OVERSEAS VOTING TURNOUT VERY LOW

 News
Jun 022013
 
OVERSEAS VOTING TURNOUT VERY LOW

Overseas absentee voting (OAV) turnout in the last May 13 mid-term elections was way below the Commission on Elections’ hoped-for 60 percent in major precincts around the globe. Based on available reports, the overseas vote may be even less than the 26 percent achieved in 2010 despite the stepped-up OAV campaign, with some major areas logging only five to eight percent voter turnout. The troubling development prompted Senator Franklin Drilon to demand an explanation from the Comelec and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Drilon, tipped as the incoming Senate president, wanted to know how the poll body and the DFA spent the additional funds they received to ensure that the overseas voting turnout in the last elections would surpass that in the 2010 presidential polls. Through Drilon’s efforts as chairman of the Senate finance committee, Comelec received P105-M from the 2013 national budget, while the DFA was granted P43-M to implement the absentee voting law and “influence the result of the election by electing qualified leaders,” Drilon said. But the turnout of only 113,209 overseas Filipinos means each absentee vote costs P1,310 per vote. “This is outrageous. I wonder how the Comelec and the DFA can justify these numbers,” said Drilon, one of the principal sponsors of Republic Act No 9189, or the Overseas Absentee Voting Act enacted in February 2003. “I hate to sound like a broken record, but I again deplore the dismal implementation of the absentee voting law in the just-concluded midterm elections,” Drilon said in Read More …

DFA: PHL not blacklisted by France for lack of transparency on foreign aid

 News
May 292013
 
DFA: PHL not blacklisted by France for lack of transparency on foreign aid

The Philippines was not blacklisted by France due to supposedly lack of transparency in foreign aid, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) clarified Wednesday. In a text message, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the information that the Philippines was included by France on the list of “non-cooperative states” in its fight against foreign aid fraud was “totally inaccurate.” “We have, in fact, been informed that there is a new list and this list does not include the Philippines,” Del Rosario said. He added that the “mistake” on the Philippines’ blacklisting only arose from a French civil servant’s statements published on a French newspaper. On Tuesday, news reports quoted French minister for aids to development Pascal Canfin as saying that the 14 states and territories, including the Philippines, have been blacklisted by France due to lack of transparency in dealing with foreign aid. Del Rosario said that the French foreign ministry has already made a “full denial” on this “misinformation” concerning the Philippines. — Andreo Calonzo and Michaela del Callar/RSJ, GMA News

DFA chief: Chinese envoy's decision to skip PHL in Asian tour a prerogative

 News
May 052013
 
DFA chief: Chinese envoy's decision to skip PHL in Asian tour a prerogative

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday said the decision of China’s new foreign minister not to visit the Philippines in his Southeast Asia tour is a prerogative. In a text message, DFA chief Albert del Rosario said his office has “not given a second thought” to newly-appointed Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s choice of countries in the region to visit. “The plan for these visits is his prerogative… We look forward to meeting at the appropriate time with the new foreign minister and working closely with him,” Del Rosario said. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte meanwhile said the Palace does not want to speculate why the Philippines was not included in the Chinese foreign minister’s itinerary. “It will not be healthy to engage in speculation. We recognize the prerogative of the Chinese foreign minister to set his own agenda for his trips outside his country,” Valte said in a separate interview over state-run dzRB radio. Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced that Wang will be visiting Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam from April 30 to May 5 “at the invitation” of the foreign ministers of these Southeast Asian countries. Chinese news service China Briefing said the four Southeast Asian countries are Wang’s first overseas destinations since his appointment in March. Also, it said the tour marks the first time in over 15 years that a Chinese envoy gave priority to Asian destinations. The news agency likewise said the four countries “were likely picked for being Read More …

DFA exec flies to Saudi to assist undocumented Filipinos in ‘tent city’

 News
Apr 242013
 
DFA exec flies to Saudi to assist undocumented Filipinos in ‘tent city’

