Inquirer Breaking News

MANILA, Philippines --- Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Tuesday expressed his disinterest in building "alliances" in the Senate, as well as his willingness to work as part of the Senate minority. "I'm not so interested in all of these alliances that they're building because I'm open to not belonging to the majority...I'm flexible enough to belongto the majority or to the minority but right now, I'm not really moving so that I will belong to the majority," he said on CNN Philippines' The Source. "If I get left behind, therefore, I will belong to the minority. Okay lang sa akin (It's okay with me)," he also said Set to end his second term as senator in 2025, Pimentel steer...

Keep on reading: Pimentel says open to joining Senate minority; political dynasties are legal

    MANILA, Philippines --- The camp of presumptive president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Tuesday it will respect the independence of the legislative branch as it refused to comment on the current race for the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. This development came after several political groups and prominent individuals in the House have endorsed Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, cousin of Marcos Jr., as the Speaker for the 19th Congress. "I think we're still in the 18th Congress. For the incoming, we're not yet in the position to be making any comment on that since it will be presumptuous to join the fray," Atty. Vic Rodriguez, Marcos Jr.'...

Keep on reading: Marcos camp on Romualdez speakership bid: We respect House independence

MANILA, Philippines---Ahead of the May 9 presidential elections, pledges from foreign investors who wanted to avail themselves of tax and other perks for their forthcoming projects fell 54.1 percent year-on-year to P8.9 billion during the first quarter--also the lowest quarterly haul since the global financial crisis 13 years ago. The latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data on Tuesday (May 17) showed that commitments approved by the country's seven investment promotion agencies (IPAs) from January to March dropped from P19.6 billion in the first three months of last year. IPAs give away fiscal incentives to qualified projects. Historical PSA data showed that the first-qua...

Keep on reading: Q1 foreign investment pledges fall to lowest since 2009

Rabiya Mateo looked back at her experiences with Miss Universe, one year since she represented the Philippines in the global pageant. The actress and Miss Universe Philippines 2020 titleholder recalled her pageant journey while showing moments of herself at the Miss Universe competition, via her Instagram page today, May 17. Mateo can be seen in her Philippine flag-inspired national costume, in her yellow two-piece bikini for the swimsuit competition, as well as a series of candid selfies and glam shots throughout the pageant. "Rabiya Mateo, Philippines!" Mateo said. "Random photos and videos from my [Miss Universe] journey that happened exactly one year ago. Forever gra...

Keep on reading: Rabiya Mateo reminisces on her Miss Universe moments one year after pageant

Pliades Neo is a breakthrough in the Very High-Resolution (VHR) Earth observation domain, which will allow, once complete, to image any point of the globe, several times per day, at 30cm resolution. The constellation is made of four identical satellites, built using the latest Airbus' innovations and technological developments. Highly agile and reactive, they can be tasked up to 15 minutes before acquisition, and send the images back to Earth within the following hour. The Pliades Neo satellites have been entirely self-funded, designed and manufactured by Airbus. Smaller, lighter, more agile, accurate and reactive than the competition, they are the first of their class whose capacity wil...

Keep on reading: Pléiades Neo, the next generation Earth observation constellation for a promising future

HANOI -- Rubilen Amit staved off a mini rally by Singaporean rival Jessica Tan to handily win, 7-2, the women's 9-ball gold medal on Tuesday in the 31st Southeast Asian Games The Filipino former world champion quickly took a 3-0 in their final prompting Tan to call a timeout. When play resumed the 40-year-old Amit encountered a rough fourth rack where she scratched twice, allowing the Singaporean to take the next two racks. But there's no stopping Amit as she displayed composure worthy of an eight-time SEA Games champion. She next pounced on a missed corner 1-ball and rode on that momentum to claim her third 9-ball title in the biennial meet. It was the country's first...

Keep on reading: SEA Games: Rubilen Amit captures women’s 9-ball gold

MANILA, Philippines --- Data center platform firm Digital Edge will usher new energy efficiency standards to its data center market in Manila. The company announced that it will deploy Nortek's patented StatePoint liquid cooling technology in NARRA1, its data center under construction making the Digital Edge the first colocation operator to utilize the technology in Asia. "The use of this industry leading, sustainable cooling solution will enable Digital Edge to achieve its ambition to create the most energy and water efficient data center in the Philippines," the firm said in a statement. NARRA1, "set to be the largest carrier neutral facility in operational capacity" in th...

