Philippine military eyes upgrades including two ‘dream’ submarines

February 12, 2025 | 9:01 pm

Brawner-Romeo-Jr-PHILIPPINE-ARMY-KALINAW-NEWS — PHILIPPINE ARMY KALINAW NEWS

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and Adrian H. Halili, Reporters

THE PHILIPPINES is looking to buy more military hardware to modernize its arsenal, including additional BrahMos missiles from India and at least two submarines, the chief of the armed forces said on Wednesday.

The Philippines is on the third phase of its modernization program called “Horizons.” It has earmarked $35 billion for the buildup over the next decade as it aims to counter China’s military might in the region.

“It’s a dream for us to get at least two submarines,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner, Jr. said in a speech to key businessmen in Manila.

“We are an archipelago, so we have to have this type of capability because it’s really difficult to defend that entire archipelago without submarines,” he added.

In 2022, the Philippines bought $375 million worth of BrahMos anti-ship missile systems from India, and has orders for more. “We are getting more of this (system) this year and in the coming years,” Mr. Brawner said.

The Philippines earlier said it is eyeing mid-range missiles and at least 40 fighter jets to boost its defense capabilities.

It expects deliveries this year of at least two corvette vessels from South Korea, which last year elevated its ties with Manila to a strategic partnership.

Mr. Brawner said Manila is trying to get South Korea to join the Squad, a multilateral grouping composed of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the US.

“This year, we’re going to get two corvettes from South Korea, [and] also the BRP Miguel Malvar that will be sailing this March to the Philippines,” he said. “We are getting one more this year. We are also getting two more landing docks and six offshore patrol vessels.”

The Philippines’ military buildup comes as tensions between Manila and Beijing have escalated in the South China Sea, where the two have clashed in recent years.

Mr. Brawner said the military has observed an increase in “illegal, coercive and deceptive” actions by China in the South China Sea. “We have seen also an increase in the number of vessels in the West Philippine Sea on a daily basis,” he added, referring to areas of the South China within its exclusive economic zone.

From 190 vessels in 2021, the Philippines is now seeing a daily average of 286 Chinese ships around Manila’s maritime zone, he said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chinese authorities have said their actions in the region were lawful.

Mr. Brawner said a “joint maritime activity” with the US and Canada in Manila’s maritime zone in the South China Sea was under way. He said Manila is also eyeing joint activities with France, Italy and the UK. These activities are meant to ensure an effective presence in the South China Sea, he added.

“We are looking forward to having more of this with other countries such as Italy, the United Kingdom and France,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a security forum. “Before, we didn’t have joint sails with these countries but gradually, other nations such as those from Europe have developed an interest in our country.”

The Philippines started holding joint maritime exercises with foreign navies last year to promote an open Indo-Pacific region amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Mr. Brawner said the Philippines on Wednesday started joint sea drills with the US and Canada west of Mindoro province.

“Last week, we conducted our multilateral maritime cooperative activity or joint sails with the US and Japan. Today, we’re doing it with the US and Canada,” he added.

Meanwhile, Washington and Manila have committed to enhance cooperation in military modernization initiatives and defense capabilities, according to US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Charles Q. Brown, Jr.

In a statement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Mr. Brown and Mr. Brawner talked on the phone to discuss ways to boost Philippine defense capabilities. They also discussed military sited under their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and increasing the scope and capacity of joint military exercises in the Philippines.

“The US continues to closely partner with the Philippines and remains committed to maintaining a strong alliance founded upon shared strategic interests and democratic values,” the agency said.

Mr. Brown is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the US Armed Forces and is the key military adviser of the President, National Security Council, Homeland Security Council and Defense secretary.

Also on Wednesday, Senator Francis N. Tolentino urged the President to form a separate maritime command focused on the South China Sea to improve the response capabilities of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard.

“It is about time, for purposes of implementing the Philippine Maritime Zones law, that we create our own new command which is the West Philippine Sea Command for maritime security,” he told a news briefing. — with Reuters

NBI files complaint against VP Sara at DoJ for grave threats, inciting to sedition

February 12, 2025 | 9:01 pm

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana and Adrian H. Halili, Reporters

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday said it had filed a complaint for inciting to sedition and grave threats against Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio over her reported assassination threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., his wife and the Speaker.

The bureau has sent its findings to the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) Office of the Prosecutor General, NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago told a news press briefing.

The Vice-President faces a 12-year jail term if she is found guilty of the grave threat charges. Her office declined to comment when contacted by telephone.

