Chinese poachers could face 20 years over pangolins

 News
Apr 172013
 
Chinese poachers could face 20 years over pangolins

Agence France-Presse 6:02 am | Thursday, April 18th, 2013 Members of the Philippine Coast Guard hold a frozen pangolin, or scaly anteater, on board a Chinese vessel that ran aground off Tubbataha coral reef in this April 13, 2013, photo released by the Philippine Coast Guard in Manila. AP PHOTO/PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD MANILA, Philippines—Twelve suspected Chinese poachers could face up to 20 years in prison for possession of hundreds of dead pangolins, or scaly anteaters, Philippine wildlife authorities said Wednesday. The boat carrying the 12 Chinese men ran aground on Tubbataha marine park, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed coral reef near Palawan, last week. “We are preparing a case. We are still compiling supporting documents (but) it carries a heavy penalty of 12 to 20 years’ imprisonment,” Adelina Villena, environment officer of the province of Palawan, told AFP. Mere possession of the threatened species is basis for criminal charges, regardless of where the pangolins were obtained, said Villena. All eight species of the insect-eating mammals are protected by international law. Two—the Malaysian and Chinese pangolins—are on the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s “red list” of endangered species. Prosecutors have already charged the men with illegal poaching and with corruption for attempting to bribe Filipino officials. The Philippine coast guard said Monday it had found hundreds of frozen pangolins, individually wrapped in plastic and hidden in sacks in the cargo hold of a Chinese boat. Pangolins are widely hunted in parts of Asia for their meat, skin and scales and in Read More …

Sultan Bolkiah arrives in PH for state visit

 News
Apr 152013
 
Sultan Bolkiah arrives in PH for state visit

By TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer 6:43 pm | Monday, April 15th, 2013 Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (C) salutes as he walks past Philippine honour guards as he arrives at Manila International Airport on April 15, 2013. Hassanal Bolkiah is in Manila for a two-day state visit. AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS MANILA, Philippines–Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah flew in Monday for a brief 24-hour-long state visit to the Philippines ahead of next week’s 22nd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Brunei. The President will host a state luncheon for Bolkiah in Malacañang Tuesday when the latter pays a courtesy call. Malacañang said the two leaders will tackle Brunei’s chairmanship of the summit on April 24 and 25 in Bandar Seri Bagawan. The South China Sea conflict looms large in the agenda of their meeting. In the recent Asean Ministerial Meeting, Asean foreign ministers stressed the importance of peaceful resolution of the standoff in the South China Sea by four claimant countries, including the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia. Member-countries are looking to Brunei to mediate negotiations to reach a common position on the conflict by the signing of a Code of Conduct to minimize the risk of conflict in the international waterway. “Brunei is going to be the chairman, I think, of the Asean. So, as to what the details will be, that’s something that will be taken up during the bilateral meeting,’’ Secretary Edwin Lacierda, presidential spokesperson, said in a briefing. Lacierda could not Read More …

Chinese military officials join maritime disaster response talks in Balikatan exercises

 News
Apr 152013
 
Chinese military officials join maritime disaster response talks in Balikatan exercises

Amid the ongoing territorial dispute between China and the Philippines, two Chinese military officials on Monday joined their Filipino and American counterparts in talks on maritime disaster response as part of the annual Balikatan military exercises. According to Brig. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, deputy chief of staff for operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), this marks the first time China joined such a discussion, since it is also the first time the Philippines and the United States opened the Balikatan exercises to other countries. “Ang Balikatan, originally, military to military ng US saka ng Pilipinas lang. Now, parang ine-expand naman natin ito as we globalize. What if something happens doon sa international waters? How do we respond to it?” Baladad told reporters Monday. He added that the territorial dispute between China and the Philippines over parts of the South China Sea had nothing to do with the talks, since the discussions were on how to respond to maritime disasters such as oil spills. “This is a multi-national approach. Kapitbahay natin sila, and just like other countries, they are one of the responders kung sakaling magkaroon ng incident na kailangang mag-respond in international waters… Sa disaster response siguro, wala nang mga tampuhan muna,” Baladad said. China and the Philippines, as well as Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, have overlapping claims on the islands, shoals and reefs in the South China Sea where undersea gas deposits have been discovered in several areas. In January, Manila initiated an arbitration process under Read More …

