Umagang Balita PH (2025)

21/07/2023

MOTOR TAXI SA CEBU MULING INIREKLAMO; PAMILYA NG BIKTIMA NAGPASAKLOLO SA SENADO

Muli na naman nasangkot ang isang kumpanya ng motorcycle taxi (MCs) sa Cebu matapos ang aksidente na kinasawi ng pasahero nito.

Nahingi ng tulong at hustisya ang pamilya ng nasawi na si Jeraldyn Asentista sa Barangay Lorega San Miguel, Cebu City.

Ang biktima ay nagkaroon ng multiple head and body injuries na agad ikinasawi nito.

Sinabi ng kapatid nito na si Jessica, na labis ang kanilang paghihinagpis sa pangyayarI lalo pa at bukol at ilang gasgas lamang natamo ng driver ng Maxim Taxi Philippines, Inc. na pag-aari umano ng Russian transport company.

Nanawagan ang pamilya ng nasawi sa mga mambabatas na sila Sen. Raffy Tulfo, Sen. Grace Poe at iba pa na matigil agad ang ilegal na gawain ng Maxim na wala umanong training sa pagpapasahero at ito rin ay wala umanong insurance sa ganitong aksidente.

Ang Maxim ay kamakailan ay naimbistigahan na sa Senado kung saan ginisa ito ni Sen. Tulfo. | via Remate PH

03/05/2023

UP PRESIDENT REMINDS UPCAT TAKERS: NO RESCHEDULE, BE FIT FOR EXAMS

The president of the University of the Philippines (UP) system has reminded those who would take the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) that the date of exams cannot be rescheduled, urging students to take care of their health if they really want to enter the university.

During the Laging Handa public briefing on Tuesday, UP president Atty. Angelo Jimenez said that UP would not offer special examinations for those who would miss it, like students on vacation or those sick on examination day.

The UPCAT, held from June 3 to 4, 2023, is returning after being suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions. Over 100 testing centers have been named nationwide, with at least 104,000 students slated to take the test.

“You really have to physically go to the testing center kaya kung maaari lang, wala po kasing special exams ito, walang special kung ma-late ka or may importante ka (na gagawin). So ang request lang po namin, eh you have to make a decision on what is very important, ‘yong bakasyon niyo ba sa ibang bansa. May ibang nagsabi sa akin ‘no, nasa ibang bansa pa, eh kailangan i-prioritize niyo ito kung gusto niyo talaga pong pumasok,” Jimenez said.

(You really have to go to the testing center physically, so if possible, please prepare because there will be no special exams if you are late if you do something else. So our request is, you have to decide on what is very important — is it your vacation in another country? Some have told me they are still in another country; they must prioritize UPCAT to enter UP.)

“Wala pong postponement ang inyong schedule ‘pag testing, kung maaari lang po please be healthy, kailangan malusog tayo, handa tayo, i-prioritize natin ang UPCAT kung talaga ‘yon ang inyong ibig. Hindi na po natin mabago ang inyong mga schedules pati ang inyong mga testing centers, so please po let’s take care of ourselves and let’s prepare for the UPCAT physically,” he added.

(There would be no postponement of test schedules; that’s why we ask you to be healthy. We need to be healthy and be prepared. Let’s prioritize UPCAT if we really want to enter UP. We cannot change our schedules and even our testing centers, so please let’s take care of ourselves and let’s prepare for the UPCAT physically.)

According to Jimenez, the UP system is already prepared to conduct the examinations again. He urged the students to check their e-mails occasionally to ensure they would not miss any announcements about the examinations.

“Handang-handa na po tayo, pati training ng ating testing center supervisors, ang ano lang talaga dito is kailangan lang talaga nating pag-igihan at ipag-paalam sa ating mga ibig pumasok sa UP — at sana’y pumasok kayo — na sa kanilang parte na lang ang kailangan talaga lagi, silipin nila ang kanilang mga e-mails araw-araw baka ma-miss nila ‘yong mga vital na information lalo na sa pagkuha ng testing center,” he said.

