The anti-illegal logging campaign of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Soccsksargen (DENR-12) has resulted in the seizure of three unregistered counterfeit chainsaws here, an official said Friday. In a statement, forester Dirie Macabaning, DENR-12 enforcement division, said their team, together with the local police, confiscated the items Thursday when the dealers failed to show any permit regarding their operation. He said a concerned citizen reported to them the selling of the unregistered chainsaws. “Upon verification of the report, our team spotted the chainsaws being sold together with a grass cutter along Judge Alba Street,” Macabaning said. The

The Antique provincial government has warned returning residents (RRs) against a possible syndicate selling fake reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-Pass) at the Batangas Port. Cherrylyn Quanico, in charge of the locally-stranded individuals, said in an interview Friday she has informed the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on coronavirus disease 2019 (IATF Covid-19) of a possible syndicate behind the issuance of the fake RT-PCR and S-Pass to the RRs. “Only last December 2021 up to today, there had already been about 20 RRs who had been directed to return to their place of origin because

Some 15 candidates running for various positions in Negros Occidental have participated in the signing of a peace covenant for the May 9 national and local elections initiated by the Philippine National Police (PNP) here on Thursday. The activity, held at the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office Kapanalig Hall in Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. here, preceded the meeting of the Provincial Joint Security Control Center composed of the PNP, Philippine Army, and Commission on Elections. Col. Leo Pamittan, police provincial director, who administered the oath of the aspirants and led the signing rites, thanked the candidates for their participation.

The Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) is deploying additional forces to ensure the peaceful and orderly national and local elections on May 9 in Zamboanga Sibugay province. “Our soldiers will be deployed to ensure the safety of the people, especially during the election period. We will exhaust all our resources to preempt any terror plan of peace spoilers,” Lt. Gen. Rosario Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said in a statement Friday. Rosario met with Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. Wilter Palma when the Westmincom chief visited the province on Thursday. Brig. Gen. Leonel Nicolas, commander of the Army’s 102nd Infantry

The chairperson of the House of Representatives ways and means committee on Friday pushed for reforms that would encourage more public-private partnerships in the livestock, poultry, and dairy sector to make the agricultural industry less susceptible to budget cuts. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda made the statement following the contraction of agricultural output by 1.7 percent based on 2021 full-year gross domestic product (GDP) figures, which he said is a warning sign that the country’s agriculture sector is “still struggling to grow” even with a low output base. “We need to grow agricultural output by at least 2 percent to outpace

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced on Friday the discovery of 500 improvised bladed weapons during the demolition of old structures at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City. The clearing operations started at 5 a.m., led by BuCor chief Gerald Bantag, at the east quadrant side of the NBP Maximum Security Compound. The NBP houses about 29,000 persons deprived of liberty. “The activity commenced with the NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) helping provide area security. K9 teams from the PNP (Philippine National Police) and Philippine Coast Guard first cleared the whole east quadrant before the demolition began,”