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:18 pm | Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday sent its top official on migrant workers affairs to meet with Saudi Arabia officials in a bid to expedite repatriation of more than 1,000 undocumented Filipinos still camped outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah. The foreign office is also preparing to move the Filipinos into shelters inside the Jeddah consulate and other facilities within the city to provide them with better accommodations while processing their return home, DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez said in a briefing Wednesday. Hernandez said Foreign Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Jesus Yabes flew to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and is set to meet with Saudi officials to discuss the situation outside the Philippine mission in Jeddah, where undocumented Filipinos have been camping out in tents for the last two weeks for fear of being arrested. The Saudi government recently initiated a campaign against illegal workers, prompting undocumented Filipinos to seek shelter at the Jeddah Consulate. “We have already sent Usec. Yabes to Saudi Arabia to see how we could expedite the repatriation,” said Hernandez. He said the government was “very much committed” to bringing the Filipinos back home but admitted that the situation was “tricky and very challenging,” given the requirements of Saudi law. Before they could be repatriated, the Filipino workers are required to first pay fines for expired residency permits, hence overstaying, settle Read More …

TFC, Comelec, DFA launch new drive for overseas voters

 News
Apr 022013
 
TFC, Comelec, DFA launch new drive for overseas voters

INQUIRER.net US Bureau 12:29 pm | Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 Mario Guillermo, with his wife Lilia, is being assisted by Overseas Absentee Voters officer Rey Sambitan. FILE PHOTO Encouraged by the record-breaking turnout of Filipinos during the registration period last year, The Filipino Channel (TFC) is again teaming up with the Commission on Elections and the Department of Foreign Affairs – Overseas Absentee Secretariat (DFA-OAVS) to promote overseas voting for the May 13 elections. Through a campaign entitled, Boto mo, kinabukasan ng bawat Pilipino (Your vote is the future of each Filipino), TFC last year disseminated public service announcements (PSAs) in print media and social networking sites. The turnout exceeded records for new overseas Filipino registrants in the past three elections in 2004, 2007 and 2010. Total registration hit close to a million or a total of 988,384, a milestone for a registration for a non-presidential election. This year, TFC, Comelec and DFA-OAVs are tapping young superstar Kim Chiu, variety show “ASAP” mainstay and enterprising actor Robi Domingo, “Pinoy True Stories” hosts and respected reporters Maan Macapagal, Atom Araullo and multi-awarded anchor Ted Failon.  They will join last year’s endorsers–Boy Abunda, Pokwang, Eric Santos, Randy Santiago and Piolo Pascual in conveying the message “Your vote is our (every Filipino’s) future.” “We encourage our kababayans to exercise their right to suffrage and choose the nation’s next leaders who can make a difference in the lives of every Filipino,” says TFC Philippine Country manager Edson Aguiflor. DFA Undersecretary and OAVS Chairman Jose 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 …

Trillanes: Make known Sabah policy

 News
Feb 202013
 
Trillanes: Make known Sabah policy

Kirams given till Friday to recall forces By Norman Bordadora Philippine Daily Inquirer 12:02 am | Thursday, February 21st, 2013 Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER.net/Noy Morcoso III CEBU CITY—Reelectionist Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday called on the Aquino administration to make known its policy on the country’s claim to Sabah and on the standoff between Malaysian security forces and a group of armed followers of the sultan of Sulu in the eastern Malaysian territory. The standoff in Tanduao village in Sabah’s Lahad Datu town has entered a second week, with Malaysian authorities saying on Wednesday that the situation is under control and that the Filipinos from Sulu will be deported soon. Emissaries from the Aquino administration are working quietly to convince Sultan Jamalul Kiram to recall his followers from Sabah. According to a highly placed source of the Inquirer in the Cabinet, Jamalul and his other brother, Bantilan Esmail Kiram II, must decide by Friday whether to call their followers home. On Wednesday, Esmail was going to see Jamalul, who is undergoing dialysis in a Manila hospital, to talk to him and make a decision, the source said. It is believed that the Malaysian government has given the sultan’s followers a deadline to leave or be rounded up and deported, but agreed to an extension of the deadline “by a few days” to allow the sultan and his family to reconsider their demand to stay in Sabah. President Aquino’s former backchannel link to Beijing at the height of tensions Read More …

