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WATCH: Philippines holds presser on ‘Chinese aggression, harassment’ in West Philippine Sea
Spokespersons from the PCG, BFAR, AFP, DFA, and NSC hold a presser after weekend cases of harassment at the hands of the China Coast Guard.....»»
DOH not worried over rising respiratory cases in China
The Department of Health yesterday allayed fears over the rising prevalence of respiratory diseases among children in China......»»
DOH says surging respiratory illnesses no cause for alarm
The Department of Health assured the public Wednesday that “there is nothing to worry about” even as cases of respiratory illnesses surge in northern China. .....»»
Intentional, premeditated
In a prior editorial, this paper raised the possibility that the Chinese vessels hitting a Philippine Coast Guard ship and a resupply boat it was escorting to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea might have been intentional. While we let readers read between the lines, factual narrations of the event tended to show how improbable it would have been for two separate collision incidents, involving several Chinese and Philippine vessels, to happen by accident in the wide expanse of ocean. The two collisions happened miles away from each other amid fair weather conditions with the sun shining brightly, thus neither poor visibility nor questionable seamanship could have been a factor in the incidents. As in most cases, the simplest explanations often prove to be the correct or accurate ones. In these incidents, the latest in China’s aggressive maneuvers in the WPS, the actions taken by the Chinese coast guard and militia vessels smacked of premeditation. On Monday, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro confirmed in a press briefing that the Chinese vessels “intentionally” hit the Philippine boats trying to resupply troops stationed on the intentionally grounded navy vessel, the BRP Sierra Madre. “While conducting legitimate rotation and resupply operations within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels, in blatant violation of international law, harassed and intentionally hit the Unaiza May 2 and Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra,” Teodoro said. It was a conclusion that would not have required the title Defense Secretary to make. Video footage and photos of the first incident showed a China Coast Guard ship chasing the very small resupply boat. As if the David-versus-Goliath affair were not enough, a second CCG vessel then cut off the boat. All the pieces of evidence considered, the word “collision” does not apply to the actions China took because this would presuppose the possibility of their being mere accidents. The operative word should be “bumped” or, if the incident resulted in grave damage to the Philippine vessels, “rammed.” The stern of the smaller resupply vessel and the bow of the Chinese coast guard ship were seen briefly touching in the video released by the Philippine military. According to a statement from the National Security Council, the supply boat sustained damage. It added that a second resupply boat was able to complete its mission to the BRP Sierra Madre. With the United States and Canada condemning China over the incident, the collision may not be the last or it may just be a portent of more serious “interactions” to come between China and the Philippines as both assert their respective sovereign claims in the WPS. If only to ensure peace in the Indo-Pacific region, countries that have pledged to conduct freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea should start doing so. The burden of checking Beijing’s expansionist designs in the region should be shared not only by other claimant nations, but by governments that benefit from the trillions of dollars in trade that pass annually through the South China Sea. We cannot expect the Philippines’ summoning of the Chinese ambassador over the incidents to amount to anything, except to register the country’s strong and continuing opposition to Beijing’s aggressive acts in the WPS. China can never claim Ayungin to be part of its sovereign waters because it lies 1,000 kilometers from its nearest major landmass, Hainan Island, while the shoal is only 200 kilometers from the western Philippine island of Palawan. This proximity of Ayungin Shoal to Palawan, along with other proof presented by the Philippines to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, was primarily considered by the court in ruling in favor of the Philippines in 2016. China had refused to recognize the arbitral ruling precisely because it did not go its way. In fact, the court declared as baseless China’s nine-dash line claim to nearly the entire South China Sea. CCG’s ramming of Philippine vessels is a calculated act of provocation. It is a message to the Philippines and the rest of the world that China is willing to use force to achieve its goals. Beijing’s actions are a threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific region. Nations must not allow China to succeed in its bullying tactics. The international community must take a stand and not allow China to undermine the rules-based order in the Asia-Pacific. The aggression being shown by Chinese maritime assets is a threat to the world, and must be stopped. The post Intentional, premeditated appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DFA disowns ‘kill’ tweet of Locsin
