Snub by Chinese foreign minister no big deal–Del Rosario

 News
May 052013
 
Snub by Chinese foreign minister no big deal–Del Rosario

By TJ A. Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:52 am | Monday, May 6th, 2013 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, shakes hands with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand Wednesday, May 1, 2013. AP PHOTO/SAKCHAI LALIT MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos shouldn’t make a big deal over the failure of new Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit the country even as he called at four other Southeast Asian nations, Malacañang said on Sunday. “We have not given a second thought to the visits to four Southeast Asian countries by the new Chinese foreign minister. The visits are his prerogative,” said Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in a statement released by the Palace. Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, agreed. “We recognize perfectly the prerogative of the Chinese foreign minister to set his own agenda for his trips outside his country,” she said in a radio interview. Wang made his first official visits to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei between April 30 and May 5. Manila and Beijing are locked in a long-running dispute over islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The Philippines has brought the matter to the United Nations. Portions of the South China Sea are being claimed in whole or in part by China, and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. Still, Del Rosario said, he looked forward to meeting Wang and working closely with him “at the appropriate time.” “We reiterate our congratulations and wish him great success,” he added.

Comelec to ignore suits vs PCOS machines

 News
May 052013
 
Comelec to ignore suits vs PCOS machines

By Jocelyn R. Uy, Philippine Daily InquirerPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:24 pm | Sunday, May 5th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Sunday it would just ignore the lawsuit filed by civil society groups before the United Nations Committee on Human Rights over the use of the controversial precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in the upcoming balloting. “Officially, we are not going to do anything with it. We will just disregard it since we are already too close to the elections to mind the AES Watch and their complaint to the UN,” said Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. in an interview with reporters. Last week, civil society groups such as the Concerned Citizens Movement, Center for International Law and the Automated Election System Watch announced that it was filing a complaint against Comelec for failing to ensure the free expression of the will of voters in the 2010 elections by foregoing security measures and opting for the same system for the 2013 balloting. The groups also cited the lack of a source code review in 2010 in their complaint. Brillantes had branded the complaint as a mere “publicity stunt” by critics of the Comelec. “Maybe because they cannot win here in our courts anymore, including the Supreme Court, that’s why they went to the UN. They can even go anywhere in the world if they want,” the poll chief had stated upon learning of the complaint. Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said on Sunday the UN Read More …

In Alex Padilla’s peace quest, a battle with extremes

 News
May 052013
 
In Alex Padilla’s peace quest, a battle with extremes

Kuwento By Benjamin PimentelINQUIRER.net 3:22 pm | Sunday, May 5th, 2013 Something Alex Padilla told me years ago makes it clear that he has a toughest job in the government – but also the clearest sense of why that job is important. “Two related truths I believe in on this matter are these,” he told me in a January 2011 email after he was named head of the government peace panel and as peace negotiations with the underground left were set to begin. “First, government cannot defeat this insurgency through military action alone. And second, the CPP/NPA/NDF could never achieve victory through armed struggle.” “I don’t expect both extremes to agree, of course,” he continued, “but we have taken the stance that we are not only negotiating with the left but actually negotiating with the entire Filipino people as our main audience and these ‘truths’ are widely agreed with.” Two years later, the negotiations have come crashing down. The good news is that, while the peace talks have failed, the government, as Padilla himself said in a report, will try to take “a new approach to pursue peace.” Not exactly sure what that means. How you can pursue peace without negotiating a peace agreement? (Unless this new approach actually involves waging war.) The other good news is that Alex Padilla has a bit more time to do the job, at least based on a deadline he imposed on himself. “I have also been candid enough to say that I do Read More …

Envoys to visit Filipino victims of alleged human trafficking in US

 News
May 042013
 
Envoys to visit Filipino victims of alleged human trafficking in US

Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:11 am | Sunday, May 5th, 2013 Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Philippine officials in the United States will visit this week the two Filipino women rescued from a Saudi diplomat’s house in Virginia in a suspected human trafficking case, the Philippine embassy in Washington D.C. said on Saturday. In a statement to the Inquirer, the embassy said Consul General Ariel Peñaranda asked the “US agencies concerned” on Friday (Saturday in Manila) to allow a consular visit to the rescued women. “US authorities immediately acted on the request and arrangements are being made to allow Consul General Peñaranda, labor attaché Luzviminda Padilla and welfare officer Saul de Vries to visit the two Filipinos on Monday,” said the embassy statement. Acting on a tip, US immigration officers last Tuesday swooped down on a home in McLean, Virginia, owned by the Saudi government and took custody of the women who were reportedly working for a Saudi attaché under “circumstances that amounted to human trafficking,” a US official had said. CNN reported the women complained of maltreatment and being forced to work long hours without pay. Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr. said the embassy was prepared to “extend the necessary assistance” to the two. The embassy declined to provide further details given the ongoing US investigation. It also did not say which US agency was currently looking after the women or their location. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, said it Read More …

