TODAY’S TOP STORIES (from online news monitoring)
18
December 2022, Sunday, as of 4PM
Former President Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo) and Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria ‘Joma’ Sison (Joma Sison Facebook page)
1. Joma’s death update
-Duterte
hopes Sison’s death marks end of PH revolutionary movement
-Joma
Sison’s death ends ‘greatest stumbling block’ to peace –DND
-CPP:
Founder's death not the end of rebellion
-AFP:
No threats from Reds seen with Joma Sison’s death; AFP: No one else fit to head
CPP
-CPP
declares days of mourning, honors for Joma Sison; Reds want Joma Sison buried
in PH
-CPP
says NPA can 'stage tactical offensives' in honor of Joma Sison
[CNN
PHL, ABS-CBN News, DZBB, GMA News, Inquirer, CNN PHL, Rappler, Manila Bulletin,
News5, Philstar] ©PIA-PMU
https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/18/duterte-hopes-sisons-death-marks-end-of-ph-revolutionary-movement/
2. Baliwag, Bulacan gains cityhood following plebiscite - Comelec
[ABS-CBN
News, GMA news, Inquirer, Rappler, Philstar, Manila Bulletin] ©PIA-PMU
3. North Korea fires ballistic missile: Seoul’s military
[Inquirer,
ABS-CBN News, Rappler, Reuters, Philstar, Manila Standard] ©PIA-PMU
https://www.rappler.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-ballistic-missile-december-18-2022/
4. 10 dead in Muntinlupa fire
[DZBB,
ABS-CBN News, GMA News, DZMM, Inquirer, Manila Bulletin] ©PIA-PMU
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2022/12/18/putatan-muntinlupa-fire.html
5. Marcos Jr. OKs extending lower tariffs on pork, rice, corn, coal
[Manila
Bulletin, CNN PHL, ABS-CBN News] ©PIA-PMU
6. Maharlika Welfare Fund
-Romualdez
guarantees transparency in Maharlika fund [Inquirer, Manila Bulletin]
-Neda
chief backs Maharlika fund to help sustain economic growth
-Set
aside Maharlika profits for agri secto – gov’t urged [Inquirer]
-ACT
Teacher Party-list Rep. France Castro says Maharlika Investment Fund exemptions
in regulatory and safeguards
[DZBB,
Inquirer, CNN PHL, Manila Bulletin] ©PIA-PMU
7. PH moves target to become upper middle income status to 2025
[Inquirer,
GMA News, Manila Standard] ©PIA-PMU
https://business.inquirer.net/378443/ph-moves-target-to-become-upper-middle-income-status-to-2025
8. Christmas and New Year preps
-Hospitals
to be on high alert ahead of New Year celebrations - DOH
-PCG:
More travelers in ports nationwide as Christmas nears [CNN PHL, GMA News,
Inquirer]
©PIA-PMU
9. Lapid murder update
-Ex
Bucor official Zulueta photographed in Baguio; not in hiding says lawyer
-Former
BuCor official denies 'mastermind' tag in Percy Lapid murder
-BuCor
official tagged in Percy Lapid slay still in Philippines –lawyer
[Inquirer,
GMA News, ABS-CBN News] ©PIA-PMU
10. COVID-19
-OCTA
sees up to 1,200 new COVID-19 cases on Dec. 18
-1,196
new COVID-19 cases logged; active tally at 18,262
-92%
of Filipinos approve of gov't COVID-19 response –OCTA Q4 survey
-COVID-19
transmission in PH still on plateau
-More
Filipinos OK with gov't response to pandemic
[CNN
PJL, GMA News, Inquirer] ©PIA-PMU
11. Vaccine
DOH
hopes to have bivalent vaccines available by Q1 2023
Marikina
promotes COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign via bike ride in Marikina City
[GMA
News, Inquirer, DZBB] ©PIA-PMU
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1706418/doh-aims-to-have-bivalent-vaccines-available-by-q1-2023
12. 1st day of Register Anywhere Project ‘successful’—Comelec
[GMA
News, Manila Bulletin, Sunstar, News5] ©PIA-PMU
https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/17/1st-day-of-register-anywhere-project-successful-comelec]
13. Weather update
-Amihan
to bring rains to Metro Manila, parts of Luzon: PAGASA
-Sea
travels for small vessels in Batangas suspended due to bad weather
[ABS-CBN
News, GMA News, Inquirer] ©PIA-PMU
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1706411/amihan-shear-line-to-bring-rain-over-parts-of-luzon-pagasa
—Philippine Information Agency | PIA Monitoring Unit—
