page_title: 2015 in the Philippines
section_title: January
hierarchical_section_title: 2015 in the Philippines / Events / January
caption_attribution_description: English: President Benigno S. Aquino III and His Holiness Pope Francis pass through the Foyer Honor Guards during the arrival ceremony at the 250th PAW of the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City for the State Visit and Apostolic Journey to the Republic of the Philippines on Thursday afternoon (January 15, 2015)
context_page_description: 2015 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in 2015. International events that are connected, or concerned with the Philippines are also included in this significant and important article.
  The year was designated by the Department of Tourism as Visit the Philippines Year.
context_section_description: January 6 – Importer Lilia Cruz also known as Leah Cruz, Bureau of Plant Industry Director Clarito Barron, and 119 other persons were charged by the National Bureau of Investigation of direct bribery and violation of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged garlic cartel last year.
  January 9 – The Supreme Court has declared its decision on the unconstitutionality of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), popularly termed as the pork barrel funds, final and executory. It can be remembered in November of the previous year, the said court held that "PDAF and previous pork barrel funds violated the constitutional principle of separation of powers in allowing lawmakers to wield, in varying gradations, non-oversight, post-enactment authority in vital areas of budget execution."
  January 12 – Sandiganbayan had found former Board of Nursing member Virginia Diodola-Madeja guilty of violating the Anti-Corrupt Practices Act and the PRC Modernization Act of 2000 and was sentenced to 7 years in prison for leaking questions in the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Examinations. In addition to her imprisonment, she was also ordered to pay a fine of 100 thousand pesos and was barred from holding any public office.
  January 14 – A bomb destroys a transmission tower in Pagalungan leaving much of the provinces of Maguindanao and North Cotabato without power.
  January 15–19 – Pope Francis visited the country for a five-day state and pastoral visit. The pope also visited the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in Leyte which were affected by the said typhoon last November 2013. This was the first papal visit the Philippines received in the 21st century.
  January 21 – The Supreme Court en banc dismissed several petitions regarding the disqualification of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada; 11 justices voted against the disqualification, while 3 voted for it.
  January 23 – An explosion occurred near the bus terminal in Barangay Guiwan, Zamboanga City; 2 people were killed and 53 were injured. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were tagged behind the explosion after the failed jailbreak attempt of several ASG members in the prison.
  January 25 – 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) were killed after a clash took place in Tukalinapao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao against armed fighters including those from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. PNP-SAF's objective is to pursue Zulkifli Abdhir also known as Marwan and Basit Usman as part of Oplan Exodus and killed the former. The deaths of the PNP-SAF officers ignited debate on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law which will be the foundation of a new autonomous entity called Bangsamoro.
  January 26 – The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee held Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay and five others in contempt; they faced arrest due to the alleged continued snub by Binay and other Makati officials of an ongoing Senate probe. 3 days later, Binay was arrested and forced to appear in the Senate hearing but the detention was deferred leading to his release.
  January 27 – The Department of Justice rejected the appeal by United States Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton to drop the murder charges against him over the Death of Jennifer Laude, a Filipina trans woman. The trial began on March 23.
  January 29 – Despite of the incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, The Government of the Philippines and the MILF signed a protocol for the decommissioning of rebel firearms in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  January 31 – Two Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots were killed after the PAF trainer aircraft SF-260FH Number 1034 crashed around 300 meters off the shoreline of Barangay Bucana, Nasugbu, Batangas while attending their performance for the upcoming 70th Anniversary of the liberation of Nasugbu from the Japanese Imperial Forces during World War II.
caption: Pope Francis' arrival ceremony at Villamor Airbase.
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