“The person allegedly tasked with the assassination was not identified,” Mr. Santiago said in Filipino. “Hopefully, we can ask Ma’am Vice-President.”

The NBI summoned journalists and influencers present at Ms. Duterte’s November 2024 briefing where she allegedly threatened Mr. Marcos, his wife and presidential cousin and Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.

Ms. Carpio has denied having threatened them, adding that her words had been taken out of context.

The NBI complaint “has no basis in fact and in law,” Salvador S. Panelo, President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s legal counsel, told reporters in Viber message.

“It obviously is tainted with politics, and still part of the demolition job on her by her political enemies to put her out of contention in the presidential race of 2028,” he added.

Mr. Santiago said the decision to file a complaint against Ms. Duterte was based on evidence, adding that they had not been coerced by any politicians.

“We are apolitical,” he said in Filipino. “No one ordered or dictated to us what should be done with the case. The outcome of our investigation was based on the evidence.”

In a statement, DoJ spokesman Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV said they have received the NBI complaint.

“With the filing of the complaint, the case will now undergo evaluation and preliminary investigation before the National Prosecution Service,” he said. “The investigating prosecutors must determine whether, based on the evidence, there is a prima facie case with reasonable certainty of conviction.”

The process requires the respondent, Ms. Duterte, to submit a counter-affidavit. Prosecutors will review the evidence from both parties and rule on a possible indictment.

“It is not necessary that the recipient actually feels intimidated or takes the words seriously; what is crucial is that the statement was made with the purpose of creating intimidation or fear,” he said, referring to the grave threat charge. “This is what the prosecutors will evaluate based on the evidence presented.”

Mr. Clavano said the crime of inciting to sedition refers to statements that pose a real and imminent threat to public order regardless of whether actual unrest occurs.

He noted that while freedom of speech is protected, the Supreme Court has ruled it does not extend to speech that incites violence, rebellion or disorder.

“The law does not require that an unlawful act be carried out, only that the statement was made with the intent to stir public unrest or disrupt stability,” he added.

Ms. Duterte’s alleged assassination threat was one of the issues raised by civil society groups in their impeachment complaints against her.

Last week, the House of Representatives impeached her on charges of violating the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and other high crimes.

Meanwhile, Senate President Francis G. Escudero said the NBI’s sedition and grave threat complaints against Ms. Duterte would not affect her upcoming impeachment trial at the Senate. “The NBI’s complaint has no effect on the impending impeachment proceedings,” he told reporters.

Mr. Escudero said the Senate would not use any evidence presented at the preliminary investigation by government prosecutors.

“An impeachment court, like any court, is a passive body. We will not do anything. This is not like a regular Senate investigation where we can issue a subpoena for certain evidence or witnesses to appear,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

Last week, more than 200 congressmen filed and signed an impeachment complaint against Ms. Duterte. This met the more the one-third vote required by the Constitution for her to be impeached.

The House of Representatives sent the impeachment complaint to the Senate during the last day of the congressional session. Twenty-five more congressmen later endorsed the complaint.

The ouster charges consisted of seven articles of impeachment, including allegations of plotting the assassination of the President, misusing secret funds, amassing unexplained wealth and committing acts of destabilization.

Mr. Escudero earlier said the Senate could not hold the impeachment trial while in recess. The trial would likely start after the President’s State of the Nation Address on July 28 or once the 20^th Congress begins.

Election watchdog says 55% of party-list groups don’t represent poor

February 12, 2025 | 9:00 pm

MORE THAN HALF of the party-list groups participating in the 2025 Philippine midterm elections do not represent marginalized sectors, contrary to their mandate under the 1987 Constitution, according to election watchdog Kontra Daya.

In a statement on Wednesday, the watchdog said 86 of 156 party-list groups or for 55%, have links to political dynasties, big business or the police and military.

“It appears that 55% of those running do not represent the marginalized and underrepresented, especially in the case of those linked to political clans and big business,” it said.

Among the top-performing party-list groups in the December 2024 and January 2025 polls by Social Weather Stations (SWS), seven have been flagged by Kontra Daya for their connections to political dynasties, large corporations, or security forces.

These groups include 4Ps, ACT-CIS, Duterte Youth, Ako Bicol, FPJ Bantay Bayanihan, Tingog Sinirangan, and TGP.

“They are among the 86 party-list groups flagged by Kontra Daya. Aside from the three reasons — ties with political clans, big businesses or the police and military — the other grounds for flagging are cases connected to pork barrel, plunder, graft and corruption; dubious advocacy and not enough information,” Kontra Daya said.

