1PACMAN Party-list Representative Michael Odylon L. Romero is the richest member of the House of Representatives, according to the recently published statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of House members dated as of Dec. 31, 2016.

But according to a report by interaksyon.com, Mr. Romero, who is caught in a legal battle with his father, Reghis Romero II, over control of Harbor Centre Point Terminal Inc., “has not been seen in plenary sessions or hearings since his last attendance was entered in the journal of records December last year.”

Mr. Romero, a first-term lawmaker, has a declared average net worth of P7 billion.

He is followed by Representative Emmeline Aglipay Villar with a net worth of around P1.4 billion. Mrs. Villar is the wife of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar, who topped the list of the richest Cabinet members of President Rodrigo R. Duterte with a net worth of P1.4 billion.

Rounding off the top five richest members of the House are Alfredo Abelardo Benitez from the 3rd District, Negros Occidental with an average net worth of P943 million; former first lady and Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda R. Marcos with about P918 million; and former House speaker and Quezon City Representative Feliciano R. Belmonte with about P852 million.

Former Philippine president and incumbent Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the 11th richest with a net worth of about P435 million.

House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez is at number 50 with a net worth of P86 million. House Majority Leader Rodolfo C. Farinas, on the other hand, is at number 25 with a net worth of about P169 million.

At the bottom of the list is Kabataan Representative Sarah Jane I. Elago with a net worth of P50,000.00. — with Mario M. Banzon

By Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral, Reporter

THE Philippine government has so far spent about P3 billion in the still ongoing military operations against Islamic State (IS)-inspired militants that overran the southern city of Marawi, provincial capital of Lanao del Sur, according to the country’s Defense chief.

Clashes between government forces and the pro-Islamic State (IS) Maute extremists broke out in Marawi on May 23 — triggering what may be the biggest internal security crisis in the Philippines since the Zamboanga City siege in 2013 and that prompted President Rodrigo R. Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao.

The bloody standoff enters its 82nd day today.

In an interview with reporters on Thursday, Aug. 10, Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said the government shelled out “roughly” P3 billion in its continuing offensive against the terrorist Maute group.

Mr. Lorenzana said the funds spent were sourced from “other projects” and he expressed the hope that Congress would “replenish” the ongoing military operation via the procurement of more equipment like bullet proof vests, helmets, and night vision goggles.

“I think we are facing the Congress in a couple of weeks,” the Defense chief said.

“Pero kailangan pa rin natin ng malaking pera siguro to develop our human intelligence on the ground kasi kailangan natin yun,” he added. (But perhaps we still need a lot more money to develop our human intelligence on the group because that’s needed.)

Last month, Congress overwhelmingly voted to extend Mr. Duterte’s martial rule in Mindanao until yearend to defeat the band of jihadist fighters that occupied the predominantly Muslim city and to dismantle the terror network in the region.

As of Aug. 10, the number of enemies neutralized by pursuing state forces in Marawi rose to 552 while civilians killed by the Maute group remained at 45. Meanwhile, 128 troops were killed in the clashes.

According to Mr. Lorenzana, ground commanders reported to him that the urban warfare might end in “one to two months.” Nonetheless, he said he reminded them not to rush to avoid more government casualties.

“We don’t want them to be killed,” he said.

By Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral, Reporter

THE Philippine government on Friday sought to explain recent remarks by the country’s top diplomat that China has stopped its land reclamation work in the disputed South China Sea, which was debunked by a US think tank.

At the end of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meetings in Manila, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said that using tough language to pressure China is not reflective of the current situation because it is “not reclaiming land anymore.”

In a statement, Foreign affairs spokesperson Robespierre L. Bolivar said the Philippines’ “position” on the maritime row is based on “latest intelligence” on the ground, adding that there are “no further reports” of Beijing’s island-building activities in waters that Manila disputed.

Mr. Bolivar was responding to a new report by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, which qualified Mr. Cayetano’s statement as “false” by showing satellite images of China’s expansion in the sea “in recent months.”

To recall, Mr. Cayetano made the statement after admitting that the Philippines is one of the ASEAN countries that opposed making references to “land-reclamation” and “militarization” in the South China Sea in the bloc’s joint communique.

But the customary statement, which was belatedly released over reported disagreements by ASEAN foreign ministers, nevertheless called for “non-militarisation and self-restraint.”

According to Mr. Bolivar, Mr. Cayetano’s remarks “must be taken in its full context.”

He explained that Manila, as this year’s ASEAN chair, agreed with other regional foreign ministers to include international concerns over land reclamation in the communique despite the Philippines not getting reports about island buildups in features it claimed.

He said this is “in consideration of the probability that land reclamation may still be occurring or may yet occur in features in the South China Sea outside of the Philippine claim.”