Binay to meet Yao Ming May 6

 News
May 012013
 
Binay to meet Yao Ming May 6

By Christian V. Esguerra Philippine Daily Inquirer 9:39 pm | Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte, Philippines — A tall order for Vice President Jejomar Binay? This Monday (May 6), the 5’0″ Binay will come face-to-face with Yao Ming, the 7’6″ retired Chinese basketball superstar who will pay him a courtesy call at the Coconut Palace. Binay confirmed the affair on Wednesday, saying he would in fact take a break from a provincial campaign sortie to accommodate Yao, a former NBA All-Star who last played for the Houston Rockets in 2011. A foot injury cut short his professional career and he is now part-owner of the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association. The Sharks will be in Manila for a couple of exhibition games with the Philippine national team and a selection from the Philippine Basketball Association. “Yes, he will come that’s why I will cancel my visit in the province,” he told reporters in Filipino after leading the distribution of land titles and certificates at the Almont Inland Resort here. But Binay immediately turned defensive, saying he would continue working despite his campaign obligations for the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). “Dito sa kinaroroonan n’yo nagtatrabaho ako ha? Hindi porke ako ay nag-iikot para sa kampanya eh nagpapabaya ako sa aking trabaho (Here, I’m still working, okay?  I may be campaigning here but I’m not neglecting my work),” he said.

Anti-Filipino graffiti slams Fil-Ams; police probing it as hate crime

 News
Apr 302013
 
Anti-Filipino graffiti slams Fil-Ams; police probing it as hate crime

INQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau 4:19 am | Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 UNION CITY, California–A vandal or vandals defaced Filipino-American establishments over the weekend by spraying graffiti anti-Filipino messages, and police are investigating the case as a hate crime. UnionCityPatch.com http://unioncity.patch.com/, a hyperlocal news site reported that those targeted were the Toppings Too restaurant, the Filipino Advocates for Justice office and the Filipino Community of Alvarado and Vicinity building, which houses various offices including the Union City Chamber of Commerce. The pieces of graffiti appear to be written in the same handwriting. Though the identity of the perpetrator is unknown, the graffiti appears to name two ethnic groups. On the Filipino Community building, located at 3939 Smith St., the vandal crossed out “Filipino” and wrote “Mex” above the word “community,” with “f— Filipinos” underneath. Similarly, the graffiti scrawled on Toppings read “Mex” and “f—- Filipinos” on one side of the restaurant’s entrance door with “AMS” on the other, suggesting possible tensions after the renaming of Alvarado Middle School after Filipino-American labor leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Veracruz. Members of the Filipino-American community were saddened to see such divisive messages in the community. Tracie Noriega, a member of the New Haven Pilipino American Society for Education, said in a statement that the acts of vandalism are “extremely disheartening.” “It is also disheartening that the vandalism is claimed by and against two ethnic groups that have roots in very similar experiences,” Noriega added. “The formation of the United Farm Workers Union was grounded in Read More …

Irate envoy who berated Filipinos in Canada back in Manila for probe

 News
Apr 302013
 
Irate envoy who berated Filipinos in Canada back in Manila for probe

7:05 pm | Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 Jose Ampeso, the Philippine consul general to Vancouver, as shown in the video posted on YouTube. Screen grab from www.youtube.com MANILA, Philippines — The career diplomat caught on video in an irate mood during a consular outreach in Canada has returned to Manila to face an investigation at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the office’s spokesperson said on Tuesday. Philippine Consul General to Vancouver Jose Ampeso is back in Manila on orders of his home office to air his side on the incident at a consular mission in Alberta, Canada, where Filipinos based there lined up to renew their travel documents. “He is already here. A fact-finding panel is being formed to investigate and determine if there is a case to pursue,” said Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, the DFA spokesperson. Saying foreign service officers should always be professional, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said last week that Ampeso had some explaining to do for his behavior recorded on video and posted on online video-sharing site YouTube. Del Rosario said Ampeso’s behavior appeared “errant” if one viewed the video without hearing his explanation. Canada-based Filipino Proceso Flordeliz Jr. had complained against Ampeso for raising his voice when he offered to donate a dollar to the consulate fund-raising drive during their outreach at the Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer, Alberta two weeks ago. Then applying to renew his passport, Flordeliz posted his narration on a Filipino online forum and later uploaded a video Read More …

