besguerra

Aquino pushes defense dialogue with Singapore

 News
Apr 032014
 
Aquino pushes defense dialogue with Singapore

A TOAST TO SINGAPORE’S GENEROSITY. President Aquino toasts Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam, thanking him in Malacañang on Thursday for Singapore’s post-“Yolanda” help. Tan, here on a four-day visit, flies to Western Samar on Saturday to deliver medical supplies to Basey District Hospital. EDWIN BACASMAS MANILA, Philippines—Facing an increasingly aggressive China, President Aquino on Thursday proposed a defense dialogue with Singapore to boost the two countries’ military defense ties, during visiting Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam’s courtesy call at Malacañang. “The Philippines proposed the holding of a defense dialogue to further strengthen our cooperation,” said Aquino at the Palace reception hall. “I believe that strengthening defense and security cooperation between the Philippines and Singapore is key to maintaining regional stability.” 45th anniversary This year marks the 45th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations. In the last few days, the Philippines has had to deal with China’s verbal onslaughts and naval maneuvers in the South China Sea, which the Philippines now calls the West Philippine Sea. After filing a memorandum with a United Nations tribunal challenging China’s “nine-dash line” claim in the international waterway on Sunday, the Philippine government drew a sharp rebuke from Chinese Embassy officials in Manila. Charge d’Affaires Sun Xiangyang said the move “seriously damaged” the bilateral relations between the two countries, and accused the Philippines of unilaterally shutting the door to negotiations and consultations. China, Taiwan and Asean members the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, which Read More …

China warned: Don’t try to tow away BRP Sierra Madre

 News
Apr 032014
 
China warned: Don’t try to tow away BRP Sierra Madre

China was warned Thursday against trying to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, as this could be considered an attack against the Philippines and prompt the United States to defend the country in keeping with their Mutual Defense Treaty. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—China was warned Thursday against trying to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, as this could be considered an attack against the Philippines and prompt the United States to defend the country in keeping with their Mutual Defense Treaty. And should this happen, international law expert and University of the Philippines law professor Harry Roque said, the result could be a war in Asia. “The result: the West Philippine Sea [dispute], unless China backs off, may trigger the biggest armed conflict in the region since the Vietnam and Indochina conflict,” Roque said in a statement. Roque noted that the Sierra Madre has always been described as a “derelict,” but the government recently described it as a “commissioned naval vessel.” A statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on March 14 said, “The BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned Philippine naval vessel, was placed in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a permanent Philippine government installation in response to China’s illegal occupation of Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) in 1995.” The Philippines says Ayungin Shoal is part of its continental shelf, over which it has “sovereign rights and jurisdiction” and by pointing that the Sierra Madre is a commissioned ship, the Read More …

AFP: Civilian ship sent to avoid standoff at Ayungin

 News
Mar 302014
 
AFP: Civilian ship sent to avoid standoff at Ayungin

A dilapidated Philippine Navy ship LT 57 (Sierra Madre) with Philippine troops deployed on board is anchored off Second Thomas Shoal (local name: Ayungin Shoal) Saturday, March 29, 2014 off West Philippine Sea. An hour from the shoal, the Chinese coast guard ship closed in on the Philippines supply vessel and twice crossed its bow. AP PHOTO/BULLIT MARQUEZ MANILA, Philippines—The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday said it sent a government civilian ship to Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) over the weekend to avoid confrontation with Chinese naval forces patrolling disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea. Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, AFP public affairs office chief, maintained that the mission of the civilian vessel, which figured in a two-hour standoff with two Chinese Coast Guard ships on Saturday, was to resupply Marines manning the grounded Philippine Navy ship on Ayungin Shoal and replace them with a new team of soldiers. “The objective was just to resupply our troops. The mission is done,” Zagala told the Inquirer in a phone interview. “We sent a civilian vessel to avoid a confrontation [with the Chinese forces]. We simply want to reprovision and rotate our troops there,” he said. “We used a civilian vessel to show them our intent, which was to reprovision and rotate our personnel, and nothing more,” Zagala said, adding that it was a regular mission. Other countries with territorial claims in the South China Sea also resupply their troops, he said. Until March 9, when the Chinese Coast Guard Read More …

