Day: March 24, 2024

MANILA: The growing public support for the amendment of the constitution’s restrictive economic provisions adds to the determination of the House of Representatives to make it succeed.

The result of data research firm Tangere’s recent survey showed that 52 percent of Filipinos support charter change.

‘We are determined to sustain this momentum and collaborate with all parties involved to realize the constitutional amendments that will pave the way for a more prosperous, just, and equitable future for the Philippines,’ Speaker Martin Romualdez said in a news release Sunday.

Romualdez said the survey result ‘indicates a pivotal shift in public sentiment, revealing a growing acceptance and willingness among our citizens to consider the merits of constitutional reform.’

‘The approval for amending the constitution, while slight, is nonetheless significant. It represents an evolving perspective among Filipinos, recognizing the potential benefits and the necessity of updating our nation’s charter to meet current
and future challenges,’ he said.

Voting 288-8 with two abstentions, the House of Representatives approved on March 20 Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7.

The proposed changes under RBH7 are on the grant of legislative franchises to and ownership (60-40) of public utilities in Article Xll, ownership of basic educational facilities (60-40) in Article XlV, and ownership of advertising firms (70-30) in Article XVl.

He said the House, through the Committee of the Whole, ‘engaged in thorough discussions where experts and resource persons have presented compelling arguments in favor of these amendments.’

He said the House is committed to fostering an environment where all stakeholders can contribute to meaningful and productive discussions on potential changes to our constitution.”

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The United States (US) has denounced China for its “dangerous actions” that could destabilize the region and disregard international law after Chinese Coast Guard’s (CCG) water cannon attack that severely damaged a Philippine vessel and injured its crew members during a routine resupply (RORE) mission to the country’s outpost in Ayungin Shoal.

The US State Department has also reaffirmed its commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the US and the Philippines.

‘The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea,’ US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement dated March 23.

The seven-decade old defense pact dictates that the US and the Philippines would support each other if either of them were to be attacked by an external party.

The Philippines’ National Task Force for t
he West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reported Saturday morning that CCG vessels, along with Chinese maritime militia vessels, ‘acted recklessly and dangerously’ against the country’s resupply boat Unaizah May 4 (UM4) and its Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) escort vessels.

This ended with two CCG ships water cannoning the UM4, causing severe damage to the boat and injuries to the Filipino crew members onboard.

The NTF-WPS said the Chinese vessels even attempted to obstruct the PCG escort vessels from providing immediate relief and assistance to the disabled UM4 and its crew, but the PCG ships were able to break through and provide medical attention to the injured crew.

To complete the RORE mission, BRP Sierra Madre which serves as the Philippines’ outpost in Ayungin Shoal, deployed rigid-hulled inflatable boats to UM4 to ferry personnel.

READ: PH resupply boat heavily damaged after another CCG water cannon attack

READ: Filipino crew injured; PH reprimands China over latest harassment

According to Miller, China’
s actions ‘are destabilizing to the region and show clear disregard for international law,’ adding that the 2016 Arbitral ruling clearly disregarded Beijing’s expansive claims to the waters around Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) and that the submerged reef is clearly within the Philippines exclusive economic zone.

‘As provided under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, the 2016 arbitral decision is final and legally binding on the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and the Philippines, and the United States calls upon the PRC to abide by the ruling and desist from its dangerous and destabilizing conduct,’ the US official said.

The Philippines, along with Southeast Asian neighbors Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, along with China, which is claiming virtually the entire resource-rich region, including maritime features in the West Philippine Sea that are well within Manila’s EEZ.

Japan stands with PH

Meanwhile, the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines has also ex
pressed ‘grave concern’ over what it described as China’s ‘repeated dangerous actions’ in the South China Sea.

‘Japan stands in solidarity with the PH as confirmed at the (Japan-PH-US) Vice Foreign Ministers’ meeting held in this week,’ the embassy said in an X (Twitter) post.

The incident comes ahead of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s visit to Washington where he is set to hold a trilateral leaders’ summit with his US and Japanese counterparts on April 11.

According to the White House, Marcos, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Fumio will discuss a broad range of areas, including economic and security cooperation, among others.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Law enforcers arrested 95,790 drug suspects and seized PHP21 billion worth of illegal drugs in the first year of the government’s centerpiece anti-illegal drugs program Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA).

The numbers were the result of 75,831 drug operations nationwide, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos said during the 1st anniversary celebration of BIDA at Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City on Saturday.

Abalos added that 177 police officers were slapped with drug-related charges while 28,000 villages are now drug-free.

‘Hindi ibig sabihin na drug-free ang barangay nyo ay titigilan na namin (Just because your barangay is drug-free doesn’t mean we’ll stop). We will continue to monitor because there is a risk na baka bumalik (that illegal drugs may return),’ Abalos said.

Abalos also highlighted the rehabilitation and reintegration aspects of BIDA as 1,534 local government units now have a community-based drug rehabilitation (CBDR) program.

The CBDR pro
gram serves 31,426 persons who use drugs (PWUD).

