1. THOUSANDS STRANDED DUE TO FLASH FLOODS
Thunderstorms and heavy downpour flooded the streets of Metro Manila yet again and turned major thoroughfares into virtual parking lots on Tuesday night. Thousands of commuters and motorists endured hours of monstrous traffic. Those taking public transport waited forever to get a ride and got home several hours later.
2. NCRPO ON FULL ALERT AT EDSA
Metro police are on full alert for the Sept. 11 anti-pork rally and prayer vigil in EDSA even though the expected turn out will not be as large as the Aug. 26 anti- pork picnic at Rizal Park. NCRPO director Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo Jr. said about a third of the police force from Quezon City and Eastern Police District have been deployed in the area. His crowd estimate is between 5,000 to 6,000 people. Classes in nearby Poveda College and La Salle Greehills have been suspended. The rally and prayer vigil has been scheduled to end at 4 p.m.
3. POWER RATES UP, GAS PRICES INCREASE
Shortly after Meralco announced an increase in electricity rates for September (18 centavos per kilowatt-hour), oil companies Seaoil Philippines and PTT Philippines also raised gasoline prices by 30 centavos per liter. Last week, oil firms had implemented a PHP1.35 per liter price hike for gasoline, PHP1 for diesel and PHP1.15 for kerosene.
4. TRAVEL WARNING AGAINST ZAMBOANGA CITY
Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States have issued travel warnings against Zamboanga and other parts of Mindanao due to threats of kidnapping and terrorist attack. The situation between the military and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) have worsened over the last couple of days. The UK government also warned about imminent kidnap threats against foreigners in Zamboanga del Norte.
5. CONGRESS CLOSER TO ABOLISHING PDAF
Congress is moving closer to scrapping the P27-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in the 2014 national budget. Vice President Jejomar Binay’s P200-million annual pork barrel fund will also be taken out of the PHP2.268-trillion national budget . Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Tuesday that House members have agreed to divide the PDAF and instead distribute the money to various departments.
[Photo by Andrei Angelo Cruz]
