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Phl, China trade barbs over ships’ collision in WPS
The Philippines and China blamed each other on Sunday for the collisions of their ships in the West Philippine Sea, a portion of the South China Sea, which the two countries both claim. The two countries separately issued strongly worded statements after the collision of their vessels near the Ayungin Shoal, which the latter refers to as Ren’ai Reef. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea accused the CCG of performing "dangerous blocking maneuvers" that resulted in a collision with the Unaiza May 2, an indigenous boat contracted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines for a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre. The NTF-WPS condemned the “provocative, irresponsible, and illegal action” of the China Coast Guard ship which “imperiled the safety” of the Unaiza May 2 crew. In the same resupply mission, a Chinese Maritime Militia vessel “bumped” the Philippine Coast Guard BRP Cabra’s port side which was escorting the Philippine vessels while it was lying approximately 6.4 nautical miles northeast of Ayungin Shoal. The NTF-WPS said it “condemns in the strongest degree the latest dangerous, irresponsible, and illegal actions of the CCG and the Chinese maritime militia done this morning.” It stated that the Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction were “violated” by the conduct of the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels. The Philippines also described the incident as an “utter blatant disregard of the United Nations Charter, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and relevant international maritime conventions, and the 2016 Arbitral Award.” ‘Trespassing’ For its part, China threw the blame on the Philippines side, stressing that its vessels “trespassed” into the adjacent waters of Ren’ai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands without permission. “Since the Philippine side ignored China’s repeated warnings, the China Coast Guard responded lawfully and blocked the Philippine vessels which were illegally carrying construction materials,” the CCG said in a statement shared by the Chinese Embassy in Manila to Filipino journalists. The CCG also said that the Unaizah Mae 2 “sailed at the bow of China Coast Guard 5203 (which was conducting law enforcement activities lawfully) on purpose in a way that was not professional nor safe in spite of China’s advanced notice and repeated warnings.” China also blamed the Philippine side for the “bumping” of the PCG’s BRP Cabra and its militia vessel. “At 08:13 A.M., the Philippine vessel 4409 began to astern deliberately, leading to the collision of the stern of its vessel into the starboard of China’s static floating Qiong Sansha Yu 00003,” it said. “The move was to make faults with China and escalate the current situation,” it added. It continued: “The Philippines’ action seriously violated the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and threatened the navigation safety of the Chinese vessels.” China also insisted that their operations were “professional, legitimate and lawful and the responsibility lay entirely with the Philippine side.” Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. On 12 July 2016, the Philippines won its arbitral case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration – a landmark decision that China continues to reject. The post Phl, China trade barbs over ships’ collision in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Political parties define Parliamentary BARMM
I bumped into prominent Maranaw politicians at a vigil for a mutual relative — former Regional Assemblyman Alex Menor. (When Muslims speak of a wake it is a gathering of relatives of a deceased minus the mortal remains. Islam mandates the immediate burial of a dead Muslim). Governor Mamintal Bombit Adiong and Marawi City Mayor Sultan Majul Gandamra and others were there to console the bereaved family. Our exchanges pivoted into politics with the start of the filing of certificates of candidacy for the barangay and youth elections last Monday. I asked them about the formation of an aggrupation called SIAP, which stands for Samahang Inklusivo, Alyansang Progresibo, which roughly translates as “inclusive group, alliance for progress.” The meeting of the group went viral on social media where it was widely talked about. It had a political ring to it and people were curious about its nature, purpose, and vision. The roster of members includes a who’s who of the political ecology of the province. A supermajority of the municipal mayors attended the meeting led by the president of the Mayors League, lawyer Dimnatang Jimmy Pansar, who has notched a distinguished mark in politics with his indomitable staying power. This column learned that a parallel organization of local parties is being conceptualized in other provinces of the BARMM which could conglomerate into the SIAP. Governor Adiong explained that the SIAP is not new. It is not a product of present-day BARMM political dynamics. It is a regional political party that was founded by his father, the late Congressman/Governor Mamintal Adiong Sr. It had been made moribund by the passage of time, pushed to the margins by the new waves of national political parties. The organization of a strong locally-based party is a strategic move meant to attract national parties for possible alliances. We suppose this is being rebooted by the son, Governor Bombit, in preparation for the coming elections, especially the parliamentary elections in BARMM where political parties are a necessity. If the SIAP is adopted by the other members of the so-called BARMM Governor Caucus it will be the regional party that will face the United Bangsamoro Justice Party of the BARMM-MILF. This is not farfetched considering the zeitgeist in BARMM where there is no love lost between the governors (except of Maguindanao del Norte) and the BARMM leadership. The BARMM setup is not the usual system of government that Filipinos are familiar with. It has a parliamentary genre, British in origin, where political parties play a major role