Keep on reading: Digital Edge to usher new energy efficiency standards to PH data center market

Heart Evangelista appears to have expected a reward, a bag specifically, after cooking a satisfying dish --- but her husband, Gov. Francis "Chiz" Escudero turned her down. Evangelista treated fans to a glimpse of her cooking-bonding moment with Escudero, as shown on her Instagram page yesterday, May 16. Escudero helped the actress cook a recipe she got from her mom. "Needed to ask help from my husband at talagang nakakapagod 'to [pero] I'm not sure if matatawa ba ako or masi-stress sa situation," she said in a voice over, while flashing snaps of Escudero singing "Unchained Melody" in the background. ([I] needed to ask help from my husband because this is really tiring but I ...

Keep on reading: Heart Evangelista gets a ‘no’ from Chiz Escudero after asking, ‘Do I deserve a bag?’

MANILA, Philippines --- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) does not see a problem with presumptive vice president Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio holding her inauguration on June 19, even if the 1987 Constitution states that she can only assume office on June 30. Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said the Constitution does not state that an elected president and vice president should take oath at exactly 12 noon on June 30. "Two former presidents before took their oath at 11:45 a.m., not exactly at 12 o'clock so meaning to say, pwede naman parang mas maaga," Garcia said in a press briefing. (Two former presidents before took their oath at 11:45 a.m., not exactly at 12 o'clock ...

Keep on reading: Comelec: ‘No problem’ with Sara Duterte’s inauguration as VP ahead of June 30

  KHARKIV -- Three women plant flowers on a roundabout in central Kharkiv, while not far away men fill sandbags for a defensive barrier on the north of the city, the side closest to Russia. It is a stark illustration of how people in the war-battered city in the north east are attempting to recapture some essence of normal life, even though Russian aggression lurks not far away. Kharkiv, the regional capital, has been battered by the conflict, enduring an assault by Moscow's forces lasting several days and fighting in its suburbs, before weathering regular salvoes of shelling. But the noose around Ukraine's second-largest city has been loosening in recent days, even ...

Keep on reading: ‘Dancing, not war’: Signs of normality in Ukraine’s shattered Kharkiv

    LONDON -- The cost of life-saving treatment for the most severely malnourished children is set to jump by up to 16% due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pandemic disruptions, according to the United Nations' children's agency. The raw ingredients of the ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) have leapt in price amid the global food crisis sparked by the war and pandemic, Unicef said. Without further funding in the next six months, 600,000 more children may miss out on the essential treatment, which is a high-energy paste made of ingredients including peanuts, oil, sugar and added nutrients. Unicef said a carton of the specialized nutrition containing 150...

Keep on reading: UN warns of ‘catastrophic’ child malnutrition due to price hikes, Ukraine war

  PARIS -- The bulk of the thousands of Russian soldiers killed in Moscow's onslaught against Ukraine are very young, have poor backgrounds and many are from ethnic minority groups, observers say. There has been close attention on the numbers of Russian generals and high-ranking officers killed since the invasion launched by President Vladimir Putin on February 24, which has proved far more costly than the Kremlin wished. But with observers believing the Russian toll could now be exceeding the 15,000 Soviet soldiers killed during the 1979-1989 occupation of Afghanistan, the losses among Russian rank-and-file soldiers have been devastating. Russia has been remarkably ...

Keep on reading: Young, poor and from minorities: the Russian troops killed in Ukraine

MANILA, Philippines --- President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure providing "greater protections" to deserted and abandoned children with unknown parents. Under Republic Act No. 11767, an orphan found in the Philippines or in its embassies, consulates, and territories abroad is presumed a natural-born Filipino citizen regardless of the status or circumstances of the child's birth. As a natural-born Filipino, a foundling is entitled to rights and protections at the moment of birth, according to the new law. READ: Senate approves bill for foundlings It also ensures that a certificate of live birth will be issued to the orphan without delay and that the foundli...

