Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva has reaffirmed his support for random drug testing covering all senators, officials, and employees, calling it essential to protect the integrity of the institution. “I have consistently supported calls for random drug testing among all officials and staff of the Senate, regardless of who is serving as Senate president,” Villanueva said Friday. “Personally, I am …
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The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking a bigger budget for 2026 while pressing its ranks to speed up the delivery of programs to farmers and fisherfolk nationwide. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. issued the call during the DA’s two-day Management Committee meeting, warning that the agency’s second-quarter slowdown in fund obligations must be addressed if it hopes to …
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The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has recovered large floating debris believed to be from a Chinese rocket off the coast of Occidental Mindoro. A local fisherman discovered the 10-by-14-foot alloy fragment—bearing the flag of the People’s Republic of China—while fishing about one nautical mile off Barangay Bonbon, Looc, on Thursday. He immediately alerted the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group and the …
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The Supreme Court has upheld the Senate’s subpoena compelling former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo to appear before its inquiry into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) activities. In a decision made public Friday, the SC En Banc junked Guo’s petition challenging the summons and seeking to stop the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality from …
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The government has rolled out the new digital National Senior Citizen ID (NSCID) through the eGovPH app, giving over 12 million elderly Filipinos faster and easier access to government services. Launched by the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) at The Manila Hotel, the NSCID will automatically appear in the app …
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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday asserted that the Philippines has no responsibility for the collision between two Chinese vessels in Bajo de Masinloc on August 11. According to the DFA, China Coast Guard vessel 3104 and People’s Liberation Army Navy ship 164 slammed into each other while chasing the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Suluan, which was escorting …
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Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Thursday accused the lawyer of a police officer linked to the “missing sabungeros” case of trying to derail the investigation. Torre slammed Atty. Bernard Vitriolo for submitting counter-affidavits to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), which he said is not the proper venue. “He knows fully well the affidavits …
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The Philippines is pitching the former Hanjin Subic Shipyard as a potential hub for building US Navy warships, as Washington ramps up efforts to expand its fleet over the next 30 years. “Subic… could possibly be part of what the United States is looking at,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Thursday at the US-ASEAN Business Council …
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Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III has issued a strong warning against smoking illegal Thuoc Lao cigarettes, locally known as “tuklaw,” saying the substance can be as deadly as any other illegal drug. “Tuklaw” is now a target of the PNP’s anti-drug campaign, with the PNP Drug Enforcement Group coordinating closely with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency …
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The recent fatal shooting incident inside an integrated school in Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija, where a 15-year-old girl was killed by her ex-boyfriend before he turned the gun on himself, is a chilling reminder that our campuses—supposed sanctuaries of learning—are not immune from deadly violence. That such a tragedy could unfold in a place meant to nurture young minds exposes …
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