SEND OFF. President Rodrigo Duterte is sending a high-level delegation to China this week to further hammer out details of some $15 billion-worth of economic deals and investment commitments forged between Manila and Beijing during his state visit in October last year, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Sunday.

SIGNED. The government and the communist rebels signed Saturday, January 21 the Supplemental Guidelines for the full operation of the joint monitoring committee (JMC) tasked to monitor human rights violations during third round of talks in Rome, Italy.

DEFENSE. Government Chief Peace Negotiator Silvestre Bello III said President Rodrigo Duterte is determined to uphold human rights of political dissenters even as he continues to seek a negotiated political settlement with rebel forces.