SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Ramon Ang, one of the richest Filipino tycoons, has a proposal to curb pesky inflation: protect the West Philippine Sea and further tap its gas reserves. In an economic forum on Monday, May 27, government economic managers discussed the ways to bring inflation within target range, including managing interest rates and […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday, May 26, warned that China will be going against international law if it pushes through with its newest coast guard regulation. In a statement, DFA expressed “serious concern” about the new regulation that would enable the Chinese Coast Guard to apprehend people it […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday, May 26, highlighted an advisory opinion released by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) which cited the historic 2016 Hague ruling that favored the Philippines against China. In a statement released on Saturday, May 26, DFA said the opinion […]
SUMMARY Just when I thought that the Senate inquiry about the supposed “gentleman’s agreement” with China on the maritime conduct in Ayungin Shoal couldn’t get any murkier, here comes former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea claiming that the supposed agreement was made in 2013, halfway into the presidency of the late of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. His […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is making back-to-back visits to the Philippines’ neighbors in Southeast Asia next week, in response to invitations sent by leaders of these countries. The first stop will be Brunei on May 28 to 29, followed by a trip to Singapore until the 31st. Here are the things […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Speaking before officers of the Philippine Navy, Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro on Friday, May 24, criticized China’s newest coast guard regulation as a “provocation,” amid rising tensions between Manila and Beijing. “I believe what a provocation is, is the roguish and irresponsible threat to detain quote-unquote ‘trespassers’ in what is claimed […]
SUMMARY Claim: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared war against China. Why we fact-checked this: The video bearing the claim has 7,700 views, 551 likes, and 94 comments. The YouTube page that uploaded the video, which has 216,000 subscribers, is notorious for spreading disinformation. Text on the video’s thumbnail implies that Marcos has declared war: […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Navy’s spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea said on Friday, May 24, there was no reason to investigate a Naval commander embroiled in controversy over a wiretapped conversation with the defense attache of Chinese embassy in Manila. Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, newly-appointed Naval Inspector General and the Navy’s concurrent […]
SUMMARY China can claim the existence of bilateral agreements as much as it wants but without proof and without consent from the Philippines, that’s all they are – claims. “[China] says there are agreements. But where? Show us. I don’t recall ever having discussed proposals to have such agreements,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – As a Senate panel probed the wiretapping of a call between a Philippine naval commander and a Chinese diplomat, on Wednesday, May 22, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo described the current state of bilateral relations between Manila and Beijing as “a bit choppy.” “I would say they’re a bit choppy. There are […]