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DFA: China's 'counterstrike' statement provocative

 News
Jun 292013
 
DFA: China's 'counterstrike' statement provocative

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said China’s warning of an inevitable “counterstrike” against the Philippines is a provocative statement that has “no place in the relations of civilized nations.” In a text message to GMA News Online, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said China is obligated under international law, specifically the United Nations Charter “to pursue a peaceful resolution of disputes – meaning without the use of force [or] the threat to use forces.” China’s state media warned on Saturday a

China's state media warns PHL of 'counterstrike' in West PHL Sea

 News
Jun 282013
 
China's state media warns PHL of 'counterstrike' in West PHL Sea

BEIJING – China’s state media warned on Saturday that a “counterstrike” against the Philippines was inevitable if it continues to provoke Beijing in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), potentially Asia’s biggest military troublespot. The warning comes as ministers from both countries attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Brunei, starting Saturday, which hopes to reach a legally binding code of conduct to manage maritime conduct in disputed areas. At stake are potentially massive offshore oil reserves. The seas also lie on shipping lanes and fishing grounds. Both China and the Philippines have been locked in a decades-old territorial squabble over the West Philippine Sea, with tensions flaring after the Philippines moved new soldiers and supplies last week to a disputed coral reef, prompting Beijing to condemn Manila’s “illegal occupation”. The overseas edition of the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, said in a front-page commentary that the Philippines had committed “seven sins” in the West Philippine Sea. These include the “illegal occupation” of the Spratly Islands, inviting foreign capital to engage in oil and gas development in the disputed waters and promoting the “internationalisation” of the waters, said the commentary. The Philippines has called on the United States to act as a “patron”, while ASEAN has become an “accomplice,” said the commentary, which does not amount to official policy but can reflect the government’s thinking. “The Philippines, knowing that it’s weak, believes that ‘a crying child will have milk to drink’,” the Read More …

Tropical Storm Gorio accelerates, 37 areas under storm signals

 News
Jun 282013
 
Tropical Storm Gorio accelerates, 37 areas under storm signals

TS Gorio seen cutting across Luzon, west-northwest at 15kph. PAGASA forecast in its 11:00 p.m. storm bulletin that TS Gorio will move west-northwest at a pace 15 kilometers per hour with top near-center winds of up to 80 kph. By Saturday evening Gorio may be in the Vicinity of Catarman, Northern Samar. The storm is forecast Sunday evening to be at or ner Cabanatuan City and then by Monday evening, the forecast position is 390 km Northwest of Dagupan City. PAGASA (UPDATED 12:30 p.m.) – After making landfall in Eastern Visayas, Tropical Storm “Gorio” (international codename Rumbia) accelerated slightly as it continued to move northwest and state weather forecasters said 37 areas are now under storm signals. On its 11:00 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said Gorio was estimated at 30 kilometers southeast of Catbalogan, Samar as of 10:00 a.m.  The storm packed maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. The center of the storm was noted southeast of Catbalogan, Samar. On government-run dzRB radio, PAGASA forecaster Joey Figuracion said “Gorio” may be felt in Metro Manila by Sunday. PAGASA weather models indicate that “Gorio” may cross Zambales and exit the Philippine area of responsibility as early as Monday evening. The weather agency said “Gorio” was moving northwest at 19 kph and is expected to be in the vicinity of Alabat, Quezon on Sunday morning. By Monday morning, it is expected to be 170 km east of Dagupan City. By Monday Read More …

