Day: August 5, 2024

COTABATO CITY: Police formed a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to fast-track the investigation on the ambush slaying of Vice Mayor Roldan Benito of South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur. Col. Roel Sermese, Maguindanao del Sur police director, said he heads the SITG-Benito, which has members from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Scene of the Crime Operatives, PNP Forensic Unit, and South Upi municipal police office. ‘We already have persons of interest in this case, and we are running after them,’ Sermese said during a phone interview Monday. Earlier, Interior Sec. Benhur Abalos ordered the police to work with the

LEGAZPI CITY: The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO5) reported on Monday the seizure of PHP8.8 million worth of illegal drugs and the arrest of 134 drug personalities in the six provinces of the region in July this year. In a report, Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, PRO5 spokesperson, said the illegal drugs consisted of 85.43 grams of marijuana and 1.3 kilograms (kg) of shabu from 133 drug operations. Among all the provinces and independent component cities, Camarines Sur recorded the highest amount of seized drugs at nearly PHP3.8 million; followed by Camarines Norte; PHP2 million; and Masbate, PHP958,800. Calubaquib said

DAVAO CITY: At least 4,910 calamity-affected farmers in Davao del Norte received PHP10 million worth of fertilizer support over the weekend, the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-11) said Monday. In a statement, DA-11 Director Macario Gonzaga said the agency distributed 2,977 bags of complete fertilizers, 2,977 bags of Urea, and 1,924 bags of Muriate of Potash to farmer-beneficiaries affected by calamities. “It is our commitment to always support our farmers who are our partners in ensuring food availability, accessibility and affordability, especially in times of calamity,” Gonzaga said. He said the province will receive more pooling resources from

MANILA: The Philippine economy likely grew at a faster pace in the second quarter of the year, Moody’s Analytics said on Monday. In its Economic Review for Asia Pacific, Moody’s Analytics projected the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to have grown by 6.3 percent, higher than the 5.7 percent economic growth in the first quarter of the year. In the second quarter of 2023, the Philippine economy grew by the 4.3 percent. According to Moody’s, the higher GDP growth during the period was due to base effects, and the growth in exports, and government spending. “In the Philippines, we expect

MANILA: After bagging two gold medals at the Paris Olympics, listed company Megaworld Corp. has pledged a PHP35-million reward to Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo. Megaworld, in a post in its official Facebook page, announced it will give away a fully furnished three-bedroom condominium in McKinley Hill in Taguig City. Yulo, who became the first Filipino to win two gold medals at the Olympics after emerging on top of the artistic gymnastic’s Men’s Vault Final on Sunday, will also receive PHP3 million in cash from the firm. On Saturday, he also ruled the men’s floor exercises, the Philippines’ first Olympic gold