1ST BATCH OF 14 OFWS FROM IRAQ HEADED HOMEMANILA - Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana disclosed yesterday that thefirst batch of 14 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are now at the Philippineembassy in Baghdad, Iraq and would be processed as part of the government'songoing mandatory repatriation operations.Lorenzana, the designated inter-agency repatriation committee chair for OFWsin the Middle East, said the group will be transported to Doha, Qatar wherethe workers would take a commercial flight to Manila today.He added that the number of of Filipino workers who would avail of therepatriation is likely to increase as the situation between the UnitedStates and Iran is still unstable."The situation in the area in the Middle East (particularly in Iraq) isstill unstable and our contingencies for massive repatriation are still inplace," Lorenzana said.He said Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Roy Cimatu,the designated Special Envoy to the Middle East, is now in Qatarimplementing the government mandatory repatriation.Aside from repatriation, Cimatu has been tasked to assess the securitysituation in Iran, Iraq, Libya and other neighboring states.The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report in 2018 showed that anestimated 2.3 million OFWs are currently based in Saudi Arabia, United ArabEmirates, Kuwait and Qatar.These Middle Eastern countries are still the prime destinations ofFilipinos who seek jobs abroad.IRAN SAYS UKRAINIAN AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DUE TO HUMAN ERRORDUBAI (2nd UPDATE) - Iran said on Saturday it had mistakenly shot down aUkrainian plane killing all 176 aboard and voiced deep regret, afterinitially denying it brought down the aircraft in the tense aftermath ofIranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.Wednesday's crash heightened pressure on Iran after months of friction withthe United States and tit-for-tat attacks. A US drone strike had killed anIranian general in Iraq on Jan. 3, prompting Tehran to fire at U.S. targetson Wednesday.Canada, which had 57 citizens on board, and the United States both said theybelieved an Iranian missile brought down the aircraft although they said itwas probably an accident. Canada's foreign minister had told Iran "the worldis watching."Responding to Iran's U-turn, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said hewanted an official apology and full cooperation, demanding those responsibleto be held to account."The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake,"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrote on Twitter, promising those behindthe incident would be prosecuted. "My thoughts and prayers go to all themourning families."Experts said mounting international scrutiny would have made it all butimpossible to hide signs of a missile strike in an investigation and Iranmay have felt a swift policy reversal was better than battling risingcriticism abroad, as well as facing growing anger and grief over the crashat home.Many victims were Iranians with dual nationality.Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter that "humanerror at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster," citing aninitial armed forces investigation into the crash of the Boeing 737-800.An Iranian military statement, the first to indicate Iran's shift inposition, said the plane had flown close to a sensitive military sitebelonging to the elite Revolutionary Guards.It said that, at the time, planes had been spotted on radar near strategicsites which led to "further alertness" in air defense units, adding thatresponsible parties would be referred to a judicial department in themilitary.DUTERTE INVITES JOMA SISON TO RETURN, RESUME PEACE TALKSMANILA - President Duterte reiterated yesterday his call to Communist Partyof the Philippines founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison to return to the countryfor a one-on-one talk about the resumption of peace talks."I said I guarantee his safety and if nothing happens, he can go back freelywhere he came from. Nobody would stop him. Upon my oath, I said that, as thePresident and as maybe as a negotiator. But we should have a one-on-onefirst," Duterte said in an interview with ABS-CBN's Ted Failon.Sison has refused to accept the President's challenge despite variousassurances from the government that he will not be arrested once he returnsto the Philippines.Duterte renewed his call to resume the peace talks last December despite thesnags in the negotiations.Meanwhile, the Army leadership has relieved a battalion commander in Bicolfor releasing to the media a manipulated photograph of alleged New People'sArmy (NPA) rebels who supposedly