(We are prepared, even our testing center supervisors, what is just needed is for us to improve information dissemination and inform those who want to enter UP — and I hope you succeed — that, for their part, they need to check their e-mails regularly because they might miss the vital information, especially with regards to knowing their testing center.)

“So alamin na po lang nila ang kanilang mga lugar kung saan sila malapit, at lahat naman ng information na ito ay makukuha sa UP website lalo na sa UP Admissions, i-type niyo lang ‘yon sa Facebook ninyo, lalabas na kaagad. Bukod pa dito ‘yong matatanggap ninyong email mula sa Admissions Office ng UP,” he added.

(So they should know the nearest area to their examination site. All this information can be obtained through the UP website, especially at the UP Admissions site, accessible through Facebook. This is aside from the email you would receive from the Admissions Office of UP.)

The UPCAT, one of the country’s premier collegiate-level examinations, was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, freshman applicants’ admission was based on students’ scholastic performance during their senior high school years.

Several UP graduates and lawmakers, including Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, called for the resumption of the UPCAT based on fears that some students may be disenfranchised because of no scheduled examinations.

As to whether UP would impose health restrictions now that COVID-19 numbers had a slight uptick, Jimenez said they have not decided yet. However, he said that it would be best for students to bring face masks with them just to be sure.

“Sa ngayon po wala po no, ang protocol na ‘yon would really be dependent on the national government, but right now we do not have that protocol yet, but it will all depend kung ano ang development kapag sa panahon na ‘yon,” he said.

(As of now, we do not have that protocol, it would really be dependent on the national government, but right now we do not have that protocol yet, but it will all depend on what the development is by the time of the examinations.)

“Maganda pa rin na medyo handa tayo sa lahat ng possible (scenarios), hindi naman bawal ang mag-face mask so that is still desirable, depende na po on our individual level of care, but wala pa po tayong requirement na face masks. Siguro that will be on a location-basis po, but kung meron man po we will make the necessary announcement,” he added.

(It is good that we are prepared for all possible scenarios. It is not prohibited to wear face masks, so that is still desirable, depending on our level of care, but we still would not require face masks. Maybe that will be on a location-basis directive, but if we require masks, we will make the necessary announcements.) | via Inquirer

03/05/2023

MARCOS HOPES FILIPINOS IN US COME HOME 'FOR GOOD IN MUCH BETTER PHILIPPINES'

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday (early morning Tuesday Manila time) expressed hope that overseas Filipinos residing in the US would come home “for good and retire in a much better Philippines.”

He issued the remark during a meeting with the Filipino community here, saying he hopes to welcome them back to the Philippines “sooner or later.”

“Sooner or later, we will be able to welcome you back home to the Philippines, especially those who have reacquired their Filipino citizenship,” Marcos said in his speech.

“It’s my hope that some of you will come home for good and retire in a much better Philippines — a Philippines with better airports, Philippines with better roads, better airports, better internet, better governance. ‘Yun ang aking pinapangarap (That’s what I am dreaming of). And that’s why that is what my administration is working for,” he added.

The President also urged them to encourage their children and grandchildren to visit the Philippines to see the richness of Philippine culture and history.

“Let them see for themselves what the Philippines is about, what is our culture, what is our history. I’m sure the first and second and third generation Filipino-Americans are more than happy to learn about their proud Philippine ancestry,” Marcos said.

He also thanked overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for their significant contributions to the growth of the economy through remittances and credited them for “keeping the Philippines afloat” during the pandemic.

“Noong pandemya ay ang bumuhay talaga sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas ay ang mga OFW. Kung hindi po sa inyo ay siguro mas nahirapan po na makabangon ang Pilipinas, kaya’t ulit maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo,” he said.

(During the pandemic, the lifeblood of the Philippine economy was the OFWs. If it were not for you, we would have suffered more, and it would have been more difficult to recover.)

The Chief Executive also mentioned his recent meeting with US President Joseph Biden, whom he thanked for accommodating Filipinos and providing opportunities for them to thrive.