The Department of Foreign Affairs distanced itself on Monday from a controversial statement made by Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Teodoro Locsin Jr. on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. “The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines completely disassociates itself from the statement made on Twitter by Ambassador Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.,” the DFA said. “Such statement was made in his strictly personal capacity,” it added. In the since deleted tweet, Locsin, a DFA secretary in the Duterte administration, was responding to a tweet and explained why Palestinian children should be killed. “That’s why Palestinian children should be killed; they might grow up to become as gullible as innocent Palestinians letting Hamas launch rockets at Israel; not that they could stop them, but that’s no excuse,” he said. “They are Muslims. They could stage mass suicide attacks against Hamas until the latter ran out of bullets. You know, do it with the same courage as white people showed to win their freedom as in the cases of...uh, let’s see now, uh...uh... well never mind. It’s a thought,” he added. The tweet, which quickly spread on the Internet, earned the ire of many netizens, including foreign nationals. Palestinian children are at the receiving end of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Sunni-Islamic extremist Hamas. Locsin, who is also President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s special envoy to China, has apologized for the tweet, but clarified that it was a “sarcastic response to a tweet.” “I immediately deleted my sarcastic response to a tweet as I realized it could be misconstrued and retweeted to incite,” he said. “My apologies to those who did misconstrue my sentiments and did, in fact, get triggered — I obviously was not advocating for the literal death of anyone, but rather simply for the end of any ideology that condones terrorism in any way, shape, or form,” he said. House lawmakers, led by Kabayan Partylist Rep. Ron Salo and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong, ganged up on Locsin over his statement. Salo said Locsin’s statement may jeopardize the safety of Filipino diplomats, particularly those in the Middle East, while endangering Filipinos all over the world. Locsin’s remark “incites hatred and hostility” not only against Palestine but also toward all Muslims, Salo said. “There is no room in Philippine society, much more in the high offices of government, for the dangerous, bigoted, and Islamophobic rhetoric that is palpable,” Adiong chimed in. “Under no circumstance is the killing of Palestinian children justified, and it is no laughing matter when more than a thousand Palestinian children have lost their lives in Gaza within this past week alone,” he said. “May your statement land on deaf ears,” Adiong added. @tribunephl_jom @tribunephl_eao The post DFA disowns ‘kill’ tweet of Locsin appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US army chief and allies discuss Asia-Pacific in India
Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in India Tuesday to discuss threats facing the Asia-Pacific region, in the face of concern at an increasingly assertive China. US Army chief Randy George said the region was "critically important", speaking to reporters alongside his Indian counterpart Manoj Pande, and vowed to boost cooperation to "maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific". Generals from Japan and Australia, which make up the "Quad" defense cooperation forum alongside Washington and New Delhi, also took part, as did Britain and France. As the generals met, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing would oppose the "wanton expansion of military alliances", the latest in a string of warnings as Washington deepens security ties in the Asia-Pacific. Beijing has long said that any effort to establish a NATO-like military alliance in the Asia-Pacific would provoke conflict. Nations present at the two-day conference in New Delhi included Vietnam and the Philippines, both of which have longstanding pending territorial disputes with China. The conference, which launched in 1999, brings together army chiefs and top officers from 30 countries. India's Pande said the region faced challenges on both land and at sea. "These range from territorial disputes over land masses, or in some cases, even over artificially expanded islands to acquire real estate and establish military bases," Pande added, in an indirect reference to China. India has also had to balance its traditional alliance with Russia -- the provider of most of its arms imports, and now a source of cut-price oil -- with growing ties to Washington. "The partnership between India and the US armies is vital for stability in the region, and the relationship between our armies is strong and growing stronger," George said. The post US army chief and allies discuss Asia-Pacific in India appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Illegally detained Taiwanese nationals rescued
The National Bureau of Investigation on Sunday reported that its operatives from the NBI- Cebu District Office and NBI-Central Visayas Regional Office rescued eight Taiwanese nationals who were allegedly detained by their employer. NBI-CEBDO agent-in-charge Arnel Pura told DAILY TRIBUNE that the rescue operation was based on the complaint lodged by a certain Glendelle Grace Salvador Nerviol for illegal detention of Chong Yi Wei who sent pictures that he was physically harmed. Taiwanese national Dixon Zhang was identified as supervisor and one of the trusted men of their employer or “Boss,” reportedly a Taiwanese national, too. The rescued Taiwanese were identified Edison Lin; Yufeng Mountain; Wang Dongxin; Peter Wang; Zhang Ende, Wang Kai Cheng; Wan Tianhai and Chen Yee Chen. NBI-CEBDO Special Investigator IV Bienvenido Panican disclosed that the victims had been illegally detained since 5 September 2023, adding that the NBI received information from the live-in partner of one of the Taiwanese nationals who had been unlawfully held by his employer for over two weeks. Panican cited that NBI operatives conducted surveillance and finally rescued the detained Taiwanese nationals from a rented house at Paseo Eulala, Maria Luisa Park in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City. Reports disclosed that these individuals were involved in an online shopping scam, targeting victims in Taiwan and China. Cases for violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code or serious illegal detention and violations of Republic Act 10591 or Illegal Possession of Firearms and Commission on Elections Resolution 10918 against Zhang and the Filipino driver-bodyguard identified as Ian Diabordo Naces. The post Illegally detained Taiwanese nationals rescued appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DND chief: China charge ‘hypocritical’
