Former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said the Philippines can follow the examples of Malaysia and Indonesia, which continued their survey and naval drills in their EEZ in the South China Sea, together with the United States and Australia, despite warnings from the Chinese Coast Guard. “We can have joint patrols with the US at […]

Former Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado on Wednesday said he was not aware of any Philippine commitment made to China to have the BRP Sierra Madre removed from Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. Mercado, who served in the Cabinet of the short-lived administration of then President Joseph Estrada, joined current officials in belying Beijing’s claims that Manila […]

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela correctly called out a few misguided Filipinos who defend China’s aggression and even act like its mouthpiece as unpatriotic and a traitor to our country. “If you are a Filipino, whether in government or private sector, regardless of your politics, defending and making excuses for China’s aggressive behavior […]

CNN — News that a Chinese coast guard ship fired water cannon on a smaller Philippine counterpart in a disputed area of the South China Sea should be worrying enough, given the region is widely seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict. But look more closely at video footage of the incident and tucked […]

The Business Mirror reported yesterday, August 15, 2023, that Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong claimed during a news conference at the Kamuning Pandesal Forum in Quezon City that the Potsdam Declaration and the Cairo Declaration stated that “all territories Japan has seized from the Chinese, including those of Nansha Islands and Xisha Islands, […]

TAIPEI – China is likely to launch military drills next week near Taiwan, using Vice President William Lai’s stopovers in the United States as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of an election next year and make them “fear war,” Taiwanese officials said. The U.S. transits by Lai, who is the front-runner for Taiwan’s presidential […]

MANILA/TOKYO – Japan, the United States and Australia are considering sending their vessels carrying aircraft to the Philippines to conduct a trilateral naval drill next week in the South China Sea, sources close to the matter said Friday. The planned exercise set for Wednesday comes amid mounting tensions between China and the Philippines after a […]

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 19) — Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said her administration did not make any deal with China to remove the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era ship deliberately grounded in 1999 to serve as a military outpost in the West Philippine Sea, from Ayungin Shoal. “First, I never made […]

WASHINGTON — South Korea and India have joined the U.S., Japan and European countries in supporting the Philippines in its maritime disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea, as China’s recent use of water cannon against a Philippine resupply ship creates a global backlash. U.S. President Joe Biden convened a historic three-way summit with […]

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines dismissed the China Coast Guard’s claims of humanitarian consideration in delivering essential provisions to troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre, stressing that Chinese ships still used “dangerous maneuvers” to block boats on a resupply mission. The Philippines on Tuesday completed a resupply mission to the remote outpost in Ayungin Shoal […]