Current News and Events

Incumbents
For the current incumbents of the Executive Cabinet under the current administration,
see Cabinet of the Philippines. For the current leaders in the Congress of the Philippines,
see Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives of the Philippines. For
the complete list of the current Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines,
see Current Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Benigno S.
Aquino III

Jejomar C.
Binay, Sr.

Franklin M.
Drilon

Feliciano R.
Belmonte, Jr.

Maria Lourdes
P.A. Sereno

President: Benigno S. Aquino III (Liberal) (until June 30)

Vice President: Jejomar C. Binay, Sr. (UNA) (until June 30)

Congress (16th):

Senate President: Franklin M. Drilon (Liberal)

House Speaker: Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr. (Liberal)

Chief Justice: Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno

Events
January

January 1 The Iglesia ni Cristo claims three new Guinness world records during
the "Countdown to 2016" grand New Year event at the Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue,
Bulacan.[1]

January 4 The Sandiganbayan Special Second Division has finally ordered Alfonso
Lim Sr., a crony of the late president Ferdinand Marcos to return to the government all
properties he acquired.[2]

January 7 The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has denied the bail petition of
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in connection with his alleged involvement in the pork barrel
scam.[3]

January 8 The Department of Foreign Affairs files a diplomatic protest against

China's test flights in the Kagitingan Reef located across the disputed West Philippine
Sea.[4]

January 12 The Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the Enhanced

Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States
signed in 2014.[5]

January 13 Zamboanga City declared a state of calamity due to the onslaught

of El Nio phenomenon and its negative effects to the farmlands.[6]

January 14 President Aquino vetoes House Bill No. 5842, which intends to
increase the pension of the members of Social Security System.[7]

January 15 Munap Saimaran, one of the bandits in the 2000 Sipadan kidnappings,
is arrested in Sulu.[8]

January 19

President Aquino approves Republic Act 10742 or the SK Reforms Act of 2016
that will enable reforms in strengthening the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) political
system.[9]

North Cotabato declares a state of calamity after damages due to the 2016
El Nio reached over 200 million, including damage due to drought and rats.[10]

January 20

Former Iglesia ni Cristo evangelical worker Lowell Menorca II is arrested

by Manila Police District policemen in civil clothes without any warrant of arrest
showed due to libel charges filed by SCAN International Lanao del Norte chapter
while he trying to attend a hearing in Court of Appeals.[11] The INC categorily
denied the involvement in commotion between the policemen and Menorca.[12]

The Office of the Ombudsman orders effectively the dismissal in service

of Quezon City District 2 Councilor Roderick Paulate and District 1 Councilor
Francisco Calalay and two city liaison officials on the hiring of "ghost employees"
in 2010.[13]

January 22

Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa is appointed as the new

Associate Justice of Supreme Court, replacing retired justice Martin Villarama, Jr.[14]

Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, a former official of the Philippine Drug

Enforcement Agency's Special Enforcement Service, is arrested in a buy-bust
operation in a shabu laboratory in Sta. Cruz, Manila.[15]

The Sandiganbayan First Division has dismissed the graft case against
incumbent Bohol Representative Rene Relampagos, Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto

and five others for alleged disadvantageous privatization of the provinces electric
and water utilities in 2000.[16]

January 2431 The 51st International Eucharistic Congress is held in Cebu.[17]

January 25 Jay Manalo Ilagan, mayor of Mataas na Kahoy town in Batangas, who
has been charged with rape and human trafficking in 2014, surrendered to the
National Bureau of Investigation.[18]

January 26 The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee concludes its hearings on the
corruption allegations against Vice President and UNA presidential candidate Jejomar
Binay.[19]

January 27 The Bangsamoro Basic Law supposed to be passed on its final reading
in the House of Representatives before January.[20] But due to no proper quorum in the
Congress, the bill had no chances to pass in the House of Representatives in the 16th
Congress.[21] Aside from the BBL, Aquino administration's priority bills, the AntiDynasty, Anti-Discrimination and the Freedom of Information bills, "killed" in the 16th
congress as the Session will temporarily adjourned in preparation for the 2016
elections.[22]

January 31 In the latest report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ),

the Philippines places second in the list of most dangerous places for journalists. [23]

February

February 1 The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 142 issues a warrant of arrest
against Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Antonio Trillanes IV over the libel case
filed by disqualified Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, Jr..[24] On February 9, Trillanes posted
bail.[25]

February 3 The COMELEC 1st Division denied all the disqualification cases against
PDPLaban presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.[26]

February 5

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) files the usurpation
case against former PNP Chief Alan Purisima due to usurping his role in his
involvement in theMamasapano clash.[27]

Maguindanao suffers from the effects of the 2014-2016 El Nio, destroying

rice and corn crops on the drought caused, and the provincial government
declares a state of calamity in response to residents experiencing food shortage.[28]

