Day: October 23, 2024

COTABATO CITY – Torrential rains brought by Tropical Storm Kristine over the past two days have affected 50,000 families, or roughly 250,000 individuals, in Maguindanao del Sur, an official said Wednesday. Ameer Jehad Ambolodto, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said heavy rains have flooded 120 barangays across 13 municipalities in the province. ‘The water level continues to rise in some areas despite improved weather, as floodwaters from upstream flow into the Liguasan Marsh, where the affected towns are located,’ Ambolodto said in the vernacular. Maguindanao del Sur Governor Mariam Mangudadatu, who also chairs the

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Some 227 families from Bangar town in La Union who evacuated on Tuesday ahead of the onslaught of Tropical Storm Kristine have received food and non-food assistance. The La Union Provincial Information Office told the Philippine News Agency Wednesday that the food items included six kilos of rice, eight pieces of canned goods, and six pieces of instant coffee while non-food items included toothbrushes, soap, laundry powder, shampoo, and towels. The evacuees are staying at the municipal covered court and the municipal evacuation center. The province is under red alert status since Tuesday due to Kristine. Provincial

Manila: Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma has confirmed the existence of the Davao Death Squad (DDS). In a supplemental affidavit submitted to the House Quad Committee (Quadcom) investigating extrajudicial killings (EJKs) linked to the anti-drug campaign, Garma revealed that the covert operations of the DDS were “common knowledge” among police officers in Davao City, former president Rodrigo Duterte’s stronghold. ‘I became aware of the so-called ‘Davao Death Squad’ through various sources during my assignment in Davao,’ Garma said. ‘It was common knowledge among officers that almost all station commanders had special teams for specific operations.”

Manila: The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is exhausting all efforts to expedite the release of compensation for Marawi siege victims, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Wednesday. During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Pangandaman admitted that the distribution of the compensation is ‘a bit slow’ because of the high number of claimants. ‘Napakarami po ng claimants. Napakadami. Hindi po madali (There are so many claimants. They are many. It’s not easy),’ Pangandaman said. ‘We’re still finalizing the total amount of compensation na kinakailangan nating mabayaran (that we need to give). That’s important,’ she added. She said the government has

BATANGAS – The province of Batangas remained under blue alert on Wednesday even as residents have been pre-emptively evacuated due to Tropical Storm Kristine. The blue alert status is raised when the rainfall is between 15 to 30 millimeters in an hour and expected to continue in the next two hours, and if there is threatened flooding. Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Amor Banuelos-Calayan told the Philippine News Agency that they are “continuously monitoring all flood and landslide-prone areas, including stranded passengers in the pier.” In the brief situation report, she shared that 159 passengers were