Bonifacio Day will not be moved to Monday

MALACAÑANG on Sunday reiterated that the commemoration of Bonifacio Day will not be moved to Monday (November 28) in honor of the holiday economics policy.

With only a week to go, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said with finality that Bonifacio Day will be observed on November 30, which falls on a Wednesday this year.

Typhoon-damaged schools’ rehab finish by year-end

THE Department of Education (DepEd) said Sunday that there are enough funds to cover the cost of repair and rehabilitation of about 1,000 schools damaged by typhoons Pedring and Quiel in seven regions.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro bared this after initial reports showed that lack of fund is hampering the repair of the damaged schools nearly two months after the twin typhoon unleashed havoc on several regions of the country.

Makati to go after smokers, smoke belchers

THE Makati City Government will celebrate the National Clean Air Month by going after smokers and smoke-belching vehicles plying the city's routes on Monday.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. said starting at 7 a.m., the City Government will hold an activity dubbed "Tigil Buga para sa Kalusugan" along A.P. Reyes St. in Barangay Carmona as part of the city's "Smoke Free Day", which is in line with the campaign for a Smoke-Free Makati.

Senator bats for better benefits for bus drivers

SENATE President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada voiced support Sunday for fixed monthly salaries for bus drivers, saying assuring drivers a steady wage will increase road safety.

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the Metro Manila Development Authority have been working on a hybrid fixed wage-commission pay scheme for bus drivers that may be implemented by January next year.

FDA calls for vigilance vs fake drugs

THE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called on the public to be vigilant against the entry of fake drugs in the country.

In a statement marking the observance of the National Consciousness Week Against Counterfeit Medicine, the FDA said it is important for the public to purchase their medicines from certified drug distributors in order to avoid buying counterfeit medicines.

Another sibling of Ram Revilla 'not yet suspect’: police

MANILA (Updated) -- Maria Ragelyn "Gail" Bautista, another sibling of slain actor Ramgen "Ram" Revilla, is not yet a suspect in the murder of her brother even if she was tagged as among the masterminds in the killing, police said Sunday.

Unidentified suspects killed Ram inside his residence at BF Homes, Parañaque last October 28. Two of her siblings -- Ramon Joseph and Ramona -- were tagged as suspects in the crime.

Arroyo camp to contest arrest warrant

MANILA (Updated) -- The camp of arrested former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo said it would start filing appeals against the arrest warrant when courts reopen Monday.

Ferdinand Topacio, lawyer of Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel, said he will petition the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to suspend the arrest warrant and other legal effects of the preliminary investigation jointly conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Arroyo’s fate up to judge sanctioned for delayed rulings

THE fate of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo now lies in the hands of Judge Jesus Mupas of Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112, who has been sanctioned for delayed decisions.

This was what the Aquino government said after a warrant of arrest was issued against Arroyo on Friday afternoon for her alleged involvement in 2007 poll fraud.

Lawmakers: De Lima can’t be cited in contempt

A HOUSE leader believes Justice Secretary Leila de Lima cannot be held in contempt after the Arroyo camp was unable to fully comply with the conditions of the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court (SC).

Last Friday, SC Court Administrator and spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez ordered lawyer Ferdinand Topacio to submit a supplemental compliance, which indicates that he is the legal representative of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if she will leave the country.

Arroyo allies ‘seriously studying’ impeachment vs Aquino

PAMPANGA Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s allies in Congress are “seriously studying” a possible filing of an impeachment case against President Benigno Aquino III after supposed text messages reached them urging them to do so.

In a television interview, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said that members of the opposition bloc have received messages asking them to file an impeachment case after Arroyo was served an arrest warrant Friday night for her alleged involvement in the 2007 election fraud.

Ex-poll chief checks out of hospital

FORMER Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Benjamin Abalos checked out of the hospital on Saturday, a television report said.

4 Filipina activists may be deported for Indonesia summit protest

FOUR Filipina activists may be deported after they were arrested in Bali, Indonesia for participating in a protest against an Asian summit attended by the world's leaders, including US President Barack Obama.

Lidy Nacpil, Malou Tabios, Rhoda Viajar and Manjette Lopez, all members of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), may either be deported or face criminal charges in Indonesia, the group said in a statement issued on Saturday.

Arroyo to stay in hospital after police took her mugshots

MANILA (2nd update 7:32 p.m.) -- Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will have to stay at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City after authorities took her mugshots, fingerprints, and handprints on Saturday afternoon.

It would be better if the current Pampanga representative remains in confinement because of her current health conditions, Arroyo’s doctor Juliet Gopez-Cervantez said.

Nothing irregular about Arroyo’s arrest: Supreme Court

MANILA -- The Supreme Court (SC) sees nothing wrong with the issuance of arrest warrant against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that prevented her from leaving the country Friday.

SC spokesperson Midas Marquez, in a press briefing, said Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 112 did only what he thinks was proper.

De Lima ordered to explain why she stopped Arroyo’s trip

JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima was asked by the Supreme Court (SC) to explain why she stopped former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country for Hong Kong last Tuesday night.