“Kasama ko po ang ating mga miyembro ng Gabinete upang ipagtibay ang ating pagkakaibigan sa Amerika, United States at saka ng Pilipinas… Malaking bahagi doon sa usapan namin ay nagpasalamat naman ako sa kanila dahil sa dami ng Pilipino na nandito sa Amerika, na nandito sa US ay lahat naman naging maganda ang buhay at… tinanggap kaagad ng ating mga kaibigang taga-US,” the President said.

(I am with Cabinet members to further strengthen the alliance of the US and the Philippines. A big part of our discussion was my thankfulness to the US because they allowed Filipinos to live here and have a good life.)

“Kaya naman nagkaroon kayo ng magandang hanapbuhay. Nagkaroon kayo ng magandang pagkakataon para tulungan ang inyong mga pamilya, para tulungan ang inyong mga community, para tulungan ang inyong bansa sa Pilipinas,” the President added.

(That’s why you had an opportunity to help your families and communities, as well as the Philippines.)

Marcos reassured OFWs of the government’s sustained efforts to make the Philippines better and vowed to boost the quality of jobs so that time will come when Filipinos would no longer have to go abroad out of necessity. | via Inquirer

03/05/2023

PALACE: US NUCLEAR POWER FIRM KEEN ON INVESTING IN PH

A US-based nuclear power firm has expressed interest to invest in the Philippines after its officials met with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. here on Monday (early morning Tuesday Manila time).

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Oregon-based NuScale Power Corp is planning to conduct a study to pinpoint a site in the Philippines.

The firm is known for developing a small nuclear power system, described as safe, modular, and scalable.

Clayton Scott, NuScale executive vice president for business, said the company has “very high confidence that our technology will perform as expected,” referring to its small modular reactor technology (SMR).

He said SMR technology is the first and only one of its kind to receive design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

NuScale has existing projects in Utah, Romania, Indonesia, and Poland providing safe, reliable and cost competitive clean energy to consumers.

According to the PCO, NuScale is expected to invest $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion in the Philippines to provide 430 megawatts of power by 2031.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said in his meeting with NuScale that the Philippines “essentially has a shortfall in power supply, and the support of the Oregon-based firm would help address the issue.

This is the second time Marcos met with officials of NuScale, the first of which was held in New York in September last year on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly. | via Inquirer

02/05/2023

MARCOS, BIDEN RECOMMIT TO DEFENSE ALLIANCE AMID CHINA TENSION

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden on Monday (early morning Tuesday, Philippine time) reaffirmed Manila and Washington’s decades-old defense alliance in a bilateral meeting at the White House.

In his opening statement before the meeting, Biden told Marcos that the US commitment to the defense of the Philippines remained “ironclad,” including the South China Sea.

A joint statement between the two leaders said that this meant that any armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, would invoke US mutual defense commitments under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

Marcos then told Biden that the US is Manila’s sole treaty ally in a region with “arguably the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now.”

According to a “fact sheet” released by the White House on the Marcos-Biden meeting, Washington and Manila will adopt “bilateral defense guidelines “to deepen alliance cooperation and interoperability across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.”

The guidelines, the joint statement said, support the continued modernization of the alliance and ongoing efforts to adapt alliance coordination to respond to the evolving security environment.

“As outlined in the Guidelines, the United States and the Philippines will advance efforts to deepen interoperability, particularly through enhanced bilateral planning; information-sharing; accelerated defense capability development; and collaboration on emerging security challenges,” it read.

According to the statement, the US intends to transfer to the Armed Forces of the Philippines two Island-class patrol vessels, two Protector-class patrol vessels, and three C-130H aircraft, pending applicable Congressional notification requirements.

Additionally, two Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels were transferred to the Philippines in late April, and are now en route to Manila.

“These transfers will support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization program by enhancing its maritime and tactical lift capabilities,” the fact sheet read.

In the joint statement, Marcos and Biden welcomed the identification of four new sites under the US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which, it said, would strengthen Philippine security and drive US investment to local communities across the Philippines.

