TODAY’S TOP STORIES (from online news monitoring)
18 January 2023, Wednesday, as of 5PM
-Bantag’s plea to inhibit DOJ prosecutors from
probing 2 murder charges denied
-DOJ’s panel of prosecutors resumes Jan. 24 probe
on deaths of Percy Lapid, Bilibid inmate
[GMA News, Manila Bulletin, ABS-CBN News, Inquirer,
CNN PHL, Manila Times]
2. Quake
-Magnitude 7.3 quake rocks Sarangani and Davao
Occidental; Magnitude 4.7 quake hits Camarines Norte — Phivolcs
-Phivolcs: No tsunami threat to Philippines from
strong Indonesia quake
[CNN PHL, GMA News, Manila Bulletin, Rappler,
Inquirer, ABS-CBN News, Philstar]
3. Marcos’ WEF meeting
-Palace: Blair says Marcos' attendance in World
Economic Forum sends a good signal
-Mark Villar says Maharlika fund generated interest
at 2023 World Economic Forum
-IMF head says PH an ‘exceptionally
well-performing’ country amid turbulence
-Ex-UK PM Tony Blair interested in supporting PH
railway projects — DOTr chief Bautista
-Philippines, US hold strategic dialogue on
alliance this week
[Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, GMA News, Philstar]
4. Senators question 1995 law requiring all locally-produced salt to be iodized; Seek development, revitalization of ‘diminishing’ PH salt industry
[ABS-CBN News, CNN PHL, Inquirer, GMA News, Manila
Bulletin]
5. Onion supply and other commodities
-Customs denies conspiring with smugglers, DA amid
onion crisis
-Struggling to boost production, DA intensifies
anti-smuggling fight
-DTI still finalizing updated SRPs of basic goods
-'Poor planning' of agri dept led to onion crisis –
Dar
[ANC,
ABS-CBN News, CNN PHL, Interaksyon, Manila Bulletin, GMA News, Philstar]
6. DA okay with smuggled sugar sold at Kadiwa stores
-BOC: Over P24 billion worth of smuggled goods
seized in 2022
-Villar irked by DENR exec invoking Land Use Act
during salt production discussion
-Farm gate price of eggs per tray in San Jose,
Batangas, dubbed the egg basket of the Philippines
[DZBB, GMA News, Manila Times, CNN PHL, Inquirer,
ABS-CBN News]
7. Abduction of Cebu activists update
-CHR condemns abduction of Cebu development
workers, launches investigation
-Father of abducted Cebu activist fearing for
family's safety
-House told to condemn, probe apparent abduction of
Cebu activists
-German envoy urges probe of Cebu-based activists’
abduction
-Various activist groups protest for justice for
death of Manny Asuncion and other activists at DOJ
[GMA News, Philstar, Manila Bulletin, Inquirer]
8. Air traffic fiasco
-Independent body now handles investigation on
CAAP’s airport fiasco
-CAAP engineer in charge of CNS/ATM system goes on
leave amid air traffic fiasco probe
-CAAP eyes air traffic management system upgrade
after New Year's day fiasco
-2 CAAP officials distance selves from NAIA crisis
probe
-No OFW fired due to Jan 1 NAIA crisis, CAB tells
House panel
[CNN PHL,
Manila Bulletin, Inquirer]
9. Hontiveros: Filipinos illegally recruited as crypto-scammers in Cambodia too
[GMA News, Inquirer, Manila Bulletin]
© Philippine Information Agency Monitoring Unit
