We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
KSA unpaid claims process ongoing
The Department of Migrant Workers on Friday announced that the processing of long-overdue claims of 12,000 overseas Filipino workers in bankrupted Saudi Arabia-based construction firms is already ongoing on the KSA side. DMW Secretary Susan Ople and Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said that the current process involves the cross-checking of the list of claimants using the list from the agency and legal documents and database from a recently-created default company committee. Ople, citing KSA Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, said that the funding for the unpaid claims of OFWs is now at the Ministry of Finance. “We no longer inquired about the amount, but what is clear is that it is there and it is sufficient to pay not just the claims of unpaid workers, but all the other claims including those of their own people,” Ople said. They also reported the now-close communication between the KSA and Philippines said with Olalia as its focal person. He said that this is a huge development considering the difficulty in waiting for the news since the issue on unpaid claims way back 2015 and 2016. Prior to this, the DMW has designated an e-mail to gather and verify all existing claims from OFWs who have worked with these Saudi companies. Ople previously said that 12,000 claimants have been verified, as well as 2,000 more Filipinos who are claiming unpaid dues but without their iqama or Saudi residency permit numbers. She added that nine companies have been identified by the KSA government as those who have longstanding dues to OFWs, but the names of these companies will be disclosed soon. With the KSA determining the official list of claimants based on both countries’ records, Ople said that they are trusting the process, hoping that all Filipino claimants will be paid in full. The post KSA unpaid claims process ongoing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Top US, China officials meet in Vienna for ‘candid’ talks
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi met in Vienna this week, Washington and Beijing announced Thursday, as the two powers seek to maintain communication amid soaring tensions, especially over Taiwan. The two held eight hours of talks stretching over Wednesday and Thursday in the Austrian capital, ending an unofficial pause in high-level contacts since the United States shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that had traveled across the country in January and February. Both sides described the previously unannounced meeting as "candid, substantive and constructive," covering topics including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Taiwan, according to the White House -- two of the most sensitive subjects in the frosty relationship between the world's top two economies. Washington has repeatedly warned China against offering any military assistance to Russia and is closely watching its moves over Taiwan -- which Beijing claims as its own territory. The self-ruled island lives under the constant fear of a Chinese invasion, and Beijing has stepped up its rhetoric and military activity around it in recent years. Wang "comprehensively expounded upon China's solemn position" on Taiwan, Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua said, adding the two diplomats "agreed to continue to make good use of this strategic channel for communication." Getting past balloon incident The balloon incident, which China labeled an accident but which Washington viewed as an act of espionage, caused Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a long-planned trip to meet his counterpart in Beijing. Just after the incident, Blinken met with Wang on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, during which he warned China not to repeat such an "irresponsible act." Wang in turn said that their countries' relations had been damaged by how Washington reacted. But the apparent diplomatic thaw in Vienna is likely to reignite speculation about a rescheduling of Blinken's trip or potential meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The pair last spoke on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022. Asked about the issue Wednesday, Biden said there had been progress. US seeks cooperation on drugs In a background briefing for reporters, a senior US administration official stressed that just having the Sullivan-Wang meeting was a step forward. The idea was to "try to find a few issues where there are some overlapping interests," the official said. "We've made no secret that we see maintaining channels of communication as particularly important in times of tension, that it's important to manage competition," the official said, adding that both sides agreed on that. Sullivan and Wang discussed Indo-Pacific regional security issues, and the top Biden aide pressed Wang for better cooperation in fighting drug trafficking, the official said. Washington says Chinese firms supply the chemicals that Mexican drug cartels use to make fentanyl, responsible for a massive spike in drug overdose deaths in the United States. "We raised our concern about the lack of communication on this issue and pressed for constructive engagement," the official said. On Taiwan, the official said the United States stressed that the two sides had managed the issue "for over 40 years without conflict" and that Washington did not want to see any unilateral change to the "status quo" in the situation. It takes two Chinese diplomats have kept up a steady drumbeat of criticism against America, and Xi made a rare direct rebuke of Washington in March, accusing "Western countries led by the United States" of trying to undermine his country. Biden has said he will not do China any favors in the competition between the two superpowers but has vowed he would do everything possible to keep the rivalry from descending into conflict. Sullivan, in a major speech on 27 April, outlined the US strategy to build a "fairer, more durable global economic order" -- and singled China out for mention. "We're looking to manage competition responsibly and seeking to work together with China where we can," he said. The post Top US, China officials meet in Vienna for ‘candid’ talks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AFP seeks more EDCA sites
