The Philippine Navy, through the Naval Task Group (NTG)-Tawi-Tawi, has successfully transported 15 Filipino survivors of a maritime incident from Sabah to the southern tip of the Philippines via the province of Tawi-Tawi, officials announced Wednesday. Rear Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) commander, said in a statement that the 15 Filipinos are residents of Tawi-Tawi who were rescued Monday by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Bukit, Lawa-Lawa, Sabah. Seven of the 15 Filipinos are personnel of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) while the rest are crewmen of the vessel. Adaci said
The Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) on Wednesday reported that 63,531 face mask violators have been recorded so far in this city. In a statement, PSSCC head Angel Sumagaysay said from 62,902 violators on Dec. 31, 2021, the number increased to 63,531 as of Jan. 8, 2022. Meanwhile, he also said the number of social distancing/mass gathering violators increased from 43,957 on Dec. 31 to 44,360 on January 8. The PSSCC noted that from May 16, 2020, to Jan. 8, 2022, a total of 178,170 violators – curfew, liquor ban, social distancing, face mask, face shield, prohibition of
The Philippine Army (PA) said Tuesday night its 52nd Engineer Brigade (52EBde) is assisting local government units in northeastern Mindanao in rebuilding and reconstruction efforts in communities severely affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette. The 52EBde units have been conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts since “Odette” swept through Mindanao and Visayas in mid-December last year. “Seven construction and maintenance teams from 52EBde are currently deployed to clear debris-strewn roads and help repair typhoon-damaged homes and government buildings in Surigao del Norte, Siargao, and Dinagat Islands,” PA spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement. He added that
President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Maria Belen Acosta as chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa), Malacañang confirmed on Wednesday. Acosta, who resigned as Davao City councilor on Tuesday, will serve a term of six years. She replaces Emmanuel Piñol who resigned in October to seek a Senate seat in the May 9 polls. “The Palace confirms that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed on Jan. 6, 2022, the appointment of Maria Belen Sunga Acosta as chairperson of Mindanao Development Authority for a term of six years,” acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said in a press statement. Nograles said
North Korea on Wednesday said it has “successfully” conducted the final test-firing of its newly developed hypersonic missile, state-run media reported. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un along with other senior government officials witnessed the flight test conducted by the Academy of Defense Science on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The announcement came a day after the South Korean military said it detected Pyongyang firing a suspected ballistic missile into its eastern sea. After its release from the rocket booster, a hypersonic glide vehicle demonstrated “glide jump flight” and “corkscrew maneuvering” before hitting a target in waters
An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said they are ready to participate in proposed investigations into the supposed breach of its systems. In a virtual press briefing Wednesday, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez added that they welcome the calls for the conduct of probes on the alleged hacking incident. “We are working hard to validate these allegations because we understand how important it is. Malacañang expressed concern, it isn’t the only one. Many quarters have in fact called for investigations. Comelec welcomes these investigations. We are eager to participate in these investigations,” he added. He said they are also
