Philippines

MANILA – Philippine’s Budget carrier Cebu Pacific has announced that they will be laying off more than 1,000 employees, in the single biggest retrenchment in the local airline industry as the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the economy. Cebu Pacific communications director Charo Logarta Lagamon in a statement, called the move “rightsizing” …

MANILA – Malacañang revealed on Tuesday that the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Duterte will be on a different format as the country continues its campaign against the coronavirus pandemic. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that he still has not yet to receive a confirmation on whether the president would physically attend at Batasang Pambansa Session …

MANILA – Senator Risa Hontiveros has called for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to suspend its planned tax collections for online sellers as the country is trying to curb the spread coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Under the Resolution 453, Hontiveros is urging the Senate to investigate BIR’s memorandum circular issued this month. The BIR needs to clarify the registration and …

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said that his legal team is still reviewing the proposed anti-terrorism bill that seeks to boost the country’s anti-terrorism campaign. Duterte, in a televised address, revealed that he has yet to get his hands on the controversial anti-terror bill as he’s still waiting for the recommendations of his legal team on whether to approve the …

MANILA – The Supreme Court en banc on Tuesday dismissed the quo warranto charge by Solgen Jose Calida against the media titan as the franchise already expired in May. Supreme Court spokeman Brian Keith Hosaka confirmed the court’s action on Calida’s request to revoke ABS-CBN’s franchise for alleged violation of condition set by the congress on their approved 25-year franchise …

Metro Manila – Actress Sharon Cuneta has asked the assistance of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in dealing with the netizen who threatened to rape her daughter on a social media post. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed the news saying that the actress has brought the matter to their agency and expressed strong desires to file a criminal complaint against …

MANILA – Malacañang confirmed on Sunday that the remains of 50  overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will not be brought back and instead will be buried there. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that the OFWs who died due to Covid-19 related illnesses will be buried in Saudi …

MANILA – As Metro Manila begins to ease restrictions, bike-sharing firms Angkas and Joyride proposed the use of plastic shields between the drivers and passengers in a bid to lobby authorities to finally allow the resumption of motorcycle taxi operations. While awaiting the decision on the legalization of motorcycle taxis, Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca yesterday the firm has …

MANILA – Businessman Wilfredo Keng has filed another case agains Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, this time over a 2019 Twitter post where she shared the website’s news article on the businessman. Keng is the same person who is behind the liber suit that recently convicted Ressa and former writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. on June 15. The businessman filed his second …

MANILA – President Duterte is confident that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will be able to answer to all allegations against him by the office of the ombudsman over “lapses” in the health department’s COVID-19 response. Ombudsman Samuel Martires said on Wednesday that he will be forming additional teams to investigate alleged anomalies committed by DOH health officials including Duque …