Philippines Morning News For January 18

‘Duterte can run again under federal Charter’
Restricted to a single term under the Constitution, President Duterte can run again for the highest office under new federal Charter, according to the leader of the House panel spearheading efforts in the chamber to change the Constitution.
— Philstar

‘Responsible journalism means complying with the law’ – NPC
THE National Press Club (NPC) on Wednesday sided with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the revocation of the corporate papers of online news outfit Rappler, saying there was no threat to the exercise of press freedom and freedom of expression.
— The Manila Times

Philippines checks if key Malaysian extremist survived siege
Philippine troops are trying to validate intelligence information that a Malaysian militant leader survived the defeat of an Islamic State group-linked siege and is helping restart efforts to establish an extremist alliance, a military official said Wednesday.
— ABC News

Philippine lawmakers worry China Telecom may be a ‘Trojan horse’
Opposition members of the Philippine Congress raised concern on Wednesday that China Telecom Corp Ltd, which may enter the Philippine industry, could be a “Trojan horse” aimed at giving China access to state secrets.
— Channel NewsAsia

Why Rappler is raising Philippine press freedom fears
The Philippines has revoked a licence for one of its major English-language news sites, Rappler, igniting a debate about press freedom in the country.
— BBC

Philippines remains ‘partly free’ in world freedom index
The Philippines maintained its “partly free” status in the 2018 world freedom index released by human rights advocacy group Freedom House.
— Philstar

Philippines added to APHIS avian influenza list
USDA’s Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) has added the Philippines to the list of regions affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) of any subtype.
— FarmFutures

Philippines: Better services seen with improved air traffic equipment
Air passengers using Philippine international airports can expect markedly improved services and better safety after the country completed its air traffic management system, Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation (DoTR) said.
— Gulf News

AIIB plays important role in Philippine infrastructure program: official
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) plays a very important role in the Philippines’ massive infrastructure program and the government hopes to deepen its cooperation with the bank in the future, said the government budget chief on Wednesday.
— Xinhua Net

PH plans to import 250K tons of rice
The Philippines, one of the world’s top rice buyers, plans to import 250,000 tons of rice as soon as possible to boost thinning stockpiles, an official of the state’s grains procurement agency said on Wednesday.
— Malaya

Duterte warns of fresh terrorist threat
The country faces a terrorist threat, and it’s “coming in very fast,” with the warning issued by President Duterte himself.
— Philstar

Philippine School System to Implement Israeli Science Curriculum
Davao, the Philippines’ second-largest largest city, has signed an agreement to implement the Israel Sci-Tech Schools’ i-STEAM education model in one of its public high schools as a model for the rest of the city’s high schools.
— The Tower

‘Federalism a leap to hell’
TWO former chief justices bickered on Wednesday over whether the Charter should be changed, with Hilario Davide Jr. warning that a shift to federalism would be a “leap to hell” and Reynato Puno saying the 31-year-old constitution has been overtaken by globalization.
— The Manila Times

Philippine senators say quick revision of charter impossible
Philippine senators said on Wednesday it was not possible to amend the constitution to create a federal government in two months as proposed by the lower house which would allow the president a second term in office.
— Channel NewsAsia

Japan Gives Philippines Another Security Boost With Law Enforcement Aid
Tokyo’s recent handover of patrol vehicles is just one part of wider collaboration on security.
— The Diplomat

Regulators In The Philippines Continue To Tighten The Screws On Esports
Competitive gaming in the Philippines was dealt another serious blow after the recent signing of a resolution by the country’s Games and Amusement Board (GAB).
— Kotaku Compete

Duterte warns of fresh terrorist threat
The country faces a terrorist threat, and it’s “coming in very fast,” with the warning issued by President Duterte himself.
— Philstar

Subway, road project loans eyed for signing
Agreements for two Japanese government-financed projects worth a total of $1.01 billion are expected to be signed before the end of this month, the Finance department said on Wednesday.
— The Manila Times

Government defends Martial Law extension before Supreme Court
The government yesterday justified the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao before the Supreme Court (SC), with the military saying terrorist activities in the region still exist.
— Philstar

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Philippines morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Philippines news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Philippines Morning News For January 18 added by Leakhena Khat on January 18, 2018
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Leakhena Khat

Leakhena is a junior journalist at AEC News Today who is also currently studying International Relations, which she finds adds perspective to her work reporting on the Asean Community.

“I love what I am doing so much as it gives me a lot of great experience and provides challenges to my mind.