Pres. Duterte and the PNP SAF are now Preparing for the biggest Drug Raid in Bilibib

MANILA - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said that he will deploy the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) soon to man the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and replace all Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) guards.
He said this may just be for a period of at least three months so that they don't overfamiliarize themselves with the convicts, and the Marines may be called to take the place of the SAF thereafter.
President Rodrigo Duterte has branded the New Bilibid Prison very problematic considering that convicted drug lords are still able to continue with their operations even while inside the state penitentiary.
Aguirre has recommended Marine Major General Alexander Balutan as new BuCor director-general.
He said Balutan's appointment may be made under an emergency power mechanism since Balutan is a military man and the SAF is under the PNP, which may be a sticky issue for the duration of the SAF's stay at the state penitentiary.
Balutan is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1983. He hit the news in the past for defying former President Gloria Arroyo's Executive Order (EO) No. 464 barring government officials and personnel from testifying before congressional inquiries minus her express permission, when in 2005 he and his then superior, Brigadier General Francisco Gudani, appeared before the Senate and spoke, under oath, about alleged cheating in Mindanao in the 2004 presidential elections.
He was court-martialed but the charges against him proscribed in two years even before he was brought to trial.

AIRPORT UPGRADES | Clean toilets, no more 'tanim bala'; up next: full CCTV, free wifi

By: Gerard dela Peña, Bloomberg TV Philippines
July 8, 2016 12:14 PM
MANILA - The Ninoy Aquino International Airport is perceived to be among the world's worst airports - failing, among many other things, to have orderly waiting areas and clean toilets.

But with the memorandum of understanding signed between the Transportation department and local airlines Thursday, clean toilets at the airports are now expected to be the norm starting next week.

The Manila International Airport Authority is currently the one in charge of the upkeep and maintenance of all the toilets at NAIA. Passing on this responsibility to the airline will allow the government to focus more on other facilities such as airconditioning units and the CCTV system."

According to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, the move is just one of the many service upgrades passengers can expect at the country's premier gateway.

"Expect an operation that is fully CCTV-ized, expect an airport that is communication-friendly, expect our airport where the toilet no longer stinks and the airconditioning works well. Today is a meaningful day. We are taking one big step to address issues that have made people in the republic uncomfortable and angry," Tugade said.

While all these changes will mean extra costs to the airlines, they say they don't mind as long as these translate to greater comfort for travellers.