SUMMARY Nitong nakaraang linggo, nagulantang ang marami na totoo pala at may detalye pa ang matagal nang iginigiit ng Chinese embassy na “gentlemen’s agreement” sa pagitan ng administrasyon ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at gobyerno ni China President Xi Jinping. Sabi nga ng Rappler reporter na si Bea Cupin, “It turns out, Beijing had been […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thumbed down on Monday, May 6, a senator’s suggestion to equip Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships with water cannons as a defense from China’s harassment in the West Philippine Sea. Senate Minority Leader Koko PImentel floated the idea last week as a tit-for-tat move following Beijing’s repeated […]
SUMMARY LAOAG CITY – If China believes in talk and diplomacy to manage tensions, then why isn’t it committing to a date for a dialogue on the West Philippine Sea? Different government sources confirmed that a meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM-SCS) was being worked out for the first […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. said on Sunday, May 5, that the Philippines is not a party to any new arrangement with China on managing the situation in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. Teodoro made the statement a day after the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Manila […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official said China should be held accountable for environmental damage in and near Pag-asa Island (Thitu), located 300 nautical miles from Palawan. “So, if there is one country that we need to [hold] accountable dito sa damage sa environment na ito, sa ating coral reef dito […]
SUMMARY There’s a new development in Beijing’s claims on issues concerning the West Philippine Sea. After insisting on a “gentleman’s agreement” and a “new mode” in Ayungin Shoal, Chinese officials are introducing a new term: a “temporary special arrangement” on Panatag or Scarborough Shoal. The revelation of another supposed agreement made under the previous Duterte […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Amid an onslaught of revelations, claims, truths, and half-truths from Beijing on the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo wants to make one thing clear: Philippine actions in security, diplomatic, or economic ties are “for our own national purposes or national security” and not to play into superpower competition. […]
SUMMARY An unusual number of Chinese nationals have planted themselves in communities bordered by Philippine waters where China maintains a menacing military presence. They are estimated between 1,500 and 4,600, and many of them have been observed to be men in their prime and university enrollees. But officials of the host localities and schools, in […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – In their second meeting as the defense ministers of their four nations, the Philippines, United States, Japan, and Australia raised concerns about China’s presence in the West Philippine Sea, strongly objecting to the “dangerous use” of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, a joint readout from the four countries said on […]
SUMMARY HONOLULU, Hawaii, USA – Damage to Philippine vessels and injuries to their crew in the South China Sea is “irresponsible behavior” in disregard of international law, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday, May 2, weighing in on the latest flare-up involving China. Manila and Beijing have traded barbs almost daily since Tuesday’s […]