Philippines Morning News For September 25, 2019

House body eases foreign retailer rules
THE HOUSE of Representatives Committee on Trade and Industry on Tuesday approved the bill that makes it easier for foreigners to break into the country’s retail space.
— BusinessWorld

Murders of land activists spike under Philippines’ Duterte: Watchdog
Murders of environmental activists and land defenders in the Philippines have risen sharply under President Rodrigo Duterte, an international rights watchdog said Tuesday (Sep 24), alleging his speeches and policies have emboldened the killers.
— CNA

Malacañang warns against irregular fund allotments
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte will veto any funds in the proposed P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget that will be proven to have been allocated in an irregular manner, Malacañang said on Tuesday, adding that the President will “scrutinize” the budget as soon as it reaches his table.
— BusinessWorld

Immunization program understaffed, logistically challenged – DOH
The government’s program to vaccinate every child even in far-flung areas is facing manpower and logistical issues, a Department of Health (DOH) official told a Senate panel on Tuesday, September 24.
— Rappler

Residents urge mayor to block coal plant in Palawan town
PALAWAN, Philippines – Residents of Narra, Palawan are pinning their hopes on their newly-elected mayor to help them block the construction of the 15-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the municipality.
— Rappler

New BuCor chief Bantag to ban cellphones at Bilibid, aims for change in 3 months
Newly appointed Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag on Tuesday said he would ban cellphones in the New Bilibid Prison, even among BuCor employees, in his goal to improve the institution in three months.
— GMA Network

86% of Pinoys rate present life positively in Q4 2018 –SWS
A total of 86 percent of adult Filipinos rated their present life positively in the fourth quarter of the 2018 Social Weather Survey, a slight drop from 87 percent in December 2017, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
— GMA Network

More Chinese, Asean tourists targeted
The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) continues to strengthen its promotions in the Chinese and ASEAN markets as it recently participated in a regional trade expo.
Read more at https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/09/25/1954620/more-chinese-asean-tourists-targeted#drGRpr9ULe8CV9ka.99
— The Philippine Star

PH gov’t eyes A credit rating over the next 2 years
Philippine officials aim to elevate the country’s investment grade credit rating to A level over the next two years given the sustained robust domestic growth and proven resiliency.
— Philippine News Agency

PAO budget for forensic unit in jeopardy as creation questioned
SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has questioned the Public Attorney’s Office’s (PAO) proposal to create its own forensic unit, calling it a mere duplication of the forensic works of government …
— Manila Times

Intelligence Suggests Imminent Launch Of China’s New Amphibious Assault Carrier
While recent events have focused military thinking on the Persian Gulf, a small corner of the defense community have been looking in an entirely different direction: towards China. The country’s first amphibious assault carrier, a 35,000-ton behemoth, is about to be launched from an innocuous-looking shipyard in Shanghai.
— Spratly Islands

DOH fight on polio will help DENR with Manila Bay
THE Department of Health (DOH) has called for the construction of at least 3.5 million toilets in the country, as part of a solution to the problem of polio, which has returned to the Philippines after almost two decades that the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
— Tempo

Accountant embezzled nearly S$4 million from company, remitting most home to the Philippines
An accountant with access to his company’s cheque books and bank accounts embezzled almost S$4 million from the firm over about four years, remitting most of the money back home to the Philippines.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Source says confined PMA cadet vomiting blood
An anonymous source revealed to GMA News that one of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) 4th Class cadets confined at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Medical Center in V. Luna, Quezon City has been vomiting blood.
— GMA Network

Manila Water says 24-hour supply availability restored 100%
MANILA, Philippines – East Zone concessionaire Manila Water announced it has fully restored 24-hour water availability, even though its allocation from the Angat Dam is still below normal.
— Rappler

Riau declares haze emergency as API exceeds 500
Indonesia’s Riau province has declared a haze emergency as the Air Pollutant Index (API) in the region exceeded the 500 mark.
— CNA