It called for greater public scrutiny of party-list nominees.

Kontra Daya expressed concerns about the lack of transparency in the information provided by some nominees in their Commission on Elections (Comelec) filings.

It noted that many nominees only gave general details about their professions, leaving voters in the dark about their qualifications and affiliations.

The watchdog said Filipino voters should examine all 10 nominees per party-list group rather than just the top three, which typically receive the most attention due to the three-seat cap for party-list representation.

Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer from the Ateneo de Manila University, said the party-list system is now dominated by political dynasties and their allies, with little effort to conceal their true colors.

“However, the fact that programmatic and organizational parties have failed to grow means this trend will persist and will continue to crowd out the parties,” he told BusinessWorld in a Facebook Messenger chat.

The campaign period for party-lists started on Tuesday, but district representatives may only begin campaigning on March 28.

Up for grabs in the May 12 elections are 317 congressional seats and thousands of local posts. The biggest battle will be for 12 spots in the 24-seat Senate, a chamber packed with political heavyweights and wielding outsized influence. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Philippine stocks rebound on bargain hunting

February 12, 2025 | 9:00 pm

PHILIPPINE SHARES rebounded on Wednesday as investors hunted for bargains and gains on Wall Street spilling over to the local market.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose by 0.94% or 56.38 points to close at 6,044.13, while the broader all shares index increased by 0.33% or 12.16 points to end at 3,619.19.

“After four straight days of decline, the local market bounced back this Wednesday as bargain hunters took opportunities,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message.

“The PSEi corrected higher after US stock markets mostly gained for the second straight day,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

Wall Street’s main indexes ended mixed on Tuesday as gains in Coca-Cola and Apple offset losses in Tesla, while investors parsed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s latest comments, Reuters reported.

The US central bank is in no rush to cut its short-term interest rate again given the economy is “strong overall,” with low unemployment and inflation still above the Fed’s 2% target, Mr. Powell said in opening remarks at a Senate Banking Committee hearing.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.03% to end the session at 6,068.50 points.

The Nasdaq declined 0.36% to 19,643.86 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.28% to 44,593.65 points.

“Philippine shares closed higher as the latest MSCI rebalancing results reflected the latest inflow and outflow from the quarterly review,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message.

Following its February index review, MSCI said Gokongwei-led companies JG Summit Holdings, Inc. and Universal Robina Corp. were removed from the MSCI Philippines Standard Index and were included in the MSCI Philippines Small Cap Index. Food and beverage manufacturer Monde Nissin Corp. was also added to the MSCI Philippines Small Cap Index.

The changes will take effect at the market’s close on Feb. 28.

All sectoral indices posted gains on Wednesday. Holding firms climbed by 1.34% or 67.87 points to 5,115.77; services rose by 0.79% or 15.34 points to 1,947.44; industrials went up by 0.53% or 45.53 points to 8,534.32; financials increased by 0.49% or 11.02 points to 2,254.32; property added 0.43% or 9.73 points to end at 2,252.84; and mining and oil inched up by 0.05% or 4.32 points to 7,430.23.

“Monde Nissin Corp. was the top index gainer, jumping 5.96% to P8.00. Emperador, Inc. was the main index laggard, falling 4.42% to P12.10,” Mr. Tantiangco said.

Value turnover inched up to P5.85 billion on Wednesday with 533.86 million issues traded from the P5.82 billion with 478.95 million shares exchanged on Wednesday.

Decliners beat advancers, 103 versus 74, while 64 names were unchanged.

Net foreign selling went down to P455.51 million on Wednesday from P655.18 million on Tuesday. — R.M.D. Ochave with Reuters

Peso steady before US consumer inflation data, BSP meeting

February 12, 2025 | 9:00 pm

THE PESO ended flat against the dollar on Wednesday, with the market waiting for the release of January US consumer inflation data overnight and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policy meeting on Thursday.

The local unit closed unchanged at P58.19 per dollar on Wednesday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

The peso opened Wednesday’s session slightly weaker at P58.20 against the dollar. Its intraday best was at P58.14, while its worst showing was at P58.24 versus the greenback.

Dollars traded went up to $1.24 billion on Wednesday from $1.194 billion on Tuesday.

The peso mostly traded sideways against the dollar before the US consumer price index (CPI) data release overnight and the BSP’s policy decision on Thursday, a trader said in a phone interview.

