DND lauds action vs. photo manipulation
The Department of National Defense (DND) commended Army chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay for swiftly imposing disciplinary action against a junior officer “responsible for the manipulated photo on former rebels.” “This sends a strong signal to all commanders to stick to the time-honored principle of truthfulness and honesty in reporting, and that violations of the same have dire consequences,” Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said in a statement. The Army leadership earlier relieved Lt. Col. Napoleon Pabon of his post as commander of the 2nd Infantry Battalion. A 2IB unit manipulated photos of rebel surrenderees for its report that was released to the media. Rene Acosta
Makati padlocks KTV bar
Makati City shut down a KTV bar inside the penthouse of Makati Palace Hotel for operating an alleged prostitution den following the arrest of two Taiwanese on Friday. Aside from the owners, 14 Chinese customers, who were all employees of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator firm, were nabbed by the authorities. Thirteen Filipinas were rescued and brought to the city’s social welfare office. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
Pinays nabbed at airport
Airport immigration agents nabbed last Friday three Filipino women who were illegally recruited to work as bar girls in Hong Kong. Authorities said the trio admitted they were going to work in Hong Kong, and were promised salaries of HK$500 a day. It was learned that the women were recruited by a female agent whom they only met via Facebook. They admitted they each spent P15,000 for their plane tickets, but the cost of processing their travel documents was shouldered by their recruiter whom they will pay through salary deduction. Recto Mercene
Comelec to bring back debate series
After its absence in the 2019 midterm polls, the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) debate series for candidates may be set for a comeback in the next elections, Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez said in an interview. “This early, we are already talking about it,” Jimenez said. “We see that debates carry a lot of weight when it comes to enlivening the elections for voters, especially when it is already near.” He added the initial plan is to cover presidential and vice presidential candidates, like what the Comelec did in their 2016 debates. Samuel P. Medenilla