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Ni Girald Gaston PHOTO : FIBA Basketball Nakatikim ng pangmamama ang bagitong koponan ng Gilas Pilipinas kontra New Zealand Tall Blacks, 60-106, sa kanilang ikalawang sagupaan sa ikatlong window ng FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Huwebes ng hapon sa Auckland, New Zealand. Matapos ang 25-puntos na pagkatalo sa una nilang paghaharap, bigong makabawi ang bagong disenyo ng Gilas, sa pamumuno ni Nenad Vucinic, sa balwarte ng Tall Blacks dala lamang ang 11-man lineup. Litaw ang bentahe ng Tall Blacks sa laki at karanasan, matapos dominahin ang rebounding kontra Gilas, 47-33, na lumaro nang wala ang serbisyo ni naturalized center Angelo Kouame.  Pinangunahan ng 6-foot-7 versatile big na si Carl Tamayo ang atake ng pambansang koponan matapos magtala ng game-high 16 puntos at limang rebounds, ngunit naging dagok naman sa Gilas ang pag-alis niya sa laro sa huling yugto nang magtamo ng ankle injury. Magandang panimula ang ipinamalas ng Kiwis at agad itong nakaalagwa sa pagtatapos ng unang yu...

By Karl Andrei Luarez PHOTO: Adobe Stock  A report published by Aymé, S. showed that three in 50,000 people at some point in their life contract a monogenic disease which is caused by point mutations, which happens when a single base pair is added, deleted, or changed from a DNA at some point in their life. Although point mutations happen in the cell frequently it is in most cases benign and the probability of a point mutation resulting in a monogenic disease is unlikely. However, there are occasions when the genetic error may cause a cell to behave abnormally and disrupt its normal function which can lead to monogenic diseases. Despite their rarity, thousands of people still suffer from monogenic illnesses such as progeria (genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly) and Tay-Sachs disease (genetic sickness that causes the absence of an enzyme that helps break down fatty substances), which has no known cure. As more advancements in genetic engineering spews forth, treatin...

By Andreah Dianne M. Cartagena PHOTO: Bureau of Customs / Inquirer.net Calling the alleged act a 'heinous crime,' neophyte Senator-elect Robin Padilla said that officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) that are proven to be involved in agriculture smuggling must be held accountable as their apologies are not enough. “Hindi pwedeng puro sorry. Kayo ay nanumpa sa harapan ng Panginoong Diyos at nanumpa sa harapan ng taumbayan na kayo ay magsisilbi at poproteksyunan ninyo ang sambayanang Pilipino tapos kayo ang mag-uumpisa ng kalokohan?” Padilla said during a press briefing on Tuesday, June 28. He also called on the DA and BOC accused to be involved in agriculture smuggling to have the ‘delicadeza’ to resign and not cling to their positions anymore once the allegations are proven to be true. "Sa akin pong palagay, kung sinuman ang mapapatunayan diyan, unang-una mag-resign ka. Dapat mauso na sa Pilipinas ‘yung ganun eh, ‘yung resignation. K...

By Deighton Acuin PHOTO: Jire Carreon/ABS-CBN News/The Guardian Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte admitted on Monday that "presidential powers" have been used to shut down media giant ABS-CBN, contradicting previous statements that described his neutrality over issues hounding the network. In his speech during the oath-taking of his son and newly-elected Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, he insisted that ABS-CBN “never paid taxes” despite clearance from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the network had been settled with their balances. "I used the presidential powers to tell Congress that you are dealing with scoundrels, and if you continue to kowtow with them, kawawa ang Pilipino," Duterte said. He added: “Kaya tinira ko talaga sila.” Last May 2020, National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease and desist order causing ABS-CBN to go off air as its franchise reached its validity. Moreover...

By Jillian Marielle Tiraña PHOTO: Philippine Presidential Museum and Library/ABS-CBN News The Sandiganbayan Second Division has granted permission for the descendants of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to present defense against an ongoing ill-gotten wealth case. In a resolution for Civil Case No. 0014 written by Associate Justice Arthur O. Malabaguio, the motion to waive the family of defendant Marcos Sr.'s right to present evidence has been denied, while the defendant’s motion for reconsideration is partially granted. Earlier this year, President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the namesake of the late dictator and one of the heirs, contended that the pending motion for reconsideration they filed back in 1996 has prevented them from participating in the trial. The prosecution has previously reasoned that the defendants have lost their legal standing due to a resolution issued on September 30, 1996. The same resolution has now been reversed and set aside according to Civil Case...