Philippines discovers pangolins on Chinese poacher boat

 News
Apr 142013
 
Philippines discovers pangolins on Chinese poacher boat

Agence France-Presse 11:47 am | Monday, April 15th, 2013 This undated handout photo received on April 10, 2013 and released by the Philippine coast Guard (PCG) shows coast guard personnel inspecting the Chinese fishing vessel which ran aground off Tubbataha reef in Palawan island, western Philippines. A Chinese fishing boat has run aground on a World Heritage-listed coral reef in the Philippines, roughly 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) from China’s nearest major landmass, authorities said April 9. AFP PHOTO/PCG MANILA – The Philippine coast guard said Monday it had found hundreds of frozen scaly anteaters, or pangolins, in the cargo hold of a Chinese boat that ran aground in a protected marine sanctuary last week. Wildlife officials have been informed of the surprising discovery, which could lead to more charges for the 12 Chinese men arrested on charges including poaching after their boat was stranded in Tubbataha Reef last week. “We found 400 boxes containing anteaters aboard the vessel, and we are now determining where these came from,” coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo told AFP. He could not say whether the pangolins were frozen alive, or had already been butchered as meat. A protected species, pangolins are widely hunted in parts of Asia for their meat, skin and scales. In China, they are known as a delicacy and are purported to have medicinal qualities. According to the International Union of Conservation of Nature, all eight species of the insect-eating mammals are protected by international laws around the world. Two Read More …

US backs PH tack in sea row

 News
Apr 032013
 
US backs PH tack in sea row

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:49 am | Thursday, April 4th, 2013 Secretary of State John Kerry. AP FILE PHOTO Citing the importance of peace and stability in Asia-Pacific region, the United States has thrown its full support behind the Philippines’ bid for arbitration in the United Nations to settle a territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). In remarks before talks with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in Washington on Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated his government’s support for a code of conduct in the West Philippine Sea, home to vital sea lanes and islands believed to be sitting on vast energy and mineral reserves. “The Philippines is one of our five Asia-Pacific allies and a very, very important relationship at this point in time when there are tensions over the South China Sea, where we support a code of conduct, and we are deeply concerned [about] some of those tensions and would like to see it worked out through a process of arbitration,” Kerry told reporters at the US Department of State. A transcript of his remarks was posted on the department’s website. The West Philippine Sea dispute has long been a matter of keen interest for Kerry who, as senator, “was a moving force” behind a resolution in the US Senate seeking a peaceful settlement of disputes in those waters, Del Rosario said after his meeting with the new top US diplomat. Kerry replaced former State Secretary Hillary Clinton, Read More …

Purchases of capital, consumer goods push PHL imports growth in December 2012

 Entertainment
Feb 282013
 
Purchases of capital, consumer goods push PHL imports growth in December 2012

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) logo Growth in payments for capital goods, consumer goods, raw materials, and intermediate goods propelled Philippine merchandise imports to a 13.2-percent year-on-year increase in December 2012, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). “The improvement in imports performance during the period represents a rebound in the value of imports from a 6.4 percent contraction a year ago and partly reflects the favorable sentiments of both businesses and consumers,” said Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning Arsenio M. Balisacan. The country’s merchandise imports amounted to $4.6 billion in December 2012, up from the $4.6 billion during the same month in 2011. Imported capital goods rose by 40.2 percent to $1.8 billion from $1.3 billion from a year ago due to higher payments for aircrafts, ships, and boats (564.7%), telecommunications equipment and electrical machineries (10.0%), and power generating and specialized machines (15.9%). The increase in imports of aircrafts, ships, and boats is partly attributed to aircraft purchases of Cebu Pacific. Also, consumer goods grew by 38.2 percent to $688.3 million in December 2012 from $497.9 million from the same month in 2011. This was due to higher payments for both durable (50.4%) and non-durable (28.1%) consumer products. “The higher receipts from imported consumer goods were due in part to the more favorable sentiments of consumers, specifically towards durable items,” said Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director-General. Imports of raw materials and intermediate goods, meanwhile, also increased by 6.1 percent as values of both imported unprocessed raw Read More …

Philippines slams patrols for Chinese fishers

 News
Feb 262013
 

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:52 am | Wednesday, February 27th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines on Tuesday denounced China’s announced fishery patrols in the Spratly group of islands, as it asserted its sovereignty over its established maritime boundaries in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also called on China to “act responsibly” amid simmering tensions in the region over the contested waters, the subject of a Philippine arbitration bid in the United Nations. “We again call on China to respect our territorial sovereignty and exclusive economic zone. The Philippines strongly objects to the Chinese patrols in the Philippines’ maritime domain in the West Philippine Sea,” said DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez. Chinese state media reported over the weekend that the South China Sea Fishery Bureau of China’s Ministry of Agriculture was set to undertake “routine fishery administrative patrols” in the South China Sea this year. The patrols “will be carried out to better safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese fishermen,” Chinese media said, quoting Wu Zhuang of the fisheries bureau. Wu said that China would “speed up the routine patrols” with the growing capacity of Chinese law enforcement authorities. Hernandez said the move violated China’s international commitments, including its accession to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). The Philippines invoked the Unclos in taking its dispute with China to the UN arbitral tribunal in hopes of stopping Chinese incursions into its  waters and invalidating the Chinese Read More …