surrendered in Masbate, that had gone viralas fake news last December.Lt. Col. Napoleon Pabon was sacked as chief of the Army's 2nd InfantryBattalion of the 9th Infantry Division by the Philippine Army InspectorGeneral that conducted an investigation on the manipulated photo of thesupposed NPA returnees."The Philippine Army Board of Inquiry concluded on Jan. 1 the inquiry on therelease of a manipulated photo by the 9th Infantry Division last Decemberwith Lt. Col. Pabon admitting the mistake and taking full responsibility forwhat happened," said Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala.Zagala, however, did not mention other penalties that Pabon would sufferfollowing his relief. Zagala said that the Army is now reviewing its policyto institute necessary changes that will ensure that 9ID's mistake will beavoided in the future.DUTERTE SEES NEED TO PURGE PNP, BELITTLES ROBREDO'S REPORTMANILA - The Philippine National Police (PNP) needs to be purged of corruptpersonnel to give the organization much-needed moral ascendancy to pursuethe government's policy of ridding the Philippines of illegal drugs,President Duterte said on Friday.Duterte talked about purging the 190,000-strong police force whilebelittling the recommendations of Vice-President Leni Robredo for addressingthe drug problem in the country."It's not cheap cheap, Leni. You have to go for the..you have to purge thePNP. It's not just changing heads of these bodies," the President said in aninterview with ABS-CBN anchor Ted Failon on Friday, addressing Robredo byher nickname.Robredo has branded the administration's war on drugs as a failure, sayingthe three-year campaign has only led to the confiscation of less than onepercent of the total drug supply in the country.She has also recommended that the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-IllegalDrugs (ICAD) be placed under the Dangerous Drugs Board.AFTER DUTERTE THREAT, DMCI UNIT SAYS RESOLVING ISSUES WITH QUAKE-HIT DAVAOCITY CONDO OWNERSMANILA - Facing President Rodrigo Duterte's threat of a ban on its business,the developer of a quake-hit condominium in Davao City on Saturday said itwas already "resolving" settlement issues with affected residents.In a statement, Urban Property Developers Inc. (UPDI), a unit of theConsunji-owned DMCI, gave assurances to the President and tenants of itsEcoland 4000 condominium that it was working with unit owners to settleissues surrounding the damaged building."We would also like to assure President Rodrigo R. Duterte and our unitowners that we are fully committed to resolving this issue in a fair mannerat the soonest possible time," UPDI, a real estate company privately-held bythe Consunji family, said.Duterte earlier alleged that UPDI has left several condominium owners"groping in the dark" after portions of its Ecoland 4000 property crumbledwhen a 6.5-magnitude quake jolted Davao City in October 2019.As of January 10, 20 percent of residents of Ecoland 4000 have agreed to asettlement, while discussions are still ongoing with other unit owners, itsaid.Duterte issued the warning against UPDI's parent company DMCI in anexclusive interview with ABS-CBN broadcaster Ted Failon, who asked about thedevastated condominium in Davao City, the President's hometown."You know Consunji, you are already rich, and old like me. You have littletime left... Stop f*cking the people," Duterte said."If you do not come to terms with the people that you prejudiced, I will notallow you to even construct a building, not even a post because I willquestion the integrity of your company," he said.TEAM PHILIPPINE BAGS TOP PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL SPACE IDEA TILTMANILA - Team Philippines won first prize in a space mission idea contestheld in Japan last month.The team included Joel Joseph Marciano Jr., head of the Department ofScience and Technology (DOST)'s microsatellite program that built andlaunched into orbit Diwata 1, 2 and Maya 1.Marciano, former director of the DOST-Advanced Science and TechnologyInstitute (ASTI), was one of the members of the DOST-ASTI team that proposedthe space research project.The project won first prize in the 6th Space Mission Idea Contest (MIC6)held during the 7th UNISEC-Global meeting in Tokyo.He was recently named by President Duterte director general of the newlycreated Philippine Space Agency.Marciano and his teammates - Calvin Artemies Hilario, Mar de Guzman andGenedyn Mendoza - proposed to conduct research using spectrum monitoringfrom space to map places on Earth that does not have telecommunicationsservice or internet connectivity.The research proposal entry, titled "Spectrum Monitoring from Space withi-SEEP (SMoSiS) - Capturing and Mapping the Digital Divide from Spacethrough