The peso was flat as the dollar was likewise steady before the January US CPI data, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

A BusinessWorld poll showed that 19 out of 20 analysts expect the BSP to cut benchmark borrowing costs by 25 basis points (bps) for a fourth straight meeting to bring the policy rate to 5.5%.

BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. earlier said that a rate cut is “on the table” at this week’s review.

He said they may slash benchmark rates by a total of 50 bps this year as “policy insurance” against risks, with the cuts likely to be done in 25-bp increments each in the first and second half.

For Thursday, the trader expects the peso to move between P58 and P58.40 per dollar, while Mr. Ricafort sees it ranging from P58.10 to P58.30

The dollar held mostly steady against other major currencies on Wednesday as traders awaited US inflation data, though remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell a day earlier lifted US yields and lent some support against the yen.

The dollar rose 0.7% to 153.53 yen, breaking above its 200-day moving average, but elsewhere it was steady, trading at $1.0358 per euro.

Mr. Powell, in testimony on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, stuck to a view there was no hurry to lower interest rates, which pushed 10-year Treasury yields up about 4 basis points.

US CPI was set to be published at 1330 GMT and economists polled by Reuters expect core consumer inflation to increase slightly to 0.3% for January.

Money market traders have scaled back bets on Fed rate cuts this year and are now only fully pricing in one quarter-point cut, with around a 40% chance of a second.

Speculators in the currency market are long dollars and some may be nervous that a softer reading could stoke expectations for rate cuts and force an unwind of wagers on a higher dollar. — A.M.C. Sy with Reuters

More than 1,200 LGUs have started automating public services — Marcos

February 12, 2025 | 9:00 pm

PBBM Marcos — PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. addressed over 1,400 municipal mayors at the 2025 League of Municipalities of the Philippines general assembly at the Manila Hotel on Wednesday. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

OVER 1,200 local government units (LGUs) have now initiated automation efforts to enhance efficiency and transparency in public service delivery, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said on Wednesday.

The administration is focusing on streamlining and digitalizing bureaucracy to make government services more efficient, through initiatives like the Electronic Business One-Stop Shop (eBOSS), Mr. Marcos said during the League of Municipalities of the Philippines General Assembly in Manila City.

“As of last year, 113 out of 1,634 LGUs have fully complied with the eBOSS requirement. Meanwhile, over 1,200 LGUs have now initiated automation efforts to enhance their transactions,” he noted.

To further accelerate digitalization, the government has developed the eLGU platform, a ready-to-use eBOSS system that has been adopted by 741 LGUs as of 2024.

“Critical government frontline services are becoming more transparent and accessible,” Mr. Marcos said.

The administration is also rolling out the Modernized Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System to improve efficiency and transparency in public procurement.

With features such as a Virtual Store, e-Wallet, e-Payment, and e-Marketplace, the system aims to simplify processes, enhance accountability, and safeguard public funds.

The president underscored the need for the country to keep pace with global technological advancements, warning that nations failing to embrace innovation risk being left behind.

“Understanding and maximizing technology is essential to improving public services,” he said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, the government is also ramping up environmental initiatives, with 22,200 barangays participating in clean-up activities last year under the Kalinga at Inisyatiba Para sa Malinis na Bayan program.

Mr. Marcos highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change’s impact at the municipal level, urging LGUs to adopt proactive measures to protect communities.

The League of Municipalities in the Philippines convened local chief executives, with the aim to empower them with advocacy tools, strategic frameworks and collaborative opportunities to drive improvements in their communities. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

PHL gets P169-M grant for Open RAN

February 12, 2025 | 8:58 pm

THE Japanese Embassy in Manila on Wednesday issued a 444-million-yen grant, or P169.79 million, to the University of the Philippines to put up an Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) laboratory, which would lead to better telecommunication infrastructure in the country.

“As an alternative to single-vendor reliance, Open RAN allows for more players in key services, and control in network management. This in turn can lead to greater accessibility and lower costs in vital sector processes, including 5G operations and telecoms’ infrastructure,” Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya said in his speech.

Open RAN is an ongoing shift by the telecommunication industry to improve network connectivity by integrating the interoperability of cellular networks.

“The promise of Open RAN starts with the establishment of a dedicated laboratory at the UP. With its possibilities for seamless discoveries, we hope this project’s success makes a stronger case for Open RAN, and its application throughout the country,” the envoy added.

The funding was granted under the Japanese government’s Economic and Social Development Program, and would enable an open, interoperable, secure, reliable, and trusted information communications technology ecosystem in the Philippines.