PAGASA: Tropical Storm Gorio makes landfall over Eastern Samar

 News
Jun 282013
 
PAGASA: Tropical Storm Gorio makes landfall over Eastern Samar

TS Gorio over Eastern Visayas, Bicol as of 10:38 p.m. of June 28. PAGASA sateliite image of TS Gorio as of 10:38 p.m. of June 28 shows the storm spinning over Eastern Visayas and Bicol. PAGASA Tropical Storm Gorio (international code name Rumbia) made landfall over Eastern Samar province at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, state weather forecasters said. In a post on its Twitter account, PAGASA said Gorio hit Hernani town in Eastern Samar. Hernani is 56 kilometers south of Borongan, the provincial capital of Eastern Samar. According to the website of the municipality of Hernani, the area is a coastal town and fishing is the second biggest source of income for the 7,900 inhabitants. For Hernani residents who may be affected by the storm, the website lists the following contact numbers: For ambulance assitance, Jovito Campo: 09294469476 For police assistance: Rolando Nier America, Chief Of Police: 09294469478 Storm signal warning PAGASA on Friday put five provinces in Visayas and Mindanao under Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 after Low Pressure Area near Surigao City developed into a tropical cyclone a day before. “Gorio,” the seventh cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, is expected to hit Northern, Western, and Eastern Samar as well as Dinagat and Siargao Islands in Mindanao, which were put under the lowest storm signal level. On Saturday, PAGASA said light to moderate rains are expected over Metro Manila and nearby provinces. At least 2,545 people in Bicol and Visayas were stranded Saturday morning due to bad weather conditions Read More …

Gorio to make landfall in Eastern Samar Saturday morning; NCR, 27 other areas under storm signals

 News
Jun 282013
 
Gorio to make landfall in Eastern Samar Saturday morning; NCR, 27 other areas under storm signals

TS Gorio seen cutting across Luzon, west-northwest at 15kph. PAGASA forecast in its 11:00 p.m. storm bulletin that TS Gorio will move west-northwest at a pace 15 kilometers per hour with top near-center winds of up to 80 kph. By Saturday evening Gorio may be in the Vicinity of Catarman, Northern Samar. The storm is forecast Sunday evening to be at or ner Cabanatuan City and then by Monday evening, the forecast position is 390 km Northwest of Dagupan City. PAGASA Tropical Storm Gorio (international code name Rumbia) may make landfall over Eastern Samar Saturday morning, even as Metro Manila and 27 other areas were under storm signals, state weather forecasters said. PAGASA forecaster Fernando Cada said Metro Manila, which is under Signal No. 1, may expect the effects of Tropical Storm Gorio starting Saturday afternoon. “Inaasahan natin tumama ito sa kalupaan mamayang umaga sa Eastern Samar (We expect Gorio to make landfall on Eastern Samar later this morning),” Cada said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said their models show Gorio may exit the Philippine area of responsibility Tuesday morning. PAGASA’s 5 a.m. advisory said Gorio was estimated at 100 km east of Borongan City as of 4 a.m., with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It said Gorio is forecast to move northwest at 15 kph and may be the vicinity of Legazpi City in Albay by Sunday morning. By Monday morning, it is expected to be Read More …

PCSO: Lone bettor wins P53.988M in Megalotto 6/45 draw

 News
Jun 282013
 
PCSO: Lone bettor wins P53.988M in Megalotto 6/45 draw

A lone lotto bettor became P54.988 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Megalotto 6/45 draw Friday night. The PCSO said the bettor got the correct combination of 20-19-42-18-32-01 to win the night’s jackpot worth P53,987,876. But as in the past, the PCSO is not likely to make public the winner’s name, for security reasons. On Thursday night, a lone winner bagged the P33.917-million jackpot of the PCSO’s Lotto 6/42 draw. Last June 6, two lotto bettors got the winning combination of 22-13-05-19-25-10 to win the Lotto 6/42 jackpot worth P39,462,944. On June 4, a lone lotto bettor became P90.996 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the PCSO Superlotto 6/49 draw. Last April 30, two lucky bettors shared P95,932,278 after getting the combination to the Superlotto 6/49 draw jackpot. But the biggest lotto prize in recent history was still in November 2010, when a lone bettor won some P741.176 million for getting the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37.  —  ELR, GMA News

Chinese research base starts ops in disputed area of South China Sea

 News
Jun 282013
 
Chinese research base starts ops in disputed area of South China Sea

China’s Hainan province has established a maritime fishery resource breeding and research base in a disputed area of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). A report on China’s Xinhua news agency said the facility was established in sea waters of the Zhongsha Islands, which China claims includes Scarborough Shoal. Li Xiangmin, director of the Hainan provincial aquaculture research institute, said the base is located in the Manbu Ansha area, a submerged shoal in the Zhongsha Islands. It covers a sea area of 625 hectares, he said. China earlier said the Zhongsha Islands include Scarborough Shoal, which China refers to as Huangyan Island but which the Philippines calls Bajo de Masinloc. Xinhua said the new base is the “first approved scientific program since Sansha City was officially established in July 2012.” Li said aquaculture researchers will put into the sea for research some 20,000 grouper fry, 20,000 spats of pearl oysters, 20,000 spats of pteria penguin, a genus of winged oyster, and 20,000 pieces of red seaweeds eucheuma. Researchers will also conduct field investigation and scientific research activities on the weather, hydrological and topographic conditions, maritime species, submarine grassland and coral reefs in Manbu Ansha in the next three days. Sansha The Xinhua report said Sansha, which has 1,000 residents, was set up to administer some 2.6 million square kilometers of islands, coastal areas and territorial seas. But the Philippines claimed Filipinos had settled in the islands where Sansha stands as early as 1978. “Yung ating local government matagal na, Read More …