in governance. The party that garners the majority of elected deputies or members of parliament forms the so-called “government of the day.” In case no party is able to command a majority, they amalgamate to form a coalition government. The minority or coalition of minority parties forms the opposition. For as long as the majority coalition is intact, the head of government (as differentiated from the head of state) stays in power. In case of a loss of confidence over the way the Prime Minister is governing, a confidence vote in the parliament is called to decide whether or not to unseat him. The “government of the day” refers to the cadre of officials currently performing executive functions. In the case of the BARMM, it refers to the Cabinet members appointed by Interim Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim Murad, who is also chairman of the MILF, the majority of whom must be members of the Regional Parliament. A battle royal among political parties looms in the 2025 BARMM parliamentary election unless the incumbents will agitate again for a postponement to prolong their stay in power. They could offer a flimsy reason like the noncompletion of their transition works and the normalization process. This column looks with favor on the formation of local political parties, like the SIAP, as a force to enhance democracy. In fact, if the parliamentary experiment of the BARMM is successful, it will be a strong argument for the shift of our government system to a parliamentary one in case the Constitution is amended. *** amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Political parties define Parliamentary BARMM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New ‘Indiana Jones’ tops North America box office despite tepid debut
The latest -- and likely last -- installment in the popular "Indiana Jones" franchise lassoed the competition at the North American box office, industry estimates showed Sunday, but analysts noted the weak debut for the fan favorite. "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," starring Harrison Ford in the role of the archeologist he first made famous more than 40 years ago, earned about $60 million, according to Exhibitor Relations. With that, Indy booted animated sequel "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" from the top spot, but analysts said it was a weak start for the fifth Indiana Jones movie. "Audience ratings are good, while critics' reviews are lukewarm," said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. Gross noted the Disney film is believed to have cost a whopping $295 million to make before marketing, but added that it was likely to make up ground overseas, where it opened with $70 million in sales. "Across the Spider-Verse," the second installment in Sony's inventive animated take on the web-slinging superhero, brought in $11.5 million for second place, bringing its domestic total to nearly $340 million. Pixar's animated immigrant fable "Elemental," which was bumped from second to third place, raked in $11.3 million. Also from Sony, "No Hard Feelings" -- a throwback to the once-ubiquitous raunchy comedy genre, starring Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence -- brought in $7.5 million for fourth place. "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," one of the many spin-offs and sequels dominating theaters this summer, brought in $7 million for fifth place. "Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken" debuted this weekend in sixth place, bringing in what Gross called a "weak" $5.2 million. The animated offering from Universal's Dreamworks follows a shy teenager who discovers she is a descendant of the titular mythic sea creatures. Rounding out the top 10 were "The Little Mermaid" ($5.15 million), "The Flash" ($5 million), "Asteroid City" ($3.8 million), and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" ($1.8 million). The post New ‘Indiana Jones’ tops North America box office despite tepid debut appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gozon declares TV war over
“The TV War is finally over,” declared Atty. Felipe Gozon, Chairman and CEO of GMA Network, Inc. as he sat next to Carlo Katigbak, president and CEO of ABS-CBN at a contract signing that will allow “It’s Showtime” to air on GMA’s GTV channel. Ironically what brought these circumstances to a head was the internal fight between TAPE, the producers of Eat Bulaga and its hosts and talents, that sent the show to ABC 5, where “It’s Showtime” had been currently airing. It was unacceptable for the people behind “It’s Showtime” to be bumped off from their noontime slot to an afternoon slot, and thus this noontime musical chairs ended oddly in peace between erstwhile bitter rivals ABS-CBN and GMA Network. Vice Ganda has been quoted as saying he was a loyal soldier, “Sabi ko personally kung ako siyempre ayoko nung 4:30 timeslot kasi 'Showtime' is a noontime brand, it will destroy the brand..Pero since hindi naman ako may-ari ng 'Showtime,' at sundalo lang naman ako, sabi ko kung saan mapupunta 'yung programa, hindi ko sila iiwan, sasamahan ko sila," he added. As for the move to GTV, Vice Ganda has nothing but gratitude for the network, "I'm just very hopeful, very grateful and very excited." The thawing had been in the works for quite some time since the government denied the ABS-CBN a franchise, and the network has been forced to look at other channels to air their content on Free TV. Earlier, the much-ballyhooed collaboration between the networks had already produced a well-received and highly watched drama “Unbreak My Heart” that currently airs on several streaming channels from both homegrown and third party streamers. The actors from both networks have expressed excitement at the new combinations that will allow them to work with each other from now on. The post Gozon declares TV war over appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippines to repatriate Filipinos from crisis-hit Haiti
The move comes after Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo approved the declaration of Alert Level 3 in Haiti, signifying the voluntary repatriation for Filipinos there......»»