Timor-Leste foreign minister arrives Thursday for official visit

 News
Feb 192013
 
Timor-Leste foreign minister arrives Thursday for official visit

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 10:31 am | Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 Foreign Minister Jose Luis Guterres PHOTO FROM TIMOR-LESTE.GOV.TL MANILA, Philippines—Timor-Leste Foreign Minister Jose Luis Guterres will arrive Thursday for a two-day official visit in the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. Guterres will hold bilateral talks with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and meet with President Aquino during his stay in Manila, the DFA said. “Foreign Minister Guterres’ official visit is a strong indication of the interest of both the Philippines and Timor-Leste to expand and enhance bilateral relations specifically in the areas of technical cooperation, human resource development and education,” said the DFA in a statement. Guterres returns six years since last visiting the Philippines as the then deputy prime minister of Timor-Leste. The Philippines has maintained strong ties with the young sovereign state, sending peacekeepers to the country since 1999 amid its struggle for independence from Indonesia. As the East Timor transitions to self-governance, the Philippines is tapering off the presence of its peacekeepers there.

Despite incident involving armed Pinoys, Malacañang won't reopen Sabah claim

 News
Feb 182013
 
Despite incident involving armed Pinoys, Malacañang won't reopen Sabah claim

Malaysian cops, troops surround Filipino armed group in Sabah . Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib (center) leaves after a meeting at a police base near Lahad Datu on Borneo island on Sunday. About 100 armed men holed up in a village in Sabah, Malaysia refuse to leave, saying they have links with the Sultanate of Sulu in the Philippines which has a historic claim over the northern tip of Borneo island. Malaysia police and army troops have surrounded the village, with navy boats patrolling nearby islands. Reuters/Bazuki Muhammad Malacañang remained adamant that despite the incident involving some 400 people including 20 gunmen who have crossed over to the Malaysian state of Sabah, the Aquino administration will not revisit the country’s claim to the disputed land. “From what I understand, the claim is there and it hasn’t moved for quite some time. I also remember that the President did mention that it’s been dormant. Let’s leave it at that for the moment,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a briefing. In the 1960s, the Philippine government laid claim over Sabah based on historical and legal data, but later suspended its claim and instead forged close cooperation with its neighbor Malaysian. Valte added that more than any claim over Sabah, the administration is more concerned about the safety of those involved in the standoff. “The main concern really is the safety of the people who are there. So ‘yun po muna ‘yung pinag-uusapan at ‘yung sinesentruhan natin,” Valte said. “[We want] Read More …

DFA asks Kiram group anew to leave Sabah

 News
Feb 182013
 
DFA asks Kiram group anew to leave Sabah

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:39 pm | Monday, February 18th, 2013 DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday reiterated its call for a Filipino armed group holding fort in Sabah to return home peacefully saying the standoff could potentially impact the on-going peace talks in Mindanao and bilateral ties between the Philippines and Malaysia. Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, the DFA spokesperson, said Philippine officials have been in constant coordination with their Malaysian counterparts in hopes of settling the standoff without bloodshed. “We are endeavoring to have the group leave Lahad Datu peacefully and this remains to be a work in progress in coordination with the Malaysian government. We want this issue to be settled in a peaceful manner,” said Hernandez. “What is important for now is for them to leave that area because this could affect existing issues we have including peace talks and possible bilateral relations,” said the official in a briefing Monday afternoon. The DFA said the government has yet to officially confirm the identity and objectives of the armed group that landed on Sabah’s Lahad Datu district last week. But Sultan Jamalul Kiram had said he sent the group of some 400 people, among them 20 armed men, to establish permanent residence in the area, asserting his family’s ancestral ownership over the land. The DFA further lauded the Malaysian government’s peaceful approach to the dispute.

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