Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 10850

Esperon: PHL needs to be ‘strong internally’ in maritime dispute with China

THE Philippines should first become “strong internally” in its maritime dispute in the South China Sea, National Security Adviser Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr. said in an interview at the sidelines of the last pre-SONA (State of the Nation Address) forum on Wednesday, July 18.
“Magpalakas ka muna (get stronger first). I think (President Rodrigo R. Duterte)] is going through the correct direction (that we should) be strong internally first before you could claim external strength,” Mr. Esperon said.
He also lashed out at critics of the government’s stand in the dispute, saying, “Ano pang giyera mo (what weapons do you have for war)?”
Mr. Duterte, however, is the only public figure to raise war was an option. His critics such as Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo and Acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio are otherwise pushing for a new formal protest against China’s continued incursion into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Asked if he considered the Philippines strong, Mr. Esperon said, “Well, not so much.” He added that, “with our macroeconomics, okay tayo (we are okay).”
Mr. Esperon said the government should prioritize solving its terrorist, drug, and corruption problems and pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to help strengthen the nation internally.
“What are our problems? MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front), MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), terrorism, CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army), corruption, drugs. If you can solve all of these, we can become stronger,” Mr. Esperon said in Filipino.
He added: “After that, slowly, because we are getting stronger, we will be able to build up our capabilities to guard the South China Sea, the West Philippine Sea.”
“Tapusin mo muna yung mga problema mo….Hindi yung itutulak ka para lumaban agad sa isang giyera sa West Philippine Sea na alam mo naman yung problema doon (We should solve our problems first….and not be forced to immediately fight a war in the West Philippine Sea, and you know the problems there),” Mr. Esperon said. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

Sotto affirms colleagues’ stand against ‘no-el’

By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
SENATE President Vicente C. Sotto III on Thursday said he disagreed with the proposal to postpone the 2019 midterm elections through a people’s initiative, saying that an enabling law was needed to enforce this method of amending the Charter.
“Perhaps I will answer it with a question. And that is the reason why perhaps I’m not supporting the proposal. Why is there a need? I think that is a question that needs to be answered first,” he said at Thursday’s Kapihan sa Senado media forum.
“In order for us to conduct a people’s initiative, we need to pass an enabling law,” he added.
He also affirmed that his colleagues in the Senate will fight any attempt to cancel the midterm polls or to extend the terms of elective officials. He added that the Senate would maintain its independence as it would decide “impartially” on the issue of Charter change.
“The Senate was created to be independent, fair, impartial but courageous. And therefore it was created, I believe, to withstand and we should withstand not only pressure from public opinion but also pressure from the presidential powers,” Mr. Sotto said.
“So we will listen but we will digest what we receive and perhaps decide impartially. And we will always decide, I believe that I share the sentiment of those in the…Senate, we shall decide on what will be good for the majority of the Filipinos,” he added.
If the President asks the Senate to prioritize federalism, Mr. Sotto said they would treat it as a “presidential request.”
“But there are so many issues to hurdle. How are we going to prioritize it? We will pass a joint resolution for a Constituent Assembly. It should be voting separately. How long are we going to do it? If we are going to push that, it’s not easy,” he said.

TRLEI exec slapped with perjury charges over LED lights supply

A JAPANESE businessman has filed perjury charges against a top official of Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI) for allegedly making false assertions against his company.
Tetsuya Yokota, president of Aruze Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. (APMI), in a 16-page complaint filed before the City Prosecutor of Parañaque dated June 28 and released to media on Thursday, accused TRLEI’s Chief Executive Adviser Dindo A. Espeleta of committing three counts of perjury.
Mr. Espeleta previously filed a petition claiming APMI supplied defective LED lights worth $4.5-million to TRLEI’s casino-resort Okada Manila. The case has been dismissed.
BusinessWorld reported on June 17 that TRLEI sought the reopening of their petition against APMI after it was dismissed in May 18 by Parañaque City prosecutors for lack of probable cause.
Mr. Yokota, in his complaint, pointed out that Mr. Espeleta made three false assertions in his complaint affidavit against APMI, specifically in paragraphs 23, 24 and 36.1(v).
“(Mr. Espeleta) made perjurious and false allegations that: (a) he did not know that APMI will not manufacture the LED strips supplied to TRLEI; (b) APMI misrepresented and agreed that it would manufacture said LED strips; and (c) APMI is not authorized to engage in the business of manufacturing LED strips suitable for outdoor use,” Mr. Yokota’s complaint read.
Mr. Yokota explained the TRLEI executive “willfully and deliberately made assertions of falsehoods” as “the truth of the matter is that from the beginning, TRLEI was aware that some components of the LED products would be sourced from corporations other than APMI.” — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

