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Anonymous accounts flood WPS discourse with ‘CIA agent’ accusations vs PCG spox
Among others, the posts appear to focus on flooding the discourse on Chinese vessels’ behavior in the West Philippine Sea with accusations that Tarriela is providing intelligence services to the US government......»»
Rozul Reef devastated, Escoda Shoal now dead, PCG confirms
Following the suspicion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that China was the one responsible for harvesting the corals of Rozul Reef, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela confirmed this on Monday, adding that another West Philippine Sea feature Escoda Shoal is now dead due to coral harvesting and seabed devastation. Tarriela, who has been fearless in hitting China for its bullying and dangerous maneuvering against PCG operatives in the WPS, pinpointed the Chinese Maritime Militia that has been swarming in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, are the ones responsible for the devastation of the said features. "From 09 August 2023 to 11 September 2023, PCG monitored an average presence of approximately Thirty-three (33) CMM vessels at vicinity Rozul Reef and Fifteen (15) CMM vessels in Escoda Shoal. Maritime patrols carried out during the same period by BRP SINDANGAN (MRRV 4407) and BRP CABRA (MRRV 4409) further validated the presence of these CMMs in these West Philippine Sea features," he said in a statement on Monday. Tarriela noted that during the same period, the PCG launched missions to conduct extensive underwater surveys of the seabed in both Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. "The results of these surveys showed that the marine ecosystem in the subject WPS features appeared lifeless, with minimal to no signs of life. Moreover, the surveys conducted in Escoda Shoal revealed visible discoloration of its seabed, strongly indicating that deliberate activities may have been undertaken to modify the natural topography of its underwater terrain," he said, confirming the report released by the AFP Western Command last week. Further, he said the presence of crushed corals strongly suggests a potential act of dumping, possibly involving the same dead corals that were previously processed and cleaned before being returned to the seabed. "The continued swarming for indiscriminate illegal and destructive fishing activities of the Chinese Maritime Militia in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal may have directly caused the degradation and destruction of the marine environment in the WPS features. The PCG emphasizes the importance of protecting and preserving our marine environment, which plays a crucial role in sustaining marine life and supporting local communities," according to Tarriela. The post Rozul Reef devastated, Escoda Shoal now dead, PCG confirms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AFP confirms massive coral harvesting along Rozul Reef in WPS
There were cases of massive coral harvesting along Rozul (Iroquois) Reef in the West Philippine Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command confirmed on Saturday. In a news forum on Saturday, AFP-WesCom chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said the military sent out its divers “to do an underwater survey” after Chinese military militia vessels left the swarmed area. “And nakita namin wala na ‘yung mga corals. Nasira na ‘yung mga corals and may debris,” Carlos said. (We saw that there were no more corals. The corals were damaged and there was debris). We are coordinating with scientists, and experts to do their assessment of the area,” Carlos said. The AFP WesCom earlier reported the “concerning resurgence” of a total of 30 Chinese fishing ships in the WPS, based on its aerial patrols conducted from 6 to 7 September. Some 23 vessels were monitored in Rozul Reef, there were five ships in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal and two in Baragatan (Nares) Bank. The Philippine Navy likewise spotted 33 Chinese fishing vessels in Rozul Reef during a routine air patrol on 24 August. However, Carlos clarified that they are yet to determine whether the Chinese vessels are responsible for massive coral harvesting in the Rozul Reef. “Suspetsa pa lang natin, we are not saying they [Chinese vessels] are harvesting our corals. We suspect that somebody is harvesting our corals and that means they are violating our sovereign rights,” he added. Carlos, nonetheless, said the presence of Chinese fishing vessels in the territorial waters of the Philippines “is already alarming because we have the sovereign rights in our Exclusive Economic Zone.” “It looks like somebody is exercising that right without our permission,” he noted. The WesCom lamented that the increased presence of Chinese fishing vessels has potential implications in the “Philippines’ maritime security, fisheries conservation, territorial integrity, and preservation of the marine environment” as well as becoming a “source of tension in the WPS and have contributed to instability in the region.” In the same forum, AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar stressed the massive coal harvesting "will be affecting the production of fish” and will later on pose a “threat to the food security” in the country. Aguilar added that the military forces and other concerned government agencies should “have to be active”. “It is also our responsibility that the environment is protected,” he pressed on. The post AFP confirms massive coral harvesting along Rozul Reef in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
