GOVERNANCE/POLITICS

MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. as the new chief of the Philippine National Police, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said on Monday.

A graduate of Philippine Military Academy (‘Makatao’ Class of 1989), Azurin is currently the commander of the Northern Luzon Police Area composed of the regions of Ilocos (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3) and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

COTABATO CITY – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has laid down the foundation of his administration development agenda in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday, a college dean and political analyst in Soccsksargen’s state-run university in North Cotabato said.

“He has set the tone for the country’s sustainable development goals,” said Professor Marcos Monderin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) based in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

MANILA – President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday expressed hope that Congress would heed his call to pass at least 19 priority measures of his administration. 

This, as Marcos enumerated his administration's priority legislative measures in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). 

"As I am here today addressing the legislature, let me propose legislation that we would like for you to pass," he said in his SONA delivered before lawmakers at the plenary of the House of Representatives. 

Better government services 

MANILA – Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Loren Legarda on Monday assumed their new posts as Senate President and Senate President Pro Tempore, respectively, as the first regular session of the 19th Congress opened.

Zubiri assured they will be productive in addressing the needs of the nation.

"As SP, I will do my utmost best to uphold the dignity, integrity, and independence of the Senate. We have 24 senators, 24 voices, 24 votes — pantay-pantay po kami diyan (We are equals)," Zubiri said in a statement

MANILA - Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez was elected and installed as Speaker of the House of Representatives during the opening of the 19th Congress Session on Monday afternoon.

Rep. Romuladez earned 282 votes from colleagues while four lawmakers abstained and one voted “No.” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, was the lone solon who voted against Romualdez.

Twenty-two other lawmakers failed to vote.

The four who abstained were members of the “Makabayan bloc.”

COTABATO CITY— The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) conducted on Monday, July 18, a house-to-house distribution of assistive devices to seven (7) persons with disability (PWD) in this city.
 
The devices were part of the 64 mobility aids the MSSD delivered in the city on July 15, which included 33 wheelchairs with commode, 5 sets of underarm adjustable crutch for adult, 4 sets of underarm pediatric adjustable crutch, 11 adjustable canes, 10 folding canes for blind, and one walker cane.
 

MANILA – Despite testing positive for Covid-19, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is doing fine and continues to work in isolation, giving out directives to his cabinet officials in the comfort of his home, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles on Sunday said.

Angeles said the President was visited Saturday afternoon by his lead physician, Dr. Samuel Zacate, who noted that the chief executive has greatly improved with only mild symptoms with “no fever, no loss of taste and smell sensation.”

2 Basilan execs renew support for peace process

COTABATO CITY – Two peace activists got to the helm of the Lamitan City and Basilan local governments in symbolic rites Thursday.

Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay and Basilan Gov. Gov. Jim Salliman also separately announced Thursday that they will support the Mindanao peace process as elected officials.

The Mindanao peace process aims to end for good the now five-decade Mindanao Moro secessionist issue.

MANILA – Newly-installed President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. promised on Thursday to transform the Philippines into an "agile and resilient" nation under his leadership.

In his inaugural address delivered at the National Museum of the Philippines, Marcos said he would act in haste and avoid delays in making decisions, in a bid to give Filipinos a better life in a "safer" and "more prosperous" country.

COTABATO CITY --- The favored candidate for mayor here of the fledgling political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front assumed as the new city chief executive Thursday, June 30.

Mayor Bruce Matabalao, who aspired for mayor here during the May 19, 2022 elections under the banner of the MILF’s United Bangsamoro Justice Party, or UBJP, said he shall focus on peace and development initiatives that would benefit the local Muslim and Christian communities.

He defeated in the recent mayoral race the reelectionist Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi.