ZAMBO DAILY WIRE

 By: Sumer Ong File photo. Mayor Khymer Olaso (R) with Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Marc Innes-Brown flash sign during the former's visit at the City Hall, Zamboanga City. (RP) ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Mayor Khymer Olaso has requested the local police to submit a comprehensive list of individuals registered under "Oplan Tokhang," the controversial anti-drug campaign initiated by former President Rodrigo Duterte. This initiative aims to assess the current status of those previously targeted in the campaign and determine its effectiveness. "We will review the list of individuals registered in Oplan Tokhang during President Duterte's administration, but this time, our approach will be different," Olaso stated. "Every human being deserves to live, and only God or Allah has the authority to take a life," added the mayor. Olaso emphasized the importance of monitoring the current status of these individuals to understand whether the anti-dru...

By: Roel Pareño  ISABELA CITY, Basilan — Colorfully decorated boats filled the channel between this city and Malamawi Island on Saturday afternoon May 2, 2026 as the Sakayan Festival highlighted the diverse cultural roots of Isabela’s communities.  The fluvial parade, featuring vessels inspired by traditional “sakayan,” capped the weeklong celebration of the city’s silver anniversary of cityhood. City Tourism Officer Claudio Ramos said the annual event continues to grow, with organizers aiming to emphasize the cultural origins of settlers who arrived in Isabela and this province from different parts of the country.  “We want to go back to the cultural communities—who arrived here and what they brought with them,” Ramos said, noting the influence of groups such as Ilocanos, Cebuanos, and other ethnolinguistic communities. Participants decorated their boats with symbols representing their heritage, including windmills associated with Ilocos, the “sarimanok” of the Marana...