We’re attracting Japanese investors

 Economy
Feb 262013
 
We’re attracting Japanese investors

Late last week, a buzz was created in the Japanese business community by Sumitomo Corporation on the growing attractiveness of the Philippines to Japanese investors. Sumitomo issued a press release that declared “among Asian nations where many Japanese manufactures have invested, the Philippines has been gaining power as an exporting nation…” Sumitomo cited our “attractive tax incentives as well as rich human resources equipped with English language skill.”  Sumitomo went on to say that “in line with this trend, since 2011, the foreign direct investment from Japanese manufacturers to the Philippines has been increasing.” Thus, Sumitomo announced it has decided to launch an expansion project of an industrial park south of Manila it co-owns with the Lopez Group’s First Philippine Holdings. Sumitomo says it “believes the Philippines will further increase its position as a strategic location for export-oriented industries compared to other Asian nations…” The Sumitomo press release received wide attention in the Japanese and international press. The Asahi Shimbun reported that Sumitomo “has begun expansion work at the First Philippine Industrial Park in Manila, to add approximately 100 hectares of property for leasing and allow for additional factories to be constructed upon completion.” The Financial Times, on the other hand, observed that Sumitomo’s move means “a fair amount of this newer investment by Japan Inc is happening at the expense of China, as companies balk at spiraling labor costs after the flare up over a tiny chains of islands in the East China Sea.”   The FT also noted “Japan’s Read More …

PHL protests China's fishery patrols in West PHL Sea

 News
Feb 262013
 
PHL protests China's fishery patrols in West PHL Sea

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday protested China’s routine fishery patrols in the disputed South China Sea as part of it would include areas within the Philippines’ territorial waters. “The Philippines strongly objects to the Chinese patrol of Philippine maritime domain in the West Philippine Sea. Such activities would not validate the nine-dash line and are contrary to China’s obligation under international law including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Hernandez said at a press briefing. China’s nine-dash line is a U-shaped map that covers nearly 90 percent of the South China Sea. “We again call in China to respect our territorial sovereignty and exclusive economic zone,” Hernandez said. China’s Fishery Bureau last week announced that patrols in the resource-rich waters, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims, will be a “top priority” in 2013 and 2014. The patrols, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency, aim to safeguard the “legitimate interests of Chinese fishermen.” China’s announcement came on the same week it rejected Manila’s initiative to let a United Nations arbitration body hear the Philippines’ complaint over what it calls Beijing’s “excessive” claim to waters where undersea gas deposits have been discovered in several areas. China said Manila’s case was legally infirm and carried unacceptable allegations. Regarding the fishery patrols, Hernandez said the Philippines “exercises sovereignty and sovereign rights over the waters and features in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea.” “Therefore, we continue to call Read More …

PH to press UN case on disputed sea despite China rejection

 News
Feb 202013
 
PH to press UN case on disputed sea despite China rejection

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:38 am | Thursday, February 21st, 2013 DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez: We’ll proceed. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The arbitration proceedings that the Philippines has initiated before the United Nations (UN) against China to nullify the latter’s “excessive” claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) will not stop despite Beijing’s rejection of the legal action, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). However, the enforcement of any decision of the UN arbitral tribunal, three or four years down the road, will be “another question,” said DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez. “The arbitration will proceed under Annex VII of Unclos (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the five-member arbitration panel will be formed with or without China,” Hernandez said. “Even if one party does not join or participate, the process will continue until a decision is made,” he said. Article 9 of Unclos’ Annex VII, which stipulates the mechanics of arbitration, states that the “absence of a party or failure of a party to defend its case shall not constitute a bar to the proceedings.” On Jan. 22, the Philippines went to the UN to challenge Beijing’s claim to most of the South China Sea (which the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea) and compel it to respect the Philippines’ right to its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and stop Chinese incursions into areas in the disputed waters claimed by the Philippines. The Philippines initiated the Read More …

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