China accusing the Philippines of being an environmental menace for allowing the rusting BRP Sierra Madre landing ship to remain moored at Ayungin Shoal is “hypocritical,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said. “The statement of China that the grounded Sierra Madre is causing irrevocable harm is, to put it as politely as possible, hypocritical,” Teodoro, reacting to Mao’s statement, told reporters on Saturday. Teodoro was reacting to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning’s statement that the rusting BRP Sierra Madre ship was a pollutant and source of waste in the West Philippine Sea. The BRP Sierra Madre is a landing vessel deliberately grounded on Ayungin Shoal in 1995 to serve as an outpost manned by a platoon of Marines. Mao called the Philippines to tow the Sierra Madre away from the shoal. He urged to “stop polluting” the waters around it “if it really cares about the environment.” Philippine officials were not amused, however. The Office of the Solicitor General said it is considering filing a lawsuit against China before an international court for destroying corals in at least two key features in the WPS, namely, Rozul or Iroquois Reef and Escoda or Sabina Shoal. Pot calls kettle black “Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. China continues to damage the WPS with its illegal reclamation activities after it was found to be a violator of international law in the 2016 Arbitral Award when such activities damaged the marine environment,” Teodoro said. He described China’s remarks as mere “propaganda” to divert international attention from its illegal activities in the WPS. “Disingenuous propaganda lines such as this only serve to expose China’s insincerity and will only heighten the mistrust of the Filipino people and the rest of the world toward the Chinese government,” Teodoro said. China has repeatedly denied the Philippines’ sovereign right over the WPS based on the 2016 arbitral ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. Coral destruction, a crime The Chinese foreign ministry also recently criticized the Philippines for creating “political drama” when it alleged massive coral harvesting at Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. “The destruction of corals goes far beyond drama. It is a violent act and a serious crime against humanity,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Stop making (allegations) that the BRP Sierra Madre is polluting the waters, but blame it (on) your numerous Chinese maritime militia vessels swarming the Philippines’ EEZ,” Tarriela said. Tarriela noted that the PCG conducted extensive underwater surveys of the seabed at both Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. “The results of these surveys showed that the marine ecosystem in the subject features appeared to be lifeless, with minimal to no signs of life. Moreover, the surveys conducted at Escoda Shoal revealed visible discoloration of its seabed, strongly indicating that deliberate activities may have been undertaken to modify the natural topography of the underwater terrain,” he said. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the government would file environmental cases against China for its destructive activities in the WPS before the Permanent Court of Arbitration as it has a lot of evidence to pursue a case. Remulla said the case filing was not connected to the territorial dispute, maintaining that the “destruction of the environment is a sin against humanity.” On the other hand, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra confirmed the plan to file charges against China before the arbitral court. @tribunephl_raf The post DND chief: China charge ‘hypocritical’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Beijing going on an island-building binge?
The harvesting of corals on Rozul Reef could be part of China’s preparations for new reclamation in the West Philippine Sea, senators warned Monday. Citing China’s “playbook,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri suspected the destruction of the shoal’s seabed could be in preparation for reclamation activities in the area. “It’s possible. That has been their guidebook and playbook since the beginning where they destroy an area first and then reclaim it. That’s why we have to remain vigilant,” Zubiri said. The warning came on the same day that Japan’s ambassador to the Philippines, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, revealed in a social media post that his country had also been a victim of coral poaching in the past. “In the territorial waters and EEZ (exclusive economic zone) around Japan’s Ogasawara Islands, the large-scale poaching of precious corals by foreign vessels occurred 10 years ago, causing marine environmental and economic damage to Japan, leading to [a] diplomatic issue and strict JCG (Japan Coast Guard) controls,” Koshikawa tweeted on X. The envoy, however, did not name the country responsible for the pillaging of corals off Ogasawara Islands. Over the weekend, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command reported that there was massive coral harvesting at Rozul Reef. The report of missing and destroyed corals came following the sightings of Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area. The report was confirmed by the Philippine Coast Guard, which observed the same coral inundation in the seabed of Escoda Reef (Sabina Shoal), also in the West Philippine Sea. Airstrips Senator Francis Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones, echoed the Senate chief’s observation that China may be planning to build manmade structures at Rozul Reef like it did in the Spratlys group of islands, also in the WPS. China built artificial islands in the Spratlys — at the Fiery Cross, Subi, Mischief, Johnson South, Cuarteron, Gave and Hughes reefs — where it constructed airstrips, radar stations and missile sites. “There might be a different plan for that, not only the harvesting of corals and the destruction of it. Because killing the corals is a prelude to one thing — when you kill it you can now do reclamation,” Tolentino said in a television interview. He noted that China’s actions in the reefs that are all within the Philippines’ EEZ violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “If we are to file a claim for damages, it should