DSWD-11 launches ‘Program SOLo’ for solo parents in Davao
IN A significant move towards supporting solo parents in the region, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) officially launched the Program SOLo (Strengthening Opportunities for Lone Parents) on March 14, 2024. The launch took place through a ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Local Government of Panabo and DSWD-Davao......»»
Negros Island Region creation to move government service closer to people
Negros Island Region creation to move government service closer to people.....»»
Adding value
What we need are strategic thinkers on top of our policy formulation and program execution. What we have are bureaucrats, technocrats and politicians with very myopic views. We need leaders who can DREAM BIG for the country and decisively move to deliver on execution......»»
Mac Tallo hopes for better things with MPBL return
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Time to move on. Cebuano hotshot Mac Tallo is hoping for better things with the Abra Weavers in his return to the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). The talented point guard signed with the Weavers late February, but didn’t make an announcement until earlier this week. For Tallo, it’s a new.....»»
Ababa seizes lead as Davao aces make move
Jhonnel Ababa charged to the top with a two-under 70 in another challenging day at the Apo course here yesterday, grabbing a one-stroke lead over Korean Gwon Minwook halfway through the 2024 ICTSI Apo Golf Classic......»»
Group opposes ban on e-trikes, e-bikes
A commuter group yesterday criticized a move of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to prohibit electric bicycles and e-tricycles from traversing major thoroughfares in the National Capital Region beginning April 15, saying no public hearing was made prior to the decision......»»
PSL: Biñan, Davao Occi win; Arboleda posts triple-double in 1Munti victory
Biñan turned on its defensive switch early then held a late uprising from Caloocan before winning, 84-69, to move on top of the team standings again in the PSL President’s Cup at the Caloocan Sports Complex......»»
‘Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty not a pact to war’
President Marcos made the “right move for the country” when he decided not to invoke the country’s Mutual Defense Treaty with the US in reaction to the latest incident in the Ayungin Shoal, international maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal said yesterday......»»
Adoption of Gibo’s defense concept backed by expert
The Marcos administration’s adoption of a Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept is a move in the right direction and a manifestation of its seriousness in tackling external security challenges, particularly China’s growing aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea......»»
Swedens Entry into NATO: New Strategies for Striking Russias Key Locations
In a significant development, Sweden has officially become a member of the NATO alliance, bolstering NATO’s defenses against Russia. This move is expected to strengthen.....»»
SEC, NTC move to block OctaFX websites
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has secured the endorsement of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for the blocking of the websites and apps of OctaFX......»»
Women’s Day: Bea Alonzo, Nadine Lustre endorse phones ‘with built-in photographer, glam team’
Oppo Philippines’ empowered women executives such as Public Relations Manager Danica Gigante and Joanarc Sales, Head of Public Relations and Consumer Relationship Management, shared the company’s milestones over the years......»»
Nikon acquires Red Digital Cinema, enters professional video market
Nikon Acquires Red Digital Cinema to Enter Professional Digital Cinema Camera Market In a strategic move to expand into the professional digital cinema camera market,.....»»
FUJIFILM Expands Presence in Cebu
Fujifilm Philippines Inc. (FFPH) and Fujifilm Business Innovation Philippines Corp. (FUJIFILM BI PH) announced their move to a new, expansive office in the heart of Cebu City. The relocation to Mercedes Benz Tower, Mindanao Ave Cebu Business Park, is more than just a change of address—it’s a strategic leap forward, reinforcing Fujifilm’s dedication to innovation […].....»»
Samanodi seizes lead; Chan makes move
Kuresh Samanodi took control with a bogey-free 70 as erstwhile co-leader Ozeki Kakeru faltered with a 77 while local amateur standout Aidric Chan made a strong push for one of the 30 spots up for grabs in the Philippine Golf Tour Q-School here yesterday......»»