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Danniell Domingo Vice President Sara Duterte addressed reporters on Nov. 26 that her ‘assassination’ remark against President Ferdinand Marcos, along with his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, follows a main condition that she be killed first, sparking national security concern. Photo Courtesy of Rappler/Presidential Communications Office. Duterte has confirmed that she had spoken to an individual and instructed them to seek revenge on the three if she were ever assassinated. “Yes. So I have to die first. They have to kill me first. So now they can't kill me anymore. Unless they want to die,” Duterte said, referring to the condition of her ‘assasination’ plot. Drawing a comparison to the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., Duterte suggested that she had taken precautions that Aquino had not. “Kaya hindi nakaganti si Benigno Aquino Jr. kasi hindi siya nagbilin. But you know, Benigno Aquino Jr. is not Sara Duterte.  So, ibang tao din siya. Ibang tao din ako,” she said. Du...

Shekinah Jedidiah Alima Valenzuela City unveils its newest bifunctional ‘Valenzuela Boardwalk’ which will serve as a flood-control project and linear park and bike trail spanning 1.3-kilometer long and 4-meter wide. Photo Courtesy of Facebook/Valenzuela City. The boardwalk was constructed with the initiative of Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian, initially for flood-control purposes across Barangays Coloong, Tagalag, and Wawang Pulo, where Meycauyan River is located. As the low-lying areas in the barangays are flood-prone, the local government had to come up with the 45 million pesos worth of project to ease the burden of the citizens. To formally open the new recreational space, Gatchalian led a walkathon event together with 200 senior citizens and a simultaneous 2-day Go-Kart riding activity for children ages 4 to 7. Several health-related activities can be done in the Valenzuela Boardwalk, including running, walking and cycling. The Valenzuela Boardwalk will cater public visitors ...

Alelie Jade Mallari The Philippines exhibited a significant growth after placing 63rd among the 133 countries worldwide with an average of 49.93 on the 2024 Network Readiness Index, breaking last year’s 69th placement record. Photo Courtesy of USAID. According to the recently released report by the Portulans Institute, the global ranking of NRI 2024 was assessed through four main pillars which are specifically the People, Technology, Governance, and Impact.  The report presented in detail that the Philippines showed strength in the pillar of People, ranking 33rd globally with an average of 50.40. In contrast to the Philippines' rank of 2023 NRI on this pillar, the country showed improvement, emerging from 59th place. Furthermore, The Philippines also manifested good progress on the Governance pillar as it ranked 74th among the global countries with 54.23 points, overthrowing its prior rank of being on 85th spot.  On the other hand, the country still requires substantial improv...

Dwayne Pelagio The Malacañang Palace responded to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the military to protect the constitution instead of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Nov. 26, calling the motive as “power grabbing.” Photo Courtesy of Aaron Favila/AP/Rappler. "Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang marahas na pang-aagaw ng kapangyarihan upang madaling maluklok bilang pangulo sa pamamagitan ng pagpaslang, panggugulo at pag-aalsa,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin stressed in a statement. He added that Duterte is willing to go to “great and evil lengths,” such as insulting the professional armed forces by asking them to betray their oath, for his plan to succeed. Bersamin calls out Duterte to respect the Constitution and not disobey it. “Nakakagulat ang garapalang panawagan ni dating Pangulong Duterte sa ating sandatahang lakas na maglunsad ng kudeta laban kay Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” he stated, expressing his dismay over Duterte’s remarks. The executive s...

Danniell Domingo The Senate’s probe into the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) has concluded, paving the way for legislative reforms aimed at preventing future abuses in the government systems, Senator Risa Hontiveros addressed. Photo Courtesy of Manila Standard. During the Nov. 26 hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on POGOs, Hontiveros emphasized the need for reform and left the fate of Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, to the Philippine courts to face criminal charges.  “This may be the end of our hearings on POGO but this is only the beginning of the legislative reforms that we will strive to push to ensure that every Filipino, to every Filipino, that there will never be another Alice Guo,” Hontiveros said.  After 16 hearings, Hontiveros presented evidence implicating Alice Guo, described as a “Chinese national mocking our Filipino identity” accused of crimes that exploited many Filipinos. The senat...