February 9 The AFP and PNP operatives arrest Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters (BIFF) top leader Hassan Indal a.k.a. Abu Hazam in a joint operation
in Cotabato City.[29]

February 10 The National Mapping and Resource Information

Authority announces that it has documented more than 400 additional islands, mostly
in the Mindanao group, using the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar. The
islands were previously thought to be part of a bigger island.[30] The previous official
count was 7,107 by the Gazetteer of the Philippine Islands in 1945.[31]

February 16 Six policemen killed and eight wounded in a clash with New People's
Army members in Barangay Sta. Margarita, Baggao, Cagayan.[32]

February 18 The Department of Transportation and Communications and

the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board launches the P2P or Point
to Point Premium Bus, the first bus service in the country accessible for the Persons
with Disabilities sector.[33][34]

February 19

President Aquino signs Executive Order 201 (under the proposed Salary
Standardization Law of 2015) that increases the salaries of government
agency workers and adding additional benefits to civilian and military uniformed
personnel.[35]

The Office of the Ombudsman files graft and documents falsification charges
before the Sandiganbayan against former Makati City mayor Junjun Binay and 22
others over the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Parking
Building II.[36]

February 26 At least 60 are killed in a encounter in Butig, Lanao del Sur. Among
them were suspected members of Maute Terrorist Group and three soldiers.[37]
February 29

The Philippines and Japan signs an agreement on the transfer of the

Japanese defense and surveillance equipment to the country's military.[38]

The remains of the late President Elpidio Quirino, the sixth president of the
Philippines, are transferred from the Manila South Cemetery in Makati to
the Heroes' Cemeteryin Taguig to mark his 60th death anniversary.[39]

March
March 1 Aid al-Qarni, a Islam preacher, and a diplomat from Saudi Arabian embassy
was shot by a gunman after a lecture in the Western Mindanao State
University inZamboanga City.[40]

March 3 The Office of the Ombudsman files charges against five former
Representatives including former Muntinlupa congressman Ruffy Biazon, in
connection with thePriority Development Assistance Fund scam.[41]

March 5

The Philippine government orders to impound a cargo ship from North

Korea in the Subic port, in response to tighter sanctions by United Nations against
North Korea due to its nuclear and ballistic missile tests.[42] On March 24, the North
Korean freighter M/V Jin Teng has left the country, after no contraband was found
onboard and the ship was cleared by the United Nations.[43]

The Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of Valenzuela City Mayor Rex
Gatchalian and 6 others over the deadly blaze that hit footwear factory Kentex
Manufacturing Corporation, killing at least 72 people in May last year. [44] On March
15, The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of graft charges against Gatchalian
and seven other individuals in connection with this case.[45]

March 8 Voted 9-6, the Supreme Court (SC) has reversed the disqualification of
Sen. Grace Poe from the May presidential elections.[46]

March 15

The Supreme Court dismisses several petitions by several party-list groups to

issue a TRO to stop the implementation of the K+12 education program of
the Department of Education.[47]

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has begin its inquiry into the alleged
money laundering of $100 million that has dragged into this one of the country's
leading financial institutions.[48]

Former Bukidnon Rep. Candido Pancrudo Jr. and five other individuals were
charged with graft and malversation over their alleged involvement in the
multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.[49]

March 16

BIR employee Rhodora Alvarez, who blew the whistle on the alleged
anomalous deal, filed a plunder complaint against Defense Secretary Voltaire
Gazmin over a P1.2 billion helicopter deal in 2013.[50]

Disqualified Laguna Governor Emilio Ramon ER Ejercito and eight other

individuals were charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan over an alleged
anomalous insurance deal entered in 2008.[51]

March 18 Former Camarines Norte Governor Roy Padilla Jr., elder brother of Robin
Padilla, was arrested over his failure to return a firearm issued to him in 1992.[52]

March 21 The UNESCO has added Albay in the Philippines as one of the 20
additions to its network of protected biosphere nature reserves.[53]

March 22

The Sandiganbayan Second Division has dismissed the graft case

against Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) former president and
general manager Winston Garcia on the alleged anomalous awarding of a
multimillion-peso electronic membership card (e-Card) project in 2004. [54]

The Court of Appeals (CA) has junked dismissed Makati mayor Junjun Binay's
contempt charges against former interior secretary Mar Roxas,
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, former justice Secretary Leila de Lima, and
5 others.[55]

Diwata-1

March 23

Diwata-1 was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard

the Cygnus spacecraft on a supply mission. Cygnus itself will be launched using
the Atlas V rocket. The satellite will be deployed into orbit from the ISS in April.
Diwata-1 is the country's first micro-satellite and the first satellite to be built and
designed by Filipinos.[56]