Solicitor General: Drug case belatedly filed should still keep suspect jailed

 News
Jun 272013
 
Solicitor General: Drug case belatedly filed should still keep suspect jailed

The Office of the Solicitor General has insisted that a drug suspect who has been incarcerated for the past five years without formal charges, until recently, should remain behind bars. In a petition filed with the Supreme Court, the OSG, which represents the government in cases, asked that a recent Court of Appeals ruling ordering the release of Joan Urbina be reversed. Urbina and her boyfriend Ben Bryan Chua were arrested in December 2007 for alleged use of illegal drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia, in violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. In January 2008, the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the drug complaints against Chua for lack of evidence, while those against Urbina remained and were forwarded to the Department of Justice for automatic review. She was locked up at the Philippine Custodial Center in Camp Crame. It took the DOJ five years to finally file a formal complaint at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court just last May 9. In its ruling, the CA granted Urbina’s petition for the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus and struck down the drug case filed against Urbina for being lodged way too late. “The Information filed before the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 227 is hereby declared null and void for having been filed way beyond the period prescribed under pertinent rules of the Department of Justice,” the CA said in its 18-page ruling penned by Associate Justice Noel Tijam. In its petition with the Read More …

PAGASA: LPA off Surigao intensifies into TD Gorio

 News
Jun 272013
 
PAGASA: LPA off Surigao intensifies into TD Gorio

A low-pressure area east of Surigao on Thursday night intensified into a tropical depression and was locally codenamed Gorio. PAGASA, in its 11 p.m. advisory, said Tropical Depression Gorio was estimated at 520 km east of Surigao City, with maximum winds of 45 kph near the center. Tropical Depression Gorio was forecast to move north-northwest at 7 kph. PAGASA said Gorio is forecast to be 420 km east of Surigao City by Friday evening. By Saturday evening, it is expected to be 410 km northeast of Surigao City, and about 270 km east of Virac, Catanduanes by Sunday evening. PAGASA said Gorio may bring rainfall of 5 to 15 mm per hour (moderate to heavy) within its 300-km diameter. Also, the weather service said Tropical Depression Gorio will enhance the southwest monsoon, “which will bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms over the eastern section of Visayas and Mindanao.” PAGASA advised the public and disaster coordinating councils concerned to take appropriate actions. — DVM, GMA News

Lone winner bags P33.917M Lotto 6/42 jackpot

 News
Jun 272013
 
Lone winner bags P33.917M Lotto 6/42 jackpot

A lone winner bagged the P33.917-million jackpot of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Lotto 6/42 draw Thursday night. The PCSO said the winner got the combination of 38-27-32-35-22-08 to win the night’s jackpot worth P33,917,556.00. The PCSO the winner’s name. Meanwhile, no one won the Superlotto 6/49 draw for Thursday night. The combination was 33-46-30-44-18-41 for the jackpot worth P46,648,476. On Wednesday, no one won the PCSO’s Grand Lotto draw that featured a prize of P153,004,061.20. Last June 6, two lotto bettors got the winning combination of 22-13-05-19-25-10 to win the Lotto 6/42 jackpot worth P39,462,944. On June 4, a lone lotto bettor became P90.996 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the PCSO Superlotto 6/49 draw. The PCSO said the bettor got the winning combination of 20-05-45-35-26-21 to win the night’s jackpot worth P90,996,106.40. Last April 30, two lucky bettors shared P95,932,278 after getting the combination to the Superlotto 6/49 draw jackpot. But the biggest lotto prize ever won was the November 2010 Grand Lotto draw, when a lone bettor won some P741.176 million for getting the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37. — DVM, GMA News

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