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By Matikas Santos |INQUIRER.net 2:06 pm | Friday, October 3rd, 2014 Philippine military chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang. AP MANILA, Philippines–The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has boosted the number of troops in Mindanao to improve the monitoring of groups there that are reportedly recruiting for the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). “We added an additional brigade (around 1,500 soldiers) in Mindanao. They are scattered across Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi,” General Gergorio Catapang, AFP Chief of Staff, said following the budget hearing of the Department of National Defense (DND) in the Senate. He said they will monitor and gather intelligence related to reports that the ISIS was recruiting in the Philippines as well as to “stabilize the situation in Zamboanga city.” “We want people to feel secured especially after one year [since] the Zamboanga incident,” Catapang said. During the hearing presided by Senator Loren Legarda, DND secretary Voltaire Gazmin reiterated that they are taking the ISIS threat “very seriously.” “But at the moment, we have not received and verified the existence of ISIS here in the Philippines. Some groups are using ISIS as propaganda to recruit membership in their terror group, particularly the Abu Sayyaf,” he said. RELATED STORIES Security expert: Claims of ISIS recruitment in PH should be taken seriously Duterte confirms ISIS recruited Filipino rebels Follow Us Other Stories: US lifts 40-year arms ban to boost Vietnam sea defense No Ebola travel ban on Nigeria, POEA says Chinese poachers moved to Palawan prison Gazmin: Chinese ships haven’t bothered PH troops at Ayungin Shoal Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Read More …

Senate President Franklin Drilon on Friday affirmed as valid the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee’s ruling asserting its jurisdiction over the investigation in the alleged overpricing in the Makati City Hall Building II project. “Yes, that is valid. As I have said, under our rules, all issues related to the investigation is delegated to the subcommittee,” Drilon told reporters in an interview. “It is only the report of the subcommittee, which would have to be approved by the main committee,” he added. Implicated in the alleged overpricing are Vice President Jejomar Binay, a former Makati mayor, and his son, incumbent Mayor Junjun Binay, who was councilor when the building was constructed in 2007. On Wednesday, lawyer Claro Certeza, the younger Binay’s legal counsel, filed a manifestation before the blue ribbon committee asking that the subcommittee, headed by Senator Koko Pimentel, stops its investigation until the issue of jurisdictional challenge has been decided by the mother committee. However, Pimentel said that since it was only a manifestation, no ruling was necessary and it will just be put on record. But the camp of Vice President Binay is not satisfied with Pimentel’s decision, saying the committee is “railroading its own rules.” “If a jurisdictional challenge is raised by any party, then the committee must first resolve it before proceeding to an inquiry,” he added, citing Section 2 of the Senate blue ribbon committee rules. Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the absence of the camp of Binay during the hearings, Drilon said: “Kahapon, humingi Read More …

While China continues with the construction of structures in the highly-contested Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine government held in abeyance the improvement of its structures in the islands it occupies to avoid tension. No less than President Benigno Aquino III ordered status quo in the areas claimed by the Philippines, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told the Senate finance committee Friday during the hearing on its proposed budget for 2015. “We got specific instruction from the President not to desert the status quo. We have funds for the improvement but this is now being held in abeyance because of the case we have filed. It might affect the case that we have filed before the international tribunal,” he said. One of the projects still waiting the President’s go-signal is the improvement of the dilapidated Pag-asa airport. In 2013, the Philippines formally brought its long-standing territorial dispute with China before the international tribunal.  In June 2014, the Arbitral Tribunal ordered China to respond to the Philippines’ claim that it is illegally occupying at least eight shoals, reefs and similar features in the West Philippine Sea belonging to Filipinos. China, however, refused to take part in the arbitration proceedings.   Aside from the Philippines and China, other countries claiming ownership over islands in the West Philippine Sea—a major trading route where undersea oil and gas deposits have been discovered—are Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The budget hearing is ongoing, as of posting time. —KG, GMA News

Pinoys show support for HK pro-democracy movement. Members of Akbayan party-list group hold a solidarity protest in front of the Chinese Consular Office in Makati City on Thursday, October 2, to show support for the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. Danny Pata The Philippine government may have distanced itself from the ongoing civil unrest in Hong Kong, but said it cannot prevent Filipino groups or individuals from staging demonstrations to express support for Hong Kong citizens demanding full electoral rights from China. Filipinos, led by civil society groups, held a rally in front of the Chinese consulate in Makati City Thursday to show solidarity with the tens of thousands of Hong Kong nationals seeking “true universal suffrage” from mainland China – a Philippine rival in the disputed resource-rich South China Sea territories. “We can’t stop them,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told a press briefing. “Their freedoms,” Jose explained, “are guaranteed by the Constitution.” “(They have the) freedom to express, freedom to assemble as long as their activities are peaceful and does not result in damage to property or loss of lives,” he said. He also stressed that such actions are “individual initiatives” and not sanctioned by the Philippine government. “It is not a government policy,” Jose said. “Of course we are not commenting on what’s happening in Hong Kong so as not to be misconstrued as interfering in the internal affairs of China and Hong Kong.” Hong Kong, a British colony for 150 years until it was handed back to Read More …

‘Feeling is like ’86 Edsa revolt’ By Philip C. Tubeza |Philippine Daily Inquirer 12:40 am | Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 THE REASON A woman holds a placard at the surging prodemocracy rally in Hong Kong. AFP HONG KONG—It’s a “teaching moment.” Armed with cameras and sporting yellow ribbons, a group of Filipinos who are permanent residents of Hong Kong on Wednesday joined the “Umbrella Revolution,” which has paralyzed busiest parts of the city since Saturday. They also brought along their children. “We brought along our kids because this is a teaching opportunity for them to learn that, ‘You know, your freedom, you have to fight for it,” said Mang Ben, who has lived in Hong Kong for 25 years. He declined to give his real name for security purposes. “We brought them so that they will also be aware of what’s going on. It’s not just for fun. It’s also a teaching moment for them,” Mang Ben said. “Hong Kong has given us so much economic benefits, for Filipinos particularly. [W]e want to give back,” he added. Democratic elections For the last four days, Hong Kong has been swept by student-led protests demanding that China allow the city fully democratic elections. The number of protesters has increased after police deployed tear gas on Sunday in an attempt to disperse protesters who had gathered in front of government offices in Admiralty district. Since then, however, police have largely stayed behind barricades, just watching as the protesters sit on the streets, blocking Read More …