Philippines News

The Gilas women’s national basketball team kicked off its gold-medal bid in the 31st Southeast Asian Games with a resounding 93-77 win over Indonesia on Monday at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium.

The Gilas women used a massive 32-19 run in the third period to build a 72-57 lead, which held until the final buzzer.

Using their quickness to the hilt, the Gilas Women collected 18 steals, drawing praise from coach Patrick Aquino.

“They played so hard. What can I ask for,” said Aquino. “That’s what we’ve been working on for the last couple of months. Hopefully, we can sustain that.

“I’m just happy that they were doing their best. Talagang sobrang saya ko sa kanila,” Aquino added.

Afril Bernardino led the squad with 16 points on top of nine rebounds and four steals.

Janine Pontejos added 15 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field while Camille Clarin chipped in 11 markers.

Gabi Bade, one of the team’s two new recruits from the United States, had 11 points in her SEA Games debut. A daughter of former PBA player Cris, she is a mainstay of Sacramento State.

The other new player on the squad, Stefanie Berberade, a former Player of the Year in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school Westmont, scored four points.

After a one-day break, the Philippines faces Thailand, the team it beat for the gold medal in the 2019 Games, on Wednesday in the resumption of the women’s tournament that drew six teams.

The top squad after the round-robin tournament will go home with the gold medal.

MANILA - The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it noted a sharp decline in the number of election-related incidents, recording only 20 validated ones from January 9 up to May 15.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the numbers are much lower as compared to the national and l

MANILA - Motorists can expect big-time price rollback on diesel products starting on Tuesday.This, as oil firms Caltex, Cleanfuel, Petro Gazz, Seaoil, and Shell announced that they will slash diesel prices by PHP3.10 per liter.However, the rollback for

COTABATO CITY - A rifle grenade exploded inside the residential compound of a village official in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao Sunday evening but no one was hurt, police said.

Lt. Col. Sabri Lakibul, the municipal police chief, said Monday no one claimed responsibility for the explosio

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Three soldiers were wounded in a clash with Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits while on a security operation in the Sulu municipality of Indanan, military officials said Monday.

Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, Joint Task Force (JTF)-Sulu commander, said the firefight Sunday morni

MANILA - Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Monday that the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) has always had a good relationship with reelected Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez.

The NPC, which Sotto chairs, threw its "unconditional support" behind the Speakership bid

MANILA - President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed an executive order (EO) directing government departments and agencies to utilize digital payments for government disbursements.

EO 170, signed by Duterte on May 12, recognizes that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the benefits of utilizing

MANILA - President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed an executive order (EO) directing the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to create a Franchise Registry for the protection of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

EO 169, signed by Duterte on May 12, recognizes that the franchising

MANILA - The Philippine Army (PA) on Monday lauded its rowers who have won two more medals in the rowing competition in the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Pvt. Chris Nievarez clinched the bronze medal in the men's lightweight single scull event while PFC Amelyn Pagulaya

MANILA - Lt. Gen. Manuel Abu was named as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorial Staff, the fourth-highest position in the force.

In an order dated May 14 and released on Monday, Abu, former director of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO-Northern Luzon)

BAGUIO CITY - The city government is looking for other ways to generate income for the city's development projects aside from being dependent on taxes for its funds.

"The city government is eyeing several projects that will allow it to raise about PHP600 million per year," said Aileen Refuerz

MANILA - The President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol has congratulated presumptive president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on his win in this year's historic elections.

In a letter addressed to Marcos dated May 15, Yoon said under Marcos' leadership, the Philippines will "continue

LOS ANGELES, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people took to the streets in Los Angeles on Saturday as part of a nationwide effort to protect abortion rights amid the controversy triggered by news that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Saturday's protest drew a massive crowd gathering outside Los Angeles City Hall since morning. More than a dozen of politic

A TOTAL of seven products of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) had their names called by different teams in the 2022 PBA Rookie Draft on Sunday, May 15, at the Robinsons Place Manila in Ermita.

Former University of the Visayas forward Rhaffy Octobre was the first to be called, as he picked fifth in the third round by the Rain or Shine E-Painters.

A lanky versatile forward, Octobre has played for numerous teams in the VisMin Cup and the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League since he departed UV.

Also selected in the third round was another former UV ace in Orlan Wamar, who Magnolia picked with the 12th pick. He now joins a veteran backcourt that features the likes of Mark Barroca, Paul Lee, and Jio Jalalon.

Meanwhile, three more Cesafi products were picked in the fourth round with former University of Southern Philippines Foundation Panther wingman Lyndon Colina getting selected by San Miguel with the ninth pick.