US green card limbo: for one Filipino, a long wait

 News
Apr 302013
 
US green card limbo: for one Filipino, a long wait

2:32 pm | Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 This recent undated photograph obtained courtesy of Elizabeth Arnulfo shows Arnulfo Babiera (R), who applied for a US green card a decade ago, in the hopes of reuniting with his sister, Elizabeth Arnulfo (L), a naturalized citizen. But at the current rate, his wait could extend until 2027.a naturalized citizen. But at the current rate, his wait could extend until 2027. Foreigners seeking to immigrate to the United States under the family reunification program may however see changes on the horizon, with a new reform seeking to resolve the four million cases in limbo, like that of Babiera. AFP PHOTO WASHINGTON—Arnulfo Babiera applied for a US green card a decade ago, in the hopes of reuniting with his sister, a naturalized citizen. But at the current rate, his wait could extend until 2027. Foreigners seeking to immigrate to the United States under a family reunification program may however see changes on the horizon, with a new reform seeking to resolve the four million cases in limbo, like that of Babiera. “That is my dream, going to the United States of America — to earn more, to support my family here. My income would be greater than it is here,” Babiera told AFP by telephone from his home in Davao, in the southern Philippines. Babiera, a 58-year-old employee of a recruitment agency, earned the right to come to the United States when his sister Elizabeth filed a green card application on his behalf in Read More …

BOC inks pact with Russia, Netherlands

 News
Apr 292013
 
BOC inks pact with Russia, Netherlands

By Jerry E. Esplanada Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:52 am | Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The Russian Federation and the Netherlands have joined the growing list of countries that have forged customs cooperation agreements with the Philippines. Commissioner Ruffy Biazon said this would boost the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) campaign against all forms of smuggling, commercial fraud and transnational crimes. He said the agreements would initiate information exchanges for the benefit of all countries and provide assistance in the areas of trade statistics, customs law enforcement, human resource development, technical know-how and trade facilitation. In a text message to the Inquirer on Monday, Biazon said these were the second and third agreements entered into by the BOC since he assumed office in September 2011. “The first agreement, which involved Mexico, was signed last year,” he said. Biazon disclosed the BOC was holding exploratory talks and negotiations for similar arrangements with a number of nations. He did not identify the countries. “We’ve had similar agreements with the United States, South Korea, Australia, China, Taiwan and Israel. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) also has multilateral agreements, which we are a part of,” he said. Borders divide, customs connect Citing the World Customs Organization motto, “Borders divide, customs connect,” Biazon said the country’s agreement with Moscow “is expected to enhance cooperation between the customs agencies of the Philippines and Russia.” “The cooperation agreement between the two countries is expected to prevent breaches of customs laws and protect their economic, fiscal, social Read More …

Unesco sending marine experts to Tubbataha to assess damage

 News
Apr 292013
 
Unesco sending marine experts to Tubbataha to assess damage

By Jerry E. EsplanadaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 7:25 pm | Monday, April 29th, 2013 Tubbataha Reefs. YVETTE LEE/CONTRIBUTOR MANILA, Philippines — The Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is sending a team of experts to Tubbataha Reef to assess the damage wrought by the grounding of the USS Guardian, a US Navy minesweeper, in January. This was confirmed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, director of the Unesco Dream Center in Manila and wife of Heherson Alvarez, head of the Climate Change Commission, an agency attached to the Office of the President. Guidote-Alvarez said Unesco’s World Heritage Center was also organizing a “five-day meeting of marine experts aimed at strengthening conservation and management practices at Tubbataha Reef National Park.” “The meeting will be held in Puerto Princesa City from May 20 to 24,” she said, quoting Dr. Hubert Gijzen, director of the Unesco Regional Science Board for Asia and the Pacific and Unesco representative to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor Leste and Brunei. Gijzen apparently responded to Heherzon Alvarez’s call for an “independent assessment” by Unesco of the damage caused by the Guardian after it got stuck on the reef for over two months. Tubbataha Reef is located in the Sulu Sea 98 nautical miles southeast of Palawan. Alvarez, a former senator, early this year said Unesco “would be in the best position to estimate the required amount for the total recovery of the damaged reef and the amount of work and time this will Read More …

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