Here鈥檚 a quick roundup of today鈥檚 top stories:
Sen. Francis 鈥淐hiz鈥� Escudero is the new Senate president, replacing Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.
No one objected on the Senate floor on Monday when Senator Alan Peter Cayetano nominated Escudero to be the next Senate president.
Senators cited former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Jonathan Morales for contempt and ordered his detention for 鈥渃ontinuously lying鈥� before the chamber.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada made the motion on Monday after he supposedly caught Morales in a web of lies.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday revealed Chinese fishermen鈥檚 illegal activities in Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, revealed that Chinese fishermen, who are suspected members of Chinese maritime militia, were suspected to be involved in poaching and harvesting of giant claims since 2016.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte should be invited to the congressional probe on the gentleman鈥檚 agreement supposedly brokered to maintain the status quo over Ayungin Shoal, as current government officials are unaware of such a deal.
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said this on Monday during the House of Representatives committee hearing on national defense and security and the West Philippine Sea committee, noting that Duterte participated in crafting the gentleman鈥檚 agreement.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said on Monday that he has already instructed the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to revoke the deputization of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo within her jurisdiction.
Under the Napolcom Memorandum Circular No. 99-010, elected governors and mayors 鈥渁re automatically deputized as representatives of the Commission鈥� in their respective areas. As Napolcom deputies, the memorandum circular stated that mayors are given the power to supervise and control police units in cities or provinces they handle and directly employ and deploy units or PNP elements, among others.