DOJ: Impeachment case filers vs Duterte can’t be arrested
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Tuesday, July 2, that individuals who file an impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte will not be arrested because the act of filing a complaint is not a crime.
— Rappler
DBM delays 2020 budget submission
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will not submit to Congress the government’s proposed 2020 national budget a day after the President’s state of the nation address (SONA) but will do so later this month or before August 14.
— Manila Bulletin
Suicide attacks emerge in Philippines under Islamic State influence
A number of apparent suicide bombings in the Philippines over the past 12 months are a worrying escalation of militancy driven by the influence of Islamic State in Southeast Asia, security experts say.
— CNA
5.9 magnitude quake hits Bohol; depth recorded at 551 kilometers
A magnitude 5.9 quake shook Bohol early Tuesday, July 2, at about 1 a.m., according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
— Eagle News
PhilHealth chief: No sacred cows in probe
Newly appointed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales yesterday gave assurance that no one will be spared in the ongoing investigations of anomalies in the agency.
— The Philippine Star
Philippines bans pig imports from Laos due to swine fever: WTO
GENEVA: The Philippines has banned imports of pigs and pig products from Laos due to an African swine fever outbreak, it said in a filing published by the World Trade Organization on Tuesday.
— Bangkok Post
Teachers’ call on the 18th Congress to make pay hike for public school teachers a priority
A federation of teachers challenged the 18th Congress to make salary increase for public school teachers and education workers an utmost priority.
— Manila Bulletin
Duterte vows to complete P139-B Air Force modernization by 2022
PRESIDENT Duterte vowed on Tuesday to complete the P139-billion modernization program of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) by 2022.
— Business Mirror
P25-B action plan underway to sustain Boracay gains
Malacanang’s approval of the PHP25-billion Boracay Action Plan (BAP) signifies the Duterte administration’s commitment to sustain the gains from the island’s initial six-month closure, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said on Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency
Solon eyes probe on rising cost of medicines
Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Michael Defensor on Tuesday said he will call for a probe on the pricing of medicines in the Philippines, following reports that the country’s expected medical inflation this year of 13.7 percent was more than double the full-year average inflation of 5.2 percent in 2018.
— Philippine News Agency
Duterte asserts PH rights on key maritime territories
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday asserted the Philippines’ rights to some of the country’s key maritime territories amid fresh criticisms of his supposed kowtowing to China’s expansive claim in the West Philippine Sea.
— Inquirer.net
Are Philippines’s traditional conglomerates finally embracing corporate investing?
What is stopping the big conglomerates in Philippines from getting their skin into the startup game? Southeast Asia has long been dubbed the next hub for startups in Asia Pacific with its big-name unicorns going more rapidly global–like Grab and Go-Jek.
— e27
SC justices in a bind over petition to protect West Philippine Sea
Justices of the Supreme Court are in a bind over a petition asking them to compel the government to protect the West Philippine Sea. One justice even said they may be “asking for the impossible.”
— Inquirer.net
Supreme Court junks P3-B suit filed by Kapa ‘donor’
The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by a donor of the beleaguered Kapa Community Ministry International, Inc. which sought P3 billion in damages and the impeachment of President Rodrigo Duterte.
— GMA News
Duterte reiterates WPS, Malampaya ‘ours’
Speaking at the 72nd-anniversary celebration of the Philippine Air Force, President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday reiterated that the West Philippine Sea and the Malampaya natural gas reservoir belonged to Filipinos.
— GMA News
1,993 barangays in Region 1 now drug-cleared: PDEA
The Regional Oversight Committee has declared some 1,993 out of 2,906 barangays in Region 1 (Ilocos) as drug-cleared as of June 2019, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional office.
— Philippine News Agency
Duterte’s stance on EEZ: Filipinos’ lives more important than property
President Rodrigo Duterte did not violate the Constitution when he allowed China to fish in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) because he was only doing his “prime duty” to protect the lives of Filipinos, his spokesperson said Tuesday.
— CNN Philippines
DPWH offers 10 big infra projects to private investors
The Public Works Department is offering 10 major infrastructure projects to private investors under the public-private partnership program.
— Manilastandard.net
KAPA members still accepting ‘donations’ to face arrest, DOJ says
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra warned members of a group involved in an alleged scam that they will be arrested if they continue recruiting and accepting investments from the public.
