2019 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2019.
Incumbents
President: Rodrigo Duterte (PDP–Laban) Vice President: Leni Robredo (Liberal) Congress (17th, ended June 4): Senate President: Tito Sotto (NPC) House Speaker: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PDP–Laban) (until June 30) Congress (18th, convened July 22): Senate President: Vicente Sotto III (NPC) House Speaker: Alan Peter Cayetano (Nacionalista) (elected July 22) Chief Justice: Lucas Bersamin (until October 18) Antonio Carpio (acting) (October 18–23) Diosdado Peralta (from October 23)
Events
January
January 8 – Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC Phil) files for corporate rehabilitation after declaring bankruptcy. It is the biggest bankruptcy in the Philippines surpassing the more than $386 million financial losses in the country related to the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy of 2008. HHIC defaulted its $412 million loan credited to five local banking firms. January 10: President Duterte signs Republic Act. No. 11188, providing special protection of children in armed conflict. Maia Santos Deguito, the former bank manager of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) is convicted of money laundering in connection with the $81-million cyber heist on Bangladesh's central bank in 2016. January 21 – A plebiscite takes place with the majority of voters ratifying the Bangsamoro Organic Law creating the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and abolishing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Cotabato City also votes to join the new autonomous region while in Isabela City in Basilan rejects its inclusion to the region. January 24 – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) places tawilis on the list of endangered species. January 27: At least 20 people are killed while 111 people are injured after explosions rock the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu. January 28 – Lawmakers propose to lower the age of criminal responsibility, sparking outrage.
February February 6 – The second round of the Bangamoro Organic Law plebiscite is held with voters in 67 barangays in Cotabato and six towns in Lanao del Norte deciding if they are in favor of their localities joining the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The 63 barangays in Cotabato vote to join the new region while the six municipalities in Lanao del Norte, despite approving the motion, fail to join after the rest of the province rejects their inclusion to the region. February 13 – Rappler CEO Maria Ressa is arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for cyber libel upon orders from Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46. She posts bail the next day. Ressa claims that her right to due process was violated, since she was not informed of the complaint against her. She also describes her arrest as an "abuse of power" and "weaponization of the law". Ressa's arrest is condemned by journalists, organizations, and influential figures from the Philippines and abroad, describing it as an attack on press freedom. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo denies that the government was trying to silence press freedom. President Duterte has repeatedly labeled Rappler as "fake news" as he perceives the online news site to be too critical of his administration. However, the libel complaint had been filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng regarding a Rappler article published in May 2012 (updated in February 2014) where Keng was alleged to have lent a vehicle to Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was undergoing an impeachment trial at the time. The article also links Keng to human trafficking and drug smuggling. February 14 – President Duterte signs Republic Act No. 11201, creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development. February 22 – President Duterte signs the Tulong-Trabaho Act (Republic Act 11230), mandating free access to technical-vocational education. February 26 – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao formally established and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) is constituted.
March Since March 6 – Numerous areas across Metro Manila, estimated to be 52,000 households by Manila Water, experience water scarcity. Manila Water COO Geodino Carpio cites the delay of water infrastructure projects, such as the constructions of a wastewater treatment plant in Cardona, Rizal and the Kaliwa Dam in Tanay, Rizal, for the issue. Manila Water also noted the critically low levels of the La Mesa Dam, its lowest level in 12 years, which the company relies on as their emergency supply of water source. March 10 – Murder of Christine Silawan in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. March 15 – Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario file a case in the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese government officials for alleged crimes against humanity. The complaint cited environmental damage in the South China Sea due to land reclamation, occupation of islands, and destructive fishing activities conducted by China. The communication was delivered to the ICC two days before the Philippines' ICC withdrawal became effective. March 17 – The Philippines formally withdraws from the International Criminal Court after the country's withdrawal notification was received by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in 2017. The court earlier launched a preliminary investigation whether it has jurisdiction to tackle on allegations of state-sanctioned human rights violations in the Philippine drug war. March 21 – President Duterte officially declares the permanent termination of peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF. March 29 – Rappler CEO and journalist Maria Ressa is arrested for allegedly violating the Anti-Dummy Law, which prohibits foreigners from intervening in the management and operation of a Filipino media company. She was released the same day after posting bail. The charge is based on Rappler's issuance of Philippine Depositary receipts (PDRs) to the American company Omidyar Network in 2015. Ressa describes her arrest as an attack on press freedom, accusing the Philippine government of being "intolerant of journalists", which Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo denies. March 30 – Fourteen people are killed during police operations across Negros Oriental. Human rights and farmer groups condemn the incident, saying that the victims are merely farmers and trishaw drivers.
