Day: September 17, 2025

Cotabato city: To speed up the resolution of an ambush that left three people dead and two injured, Mayor Bruce Matabalao has offered a reward for information that would identify the assailants. Police said they have already identified persons of interest behind the ambush of Barangay Poblacion 5 chairperson Pahima Pasawiran-Pusaka on Tuesday morning along Jose Lim Sr. Street. The attack left her husband, Michael Pusaka, dead. According to Philippines News Agency, also killed in the ambush were tricycle driver Khoemeni Kusain, who was hit by stray bullets, and her husband. Pasawiran-Pusaka and her two minor children were injured. The

Aurora: A search and rescue operation is underway for the fishing vessel FBCA Denise Dee, which has been reported missing with 22 crew members on board since early Wednesday morning. The vessel was last in contact with its owner, Sherwin Belgar, in the early hours of September 17, as reported by the Philippine Coast Guard Station (PCGS) in Dilasag, Aurora. The PCGS received a report about the missing boat at 12:08 p.m. from Marivic Avilla, the wife of one of the crew members. According to Philippines News Agency, the FBCA Denise Dee began a fishing trip around 10 a.m. on

Manila: Police in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, have launched a manhunt for two men believed to be behind the killing of an engineer from the Bangsamoro region’s social services office on Tuesday night. Engr. Romeo ‘Ryan’ Livelo, an employee of the Ministry of Social Services and Development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MSSD-BARMM), was killed on the spot, according to the Bangsamoro police. According to Philippines News Agency, Lt. Col. Jopy Ventura, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), stated that the victim was driving his motorcycle on his way home to Upi,

Manila: Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Wednesday resigned as House Speaker, stating his decision was made to allow full accountability and transparency amid controversies surrounding infrastructure projects. ‘Today, with a full heart and a clear conscience, I tender my resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives. I do this so that the Independent Commission on Infrastructure may pursue its mandate freely and fully – without doubt, without interference, and without undue influence,’ Romualdez declared in his speech before the plenary. According to Philippines News Agency, Romualdez emphasized his commitment to ensuring the House of Representatives remained

Manila: The cost of ancillary service (AS) drove the rise of transmission rates in August 2025, which increased by 7.09 percent to PHP1.4171 per kilowatt hour (kWh), the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, NGCP reported that the average transmission rate in July was PHP1.3233/kWh. The rise in AS rates contributed significantly, with an increase of PHP0.0787/kWh last August from the previous month’s PHP0.6659/kWh. The NGCP explained that ‘AS rates are pass-through costs for power supplied by AS providers during supply-demand imbalance.’ The charges, as NGCP noted, are directly remitted to generating