Nationwide Round-Up

Duterte has no intention to hold on to power, says Roque

MALACAÑANG ON Thursday denied speculations that President Rodrigo R. Duterte will run as a transition president in tandem with former senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos, Jr., who lost the vice-presidential race in 2016.
“Kung gusto po ni Presidenteng manatili sa posisyon, hindi na niya sana hiningi sa Consultative Committee (ConCom) na maglagay ng Transitory Provision na ang transition leader dapat ihalal (If the President wants to stay in power, he would not have asked the Consultative Committee to put a provision that the transition leader should be elected,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said when sought for comment during a press briefing at the Palace on Thursday afternoon, July 19.
“It would have been easy for him to stay in office, simply by hanging on to the office. Because the original Transitory Provision provided that he will be the transition leader,” he added.
Mr. Roque also quoted the President as saying, “I will not have any hand in no-el (no elections)” move.
But if there is going to be a people’s initiative to postpone next year’s midterm elections, Mr. Roque said, the President would abide by the voting public’s decision.
Mr. Roque also dismissed claims that federalism is being used to remove Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo from office.
“Wala pong katuturan iyan (that is nonsense),” he said, noting that the administration has not concerned itself with the political career of Ms. Robredo, who is chair of the opposition Liberal Party.
The ConCom’s draft federal constitution states that the president and the vice-president should step down from power on June 30, 2022 to make way for transition leaders. — Arjay L. Balinbin

US pledges $26.5M for counter-terrorism in the Philippines

THE UNITED States has pledged $26.5 million (about P1.418 billion) worth of assistance for Philippines law enforcement agencies to counter terrorism through “non-military rule-of-law approaches.” In a statement on Thursday, the US Embassy in Manila said the grant will cover the following:
• training, equipment, and other support to build comprehensive law enforcement capacity within a rule of law framework to deny terrorist operations, funding, and movement;
• investigate and prosecute terrorism cases; and
• counter radicalization to violence and violent extremism.
“Our joint efforts to confront shared threats to the peace and security of both of our countries is another powerful example of the depth and breadth of our relationship as friends, partners, and allies,” US Ambassador Sung Y. Kim said. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Local gov’t leaders express support to talks with NPAs on the ground

A halfway house for rebel returnees in Davao Oriental built through the initiative of the local government. — DAVAO ORIENTAL GOVT FB PAGE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT unit (LGUs) leaders have expressed support for the localized peace talks with communist rebels, according to the according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). “We have received good feedback from LGUs as they expressed their willingness to play a more significant role in ending hostilities in their respective localities. In particular, the League of Cities of the Philippines and the Philippine Councilor’s League (PCL) has expressed support for this initiative,” DILG OIC-Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a statement Thursday. “(W)e are pursuing localized peace talks to allow our brothers and sisters in the mountains to rejoin mainstream Philippine society. If Joma Sison (Jose Maria C.) and his minions give up on peace, we will instead talk to all the NPA (New People’s Army) ground units that are sincere in their desire to talk peace,” he said. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Mr. Año also said that local government officials “are in a better position to engage in talks with the communist rebels in their area and possibly recommend solutions to address these problems on the local level”. An executive order, to be signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, containing the guidelines for the local talks is being finalize. The DILG is also preparing for the reintegration of former rebels through the construction of more halfway houses around the country.

Aganan Bridge

THE P161-million Aganan Bridge, linking the municipalities of Maasin and Alimodian in Iloilo, is now in the final stages of construction and could be opened by August, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways-Region 6 (DPWH-6). “If weather permits, the public will be able to utilize this bridge by August 2018. This will provide vital link to the towns of Maasin and Alimodian, providing access to Iloilo City and other towns in the central Iloilo,” DPWH-6 Regional Director Wenceslao M. Leaño, Jr. said in a statement.

5,500 Iloilo voters urge PET to uphold 25% voting threshold

A GROUP of voters claiming to have 5,500 members from Ilolilo petitioned the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) on Thursday to uphold a 25% voting threshold in the ongoing election recount between Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo and losing candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. “Our votes will be disengranchised and our voices will not be heard if the PET continues to insist on using the 50 % threshold in the manual recount of votes,” the group said in a statement released by actress Cynthia Patag. Ms. Robredo on April 19 urged the PET to reverse its April 10 decision to impose a 50% voting threshold in the recount. This was countered by Solicitor-General Jose C. Calida, who insisted voters would not be disenfranchised by the court’s decision. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

