The newly formed Task Force DDS (DDS being an acronym for Davao Death Squads) is having a hard time unraveling the mystery behind the series of unexplained killings largely attributed to death squads operating in Davao City and suburban areas. Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The US House of Representatives on Friday narrowly passed a bill aimed at capping and reducing US greenhouse gas emissions and lowering the country’s dependence on foreign oil, in what experts say a critical step toward tackling climate change. Read the rest of this entry »

CAN a candidate with no money, no power and no political network win against another candidate who has all those? Ed Panlilio’s election victory proved the future is unknowable and things can always change in ways that one can’t foresee. His opponents learned it the hard way. Read the rest of this entry »

ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Philippines is virtually selling its Muslim women to work as housemaids in Malaysia. This after Indonesia recently announced a temporary ban on sending domestic helpers to Malaysia after a recent case of maid-abuse. Read the rest of this entry »

The Philippine economy will stay afloat in the first half of this year on the back of an improvement in retail sales and government spending, indicating that the state’s full year growth target will be met. Read the rest of this entry »

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the economic slowdown is taking its toll on bank lending, citing its deceleration in recent months. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear PAO,

My sister and I were the beneficiaries of my mother’s Social Security System (SSS) pension, as she was not married to my stepfather. When my mother died in 2001, my uncle took care of processing her burial and death benefits because at that time we were still minors. My uncle took my mother’s SSS identification card and our birth certificates in order to process my mother’s pension. But he has not been giving us the pension. I am now 22 years old and no longer entitled to the benefits, but I am concerned for my sister who is still in elementary. The financial benefits from our mother’s pension will help us support her studies. I was not able to seek assistance from SSS because I do not have the pertinent documents to prove that my mother is indeed an SSS member; I do not even know her SSS number. What we can do to claim the benefits due us in the first place.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Philippines’ progress in governance and anti-corruption over the past decade failed to make improvements and was still behind its neighboring countries, the World Bank reported. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Treasury managed to raise less than two-thirds of its P8.5-billion borrowing target in yesterday’s auction of treasury bills, as it decided to reject some bids due to the high rates sought by banks. Read the rest of this entry »

THE claim of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that the Philippines ranks fifth among the circle of countries that either produce or use cocaine, crack, heroin and other illegal drugs apart from shabu is baseless, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Read the rest of this entry »