MARAWI City -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, led the groundbreaking ceremony for a new military camp here that would protect the city from future attacks of Islamic terrorists. Upon his arrival at Barangay Kapantaran, President Duterte was briefed about the project, which is expected to be completed in less than two years. The Chief Executive then led the capsule laying for the construction of the new military facility that will be undertaken by the Philippine Army's 43th Engineering Brigade.
The initial development of the site is the renovation of the old Marawi City Hall, converting it into a new Marawi military camp headquarters building. Located on the top of the hill, the new camp would become a stronghold of the Philippine Army's infantry units to prevent the re-entry of ISIS-backed groups here and to protect civilians from any security threats. President Duterte recognized the bravery of soldiers and policemen who fought to liberate Marawi from the terrorist Maute group. "I would also like to thank the brave men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, kasali na 'yung -- marami akong sundalo na Moro na namatay rin. I'll salute them for their -- katapangan nila to face terror and the police," he said in his speech during the turnover of temporary shelter units in Barangay Sagonsongan here. The President was accompanied by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, and Philippine Army's Commanding General Major General Rolando Bautista. [PCOO]
ILIGAN City -- The Lone District Congressman of this City, along with seven others were cleared by the Court of Appeals of charges for Grave Misconduct, Dishonesty, Grave Abuse of Authority and/or Conduct Prejudicial to the best interest of the Service before the Ombudsman.
Indian businessmen are interested to invest their money in the Philippines despite the existing of martial law in Mindanao, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said upon his arrival from his first official visit to India.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte receives the copies of signed business agreements from Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez during the Philippines-India Business Forum at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi, India on Friday, January 26, 2018.
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his deep appreciation for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's acceptance to visit India for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, an Indian top official said Thursday, January 25, 2018. At a press briefing, India Ministry of External Affairs Secretary Preeti Saran described the bilateral meeting between President Duterte and Prime Minister Modi as "very cordial." Saran said the Prime Minister conveyed his deep gratitude to the President for pushing through with his trip despite having domestic problems back home particularly the Mayon volcano eruption. "Our Prime Minister conveyed his deep appreciation to President Duterte. He was aware of the risk of Mayon Volcano that has erupted which is naturally a cause of concern," said Saran. "And in fact because of that, President Duterte had to delay his flight because he needs to attend to issues related to assuring safety and whichever arrangements that they need back home," she added. She said Prime Minister Modi appreciated the fact that President Duterte still brought along a high-level delegation including his Cabinet officials in his trip "underlining the importance that he personally attached to this visit." "That gesture was deeply appreciated by our Prime Minister and he conveyed his sincerest thanks to him for that," she added. Saran said the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest during the bilateral meeting including combatting illicit drug trafficking, sharing of intelligence and countering terrorism such as urban terrorism. She added that the two "shared concerns about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction" citing linkages and international networks involved in such activities. The Indian official said President Duterte also reiterated his deepest appreciation to Prime Minister for the assistance of $500,000 that was provided by India to resettlement of victims of Marawi siege. She said Duterte likewise expressed interest and desire for greater cooperation with India in the pharmaceutical sector and agreed to form a joint technical working group to hold meetings as early as March. She said the President also conveyed his appreciation for the role of the Indian community in various fields in the Philippines including economic, services sector and infrastructure.
ILIGAN City (3 Jan 2018) - Poor drainage system that could not cope with heavy rainfall triggered the flooding in this city on Tuesday (January2) during the onset of Tropical Depression Agaton. Residents in several barangays were alarmed as floodwaters began to slowly creep into their homes in the evening of January 1, until early dawn the next day.
Several residents in Barangay Tibanga recalled that the heavy downpour that started at around 1:00 a.m. and continued until the morning, causing the village's drainage to overflow. A resident in neighboring Barangay Palao also blamed the flooding on the "overflowing creeks due to trashes clogging the canals." City Councilor Renato Ancis, chair of the infrastructure committee, said the City Council would ask Mayor Celso Gomera Regencia to purchase a suction truck to de-clog the city's waterways, including canals and creeks. Councilor Ancis sees the need to allocate an amount for the repair and improvement of the city's drainage system in the 2018 local budget. A total of 783 families or 3,689 individuals have been evacuated after the knee-deep flooding swamped their homes, according to the City Social Welfare and Development office. [Irma S. Boza, PNA]
