Category: News
Blaan leaders reaffirm support for Tampakan mining project
KORONADAL CITY – Blaan tribal leaders in South Cotabato have reiterated their commitment to honor their tribe’s Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for the large-scale copper-gold mining project in Tampakan, South Cotabato, as the controversial venture moves closer to full operation. The tribal council, represented by Domingo Collado, the Blaans’ designated representative to the
Of Cockpits and Congress: How the House Rushed a Gambling Franchise Amid a Mass Disappearance
In what has become one of the most chilling unsolved crimes in recent years, the case of the missing sabungeros—cockfighting aficionados—has exposed not only the dark underbelly of e-sabong operations. It also exposed the disturbing proximity of political power to gambling interests. The first signs of trouble came in 2021, when separate reports emerged of
Tribal leaders, execs back new watchdog group for Tampakan mining project
COTABATO CITY – Local officials, business groups, and Blaan tribal leaders have thrown their support behind a newly formed multi-sectoral body tasked with monitoring community development projects tied to the controversial Tampakan mining venture in Central Mindanao. The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region 12 launched the 1st Joint Monitoring Team (JMT) last week
Who is Atong Ang? Businessman at the Center of Sabungeros’ Disappearance
He is no stranger to controversy. From being a key figure in the fall of a Philippine president to being dragged into a messy celebrity feud, Filipino businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang has consistently found himself in the eye of the storm. Now, more than two decades after his name first made headlines, Ang is again
Can We Live Longer Without Giving Up Good Food? Science Says Maybe
Scientists have known that eating less can help animals live longer. But giving up food—or at least some of it—is easier said than done. So researchers have turned to the next best thing: finding drugs that could trick the body into thinking it’s on a diet, without the hunger pangs. Two such drugs have emerged
Comelec Cancels Duterte Youth Party-list Registration Over Legal Violations
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has cancelled the registration of the Duterte Youth Party-list, officially known as Duty to Energize the Republic through the Enlightenment of the Youth Sectoral Party-list Organization, citing multiple violations of registration rules. In a decision promulgated on June 18, 2025, the Comelec Second Division ruled in favor of a 2019
Thousands join Eid’l Adha prayers in Cotabato City
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Thousands of Muslims gathered early Friday, June 6, in various barangays of Cotabato City for the traditional outdoor congregational prayers marking Eid’l Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice. The religious observance, held simultaneously by Muslim communities around the world, commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son in obedience
MNLF urges lawmakers to bring Sulu back to BARMM
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Officials of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) are calling on lawmakers to pass enabling legislation that would return Sulu to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). MNLF central committee chair and Bangsamoro Labor Minister Muslimin Sema said the Supreme Court’s removal of Sulu from the region’s core territory
Bangsamoro biz leaders welcome $400-M ADB grant for coastal, economic development
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Business leaders in the Bangsamoro region welcomed the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) commitment of a $400-million grant to support economic programs and protect marine resources in Mindanao. Ronald Hallid Dimacisil Torres, chair of the Bangsamoro Business Council, said they were informed about the grant by Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua and
Bangsamoro lawmakers urge Marcos: Keep Lagdameo as Special Assistant
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – A bloc of lawmakers in the 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to retain Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr., citing his key role in supporting peace initiatives in Mindanao. Regional lawmaker and lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo made the appeal in a privilege speech on Monday,
Zamboanga Sibugay logs first case of Mpox, a 3-year-old girl from Tungawan
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines – May 25, 2025 — Health officials in Zamboanga Sibugay have confirmed the province’s first case of Mpox (monkeypox), involving a three-year-old girl from the municipality of Tungawan. The Provincial Health Office (PHO) said the child is now recovering after receiving medical attention at the Dr. George T. Hofer Medical Center (DGTHMC) in
Bangsamoro Officials Strengthen Programs to Protect Children and Juveniles
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Officials in the Bangsamoro region have vowed to fully implement two long-term intervention plans aimed at safeguarding the rights and welfare of children and juveniles, with support from various government agencies and international partners. Bangsamoro Social Services Minister Raissa Jajurie said Saturday, May 24, that her office recently conducted a three-day strategic
