News Roundup 04 December 2023
Jan 04, 2023 • 2 min Read
Abalos calls on top cops to resign as ‘shortcut’ to cleanse ranks of illegal drugs | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos called on hundreds of top police officers on Tuesday to submit their courtesy resignations as part of the campaign to cleanse their ranks of the “deep infection” of the illegal drug trade.
Abalos appealed to hundreds of police officers with the ranks of colonel to general to tender their resignation, which will be evaluated by a five-member committee whose composition he declined to reveal.
“It’s hard to fight in a war when your ally will be the one to shoot you in the back,” Abalos told a news conference in Filipino. “We need to cleanse our ranks. The people who trust us must trust us even more.”
Full Story at: Abalos calls on top cops to resign as ‘shortcut’ to cleanse ranks of illegal drugs | Philstar.com
Martial Law detainee reports receiving death threat | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:19 p.m.) — A playwright who was detained during the Martial Law regime reported that he received a death threat over the New Year long weekend.
Martial Law survivor Bonifacio Ilagan said he got a call last Monday from a man who introduced himself as part of a unit tasked to “wipe out” communists. Ilagan, a staunch critic of the Marcos family including President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., said he was told by the man to desist from his activities.
Ilagan said the man called himself “Kumander” who belonged to a unit whose name he was unable to remember.
Full Story at: Martial Law detainee Boni Ilagan reports receiving death threat | Philstar.com
PNP chief Azurin not spared from courtesy resignation — Abalos | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Not even Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. would be exempt from the request for colonels and generals to submit courtesy resignations, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. revealed on Wednesday. At a news conference, Abalos was asked if PNP Chaplain Service Brig. Gen. Jason Ortizo, a priest by profession, and Azurin would be asked to quit their jobs voluntarily.
He said yes.
Full Story at : PNP chief Azurin not spared from courtesy resignation — Abalos | Inquirer News
After PhilHealth, suspension of SSS, Pag-IBIG hikes sought | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro, a Makabayan bloc lawmaker, is pushing for a deferment of the hike in premium contributions to the Social Security System (SSS) and the Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund.
This was after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to postpone the increase in premium rates and income ceilings supposed to take effect this year.
Full Story at: After PhilHealth, suspension of SSS, Pag-IBIG hikes sought | Inquirer News
