General

Leyte: Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade, assured the public that uniformed personnel will be on hand to ensure the safe conduct of the May 12 mid-term polls. In an interview with journalists here, he said that as deputized personnel of the Commission on Election (Comelec), the military has been assisting the Philippine National Police (PNP). According to Philippines News Agency, the military and police have an agreement for deployment ahead of the elections. Brig. Gen. Vestuir emphasized continued monitoring and strategic deployment plans with the PNP and Comelec. This response follows an appeal by

Manila: The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday warned residents in Negros Island near the Kanlaon Volcano against the adverse effects of ashfall on their health: The DOH has issued a public advisory to caution residents about the health risks posed by volcanic ash following the recent eruption of Kanlaon Volcano. According to Philippines News Agency, the DOH defined volcanic ash as fine and “very small” particles that could enter the lungs, posing health risks. The advisory highlighted that certain communities near the volcano have already been affected by the ashfall, as noted by DOST-Phivolcs (Department of Science and Technology-Philippine

Manila: A House leader on Tuesday cited the growing volume of politically motivated fake news as a serious concern, warning that it poses a threat to democracy as the country prepares for the May 12 midterm elections. Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, vice chair of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, said the volume of disinformation on social media has reached a “crisis” point. According to Philippines News Agency, Pimentel highlighted the alarming spread of fake news targeting candidates in the upcoming elections. He expressed concern over the widespread dissemination of false information, emphasizing that it not

Manila: The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) announced on Tuesday the need for 347 additional personnel to meet staffing requirements and ensure security during the upcoming elections. According to Philippines News Agency, Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson for NOPPO, stated that this need has arisen due to the recent transition from the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO-7) to the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR). The separation of Negros Oriental from the Central Visayas region has left PRO-7 unable to supply additional police personnel. Polinar noted that the PRO-NIR has pledged to cover the shortfall in the number of Philippine

Seoul: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday announced that South Korean authorities have initiated an investigation on the Norwegian-flagged cargo vessel M/V Lunita, which was intercepted for transporting two tons of suspected cocaine. The vessel was manned by a Filipino crew at the time of the raid. According to Philippines News Agency, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega has confirmed the presence of the Filipino crew aboard the M/V Lunita during the operation. Although the crew members are currently not detained, they remain on the vessel and are being investigated by local authorities. De Vega explained that