News Roundup 26 May 2024
May 26, 2024 • 6 min Read
Cracks in Senate ‘supermajority’ showing after Zubiri ouster | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The fallout from Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri’s ouster has driven a wedge among the 22 supermajority proadministration senators as allies of the deposed Senate chief contemplated joining the minority bloc.
Nearly a week after Zubiri lost the Senate presidency to Sen. Francis Escudero, his backers, who call themselves “Solid 7,” still found it hard to accept that their “amiable” leader was given the boot.
On Saturday, Sen. Nancy Binay challenged the 14 senators who backed the Escudero-led coup to come clean with their real reason for removing Zubiri and then asking for his forgiveness and praising his leadership.
“I really don’t understand why they don’t want to talk about it,” Binay told the “Usapang Senado” program on dwIZ radio.
Over an injured foot?
“What happened to our oath that we should put the interest of the people above all else? Is an (injured) foot a good reason to replace the leadership of the Senate?” she asked.
Binay had disparaged Sen. Ronald dela Rosa’s claim that Zubiri’s refusal to allow Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., who was recuperating from his Achilles tendon injury, to participate in the last five plenary session days via videoconference prompted their withdrawal of support for the former Senate president.
Zubiri, she stressed, was right in pointing out that the rules, which Dela Rosa and Revilla had both agreed to adopt, explicitly stated that senators may only be excused from physically attending sessions if they were infected with COVID-19 or other similar highly communicable diseases.
Full Story at: Cracks in Senate ‘supermajority’ showing after Zubiri ouster (inquirer.net)
Army launches air, ground strikes vs alleged terrorists in Maguindanao | INQUIRER.NET – CAMP SIONGCO, MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE — The military launched on Saturday dawn air and ground assaults against suspected Dawlah Islamiyah terrorists in the marshland of Maguindanao del Sur.
Abdulrashid Tanto, a resident of Datu Salibo town, said he and his family were awakened by explosions, prompting them to immediately evacuate their home.
“May binobomba, sabi ko sa misis ko, kaya’t bakwit kami agad,” Tanto told the Inquirer in an interview.
(There’s bombing, my wife said, so we immediately evacuated.)
Tanto and several other residents of Barangay Butilen have fled to safer grounds beginning at 5:30 a.m.
Barangay captain Datu Nash Sandigan helped his constituents cross the marshland from the village while strikes continued from helicopter gunships and artillery.
He said about 50 families have fled to nearby villages, bringing valuables and work animals.
“Air strikes have stopped but the residents still refuse to return home,” Sandigan said.
Lt. Col. Roden Orbon, speaking for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, confirmed the air strikes but stressed these movements were far away from communities.
Full Story at: Army launches air, ground strikes vs ‘terrorists’ in Maguindanao (inquirer.net)
LTO official slain in ambush | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) was killed in an ambush by an unidentified assailant in Quezon City on Friday night.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has formed a special investigation task group (SITG) to fasttrack the probe into the killing of Mercedita Gutierrez, the chief of the LTO’s registration division.
QCPD director Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said the SITG led by deputy district director for operations Col. Amante Daro will gather all details to establish the identity of Gutierrez’s killer.
“Our prayers and sympathy to the bereaved family of the victim. The QCPD will not stop pursuing the suspect and we will make sure that justice will be served,” Maranan said in a statement.
The 64-year-old Gutierrez was driving her vehicle, a Toyota Starex van, when she was attacked at the corner of K-H street and Kamias Road in Barangay Pinyahan at around 6:20 p.m.
A witness recounted to police investigators that a man on a motorcycle stopped along the road in between Gutierrez’s vehicle and a container truck.
The suspect, who was clad in a gray long-sleeved shirt and wearing a helmet, alighted from the motorcycle and approached the LTO official’s vehicle.
The assailant then shot Gutierrez twice in the face and body with a handgun. She lost control of the steering wheel and her vehicle crashed into the container van in front of her.
