Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana on Wednesday said 16 out of the 50 military troops who perished in the July 4 crash of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) C-130H “Hercules” cargo plane in Patikul, Sulu have been identified. In an interview with GMA’s morning show “Unang Hirit”, Sobejana said these include the two PAF personnel whose remains were transported to Clark Air Base in Pampanga Tuesday afternoon. “Sixteen na po yung nakilala out of the number of passengers who perished dun sa naturang crash, at yung dalawa po kahapon in-airlift na sa Clark lulan ng

To conduct a thorough inspection of farm, fishery, and meat products, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) have agreed to establish a border control facility at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales. The DA on Wednesday bared that this development has been agreed “in principle” by both parties. However, the SBMA Board is yet to release its approval. The facility, which the DA declared to be identified as Cold Examination Facility in Agriculture (CEFA), will be the first of the five structures planned to be put up nationwide. The DA proposes to use

The Filipino community in the United States should remain vigilant amid activities of some organizations a group claimed were allegedly fronting for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the terrorist New People’s Army (NPA). During a protest in front of the Philippine Consulate General in New York last July 5, a newly formed group called the Filipino-Americans Against Crime and Terrorism (FACT) raised concerns about what it said was the “expanding CPP-NPA presence in the US”. “We are here this afternoon to voice our concern over the growing presence of the CPP-NPA in the US

Police authorities here have intensified their monitoring against the presence of loose firearms and even private armed groups (PAGs). Col. Gilberto Tuzon, city police director, said on Wednesday the move is part of their continuing preparations for next year’s national and local elections, and efforts to prevent the occurrence of more gun-related crimes. He directed the city’s eight police stations and their support units to monitor and identify individuals in local communities who own unlicensed or illegal firearms. “This is to prevent violence and ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections here in 2022,” Tuzon told reporters. In terms of

Three fisherfolk organizations in the town of Cantilan in Surigao del Sur recently received around PHP1.9 million worth of livelihood projects in the form of fishing gear and equipment from the government. In a statement on Wednesday, the local government unit (LGU) of Cantilan said the distribution on Tuesday was led by Mayor Carla Lopez-Pichay, top officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Surigao del Sur, and the Civil Society Development Office (CSDO) of Cantilan. The three organizations include the Kasama Kita Association (KKA), the Ayoke Conservation Enterprise (ACE), and the Sitio Cabiton-onan Fisherfolk Association (SCAFA). “A

Haiti President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his residence while the first lady was injured, the country’s interim prime minister said on Wednesday. According to a statement by Claude Joseph, a group of unidentified people, including those speaking Spanish, attacked the private residence of the president and fatally injured him. First lady Martine Moise was also injured in the incident that occurred around 1 a.m. local time (0500GMT), and later taken to a hospital for treatment. Joseph condemned the “heinous, inhumane and barbaric” attack, and urged all citizens to remain calm as security forces in the country are controlling the