KULUNGAN ang kinasadlalan ng isang lalaki nang makuhanan ng hindi lisensyadong baril sa bisa ng ipinatupad na search warrant ng pulisya sa Valenzuela City.

Sa ulat, nakatanggap ng impormasyon ang mga tauhan ni Valenzuela police chief P/Col. Relly Arnedo na nag-iingat umano ng hindi lisensyadong baril ang 37-anyos na lalaki na residente ng Brgy. Gen T. De Leon.

Bitbit ang search warrant na inisyu ni Valenzuela City Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Evangeline S. Mendoza-Francisco, hinalughog ng mga tauhan ng Gen. T De Leon Police Sub-Station (SS2) ang bahay ng suspek sa Brgy. Gen T. De Leon dakong alas-5:20 ng hapon.

Nasamsam ng mga tauhan ng SS2 sa loob ng bahay ng suspek ang isang improvised UZI-type na baril na may limang bala ng kalibre .22 sa magazine.

Mahaharap ang suspek sa kasong paglabag sa Section 28 ng R.A 10591 o ang Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition. (Richard Mesa)

MINENTINA ng National Unity Party (NUP) ang kanilang buong suporta sa pananatili bilang lider ng Kamara ni Speaker Martin Romualdez sa papasok na ika-20th Congress.

Kasabay ito sa pagtuligsa ni NUP president Rep. LRay Villafuerte  sa umano’y personal agenda ng pinatalsik na miyembro ng partido na si Deputy Speaker at Cebu Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco.

“The members of the supermajority coalition, with Duke’s exception, are four-square behind Speaker Martin (Romualdez) to remain at the helm of the House of Representatives in the next Congress to help stay the course of President Marcos’ agenda of better lives for all Filipinos. So, we actually do not know what discord he is talking about,” ani Villafuerte, outgoing congressman at governor-elect ng CamSur, kay Frasco, na pinatalsik ng NUP noong nakalipas na linggo dahil sa pag-alis ng suporta kay Romualdez na isang paglabag sa nagkaka-isang position ng partido na suportahan si Speaker.

Sinabi pa ni Villafuerte na lumilitaw na ang mambabatas ang siyang nagsusulong na sarili umano nitong personal at partisan interests.

“Frasco has slighted the official NUP position of support for Congressman Martin as a shrewd political ploy to arm-twist the Speaker into keeping him as Deputy Speaker in the incoming Congress. Duke was expelled last week for sowing disunity and discord himself in making his unilateral move to withdraw support from Congressman Martin in blatant contravention of the NUP’s unanimous support for the Speaker to keep his post in the next Congress—and without first consulting our party,” pahayag ni Villafuerte.

Iginiit naman nito na may karapatan ang sinuman na tumanggi at huwag lumagda.

“Pero may pananagutan din kaming itama ang maling impresyon—na ang tahimik na mayorya ay hindi nagkakaisa. Sa katunayan, mas matibay ang pagkakaisa ngayon kaysa dati. At this critical time in our national life, the Filipino people deserve less noise and more action. The House, under the leadership of Speaker Martin,  will continue to do its work—with clarity, competence, and conviction,” pagtatapos ng kongresista.

(Vina de Guzman)

NASA limang major na panukalang batas ukol sa extrajudicial killings, offshore gaming operations, land fraud, identity falsification at espionage ang naihain sa ginawang 15 marathon hearings na nagsagawa ng pinal na.

Kabilang sa mga panukala ay ang House Bill No. 10986 na nagka-klasipika sa extrajudicial killing bilang isang heinous crime at paglalaan ng reparations sa pamilya ng biktima; House Bill No. 10987 na nagbabawal sa lahat ng uri ng offshore gaming operations sa Pilipinas; House Bill No. 11043, na naglalaan ng civil forfeiture ng real estate na iligal na nabili o nakuha ng foreign nationals; House Bill No. 11117, na nagbibigay kapangyarihan sa estado na magkansela sa birth certificates na nakuha sa pamamagitan ng iligal na paraan at House Bill No. 10998, na nagpapataw ng and proposal to commit espionage.

Nagsagawa ng pagdinig ang Quad Comm kaugnay sa EJKs na naganap sa madugong drug war ng Duterte administration na ikinamatay ng libong pinoy.

Pinapurihan naman ni Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante, co-chair ng Quad Comm at chairman ng House Committee on Human Rights ang mga whistleblowers at saksi na tumestigo sa pagdinig.

“All this has been possible because good people chose not to be silent… To them, we say this: you may escape our reach, but not the long arms of the law,” ani Abante.

Sinabi naman ni Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano, co-chair ng House Quad Comm at chair naman ng House Committee on Public Accounts, na lumabas sa pagdinig na kailangang harapin ang realidad na may mga pinoy at Chinese nationals na hinayaang magpagamit para paghati-hatiin ang sambayanang Pilipino.

Nabunyag din sa komite ang birth certificate fraud scheme na ginamit ng Chinese nationals para makapag-operate ng business at makabili ng lupa.

“These unscrupulous individuals would deliberately resort to illegal means… to lend a semblance of legitimacy to their unlawful intentions,” dagdag nito.