“Leading to increased competition in the base station market, which will lead to lower costs in the deployment and operation of 5G networks, as well as stimulate innovation, in the Philippines,” it added. — Adrian H. Halili

BARMM sets up telco facilities

February 12, 2025 | 8:57 pm

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro police and a ministry in the autonomous region have set up a telecommunications cooperation framework meant to hasten regional peacebuilding activities.

Regional Transportation and Communications Minister Paisalin P. Tago told reporters on Wednesday that officials of the Bangsamoro Telecommunications Commission (BTC) and the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) now have an agreement binding both to cooperate in putting communication facets needed in maintaining law and order in the autonomous region.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)covers the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications-BARMM, through the BTC, is aiming to maximize the connectivity of police stations, city, and provincial police offices to telecoms facilities in the autonomous region.

The BTC and PRO-BAR will also jointly prevent the use of two-way radios and prohibited telecommunications signal boosters by BARMM residents. — John Felix M. Unson

Vendetta eyed in fatal bus ambush

February 12, 2025 | 8:57 pm

COTABATO CITY — Probers of the fatal ambush of a Cotabato bus company manager are looking into the possible involvement of subordinates terminated for pocketing fare collections and other irregularities.

Armando Yap Lu and his spouse, Marilyn, were together in a grey Toyota Fortuner when they were attacked by gunmen on Monday afternoon at a highway in Barangay Kayaga in Kabacan, Cotabato, killing them instantly.

The slain Mr. Lu was manager of a big bus company that has units operating on the routes connecting Cotabato province to cities and provinces in Regions 11 and 12, and to Cagayan de Oro City in Region 10.

Officials of the Kabacan Municipal Police Station told reporters on Wednesday that confidential informants had relayed to them that Mr. Lu terminated bus conductors and ticket inspectors for pocketing earnings they were supposed to remit to their company cashier.

“We need to give investigators enough time to finish their investigation on all angles of that incident,” Col. Gilbert Tuzon, Cotabato provincial police director, said.

Mr. Lu and his wife were on their way home to Carmen, Cotabato from the town proper of Kabacan when they were ambushed by gunmen positioned along the route.

They were both declared dead on arrival by physicians at a hospital where emergency responders brought them for treatment.

Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño Mendoza, chairperson of the multi-sector Provincial Peace and Order Council, reiterated on Wednesday her offer of an earnest incentive to any informant who can help the police identify the perpetrators. — John Felix M. Unson

Ex-NPA leader in Cagayan surrenders

February 12, 2025 | 8:57 pm

BAGUIO CITY — A former New People’s Army (NPA) team leader operating in Cagayan province in the late 80s-90s, surrendered to authorities this week.

Farmer “Ka Loloy,” 55, who joined the East Front of the Cagayan provincial committee of the Cagayan Valley Regional Party Committee of the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, admitted he became a logistics officer, squad leader and team leader of more than 100 communist guerillas during his long stay with the underground communist movement since Aug. 9, 1986.

According to the Cagayan police, Ka Loloy’s group of rebels operated in the hinterlands of Lasam, Lallo, Santa Ana, and Pamplona towns.

Ka Loloy reportedly admitted to policemen of the difficulties inside the rebel movement including possible death and injuries during firefights with government troops, citing that from 1990-1991, his group had countless gun battles with government troops in Marag Valley in Apayao and Kalinga provinces where many of his comrades died.

Due to these difficulties as a rebel commander, he abandoned the rebel movement in September 1991 and sought refuge on Calayan Island.

After more than 3 decades of hiding, he decided to formally give up to authorities last Monda. — Artemio A. Dumlao

FBI finds thousands of new files on JFK assassination

February 12, 2025 | 8:01 pm

USA-FBI — A VIEW shows the seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) outside of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, Aug. 11, 2022. — REUTERS

THE US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found thousands of new documents related to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy (JFK) after President Donald Trump called for the release of classified intelligence and law enforcement files about the 1963 shooting.

In a statement on Tuesday, the FBI said it conducted a new records search after Mr. Trump signed an order in January during his first week in office related to the release. That search resulted in about 2,400 newly inventoried and digitized records that were previously unrecognized as related to the Kennedy assassination case file, it said.

“The FBI has made the appropriate notifications of the newly discovered documents and is working to transfer them to the National Archives and Records Administration for inclusion in the ongoing declassification process,” the FBI said.