“We would like to assure the public that if ever there are reports to the contrary, these will be carefully studied, verified and handled accordingly,” Mr. Bolivar said.

“As Chair of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, the Philippines’ primary goal was to ensure that the Joint Communique reflected the interests of the region and the ASEAN consensus,” he added.

“The foreign policy direction of the Philippines…is not to surrender a single inch of Philippine territory while at the same time working towards good neighborly relations with other claimants.”

China claims most parts strategic waterway, where trillion dollars’ worth of ship-borne goods pass through annually. But the Asian power’s maritime ambitions were challenged by the Philippines, another claimant nation, in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that ruled in Manila’s favor.

For his part, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella told reporters yesterday that AMTI’s report should be “vetted for accuracy” and, if proven, should be taken up in future ASEAN discussions.

“[This is] to preserve the trust and confidence that all disputants over the territory in South China Sea,” he said.

By Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral, Reporter

NORTH Korea’s plan to launch missiles at the US Pacific territory, particularly near Guam, is a “source of concern,” the Philippine military said on Friday, Aug. 11, adding that the government is preparing for any kind of “telltale effect” from such aggression.

Speaking to reporters in Malacañang, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Brigadier-General Restituto F. Padilla, Jr. said that there is a “remote” possibility of North Korean missiles directly hitting the Philippines, but debris may splash into the country’s coastal areas.

Guam is located approximately 2,500 km away from the Philippines. It is home to some 42,800 Filipinos, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“If ever it (missiles) disintegrates in the atmosphere. Potentially, it would have shattered debris that may scatter around in the area or its trajectory,” Mr. Padilla said.

“So it could hit some northern coastal areas. We have to forewarn our citizens to be on the lookout. But that’s something that we see as remote,” he added.

“We don’t have anti-missile systems to put it down or to guard our country against such kinds of threat. What we do, however, is monitor it.”

According to reports, Pyongyang’s state media recently said North Korea plans to fire four intermediate-range missiles into waters 30-40 km from Guam “to signal a crucial warning to the United States”.

Malacañang earlier assured the Philippine consulate in Agana, Guam, that it has “contingency plans” that are “regularly updated to enable them to respond to emergencies.”

At the just-concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meetings in Manila, the regional-bloc said in a joint statement that Pyongyang’s previous ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests “seriously threaten peace, security and stability in the region and the world.”

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho, who was present at last week’s ASEAN meeting, reportedly sought the bloc’s help and urged the region to support North Korea, adding that the situation in the Korean Peninsula was “reaching the brink of war”.

Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who chairs this year’s ASEAN meetings, told Mr. Ri during a brief exchange at the closing ceremony of this week’s ministerial talks that Pyongyang and ASEAN “would be a great dialogue partner.”

This is despite Mr. Duterte’s previous insults ahead of the regional meeting in Manila against North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, whom the Philippine leader described as a “chubby son of a bitch” who is “playing with dangerous toys.”

Pyongyang is part of the ASEAN Regional Forum, which is an annual meeting of ASEAN and Asia-Pacific countries to discuss political and security issues.

Last week, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted tough new sanctions against North Korea for conducting its eighth nuclear test. The expanded sanction includes a ban on importation and hosting additional workers from Pyongyang.

THE Philippine government’s “plan for mandatory drug testing for all college students and applicants seriously threatens their safety and right to education,” New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement on Friday, Aug. 11.

HRW cited an order to that effect dated Aug. 2 by the Commission on Higher Education, noting this agency as being under the Office of the President. The group has been among the leading voices critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s war on illegal drugs and its rising death toll.

“The college drug testing plan is a dangerous outgrowth of the Duterte administration’s abusive ‘war on drugs,’” HRW said, adding: “The order permits local governments, the police and other law enforcement agency to ‘carry out any drug-related operation within the school premises’ with the approval of school administrators. This will effectively allow the police to extend their ‘anti-drug’ operations to college and university campuses, placing students at grave risk.”

“Imposing mandatory drug testing of students when Philippine police are committing rampant summary killings of alleged drug users puts countless children in danger for failing a drug test,” said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Education officials should be protecting students, not putting them in harm’s way through mandatory drug tests.”

The group further noted: “The higher education commission order does not require, but ‘strongly encourages’ schools of higher education to impose random mandatory drug testing of students and applicants. It follows the Department of Education’s announcement in May that it will launch random drug tests of primary, elementary, and high school students later this year.”

“Mandatory drug testing of students puts them in the crosshairs of Duterte’s abusive drug war, risking the creation of a school-to-cemetery track for students testing positive for drugs,” Mr. Kine said in the statement. “The Philippine government should educate students about the health hazards of illegal drugs — not make them targets for unlawful killings by police and their agents.”