To further address the stigma confronting former PWUD, Abalos said the DILG is working with the Department of Labor and Employment to provide jobs for individuals who successfully finish their rehabilitation program.

‘Dapat mawala ang branding na kapag gumamit ka, hindi ka na mapagkakatiwalaan. Ang importante ay kung paano ka tumayo sa pagkakadapa at paano ka tanggapin ng komunidad (The branding that once you use drugs, you can no longer be trusted, must be eliminated. What is important is how you recover and how the community accepts you),’ Abalos said.

He also cited the revitalized Pulis sa Barangay (Cops in the Community) program’s pilot implementation, wherein law enforcement authorities live in drug-infested communities to personally identify pressing issues and provide direct assistance.

‘We did this in Barangay Putatan in Muntinlupa, and I tell you this, halos nawala ang droga at bumaba ang cases ng eight focus crimes (drugs almost disappeared and ca
ses of eight focus crimes have decreased),’ he said.

Abalos was joined by former senator and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, anti-illegal drugs advocates, representatives of recovering persons who used drugs group, religious sector, parents’ organizations, and village and Sangguniang Kabataan officials.

‘In one year, we held 1,200 BIDA events supported by close to 400,000 participants,’ Abalos said.

As for the future of the BIDA program, Abalos said the government will continue to employ innovative approaches.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: A congressman is pushing for an inquiry to identify and hold accountable the officials behind the acceptance at least 36 Chinese nationals as members of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA).

Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said in a news release Sunday that the officials seem to be protecting China’s interest.

PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan bared during a House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday that Chinese nationals served the voluntary uniformed organization but their contracts have been terminated

They held the ranks of brigadier general and commandant, according to Barbers.

‘Nuong panahon ng Hapon sa Pilipinas, meron tayong mga Makapili. Ngayon, meron na rin umano tayong mga Makabagong Makapili na nagsisilbi sa interes ng China sa ating bansa. Panahon na para imbestigahan at kilalanin ang umano’y mga walang kunsensya at taksil sa bayan na mga ito (During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, we had the Makapili. Now, we already have the allege
d modern Makapili, serving the interest of China in the country. It’s about time to investigate and identify those who have no conscience and are traitors to the country),’ Barbers said in a statement.

The Makabayang Katipunan ng mga Pilipino (Patriotic Association of Filipinos), better known as the Makapili, during World War II was a group of Filipinos who provided information and turned over fellow Filipinos to the invading Imperial Japanese Army forces.

‘The Chinese nationals were with the PCGA for more or less three years. Did the PCG conduct due diligence on these nationals? Obviously, there’s none,’ Barbers said.

Barbers said the recruited Chinese may be businessmen or tourists who wanted to stay longer in the country.

He said he also received reports that the Chinese recruits tagged along senior PCG officials during routine and official patrol missions at the disputed West Philippine Sea.

He said the Chinese could even be spies who gathered the strategies and missions of the PCG.

Source: Philipp
ines News Agency

ISTANBUL: Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak on Saturday said that his country has “no slightest connection” with Friday’s terrorist attack in the Russian capital Moscow.

‘Any attempts to connect Ukraine to the terrorist attack are absolutely untenable. Ukraine has not the slightest connection to this incident,’ Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on X.

Ukraine will solve the problem of Russia’s aggression on the battlefield, said Podolyak, adding that linking Ukraine to the incident is “absolutely untenable and absurd.”

‘We expected Russian officials’ version of the ‘Ukrainian trace’ in the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall. Primitivism and predictability are ideal characteristics of the Russian security services. Once again, the FSB (Federal Security Service) confirms this… But it is still necessary to emphasize the facts once again,’ he added.

He further said that an armed group passed into a crowded area in the central region of Moscow without any inspections, and for 1.5 hours the group was sh
ooting people, and that Russian law enforcement did not intervene.

Podolyak stated that the terrorist group left the building calmly, saying: ‘Preliminary data and witness statements give portraits of the attackers and quite clearly link them to Islamic radicals.’

‘The wanted men are moving toward blocked border crossings where there is active fighting and where every meter is saturated with Russian security forces in order to make a manifest, demonstrative crossing.’

Gunmen opened fire at concertgoers late Friday, killing at least 115 people and injuring 145 others. The attack took place as the rock band Picnic was about to perform at the Crocus City Hall just west of Moscow.

Source: Philippines News Agency

ISTANBUL: Russia is observing a national day of mourning on Sunday after a deadly attack at a concert hall in the Moscow region.

Flags were lowered to half-mast, while people laid flowers at Crocus City Hall, the concert hall where armed men opened fire on Friday, killing at least 133 people and injuring 152 others.

President Vladimir Putin has pledged to punish those behind the ‘purposeful massacre,’ saying four gunmen trying to flee to Ukraine had been arrested.

“I express my deep, sincere condolences to all those who lost their loved ones. The whole country and our entire people are grieving with you,” he said in an address to the nation on Saturday.

Russian authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the attack, including four directly involved, according to the Federal Security Service.

Source: Philippines News Agency