Author: pr0league

The Manila Police District (MPD) has recommended nine individuals to undergo preliminary investigations in connection with alleged violent incidents at a Labor Day rally there earlier this May.

Although it did not name the individuals in question, in a statement on Monday, the MPD said the protesters have been recommended to be investigated for tumults and other disturbances of public order; as well as violation of Batas Pambansa No. 880 or the Public Assembly Act.

“During the assembly, some protesters allegedly became unruly and attempted to breach barricades established by civil disturbance management contingents,” the MPD maintained.

It further cited an instance in which some protesters set fire to effigies, prompting Bureau of Fire Protection personnel to attempt to extinguish the flames.

“However, some protesters reportedly obstructed their efforts and confronted them aggressively,” the MPD further said.

Being a project proponent is not necessarily wrong. 

In fact, even private citizens can become one, a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official told the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday. 

This came up  during the questioning of Associate Justice Ronald Moreno to engineer Gerald Longoria of the DPWH programming division, during the malversation trial of former Senator Bong Revilla, who is the alleged proponent of a P92.8 million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan which prosecutors say is a “ghost” project. 

Moreno asked if there is nothing wrong with being a proponent, to which Longoria responded: “Yes. Anyone can propose.” 

Associate Justice Karl Miranda, Third Division chairperson, interjected to ask: “Has the DPWH received a letter from a private citizen or a group asking for a road?” 

Longoria answered in the affirmative, but added he could not remember any when Miranda asked him to give a specific example. 

Moreno then ordered Longoria to provide the court a list of all proponents of the project, which he said was all provided to him by late DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral. 

Science and technology officials and local executives formally inaugurated the Natural Textile Fiber Innovation Hub in a village in this town on Monday, a facility expected to generate up to P9 million in annual income while creating new livelihood opportunities.

The project promotes sustainable banana fiber production in the province by converting agricultural waste into durable raw materials for textile use, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Cagayan Valley regional director Virginia Bilgera said on Monday.

Workers at the facility will process raw banana byproducts into natural textile fibers that can be used for fabric production, tapping the abundance of banana farms in Benito Soliven and nearby areas.

“As production scales up, we will also forge partnerships and encourage more farmers to engage in banana farming to ensure a steady supply of raw materials,” Bilgera told the Inquirer.

The hub is projected to produce 10 to 40 kilos of treated or spinnable fibers daily, with an estimated market value of P2,613.88 per kilo.

Several Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) personnel appeared before the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Tuesday morning, in connection with the probe into the Senate shooting incident last week.

As the Senate’s session came to a close late Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa claimed on a livestream that elements of the PNP-CIDG and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were out to arrest him.

Dela Rosa suddenly appeared at the Senate premises on May 11 after disappearing from pub lic view amid rumors of an arrest order from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The arrest order stems from the crime against humanity charge against dela Rosa before the ICC, as he was tagged as a “co-perpetrator” in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

While rains are expected to affect parts of the country on Tuesday due to the combined effects of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), easterlies, and localized thunderstorms, five areas in Cavite and Batangas are still projected to experience dangerous heat index levels.

In its Monday afternoon forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Sangley Point in Cavite City may register a heat index of 45 degrees Celsius.

In Batangas, Tanauan City is forecast to record a heat index of 43°C, according to Pagasa.

Meanwhile, the local government of Calaca City advised residents to take precautionary measures as the city may experience a heat index of 44°C by noon.

In a Facebook post, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Talisay, Batangas, reported that the town is currently experiencing a heat index of 43°C.

The disaster management office in Cuenca, Batangas, also announced in an advisory issued at 1 p.m. that the town’s heat index may reach 45°C.