President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. late Wednesday appealed for calm after gunshots triggered a commotion inside the Senate complex, saying authorities were moving swiftly to identify those behind the incident and secure all evidence. “We will get to the bottom of this,” said Marcos in a video message. "We do not yet know who tried to enter the Senate, but we are collecting all evidence.” He said he has dispatched Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez to lead the investigation. The President said he had spoken with his former Senate colleague, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, to call for sobriety amid rising political tensions. Marcos said he also ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to stand down following the Supreme Court’s directive for the government to respond to Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s petition against the execution of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant tied to the Duterte drug war killings.
Live broadcasts within the Senate building showed commotion within the second floor, with gun shots heard and uniformed personnel armed with long fire arms and clad in bulletproof vests trying to secure the area. It remains unclear what happened, with security personnel refusing to reply to media queries.
The Department of Agriculture (Philippines) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources have signed new agreements with Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands to strengthen cooperation in the fisheries sector.
The Philippines showcased significant progress in legal and regulatory reforms during the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) Steering Committee meeting on May 12, highlighting efforts to create a transparent, competitive, and investment-friendly business environment.
The Department of Agriculture is strengthening its partnership with local government units and private stakeholders to scale up ube production, meet rising global demand, and create more export opportunities for Isabela farmers.
The Government Service Insurance System or GSIS has opened its new Dagupan branch, replacing the old facility that had served the province since 1961. The new office at Cityscape Lifestyle Center is flood-free, more spacious, and modern, serving over 73,000 members and pensioners across Pangasinan.
Electricity prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market climbed 3.1 percent in September, according to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines. The Independent Electricity Market Operators of the Philippines or IEMOP reported Tuesday that the national average hit P7.43 per kilowatt-hour as of September 25, up from August’s P7.21 per kWh. It said the rates will be used to calculate spot-market electricity costs billed this October.
Rockwell Land Corp. has joined the government’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, agreeing to offer preferential housing prices and incentives to qualified Pag-IBIG Fund members as the administration seeks to widen access to homeownership among working- and middle-class Filipinos.