P50-M bounty for capture of ‘armed and dangerous’ Bato Dela Rosa – DILG

Inquirer.net - Oct 23, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Friday announced that Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is now considered armed and dangerous and placed a P50 million bounty for his capture. “As of today, Sen. Bato will be considered armed and dangerous. We are placing a bounty of P50 million for his capture,” Remulla told

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Main opposition welcomes Seoul mayor's acquittal in political funds trial

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Main opposition welcomes Seoul mayor's acquittal in political funds trial

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday welcomed an appeals court's decision to acquit Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in a high-stakes political funds case linked to opinion polls ahead of the 2021 mayoral by-election. Oh, who had been fined 10 million won ($7,500) by a lower court for violating the Political Funds Act and was at risk of losing his mayoral post, was acquitted on appeal. He is affiliated with the PPP. "It is a great relief and at the same time only the right thing that the city administration, entrusted to Mayor Oh Se-hoon by ten million residents of Seoul, can continue without disruption," PPP chief spokesperson Park Choong-kwon said in a commentary. "The ruling shows that the truth always prevails in the end, even if it takes time," he said. Oh had been indicted on charges of having a political supporter make payments totaling 33 million won for opinion polls he allegedly received on 10 occasions from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2021 election. Under the Political Funds Act, elected officials are stripped of their seats if they receive

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Oct 23, 2026

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Police will step up crowd safety measures in major nightlife districts across Seoul for Halloween festivities next week, officials said Friday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) said it will operate a special safety management period from Friday to Nov. 1. During this period, 4,594 police personnel — including 30 riot police units, 120 regional patrol teams, 120 special task force members, 99 detectives and 765 traffic police — will be deployed to Itaewon, Hongdae, Seongsu, Myeongdong and Ikseon-dong, where large crowds are expected to gather. The heightened safety measures come as Seoul prepares for its fourth Halloween since the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, a tragic incident that claimed 159 lives in a narrow alleyway in the popular nightlife neighborhood. From Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, police will closely manage traffic control in collaboration with local district governments, restricting vehicle access in phases based on crowd density. In major crowd gathering areas like Itaewon and Hongdae, police will also carry out preventive patrols to ease public anxiety caused by a recent s

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Culture ministry to audit ex-museum chief over misattributed calligraphy

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President Lee Jae Myung on Friday appointed a former senior prosecutor as special inspector tasked with investigating irregularities involving the president's spouse, close relatives and senior presidential officials. Lee approved the appointment of Choi Kil-su, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said, a day after the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee adopted a confirmation hearing report on him with bipartisan support. The appointment made Choi, a former senior prosecutor, the first presidential watchdog appointed since 2016. Lee earlier nominated him for the post from among three candidates recommended by the ruling and opposition parties, and the bar association. The special inspector is tasked with investigating corruption allegations involving the president's family and relatives, as well as senior presidential aides. The special inspector post was established in 2014 but had remained vacant since its first inspector stepped down in September 2016.

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