According to the White House, the US is working closely with communities in the vicinity of the EDCA sites to fully realize their positive value for local development and for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Washington intends to expand its work in these communities and areas to support health, education, environmental protection, economic growth, and disaster preparedness, it added. | via Inquirer

02/05/2023

LTO: WE CAN'T SPEND DAILY COLLECTIONS TO PURCHASE PLASTIC ID CARDS

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said it was not authorized to use its collections from its daily operations to address the shortage in the supply of driver’s licenses and license plates.

“The LTO is not authorized to retain funds collected or received from day-to-day operations. All funds collected are remitted the following day,” LTO Finance Division Chief Marivic Lopez said in a statement on Saturday.

Lopez explained that LTO remits its collections to the Bureau of the Treasury daily while LTO’s budget for its operations and for the purchase of raw materials comes from the yearly allocation of Congress under the General Appropriations Act.

The LTO official was reacting to House deputy speaker Rep. Ralph Recto’s claim that it would only take the LTO less than four days to raise the needed funds to buy the plastic ID cards needed for driver’s licenses from its daily collections.

Recto said the impending shortage was not due to the lack of funds but a “lack of smarts and foresight” in buying the plastic ID cards.

“Not all procurement debacles stem from lack of money. Some are caused by inefficiency by agencies rich in resources but poor in foresight,” Recto said, adding that the LTO could easily collect the P249 million needed to procure the plastic ID cards for the licenses.

However, the LTO reiterated that the supply shortage was due to the delay in the procurement of raw materials needed for the license cards and plates, and not due to lack of funds.

LTO chief Jose Arturo Tugade blamed the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) special order issued in January, which indicated that all procurement activities involving P50 million and above must be administered by the DOTr central office.

The move was intended to avoid controversial deals entered into by the LTO previously, including the P3.8-billion contract for the supply of 15 million license plates that the Senate investigated in 2021 for alleged anomalies. | via Inquirer

02/05/2023

REVERT TO OLD SCHOOL CALENDAR, GOV'T URGED

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan on Sunday urged the government to make quick work of reverting to the old school calendar of a June class opening.

Libanan, the Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino party list, stressed that returning to a June school opening would protect both teachers and students from possible heat stress during the dry months of April and May.

Libanan noted that many children from poor families, particularly in the provinces, had to walk long distances to go to school, pointing out: “The prolonged physical exertion, combined with the agonizing heat, puts them at risk of heat exhaustion.”

Under the old school calendar, classes started in June and ended in April. The lawmaker cited data from the Department of Health which has reported several cases of heat-related illness on students since March. | via Inquirer

02/05/2023

MARCOS JOINS LABOR RITES BEFORE LEAVING FOR US

Just hours before he left for an official visit to the United States, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday joined a Labor Day celebration in Pasay City and led the distribution of government benefits to workers, including housing units.

“Expect that your government will never neglect labor and employment, especially under my administration. As President, I promise that the protection for the Filipino worker will remain a top priority of my administration,” Mr. Marcos said at the SMX Convention Center on the eve of Labor Day.

The president instructed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and other state agencies to remain steadfast in improving programs to improve employment and workers’ employability and productivity.

“I direct all concerned agencies, especially the DOLE, to remain focused in delivering good programs on livelihood and skills and knowledge development for our workers,” he said.

The president led the distribution of various government assistance to workers and witnessed the signing of agreements on housing, skills training, and other workers’ benefits.

Kadiwa ng Pangulo
Marcos also visited the stalls of 65 businesses and 130 sellers participating in the Kadiwa ng Pangulo para sa mga Manggagawa which provides a network for direct farmer-to-consumer sales.

The president visited the stalls of 125 employers who joined the Job, Livelihood and Business Fair to offer 12,951 local job vacancies and gamely posed for selfies among eager vendors and participants.

The president later led the ceremonial distribution of various DOLE assistance packages to 20,165 beneficiaries in the National Capital Region, amounting to P162.23 million.

He also awarded five house and lot packages that were raffled off to DOLE aid beneficiaries.

Also on Sunday, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) signed an agreement with the OFW party list group to match low-cost housing units to interested overseas Filipino workers.