be in the tribunal recognized by UNCLOS and the United Nations,” he said. He noted that the Philippine government may file cases against China before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Court of Justice, or the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros said the recent developments in the West Philippine Sea called for a Senate inquiry. “It’s ripe for a Senate resolution and investigation because it would not be the first time that China caused environmental degradation in our sea,” Hontiveros said. “They also dredged our seafloor to invent their artificial islands, militarize them, within the West Philippine Sea and our exclusive economic zone, to claim it as their territory,” she pointed out. The lawmaker expressed gratitude to the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its discovery of the damaged seabed at Rozul and Escoda Reefs. WITH LADE JEAN KABAGANI The post Beijing going on an island-building binge? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Coral harvesting in WPS might be a prelude to reclamation—Tolentino
China is possibly preparing to reclaim more areas in the West Philippine Sea, particularly the Rozul Reef or Iroquois Reef, Senator Francis Tolentino warned Monday. In a television interview, Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones, said the harvesting of corals along Rozul Reef could be part of the possible reclamation in the area. “There might be a different plan for that – not only the harvesting of corals and the destruction of it. Because killing the corals is a prelude to one thing: when you kill it, you can now do reclamation,” he said. Over the weekend, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command reported that there was massive coral harvesting in Rozul Reef. The report of missing and destroyed corals came following the sightings of Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area. The report was confirmed by the Philippine Coast Guard, which found similar observations in the seabed of Escoda Reef (Sabina Shoal), also in the West Philippine Sea. According to Tolentino, China's actions in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “If we are to file for a claim for damages, it should be in the tribunal recognized by UNCLOS and the United Nations,” he said. He noted that the Philippine government may file cases against China before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Court of Justice, or the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Senate investigation In a separate interview, Senator Risa Hontiveros said the recent developments in the West Philippine Sea called for a Senate inquiry. “It’s ripe for a Senate resolution and investigation because it would not be the first time that China caused environmental degradation in our sea,” Hontiveros said. “They also dredged our seafloor to invent their artificial islands, militarize them, within the West Philippine Sea and our exclusive economic zone to claim it as their territory,” she added. The lawmaker expressed gratitude to the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its discovery of the damaged seabed of Rozul and Escoda Reefs. “Thanks to the Armed Forces of the Philippines for revealing it, I think it deserves an investigation. We should add it to the long list of China’s debt to our country,” she said. The Daily Tribune has sought comments from the Department of Foreign Affairs about the developments in the West Philippine Sea, but it has yet to respond as of press time. The post Coral harvesting in WPS might be a prelude to reclamation—Tolentino appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BI releases guidelines on Philippine Nikkei-Jin
The Bureau of Immigration announced on Friday that it released new guidelines on Philippine Nikkei-Jin. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that the new guidelines, which were also approved by the Secretary of Justice, aim to address the immigration needs of Filipinos who have the status of Nikkei-Jin under Japanese law. The word "Nikkei-Jin" refers to Japanese immigrants and their offspring who left Japan and raised their families in other nations. More than 3 million Nikkei-Jins live in their adopted countries, according to data from the Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad; the largest of these populations are in Brazil, the USA, China, Canada, Peru, and the Philippines. The BI acknowledged in the order that Philippine Nikkei-Jin are recognized as Japanese citizens by official documents issued by the Japanese government. Tansingco also shared that a Philippine Nikkei-Jin may depart from the Philippines with or without a Philippine passport. Those who travel without a Philippine passport lose the presumption of being Filipinos for purposes of traveling outside the Philippines. In such cases, a Philippine Nikkei-Jin may travel abroad to and from Japan with a Japanese passport or travel document and a BI Order recognizing him as a Nikkei-Jin. The order would allow the Philippine Nikkei-Jin to depart from the Philippines with a deferment of payment of immigration fees. Philippine Nikkei-Jin who likewise arrive without a Philippine passport should present the same order; otherwise, applicable rules for foreign nationals will apply. However, if the Philippine Nikkei-Jin has already renounced his Philippine citizenship, then he will be treated as a foreign national, subject to the rules regulating aliens in the Philippines," clarified Tansingco. The BI chief said that the bureau recognizes the needs of Filipinos who have the status of Nikkei-Jin under Japanese law, and they are Filipinos who are likewise descendants of Japanese nationals. Hence, they see the importance of crafting specific guidelines for processing their immigration documents. The post BI releases guidelines on Philippine Nikkei-Jin appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden calls China ‘ticking time bomb’ over economic woes