By Deighton Acuin PHOTO: The Summit Express For outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s no-show to pre-2022 election debates is a right move as television marketers only benefited from it. In his speech during the oath taking of his son and newly-elected Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, he said that debate promoters have earned money at the public’s expense. “During the campaign, we had a limited time to talk, and the next time that you are a candidate, you are invited to do that… Tama si Marcos, decline,” Duterte said. “We were only given half a minute or one minute and that’s it. You cannot even talk further… It was for show,” he added. The son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. had become a social media topic for his no-shows in multiple election debates.  His first absence was on January 21 when GMA News organized a one-on-one interview with veteran journalist Jessica Soho.  It was then followed by ...

By Junel F. Fiestada Cartoon by John Dave Poot Covering events in the Malacañang must be a hard-to-get assignment for journalists, thus giving the green light to non-journalists will make the palace an open paradise for anyone with or without proper studies in journalism. The palace is not some sort of place for “Marites”, trolls, and gossip mongers. It is a place where the truth must be relayed without added or spliced contents. This is why media accreditation of social media vloggers is preposterous. In light of the growing criticisms from professional journalists and netizens, pro-government and pro-Marcos vloggers are going overboard as they form the United Vloggers and Influencers of the Philippines (UVIP) . The UVIP is said to be seeking accreditation from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with their constitution, by-laws, and ethics on study and formalization. They also claimed that they will not be biased, even if their published videos suggest that they are pro-Marc...

By Lance Arevada PHOTO : Adam Schultz/Al Drago/Bloomberg US President Joe biden has assigned Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff to lead the seven-member delegation of the United States to attend the inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on June 30, the White House has announced. As the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the first female VP, Emhoff marked history as the first second gentleman of the United States. According to the White House website, the Second Gentleman is “working to share the priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration with people across the country and around the world.” US Embassy in Manila Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava will be joining Emhoff to attend the inauguration. She has previously met with Marcos Jr. following his victory in the 2022 elections. Furthermore, Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott, who is a Filipino-American, is also expected to be among those in attendance from the Washington delegation. He is currently the chairperson of ...

Ni Cherry Babia PHOTO: Jay Directo/AFP/DSFLU Facebook Naalarma at dismayado ang Diocese of San Fernando sa La Union hinggil sa usaping kumakalat sa social media kung saan lumipat umano ang isa sa kanilang mga pari sa Iglesia ni Cristo, isang kilos na sinasabing nagdudulot ng pagkalito at eskandalo sa mga tao. Ayon sa inilabas na statement ng Office of the Chancellor ng Diocese of San Fernando of La Union noong Hunyo 20, sinasabing matagal nang pinag-iisipan ng paring kinilalang si Fr. Romeo Lopez ang paglipat nito sa kabilang relihiyon.  "But while his works and apostolate are beyond doubt sincere and commendable in all respects, we regret to inform you that for a long time already, he has been contemplating on joining the Iglesia ni Kristo," saad nito. Dagdag pa dito, nagbigay umano si Lopez, na kumakailan lang ay nagretiro sa 35 taong serbisyo sa simbahan, ng isang sulat kay La Union Bishop Daniel Presto kung saan sinasabing lilipat siya sa INC, na isa sa mga pinakamalakin...

By Andreah Dianne M. Cartagena PHOTO: INQUIRER.net/GMA News The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced the activation of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) on Friday, June 24. The VPSPG is dedicated to ensure the safety and security of Vice President-elect Sara Duterte and her family. “The AFP saw it fitting to provide the Office of the Vice President a dedicated unit that shall ensure the safety and security of the second-highest elected official in the country,” AFP Chief of Staff General Andres Centino said during the ceremony at AFP General Headquarters. Meanwhile, Philippine Army Lieutenant Colonel Rene Giroy, who was previously assigned to the Presidential Security Group (PSG), took the helm as the first VPSPG commander. Centino said that he is confident that the security group will perform “to the best of their abilities.” The newly formed VPSPG was formerly the Vice Presidential Security Detachment which served outgoing Vice President Leni Robr...