PH expands claim to include Ayungin

 News
Mar 302014
 
PH expands claim to include Ayungin

PLAYTIME. Philippine Marines, who have been staying for almost five months aboard the Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal, pose for a local television news crew. A China Coast Guard ship earlier tried to block a vessel that brought supplies and replacement troops on Saturday. AP MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines, saying it was “defending what is legitimately ours,” filed Sunday a memorandum in the United Nations arbitration court on its territorial dispute with China, expanding its claim to include Ayungin Shoal, the current scene of confrontation between Manila and Beijing. True to its word, the government met the deadline for submission of its memorandum, or memorial, which discussed its position that the arbitral tribunal has jurisdiction over all the claims made by Manila in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). And from identifying eight West Philippine Sea shoals and reefs that form part of the Philippine territory that China has allegedly illegally occupied, the memorial included Ayungin Shoal in its statement of claim. “The memorial presents the Philippines’ case on the jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal and the merits of its claims,” Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said at a news conference. “With firm conviction, the ultimate purpose of the memorial is our national interest. It is about defending what is legitimately ours. It is about securing our children’s future. It is about guaranteeing freedom of navigation for all nations. It is about helping to preserve regional peace, security and stability. And finally, it is about seeking Read More …

PH due for new credit-rating upgrades soon

 General
Mar 112014
 
PH due for new credit-rating upgrades soon

By Paolo G. MontecilloPhilippine Daily Inquirer 1:02 am | Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 The Philippines may be due for another credit-rating upgrade in the coming months as the economy continues to exhibit the sustainability of its growth despite challenges inside the country and overseas. This potential vote of confidence in the Philippine economy would mean cheaper borrowing rates for the government that, in turn, would free up more resources to spend on vital infrastructure and social welfare projects. It would also result in lower interest rates for businesses and consumers, leading faster job creation and higher domestic spending to propel the economy further. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo this week said the country’s sound macroeconomic fundamentals might be enough to convince rating agencies to grant another upgrade. “They have seen our balance-of-payments and current account surpluses that have been around for the last 10 years,” Guinigundo said at a press conference yesterday. “Our debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio has gone down significantly. In the past, this was the main challenge of the Philippine economy. We were once described as the most heavily-indebted country in Asia,” he said. In the last 10 years, however, Guinigundo said the Philippines has achieved a significant turnaround to become one of the region’s few bright spots. Apart from enjoying one of the fastest growth rates in Asia—7.2 percent in 2013, beaten only by China’s 7.5 percent—debt levels both for the government and the private sector have gone down to more Read More …

Malaysia on lookout for ‘leader from Sulu’

 News
Mar 022014
 
Malaysia on lookout for ‘leader from Sulu’

6:02 am | Monday, March 3rd, 2014 KOTA KINABALU—Malaysia’s security forces are closely monitoring information that another leader from Sulu in the Philippines plans to enter Sabah in order to meet with local political figures. Sabah police commissioner Hamza Taib said that should the Sulu leader—whom he did not name—follow the proper channels of entry into Sabah, this would not be a problem. “But if he threatens the security of the state, the police will act accordingly. “At the moment, we are keeping an eye on the individual (a senior leader of a Sulu group), who is planning to come to Malaysia to meet with a political leader. “As far as I am concerned, this individual can enter Malaysia legally as we are a free country and we do not stop people from coming here,” he said. “However, if anyone tries to cause chaos or threaten us, we will not hesitate to take stern action,” he told reporters after launching the second phase of a motorcycle patrolling unit at Taman Suria near Penampang here yesterday. Hamza was commenting on a statement by the inspector general of the  police, Khalid Abu Bakar, that a senior leader of a Sulu group was planning to enter Sabah. The Sulu leader reportedly claimed his group was not related to the one led by Agbimuddin Kiram, the brother of the late self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram, which entered Lahad Datu’s coastal village of Tanduo on Feb. 12 last year, demanding the return of Sabah to Read More …

Hong Kong acts to stem abuse of maids

 News
Mar 022014
 
Hong Kong acts to stem abuse of maids

A 44-year-old woman, surnamed Law, with covered head, is escorted by police officers for an investigation at her home in Hong Kong, on Jan. 21, 2014, for alleged maid abuse. Hong Kong has vowed to strengthen legal oversight over maid employment agencies following a spate of abuse cases that have caused widespread shock and anger. AP HONG KONG—Hong Kong has vowed to strengthen legal oversight over maid employment agencies following a spate of abuse cases that have caused widespread shock and anger. City authorities said they would step up surveillance against unscrupulous agencies and look into increasing penalties against those who take advantage of maids. The semiautonomous Chinese city is home to nearly 300,000 maids from mainly Southeast Asian countries—predominantly the Philippines and Indonesia—and criticism from rights groups over their treatment is growing. Earlier this year, the alleged torture of an Indonesian maid by her Hong Kong employer caused uproar, with thousands of helpers taking to the streets to demand justice in January. Images of the injuries sustained by Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, 22, who was reportedly left unable to walk following eight months of abuse, shocked the Southern Chinese city but campaigners warned such assaults were merely the tip of the iceberg. A 39-year-old female employer was arrested on suspicion of assault, a police statement said, following reports that she had attacked her maid with a knife. A spokesperson for the labor department said it would step up surveillance on agencies and show offenders that the government is serious about the Read More …

