PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has appointed Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Madrigal, Jr. as the new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

THE SUPREME COURT (SC) upheld the Court of Tax Appeals’ (CTA) March 21 decision clearing former party-list congressman Juan Miguel “Mikey” M. Arroyo from his P27.3-million tax-evasion case.

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) released on Wednesday the list of 181 party-list groups that will take part in the 2019 midterm elections, with Bayan Muna topping the list and Kasosyo of former communications assistant secretary Margaux J. Uson at the last.

AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said he has already instructed board members of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to submit their courtesy resignation in accordance with the reorganization of the agency under the Coco Levy Act.

THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has revoked the franchises of Dimple Star Transport Corp. following multiple road accidents involving its provincial buses that resulted to deaths and injuries.

PAGSANJAN town, knows for its falls that takes a thrilling boat ride to reach, is celebrating its 350^th founding day this year with the week-long Lagaslas Bangkero Festival from Dec. 6-12.

THE Cebu provincial government and the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the improvement of the Bantayan Airport, which has been closed since mid-Nov. 2017.

LEADERS and elders of the Ata-Manobo indigenous people (IP) in Talaingod, Davao del Norte have confirmed that the group of former Bayan Muna representative Saturnino C. Ocampo did not get any consent from parents to bring their children for a solidarity mission, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) said in a statement on Tuesday night, Dec. 4.

XIAMEN AIR will launch its direct Davao-Quanzhou (Jinjiang City) route on Dec. 18, following the sisterhood agreement signed between the two cities.

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on second reading a resolution on its version of a draft federal charter.

THE HOUSE Committee on Interparliamentary Relations and Diplomacy approved on Tuesday the resolution supporting the Philippines’ withdrawal of its membership from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).