Radio Frequency Spectrum Measurements," won first place in theIVA-replaceable Small Exposed Experiment Platform (iSEEP) category of theMIC6.The MIC is a venue for people interested in space research to introducecreative ideas on payloads for the International Space Station (ISS)platform.It also introduces new possibilities on space exploration research andtechnologies.BELLO WANTS PERMANENT OFW DEPLOYMENT BAN TO KUWAIT AFTER 'FAKE, DISHONEST'AUTOPSY REPORTKORONADAL, South Cotabato -- Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III wantsManila to impose a permanent deployment ban of Filipino migrant workers toKuwait after authorities there sent a "fake and dishonest" autopsy result onan OFW who was slain by her Kuwaiti employers last December.The labor chief said Friday he doubted the credibility of Kuwaiti forensicdoctors after they sent a two-sentence report of the autopsy conducted onJeanelyn Villavende which said the Filipina worker died of "physicalinjuries.""I wrote to NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to conduct our ownautopsy, and I found out na 'yong autopsy report ng Kuwaiti government aypalpak, sinungaling at walang kwenta," Bello said during the 20th Hinugyawfestival closing ceremonies, after he visited Villavende's wake and herfamily in Norala town, South Cotabato.Due to the :false" autopsy report, Bello said he will recommend to thegoverning board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)to impose a deployment ban of household service workers to "worthless"Kuwait, promising to deliver justice for Villavende."Wala na tayong ipadadala doon. Mga walang kuwenta 'yang mga Kuwaiti na'yan. Biro mo 'yong ginawa nila sa ating kababayan. 'Pag ikuwento ko sainyo, baka pati [kayo] magwewelga na. Masyado nilang inapi ang atingkababayan," said Bello.CHR TO PROBE 'CRUEL' KILLING OF FORMER BATANGAS SOLONMANILA - The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Saturday said it would lookinto the killing of a former Batangas lawmaker whose charred remains wasfound inside a car in Quezon province earlier this week.The remains of former Batangas Rep. Edgar Mendoza, his bodyguard Ruel Ruizand his driver Nicanor Mendoza were found inside a torched vehicle on aroadside in Tiaong town.The Commission has endorsed the case for investigation to its Calabarzonoffice, CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement."The Commission on Human Rights condemns this horrible act, along with thenumber of vigilante killings against present and former governmentofficials," she said.The CHR also called on law enforcement agencies to "to bring justice to thevictims and their family.""Vigilante killings, which arbitrarily deprives individuals of the right tolife, contributes to the growing culture of impunity," De Guia said as shedescribed Mendoza's killing as a "deplorable display of barbarity andcruelty."Investigators earlier said they have identified several suspects in thebrutal killing, but have yet to establish a motive.BONGBONG MARCOS WANTS TO REVISE TEXTBOOK VERSION OF DAD'S STRONGMAN RULE;CRITICS RAISE HOWLMANILA - Despite legal proof of atrocities and ill-gotten wealth during hisfather's strongman rule, former senator Bongbong Marcos has called for arevision of Philippine textbooks, where his father's repressive regime isretold as a grim part of Philippine history.In a media forum Friday, Marcos, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos,claimed it was his family that was a "victim" of historical revisionism,asserting that accusations against them have been unproven.Marcos' family and supporters have been criticized for painting a rosypicture of the strongman rule, even as killings, human rights abuses andplunder during that time have been proven in courts."Nilagay nila sa libro, ng textbook ng mga bata na ganito, na ang mga Marcosganito ang ninakaw, ganito ang ginawa. Ngayon lumalabas sa korte, hinditotoo lahat ng sinabi ninyo dahil hindi niyo naipakita," he told reportersat a National Press Club forum in Manila, referring to several courtdecisions junking cases against them."