Last week the Office of the Director of National Intelligence sent recommendations to Mr. Trump on which classified documents he should release to the public on the assassination, a spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday. The office did not release details of the plan or say when the documents would be released.

The fascination over the assassination of JFK, as the 35^th US president is known, endures six decades after the event.

Mr. Trump, who returned to the White House in January, had promised on the campaign trail to release documents about the assassination.

Mr. Kennedy’s murder in Dallas, Texas, had been attributed to a sole gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. The Justice department and other federal government bodies reaffirmed that conclusion in the intervening decades. But polls show many Americans believe his death was a result of a wider conspiracy.

As part of the same executive order, Mr. Trump also promised to release documents on the assassinations of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert Kennedy, both of whom were killed in 1968. Mr. Trump has allowed more time to come up with a plan for those releases.

Mr. Trump’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the son of Robert Kennedy and nephew of John F. Kennedy, has said he believes the Central Intelligence Agency was involved in his uncle’s death, an allegation the agency has described as baseless. Mr. Kennedy Jr. has also said he believes his father was killed by multiple gunmen, an assertion that contradicted official accounts.

CONSPIRACY THEORIES CONTINUE
Documents may reveal details about a gripping moment in US history, but historians say they are unlikely to bolster any of the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK’s 1963 shooting in Dallas.

“I suspect that we won’t get anything too dramatic in the releases, or anything that fundamentally overturns our understanding of what occurred in Dallas,” said Fredrik Logevall, a Harvard history professor and one of four historians interviewed by Reuters. He added that he was prepared to be surprised.

One revelation the documents could contain is that the CIA was more aware of Mr. Oswald than it has previously disclosed. Files revealing that the CIA failed to share intelligence on Mr. Oswald with the FBI would be “a big story,” said Gerald Posner, author of Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK, which concludes that Mr. Oswald acted alone.

“The question for me is not whether the CIA was complicit, but whether the CIA was negligent,” Mr. Posner said.

Mr. Posner said questions remain about what the CIA knew about Mr. Oswald’s visits to Mexico City six weeks before the assassination. During that trip, Mr. Oswald visited the Soviet embassy.

Mr. Posner added that his top questions on the 2,400 new files are: What are they and how did it take the Bureau 62 years to find them?

Barbara Perry, co-director of the presidential oral history program at the Miller Center, an affiliate of the University of Virginia, said the CIA may have been following Mr. Oswald.

“Certainly the FBI was, but they didn’t connect the dots,” Ms. Perry said. “But it wasn’t a conspiracy on the part of the CIA or the FBI or any outside country.”

The release, however extensive, will likely leave some discrepancies in the body of knowledge regarding the assassination, said Alice L. George, author of The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Political Trauma and American Memory. So conspiracy theories are expected to endure.

“I can’t imagine any document that would convince (conspiracy theorists) that Oswald acted alone,” Ms. George said. “Particularly among people who are really invested in that way of thinking. It’s going to probably leave them in the same place where they are now.” — Reuters

Pope Francis tells US bishops Trump’s immigration policy ‘will end badly’

February 12, 2025 | 7:55 pm

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis sharply criticized US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in an unusual open letter to America’s Catholic bishops on Tuesday, saying criminalizing migrants and taking measures built on force “will end badly.”

The pope, who last month called Mr. Trump’s plan to deport millions of migrants a “disgrace,” said it was wrong to assume that all undocumented immigrants were criminals.

“I exhort all the faithful of the Catholic Church … not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters,” said the pontiff.

Francis, pope since 2013, has long been critical of Mr. Trump’s immigration policies. In 2016, during Mr. Trump’s first White House campaign, the Pope said Mr. Trump was “not Christian” in his views on immigration.

In his letter on Tuesday, Pope Francis called the immigration crackdown a “major crisis” for the United States.

“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” he said.

Mr. Trump, a Republican who was president in 2017-2021, won a second non-consecutive term promising to deport millions of immigrants who are in the US illegally.

After taking office last month, he issued a flurry of executive actions to redirect military resources to support the mass deportation effort and empowered US immigration officers to make more arrests, including at schools, churches and hospitals.

In Tuesday’s letter, Pope Francis also appeared to respond indirectly to Vice President JD Vance’s defense of the deportations.

Mr. Vance, a Catholic, defended the crackdown in a January social media post by referring to an early Catholic theological concept known as the “ordo amoris,” or “order of love,” to suggest that Catholics must give priority to non-immigrants.

The pope said: “The true ‘ordo amoris’ that must be promoted (is) … by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.” — Reuters