Selected 10th by Meralco was former University of Cebu high school standout Andrey Armenion while Magnolia tapped former Cesafi slam dunk king Garexx Puerto with the 12th pick.

The sixth round saw Terrafirma select bruising forward Red Cachuela, formerly of Southwestern University-Phinma while Phoenix picked Nichole Ubalde, who used to play for the University of San Jose-Recoletos. (JNP)

MANILA - Two weather systems -- the frontal system affecting extreme Northern Luzon, and the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) affecting Mindanao -- will bring rains over some areas of the country, the weather bureau said Monday.

The frontal system will bring cloudy skies with scattered

SUPPORTERS of defeated reelectionist Cordova Mayor Mary Therese “Teche” Sitoy-Cho gathered outside the Municipal Hall Monday morning, May 16, 2022, as they protest the results of the recently concluded elections.

Based on results released by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Sitoy-Cho only garnered 17,052 votes in the May 9 local elections, while her rival, mayor-elect and incumbent Councilor Cesar “Didoy” Suan, secured 21,222 votes.

Sitoy-Cho’s supporters said Monday that Suan’s party, Lakas, had done “dirty politics” during the May 9 elections.

Sitoy-Cho ran under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).



The supporters said that some barangay officials, including the barangay councilors, tanods and health workers, stayed inside the polling places or precincts during the election despite it being prohibited by law.

They also claimed vote buying, adding that some voters were convinced by the opposition party to be brought to a hotel to refrain them from exercising their right to vote.

Other voters also reportedly voted several times, with the Sitoy-Cho's supporters citing the voters' hands were not inked after casting a vote.







Some teachers who served as poll workers also reportedly took a ride on the vehicles fielded by the opposition candidates.

SunStar Cebu is still trying to get the side of Suan as of this posting, Monday. (MKG)

MANILA - Presumptive president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has expressed his gratitude to hundreds of thousands of teachers, poll workers and volunteers who took to the frontlines in ensuring the peaceful, honest, orderly and credible conduct of the historic May 9 elections.

Marcos descri

MANILA - Filipinos are aware and continue to be watchful of the deceptive tactics of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page Sunday night, Esperon said any move by the CPP and its all

THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases has placed nine areas in Cebu Island under Alert Level 1, the lowest quarantine status in the country, from May 16 to 31.

Under Level 1 are the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, and the towns of Alcoy, Borbon, Oslob, Pilar, Santander, and Tudela.

In Central Visayas, under the same level are the province of Siquijor; and the towns of Calape, Garcia Hernandez, San Isidro, and San Miguel in Bohol; and Bacong, Dauin, Valencia (Luzarriaga), and Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental.

Other areas in the Visayas that are under Alert Level 1 are Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Bacolod City and Iloilo City in Western Visayas; and Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, Tacloban City, and the towns of Tarangnan, Samar and Zumarraga in Samar in Eastern Visayas.

In Luzon, placed under the same level are Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Baguio City and Kiangan, Ifugao in the Cordillera Administrative Region; Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and Dagupan City in Ilocos; Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and City of Santiago in Cagayan Valley; Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City and Olongapo City in Central Luzon; Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Lucena City in Calabarzon; Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon and Puerto Princesa City in Mimaropa; and Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City, Balud in Masbate and Irosin in Sorsogon in Bicol Region.

In Mindanao, Zamboanga City and the towns of Mahayag in Zamboanga del Sur and Diplahan in Zamboanga Sibugay; Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City in Northern Mindanao; Davao City in Davao Region; Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat in Soccsksargen; and Surigao del Sur, Butuan City and Upi in Maguindanao have kept their Alert Level 1 status.

All restrictions in areas under Alert Level 1, including those on travel, venue or transportation capacity, are removed. All businesses are also allowed to operate.

Under Alert Level 2, meanwhile, are the following areas:

LUZON

* CAR: Benguet, Ifugao

* Calabarzon: Quezon Province

* Mimaropa: Occidental Mindoro and Palawan

* Bicol: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon

VISAYAS

* Western Visayas: Antique and Negros Occidental

* Central Visayas: Bohol, Cebu Province, and Negros Oriental

* Eastern Visayas: Leyte, Northern Samar, and Western Samar

MINDANAO

* Zamboanga Peninsula: City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga Sibugay

* Northern Mindanao: Lanao del Norte

* Davao Region: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro Davao Occidental

* Soccsksargen: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato

* Caraga: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte

* Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Basilan, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi

(TPM/LMY)

HANOI - Reigning world champion Carlos Yulo scored two more stirring triumphs Sunday, leading an eight-gold medal haul as the Philippines jostled with Thailand for second overall in the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games here.

Returning to the Quan Ngua Sports Palace where he was crowned the