US President Joe Biden said Thursday that China's mounting economic problems make the country a "ticking time bomb." "China is a ticking time bomb in many cases," Biden said at a private fundraising event in the western state of Utah. The Democrat pointed to the country's high unemployment an aging workforce, saying "China is in trouble." "When bad folks have problems, they do bad things," he said. Biden offended Beijing in June by describing his counterpart Xi Jinping as a "dictator," in a comment slammed as a "provocation" by China's foreign ministry. Biden insisted Thursday that he was seeking "a rational relationship with China." "I don't want to hurt China, but I'm watching," he said. The United States recently relaunched its dialogue with China, with a succession of visits to Beijing by senior American officials, including chief diplomat Antony Blinken. The aim of Blinken's trip was to turn the page on recent tensions surrounding a Chinese balloon described as a "spy" operation that was shot down by the United States in February. The post Biden calls China ‘ticking time bomb’ over economic woes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cyber education, a must
“Digitalization is the call of today, not the call of the future, but of the present. It is here. It is needed, and it is needed today.” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted in his second SoNA his administration’s agenda for all government agencies and local government units to digitalize all their services. He called for the digitalization of payments, business registrations, issuances of permits and licenses, loan applications and revenue collections. The digitalization efforts, he stated, should be made to streamline processes for ease of doing business, combat corruption and make decisions in a data-driven and science-based manner. I commend this push for e-governance and e-commerce by the President. He is right. The digital age is upon us and we must invest in digital technology and infrastructure for our economy to be globally competitive. Cyber Education Law However, the very basic foundation needed for the government’s digitalization efforts should be the investment in human capital. We know that our labor is the country’s biggest asset and the factor that keeps our economy afloat. We export labor, remittances flow, and these in turn fund local consumption. That is why there is an urgent need for us to legislate the incorporation of cyber-education among our population and we must start with our basic education. Investing in cyber-education is not a novel idea. It is a model of development in many advanced countries. As the World Economic Forum or WEF found out in a study, countries like Israel (which currently ranks 8th in the Cyber Risk Literacy and Education Index) show that cyber-risk education and connected institutions can contribute significantly to the national economy by producing more jobs and greater innovation. It concluded that cyber-investment in human resources, i.e., prioritizing cybersecurity education earlier than most and regular assessment of cyber-risk literacy of children and youth at key points in their development and education, is an investment for the future and has been found to have led to a wealth of cyber-related innovation and economic growth among top-ranking countries. The UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Germany, France, and, recently, China, are also investing heavily in cybersecurity education. These countries recognize that cybersecurity education is essential to protecting the digital economy and both public and private digital infrastructure from cybercrimes and cyberattacks. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the need for cybersecurity education will only grow. Digitalization will positively impact Filipinos’ lives but concomitant negative issues have emerged related to Internet use. Some of the most common cybersecurity crimes and offenses in the world today continue to emerge and develop, some of which President Marcos Jr. mentioned in his speech, such as identity theft, phishing and other online scams. Current statistics also show the vulnerability of Filipino children in the digital space. A recent study claimed the Philippines is a global hotspot for Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children or OSAEC. A sharp increase in possible OSAEC cases has been recorded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, from 1.34 million in 2020 to 3.19 million in 2021, the second highest in the world behind India. In 2018, the Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime received 579,006 cyber tips on the online sharing, re-sharing, and selling of child sexual abuse images and videos. According to the study, sexual exploitation negatively impacts cognitive functioning, as well as mental health, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression; and across the life course, it can negatively impact the physical, psychological, social, educative and economic well-being of children victims. The foregoing examples are just among the many important reasons to introduce cybersecurity education in the K-12 system. We must educate users of technology, especially children, on the potential risks they face when using internet communication tools, such as social media, chat, online gaming, email and instant messaging, to cultivate cybersecurity awareness at the primary school level. Verily, investing in cybersecurity awareness among the young population will have several positive impacts on the Philippine economy and quality of life. The post Cyber education, a must appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China executes South Korean for drug trafficking
