MANILA – The European Union (EU) on Thursday scored the Russian ambassador to Manila over what it described as “sad and blatant untruths” about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian Ambassador to Manila Marat Pavlov, in an opinion piece published in the Philippine Star on March 17, claimed as fake most of the news about the Ukraine-Russia war appearing on the Western and Philippine media. “Sad and blatant untruths in Russian ambassador op-ed at (the Philippine Star) today! Plain truth is that Russia has invaded Ukraine and attacked its population,” EU Ambassador Luc Veron said in a tweet. “Russia disregards sovereignty

MANILA – ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Rowena Niña Taduran recently filed a resolution seeking a congressional investigation into the reported modus operandi of Pangasinan-based newsman Jaime Aquino which involved the filing of fake criminal complaints that has victimized several people including government officials. In House Resolution No. 2521, Taduran called on “the appropriate committee to investigate aid of legislation on the practice of filing false criminal complaints” pursuant to the letter dated March 7 from Undersecretary Jose Joel M. Sy Egco, Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS)” who exposed the criminal activities of Mr. Aquino. As

ANKARA – Ukraine’s president reiterated late Wednesday the importance of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity amid ongoing peace talks with Russia. “My priorities in the negotiations are absolutely clear: the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message released by Ukraine’s Presidency. Zelenskyy also called on Russian soldiers to lay down their weapons to get a chance to survive. “Lay down your weapons. It’s better than dying on the battlefield, on our land,” he said. Underlining that Russia continues to

MANILA – The Philippines has taken “positive steps” in protecting journalists, according to the 2021-2022 “World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Global Report” released recently by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In a statement Thursday, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), welcomed the comprehensive and impartial report as proof of the real commitment of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to safeguard press freedom in the country through the PTFoMS. Egco said the UNESCO Global Report highlighted the Philippines as among the very few

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday urged the public to watch the first Pilipinas Debates 2022 this weekend. Commissioner George Erwin Garcia said the first presidential and vice presidential debates will be held at the Sofitel Tent in Pasay City on March 19 and 20, respectively, at 7 p.m. “Join us in the debates because we have to know our candidates. We have to know our candidates. This is our contribution in at least ensuring that the voters are fully aware of who they are voting for, of their qualifications, of their positions,” he said in a

MANILA – The Philippine Army (PA) started on Wednesday its two-day Senior Leaders Conference (SLC) in its headquarters at Fort Bonifacio. The SLC, which is now on its 14th edition this year, aims to cultivate the culture of strategic thinking within the organization and introduce effective leadership principles to Army ranking officials. “Conducting the SLC annually is a testament to the premium that we put in broadening the perspective of the Army’s senior leaders. A broader perspective, together with critical thinking, foresight, thirst for knowledge, and drive to innovate will ensure the Army’s growth and responsiveness in the years to