MANILA – Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik Light and Janssen Covid-19 vaccines have been approved as second booster shots by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a health official said Tuesday. In a televised public briefing, National Vaccination Operations Center chair Myrna Cabotaje said the FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for the six brands. The center is still waiting for the review and final recommendations of the Health and Technology Assessment Council (HTAC). “Ready na ang guidelines, idadagdag lang natin ‘yung provisions ng FDA EUA saka final recommendations ng (The guidelines are ready, we’ll just add the provisions

MANILA – The proposal to rename Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) back to its original name, Manila International Airport (MIA), requires “congressional action,” Malacañang said Tuesday. This, after Duterte Youth Rep. Ducielle Cardema filed House Bill 10822, seeking to revert the airport’s name to MIA to make is “easier” for travelers to locate the country’s international gateway and give Filipinos a “sense of pride”. “There has to be a Congressional action to repeal Republic Act (RA) No. 6639 which renamed MIA to NAIA,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, also acting presidential spokesperson, said in an online Palace press briefing. Andanar issued

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A 42-year-old woman and a farmer organizer were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a group of indigenous people (IP) during a visit by presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman Tuesday in the Bukidnon town of Quezon. Major Noel Cano, chief of the Quezon Municipal Police Station (QMPS), identified the victim as Charita del Socorro of Barangay Butong, Quezon. De Guzman, in an earlier Twitter post, identified the other injured victim as Nanie Abella, a farmer organizer in Mindanao. De Guzman was with fellow party mates, senatorial candidates Roy Cabonegro and David D’ Angelo, when

MANILA – The Philippine Army has conferred the Meritorious Achievement Medal to reservist Charly Suarez for winning the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Asia super featherweight title last month. Suarez, who previously held the rank of sergeant in the Army Reserve, was also promoted one rank higher to staff sergeant. He is affiliated with the Reserve Command’s 1303rd Community Defense Center, National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group. “Imbued with outstanding self-discipline, deep sense of responsibility and dedication to duty, Staff Sgt. Suarez demonstrated exemplary commitment to the performance of his duty as a reservist and a professional boxer who not

ILOILO CITY – The report of the US State Department on human rights abuses allegedly committed by the country’s government forces is a “direct assault on their reputation, integrity and honor”. “Let it be known that your report does injustice to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Our heroes deserve respect and not the baseless accusations in your ill-prepared and poorly researched report,” said the statement of the Western Visayas Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF6-ELCAC) furnished to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday. The RTF6- ELCAC, through its spokesperson Provincial Prosecutor 2 Flosemer

LEGAZPI CITY – A New People’s Army (NPA) rebel tagged as one of the suspects in a roadside explosion last year that killed two persons, including a Far Eastern University (FEU) varsity football player, was arrested by police and military operatives in Masbate on Monday. Maj. Malu Calubaquib, Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) spokesperson, on Tuesday identified the suspect as Rolly Hermina of Masbate City. She said Hermina is a member of Larangan 1, Komite ng Probinsya 4 under the command of Eddie Rosero alias “Ka Star” operating in the second district of Masbate. Hermina was nabbed in a