China has executed a South Korean national for drug trafficking, Beijing's foreign ministry said, the first time such a sentence has been carried out on a citizen of that country in almost a decade. A court in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou "lawfully pronounced a verdict and executed the South Korean defendant... for drug trafficking" on Friday, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "When defendants of different nationalities commit crimes on Chinese territory, Chinese law shall be applied equally", it added. An official from Seoul's foreign ministry told reporters Friday that "the death penalty was carried out today for a South Korean citizen who was sentenced to death for selling drugs in China". Beijing said the individual, who Chinese officials named Jiang -- which would be rendered Kang in Korean -- had had their "legitimate rights and interests" protected. South Korea expressed "regret that the death penalty has been carried out against our citizen". "The government has made multiple requests for reconsideration or postponement of the execution on humanitarian grounds through various channels since the death sentence was announced," the official said. It is the first execution of a South Korean drug offender by China in nine years, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. The individual was arrested in China in 2014 in possession of five kilograms of methamphetamine, according to Yonhap. He was sentenced to death in 2019, the agency said. China, the world's top executioner, frequently carries out the death penalty by lethal injection for very serious crimes. The Chinese legal system is tightly controlled by the ruling Communist Party and courts have a near-100 percent conviction rate in criminal cases. Like many countries in the region, China has strict drug laws, and several foreign nationals have been handed death penalties for trafficking in recent years. In 2020, an Australian was sentenced to death in China for drug trafficking. According to Chinese media, he was arrested at Guangzhou airport in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his luggage. And in 2019, China sentenced two Canadian nationals accused of drug trafficking to death at a time when relations with Ottawa were nosediving. Seoul said Friday's execution was "unrelated to the relationship between China and South Korea". The post China executes South Korean for drug trafficking appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hold import permits
The government’s mettle and political will stand to be tested following Mr. Marcos Jr.’s “no import policy” amid the widespread devastation of Luzon’s vegetable farms. Not only vegetables. Other agricultural produce, including even fisheries, will likely be in short supply in the wake of typhoon “Egay” and the ongoing monsoon-induced rains. Supply shortfalls will most likely trigger inflation in the coming months. Mr. Marcos Jr., who is also the agriculture boss, vows immediate remedial measures to stabilize food supplies and head off possible higher prices of staples. Remedial measures — of which “the no import policy” is the immediate visible response — which include definite actions aimed at unscrupulous food importers who use natural disasters as cover for unbridled smuggling. Even as the Chief Executive stands firm, he qualifies this by saying, “We will not import any agricultural products unless we see the supply is so low that prices will become out of reach of ordinary consumers.” Nothing is inherently wrong with importation if low supplies are the case. But the Chief Executive must accurately determine, before import permits are issued, which food supplies are actually depleted and not just artificially created. Which only means that Mr. Marcos Jr. and his officials have to hold in abeyance all issuances of food import permits by government agencies until further notice. Often found spurious and used to smuggle billions in agricultural products, such import permits are now the subject of an intense fact-finding probe by the Department of Justice. “We will trace where each import permit ended up,” said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, referring to permits issued by the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Bureau of Customs as the targets of intense scrutiny. Mr. Remulla hopes the fact-finding on agricultural smuggling will be over in the “next two weeks,” though the difficult filing of economic sabotage charges against smugglers and hoarders might take at least two months. We certainly hope Mr. Remulla more than fast-tracks the probes. Not only because his boss wants an end to spurious permits but also because many people are largely incredulous that government is seemingly toothless against hoarders and smugglers, failing to actually put these criminals behind bars. It’s no ordinary issue. Farmers’ groups and even senators pointedly lament the fact that none of the publicly named smugglers and hoarders have been found guilty. It’s a sad state of affairs where even strong evidence that surfaced during congressional hearings was often deemed insufficient. “None have proceeded beyond the preliminary investigations. All [of the cases] have been dismissed,” as one farmers’ group leader laments. This, despite the passage seven years ago of Republic Act 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act. Will Mr. Remulla and his boss pull off a miracle? Will they be able to muster the mettle and political will against well-entrenched smuggling syndicates? At any rate, appalling indeed it is that unscrupulous individuals and syndicates, likely with the connivance of government bureaucrats, are making a killing with spurious importations at the expense of Filipino consumers. Syndicates that by the way allegedly include a powerful Chinese mafia as exposed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda late last year. Referring to “class A information” from well-placed sources, Mr. Salceda declared with absolute certainty that a syndicate led by Chinese nationals was behind the smuggling into the country of prime agricultural products. “This mafia is in control of agricultural smuggling in the country at every stage of the smuggling process, from transport to arrival to import permits and sanitary inspection,” Salceda said. “They have people on the ships, at the ports, the inspections, the quarantines, the warehouses, and the economic zones. It’s very pervasive,” Salceda had said. Moreover, not only is this alleged mafia engaged in the unbridled large-scale smuggling of billions of pesos worth of vegetables from China, but the mafia is also “strangling the supply” of major agricultural products. We cannot allow this massive problem to go on. The post Hold import permits appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bangladesh major hub for tiger poaching
