Maniolas

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (center) jokes around with fellow leaders during the group photo at the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016. The forum closed with a joint pledge to work toward a sweeping new free trade agreement that would include all 21 members as a path “sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth,” despite the political climate. At right is Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay who stood in for President Rodrigo Duterte, whom Malacañang said was indisposed. AP LIMA, Peru — Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific nations ended their annual summit Sunday with a call to resist protectionism amid signs of increased free-trade skepticism, highlighted by the victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum also closed with a joint pledge to work toward a sweeping new free trade agreement that would include all 21 members as a path to “sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth,” despite the political climate. READ: Russia to buy $2.5B in PH agri produce | Duterte ‘falls ill,’ skips Apec gala dinner for world leaders “We reaffirm our commitment to keep our markets open and to fight against all forms of protectionism,” the leaders of the APEC nations said in a joint statement. APEC noted the “rising skepticism over trade” amid an uneven recovery since the financial crisis and said that “the benefits of trade and open markets need to be communicated to the wider public more effectively, emphasizing how trade promotes innovation, employment Read More …

President Duterte is set to declare the triangular lagoon inside Scarborough Shoal as a marine sanctuary where Filipino and Chinese fishermen would not be allowed to fish or gather marine produce. Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to work with Duterte to create and promote a favorable environment in the disputed territory. INQUIRER FILE LIMA, Peru — President Duterte will issue an executive order unilaterally declaring the triangle-shaped lagoon inside the disputed Scarborough Shoal a marine sanctuary, where neither Filipino nor Chinese fishermen would be allowed to fish. Mr. Duterte told Chinese President Xi Jinping of his intentions during their bilateral discussion on Saturday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit here, according to National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who was present at the meeting. READ: Esperon: A ‘win-win’ for PH, China on Panatag “The President has decided to declare that as a sanctuary. That is a unilateral action from government,” he said, referring to the lagoon “as big as Quezon City” and known to be a spawning area for fish. Scarborough Shoal is a traditional fishing ground locally known as Panatag. It has been under the control of Chinese authorities since 2012, though China has recently allowed Filipinos to fish again in the area as a result of warming ties with the Philippines. Esperon said Mr. Duterte “clearly talked about maritime arrangements” with Xi, including the prospect of cooperation between their coast guards. “The implication and the effect of this is that Read More …

President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping greet each during a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in Lima, Peru on November 19. REY BANIQUET/ Presidential Photo The Philippines plans to beef up its defense capabilities with the help of countries like Russia and China, as it seeks to establish industrial defense complexes in areas considered highly “vulnerable to attacks.” These complexes, which will house defense-related manufacturing firms, are targeted to be put up in places like Palawan, since it faces the Spratlys and Zambales, because of the Scarborough Shoal, said Charito B. Plaza, director general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza). “We have military reservations that can be utilized as defense industrial complexes depending on the studies to be undertaken by the Department of National Defense (DND). I suggested that we should put up these defense industrial complexes in vulnerable areas of attacks like Palawan and Zambales,” Plaza said.  ‘Window shopping’ She also suggested that two defense industrial complexes be put up in Mindanao. “This is not just about the transfer of technology. We will also be able to modernize our armed forces and the police.” Plaza explained that Peza had begun “window shopping” for prospective locators from Russia, China, Israel and other countries that have sophisticated defense industries. The target is to have locators from these countries to manufacture drones, equipment as well as the hardware and software needed by the military and police both for export and local Read More …

Philippine Army soldiers deployed to Sulu to pursue the Abu Sayyaf. INQUIRER MINDANAO FILE PHOTO JAKARTA, Indonesia – The three countries will hold joint military training for their army personnel starting January 2017 to fight terror group Abu Sayyaf and secure the Sulu Sea from rampant piracy. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have agreed to initiate joint army training to advance efforts to secure the Sulu Sea from rampant piracy. Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu explained that each of the countries would first begin its own army personnel training in January 2017 before conducting the joint training later in the year. The military training will take place in Indonesia’s Tarakan in North Kalimantan, Malaysia’s Tawao Island and the Philippines’ Bongao Island. Ryacudu said Army soldiers set to participate in the joint military training would form a special force tasked with facing the notorious Abu Sayyaf militant group that masterminded a series of recent kidnappings in Sulu waters, located in the southwestern Philippines. “It’s part of a concrete action we, Asean countries, are taking to secure the region,” he said in Jakarta on Thursday. Ryacudu said the training locations would later become posts for a joint taskforce assigned to help secure Sulu waters. The need for joint army training was discussed during a meeting between Ryamizard and his Malaysian and Philippines counterparts, Hishammuddin Hussein and Delfin Lorenzana, held on the sidelines of the Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) retreat earlier this week in Laos. Both Malaysia and the Philippines welcomed the initiative, which will add Read More …

Russian President Vladimir Putin AP FILE PHOTO LIMA, Peru — Sparks flew at the first meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and his idol Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Economic Leaders’ Meeting here with Mr. Duterte wasting no time in complaining about the West to the Russian leader. Right out of the gate, the volatile Mr. Duterte, who had long expressed admiration for Putin’s strongman rule, talked about his distrust toward the United States and other Western countries, oblivious of the fact that Russia technically belonged in the West. READ: Duterte says America will never die for PH “I have been looking for this moment to meet you, Mr. President, not only because you represent your country but [because] of your leadership, too,” the Philippine president told Putin, who formally extended an invitation to Mr. Duterte to visit Russia during their exchange. In his trademark style, Mr. Duterte talked about the “hypocrisy” of the West in intervening in the affairs of other countries while advancing their own interests. “They want to seem to start a war but are afraid to go to war. That is what’s wrong with America and the others. They are waging war in so many places: in Vietnam, Afghanistan and in Iraq,” he said. “And for one single reason that there was a weapon of mass destruction [in Iraq] and there was none. They insist, if you are allied with them that they follow you. They go to the Read More …