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The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that six of the 23 suspects in the kidnappings cases in the waters off Sabah already have arrest warrants. The Filipino suspects are reportedly being pursued in “the hinterlands of Sulu and Basilan provinces.” Earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte went to Malaysia to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the two agreed to work together to solve the kidnapping incidents in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas. “Philippine authorities welcomes any information their Malaysian counterparts may have that would lead to the arrest of these wanted individuals,” the Embassy said. The six suspects with arrest warrants are Apo Mike (also known as Majan Sahidjuan), Hatib Hayan (aka Sawadjaan), Alden Bagde (aka Sayning), Muamar Askali (aka Abu Rami), Idang Susukan and Alhabsy Misaya. Philippine forces have been able to arrest and kill other suspects earlier named by Malaysian authorities. One of them is Khadafy, who is now detained in the Zamboanga Del Norte Provincial Jail. The list of 23 kidnapping suspects were from Malaysia’s Eastern Sabah Security Command. There have been several reports in the past of fishermen and foreign tourists abducted by armed men in Sabah waters. KS/RAM RELATED STORIES 3 Malaysian fishermen kidnapped in Sabah waters 2 more Indonesian fishermen abducted off Malaysian state 5 foreigners missing in Tawi-Tawi, Sabah waters TAGS: arrest warrant, Kidnapping, PH Embassy, Sabah, suspects For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.

A US Navy vessel docked at Subic Bay on Wednesday for a port visit, the US Embassy said. USS Comstock (LSD 45) with Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is at Subic Bay for an opportunity for its crew to rest after staying for nearly a month and a half at sea, the embassy said on Thursday. The ship left Naval Station San Diego last October 14 and is on its second port visit. Several Filipino-American sailors and Marines will also spend time with their families and learn more about Filipino culture. “I am very proud that my first port visit as the Commanding Officer of the Comstock was to my birthplace, Guam, and I’m even more honored that our next port visit will be to the country where my mother and father were born—the Philippines,” Comstock Commanding Officer Cmdr. Gervy Alota was quoted as saying. The US Embassy said that Comstock and embarked 11th MEU, part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, have been conducting training together for nearly a month and a half at sea. Comstock and other ships of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group are currently on a routine patrol in the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support for security and stability in the region. The Comstock is based out of Naval Station San Diego, California.  The 11th MEU is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, the embassy said.  RAM RELATED STORIES 2 US ships dock in Subic; businesses hopeful Two US warships dock at Subic TAGS: Read More …

President Rodrigo Duterte is not changing but is just “recalibrating” the country’s foreign policy, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III told a Senate hearing on Monday. Dominguez issued this clarification during the hearing of the Senate committee on finance when its chair, Senator Loren Legarda, asked about the impact of any change in foreign policy under the new administration amid the President’s pronouncements that he would build next year new alliances with China and Russia. READ: Duterte seeks alliances with China and Russia “Will our changing foreign policy, assuming there is any change, also affect or change our diplomacy insofar as finance and economics is concerned?” Legarda asked. “Meaning, it’s good to be tapping a big market for our goods which is China and even Russia and they also have money to be able to help us. So do we see a more robust economic, business relationship with our nation neighbor with whom there is a territorial dispute and possible market for our goods which is Russia farther away but which has been largely untapped?” she further asked. Responding to the queries, Dominguez said: “I would not say the foreign policy is changing, I think it’s just being recalibrated so that were are more open to other markets.” He noted, for instance, the President’s plan to call for a Constitutional Convention to open investment areas to more foreign participation with the exception of land ownership. “The President has indicated to us that he’d like to strengthen and exploit opportunities, as you Read More …

President Rodrigo Duterte. JOAN BONDOC/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO A day after President Rodrigo Duterte invited the United Nations and the European Union to probe the alleged extrajudicial killings in his war against illegal drugs, he said United States President Barack Obama is also welcome to come to the country. “So, I would be inviting the human rights commission, the EU, Obama if he wants to come here, Ban Ki-Moon,” he said on Friday during a speech at the Police Regional Office in General Santos City. On Thursday, Duterte said he invited UN’s chief Ban Ki-Moon and the EU to come to the Philippines and investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings amid his relentless war on illegal drugs. READ: Duterte: UN chief, EU may come to PH, but… The President said he has ordered Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to write the letter of invitation to the UN and EU. But he said his invitation “could not be a one-way affair.” After giving them the “right to be heard,” they must also answer questions from him. He then challenged them to a debate. “I will take on them one by one in an open forum.  You can use the Senate or (the) Folk Arts (Theater), whatever. Everybody will be invited. All of you can watch how I trample on them,” he said. “They could ask all the questions they want,” he said, but was quick to add that he would also ask them questions. Duterte earlier slammed the UN and the EU for criticizing Read More …

DFA spokesman Charles Jose. AP FILE PHOTO The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) clarified reports that there are no takers for diplomatic posts amid the series of “off-the-cuff” statements of President Rodrigo Duterte cursing US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that require massive diplomatic mending of fences with allies and neighbors. DFA spokesman Charles Jose said the report is not true but admitted so far it was only Ambassador Marciano Paynor who accepted the offer to become Philippine ambassador to United States. READ: Paynor named PH ambassador to US “Ambassador Paynor was recently appointed by President Duterte to head our post in Washington DC,” said Jose in a press briefing on Wednesday. Former Senate President Edgardo Angara, on the other hand, confirmed that he was offered the post as ambassador to US but he declined. “Yes, it (US post) was offered to me but I declined. Prior, I was offered to head our embassy in United Kingdom and then Spain,” said senator Angara in a chance interview. Angara said he is open to “provide policy advice to the DFA” as a consultant but not to work as ambassador. However, Jose said there are still no appointments of new ambassadors to key diplomatic posts such as United Kingdom and China. “We don’t have the names yet as of this time,” he said. Earlier, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. has submitted three names for possible appointment as Philippine ambassador to the US including Angara, well-known businessman Ricardo Delgado and Read More …