Bangladesh remains a major hub for the poaching of endangered tigers despite government claims of a successful crackdown on pirate groups involved in the trade, according to research published Friday. The vast Sundarbans mangrove forest straddling India and Bangladesh hosts one of the world's largest populations of Bengal tigers. Their pelts, bones, and flesh are bought by black marketeers as part of a broader illegal wildlife trade valued at an estimated $20 billion globally each year. Research from big cat conservation group Panthera and the Chinese Academy of Sciences said tiger parts harvested in the Sundarbans have been exported to 15 countries, with India and China being the most common destinations. "Bangladesh plays a much more significant role in the illicit tiger trade than we previously realized," study co-author Rob Pickles said in a statement. Pirate groups operating in the Sundarbans found a lucrative trade in tiger poaching before a government crackdown started in 2016. At least 117 pirates were shot dead and hundreds more were detained, according to official figures, while many others surrendered as part of a government amnesty. But Panthera's research, published in the Conservation Science and Practice journal, said that the vacuum created by the crackdown had been filled by more than 30 specialist tiger poaching syndicates and opportunistic poachers. Traders operated through their own logistics companies and in some cases concealed their activities through licenses for legal wildlife trade, the study added. The research, based partly on interviews with those involved in the wildlife trade, also found that domestic consumption of tiger parts had increased since the crackdown, owing to Bangladesh's burgeoning economy. Wealthy local buyers were purchasing medicines using tiger parts "as well as large ornamental items for display such as skulls and skins", the study said. The findings were disputed by Bangladesh's official Sundarbans conservator Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, who said the crackdown had brought the illicit trade to a standstill. "We have taken measures to conserve the Bengal tiger population in the Sundarbans," he told AFP. "No tiger has died from... tiger-human conflict in the past five years. Tiger sightings have increased." Just 114 Bengal tigers live in Bangladesh's portion of the Sundarbans, according to an official census published in 2019 -- up slightly since a record low four years prior. An updated population count is due to be published next year. Poaching is the number one threat to tigers globally, and China is the biggest overall driver of demand, largely for use of their body parts in traditional medicine, according to Panthera. The post Bangladesh major hub for tiger poaching appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Swedish retailer H& M sues Chinese rival Shein in Hong Kong court
Retail giant Hennes & Mauritz has sued its fast-growing rival Shein in a Hong Kong court for copyright infringement, the Swedish fashion juggernaut said Tuesday. Shein, founded in China in 2008, has swiftly claimed a top place in the global fast-fashion marketplace, offering low-priced collections attractive to young social media-savvy customers. H&M confirmed on Tuesday it had opened a lawsuit against Shein and Zoetop Business, a Hong Kong-based company affiliated with the online retailer. "We have an ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit towards Shein filed in Hong Kong," a H&M spokesperson said. "We believe that Shein in multiple cases has infringed on our designs." According to a Hong Kong court document, H&M had pointed to "the striking resemblance between the products showing they must have been copied" and the "sheer scale of (Shein's) unauthorized substantial reproduction of the copyright works". A representative for Shein, which is now based in Singapore, said by email the company does not comment on pending litigation. Copyright infringement lawsuits are common in the fast-fashion world but it is often smaller, independent designers lodging complaints against giant retailers, making H&M's suit against Shein unusual. The Swedish high-street brand is among the world's most recognizable and has for years jousted with Spain's Inditex -- Zara's owner -- for the top spot. But Shein's rapid rise from a brand favored by TikTok influencers to a global household name for Gen-Z -- with a reported growth of $16 billion in 2021 -- has tipped the scales, placing it on H&M's heels. Its cut-price merchandise and relentless expansion have also brought allegations from critics of forced labor and human rights abuses. Three independent designers in the United States filed lawsuits against Shein this month, alleging that it has "grown rich by committing individual infringements... as part of a long and continuous pattern of racketeering". Shein has also not commented on those accusations. dhc/pbt © Agence France-Presse The post Swedish retailer H&M sues Chinese rival Shein in Hong Kong court appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (19)
In drafting the Baselines Law, which he helped craft as a member of the House of Representatives, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said in a Daily Tribune article that a new concept was introduced in which sea lanes were recognized inside the country’s boundary. He indicated that the idea had been realized and was now enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Philippines used to be considered an archipelagic state. Under the old definition, it was not clear where foreign ships could have passage. “The definition of the sea lanes is important since we determine where the country can provide security. That is our waters, you will pay for the services. It is similar to the arrangement that Singapore has with ships going to the Malacca Straits,” Marcos said. Within the archipelago, between the islands of the Philippines, there are no overlapping claims. The West Philippine Sea dispute will still have to be resolved. “We still have to talk to China. We still have to find ways to resolve the diplomatic difficulties that we are now having with China,” Marcos noted. He added that the countries in the sea dispute will have to come to a consensus, come to an agreement, and continue to negotiate. “It is not an easy process, but the Malampaya fields are the natural gas fields that lie