Chapo’s Rise: From poor, abused to cartel kingpin

 News
Feb 282014
 
Chapo’s Rise: From poor, abused to cartel kingpin

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman sits inside a federal police helicopter at a navy hanger in Mexico City, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014. A senior U.S. law enforcement official said Saturday, that Guzman, the head of Mexicoís Sinaloa Cartel, was captured alive overnight in the beach resort town of Mazatlan. Guzman faces multiple federal drug trafficking indictments in the U.S. and is on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s most-wanted list. AP It was nighttime in May of 1990, in the heyday of the cocaine boom across America. Twenty Mexican federal police officers and a handful of U.S. Customs agents, acting on a tip, descended on a stucco home on the edge of Agua Prieta, Mexico — a stone’s throw from Arizona. “Policia,” they yelled, guns drawn, before busting down the front door. The house was empty but looked lived in, with dishes in the kitchen and toys in the backyard. The officers moved quickly to a spacious game room, complete with a bar and a pool table, set atop a 10-by-10 foot concrete panel on the floor. An informant had told them that what they were looking for was under the pool table. With a jackhammer, the officers went to work. Then, a stroke of luck: One of them turned the knob of a faucet and suddenly the floor and the pool table rose into the air — like a hydraulic lift in an auto shop. A metal staircase led down to a stunning discovery: Beneath the house, connecting to a warehouse in Read More …

PH protests China water cannon attack

 News
Feb 252014
 
PH protests China water cannon attack

Philippine Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Raul Hernandez gestures as he answers questions from reporters during a press conference at Foreign Affairs headquarters in Pasay City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. The Philippines has called in a Chinese envoy to protest what it says was the firing of a water cannon by a Chinese government vessel on Filipino fishermen in a disputed shoal in the West Philippine Sea. AP PHOTO/AARON FAVILA MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines on Tuesday strongly protested China’s water cannon attack on Filipino fishermen in a disputed shoal nearly a month ago, citing how such acts “escalate tensions” and “threaten the peace” in the region. Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, told reporters that while the Chinese action was “alarming,” it did not warrant an immediate military response. “I don’t think it would be appropriate if we send the Philippine Navy at this time. It will just escalate the situation,” Zagala said. “Rest assured that the Armed Forces will do its mandate when the time comes.” The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned Chinese Chargé d’Affaires Sun Xiangyang and presented a note verbale protesting reported incidents of harassment that Chinese vessels had committed to prevent Filipinos from fishing in Panatag Shoal, also known as Scarborough Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea, or South China Sea. The protest was received by the chargé d’affaires. The new Chinese ambassador-designate, Zhao Jinhua, who arrived on Sunday night, has yet to begin officially his Read More …

Ambush leaves Chinese trader, wife wounded

 News
Feb 092014
 
Ambush leaves Chinese trader, wife wounded

By Maricar B. BrizuelaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:19 am | Monday, February 10th, 2014 NAIA terminal 3. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—A Chinese businessman and his wife are still in critical condition after two men on a motorcycle repeatedly fired at their vehicle on Saturday afternoon in Pasay City. Minjiang Sy, 48, suffered a wound in the chest and right arm while his wife, Qing Xiam, 43, was shot in the head and back, a Pasay City police report said. Both remain confined in a hospital in serious condition. In the report signed by Pasay police chief Senior Supt. Florencio Ortilla, the couple and their two children had just left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 when they were attacked at 4:30 p.m. “The family’s car was traversing the stretch of Andrews Avenue and heading toward Roxas Boulevard when two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle shot the car several times,” the report said. Investigators added that after their assailants left, Sy asked for help from people in the area who took them to the hospital. The couple’s children who were in the backseat suffered just minor cuts and bruises after they were hit by pieces of the shattered windshield and windows, the police added. Scene of the Crime Operatives found eight bullet casings and a slug at the site. Investigators said they have yet to determine the motive behind the shooting. The couple’s children have not been able to give any information either, they added. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories Read More …

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