OFW party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino signed the memorandum of agreement with Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar for the inclusion of overseas workers in the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing program.

Magsino said the agreement entails the allocation of units for OFWs, returnees, and their family members.

“DHSUD will provide the details of housing projects in the pipeline, which the OFW party list can match with OFWs who have signified their intention to be prospective beneficiaries,” she said.

The DHSUD will then conduct a prequalification assessment of the OFW beneficiaries validated and endorsed by the party list group.

Magsino said that before she was a representative, she was actively involved in the housing industry as chairperson of the National Real Estate Association. | via Inquirer

01/05/2023

ZUBIRI STANDS WITH LABOR SECTOR ON WAGE HIKE

On Labor Day, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri renewed his commitment to push for legislation that will protect and advance the interests of workers across the country, particularly the pressing need for a wage hike.

“This Labor Day, I join all our workers in fighting for decent benefits, living wages, and fair working conditions,” said Zubiri.

“This is especially crucial as rising costs of goods and utilities continue to hit our people’s pockets, to the point that even toiling with a full-time job is no longer enough to support their families’ needs.”

The National Capital Region currently has the highest daily nominal wage rate, at P570.00 (non-agriculture), while the lowest is at P316.00 (non-agriculture), for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

At the onset of 2023, the Philippines saw its highest inflation rate in fourteen years, hitting 8.7 percent.

“We urgently need to address the growing gap between wages and expenses, which is why last March, I filed an across-the-board wage increase act.”

Zubiri’s Senate Bill No. 2002, or the Across-the-Board Wage Increase Act of 2023, seeks to raise wages in the private sector across all regions by Php150.00.

“We must uplift our workers, and ensure that they get the compensation they deserve. Workers form the foundation of the entire business sector, and without them, our economy and country will fall apart. So let us give them their due. By providing a true living wage, we empower our workers to support not only their families and their communities, but also the country at large.” | via Inquirer

01/05/2023

MARCOS: GOV'T MIGHT REQUIRE USE OF FACE MASK AGAIN AMID RISING COVID CASES

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday (US time) said the government might bring back the mandatory use of face masks in the Philippines amid the recent rise in COVID-19 cases.

Marcos said his administration is studying the current trends of COVID-19, particularly looking at the rate of increase of the occurrence and its baseline, among other factors.

“We’ll look at it. Tingnan natin kung may guidance ang IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force), may guidance and DOH (Department of Health). I hope we don’t have to, but we might. But I hope not,” he said in an interview with reporters en route to Washington.

(We’ll see if the IAFT and the DOH will have guidance.)

“Ako ang tinitingnan ko is although ‘yung rate of increase lumalaki, ang baseline natin na sinimulan eh maliit lang so hopefully we’re still going to be able to do it,” Marcos added.

(What I’m looking at is although the rate of increase is rising, the baseline of it is only small so hopefully we’re still going to be able to do it.)

The President said the government is also putting into consideration how the summer heat affects the health of the public, making them more vulnerable to COVID-19.

This, he said, may prompt the government to conduct a vaccination drive among the public to boost their immunity against the severe respiratory illness.

“Looks like we will have to conduct again, especially for the young people, a vaccination push para mabawasan na ‘yan, especially with people na nahihirapan na nga eh dahil sa init, humihina ang katawan and that will make them more vulnerable to COVID-19 again,” Marcos said.

(People’s health may decline due to the heat and that will make them more vulnerable to COVID-19 again.) | via Inquirer

30/04/2023

METRO POLICE READY FOR LABOR DAY, TO DEPLOY 10,000 COPS

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said it was ready to secure Labor Day celebrations, including protest rallies, on Monday (May 1) and would deploy up to 10,000 policemen to key areas.

In a statement on Friday (April 28), NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo asked those who would join rallies to not view policemen as enemies and vowed to observe “maximum tolerance.”

“We are not the enemies,” said Okubo in a statement issued by the NCRPO. “I assure that the NCRPO is always ready to secure the public,” he said.