Full Story at: LTO official slain in ambush | Philstar.com
‘Aghon’ intensifies into severe tropical storm; Signal No. 3 raised in eastern Quezon | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The eastern section of Quezon province was placed under Wind Signal No. 3 as cyclone Aghon (Ewiniar) intensified into a severe tropical storm on Sunday afternoon.
PAGASA said Aghon, the country’s first cyclone this year, was last seen over the coastal waters of Mauban in Quezon province, with peak winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 130 kph.
The severe tropical storm was slowly moving northeast towards the Polillo Islands.
PAGASA raised wind signals over the following areas:
Signal No. 3 (Winds between 89 kph to 117 kph may be expected in at least 18 hours)
- Eastern section of Quezon (Infanta, Real, Mauban) including Polillo Islands (Panukulan, Burdeos, Patnanungan, and Polillo)
Residents of areas under Signal No. 3 could experience moderate to significant impacts from strong winds.
Signal No. 2 (Winds between 62 kph and 88 kph may be expected in at least 24 hours)
- Aurora
- Northern and central portions of Quezon (Alabat, Perez, Quezon, Gumaca, Lopez, Macalelon, General Luna, Unisan, Pitogo, Plaridel, Agdangan, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, General Nakar, Sampaloc, Pagbilao, Calauag, Lucban, City of Tayabas, Lucena City, Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya, Dolores, San Antonio, Jomalig)
- Laguna
- Eastern portion of Batangas (City of Tanauan, San Jose, Lipa City, Mataasnakahoy, Balete, Malvar, Santo Tomas, Cuenca, San Pascual, Batangas City, Ibaan, Padre Garcia, Rosario, San Juan, Taysan, Lobo)
- Eastern and central portions of Rizal (Jala-Jala, Pililla, Tanay, Cardona, Binangonan, Morong, Baras, Rodriguez, City of Antipolo, Teresa)
- Northern portion of Camarines Norte (Santa Elena, Capalonga)
Residents of areas under Signal No. 2 could experience minor to moderate impacts from strong winds.
Signal No. 1 (Winds between 39 and 61 kph may be expected in at least 36 hours or intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours)
- Eastern portion of Isabela (Divilacan, San Mariano, San Guillermo, Jones, Echague, San Agustin, Ilagan City, Benito Soliven, City of Cauayan, Maconacon, Angadanan, Naguilian, Palanan, Dinapigue)
- Eastern portion of Quirino (Maddela, Nagtipunan, Aglipay)
- Southern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castaneda, Dupax del Sur, Dupax del Norte)
- Eastern and southern portions of Nueva Ecija (General Tinio, Gabaldon, Bongabon, Pantabangan, Rizal, General Mamerto Natividad, Laur, Palayan City, Peñaranda, San Leonardo, City of Gapan, Cabanatuan City, Santa Rosa, San Isidro, Cabiao, San Antonio, Jaen, Zaragoza, Aliaga, Talavera, Llanera)
- Southern portion of Bataan (Orani, Samal, City of Balanga, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay, Mariveles, Bagac)
- Eastern portion of Pampanga (Candaba, San Luis, San Simon, Apalit, Santa Ana, Arayat, Mexico, Santa Rita, Guagua, Sasmuan, Macabebe, Masantol, Santo Tomas, Minalin, City of San Fernando, Bacolor, Lubao)
- Bulacan
- Metro Manila
- Rest of Quezon
- Rest of Rizal
- Rest of Batangas
- Northern and central portions of Oriental Mindoro (Pinamalayan, Pola, Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, City of Calapan, Bansud, Gloria, Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera, Bongabong)
- Marinduque
- Extreme northern portion of Romblon (Concepcion, Corcuera, Banton)
- Rest of Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
Residents of areas under Signal No. 1 could experience minimal to minor impacts from strong winds.
Full Story at: ‘Aghon’ intensifies into severe tropical storm; Signal No. 3 raised in eastern Quezon | Philstar.com
