Today, May 3, we join media workers around the world in observing World Press Freedom Day.

Today is a life-changing moment to our bar examinees. The results are out and congratulations to the bar passers as they — together with their parents, friends, and loved ones who believe and supported them in law school — celebrate this moment of triumph.

The appeal of Bacolod City officials asking for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to extend enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15, 2020 has reached the Office of the President.

We take seriously the remarks of World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that the “worst of the coronavirus 2019 is yet come.”

The Palace expresses its deep condolences to the family, led by his wife Cecile, friends, colleagues of Senator Heherson “Sonny” Alvarez.

The Palace takes note on the efforts of the local government units (LGUs) on how they devise and operationalize social distancing and other preventive measures under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The call for peace is everyone’s desire and it has become more urgent in the present state of calamity and public health emergency.

The Palace expresses its sincerest gratitude to former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia for his valuable contribution to the Philippine economy. Sec. Pernia formed part of the President’s Economic Team which steered the country’s strongest economic growth since the mid -1970s.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the latest incident in Patikul, Sulu, where members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) believed to be under ASG leader Radullan Sahiron and Hatib Hadjan Sawadjaan attacked government troops resulting in a firefight, which left 11 soldiers killed and 14 wounded. This is our government troops’ second encounter with the same terrorist group; the first one, on April 16, wounded three soldiers.

The Palace confirms that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has accepted the resignation of Socioeconomic Secretary Ernesto Pernia who resigned due to personal reasons; and has appointed Department of Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua as Acting NEDA Secretary.