in our baselines and within our exclusive economic zone. And that, again, is being questioned in certain cases, in certain areas, by China. And we continue to negotiate with them. We continue to find a way,” Marcos said. He simplified the problem down to its essentials. “The roadblock to that whole process has been very simple. China claims certain areas of the sea.” “The nine-dash line, it covers just about the entire West Philippine Sea. We, on the other hand, have established our baselines, which have been recognized and accredited by UNCLOS,” he stressed. “And therefore, there is a conflict. And so what happens now, especially when it comes to exploration for energy, for our energy needs, which law will apply? Because we say this is part of Philippine territory. And, therefore, Philippine law should apply. The Chinese say no, it is part of our territory. Therefore, Chinese local law should apply.” Marcos indicated that however slow it might be, claimant countries are inching toward a resolution. He predicts the resolution may have to come down to a compromise that “will just limit the application of laws, maybe to the vessels that are involved in the exploration or exploitation of whatever natural gas fields we can access.” Marcos said that “To reach a resolution, we must be constant. We must be transparent. And we must be accountable for all that we do. And I cannot see any other way to handle the problem other than that.” Just having the tensions increase in the region already affects trade, on all of the exchanges within ASEAN, within the region, with China, with the United States, and now with the aggrupation that is being formed, with Australia, with Japan, with South Korea. (To be continued) The post Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (19) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Raison d’être
Legal eagles are betting that the International Criminal Court will rule today to continue its investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings being pinned on the Duterte administration at the height of its campaign against illegal drugs from 2016 to 2019. That’s to be expected because scuttling the probe would run against the raison d’être, or reason for being, of the ICC. The ICC, of course, has to justify the hundreds of millions of dollars it wastes each year on the bloated paychecks of its judges and prosecutorial staff, who are known to travel like royalty, pretending to be doing something. While the ICC claims to be a bastion of justice, the reality is that its insistence on investigating and bagging former President Rodrigo Duterte, including for his actions as Davao City mayor from 2011 to 2016, feeds its arrogant posturing while blatantly encroaching on Philippine sovereignty. This concern strikes at the heart of the ICC’s legitimacy and calls into question its adherence to the principle of national self-determination. The Philippines, like any other sovereign nation, has the right to manage its internal affairs and address alleged crimes within its own legal framework. Furthermore, the ICC has demonstrated abject bias not only against African countries but also against developing nations like the Philippines. The ICC is nothing more than a schoolyard bully, running roughshod over those it thinks are weak. In fact, many of the cases investigated by the ICC have been in Africa. This perceived bias undermines the credibility of the ICC and calls into question its ability to dispense justice fairly. It is only in recent years that the ICC has ventured to add the Philippines among its targets, precisely to counter criticism of its African bias. The ICC itself needs scrutiny, particularly its judges and the Office of the Prosecutor. What little reputation the ICC had has been thrown out the window by the controversies surrounding its own judges’ lawsuit against the ICC over pay, bringing their complaint before the International Labor Organization. These internal conflicts raise doubts about the independence and impartiality of the institution, further eroding public trust and inviting scrutiny regarding the character of its very judges. The same holds true for its current prosecutor, Karim Khan, specifically for his past role as a defense lawyer for William Ruto, the Deputy President of Kenya, who faced charges of crimes against humanity. Khan’s successful defense of Ruto and his 180-degree turn from defender to prosecutor speaks volumes about the lengths he would go to in order to add shine to his legal star. No doubt, we must consider the implications of his previous role when evaluating his current position as ICC Prosecutor. So, are the ICC judges and its prosecutorial staff worthy of trust, worthy enough to be given the mantle of authority to pass judgment on anyone? The Philippines’ arguments against the ICC investigation into the alleged drug war killings cannot be dismissed lightly. The country has maintained that it did not ratify the Rome Statute that created the ICC, thus it never fell under the purview of the tribunal, like the United States, China and Russia. If Duterte pulled the country out of the ICC in 2018, it was only because the country was a signatory to the statute, which did not amount to anything without the required ratification. The complementarity issue is another significant concern raised by the Philippines. The country has asserted that the ICC should not investigate the alleged crimes because the Philippine government is already conducting its own investigations. The ICC, on the other hand, questions the genuineness of the Philippine government’s investigations, claiming that they are merely a cover-up to protect the perpetrators from accountability. Ultimately, the ICC’s decision on whether or not to proceed with the investigation into the alleged drug war killings in the Philippines will have far-reaching implications, more so for the ICC as it tries to stave off irrelevancy. The post Raison d’être appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
On arbitration victory anniv, former Solgen Jardeleza proposes new cases vs China
The Permanent Court of Arbitration found that China's nine-dash-line claim had no legal basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea......»»