General

Washington: The White House believes that Thursday’s discussions on resolving the crisis in Ukraine were productive and, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the international community has never been so close to achieving peace in Ukraine. “Yesterday was a productive day for the United States of America and for the world in terms of peace. We have never been this close to peace,” she said. According to Philippines News Agency, US President Donald Trump wrote on the Truth Social network on March 14 that a “very good and productive” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin took place on

Manila: The Philippine National Railways (PNR) will resume its Legazpi-Naga and vice versa train services on Sunday after an inspection train was derailed by a tanker truck collision at Paloyon Crossing in Nabua, Camarines Sur on Saturday. According to Philippines News Agency, the Legazpi-Naga (4:49 a.m.) and Naga-Legazpi (5:30 p.m.) routes will become operational again. In a statement released by the Department of Transportation, PNR emphasized the urgency of reopening the Legazpi to Naga route due to its high connectivity demand. Notably, the Calamba to Lucena (5:45 p.m.), Naga to Sipocot (3:30 p.m.), and Sipocot to Naga (5 p.m.) routes

Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Thursday that their involvement in the recent arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte was limited to providing security for those tasked with executing the arrest warrant. This statement came in response to inquiries regarding the PNP’s role in the operation that took place on Tuesday morning. According to Philippines News Agency, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo clarified that the police force was asked to assist by the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime (PCTC). The request was for security support, which the PNP obliged, under the direction of PNP chief Gen. Rommel

Manila: The body of Hans Ponteras, a regional leader of the New People’s Army (NPA), was returned to his family by the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Banago. This occurred on Wednesday, four days after Ponteras was killed during a clash with soldiers in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. According to Philippines News Agency, Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, commander of the 79IB, stated that the return of Ponteras’s remains is a demonstration of the Army’s commitment to humanitarian values during their operations. Despite being an adversary, Calaoagan emphasized the importance of treating Ponteras as a fellow Filipino and

Batangas City: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has instructed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to collaborate with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) to bolster farmers’ cooperatives. This directive was announced during the inauguration of the Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC) Grains Terminal and Trading Project in Batangas City, where Marcos emphasized the crucial role of cooperatives in enhancing farmers’ productivity and income. According to Philippines News Agency, President Marcos expressed his commitment to supporting cooperatives by providing them with essential resources such as new machinery and post-harvest facilities. He highlighted the success of SIDC as a model for other cooperatives