January 30 – President Duterte orders the cleansing of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after corruption was discovered in the wake of the kidnapping of Jee Ick-Joo.[11]
February 21 – A tour bus carrying college students bound for a camping site in Tanay, Rizal, loses control of its brakes and crashes into a roadside electricity pole, killing 15 and injuring 40 on board.[16] The accident uncovers lax regulations on safety of students on educational trips in the country and prompts the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to issue moratoriums on field trips for the 2016–17 school year.[17]
February 27 – Jeepney drivers, mostly belonging to the transport groups PISTON and Stop and Go Coalition, lead a nationwide strike against the planned modernization of jeepneys, that causes class suspensions and strands passengers at major metropolitan areas nationwide.[20]
March 1 – After a temporary suspension of the war on drugs due to the kidnapping and killing of Jee Ick-Joo, president Duterte orders the PNP to resume his controversial campaign.[23]
March 2 – Angel Manalo, brother of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo, and 31 others are arrested for illegal possession of firearms for an alleged shooting incident at Manalo's compound in Quezon City.[24]
March 9 – Members of Kadamay (Kalipunan ng Damayan Mahihirap) occupy 4,000 houses inside government housing projects in Pandi and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.[25]
March 15 – Magdalo representative Gary Alejano files the first impeachment complaint against president Duterte alleging culpability in the extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs.[26]
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake occurs northwest of Tingloy, Batangas, causing damage to buildings.[28] The province soon declared a state of calamity after the quake.[29]
April 17 – A bus traveling from Isabela to Ilocos Surfalls off a ravine in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, killing 31 on board. The accident, resulting from poor vehicle maintenance, is one of the most deadliest road accidents in the Philippines.[31]
April 27 – The PNP discovers a secret jail cell inside a Manila Police District precinct, that raised possibilities of police abuses in the war on drugs.[33]
April 28 – The bombings take place in the district of Quiapo in Manila.[34]
May
May 5 – United Nations special rapporteur Agnes Callamard takes part in a drug policy forum in the University of the Philippines.[35] The Philippine government says it would file a complaint with the UN regarding the visit.[36]
May 15 – The majority of the House of Representatives justice committee rejects the impeachment complaint filed by Magdalo representative Gary Alejano against president Duterte for lack of substance.[37]
Resorts World Manila immediately following the shooting. The complex was shrouded in smoke from fires started by the suspect. Also picture is Maxims Tower, where the attacker committed suicide.
The PNP identifies the attacker at Resorts World Manila as Jessie Javier Carlos, an ex-employee of the Department of Finance who was deeply in debt.[47][48]
July 22 – In a special joint session requested by President Duterte, Congress votes 261–18 to extend the martial law in Mindanao until December 31, 2017.[51][52][53]
August 8 – The Supreme Court junks all petitions against the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, re-affirming its earlier ruling on November 8, 2016.[58]
August 16 – 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos is fatally shot by police officers conducting an anti-drug operation in Caloocan. The case becomes controversial when official police reports are contradicted by witness accounts and CCTV footage.[62][63][64] This causes thousands to protest on EDSA heeding calls from the Catholic Church to criticize the drug war[65] and the Senate to investigate the killing.[66] Hundreds attend his funeral on August 26.[67]
August 20 – The Court of Appeals of the Philippines junks U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton's motion for reconsideration, re-affirming its decision in April 2016 upholding the 2015 homicide ruling of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court; citing the defendant's arguments as mere "rehash of issues". The Court of Appeals also upheld the payment of ₱ 4.32 million to Jennifer Laude's family for "loss of earning capacity". Pemberton faces 10 years in prison.[68]
September
September 7 – The Senate investigates Paolo Duterte, the son of President Duterte, in an alleged methamphetamine smuggling scandal.[69]
September 14 – The Makabayan bloc leaves the majority of the House of Representatives over disagreements due to the ongoing drug war.[72]
September 15 – Around 1,200 PNP personnel in Caloocan are fired over allegations of abuse.[73]
September 21 – Coinciding with the 45th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in 1972 by former President and dictator Ferdinand Marcos, nationwide protests – also known as "National Day of Protest" — are conducted by various groups against the government's implementation of war on drugs and the ongoing martial law in Mindanao under the Duterte administration.[74]
October
October 16–17 – The ringleaders of the attack on Marawi, Isnilon Hapilon of Abu Sayyaf and Omar Maute of the Maute Group, are reportedly killed by government forces on October 16 during a hostage rescue operation, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.[75][76][77] The following day President Duterte declares the liberation of Marawi.[78][79][80]
December 28 – In Mandaluyong, police officers mistakenly fire at a vehicle, which they thought carried suspects in a previous shooting incident, leaving two people dead and two others injured. As a result, 10 police officers are relieved from their positions.[95][96]
On August 18, 2016, the government announced at least 19 Philippine holidays for 2017 as declared by virtue of Proclamation No. 50, series of 2016.[97] Note that in the list, holidays in italics are "special non-working holidays," those in bold are "regular holidays," and those in non-italics and non-bold are "special holidays for schools."
In addition, several other places observe local holidays, such as the foundation of their town. These are also "special days."
January 1 – New Year's Day
January 2 – Special non-working holiday (in observance of the New Year's Day celebration)[98]
December 31 – Last day of the year (in observance of New Year's celebrations)
Business and economy
August 22 – Viacom International Media Networks has announced it will no longer pursue a Nickelodeon underwater theme park and resort in Palawan, Philippines. The project, announced last January, attracted controversy due to criticisms from environmentalist groups who fear the resort might destroy the area's marine ecosystem, home to two UNESCOWorld Heritage sites.[99]
Health
August 11 – Cases of H5N6 in poultry farms in Pampanga were detected; this was the first time the avian virus was detected in the country.[100]
December 1 – The Department of Health (DOH) temporarily suspends a school-based dengue vaccination program after Dengvaxia vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur made a statement that its product poses higher risks to people without prior dengue infection.[101][102]
May 6, Football – The first match of the inaugural season of the Philippines Football League, the country's first nationwide professional football league was played.[103][104]
August 19–30 – The Philippines competed at the 29th Southeast Asian Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Philippines finished the 29th SEA Games in 6th place with a medal haul of 24 Golds, 33 Silvers and 64 Bronze which is the country's worst finish in 18 years. The next edition of the Southeast Asian Games will be hosted by the Philippines in 2019.[109][110]
^Suerte Felipe, Cecille; Alquitran, Non (February 21, 2017). "15 dead in Tanay bus accident". The Philippine Star. Philstar. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
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