(Vina de Guzman)

UMABOT sa mahigit P.4 milyong halaga ng shabu ang nasamsam sa dalawang hinihinalang sangkot sa pagtutulak ng ilegal na droga matapos matimbog ng pulisya sa buy bust operation sa Malabon City.

Sa kanyang report kay Northern Police District (NPD) District Director P/BGen. Josefino Ligan, kinilala ni District Drug Enforcement Unit (DDEU) chief P/Capt. Regie Pobadora ang mga suspek na sina alyas “Letlet”, 27, at alyas “Wangbu”, 43.

Ayon kay Capt. Pobadora, positibo ang natanggap nilang impormasyon hinggil sa umano’y ilegal drug activities ng mga suspek kaya ikinasa nila ang buy bust operation, sa koordinasyon sa PDEA.

Dakong alas-6:43 ng umaga nang dambahin ng mga tauhan ni Capt. Pobadora ang mga suspek sa Barangay Potrero, Malabon City matapos bintahan ng isang sachet ng shabu ang isang pulis na nagpanggap na buyer.

Nakumpiska sa mga suspek ang nasa 60 grams ng hinihinalang shabu na nagkakahalaga ng P408,000.00 at buy bust money.

Mahaharap ang mga suspek sa kasong paglabag sa Sections 5, 11, at 26 ng R.A 9165, o ang Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (Richard Mesa)

Leading medical experts, public and private sector partners, and civil society organizations called for urgent and united action to bring the Philippines in line with global standards on vaccination, screening, and treatment towards cervical cancer elimination (CCE) by 2030.

The CCE Summit held under the banner “One Community Against HPV: Innovations Enabling Cervical Cancer Elimination in the Philippines,” identified clear, science-driven pathways against the deadly human papillomavirus (HPV) to meet the World Health Organization’s standards.

A key focus of the summit was the recently released regional guidance from the Asia and Oceania Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AOFOG), which outlines a tiered set of recommendations to combat the preventable disease, which kills 12 Filipino women every day.

AOFOG is a federation of national societies of obstetrics and gynecology in the Asia-Pacific region, focused on improving women’s health and well-being. AOFOG aims to promote the practice of obstetrics and gynecology, reduce health disparities, and advance women’s health in the region.

Wider vaccination coverage

These include a preferred standard of vaccinating both females and males aged 9 to 26 years, with the option of expanding coverage up to age 45; from a minimum standard of vaccinating girls aged 9 to 14 years.

Broader protection vs HPV

AOFOG emphasized the use of the nonavalent (9vHPV) vaccine in countries where it is accessible due to its broader protection against high-risk HPV strains and its favorable safety profile.

Incidentally, the multi-omics research project from UP Manila funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) presented during the summit also led to the same

recommendation – that use of broader-valent HPV vaccine may be needed to better respond to this evidence on local epidemiology. The study provided local data reinforcing the need for Filipinas to get protected beyond the perceived common HPV types that may lead to cervical cancer.

In the Philippines, nonavalent HPV vaccine is now predominantly used in private vaccination centers and clinics, which protect against other prevalent HPV types solidifying it as the preferred option for primary prevention of cervical cancer in the Philippines.

The evidence aligns closely with AOFOG’s recommendations and serves as a crucial reference to push for a nationwide upgrade in the country’s HPV prevention strategy.

PH on its way to improving CCE interventions

On vaccination, the Philippines’ should be on its way as nonavalent HPV vaccine is also undergoing review by the DOST-Health Technology Assessment (HTA), and with positive recommendation, could also help DOH upgrade its vaccine to the global standards the soonest. HTA has recently released positive recommendation for government financing of HPV DNA test, which is a great jump in improving access of Filipinas to high-performing tests and detect HPV virus early.

Scale up awareness

AOFOG also underscored the need to scale up public education efforts, citing persistent myths and misinformation surrounding HPV and the vaccine. The federation recommends comprehensive education campaigns that span traditional and digital platforms to boost vaccine uptake and reinforce the importance of cervical cancer screening even after vaccination.

Cover other populations at risk

Since HPV has also been linked to other cancers, the AOFOG also emphasized that HPV vaccination should be inclusive and cover other populations at risk who face specific risks that are often overlooked.

Innovations vs HPV

The summit also featured innovations in screening and diagnostics, including the introduction of HPV self-testing kits and AI-enhanced cervical cancer screening technologies. These tools have the potential to significantly improve access and early detection, especially in communities with limited healthcare resources.

Together, these innovations support the achievement of the WHO’s cervical cancer elimination targets: 90% of girls vaccinated by age 15, 70% of women screened by ages 35 and 45, and 90% of women with pre-cancer or invasive cancer receiving appropriate treatment.

Finally, the summit reaffirmed the spirit of the AOFOG Manila Declaration first launched in 2019, calling on the Philippines to renew its commitment to eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.

This initiative is consistent with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the Magna Carta for Women, both of which emphasize gender-responsive health services, social protection, and equitable access to care throughout the stages of a woman’s life. 

Through data-driven reforms, community engagement, and bold adoption of new technologies, the summit emphasized that cervical cancer is preventable, and that now is the time to act.