Maria Ressa joins Reuters Institute’s advisory board
Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa bone of the 8 new members of the Reuters Institute’s advisory board.
— Rappler

UPDATE: 2 top PMA officials resign over ‘maltreatment’ of cadets
LT. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista, the superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), resigned on Tuesday over allegations of “maltreatment” on some cadets, including the death of one from hazing
— Manila Times

WATCH: Belmonte leads demolition of QC police precinct
To prove that no one is above the law, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte led the demolition of a police community precinct that encroached on a public road in Balintawak.
— Rappler

PMA alumni, now ranking gov’t execs, share tales on hazing
A weapon that shaped them into the warriors they are today.
— GMA Network

PNP to respect Senate decision on identifying ‘ninja cops’
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will respect the decision of the Senate if it decides to publicize the names of the policemen tagged as “ninja cops.”
— GMA Network

Drug queen who buys ‘recycled drugs’ from ninja cops named
The drug queen, who buys seized illegal drugs from corrupt police officers who bring them back to the market, has been identified.
— GMA Network

900 kilos of dead milkfish seized in Dagupan
Authorities confiscated on Tuesday 900 kilograms of dead milkfish (bangus) due to oxygen depletion, or locally known as “tangok”, at Sitio Calamiong Barangay Bonuan Gueset.
— Philippine News Agency

Dumaguete to go after thousands of unregistered motorcycles
The provincial team of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) here believes that thousands of motorcycles in Dumaguete City and other parts of Negros Oriental are “unregistered”.
— Philippine News Agency

‘Pusher’ caught with P3.4-M shabu in Naga City
Anti-narcotics operatives on Tuesday afternoon seized PHP3.4 million worth of suspected shabu from a high-value target in a buy-bust operation in Naga City, a ranking official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Bicol said.
— Philippine News Agency

Another PMA cadet rushed to hospital
Another cadet of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) was rushed to the hospital on Monday, Armed Forces spokesman Marine Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo confirmed on Tuesday.
— GMA Network

New AFP chief: Military to remain non-partisan, defender of human rights
“Under my watch, the AFP remains professional, non-partisan, a staunch defender and advocate of human rights.
— GMA Network

PMA identifies cadets allegedly behind Dormitorio’s death due to hazing
The Philippine Military Academy on Tuesday, Sept. 24, revealed the identities of those allegedly behind the death of Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio due to hazing.
— Eagle News

2019 ASEAN Festival in Kenya spearheaded by Philippine Embassy
The ASEAN-Nairobi Committee, under the chairmanship of the Philippines, successfully celebrated the fourth ASEAN Festival in Village Market on September 8, 2019. Attending the festival were members of the diplomatic corps, Kenyans and expatriates alike.
— Balik Bayan

President Duterte orders “thorough” probe into collapse of portion of budget hotel in Manila
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a “thorough” probe into Monday’s collapse of a portion of a budget hotel in Manila that led to at least two killed.
— Eagle News

Barangay captain, 5 policemen survive ambush in Oriental Mindoro
A barangay captain and five policemen in Oriental Mindoro cheated death following an ambush on Tuesday morning.
— Manila Times

Maynilad to cut off water supply for 11 days in 5 cities
MANILA, Philippines – West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services will be cutting off supply in 5 cities during certain hours from September 27 to October 7, as it implements the 2nd phase of its Putatan treatment plant expansion.
— Rappler

House panel wants to postpone barangay, SK elections to May 2023
The House of Representatives want the government to postpone the 2020 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) to May 2023.
— Rappler

Gab Valenciano addresses death hoax video
Gab Valenciano has spoken up about a video that implied he had died, saying that he is choosing to “focus on the bigger picture” and that he will pray for those posting fake news about him.
— Rappler

Feature photo Philippine Information Agency/ DOH

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on the return of polio to the Philippines

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Philippines morning news for September 25 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on September 25, 2019
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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

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.