He said the NCRPO will “guarantee that your police force will deal with those who will conduct rallies with maximum tolerance and utmost respect for human rights.”

He said rallies, though, can’t be held without permits except in areas designated as freedom parks. “Protesters must follow laws and ordinances,” Okubo said.

According to the NCRPO, of the 10,529 Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel deployed around Metro Manila, 1,000 would come from the Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) from the regional headquarters.

The RSSF team would be on standby starting April 30, the NCRPO said.

Several groups were expected to hold Labor Day rallies on Monday. These included Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) which announced plans to march on the US Embassy in Manila with workers’ groups.

The NCRPO, however, expressed concern over the possibility that terrorists could infiltrate the rallies and launch attacks.

Labor Day, the NCRPO said, “will be marred with rallies and demonstrations from different sectoral groups particularly on the labor side airing their plight to end contractualization, better working conditions and salary increase.”

“Likewise, other threat groups might take advantage of the occasion and launch terror attacks or other nefarious activities,” the NCRPO said.

It said security plans are already in place that included “strategic personnel deployment, civil disturbance management, anti-criminality intervention, counter-terrorism, traffic management” and others.

Coordination is ongoing with other law enforcement agencies “for a more comprehensive security coverage,” the NCRPO said. | via Inquirer

30/04/2023

PH, CHINA TRADE BLAME FOR NEAR-COLLISION IN WPS

The Philippines and China on Friday blamed each other for the near-collision of two of their coast guard ships near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal a day after President Marcos held talks with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

Manila said a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship with bow number 5201 used “dangerous maneuvers” to block the much smaller 44-meter BRP Malapascua of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which was sailing toward Ayungin, where the derelict Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre serves as one of the country’s outposts in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Teresita Daza, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), on Friday said a report by the PCG was being studied and Manila would take “appropriate diplomatic action” if the CCG was found to have taken an “illegal action” in Philippine waters.

‘Provocative action’
In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the PCG vessel was responsible for the near-collision.

“It was a premeditated and provocative action for the Philippine vessel to barge into the waters of Ren’ai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal) with journalists on board. The aim was to deliberately find fault and take the opportunity to hype up the incident,” Mao said during a regular press briefing on Friday.

She said that the Chinese coast guard ship “safeguarded China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime order” and took measures to avoid a collision.

Daza shot back, saying: “Routine patrols in our own waters can neither be premeditated nor provocative.”

“It is a legal right that we exercised and will continue to exercise,” she said. “We again call on China to respect the Philippines’ rights over the West Philippine Sea, as provided by Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), and refrain from actions that may cause an untoward incident.”

After his meeting with Qin a day before the Ayungin incident, Mr. Marcos said he had a “very useful and very, very productive” talk with China’s foreign minister and they were able to “iron things out.” The two countries have long-running disputes in the South China Sea and China has opposed the presence of US forces in Philippine military bases close to Taiwan.

The two foreign ministries had set up a hotline early this year to prevent an escalation of any incident in the South China Sea where Beijing had laid claim to nearly the entire waterway, including the West Philippine Sea, waters within the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Daza said the Chinese side called the DFA at 5:56 on Sunday afternoon, following the near-collision, which happened around 10 a.m., according to the time stamps on pictures released by the PCG.

Daza said Manila informed the Chinese side that the PCG vessels were “on routine patrol and that we have every right to carry out such an activity.”

She did not directly respond when asked by reporters whether the hotline was used during the incident itself.

In a statement on Friday, Commodore Jay Tarriela, the PCG spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea, said that following the President’s directive, PCG commandant Adm. Artemio Abu deployed BRP Malapascua and BRP Malabrigo to patrol the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine EEZ from April 18 to April 24.

-Shadowed

The two ships sailed in the waters off Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, Iroquois Reef, Tizzard Bank, Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef, as well as Lawak (Nanshan) Island, Patag (Flat Island), Likas (West York) Island, Parola (Northeast) Cay, Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, and Ayungin in the Kalayaan Island Group, part of Palawan’s Kalayaan municipality.

The PCG report said Malapascua and Malabrigo were shadowed by Chinese navy and coast guard ships, and were ordered by the Chinese to leave the waters several times throughout their six-day patrol.

According to Tarriela, there were 17 groups of Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels totaling more than 100, at Julian Felipe.

The PCG patrol deployed coast guard personnel on rigid hull inflatable boats to order the CMM boats to leave, but they were ignored.

On April 21, a Chinese navy corvette with bow number 449 crossed paths with BRP Malapascua and BRP Malabrigo about 13 kilometers from Pag-asa. In a radio message, the Chinese ship challenged the presence of the PCG vessels and told them to leave, and that their failure to comply might “cause problems.”

“Despite this, the PCG vessels did not back down and responded by asserting their rights to carry out operations within the territorial sea of Pag-asa Island. They further asked the Chinese navy to leave the area immediately instead,” a PCG statement said.

Just 45 meters away
In the morning of April 23, two CCG ships with bow numbers 5201 and 4202 blocked the PCG vessels in the waters off Ayungin.

CCG 5201 carried out “dangerous maneuvers” near Malapascua from a “perilous distance” of only 45 meters, Tarriela said. This violated the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, he said.

“This close proximity posed a significant threat to the safety and security of the Philippine vessel and its crew,” Tarriela said.

Meanwhile, CCG 4202 persistently followed Malabrigo from about 640 meters away.

“We would have collided on the bow had I not cut the engine and thrown it in reverse,” BRP Malapascua’s commander, Capt. Rodel Hernandez, told a group of journalists who were watching from BRP Malabrigo.

Hernandez said it was like the “David and Goliath” encounter in the Bible.

The incident was captured in pictures and videos taken by a crew from the government-run PTV4 television network and journalists working for foreign news agencies who were invited to join the patrol—part of the PCG’s new tact of “exposing” Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea.

“Despite this evidence of an unedited video, they claim that the PCG has an unusual behavior near Ayungin Shoal and that we are constructing artificial islands,” Tarriela said.

“I am sorry but the Philippines is not like China. We adhere to international law and we condemn illegal actions like what you did in other maritime features,” he said.

A case for UN
Cagayan Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said what happened was “a near armed conflict” not just a near-collision.

“This is China’s folly! It should stop its illegal intrusions in our West Philippine Sea!” he told the Inquirer in a text message.” “We should now bring these Chinese violations of international maritime law to the United Nations!”

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said the Philippines should lobby the Asian Parliamentary Assembly and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to condemn China.

“China is deceitful. While its diplomats are saying that more lines of communication are now available to avoid skirmishes and misunderstanding in the West Philippine Sea, their Coast Guard tried to ram our Coast Guard and are intent in denying us our own waters,” she said in a statement sent to the Inquirer.

Castro suggested putting international pressure on China and joint patrols with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Taiwan—the other countries with claims to parts of the South China Sea—as a “peaceful yet assertive ways to defend our territory, military agreements will just exacerbate the current situation.”

Marcos US trip
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Friday urged Mr. Marcos to discuss the acquisition of more air defense systems, bigger patrol vessels, fighter jets and other military equipment, such as antiship missiles in his talks next week with US President Joe Biden.

“At a time when there is so much tension in the region, our nation must look towards our friends who share the values of freedom and democracy as well as respect for each and every nation’s sovereignty,” Zubiri said.

The President will fly to the United States on April 30 for a five-day official visit.

Asked what commitments Mr. Marcos would ask from Biden in the face of China’s encroachment in Philippine waters, Daza said the President would stress the need for peace and stability in the South China Sea.

“I cannot preempt the President, but I think the President will underscore what we want the waters to be. And we want the waters, the sea, particularly South China Sea and West Philippine Sea, to be a sea of peace, security and stability, and prosperity,” she said.

“So, we’re safe to assume that he will also count on the US to actually support Philippine efforts in terms of enhancing maritime cooperation, upholding international law and freedom of navigation and overflight, and promoting sustainable development of marine resources,” she added.

Daza said Mr. Marcos would also discuss the need for “great powers,” including the United States, to help maintain peace in the South China Sea. | via Inquirer

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