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said Sunday the establishment of additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites with the United States will provide the country with “360-degree protection” in the future. AFP spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar, said the expansion of EDCA sites will further help defend the country’s maritime territory so Filipinos can utilize its abundant resources within its exclusive economic zone. “If we are talking about the further expansion of the EDCA, I think this is possible [if] what we want is to protect because we are an archipelagic country and we have so many islands, we have a long shoreline,” Aguilar said, partly in Filipino, Sunday. “If we are to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity including the protection of maritime resources that should be enjoyed by our people, we need a 360-degree protection capability for the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he added. The Palace and the Department of National Defense earlier announced the establishment of four additional EDCA sites at the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan. These are on top of five existing EDCA sites in the country, including the Bautista Air Base in Palawan; Basa Air Base in Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija; Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City; and the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu. Defense only The DND and AFP said putting up more EDCA facilities primarily aims to boost the country’s defense capabilities and further protect the national interest of the Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has assured that the additional EDCA sites will not be utilized for offensive attacks amid the increasingly aggressive activities of China in the West Philippine Sea. On Saturday, Mr. Marcos said the Philippines and China have agreed to open more channels of communication to ensure that engagements between Chinese and Philippine forces do not escalate. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang met this week in Manila with the President, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, and other government officials. Qin’s visit was seen as China’s way of countering the growing influence of the United States in the Philippines, with the two nations holding their biggest Balikatan military exercises this year. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chairperson Senator Imee Marcos has questioned the selection of the new EDCA sites as they “seem to be random and no longer purposeful” for the modernization of the AFP. Selection process She also raised concerns that government seems to have given up the country’s territorial claims on the western and eastern Philippine seaboard. In response, Aguilar said the new EDCA locations have gone through a stringent and strategic selection process based on the country’s necessities and the need to improve the defense capabilities of the AFP. “In the selection, primarily we relied on the recommendation based on the AFP modernization roadmap,” he said, noting that the western and eastern seaboards of the country were also considered in locating the new EDCA sites. The DND earlier said EDCA will serve as a collaborative agreement between the Philippines and the US, enabling rotational activities to promote better disaster responses and humanitarian efforts. The post AFP seeks more EDCA sites appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indonesia searches for missing soldiers
Indonesian forces on Tuesday were searching for four soldiers who went missing last week after a deadly rebel ambush in Papua, the country's military chief said. The missing troops were part of the search for Phillip Mark Mehrtens, a pilot with Indonesian airline Susi Air, who was taken in February by armed separatists at Nduga airport in Papua. They were on their way to the pilot's location in the hilly Nduga region on Saturday when rebels started shooting at them, Indonesian military chief Yudo Margono said. "We had received information on the whereabouts of the kidnapped pilot. We hoped that together with local people... we could establish communication and negotiate for the pilot's release," Margono told reporters in the Papuan city of Timika. "That's what we hoped (for), but rebels shot at us when we were trying to reach the location." One soldier was killed in the ambush, and the military was searching for the four troops still missing, he added. The military has not identified the rebel group responsible for the ambush, but the West Papua National Liberation Army — the militant wing of Papua's main separatist group — has claimed it. TPNPB said it had killed at least 13 Indonesian soldiers in the attack, but Margono dismissed that as a "hoax". AFP cannot independently verify claims from either side due to the remoteness of the location. The rebels have previously demanded that Indonesia recognize Papuan independence in exchange for the pilot. TPNPB has called on New Zealand and the United Nations to stop Indonesian military operations in the area. Indonesia maintains a heavy military presence in resource-rich but underdeveloped Papua to quell a long-running separatist insurgency. A former Dutch colony, Papua declared independence in 1961, but neighboring Indonesia took control two years later, promising an independence referendum. The subsequent vote in favor of remaining a part of Indonesia was widely considered a sham. The post Indonesia searches for missing soldiers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PH media slam Chinese foreign ministry’s claims of manipulating WPS reports
Philippine media groups criticized the Chinese foreign ministry for suggesting that recent reports on Chinese harassment of Filipino vessels in the West Philippine Sea involved video manipulation and sensationalism to portray the Philippines as a victim. The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) and National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) expressed offense.....»»
