Several members of Congress call for an investigation into a 2004 joint oil exploration agreement between the Philippines, China and Vietnam over the disputed Spratly Islands, claiming that the agreement was unconstitutional and infringed on national sovereignty.[12]
Filipino authorities announce the arrest of three men from Jordan and Indonesia in connection with an alleged plot to bomb the United States embassy and three other foreign missions in Manila. Two other suspects in the plot were later arrested in Boracay.[13]
April 7 – Amidst growing concerns over a feared shortage of rice in the Philippines, President Macapagal-Arroyo lifts quotas on the importation of rice by private traders.[18]
April 22 - Supreme Court rejects the Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp. (AEDC) to bid over the proposed operation of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.[21][22]
May 27 – The Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) holds its tension-filled annual stockholders meeting, which lasted for more than 13 hours, making it the longest stockholders' meeting in Philippine corporate history. The head of the state pension fund Government Service Insurance SystemWinston Garcia filed a motion to the Securities and Exchange Commission to suspend the stockholders' meeting after it questioned the proxy votes in favor of the Lopez family. The Meralco board proceeded with the company's stockholders' meeting, defying a cease and desist order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission after it questioned the authenticity of the injunction order. After the rally and resistance of the stockholders against the bloc of Winston Garcia, the Lopez family retained control of Meralco. The stockholders awarded five board seats to its representatives and only four seats to the representatives of the government. It took independent auditor SGV and Co. seven hours to come out with the results of the voting.[23]
June 8–19 – Ces Oreña-Drilon, news anchor of ABS-CBN's late night television program Bandila, together with her crew and a Mindanao university professor, is initially reported to have been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in Maimbung, Sulu, by the rebel group Abu Sayyaf on June 8. On June 12, Angelo Valderama, the assistant cameraman from Drilon's crew, was released. The abductors named Indanan, Sulu mayor Alvarez S. Isnaji as their emissary. On June 16, Abu Sayyaf issued an ultimatum. The rebel group demanded for ransom amounting to P15 million by noontime of June 17, in exchange for the release of Drilon, Encarnacion and Dinampo The deadline was extended and the hostages were freed before midnight of June 18. On June 18 Ces Drilon and her crew were taken to Jolo, Sulu. Afterwards, they were brought by the Philippine army to Zamboanga city for a press conference. Philippine Senator Loren Legarda joined the released hostages and was reported to be the negotiator to the Abu Sayyaf. Legarda and the released hostages flew afterwards to Manila for another press conferences, and were brought to The Medical City afterwards for medication. PNP declared the Isnajis as suspects in the kidnapping of Drilon, her crew, and Dinampo on June 19.
June 17–27 – Typhoon Fengshen, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Frank, is the sixth named storm and the fourth typhoon recognised by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center recognised Fengshen as the seventh tropical depression, the sixth tropical storm, and fifth typhoon of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season. Fengshen made a direct hit on the Philippines and China, causing severe damage and resulted in at least 1,371 deaths and leaving 87 people missing. Most of the deaths occurred in the Philippines, including 846 of the 922 people on board the Princess of the Stars who were killed when the ship capsized.
June 20–21 – The ship MV Princess of the Stars, owned by Sulpicio Lines that carried 626 passengers and 121 crew members, stalls in rough seas near Sibuyan Island in the central Philippines. The ship left Manila Saturday morning. Typhoon Frank caused the ship to sink, though it was previously reported that the ship experienced engine failure.[24]
August 25 – The peace talks between Government of the Philippines (GRP) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) collapse after the Supreme Court declares the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) is unconstitutional.[25] This leads to a resumption of hostilities in Cotabato and Lanao del Norte.
November 19 – The House Committee on Public Order and Safety launch its own investigation into the "euro generals". Nueva Ecija Representative Rodolfo Antonino, panel chairman, said that the panel has sent out invitations to all police officers who went to Russia, retired national Police comptroller Eliseo de la Paz and Local Governments Secretary Ronaldo Puno. Also invited were Budget and Management Secretary Rolando Andaya and a senior representative from the Commission on Audit.[28] The panel is also reviewing reports of the Philippine National Police and the Napolcom.[29]
On November 13, 2002, Republic Act No. 9177 declares Eidul Fitr as a regular holiday.[30] The EDSA Revolution Anniversary was proclaimed since 2002 as a special non-working holiday.[31] Note that in the list, holidays in bold are "regular holidays" and those in italics are "nationwide special days".
^Christine Avendaño (8 April 2008). "Rice import quotas lifted". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
^"G.R. No. 176951". The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation, Inc. November 18, 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-08-18. Retrieved November 17, 2021.