2 blasts rock Jolo; Abu leader hunted. Inquirer Newsletter. August 25, 2020

No images? Click here   AFTERMATH Government troops converge on Serrantes Street in Jolo where an explosive device was detonated around noon on Monday. Inset shows a scorched motorcycle that the Army suspects was used by the bomber. Another explosion occurred not far from Serrantes soon after. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS     Regions COVID beds full in Iloilo, Bacolod Hospitals in Iloilo and Bacolod cities have breached their bed capacity for patients with the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with some temporarily stopping the admission of patients due to the continued surge in cases. —STORY BY Nestor P. Burgos Jr. Read more: bit.ly/inquirer-plus   News Robredo says ‘Bayanihan 2’ not enough pandemic response The Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or “Bayanihan 2,” is not enough to deal with problems brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vice President Leni Robredo said. Aside from that, she also questioned in her latest public address why government is still operating on a budget that did not seem to meet the pressing needs of a health crisis. —STORY BY Gabriel Pabico Lalu and DJ Yap Read more on Inquirer Plus: bit.ly/inquirer-plus   Business LGUs to get P 1.1T in funding in 2022 Local governments’ internal revenue allotment (IRA) will balloon to more than P1 trillion in 2022 as a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling that mandated sourcing them from “all” national taxes, putting pressure on the national government’s resources. —STORY BY Ben O. de Vera Read more on Inquirer Plus: bit.ly/inquirer-plus   Newsletter / Join us Has this been forwarded by a friend? Subscribe now to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Newsletter and get your latest news and important updates on COVID-19 and the enhanced community quarantine. Subscribe   FULL mechanics     Banner story 2 blasts rock Jolo; Abu leader hunted By Julie S. Alipala and Jeannette I. Andrade @Team_Inquirer The first explosion from a bomb planted in a motorcycle rocked Jolo, Sulu province, just before noon on Monday. An hour later, a second blast came a hundred meters away, when a soldier accosted a woman wearing a suspiciously swollen clothing, according to authorities. Fifteen people—seven soldiers, six civilians, one policeman and the “suicide bomber”—were killed and 75 were wounded in the two explosions. “Flesh, bones were scattered on the streets, mostly uniformed personnel,” said an owner of the pharmacy on Serrantes Street in Jolo. She preferred not to be named for safety reasons. “I guess they [belong to the Philippine] Army. There were Badjao vendors and children on that street. There were food stall vendors, too,” she said. “We are really afraid.” Malacañang denounced the bombings “in the strongest possible terms.” “We likewise condole with the families and loved ones of those who died in these tragic incidents,” President Duterte’s spokesperson, Harry Roque, said in a statement. —WITH REPORTS FROM JEOFFREY MAITEM AND JULIE M. AURELIO INQ Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net   Editorial Enough is enough So sordid have been the revelations tumbling out of the Senate hearing on the PhilHealth mess that the senators have had enough, or so they say, of the muck assaulting their senses, and have announced the termination of the hearings.  Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net   Copyright © 2020 PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 2353, Makati Central Post Office, 1263 Makati City, Philippines.   Share    Tweet    Share    Forward  Preferences  |  Unsubscribe