Ni Roland Andam Jr. PHOTO:  Walter Bollozos/The STAR/Reuters Pinahihintulutan na ng Department of Health (DOH) ang pagbabakuna ng COVID-19 booster shots sa lahat ng 12 hanggang 17-taong gulang sa bansa, na dating aprubado lamang para sa mga indibidwal na immunocompromised mula sa nasabing age group. Ayon kay DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, maaaring sa pagtatapos ng kasalukuyang linggo uumpisahan ng kagawaran ang pagbibigay ng karagdagang doses ng bakuna kontra COVID-19 sa buong populasyon ng mga 12–17 anyos.   Ito ay sa pag-asang sa susunod na mga linggo ay kakikitaan aniya ng pagtaas ang bilang ng mga kabataang magpapaturok ng booster shots. "Nagbigay na rin ng 'oo' na puwede nang ipatupad rin itong rest of the population ng 12 to 17. Hopefully in the coming weeks makikita natin ang slow na pagtaas ng 12 to 17 booster doses dahil kailangan din po ng ating kabataan ang booster doses na ito,” pahayag ni Vergeire nitong Sabado, Hunyo 25. Sa kabila nito, wala pang...

By Kezo Andre Javier Cartoon by Aureus Ken Pupa If there is one line that would sum up the presidential bid of then―Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, it would only take three words―change is coming. Now, as Duterte is set to step down from the presidency, one can see that the present situation of the country is far different from what it was six years ago. The current administration indeed brought the change that its chief executive promised during his campaign. But to say that this change is all positive is outright wrong. In fact, we may have even taken a turn for the worse, and it does not look like changing anytime soon. During one of his weekly addresses by the end of 2021, President Duterte took pride in saying that he was able to fulfill almost all of his promises during the campaign. However, he was quick to point out that his administration was not perfect, but he ‘tried his best’ especially with his flagship war on illegal drugs. Well, he was right on the point of them not b...

By Carlos Jimwell Aquino PHOTO: Boy Santos/The Philippine Star Tila bigo ang planong pagganti ni National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Ronald Cardema matapos ibasura ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc ang kanyang petisyon na pigilang maging first nominee ng P3PWD party-list at kinatawan sa Kongreso ang dating poll commissioner na si Rowena Guanzon. Ayon kay Comelec Spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, inaprubahan ng komisyon ang rekomendasyon ng kanilang law department na tanggihan ang apelang ipinasa ni Cardema noong Biyernes, Hunyo 17. Paliwanag ni Laudiangco, ang Resolution 10717 na kasama sa petisyong hinain ni Cardema ay nagtatakda ng mga patakaran bago at hindi pagkatapos ng halalan. Dagdag pa niya, naging basehan din ng poll body ang naging resolusyon na pumabor sa Duterte Youth party-list, na dating sinubukang katawanin ng NYC commissioner noong 2019. Nabanggit din ng spokesperson ang Section 8 at 16 ng Party-List System Act kung saan nakasaad na maaaring magbigay ...

By John Anton Garcia Last May 24 (CDT), a Tuesday morning spent in preparation for a nearing summer break for Robb Elementary turned into a gruesome tragedy as gunman Salvador Ramos fanned the flames of an interminable debate on US gun violence. In what was reported to be an hour-long ordeal, 21 fatalities—19 of whom were children and two were teachers—were recorded by local authorities while 17 more were injured as a local elementary school in Uvalde, Texas was the setting for America’s deadliest school shooting in almost a decade. "It's the first thing he did when he turned 18," uttered Uvalde representative Sen. Roland Gutierrez in a press briefing. Two military-grade assault rifles were the gunman’s birthday gift for himself just a week before the mass shooting incident. In the same period, he also purchased 375 rounds of ammunition, legally.  Elsewhere in the world, stricter regulations as solutions seem to be perfectly reasonable; however, an LA Times article seems ...

By Cate Margaret Paspos Aviation Safety Network database logged Nepal's 10th fatal plane crash in a decade last May 29 with 22 deaths- no survivors. Questions about Nepal's riskiest runway in Lukla once sparked after the Tara Airplane, a Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashed into the Himalayan mountains at about 14,500 feet high. Binod B.K. of Nepal's home ministry mentioned on CNN that the weather forecast was a factor in the accident since it was "cloudy with brief thundershowers," impairing visibility and contact.   The airport has received labels such as "The World's Most Dangerous Airport" by Forbes Travel section (2019) and the History Channel (2010) in their program Most Extreme Airports.    The United Nations agency, International Civil Aviation Organization, started prioritizing renovations in Nepali airports through the Aviation Safety Implementation Assistance Partnership in 2015; Nepal and ICAO announced a partnership two years after.   Luk...