Angry messages flood Aquino’s Facebook

MANILA, Philippines—Angry messages from Hong Kong residents flooded the official Facebook page of President Benigno Aquino III hours after Monday night’s hostage drama that claimed the lives of eight tourists from the Chinese territory.

Leaders of botched Manila rescue suspended

MANILA: The Philippines has suspended four police officers who led an assault to end a hostage crisis in which eight Hong Kong tourists were…

9th hostage freed, 17 others left onboard bus

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 7) Hostage taker ex-policeman Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza has freed another Filipino hostage Monday afternoon, police said. Manila Police District spokesman Chief inspector Erwin Mardarejo identified the ninth freed hostage victim as Danilo Medril, 64, the photographer for the group of Chinese tourists held hostage in Manila City Monday morning. Medril walked to the huddle of cops stationed beside the Quirino Grandstand, where the hostage drama has been unfolding since Monday morning.

PNP told to withhold salaries of cops with unliquidated advances

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Audit has asked the Philippine National Police to withhold the salaries of personnel who fail to liquidate their cash advances, after finding that in 2009, the police agency had a total of P174.943 million in unliquidated funds. The COA, in its latest report on the PNP, said the bulk of the amount consisted mostly of cash advances by its personnel. Aside from withholding policemen’s salaries, the COA also recommended that the PNP exert more effort in asking its personnel to liquidate, and make its…

Church and union leaders unimpressed by Luisita doles

MANILA, Philippines—The P20-million financial assistance distributed by the Hacienda Luisita Inc.

DILG chief calls for status quo on police selection

MANILA, Philippines –Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo on Tuesday urged the Philippine National Police to maintain the status quo and allow local chief executives to select police officials in their respective areas of jurisdiction, amid calls to amend the PNP Law. In a statement, Robredo emphasized the importance of LGU participation in the selection of police officials for…

200 street dwellers rounded up in Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines—Over 200 street dwellers and solvent-sniffing boys have been rounded up by police in a new campaign to enforce the ‘discipline zone’ program of the previous city administration. Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele said the vagrants and some prostitutes were brought to Camp…

Comelec asked to stop Buhay proclamation

MANILA, Philippines—The complainant who filed the disqualification suit against the party-list group Buhay and one of its nominees, El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde, accused the Commission on Elections of preventing him from filing an appeal so it could go ahead with the proclamation of Velarde’s group. Broadcaster Rolando Layug told the Inquirer Saturday that the Comelec’s second division never informed him that it had dismissed his suit last June 15,…

Anti-crime ’superbody’ formed in Lanao del Sur

MARAWI CITY, Philippines – A superbody has been organized here to end organized crimes, including kidnappings, here and in the rest of Lanao del Sur. The Task Force United Front of Hope for Peace and Development involves the police and the military, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and other agencies.

Aquino opens values, training school for cops

SUBIC, Zambales – The Philippine National Police opened Friday a values and training school here, with President Benigno Aquino III as guest of honor. The training facility, called the PNP Values and Leadership School, aims to re-orient police students on the basic principles…

Neri pleads not guilty to graft on telecoms deal

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Former socio-economic secretary Romulo Neri pleaded not guilty Friday to the graft charges filed against him in connection with his alleged involvement in forging the telecommunications contract…

Philippines: Gas truck crashes, blasts kill 9

MANILA, Philippines – Police say nine people including two children have died after an out-of-control truck carrying gas tanks rammed into a…

House member to file bill against total gun ban

MANILA, Philippines—A lawmaker has opposed a plan of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to extend the total gun ban coverage beyond the end of the election period, saying…

Comelec eyes probe on how QC mayoral bet got hold of CFC cards

MANILA, Philippines– (UPDATE) The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Friday it would tap the help of the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police to investigate how some compact flash (CF) cards used in the May 10 elections got into the hands of Quezon City Representative Annie Rosa Susano. On Friday’s continuation of the inquiry of the committee on electoral reforms and suffrage in the House of Representatives, Susano, who lost in the mayoralty race in Quezon City, showed the panel a CF card that she asked Smartmatic officials to verify

Police, military pursue Abu suspects holding hostage

MANILA, Philippines – Police and military authorities are now in pursuit of seven suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf…

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