[T]here was no evidence. That was always the outcome. And the reason natumagal nang ganito ay propaganda pampulitika," he added.Marcos said his family has been campaigning for years to have thesetextbooks changed but those in power would not act, allegedly influenced bythe opposition."What has been proven wrong is essentially what they continue to contend inthe textbooks of our children, is essentially you are teaching childrenlies," he said.Instead, he wants history professors and political scientists to write thesetextbooks to encourage young children to participate in current affairs andnot hate on certain people.The Marcoses have been acquitted in several graft and malversation cases andas of 2019, the Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court have dismissed at least20 of the 43 civil and forfeiture cases against them.But the Commission on Human Rights said these are not proof the Marcoses areinnocent."The decision of Sandiganbayan to dismiss the cases was solely based on thetechnicality that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) didnot use original documents as evidence, contrary to the Best Evidence Rule,"CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a statement.PUMP PRICES SEEN LOWER THIS WEEKMANILA - Despite tensions in the Middle East, fuel prices will slightlydecrease this week.Diesel prices are projected to go down by 15 to 30 centavos per liter whilegasoline prices are seen to drop 5 to 20 centavos per liter, according to anindustry source.Cleanfuel said it would reduce diesel prices by 20 centavos per liter at 4p.m. today.Seaoil Philippines Inc. said it would roll back diesel price by 20 centavosper liter and kerosene by 30 centavos effective 6 a.m. tomorrow.The movement in oil prices would break the three consecutive weeks of dieselprice increases, while gasoline prices would be reduced for the secondstraight week, the source said.AMID BREAKUP RUMORS, JAMES SHARES PHOTO WITH NADINE ATOP MT. ULAPMANILA -- Seemingly putting breakup rumors aside, James Reid on Saturdayshared a photo of him and girlfriend Nadine Lustre atop Mt. Ulap in Benguet.In an Instagram post, the two can be found sitting side by side atop themountain, when they hiked with friends earlier this week.Reid posted the photo set, paired with a cryptic caption."I've come to understand that what we're looking for is found in the absenceof searching. And the answer found in the absence of questions. If you knowwhat I mean, it's time to tune in. If you don't... then aren't you lucky. Sothis is me, tuning in," he said.The upload comes after reports that the reel-life, real-life couple split.Lustre has since belied the rumors, and has slammed Philippine Star editorand columnist Ricky Lo over an article seemingly confirming theirseparation.Showbiz columnist and DZMM host Jobert Sucaldito later on slammed the moveand criticized Lustre's response with a suicide-related remark, drawing flakeventually from netizens. He has since apologized.NBA SCORES JAN 10FINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Hawks 8-31    21    30    28    22    101team logo Wizards 13-25    30    26    25    30    111SCORING LEADERST. Young ATL19 PTS, 4 REB, 7 ASTJ. McRae WAS29 PTS, 8 REB, 6 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Pelicans 14-25    33    34    28    28    123team logo Knicks 10-29    31    30    25    25    111SCORING LEADERS    B. Ingram NO28 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST    T. Gibson NY19 PTS, 8 REB, 0 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Heat 27-11    42    27    20    24    113team logo Nets 17-20    32    25    32    28    117SCORING LEADERSJ. Butler MIA33 PTS, 9 REB, 2 ASTS. Dinwiddie BKN26 PTS, 4 REB, 14 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Spurs 16-21    32    25    41    23    121team logo Grizzlies 17-22    37    26    37    34    134SCORING LEADERSD. DeRozan SA36 PTS, 9 REB, 9 ASTJ. Jackson Jr. MEM24 PTS, 3 REB, 0 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Pacers 24-15    29    25    25    37    116team logo Bulls 13-26    27    19    26    33    105SCORING LEADERSM. Turner IND27 PTS, 14 REB, 3 ASTZ. LaVine CHI43 PTS, 6 REB, 1 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Hornets 15-26    13    25    24    30    92team logo Jazz 26-12    29    32    26    22    109SCORING LEADERS    T. Rozier CHA23 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST    J. Clarkson UTA20 PTS, 4 REB, 2 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Magic 18-21    25    23    27    19    94team logo Suns 15-23    27    31    19    21    98SCORING LEADERSE. Fournier ORL28 PTS, 3 REB, 1 ASTD. Booker PHO24 PTS, 3 REB, 5 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Lakers 31-7    45    34    20    30    129team logo Mavericks 23-15    27    31    28    28    114SCORING LEADERSL. James LAL35 PTS, 16 REB, 7 ASTL. Doncic DAL25 PTS, 10 REB, 7 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Bucks 34-6    34    19    37    37    127team logo Kings 15-24    18    26    31    31    106SCORING LEADERSK. Middleton MIL27 PTS, 11 REB, 4 ASTD. Fox SAC19 PTS, 9 REB, 10 ASTFINAL    1    2    3    4    Tteam logo Warriors 9-31    20    33    30    17    100team logo Clippers 27-12    22    26    25    36    109SCORING LEADERSO. Spellman GS17 PTS, 5 REB, 3 ASTK. Leonard LAC36 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST