Philippines

METRO MANILA – President Duterte has appointed Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan as the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Malacañang announced Tuesday, September 1. Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed the appointment. Cascolan previously hold the second highest position in the PNP as deputy chief for Administration and he was also appointed as  officer-in-charge upon PNP Chief Gen. Archie …

METRO MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte said that he will not terminate Chinese contractors who are currently involved in Philippine infrastructure projects, despite proposal from the nation’s top diplomat to end the deals with Chinese companies involved in South China Sea reclamation. President Duterte said that it will not follow the United States’ move to blacklist the Chinese firms as …

METRO MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has announced on Monday night that National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Dante Gierran will be the new head of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). He will take over the position and will be replacing resigned PhilHealth President and CEO Ricardo Morales who were asked by Duterte to step down due to his medical …

METRO MANILA – Metro Manila mayors on Monday recommends putting NCR and nearby cities to another general community quarantine (GCQ) with shorter curfew hours starting September 1. According to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will be discussing with the Mayors and the decision to be announced …

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will announce the new head of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation today, Senator Bong Go confirmed. Senator Go said that Duterte will make the announcement during his weekly address to the nation. Earlier last week, Duterte asked former head Morales to step down due to health conditions. Moralen then filed the resignation, which Duterte accepted. …

METRO MANILA – The House of Representatives has approved the 25-year franchise bid of DITO Telecommunity Corp, the third and new player in the country. Lawmakers with total of 240 voted yes while 7 negative votes. The House Bill No. 7332 has been enacted which renewed the Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company Inc.’s or presently known as DITO Telecommunity Corporation with …

METRO MANILA – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin, Jr. that he will be endorsing the termination of government contracts with Chinese firms that involved in China’s reclamation activities in the South China Sea (SCS). Locsin made that statements after United States announced that they will imposing sanctions and restrictions for around two dozens of Chinese firms that were …

METRO MANILA – The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has issued a P19 million fine against Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on contentious power bills during the lockdown period. Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Agnes Devanadera said in a statement that Meralco has failed to provide accurate and timely information to users that created chaos, anxiety and confusion. Devanadera added that this is …

METRO MANILA – Defying China’s call to stop ‘illegal provocative activities’ in the area,  The Philippines continues to patrol the Spratlys Island in South China Sea. According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., He needs to reiterate that China has already lost the South China Sea arbitration which also invalidated the nine-dash line Beijing is claiming over the South …

MANILA – China’s “nine-dash line” claim by China in the South China Sea is nothing but there imagination, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Sunday, as he condemns illegally occupying Filipino maritime territory. Lorenzana said that China’s historical rights inside their nine-dash line don’t exist except in their imagination. The statement came after Manila and Beijing clash over the disputed …