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DAVAO CITY—Former President Fidel V. Ramos said on Saturday he had accepted President Duterte’s offer to be the Philippines’ special envoy to China. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Mr. Duterte at the Marco Polo Hotel here, the 88-year-old Ramos said his doctors had given him the green light to take the job. “I have been cleared by my doctors at Makati Medical Center,” said Ramos, who revealed that he suffered from three serious ailments—including one that impaired the flow of blood to the brain. But he said he was now well, and even jumped in the air to drive his point. The former president, who wears a pacemaker, also gripped this reporter’s hand to demonstrate his strength. The meeting took place a few days after Mr. Duterte announced he would appoint Ramos as special  envoy to China, an offer the former president appeared hesitant to take at first, citing his advanced age. Ramos said the job entailed more than just talking to the Chinese leaders, in the wake of The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling junking China’s claims in the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. He, however, did not elaborate and stressed that the issues would be tackled in his meetings with senior Duterte officials. “I said before that there should already be a National Security Council meeting,” he said. The council is to be convened on July 27, two days after the President’s State of the Nation Address on Monday. Other officials Read More …

The Philippines can now freely, but cautiously, explore for oil and natural gas resources in Reed Bank after a UN-backed arbitral tribunal declared the area as part of the country’s exclusive economic zone, Supreme Court Senior Justice Antonio Carpio has said. Reed Bank, located off the coast of Palawan, is believed to be the country’s next important source of these resources, with the Malampaya offshore natural gas field expected to be depleted in the next 10 years, Carpio said on Friday at the Trident Security Forum at Solaire Hotel. “The Reed Bank is free from overlapping claims (based on the arbitral ruling), so we can proceed with plans to explore for oil and gas resources there,” Carpio said. “But we should be more prudent to sit down first with China and say: There is this ruling, we have to exercise our rights over the area.”   Operations suspended Drilling operations at Reed Bank were suspended while the Philippines pressed its case in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which after more than three years effectively threw out on June 12 China’s claim of historical rights to nearly all of the South China Sea. It said the Chinese claim went against exclusive economic zones established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. China has rejected the ruling, and has indirectly blamed the United States, Manila’s key military ally, for encouraging the Philippine move. (See related stories on Page A5.) President Duterte has said he may send Read More …

President Rodrigo R. Duterte chats with Former President Fidel V. Ramos during the Testimonial Dinner Reception organized by the San Beda Law Alumni Association at the Kalayaan Hall of Club Filipino in San Juan City, Manila on Thursday, July 14, 2016 KING RODRIGUEZ/PPD DAVAO CITY – Former President Fidel Ramos on Saturday said he had accepted President Rodrigo Duterte’s offer for him to become the special envoy to China.  Speaking to reporters here after his meeting with Duterte at the Marco Polo Hotel here, Ramos said he was now physically fit to take the job. READ: Duterte meets with Ramos after envoy post offer  “I have been cleared by my doctors at the Makati Medical Center,” Ramos said, who admitted that he suffered from three serious ailments – including one that impaired the flow of blood to the brain.He said he also wore a pacemaker, he said.  But Ramos said he is now well and even jumped to the air to drive his point.  He also gripped this reporter’s hand to show his strength.  The meeting took place a few days after Duterte named Ramos as special envoy to China.  Ramos earlier said he wanted to clarify with Duterte what his specific role would be as special envoy to China.  Ramos also said being special envoy does not only entail going to China and talking with its leaders, especially in the wake of the ruling on the West Philippine Sea.  When he faced reporters, Ramos made little mention of what his specific role Read More …

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia—The five Malaysian sailors kidnapped off Sabah last week have yet to slip into Abu Sayyaf’s mountainous jungle hideout in Jolo. They are believed to be held by self-proclaimed Abu Sayyaf commander Apo Mike alias Najan Sahidjuan at Pandami Island near Jolo in the Sulu province. READ: 5 Malaysians feared abducted near Tawi-Tawi, Sabah Jolo-based anti kidnapping activist Prof. Octavio Dinampo said they were held at Pandami where the gunmen felt secure as it was the “territory” of another Abu Sayyaf leader Mulphi Jurahmad, a comrade of Najan. Mulphi and Najan were said to be among the kidnappers of the 21 Malaysians and foreign tourists from Sabah’s east coast Sipadan island in 2000. “From there, the gunmen will try to bring in the five kidnap victims into Maimbung or Parang in Jolo before taking them to their mountainous jungle lair at Indanan,” Octavio said. He said the abduction of the five sailors from a tugboat on July 18 was carried out notorious kidnap for ransom gang brothers Nikson and Brown Muktadil. The five were then handed over to Najan who is perceived to be “reliable” among the Abu Sayyaf gunmen to guard the hostages and to deal their release. “It’s a case of one success leading to another. He was successful in handling the Indonesian sailors a few months ago and they expect this to continue,” Octavio added. He said there was a delay in bringing the five Malaysian sailors into Jolo amid house to house checks by Read More …