Keep on reading: Duterte signs law recognizing foundlings as natural-born Filipinos

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga----Voters in this Pampanga capital have elected a woman who substituted for her husband, who was murdered before the elections. Rosalie Mendoza garnered 79,001 votes, just behind top councilor Brenz Gonzales in the 10-seat local legislative body. She ran under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan in a field of 29 mostly male candidates. The P800,000-reward put up by Gov. Dennis Pineda since the April 30 ambush of Alasas Barangay Capt. Alvin Mendoza remained intact, although the sketch of the gunman has been widely distributed, according to Col. Alvin Consolacion, provincial police chief, in a phone interview on Tuesday. This happe...

Keep on reading: Slain bet’s wife gets 2nd top seat in council of Pampanga’s capital

K-pop group Girls' Generation will make a comeback in August by dropping a new album to mark the 15th anniversary of its debut, the group's agency said Tuesday. All eight members of the group will take part in the album that will be the band's first release in five years, SM Entertainment said without giving any details on the upcoming album. Debuting in 2007, the group churned out hit after hit, such as "Girls' Generation," "Gee," "Genie" and "Lion Heart," during its prime time. It has not been active as a group since its sixth full-length album, "Holiday Night," in August 2017. (Yonhap)/JB RELATED STORIES: BTS scoops 3 prizes at 2022 Billboard Music Awards in 6-year ...

Keep on reading: Girls’ Generation to make comeback in August after five years

MANILA, Philippines --- A coalition of transport groups is urging the incoming administration to change the leadership of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). Ariel Lim, head of the National Public Transport Coalition (NPTC), made the appeal to presumptive president "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. amid rumors that Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade will be reappointed as DOTr chief under his administration. "Ang unang dapat gawin, palitan ang liderato na luma, walang babalik, dapat puro bago dahil gusto ninyo ng unity, magkaka-unity lang po kapag pinalitan ninyo ang nasa hanay ng DOTr, wala nang babalik," Lim said in a press conference in Manila. (The first thing we need to do is t...

Keep on reading: Transport coalition says DOTr needs new leadership 

Marvel and Disney's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" saw a sharp drop off this weekend from its blockbuster opening, but still reported $61 million in estimated ticket sales to top North America's box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday. The superhero sequel, again starring Benedict Cumberbatch, had opened last weekend to a year's best $187 million. It has now earned $292 million domestically and an additional $396 million abroad for a global total of $688 million. Far behind in second place for the Friday-through-Sunday period was Universal's animated action-comedy "The Bad Guys." The DreamWorks Animation production, with a voice cast led by S...

Keep on reading: ‘Doctor Strange’ slips but stays atop North America box office

  MANILA, Philippines---The national government's budget deficit as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) narrowed to 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2022, auguring well for plans to revert the gap to pre-pandemic levels of about 3 percent. The latest Department of Finance (DOF) data showed that the end-March budget deficit-to-GDP ratio was the smallest amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. In actual value, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) last month reported that the first-quarter budget deficit---amounting to P316.8 billion---was 1.4-percent smaller than the P321.5 billion posted in 2021. From January to March, the government's tax and non-tax revenue collections...

Keep on reading: PH budget deficit down to 6.4 from 8.6 percent of GDP

MANILA, Philippines --- The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) have expressed hope that the death of a Muntinlupa-based police officer, who died allegedly due to stress, would ignite reforms in the handling of police work assignments. In a statement on Tuesday, lawyer and CHR Executive Director Jacqueline de Guia said that the commission mourns the death of Chief Mst. Sgt. Manuel Escalona last Tuesday, after supposedly going on a straight three-day duty for the recently concluded elections. Escalona, CHR said, is part of the Muntinlupa City Police Station. "SPO3 Escalona's passing, possibly stress-related due to his three days straight election duty, brings to light the stress...

Keep on reading: CHR hopes death of ‘stressed out’ cop stirs reform in police assignment

MANILA, Philippines --- The Department of Health (DOH) has detected three more cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 in the country, driving the case tally of the subvariant to 17. Omicron is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that leads to COVID-19. READ: Omicron 'most evolved variant of SARS-CoV-2' --- PH Genome Center exec "Tatlong kaso ng subvariant BA.2.12.1 ang na-detect natin sa Western Visayas: isang returning overseas Filipino mula sa United States na bakunado, at dalawang local cases --- isang bakunado at ang isa ay vine-verify pa natin ang kanyang vaccination status," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a forum Tuesday. (Three cases of subvaria...

Keep on reading: DOH detects 3 more cases of Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1