will be on full alert nationwide from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 ahead of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, or Undas, with over 140,000 personnel from various agencies deployed for security. A total of 72,501 cops have been deployed, along with 16,892 personnel
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@newsinfo 5 hours ago
Why Philippine agriculture needs more than higher yields
Philippine agriculture stands at a critical crossroads as it confronts shrinking farm sizes, rising production costs, climate change, weak market integration and increasing dependence on imported food and agricultural technologies. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority's 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries show that average farm size declined from 3.61 hectares in 1970 to 0.82
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@newsinfo 5 hours ago
2 PCG men shot dead in Cotabato City; station chief unharmed
COTABATO CITY- Two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel were shot dead by two unidentified gunmen along Roman Vilo Street in Poblacion 6 here at noon on Thursday. Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PROBAR), identified the fatalities as Seaman Second Class Reniel Agpalo, a resident of Nueva Ecija, and
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@newsinfo 5 hours ago
OSG wants pause on use of 2026 funds affected by SC budget ruling
MANILA, Philippines — Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe on Thursday advised the executive branch to defer the use of certain 2026 budget funds while awaiting the final ruling of the Supreme Court (SC). Our advice to DBM (Department of Budget and Management) and the executive branch would be to hold off on using the funds for now,
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@newsinfo 5 hours ago
NBI probes foreigners' 'fraudulently procured' PH citizenship papers
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has launched a nationwide probe into foreigners' fraudulent procurement of birth certificates, passports and other documents used as proof of Filipino citizenship, Director Melvin Matibag said Thursday. The probe follows Matibag's earlier concerns about illegal activities involving foreign nationals, including Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) and
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@newsinfo 4 hours ago
SC ruling vindicates late Albay lawmaker's budget fight
LEGAZPI CITY — The Supreme Court's ruling against unprogrammed appropriations in previous national budgets has vindicated the late Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman's challenge to the controversial budget mechanism. In a statement on Thursday, Albay Rep. Krisel Lagman, Edcels daughter, welcomed the high court's Oct. 7 decision, which ruled unconstitutional Congress' P449.5-billion increase in unprogrammed appropriations
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@newsinfo 4 hours ago
Zaldy Co gave Martin Romualdez a shirt as gift, not 'maleta' – witness
MANILA, Philippines — A prosecution witness told the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Thursday that he saw former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co give a shirt as a "gift" to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, not maleta" (suitcase) with cash. Police Maj. Hermelo Dichoso, team leader of Co's security team, testified during the bail hearing
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@newsinfo 4 hours ago
DBM: Stricter vetting process for infra projects in 2027 budget
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday assured the public that it has adopted a stricter vetting process for infrastructure projects included in the proposed 2027 national budget. During the hearing on the proposed budget of the DBM, Senate finance committee chair JV Ejercito asked Budget Secretary Kim Robert de
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@newsinfo 4 hours ago
Marcos must be held accountable for SC ruling on previous budgets – solon
MANILA, Philippines — ACT Teachers party-list Antonio Tinio on Thursday believes that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must be held accountable for implementing the 2024, 2025 and 2026 national budgets. His remark comes following the declaration of the Supreme Court (SC) that there are certain provisions that are unconstitutional. In its decision, SC said Congress committed
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@newsinfo 4 hours ago
For safer schools: 'Speak Up Boxes' rolled out in Soccsksargen
KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — Police in Soccsksargen (Region 12) have rolled out "Speak Up Boxes" in schools to give students, teachers, and other school personnel a way to report threats and suspicious activities without having to approach authorities in person. The initiative of the Police Regional Office 12 (PRO-12) aims to encourage members of
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@newsinfo 4 hours ago
Pasay cop faces Napolcom complaint over partner's abuse claims
MANILA, Philippines — A Pasay cop faces a complaint from the National Police Commission (Napolcom) after his live-in partner accused him of repeatedly beating and threatening her throughout their nearly six years of living together. The live-in partner, identified only as alias Kara, filed an administrative complaint against Police Staff Sgt. Tyran John Miranda at
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@newsinfo 4 hours ago
Gatchalian: Senate will comply with SC ruling on budgets' unconstitutionality
MANILA, Philippines—While saying that the Senate will comply with the Supreme Court's ruling, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday expressed concern over its decision to strike down certain provisions governing the release of unprogrammed appropriations (UA). The high tribunal earlier declared key provisions of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 national budgets unconstitutional for violating constitutional
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@newsinfo 4 hours ago
Cagayan de Oro drug sting yields P748,000 in 'shabu'
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Anti-narcotics operatives dismantled a local supply link in this city Wednesday morning, seizing nearly P750,000 worth of suspected shabu from a man police tagged as a high-value target. Police identified the 44-year-old suspect only by his alias, Levi, who was arrested during a joint buy-bust operation near his residence in
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@newsinfo 3 hours ago
Ejercito asks House: Don't recall the approved 2027 budget
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Finance chairperson JV Ejercito on Thursday appealed to the House of Representatives not to recall its version of the 2027 House General Appropriations Bill (HGAB). This comes after lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc urged the House to recall its approval of the P7.2-trillion budget measure. Im appealing because Im worried about
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@newsinfo 3 hours ago
Bataan mayors oppose revival of mothballed nuke plant
ORION, Bataan The Bataan chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines remains opposed to the national governments plan to rehabilitate and eventually operate the mothballed 40-year-old Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong town. Orion town Mayor Antonio Raymundo, Jr., LMP Bataan Chapter president, in an interview on Thursday said the stand of
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@newsinfo 3 hours ago
Super Typhoon Rosal weakens into typhoon Thursday afternoon
MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Rosal, internationally known as Champi, weakened into a typhoon Thursday afternoon, Oct. 22, the state weather bureau reported. In its weather advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Rosal had slightly weakened as of 2 p.m. As of 3 p.m., Rosal was located 360 kilometers east
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@newsinfo 3 hours ago
NBI probes another company linked to Sara Duterte, husband – Matibag
MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is probing another company allegedly linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, as part of its inquiry into her alleged "unexplained wealth," Director Melvin Matibag said. Matibag identified the company as Westgate88, which he said was allegedly named after Duterte-Carpio associates.
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@newsinfo 3 hours ago
Senate finance panel swiftly approves 7.7B budget for chamber
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate's proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 was quickly approved at the Senate finance committee level on Thursday. Senate Secretary Atty. Renato Bantug presented the budget for the chamber. Bantug noted that the Senate is accepting the amount that the Department of Budget and Management allocated in the National Expenditures Program
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