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Mary Jane Veloso. AP FILE PHOTO “Heartbreaking” was how Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan described on Monday President Rodrigo Duterte’s reported statements allowing the execution of convicted Filipino drug trafficker Mary Jane Veloso. Media reports have quoted Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo as saying that Duterte had given the green light for the execution of Veloso, who was arrested at Adisucipto Airport in Yogyakarta in April 2010 for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin. “President Duterte has given the go-ahead to proceed with the execution,” Widodo reportedly said. “I have explained to [Duterte] about Mary Jane’s situation and I told him that Mary Jane [has been found guilty] for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin. I also told him about the delay in the execution during the meeting,” the Indonesian leader added. READ: Duterte okayed Mary Jane’s execution, says Indonesian presidentSought for comment, Pangilinan said in a text message: “This is heartbreaking. I am at a loss for words to describe how it has come to this.” If the report was indeed true, Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said it would convey a “stronger” message on the Duterte administration’s fight against illegal drugs. “Perhaps the Indonesian government thinks that PDU30 (President Duterte) no longer interposes any objection having been apprised with the situation by the Indonesian President, but that is only if the report is accurate and not taken out of context,” Sotto said in a separate text message. But Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto expressed doubts Duterte would allow Veloso’s execution. “The President would Read More …

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia — Three fishermen have been abducted by gunmen in Sabah waters near the tourist resort of Pulau Pom Pom off Semporna. The suspected seven-member Filipino armed group is believed to have taken the victims across the border towards the southern Philippines island chain of Tawi Tawi province. Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Datuk Wan Abdul Bari Abdul Khalid confirmed that they received a report from the owners of the fishing trawler at 1:59 a.m. Sunday. “I can only confirm. Sabah police commissioner (Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun) will release the details later,” he said when contacted. The owner of the fishing boat confirmed that the gunmen kidnapped the skipper and two crew members at about 10:20 p.m. on Saturday. It is believed that the three fishermen said to be Filipino Badjaos were among a crew of 11 on the trawler when seven kidnappers confronted them at gunpoint. The kidnappers only took three crewmen and fled in a green-colored fast boat towards southern Philippines. The rest of the crew steered the trawler back to the Semporna jetty. The incident came hardly two days after Esscom conducted an intensive operations against cross border smugglers in the five districts in the east coast. Esscom has said that security forces were on high alert along the border as the Philippine military had launched a massive all-out war against the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo./rga READ: PH, Indonesia team up vs piracy, kidnappings Latest Last pieces of 9/11 rubble reach memorials 6 high-powered guns, Read More …

VIENTIANE, Laos – China on Wednesday told member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that the territorial dispute over the South China Sea “should not represent” their relations. In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said all the 10 Asean countries raised the issue regarding the overlapping ownership claims over the resource-rich region during the Asean-China meeting at the National Convention Center. While the matter has remained controversial, the atmosphere during the session was “friendly and warm,” Andanar said. He said President Duterte himself spoke about the issue, but maintained that the territorial row “should inspire us to work together.” Andanar said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also underscored the importance of China’s contribution to the regional bloc and the mutual trust among the nations. “(Li) mentioned the need to pursue common interests (of China and Asean),” Andanar told reporters. JE RELATED VIDEOS <div id=”vt-video-player”></div><script type=”text/javascript”>window.__ventunoplayer = window.__ventunoplayer||[];window.__ventunoplayer.push({video_key: ‘ODE4MjMwfHwyMzY4fHwxMDg2fHwxLDIsMQ==’, holder_id: ‘vt-video-player’, player_type: ‘vp’, width:’100%’, ratio:’16:9′});</script><script type=”text/javascript” src=”http://pl.ventunotech.com/plugins/cntplayer/ventunoSmartPlayer.js”></script> Latest Another short work day sees Djokovic into semi-finals China: Maritime row ‘should not represent’ relations to Asean ‘No Mario’s Sky’ gets shut down but re-releases under a new name Wozniacki, Kerber to clash for US Open final spot Recommended Disclaimer: Comments do not represent the views of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the right to exclude comments which are inconsistent with our editorial standards. FULL DISCLAIMER View Comments For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s neighbors could be affected with haze problems similar to those of previous years if tougher measures are not implemented by all related stakeholders to immediately extinguish land fires affecting several areas across the province, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Pekanbaru, Riau, has said. “Currently, the wind tends to blow to the southeast. If smoke haze occurs, there is a significant chance it will be brought by the wind to our neighboring countries,” BMKG Pekanbaru head Sugarin said on Monday. Based on data released by the agency, Terra and Aqua satellites detected 54 hotspots in Rokan Hilir on Monday morning, making it the area with the highest number of hotspots in Riau. Meanwhile, Dumai detected 15 hotspots, followed by Bengkalis (8), Rokan Hulu (5), and Meranti Islands, Indragiri Hulu and Siak, which recorded three hotspots each. Kampar reported only one hotspot. “In total, 92 hotspots were detected in Riau this morning, 84 of which were in coastal areas with a significant amount of peatland,” said Sugirin. “The number of hotspots in the province has increased significantly, as only 66 hotspots were detected on Sunday. This is because of the dry weather, which makes the land a lot more flammable.” Residents in Duri, Mandau district, Bengkalis regency, claimed they could smell smoke since early Monday. Several areas in Tanah Putih district, Rokan Hilir regency, have been blanketed with thick smoke since Monday morning. The smoke came from land fires in Putat village in Tanah Putih district Read More …

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente has ordered an investigation of the possible involvement of some immigration officers in human trafficking. Morente on Monday ordered the investigation after five Filipino women were deported from South Korea last July 23. The Bureau of Immigration, however, refused to identify the immigration officers but said that a show-cause order was already issued by Morente requiring them to explain why they should not be administratively charged for allowing the women to leave the country. The immigration officers have 72 hours to give their side. “We will not hesitate to punish any of our employees who connived with human traffickers in preying on our women. That is unforgivable,” Morente said. “They were immediately relieved from their immigration airport counter duties and their immigration stamps confiscated,” Morente further disclosed. The women left the country posing as tourists, their Korean entertainers’ visas were placed on their passports only during their stop-over in Hongkong. They worked as nightclub singers in Korea and were eventually deported for overstaying. Their promoter in Korea was likewise arrested. Their identities were not revealed pursuant to the provisions of the anti-human trafficking law. Initial reports found that the women separately left the country two years ago for various destinations before proceeding to Korea. They were allegedly cleared for departure by immigration officers despite their doubtful purpose of travel and presentation of questionable documents. Morente, however, assured that the immigration officers will be given a fair hearing and that due process will be observed in the Read More …