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MANILA, Philippines - A mammoth crowd waiving white towels and handkerchiefs and shouting “Viva Señor Nazareno” joined this year’s Black Nazarene procession that started at 7:12 a.m. yesterday at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park.

Trouble erupted early as several devotees eager to climb the Black Nazarene, despite tight security and a double railing barrier, breached the police line before the procession started, causing injuries to some.

MANILA, Philippines (Aug 9, 2012) - The death toll from torrential monsoon rains rose to 19 yesterday, with over 700,000 residents evacuated from flooded areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos, however, said only 16 deaths had been verified, including nine landslide victims in Quezon City.

One-month-old Jonica Castulo and her siblings Jonathan, 3; Joshua, 2; and their mother Jessica, 23, were killed in the landslide in Barangay Commonwealth last Tuesday.

The other victims were Cecilia, 49; Jayvee, 20; Jethro, 18; Jason, 14; and Jessie Lee Joy, 6, all surnamed Baylon.

Rescuers recovered survivors Lydia Lyn Simbulan, 40; Maria Leslyn Simbulan, 21; and Jesie Baylon Jr., 24, who were brought to East Avenue Medical Center for treatment.

The landslide buried the houses of the victims that were built near the foot of a hilly portion of the community along Bayanihan Street near Litex Road.

In Caloocan, Gilbert Rabara, 36, drowned due to the floods that submerged parts of the city.

MANILA, Philippines (May 16, 2012) - The much awaited personal appearance of Chief Justice Renato Corona before his impeachment trial comes in a matter of days as lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas assured today presiding Senator-Judge Juan Ponce Enrile that Corona will take the witness stand Tuesday day next week when the proceedings resume.

"It is logical that with no other witnesses to present, respondent himself will take the witness stand," Cuevas told the impeachment court.

Meanwhile, the Senate court will allow one hour for the two speakers from both the defense and prosecution panels to make their closing statements to summarize their cases.

MANILA, Philippines (Feb 21, 2012) - Citing badly crafted Articles of Impeachment, presiding Senator-Judge Juan Ponce Enrile disallowed this afternoon the testimony of an exective the country's flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), during the resumption of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Enrile's instant ruling, made after hearing an objection raised by lead prosecutor former SC Justice Serafin Cuevas, effectively shelves the testimony of PAL vice president for sales Enrique Javier for reason that it is not relevant or not alleged in the Article 3 of the complaint.

Not one of the Senator-judges objected to Enrile's ruling.

MANILA, Philippines (Jan 24, 2012) - Defense lawyers of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona are expected to block any further presentation of evidence related to allegations that the chief magistrate acquired illegal wealth as the impeachment trial resumes today.

The defense is expected to amplify its continuing objection to presentation of evidence, claiming that the allegation of illegal acquisition of wealth is not part of the second of the eight Articles of Impeachment.

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Juan Ponce Enrile resigned as Senate President on Wednesday as both houses of Congress wrapped up unfinished work during the second to the last session day.

Enrile announced that he resigns "irrevocably" from his post in his privilege speech, wherein he hit back against his critics that include Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV.

MANILA, May 14, 2013— The recent local and national elections hold the distinction with the most rampant incidence of vote buying, a Catholic Church-backed poll watchdog said. 

Henrietta de Villa, chairperson of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, said that vote buying this time “was bolder and on a bigger scale.” 

Aside from giving money, vote buying was also done in form of rice, food packs, mobile phones and even giving education scholarships. 

MANILA, Philippines - Former police superintendent Cezar Mancao, who testified that Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former President Joseph Estrada were involved in the murder of publicist Bubby Dacer, escaped from the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before dawn Thursday.

Reynaldo Esmeralda, NBI's deputy director for intelligence services, said Mancao escaped from his detention cell at around 1:14 a.m.

MANILA, April 8, 2013— A coalition of the country’s largest Catholic groups is trying to muster millions of votes for senatorial bets who oppose the contraceptive law Congress passed last year. 

El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde said this is the first time that all organizations in the Church come together for one purpose: “unite for the good of life and the family.” 

“There were those who said that there’s no Catholic vote and I want to thank (Albay) Congressman (Edcel) Lagman for saying that because if not for him I won’t be here,” Velarde said. 

“We will prove that there’s really a Catholic vote,” he said. “It’s time to let the public know that there’s such a vote that’s coming this elections and in the future elections.” 

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan ordered anew the arrest of suspended Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia after she failed to appear for arraignment yesterday.

Associate Justice Teresita Diaz-Baldos, chair of the anti-graft court’s Second Division, also ordered the forfeiture of Garcia’s P90,000 bail bond.

Garcia, who is facing graft and malversation of public funds charges for her alleged involvement in a P98.9-million land deal anomaly in 2008, was supposed to be arraigned yesterday.

VATICAN CITY March 14, 2013 - At past 7:00 P.M. in Rome (2:05 A.M. Philippine Time), white smoke came out of Sistine Chapel's chimney signaling that one among the cardinals of the Papal Conclave had garnered the votes of at least two-thirds of the 115 Cardinal electors. 

Chants of "Habemus Papami (We have a Pope) " were heard from the thousands that gathered at St. Peter's Square.  

A well-known conservative, 76 year-old Archbishop Jorge Mario Borgoglio, emerged one hour later as the elected new Pope and assumed the name, Pope Francis, and greeted thousands of well-wishers that flocked to the St. Peter's Square from the Central Window of the balcony of the St. Peter's Cathedral. He is the successor of the resigned Pope Benedict XVI.

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday stopped the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) order to the the officials of the Archdiocese of Bacolod to remove the tarpaulin of senatorial candidates who are against and for the Reproductive Health law.

Lawyer Theodore Te, the High Court's public information office head, said the SC has issued a temporary restraining order against the Comelec directive.

Te said that the magistrates also ordered the Comelec to to submit a comment on the TRO within 10 days.