April April 3 – A series of videos is uploaded by an account named "Ang Totoong Narcolist" on YouTube, accusing the Duterte family, as well as former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Bong Go, of involving in the illegal drug trade. Rodel Jayme is arrested on April 30 by the NBI for sharing the videos. April 5 – Republic Act 11259 is signed into law, approving the proposed division of the province of Palawan into three provinces: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur to be approved in a plebiscite. April 10 – Fossil fragments found in Callao Cave in Cagayan reveal the existence of the "Homo luzonensis" species of humans. The species is named after the island where it was discovered, Luzon. April 12 – President Duterte signs the Magna Carta of the Poor (Republic Act 11291), which aims to uplift the standard of living of poor Filipinos. April 17: President Duterte signs into law the Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act 11313), punishing gender-based sexual harassment such as wolf-whistling and catcalling in public spaces. President Duterte signs the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act, institutionalizing the 4Ps cash transfer program and seeking to reduce poverty by providing "conditional cash transfer to poor households for a maximum period of seven years. April 22: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits large parts of Luzon, killing at least 16 people and injuring 81 others. The "Oust-Duterte" matrix, containing supposed destabilization efforts by media organizations and journalists against Duterte, is revealed to the public. April 23 – A 6.5-magnitude earthquake hits Eastern Visayas with its epicenter at San Julian, Eastern Samar less than 24 hours after the Luzon earthquake.
May
May 6 – Peter Joemel Advincula, the man claimed to be "Bikoy" in the "Ang Totoong Narcolist" videos, reveals himself to the public and asks for legal assistance. Advincula denies links to any political movement. On May 23, Advincula surrenders to the Camp Crame, where he retracts his initial statement and claims that the videos were "orchestrated" by the Liberal Party and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. He also claims that he was promised to receive for his participation. May 13 – The Philippine general elections are held. Voters elect new members of the House of Representatives as well as 12 members of the Senate. May 21 – Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales is denied entry to Hong Kong due to her "security threat". Though Hong Kong does not explain why, Malacañang states that it is in retaliation by China against Carpio-Morales for filing a criminal case in the ICC against Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials over China's land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea. May 22 – Commission on Elections (COMELEC), sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), proclaims 12 winning senators in the midterm elections. It also proclaims 51 winning party-list members as well.
June
June 8 – Religious corporation Kapa-Community Ministry International is shut down by authorities under President Duterte's orders over the allegations of its running of a Ponzi scheme. June 9 – The fishing boat F/B Gem-Ver sinks at Reed Bank after being rammed by a Chinese vessel. June 10 – Dr. Brian Sy, owner of the WellMed Dialysis Center in Quezon City who is accused of making "ghost" claims with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the charges of estafa, falsification of public documents, and violation of the PhilHealth law. June 17 – The Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 14 convicts John Paul Solano, a member of the Aegis Juris Fraternity, of obstruction of justice in connection with the Atio Castillo hazing case. June 21 – Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario is denied entry to Hong Kong despite carrying a valid diplomatic passport. June 27 – Several opposition groups began filing impeachment complaints against Rodrigo Duterte due to the Reed Bank incident and his subsequent policy of "allowing China to fish in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea". June 29 – Tons of Canadian garbage left in the Philippines in 2013 and 2014 arrive in a port outside Vancouver, ending a diplomatic row highlighting garbage dumping by other countries on Asian nations.
July July 8 – President Duterte awards a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) and permit to operate to DITO Telecommunity, a consortium of Davao City-based businessman Dennis Uy. July 11 – A resolution initiated by Iceland is adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council calling for an investigation on the human rights situation in the Philippines including deaths linked to President Duterte's campaign against drugs. July 13 – Father Gerard Francisco Timoner III from Daet, Camarines Norte is elected the Master of the Order of Preachers, the head of the Dominican Order, for a nine-year term. Timoner is the first Filipino, as well as the first Asian, to be elected as such. Since July 18 – A series of killings occur in Negros Oriental after four police officers are killed by suspected communist groups. July 18 – The Philippine National Police (PNP) files a sedition complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo, several senators and opposition personalities in connection with the Bikoy videos.