— CNN Philippines
DOF sets guidelines for imposing local taxes, fees on professionals
The Department of Finance (DOF) has set its guidelines that aim to harmonize the taxes, fees and other charges being collected by the local government units (LGUs) on professionals.
— Manila Bulletin
Duterte suggests multi term-sharing for speaker’s seat
DAVAO CITY 1st District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte has expressed his interest for the House speakership under a term-sharing arrangement involving several congressmen.
— BusinessWorld Online
Did Duterte’s detente with Beijing sink with a Philippine fishing boat in the South China Sea?
The sinking of a Filipino fishing boat by a Chinese vessel has dealt a heavy blow to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s shift towards Beijing and highlighted the risks to the region from China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, according to analysts.
— South China Morning Post
Duterte to courts: Stop issuing injunctions, mandamus on criminal cases
President Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to courts to stop issuing injunctions for criminal cases.
— Inquirer.net
DBM set to release P59-M budget for BTA
THE DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) is set to release P59 million for the salary of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) members of the newly-established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
— BusinessWorld Online
Supreme Court justice defends gov’t efforts in West Philippine Sea
A justice of the Supreme Court on Tuesday defended the government’s efforts in enforcing laws over the West Philippine Sea, saying presidential prerogative prevails in the management of the country.
— GMA News
Bong Go files bill imposing the death penalty for drugs, plunder
Neophyte Senator Christopher Bong Go on Tuesday filed a bill seeking the reimposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes involving dangerous drugs, as well as for plunder.
— GMA News
COA flags Customs for 6,985 overstaying containers
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for allowing some 6,985 containers filled with rice, refined sugar and donated goods overstay in its ports.
— Inquirer.net
PEZA to commission independent study on impact of eco-zone incentives
THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it will commission an independent study to establish which of its fiscal incentives the are effective in driving economic growth, to establish the case for retaining the perks when the legislation comes before Congress.
— BusinessWorld Online
Business leaders warn vs 14th-month pay
REQUIRING the private sector to pay its workers 14th-month pay will cause inflation to spike and the Philippines to lose its competitiveness against Southeast Asian peers, employers warned on Tuesday.
— Business Mirror
The US-Philippine alliance is moving beyond ‘ironclad’
At the start of 2019, it looked like the US–Philippines alliance was heading for crisis. Delfin Lorenzana, the normally pro-American Philippine Secretary of National Defense, began calling for a review of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and its application in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
— Spratly Islands
Duterte on coup d’etat: Not during my term, please
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday asked the state security forces not to stage a coup d’etat against the government during his term. I know that the Armed Forces and the Police will have to decide one day somehow.
— GMA News
Customs declaration of properties way off the mark by P9.63B, say state auditors
The Commission on Audit (COA) said the Bureau of Customs (BOC) only had P208.06 million in properties and equipment as of December 31, 2018 – way off the recorded Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE) account that amounted to P9.89 billion.
— Rappler
New Cebu governor orders halt to all quarrying, provincial engineer’s projects, and P1.3B capitol building
ON THE FIRST day of her return to the Capitol on Monday, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia issued directives stopping all quarrying activities, projects under the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO), and the P1.3 billion Capitol Resource Center project.
— BusinessWorld Online
Lapid seeks to punish individuals behind fraudulent investment schemes
A bill seeking to widen the scope of economic sabotage by punishing not only syndicates but individuals who carry out fraudulent investment schemes has been filed by returning Senator Lito Lapid.
— GMA News
Carpio inhibits from Kalikasan writ plea for parts of West Philippine Sea
Carpio inhibits from Kalikasan writ plea for parts of West Philippine Sea Kristine Joy Patag (Philstar.com) – July 2, 2019 – 12:46pm MANILA, Philippines — Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will stay out of deliberations on the pending plea for a Writ of Kalikasan over areas in the West Philippine …
— Spratly Islands
Banana sector needs P3.65B to hike output
THE Philippines must spend at least P3.65 billion over the next three years to improve the competitiveness of the banana industry and maintain its stature as the world’s second-top producer of the tropical fruit, according to an industry road map.
— Business Mirror
DOE mulls extension of FIT allocation for hydro
The Department of Energy (DOE) is looking to extend anew the deadline for the feed-in-tariff (FIT) allocation for run-of-river hydro due to slow take up for the technology.
— The Philippine Star
May producer price index hits 2.7%
The Producer Price Index (PPI) for the manufacturing sector eased to 2.7 percent in May from 3.6 percent in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
— The Manila Times
Govt unveils largest antenna for tracking satellites in Davao
The country’s largest antenna tracking Earth observation satellites, which will boost the capacity of the antenna setup in Quezon City and receive space-borne information vital to the Philippines, is now operating here.
— Business Mirror
Cost of AML compliance rises after Bangladesh Bank heist
FINANCIAL institutions in the country reportedly spend millions of dollars to comply with local anti-money laundering regulations.
— Business Mirror
Visa-free entry for Filipinos to Taiwan extended
Taiwan has extended its visa-free entry for Filipinos for another year from August 1, 2019, through July 31, 2020.
— Manila Bulletin
GSIS chief resigns
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President and General Manager Jesus Clint Aranas resigned from his post on Tuesday.
— The Manila Times
Filipino scientists call for exclusive access to West Philippine Sea
A group of Filipino scientists is calling on all concerned parties to stop all activities that would further harm marine resources in the West Philippine Sea.
— Spratly Islands
Paolo Duterte threatens to join House speakership race
President Rodrigo Duterte’s son, Davao City Rep. Paolo “Polong” Duterte, announced on Tuesday a tentative plan to vie for the speakership of the House of Representatives, throwing a wrench on what had been shaping up to be a three-cornered fight.
— Inquirer.net
Manila flexible workspaces to grow by 10% yearly – Colliers
Flexible workspaces in Manila are seen to annually grow by 10% in the next 3 years as operators look to expand their footprint, according to Colliers International Philippines’ Flexible Workspaces Outlook on Tuesday, July 2.
— Rappler
DTI confiscates P2.1-M uncertified products in Bicol
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional office here has confiscated PHP2.1-million worth of uncertified products after monitoring violations of safety and quality policies throughout the region for the period of May-June.
— Philippine News Agency
Malacañang supports SOJ on rights of impeachment proponents
Malacañang expressed support for Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra saying impeachment proponents cannot be arrested.
— UNTV News
PH companies remain most bullish in Asean—Grant Thornton survey
Economic optimism in the Philippine mid-market remains the highest among 35 economies surveyed despite a slight dip in the past 12 months, according to the annual International Business Report of business advisory firm Grant Thornton.
— Manilastandard.net
PH electronics can lure investors spooked by trade war: analyst
The Philippines can leverage its strength in electronics manufacturing to lure investors seeking alternative sites as the US-China trade war raged, an analyst said Tuesday.
— ABS-CBN News
PNP to revise guidelines in accounting for wanted persons after falling short of arrest goals
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be revising its guidelines in accounting wanted persons after the Commission on Audit (COA) stated that it fell short in arresting fugitives last year.
— Manila Bulletin
Labor strike looms at Silliman University
A labor strike looms at a premier learning institution here after the Silliman University Faculty Association (SUFA) and the school administration met a deadlock on certain propositions with regard to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
— Philippine News Agency
Justice Reyes: Instead of West PH Sea, spend on Pasig river
For Supreme Court Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr, there are “other important things” to spend the country’s resources on than to fiercely protect maritime and environmental rights in the West Philippine Sea.
— Rappler
CAPDev helps free Bukidnon village from NPA grip
The Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) has hailed the Convergence Areas for Peace and Development (CAPDev) implemented in the village of Iba in this town as a model of transformation.
— Philippine News Agency
Local gov’t support vital to maintaining barangay health volunteers, says nutrition official
SUPPORT FROM local government units (LGUs) is crucial to the performance of barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars (BNS), according to an official of the regional office of the National Nutrition Council (NNC).
— BusinessWorld Online
Duterte hopes successor will sustain AFP modernization
President Rodrigo Duterte is hoping that his successor will maintain the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and take care of the needs of the uniformed personnel.
— Inquirer.net
Gov’t connects with Kapampangans in 1st ‘Dagyaw 2019’
The first regional town hall meeting, dubbed as “Dagyaw 2019” was conducted here on Tuesday as part of the Duterte administration’s continuing efforts to bring government services closer to the people.
— Philippine News Agency
Camiguin launches dive fest, seeks help from divers to keep reefs pristine
In an effort to attract more tourists into this island province, the provincial government launched on Sunday, June 23 its first annual dive festival that will last until August 31, 2019.
— Rappler
Feature photo GreenPeace
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on plastic waste throughout Asean.
Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).
Philippines morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Philippines news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.
Philippines morning news for July 3 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on
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Stella-maris Ewudolu
Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.
She joined AEC News Today in December 2016.
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