Maniolas

ILOILO CITY—Ati-atihan dancers with their rhythmic drumming welcomed more than 2,700 Chinese tourists and crew of a cruise ship that stopped over briefly on Boracay yesterday. The passengers and crew of the MS Legend of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises, stayed on the world-famous resort island about seven hours before departing for Xiamen City in China, according to Helen Catalbas, Department of Tourism (DOT) Western Visayas director. The Legend of the Seas was the first cruise ship to visit the Philippines since President Duterte took office on July 1. It was also the first visit of a big Chinese tour group since a United Nations arbitral tribunal ruled in July that the Philippines had exclusive sovereign rights over disputed portions of the South China Sea. China protested the ruling which invalidated its “nine-dash line” claim covering nearly the entire South China Sea, including parts of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. President Duterte has said he is open to bilateral talks with China to settle the territorial dispute. Tourism officials welcomed the Chinese tourists. “Tourism goes beyond politics,” Catalbas told the Inquirer, adding the DOT was glad the Chinese came to visit. She said the number of tourists from China dropped slightly in August after the ruling of the international tribunal but it soon recovered and has continued to grow. The cruise ship, which also visited Manila on Friday, arrived in Boracay early on Saturday and docked between Boracay island and the Aklan mainland. The passengers and crew started Read More …

Senator Leila De Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO Sen. Leila de Lima on Saturday questioned parameters that the Department of Foreign Affairs set in welcoming an independent United Nations investigation of the spate of deaths amid President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal drug war. In a statement, De Lima, among the fiercest critics of the anti-drug campaign, likened the parameters to “censorship and control.” “While it is within the prerogatives of the Philippine government as the host country, through the DFA, to set reasonable parameters for the visit of the UN special rapporteurs and other UN probers, I find questionable the announced rule that it is the government that will decide the places to be visited and the persons to be interviewed by these probers,” De Lima said in a text message. “What kind of investigation do we expect if the government is going to decide how the investigation is going to be conducted by the UN rapporteur’s team?” she told the Inquirer when sought for comment. READ: Gov’t lays down rules for UN, EU probers Duterte had invited the UN, the European Union and, most recently, United States President Barack Obama to come to the country and investigate the slays. READ: Duterte: UN chief, EU may come to PH, but… The deaths have exceeded 3,000, but police and Malacañang officials have repeatedly explained that not all the deaths could be attributed to stepped up anti-drug operations. In remarks in General Santos City on Friday, Mr. Duterte explained that extrajudicial slays were not Read More …

The special operations unit of the Philippine National Police aviation security group conducts clearing operations around the isolated Saudia airplane at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday (Sept. 20, 2016). JOAN BONDOC/INQUIRER Airport authorities are looking into possible penalties to be imposed on Saudi Airlines (Saudia) following Tuesday’s hijacking false alarm at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). Both the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) are evaluating possible penalties for the false alarm that sent Naia emergency and security forces scrambling to respond. According to Caap officer in charge Jim Sydiongco, his agency is still investigating Tuesday’s incident. According to the Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup), the two pilots of the Manila-bound Saudia flight, which was carrying some 400 pilgrims from Mecca, intended to send distress signal 7600 to the Manila control tower because there was  “no communication,” but mistakenly pressed 7500, which meant there was a hijacking in progress, to air traffic controllers. “The licenses of the pilots are issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia so it is up to them to come up with sanctions. Our jurisdiction is over the airline which operates in the Philippines.  So whatever are the findings, be it sanctions or fines, we still do not know,” he said. MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal told the Inquirer the agency is evaluating whether or not penalties may be imposed on Saudia. Sydiongco said they are also investigating whether or not Saudia could be held accountable Read More …

THE CHIEF’S CHOPPER COMETH President Duterte’s helicopter touches down in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental, on Thursday. Mr. Duterte attended the unveiling of the inaugural marker and ceremonial switch-on of the Filinvest Development Corp. thermal plant. Malacañang Photo Special rapporteurs and rights experts from the United Nations and the European Union invited by President Duterte to investigate the growing number of deaths in the government’s war on drugs must comply with certain protocols and guidelines,  Charles Jose, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday. “UN special rapporteurs follow protocols set by host countries, that’s the process,” Jose said, adding that people to be interviewed and places that they intend to visit are subject to the approval of the government. He said the Philippine government may not allow UN and EU experts to visit Manila’s sprawling slums and talk to families of victims there since “the safety of the rapporteurs is part of the protocols to be considered.” The national police said more than 3,000 drug suspects have been killed by police in operations and unknown vigilante groups since Mr. Duterte took office on June 30. Mr. Duterte himself has said those brutally killed and found with signs indicating they were drug dealers could have been slain by rivals to make it appear they were victims of summary executions. Most of the victims of summary executions in relation to the government’s war on drugs, however, have taken place in slum areas. But Jose said the UN and EU officials may Read More …

“Duterte turns ire on EU, calls them hypocrites and uses ‘F’ word” — PDI headline Sept. 20, 2016 President Duterte’s colorful language has attracted worldwide attention. But his words have often been misunderstood, according to his supporters. It’s probably time for President Duterte’s team to issue guidelines to help the foreign media understand and even appreciate Digong’s unorthodox style. As President Barack Obama himself acknowledged, after Digong reportedly called him a “son of a whore,” such language is “just a habit, a way of speaking for him.” If Pareng Barack gets it, heck then the international media should learn to understand and report Duterte’s speeches and outbursts in the proper context. A guide to Dutertespeak could help. Here are some tips: “Fuck you” really means “I reject strongly your position on this matter and am expressing my intense displeasure with your pronouncements.” The latest misunderstanding involves the European Union to which the president reportedly said, “Fuck you.” Okay, that’s not exactly a diplomatic or polite thing to do. But, seriously, people say that all the time, right? It’s like another popular version of that expression in the U.S. with the word “mother.” It’s just the way people speak. Even you, members of the foreign media, use it. (By the way, if you happen to do so during your stint in Manila, it’s important to know that the reaction of locals, as relayed by your interpreter or guide, may seem odd: “Well, I hope you trip, too,” or in Tagalog: “Madapa Read More …