Ahlyzza Dhnise Madrazo The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has released data on the number of registered marriages in the country for 2023, revealing a decline of 7.8% compared to 2022. With 449,428 marriages recorded in the previous year, the total number of married couples dropped to 414,213 in 2023, lowering the crude marriage rate to 3.7 per thousand population from 4.0 the previous year, with an average of 1,135 marriages celebrated daily. February recorded the highest number of registered marriages with 52,501, followed by December with 43,966, while November had the least. CALABARZON (Region IV-A) recorded the highest number of marriages in 2023 with 60,541, accounting for 25.9% of the total, with Cavite having the largest share within the region and Quezon Province having the lowest.  The National Capital Region (NCR) recorded the second-highest number of marriages with 51,892, followed by Central Luzon with 47,684, while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Min...

Daniela Dizon, Aifer Jacutin at Stela Militante Tuwing buwan ng Nobyembre, nagkakaroon ng pagdiriwang ng Halloween kung saan ang bawat sulok ay napupuno ng kababalaghan at katatakutan. Kadalasan pa ngang nagkakaroon ng trick or treat , kung saan ang mga bata ay nangongolekta ng samu’t saring candy na suot ang kanilang nakakakilabot na costume. Ngunit hindi kumpleto ang halloween kung wala ang mga nakakatawang mga karanasang ibinahagi ng mga tao.  Sa araw ng mga patay, ang pagkabuhay naman ng mga takutan platforms . Dito, naglipana ang mga kwentong puno ng kababalaghan at misteryo na nag-iiwan ng kilabot sa isipan ng mga mambabasa. Iba’t ibang sanaysay ang mababasa ito, kabilang na ang pagpaparamdam ng mga ligaw na kaluluwa at iba pang mga kakaibang karanasan na humahabol hanggang sa kanilang panaginip.  SINO ANG NASA PINTUAN?   Isang bagong miyembro ng FB group na Let’s Takutan, Pare ang nagbahagi ng kanyang nakakikilabot na kwento . Ang insidente ng ibinahagi ng ano...

Adi Joaquim Tolentino Vice President Sara Duterte said that the Office of the Vice President, including herself, is ready to take a drug test as she provokes all members of the government to undertake it as well.  Photo Courtesy of GMA News. During a Facebook live on November 24, Duterte addressed several statements about her needing a psychological test. “Ako daw ay krung krung, ako daw ay baliw, at ako daw ay wala sa tamang pag-iisip. Ano ba sabi ko sa inyong lahat, psychological test? Kahit ano yan, neuro psychiatric test? Kahit ano pang test ‘yan, gagawin ko ‘yan– dagdagan ko pa ng drug test,” she said. She is willing to go through medical tests to prove that she is in the right state of mind as long as the people working for the government would do the same. “Dapat mag-pa-drugtest ang lahat ng mga nagtatrabaho sa Office of the President, sa Office of the Vice President, sa lahat ng opisina ng Senado sa lahat ng opisina ng House of Representatives sa lahat ng departamento ng at...

Kimberly Capuyan Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez will step down as Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief of staff after being “deeply traumatized” in the detention facility at the House of Representatives. Photos Courtesy of House of Representatives/ABS-CBN News. “She told me, ‘I want to resign. I want to resign from the Office of the Vice President (OVP)’ and I told her okay,” Duterte told reporters in a chance interview on November 23. “She is resigning. Tatapusin niya lang ang hearings,” she added. Lopez had been detained at the House detention facility on November 20 after being cited in contempt for “undue interference” in House proceedings on Duterte’s alleged misuse of funds at the OVP and the Department of Education. However, the House committee on good government and public accountability had ordered the transfer of Lopez to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City on November 22, which she refused to comply with. The decision caused Lopez to have a panic attack and p...

Daniela Adelaide Jaimeleen Sol C. Dizon The Department of Education (DepEd) convened with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on November 13 to strengthen educational initiatives in the country, particularly the Supreme Court ruling that transitions Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) back to DepEd supervision. Photo Courtesy of UNICEF Philippines. The meeting was led by education secretary Sonny Angara, where DepEd sought UNICEF’s expertise.  It aims to address the challenges in education delivery while ensuring that students in the province receive quality education during the transition.  They also want to solidify the reintegration of Sulu into DepEd’s authority. Discussions centered on joint education interventions aligned with DepEd’s strategic goals, including the Five-Point Agenda and the Basic Education Development Plan (BEDP) 2030.  These plans prioritize improving early childhood education, enhancing basic academic skil...

Erin Devanadera   Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim about an assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos has led to additional security measures on November 23. Photo Courtesy of Philippine News Agency/OVP Media. During a Zoom press conference on November 23, Duterte made provocative statements regarding the medical transfer of Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) to the Correctional Institution for Women, Mandaluyong City, on November 22.  This came after Duterte was asked to leave Representative Paolo Duterte's office in the House of Representatives following her visit to Lopez at the House on November 21. “May kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM (President Marcos), si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke,” Duterte said in response to Lopez’s transfer and the alleged assassination plot against her office. To address the si...

Jamayka Rhose Pascual Congressman Perci Cendaña slammed Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent claim during her virtual press conference on November 23, saying that the Philippines is in a pitiful state. Photo Courtesy of KUMAGCOW.COM/SunStar Philippines. According to Cendaña, while Duterte’s claim may be accurate, the Duterte family’s political influence contributes to the country’s struggles. “Ang Pilipinas ay nakakaawa, totoo po ‘yan. Pero dapat marealize ni VP Sara na ang isang dahilan kaya talaga nakakaawa ang ating bansa ay ang kanilang pamilya,” he stated in a chance interview. He added that corruption is one of the root causes of the country’s problems, pointing to allegations involving the misuse of confidential funds. “At isa pang dahilan ay ang korapsyon na ineexemplify niya ngayong siya ay vice president na,” Cendaña said. While Duterte also calls for accountability, Cendaña stressed that her political legacy contradicts these efforts. “So para hindi maging kaawa awa ang Pili...

Arkin Yeshua Aznar and Shaunte Felicity Ong “Kung hindi kayo tumigil, huhukayin ko ‘yang tatay ninyo, itatapon ko siya sa West Philippine Sea.” These were the exact words Vice President Sara Duterte used to warn Senator Imee Marcos to stop the “political attacks” brought by the administration against her, which drew both positive and negative opinions from the Filipinos. Some questioned the vice president for “desecrating” the dead, while some treated it as a joke. Funny as it may seem for others, but exhuming the body of your dead loved one is truly a nightmare. It is disturbing – not only to the families but also to the dead who should be “resting in peace.” However, as distressing as it may be, the exhumation of bodies from so-called “final resting places” still happens in the country for various reasons. From being exhumed for rental reasons to being disturbed for investigations, these laid bodies have unheard stories everyone should hear loudly.  The Debt to Pay Dead men ...

Jamayka Rhose Pascual Vice president Sara Duterte has stirred controversy by camping at the Batasang Pambansa on November 22 to support her detained chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez. Photo Courtesy of Bilyonaryo News Channel. Lopez has been detained since November 20 after being cited in contempt by a committee investigating Duterte's alleged misuse of confidential funds. Duterte, who visited her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, currently detained for contempt, has refused to leave the premises, staying at her brother's office, Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte, despite repeated requests to abide by the House's regulations. The vice president arrived at the Batasang Pambansa on November 21 evening and remained overnight in the office. “Anyway, there’s a sofa here. I brought some of my personal things with me... I will just have to call my kids later tonight to tell them that I can’t go home for the weekend,” Duterte said in a virtual press conference. Duterte’s stay, which she claims is t...

Sky Cartaño  Members of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability of the House of Representatives unanimously approved the transfer of the detention of the OVP Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez on Friday, November 22.  Photo Courtesy of Inquirer.net. Lopez is transferred from the House of Representatives to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City through a house order addressed to House Sergeant-at-arms Napoleon Taas and signed by committee chairman Manila Representative Joel Chua.  On a Twitter (X) post from Bea Pinlac of GMA Integrated News, the order was read twice in front of Lopez and Vice President Sara Duterte  “I have my rights as a detainee in this facility. Respect that and I told them to go out”, Lopez said in a press conference via Zoom as nine people including policemen served the transfer order.  She also added that it was a “threat” to her life as members of the Philippine National Police barged i...

Abdiel Franz Bernales President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has agreed to reach out to Indonesia to curtail Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino death-row drug addict, from death sentence to life imprisonment. Photo Courtesy of Ulet Ifansasti/POLITIKO/Rappler. Marcos also uncovered the development to reporters on Thursday, Nov. 21, following extensive diplomatic negotiations between the Philippines and Indonesia. "That's a long process. That took a long time. Well, since I came into office, what we were trying to do — what we were working on was to have her removed from death row, first and foremost, to commute her sentence to life imprisonment," Marcos said during an interview in Nueva Ecija. Moreover, Marcos ascribed the move to strong bilateral ties between the Philippines and Indonesia, explicitly mentioning the roles of former President Joko Widodo and current President Prabowo Subianto. Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, meanwhile, said Veloso will serve her sentence under Phili...

Ivan Howard Sumauang at Maricris Tulagan Hilakbot at takot – dalawang bagay na madalas namamayagpag tuwing undas dala ng mga kakatwang kwento at nakakikilabot na mga nilalang. Mas nagiging katakot-takot pa ang panahong ito dahil sa mga programang nakapaninindig-balahibo, gaya na lamang ng Gabi ng Lagim. Isa sa mga inaabangan tuwing undas dito ang mga pakulong Halloween Specials ng iba’t ibang palabas sa telebisyon. At isa nga sa pinakahihintay ng karamihan ang kilabot na dala ng mga kwentong tampok sa Gabi ng Lagim na handog ng programang Kapuso Mo: Jessica Soho (KMJS).  Inilabas ang unang edisyon nitong umikot sa kwento ng Kulam, Ang Mansyon at Horror Van noong ika-27 ng Oktubre 2013. Dahil pumatok sa kiliti at malikot na imahinasyon ng masa, nasundan pa at patuloy itong umeere tuwing undas na sinusubaybayan ng taumbayan. PAGLAHO NG LAGIM Bisita , Junjun at Diplomat Hotel . Iilan lamang ang mga halimbawang ito sa mga kwentong umabot ng higit sampung milyong views sa YouTube n...

Jamayka Rhose Pascual Vice president Sara Duterte has accused House speaker Martin Romualdez of being implicated in a bribery case, intensifying the political feud between the two. Photo Courtesy of OVP Media/BusinessWorld Online. In an online press conference on November 22, Duterte questioned Romualdez’s credibility as a House speaker, citing his alleged involvement in a bribery case. She then added that such allegations lessen Romualdez’s moral authority to demand accountability from her over her use of confidential funds in both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Duterte also criticized Romualdez for his lack of respect for constitutional processes when conducting congressional hearings. The vice president also accused lawmakers of only making up rules during hearings, prompting her to challenge the constitutionality of the hearings before the Supreme Court. “Ginagawan nila ng rules as they go along. Wala silang pagrespeto sa Constitution na dapat sum...

Jamayka Rhose Pascual House Speaker Martin Romualdez has urged vice president Sara Duterte over the controversial use of confidential funds under her leadership, raising the possibility of impeachment. In a chance interview, Romualdez made the call for Duterte to personally explain the disbursement of these funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and during her time as the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary. “Dapat lang siyang sumipot at mag-oath, mag-salita at mag-eksplika dahil lahat ng mga opisyales niya… siya lang yata may alam kung anong nangyari diyan sa mga pondo eh. Kaya dapat siya ang mag-paliwanag,” Romualdez stated. Duterte then showed up on the first day of the House panel inquiry but did nit take an oath. Several OVP and DepEd officials have been cited in contempt and face arrest for failing to attend the said hearing and the previous hearings. The House inquiry uncovered irregularities in the liquidation of the funds, including incorrect dates, unreadable, ...

Metanoia: Sugar 'N Spice — the spiciest college party with the sweetest treats, brought to you by the UPLB Jocks! Metanoia is an open-for-all college party that highlights local talent, DJs, and businesses. It also serves as a fundraiser for the annual February Fair program of the UPLB Jocks, Rock United, which has long been a platform for both emerging and established talents such as Ena Mori, Clara Benin, Any Name’s Okay, and Ben & Ben.  This year, Metanoia: Sugar ‘N Spice will be a fundraiser for both Rock United and Likhaan Center for Women’s Health Inc., a non-government, non-profit organization that promotes reproductive rights and health in the Philippines. With this goal, Metanoia: Sugar ‘N Spice aims to promote reproductive health with fun, friends, and facts. Sponsored by some of the biggest brands in the Philippines like Midoko, San Miguel Flavored Beer, Smirnoff Mule, and The Bar Gin, Metanoia: Sugar ‘N Spice is the ultimate benefit party to offer young adults a sw...

# CartoonOnPoint by Jascyl Jee Hugo Sayson.

Danniell Domingo In response to the onslaught caused by Super Typhoon Pepito in much of Luzon and parts of the Visayas, the Department of Education (DepEd) has implemented strict measures to ensure the safety, protection, and continuity of learning in affected schools. Photo Courtesy of Manila Standard/Philippine News Agency. In a memorandum issued on Nov. 18, school officials were directed to report any displaced DepEd personnel and students or casualties through coordinating with their local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO). They were also instructed to disseminate safety protocols, including hotlines and activating the medical team to address any medical needs of students and personnel. School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) teams were required to submit the Rapid Assessment of Damages Report (RADaR) within 72 hours, using either the RADaR application or the offline template. To ensure learning continuity, school officials were ordered to implement...