Akbayan to Sara: You don’t have to be president to speak vs China
MANILA, Philippines — Party-list group Akbayan said on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte does not have to be a president of the country for her to call out China’s intrusive actions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Empathy and a moral backbone is just what it takes to stand up with fisherfolk and frontline.....»»
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS.....»»
7 nanlaban drug suspects dead after Baste Duterte declares drug war
Less than a week after Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared a "war on drugs" in the city, at least seven drug suspects were killed during a buy-bust operation in the city — violence that highlights the seriousness of the mayor's recent threat of outright killing persons caught using illegal drugs......»»
DMK criticises Election Commission for being biassed in allocating symbols to political parties
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 28 (ANI): The Deputy Secretary of the Student Wing of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Ka Amutharasan, has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of having a biassed attitude towards opposition parties by allocating election symbols as per their wishes. "ECI has allocated the symbols for the Tamil Manila Congress and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhgam that those parties wished for. Th.....»»
CHR alarmed by war vs drugs in Davao City
THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is alarmed by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s “war against drugs”, as seven drug users were killed from different barangays in the city over the weekend, just a few hours after his declaration......»»
Revisiting Uniteam (Last of 2 parts)
THE Uniteam coalition of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, described by many political analysts as the "dream team", had come a long way since sweeping the 2022 elections......»»
FOCAP condemns Chinese embassy’s claims on ‘manipulated’ West Philippine Sea videos
The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines strongly rejected and condemned yesterday China’s “false and baseless” claims that journalists manipulate videosthey recorded in the South China Sea to present the Philippines as a victim......»»
Roque: Xi, Duterte agreed to keep West Philippines Sea status quo
The Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte had a “gentleman’s agreement” with China to keep the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, a former Cabinet official said yesterday, as fresh tensions surround the WPS due to recent incursions by Beijing that targeted a Filipino resupply mission and a research team......»»
Panatag is proven PH territory; China claims it by bogus history
A civilian supply expedition to Panatag (Scarborough) is set this summer. The shoal is Philippine territory. Filipinos have every right to enter its 15,000-hectare lagoon bound by rocks and reefs......»»
CHR probes Davao drug war deaths
The Commission on Human Rights yesterday expressed grave concern over Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s recent declaration of a war on drugs in the city......»»
Drug killings 95 percent lower than in previous admin
The number of deaths recorded under the Marcos administration’s war on drugs has decreased by over 95 percent, in contrast to the bloody anti-drug campaign of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte......»»
Guv still hopes for PBBM s nod of NIR despite bishop s opposition
Guv still hopes for PBBM s nod of NIR despite bishop s opposition.....»»
Agdao Public Market vendors want variety and vegetable sections merged
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 March) – Vendors of Agdao Public Market here are asking the city government to merge the Variety and Vegetable Sections into one section claiming they have difficulties in getting customers because of their location. In a letter addressed to Mayor Sebastian Duterte, the City Administrator’s Office, the City Economic Enterprise […].....»»
7 dead after Davao City Mayor Duterte declares war vs. drugs
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 March) – Two more drug suspects died in separate buy-bust operations in Toril District here before dawn Tuesday, after they allegedly resisted arrest, a police official said. This brought the number of fatalities to seven since Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte declared a “war” on illegal drugs last March […].....»»
Sarah kinumpirmang OK na sila ni Mommy Divine: Thank you Lord!
CONFIRMED! Okay na ang relasyon ngayon ng Pop Star Royalty na si Sarah Geronimo sa kanyang inang si Mommy Divine Geronimo. Mismong ang Kapamilya actress-TV host at award-winning singer ang nagsabi sa buong universe na may communication na uli sila ng kanyang pinakamamahal na nanay. Ito’y makalipas nga ang umano’y ilang taong pagdededmahan ng mag-ina.....»»