Dateline Kamuning:   President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued an executive order (EO) directing the continued suspension of electronic sabong or e-sabong operations nationwide. “There is an urgent need to reiterate the continued suspension of all e-sabong operations nationwide, clarify the scope of existing regulations and direct relevant agencies to pursue aggressive crackdown against illegal e-sabong operations, in accordance with law,” Executive Order No. 9, issued December 28.     The order suspends live-streaming or broadcasting of live cockfights outside cockpits or cockfighting arenas or premises where cockfights are being held. The EO also suspends online/remote, or off-cockpit wagering/betting on live cockfighting matches and/or activities streamed or broadcast live, regardless of the location of the betting platform.   The operations of traditional cockfights authorized or licensed under existing laws shall not be covered by the suspension. The President’s order

Dateline Kamuning: Considering China as a very important economic partner of the Philippines, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Asia’s economic giant will entail signing several business agreements, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Nathaniel Imperial said on Thursday. In a press briefing, Imperial said one of the priorities of the President’s visit on Jan. 3 to 5 is to foster stronger economic cooperation with China, and a big business delegation is expected to accompany him.    According to Imperial, there is strong interest from Chinese investors in the Philippine economy, especially in agriculture, renewable energy and nickel processing. “China imports 70 percent of its nickel ore and concentrates requirements from the Philippines. So, there’s a lot of potential in those sectors,” the DFA official told members of the Malacañang Press Corps. Among the agreements to be signed are the finalization of the impo

 Dateline Kamuning:   Because of sustained military operations coupled with the whole-of-nation approach of bringing development to far-flung areas and offering benefits to surrenderees, the military believes that the New People’s Army (NPA) now has only 2,112 fighters left.   After 54 years of existence, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the communist rebel group, considered as a local terrorist organization, has suffered significant strategic losses as it lost a great number of guerrilla units, leaders and members. (PHILSTAR)  

  Dateline Kamuning: As part of efforts to bolster response to the needs of overseas Filipinos (OFs) under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has repatriated more than 7,000 OFs this year as part of its duty to ensure the welfare of Filipinos abroad.     Through the repatriation efforts led by the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA), a total of 7,880 overseas Filipinos were repatriated from January to November 2022. In its accomplishment report presented to Malacañang, the DFA said 57.67 percent of this number are from the Middle East; 942 OFs and distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are from Kuwait, and 70 are from Sri Lanka. President Marcos earlier said the coordination between the DFA and the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) would be further strengthened in a bid to provide assistance to OFs. In his official trips abroad, the chief executive has des