Day: October 11, 2024

Cotabato: Anti-narcotics agents intercepted a village councilor in Jolo, Sulu during a drug bust on Thursday, seizing PHP20 million worth of shabu. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Gil Cesario Castro of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said 46-year-old ‘Yusop’ of Barangay Lakit, Panamao, Sulu was caught in Barangay Tulay after selling drugs to a poseur buyer. An accomplice fled after realizing they were dealing with undercover agents. Authorities recovered three vacuum-sealed packages of shabu weighing around three kilograms, along with the buy-bust money, mobile phones and a motorcycle. Yusop, a high-value target, remained in custody awaiting charges

Manila: PAL (Philippine Airlines) Express will launch daily flights between Manila and Cauayan, Isabela beginning Jan. 15, 2025, shortening travel time to and from northern Luzon to an hour compared to 10 hours by land. “Philippine Airlines looks forward to serving the people of Isabela province with our daily flights as our latest investment in building connectivity between key cities in Luzon for the benefit of local tourism and economic growth,” PAL Express president Rabbi Vincent Ang said in a statement on Friday. PAL will utilize an 86-seater De Havilland Dash 8-400 Next Generation aircraft for the Manila-Cauayan flights. The

Manila: The Philippine Army (PA) on Friday said it would not condone wrongdoings of its personnel following a shooting spree that day before. A soldier shot dead three people inside the 5th Infantry Division headquarters at Camp Melchor Dela Cruz, Upi, Gamu, Isabela on Thursday afternoon. Initial police investigation identified the arrested suspect as Sgt. Mark Angelo Ajel, assigned to the 503rd Infantry Brigade based in Tabuk City, Kalinga. The victims were the suspect’s wife, Erlinda, and mother-in-in-law, Lolita Ramos, and van driver Rolando Amaba. The suspect was immediately arrested while the victims were taken to a hospital. Amaba died

Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday called on Canada to work closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) toward the swift conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement, saying the deal would open economic opportunities for both sides. “We recognize the importance of connecting and integrating our economies and we believe that the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement currently being negotiated would present opportunities for both sides,’ President Marcos said during the ASEAN-Canada Special Summit on Enhancing ASEAN Connectivity and Resilience in Lao PDR. ‘We thus urge Canada to continue to work with us. I am

Legazpi: A total of 3,605 individuals from Legazpi City and Ligao City, both in Albay province, received financial assistance on Friday through the Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Bicol (DSWD-5). Leslie Benbing, DSWD-5 crisis intervention section information officer, said a total of PHP16.8 million was distributed to the beneficiaries from the informal sector. “Each beneficiary in the ongoing payout in Legazpi City will receive PHP5,000, while in Ligao City, they will receive PHP3,000 that can help in their livelihood,” Benbing said in an interview. The beneficiaries are fishers, market vendors, construction

Manila: Philippine authorities nabbed a Chinese national tagged as the ‘godfather’ of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), in Laguna province Thursday night. In a television interview Friday, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director, Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, said the suspect, Lyu Dong, was arrested by joint PAOCC and Bureau of Immigration personnel inside a subdivision in Biñan City at about 8 p.m. The suspect has a string of aliases, among them Boss Boga, Xiaolong, A Pao, and Hao Hao, which means boss of all bosses. Cruz said the foreigner was placed under intense surveillance before he was apprehended in a gathering