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (under the Memorandum
Circular 94) that aimed at "achieving unified action" as part of efforts to find a
resolution to the country's territorial dispute with China on the West Philippine
Sea is created.[57]

March 25 Customs at the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen destroyed 34.78

tons of "substandard bananas" imported from the Philippines due to excessive
pesticide use.[58]

March 26 A raging fire on the Philippines highest mountain, Mt. Apo, forced
hundreds of people to flee from the peak by foot.[59]

March 28

Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) general manager Neric Acosta

has been sentenced to a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment after being found
guilty of one count of graft by the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division in connection
with the misuse of his pork barrel funds as district representative of Bukidnon. [60]

None of the three pre-qualified bidders have submitted offers for the largest
Private-Public Partnership (PPP) project to date, the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway
estimated to cost around P123 billion.[61]

Several piles of license plate sheets were stolen from the Quezon City central
office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) during the Holy Week break.[62]

March 29

Ten Indonesian crew members on board a tugboat were kidnapped by Abu

Sayyaf militants in the Philippines.[63]

President Aquino has signed Republic Act No. 10754 into law a bill authored
by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez granting persons with disabilities (PWDs)
exemption from the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on certain goods and
services.[64]

The Commission on Elections has decided not to stop the broadcast of

senatorial candidate Manny Pacquiao's boxing match on April 9.[65]

March 30 The Office of the Ombudsman filed graft and technical malversation
cases against Sen. JV Ejercito, before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged anomalous
purchase of high-powered firearms worth P2.1 million during his term as mayor of San
Juan City.[66]

March 31

The camp of businessman Kim Wong handed over to the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas, the $4.6 million he volunteered to return to the Bangladesh government,
supposedly after learning that the money was part of the $81-million money
laundering scheme.[67] On April 4, Wong turned over an additional P38.28 million to
the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) office.[68]

Addong Salahuddin, suspect in the bombing incident at the Zamboanga

City Airport on August 5, 2010, where two people were killed and 28 others
injured, including former Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan has surrendered to the National
Bureau of Investigation.[69]

For failure to exhaust all available administrative remedies, the Court of

Appeals has dismissed the Philippine Heart Center's (PHC) bid for exemption from
payment of real property tax.[70]

April

April 1

At least 3 are killed and several others were wounded when police
dispersed a farmers' protest action in Kidapawan demanding relief from the
provincial government due to a drought caused by El Nino affecting the province
since November 2015.[71]

The Department of Education in partnership with Stairway Foundation

launches CyberSafe Project Manuals, which contain individual lesson plans
targeting Grades 5 to 6 and junior high students to prevent Internet-related child
abuse.[72]

April 2 A power outage hits the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal
3 in Pasay City causing a disruption in the processing of passengers.[73]

April 4 The Olongapo Regional Trial Court Branch 74 denies the petition of US
Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton to reverse his conviction for his homicide case of
Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude.[74]

April 5

The Office of the Ombudsman finds probable cause to file charges against
former PNP chief Alan Purisima and former SAF director Getulio Napeas for the
Mamasapano operation that saw 44 SAF troopers killed, the biggest loss of the
police in recent history.[75]

The Ombudsman orders the filing of graft charges against re-electionist Cebu
3rd District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia and 11 other former officials over the alleged
anomalous construction of the P833-million Cebu International Convention
Center (CICC) in 2006.[76]

April 6 A group calling itself iBalik ang Bilyones ng Mamamayan (iBBM) filed a
complaint for plunder against Senator Bongbong Marcos for his alleged involvement
in the multi-billion-peso pork barrel scam.[77]
April 8

Italian national Rolando Del Torchio who was kidnapped at his pizza parlor in
Dipolog City on October 7, 2015 has been released.[78]
Bohol declares state of calamity due to the 2016 El Nio.[79]

April 9 18 soldiers and 5 Abu Sayyaf bandits including a suspected foreign

terrorist, Moroccan national Mohammad Khattab, and Ubaida Hapilon, the son of
senior leader Isnilon Hapilon are killed during a clash in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan.[80]

April 11

The groundbreaking rites for the Clark Green City was conducted and led by
President Benigno Aquino III.[81]
Cebu province is placed under state of calamity due to the 2016 El Nio.[82]

April 13 The Sandidganbayan Fifth Division has granted the petitions for bail of
former APEC party-list Representative Edgar Valdez, former Masbate Representative
Rizalina Lanete and Janet Lim Napoles who were facing plunder charges in connection
the pork barrel scam.[83]

April 14 Former Davao del Sur Rep. Marc Douglas Cagas IV and former Energy
Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Zenaida Ducut together with 23 other
individuals were charged with graft and malversation of public funds in connection
with their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.[84]