SC spokesperson Midas Marquez said de Lima was given 10 non-extendible days from receipt of the resolution why she should not be cited for contempt of court.

Underground River pushes PAL to deploy bigger planes next year

NATIONAL carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said it will deploy planes that can accommodate up to 335 people to Palawan after the Puerto Princesa Underground River was recently declared as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Deploying wide body jets like the Airbus A330 is in response to the expected influx of tourists to Puerto Princesa as the company eyes to intensify its promotional activities there, PAL president Jaime Bautista said.

School principal shot dead in Sorsogon

UNIDENTIFIED men shot dead a school principal in Castilla town in Sorsogon, a police official reported Friday.

Thirty-three-year-old Ariel Nebreja was riding a passenger motorcycle when two suspects blocked the vehicle's path around 4 p.m. Thursday at Barangay Miluya.

Obama hoping for "deeper relationship" with the Philippines

UNITED States President Barack Obama expressed hope that the newly-signed security accord between Manila and Washington would "be an opportunity...to further deepen the relationship" of the two countries.

The relationship between the Philippines and the world's largest economy could be expanded to include maritime security, disaster, and humanitarian relief, Obama said on Friday during the 19th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Arrest warrant vs Arroyo served

MANILA (4th Update, 6:50 p.m.) -- Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is now under police custody after members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) served Friday the warrant of arrest issued against her for electoral sabotage in 2007.

Police authorities in a television interview said members of the Arroyo family, as well as lawyers of the former President were at St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City when the arrest warrant was served around 6:30 p.m.

Arroyo still can't leave the Philippines, government says

MANILA—Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel, will still be disallowed from going abroad even as the Supreme Court junked the government’s appeal to lift the stay order it issued last Tuesday.

According to Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz, the Arroyos will still be stopped from boarding a plane to Singapore later this Friday after an electoral sabotage case was slapped against the former president in a Pasay City court.

Palace: TRO on Arroyo travel watchlist not executory

MANILA (6th update, 4:05 p.m.) -- The former First Couple -- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Jose Miguel Arroyo -- can't leave the country just yet, a Malacañang official said Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued that allowed the couple to travel is not yet executory since the Arroyos have yet to comply with all three conditions set by the Supreme Court (SC).

Comelec files electoral sabotage case vs Arroyo

MANILA (2nd update, 11:30 a.m.) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) filed Friday electoral sabotage charges against former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court.

The Comelec voted Friday 5-2 to file the case, which is a non-bailable offense.

Justice chief denies defying Supreme Court order

MANILA -- Justice Secretary Leila de Lima denied accusations that she defied the Supreme Court (SC) when she disallowed former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country.

“I firmly advance the position that this is not defiance. At this point, what we are saying is, don’t implement the TRO (temporary restraining order) yet because we filed a motion for reconsideration," she said Thursday.

Justice chief won’t resist arrest: aide

JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima will cooperate with authorities who might arrest her once found guilty of contempt after she barred former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s travel bid to Singapore, one of her aides said Thursday.

The employee, who declined to be identified, said de Lima was prepared for the “worst” as she advised them not to block authorities from carrying out their duty.

Massacre lawyer seeks intervention in Arroyo travel case

A COUNSEL for one of the families of Maguindanao massacre victims will ask the Supreme Court (SC) to allow her to intervene in a case involving former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's right to travel abroad.

Lawyer Nena Santos, who represents Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu in the massacre case, said she will ask the High Tribunal to consider her an “amicus curae” or a friend of the court since one of her clients was also barred from seeking medical treatment abroad.

Palace dismisses impeachment threat

MALACANANG gave no weight Thursday to an impeachment complaint that the House minority is considering after Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was barred from leaving the country earlier this week despite a Supreme Court (SC) order that allowed her trip abroad.

“There is no impeachable offense on the part of the President,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing Thursday.

Senators seek review of Philippine-US defense treaty

IT IS high time to review the Philippines' defense agreements with the United States, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, a former Defense minister, said Thursday.

He made these remarks after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario signed the Manila Declaration to mark the 60th year of the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

Customs files smuggling case, seizes onion shipments

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) filed Thursday smuggling charges against an importer of fake goods and seized 11 container vans filled with onions.

The bureau, the National Government's second-largest revenue source, filed a smuggling case against Rodolfo Yabut, after he allegedly brought in shipments in two 40-foot containers that were labeled as "footwear" but were loaded with fake goods, including food items and medicine amounting to more than P22 million.

Government to spend P6.7-M for Aquino's Asean Summit trip

THE Aquino government will be spending about P6.7 million for President Benigno Aquino III’s participation in the 19th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Bali, Indonesia from November 17-19.

The budget will cover expenses for hotel accommodations, food, transportation, telecommunications, and equipment requirements, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said.

Palace allies support moves to block Arroyo trip

ADMINISTRATION allies in the House of Representatives have signed a draft resolution expressing support for the "extraordinary political will" the Aquino government showed when it barred former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country.

The move came after the House opposition bloc threatened to file an impeachment complaint against President Benigno Aquino III.