Troops sent to Lianga evacuation site as standard procedure, military says

THE MILITARY has confirmed that soldiers have been deployed to an evacuation center in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, where more than 1,500 members of indigenous peoples (IPs) have fled in response to soldiers in their communities. Volunteers who have been working with the IPs and were with them when they left their communities had been reporting since Wednesday that police and military personnel had been deployed around the Barangay Diatagon Gymnasium and had prevented the entry of aid from the Catholic Diocese of Tandag. Soldiers in Diatagon have set up an Incident Command Post (ICP), Capt. Rodulfo Cordero Jr. of the 401st Infantry Brigade’s Civil-Military Operations battalion said Thursday, adding this is standard procedure for natural disasters and similar situations. According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council guidelines, ICPs are where relief operations are coordinated. Mr. Cordero said the local governments of Lianga and Barangay Diatagon are in charge of operations and the police and military are there to provide security. — PHILSTAR
>> See the full story on https://goo.gl/GhhmzS

Stricter baggage inspection at Cebu bus terminal after firearms intercepted

BAGGAGE INSPECTION procedures at the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), managed by the provincial government, will now be stricter after three gunrunners with 40 unregistered .45 caliber pistols were caught last weekend by the Philippine Coast Guard. The suspects loaded the illegal firearms on a bus at the CSBT and were on board a boat bound for Dapitan City in Mindanao. CSBT administrator Joey Herrera, in a statement from the Cebu provincial government, asked the riding public “to bear with the strict protocol enforced by the security guards” to avoid a repeat of the incident.
See related story on Illegal firearms intercepted in Samboan, Cebu port

Wage hike in Central Visayas takes effect Aug. 3

THE P10 to P52 increase for minimum wage earners in the private sector in Central Visayas will take effect on Aug. 3, according to Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-Region 7 (RTWPB-7) chairman Alvin M. Villamor. RTWPB-7, in its order, stated that in line with the trust to rationalize the wage structure and in consideration of the changes in the employment structure in the region, the board agreed to sub-classify the non-agriculture wages and simplify the agriculture wages classification. The order emphasized that not covered by the provisions are household or domestic workers, persons in the personal service of another and workers of establishments registered under the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises with valid Certificates of Authority. Central Visayas covers the provinces of Cebu (including Cebu City) Bohol, Negros Occidental, and Siquijor. — The Freeman
>> See the full story on https://goo.gl/Zzx2Vu

Nation at a Glance — (07/20/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

AirAsia announces $30-billion deal for 100 Airbus planes

Sepang, Malaysia — Malaysian budget airline AirAsia Thursday announced an additional order of 34 Airbus A330neo planes, bringing the total value of its expanded 100-plane order to $30 billion as it sets its sights on European routes.
The first delivery of the fuel-efficient widebody jets will arrive towards the end of 2019 and will allow the airline to take on longer non-stop routes to Europe, AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes said at a media event.
These will be used by its long-haul arm, AirAsia X, replacing its older first-generation A330s.
“We can now start the London route… This plane allows us to fly to Brazil, Namibia and anywhere we want,” he said.
The Kuala Lumpur-London route was dropped in 2012 due to low demand and high fuel prices.
“We lobbied hard for the A330neo after seeing the success of the A320neo, and working closely with Airbus, we have arrived at an aircraft that we are confident will allow us to expand our low fares offering beyond Asia Pacific to the rest of the world,” AirAsia X chief executive Kamarudin Meranun said.
The deal makes AirAsia the biggest Asian customer of European aviation giant Airbus, which has been locked in a tight battle for dominance with US rival Boeing. — AFP

Oil trades below $69 as investors weigh mixed inventories report

Oil traded below $69 a barrel as investors tried to gauge demand growth in the world’s biggest economy following conflicting data on US stockpiles.
Futures in New York were little changed Thursday after rebounding 1 percent in the previous session from a 1.5% drop. Prices have been wavering after government data showed a surprise gain in nationwide crude inventories, while gasoline held in U.S. storage tanks dropped by the most since May on the back of robust fuel demand. Meanwhile, an OPEC committee meeting provided little insight on how output quotas will be split between the group.
Oil has lost about 7% this month over concern an escalating trade conflict between the US and China could jeopardize global economic growth and energy demand. While worries remain over potential supply losses in Venezuela and Iran as well as sporadic disruptions in Libya, investors are waiting to see how an agreement reached last month by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allied producers to raise output will impact global oil supplies.
“Refinery utilization rates in the US have been kept at almost full capacity and it will gradually fall with planned maintenance, which will lead to a build-up in overall crude stockpiles, while gasoline and distillate inventories shrink,” Lim Jaekyun, a commodities analyst at KB Securities Co., said by phone in Seoul. “OPEC has been seen raising output since June and this will slowly resolve risks we see on the supply side.” — Bloomberg

1...10,84910,85010,851...12,834Page 10,850 of 12,834
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube