P16M released for Davao's poverty program grantees

CONDITIONAL cash transfer amounting to P16 million from the government's poverty program will be released to grantees on June 11 at designated gymnasiums in Davao City.

After monitoring the compliance rate of 11,219 beneficiaries in Davao City, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to release funds to identified beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program.

Bomber nabbed in Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Authorities here arrested on Wednesday night the suspect in a bombing incident in Digos City three years ago.

Inspector Rolando Dillera, head of the intelligence unit of the Kidapawan City police, identified the suspect as Muhammid Nur, 22, who is also known as Medz in Nuangan village, where he was arrested around 10 p.m.

Immediate action vs summary killings in Davao sought

JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima urged all law enforcers to take immediate but efficient actions to stop summary killings in Davao Region.

De Lima learned from Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Davao Director Alberto B. Sipaco Jr. about the increasing number of summary killing victims in the region.

3 wounded rebels face charges

THE Police Regional Office (PRO) in Davao Region has filed charges before the Mati City Prosecutor's Office against three wounded rebels now confined in two hospitals in Davao City.

Police, military join hands as peacemakers

THE local Philippine National Police (PNP), together with the Army's 10th Infantry Division and Task Force Davao (TFD), vowed to intensify its efforts as peacemakers following the Joint Peace Security Community Center (JPSCC) workshop at Camp Panacan, Davao City on Thursday.

Oro mayor accused of beating 2 tribal men

CAGAYAN DE ORO -- A tribal leader and his brother accused Cagayan de Oro Mayor Vicente Emano of beating them without apparent reason inside the mayor's office on Wednesday.

Rolando A. Bahian, 40, also known as Datu Hiwalan, and his elder brother Julito, 44, of Barangay San Simon, this city, reported the incident at Police Station 1 in Divisoria Thursday morning, a day after the alleged beating incident happened.

'Dodong' to bring more rains: forecasters

MANILA (Updated) -- Weather forecasters on Thursday said Tropical Depression "Dodong" will continue to bring moderate to heavy rains as it moves farther out into the South China Sea.

As of 11 p.m. Thursday, public storm warning signal no. 1 remains over Pangasinan province.

Palace to Arroyo allies: Be diligent with accusations

MALACAÑANG on Thursday brushed off allegations made by opposition lawmakers against several Cabinet members tagged as "kakampi, kaklase, and kabarilan" (KKK).

"I'm challenging the opposition to be more diligent with their work. They just keep on mouthing off these accusations," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

Butuan bishop asks Aquino to resign

A BISHOP has asked President Benigno Aquino III to quit after allegedly showing lack of interest in being the Philippines' Chief Executive.

Since he has appointed allies, classmates, and shooting buddies in government positions, Aquino has proven that he's unfit to become President, Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos said on Thursday.

Demolition of special huts in Bilibid delayed

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has agreed to delay the demolition of special huts for rich prisoners inside the New Bilibid Prison, Secretary Leila de Lima said on Thursday.

The deadline for taking these huts apart was pushed back since the agency has yet to "dig deeper" into the "kubol system" inside the penitentiary, the site of 200 such huts.

Only 1 priority bill signed into law in Congress' first year

ONLY one out of 23 priority bills of President Benigno Aquino III has been enacted into law during the first year of the 15th Congress.

Earlier this week, President Aquino signed into law the GOCC Governance Act of 2011, which will reform the government-owned and controlled corporations through the creation of a Governance Council for GOCCs (GCG).

Police, military charged over activist's abduction

ARBITRARY detention charges were filed Thursday against four retired police and military generals and three other Army officers in relation to the abduction and disappearance of Jonas Burgos.

A farmer-activist, Burgos is the son of former Malaya newspaper owner and press freedom advocate, Jose Burgos.

Review of Constitution to hike foreign investments sought

IT IS time to rethink economic provisions in the Constitution and let more foreign businessmen in, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Thursday.

At the weekly Kapihan sa Senado press forum, Enrile said the current restrictions on foreign ownership of businesses keeps investors away.

Customs asks Hong Kong assistance in black coral probe

THE Philippines' Bureau of Customs (BOC) has asked Hong Kong authorities to check on an establishment that may be selling endangered marine creatures from the country.

BOC-Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) Director Nestorio Gualberto bared this Thursday, saying a letter asking Hong Kong to conduct a background check on King Success Trading located at the ground floor of No. 68 Queens Road, Hong Kong has been sent on Wednesday.

Palace: Armm OICs will not run in 2013 polls

MALACANANG assured Thursday that the officers-in-charge (OICs) that will be appointed to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) for the next two years will not be given an opportunity to run in the 2013 mid-term elections.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the OICs will enter into a covenant that will bind them not to run in the elections.

Poll body withholds payment for Smartmatic

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has continued to withhold some half a billion pesos worth of payment for Smartmatic-TIM Corp., the agency's partner that helped enable an automated poll system for the May 2010 elections.

The company is still being held accountable by the Philippines' poll body for damages, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said on Thursday.

Palace orders probe on 'assault' vs Kalinga broadcaster

MALACANANG has ordered Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo to conduct an investigation on alleged assault of Kalinga Governor Jocel Baac against dzRK Radyo ng Bayan anchorman Jerome Tabanganay last Tuesday.

Medical coverage assured for food poisoning sufferers

FOOD poisoning sufferers, especially those who have eaten contaminated fish, have been assured of medical coverage, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) said on Thursday.

"While we do not wish our members to experience food poisoning, we want to assure them that in case hospitalization is required, they can bank on their PhilHealth coverage for financial protection," PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Rey Aquino said.

Labor agency supports lifting of deployment ban in Bahrain

THE Labor department supported an earlier advisory issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that sought the lifting of a deployment ban in Bahrain.

Filipinos can now be deployed for work in Bahrain, a Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Advisory 01-2011 said.

Guingona bill plans to regulate plea bargain deals

A BILL has been filed at the Senate to regulate plea bargain agreements after a controversial deal allowed a general accused of plunder to plead to lesser crimes after agreeing to return less than half of P303 million he allegedly stole.

"This bill aims to ensure that plea bargaining will not be exploited as a procedure of compromise for the convenience of the accused, but will be used for the paramount public interest of justice," the explanatory note on a bill filed by Senator Teofisto Guingona III read.

Poachers face P10-M fine under Senate bill

GETTING caught with at least 10 kilograms of corals qualifies as large-scale poaching and punishable with life imprisonment and a fine of up to P10 million under a bill filed by Senator Manuel Villar Jr.

Even as the Senate committee on the environment is investigating a coral poaching operation in Zamboanga, Villar's bill is already proposing amendments to the Fisheries Code of 1998, seeking stiffer penalties on poaching corals and other rare marine life.

Local governments urged to promote green buildings

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Ramon Paje called on local government units on Thursday to pass a measure that would promote the construction of energy and resource-efficient buildings over the next decades.

Aquino to mark 1st Independence Day as President

A HECTIC day will face President Benigno Aquino III as he celebrates his 1st Independence Day as president on June 12 (Sunday).

2 kidnap victims freed in Lanao del Norte

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Gunmen freed two of the three men abducted Wednesday morning in Lanao del Norte province, the military said.

Western Mindanao Command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang said Edgar Gomez and Boyet Alumbro, an engineer, were freed an hour after they were seized on Wednesday.

Group: Hog farms continue to operate

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- An environmentalist group has expressed dismay over local officials for the continued operation of big hog farms in Porac town.

Sonny Dobles, an official from the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM), said Mayor Condralito Dela Cruz has disobeyed the earlier directive of Governor Lilia Pineda not to issue business permits to the hog farms.

Council approves disaster readiness program

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) signed Thursday a resolution approving the program/design of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund for budget year 2011.

The budget, amounting to P70,477,169.67, represents the five percent appropriation for this year's calamity fund, which shall go to various activities like repair of damaged infrastructure, procurement of seedlings, fingerlings, fertilizer, medicines, hazard mapping, relief goods and other vital social preparation requirements in disaster reduction and response.

Lawmaker commits fund for risk reduction

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- First district Representative Carmelo Lazatin vowed Thursday to allocate a "no limit" funding for the Provincial Government's disaster risk reduction management program.

Lazatin attended the 1st Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council meeting at the Benigno Aquino Hall here, and promised Governor Lilia Pineda that he would support Capitol's disaster readiness and response program from his countryside development fund (CDF).

Vice guv to go 'participative politics' in 2013

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Pampanga Vice Governor Joseller Guiao plans to "participative [in] politics and governance" with the creation of a "council of elders" when he gets to Congress in 2013.

Mayors' league to discuss daycare workers allowances

ANGELES CITY -- The Pampanga Mayors' League (PML) is set to discuss the possibility of coming up with a streamlined system for providing allowances to the province's 616 daycare workers.

Councilors get nebulizers, med supplies

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Committee on health chair Monina Laus distributed Thursday medicine supplies and nebulizers to town councilors here to improve health assistance to their constituents.