On WPS conflict, ‘Trillanes cut deals’
Amid the guessing game started by China on who the unnamed President was who promised to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile has pointed to a former senator as the culprit. “I haven’t heard from previous presidents that they promised to remove the Sierra Madre, but what I know is that the late President Benigno Aquino III did some backchanneling, and his backdoor agent was former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV,” Enrile said. He added: “Trillanes bypassed then Ambassador Sonia Brady in negotiating with China, and his only credential was he rode in a Philippine Navy boat when he was in the military service.” “The subject of the backchanneling was the Scarborough Shoal standoff, but Trillanes was deceived by the Chinese. The Philippine vessels withdrew from the area of the deadlock, but China stayed put,” he recalled. 2012 Senate skirmish Then-senator Enrile and Trillanes had a confrontation in September 2012 over the government’s covert negotiations with China that Aquino had assigned to Trillanes. In a face-off on the Senate floor, Enrile produced the so-called Brady notes, a report on the discussions between the ambassador and Trillanes on the backchanneling mission. During his several engagements with Chinese officials, Enrile quoted the Brady notes as saying that Trillanes indicated that Filipinos needed more interest in the conflicting claims in the region. Enrile said the Brady notes stated that Aquino was not made fully aware of the details of Trillanes’s actions, and there was a point when the President did not know the talks were suspended for two weeks and that Trillanes was acting on his own. “And for whom? Whose interest was he serving?” Enrile asked. While admitting that it was the prerogative of Aquino as Commander-in-Chief to resort to backchannel talks, designating Trillanes was a huge mistake, he said. “Trillanes should have been discreet, and he should have brought along an embassy representative to record the event. Trillanes thought he was James Bond. That should not have been allowed,” Enrile said. “A person entrusted by the President with a mission must first exercise discretion. When you go to a country to deal with a foreign power, you must notify the embassy,” he said. “Trillanes should have notified the embassy to alert them that he was there on a mission, and he should have brought along at least one responsible official,” he added. He continued: “Everybody should have known that international law already provided the way to settle the dispute, which was the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but which China did not respect.” “China based its claims not on international law but on its might. We should have a counter-balancing force,” according to Enrile. “We should not rely solely on the assistance of other nations; we should keep building up our military assets.” “We should also be prepared, and one way to do that is to require all young Filipinos to undergo training to defend the country.” “Only Filipinos can fight for their country; nobody else can do the fighting for you,” Enrile stressed. False narrative Meanwhile, China was accused of using deception in its sea maneuvers when it tried to block a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal on 7 September. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar, at the weekly Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, said the Philippine Navy offered to help a Chinese rubber boat in distress near Ayungin Shoal. “Our troops offered assistance, but the Chinese refused and another boat came to their rescue,” Aguilar said. He said one of the Chinese rigid hull inflatable boats had gotten entangled in a fishing line while it was tailing the Philippine vessels heading to Ayungin to resupply the troops there. Aguilar said that while the Chinese boat’s refusal to accept aid from Philippine forces was expected, what surprised the troops was Beijing’s radio call where they blamed the Filipinos for the incident. “They had the guts to challenge our radio message. ‘Philippine Coast Guard, because of your maneuvers, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel came into problem,’” he quoted the Chinese as saying. Aguilar said this was another narrative the Chinese would tell their people. “After this incident, they will come up with their narrative to tell their people about what happened,” Aguilar said. “We don’t want the truth to be drowned out by what really happened,” he added. Misplaced bullying Aguilar described the China Coast Guard’s behavior as “misplaced bullying” amid its continued aggression in Philippine territorial waters. “The CCG is a misplaced bully in the WPS,” Aguilar said. Meanwhile, Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson, said several CCG ships and maritime militia vessels tried to block the Philippine vessels and stop the resupply mission. “It is very important for the government, for us, to be more transparent about what is happening in the West Philippine Sea,” he said. “We face the media; we give them the true story. The media will play a very important role in curtailing this fake news that spreads every time the Chinese release their narratives.” He said China has been pushing the narrative that the Philippines is acting on behalf of the United States. Ayungin Shoal, which is part of the Kalayaan island group, is an integral part of the Philippines and is well within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the country has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction. The BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded on Ayungin Shoal since 1999, where it stands as a symbol of Philippine sovereignty and on which a dozen Filipino Marines and sailors are holding the fort. The post On WPS conflict, ‘Trillanes cut deals’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CA confirms Brawner, 29 military officers
The Commission on Appointments, led by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, confirmed Wednesday the ad interim appointment of Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of four-star general and the nomination of other 29 generals, flag officers, and senior military officers. Zubiri lauded the soldiers for their loyalty to the Philippine flag and their willingness to make sacrifices for the country. “Once again, you are the vanguards of democracy in our country. We cannot have hearings today, we cannot have these institutions in place without the brave men and women of the Armed Forces,” Zubiri said. During the bicameral CA deliberation of his appointment, Brawner vowed the AFP military officials are ready to defend and protect the country and Filipino people against any security threats. Senator Risa Hontiveros started the deliberation by asking Brawner about his primary objectives intended to be accomplished through the AFP's revolving door policy and Republic Act 11939. Brawner responded by enumerating his priority thrusts for the armed forces embodied in an acronym U.N.I.T.Y, which stands for unification, normalization, territorial defense, internal security operations and youth programs. Brawner said the AFP will focus on the the normalization of the Bangsamoro region, particularly the decommissioning, disarmament and reintegration of the former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. “Now that we believe that we are winding down with our internal security operations, we will have to sustain the gains that we had,” he added. Brawner also noted that the AFP will have to recalibrate its doctrines, training and the entire organization in order to be able to cope with the demands of defending the country’s territory. The AFP, he added, will focus on developing the Filipino youth through programs such as the revival of the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Brawner said the AFP will make sure that those who will handle the ROTC activities “are prepared and are professional” to prevent a repeat of abuses, including grades for sale, hazing and maltreatment of students. “We are anticipating the passing of that bill for the mandatory ROTC. Naghahanda na po ang inyong armed forces and we want to make sure that we will not repeat the mistakes that we had, the abuses that happened during the past when we had the ROTC program,” he said. On sending military officers to China Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino scrutinized the AFP’s engagements with China, particularly the sending of senior officials and cadets to Chinese military schools. Brawner explained that the Philippines’ military-to-military relationship with China is covered by a memorandum of agreement on Defense Cooperation that was forged in 2004. “That is why we are allowed to send officers to China to study and vice versa, they are sent here because we find value in sending our officers abroad not just to China but in fact to so many countries in order for them to train and to bring back the knowledge that they gain so that we can learn from them and probably apply the best practices that they are applying in other countries,” he said. However, Brawner noted that the AFP is currently studying the revisitation of the memorandum following the blocking and water cannon actions by Chinese vessels against Philippine ships last 5 August in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. “I ordered the temporary stop to sending officers to China. Just last week there was a communication, an invitation from China for us to send cadets to China to join a conference of cadets from all over the world,” he said. Tolentino urged Brawner to provide updates on the results of the study. Senator Imee Marcos also pushed for the local production and procurement of firearms and equipment for the AFP to lessen the country's dependence on foreign suppliers for its national defense. Brawner said the AFP is eyeing the revival of the country’s Self-Reliant Defense Posture program. Meanwhile, the number of military personnel filing for early retirement has increased due to the bill on the reform of the pension system for military and uniformed personnel. "Tumaas po 'yung nagfa-file ng early retirement dahil nga po they are anticipating na kapag lumabas yung batas, 'yung unang version po, they are basing it on the early versions (The number of personnel filing for early retirement increased because they are anticipating the law on the reform of the MUP pension system. They are basing it on the early version),” the AFP chief. "Gusto nila na mapaloob pa sila sa lumang sistema (They want to be covered by the old system). They want to avail of the old system wherein they will receive one-rank higher pay when they retire and indexation,” he added. However, Brawner said there is no cause for concern as many Filipinos are willing to join and apply for the AFP service. "The alarming situation would be 'yung mawawala po 'yung ating senior non-commissioned officers. So kung puro bata naman yung ating Armed Forces, it will not be a healthy organization (The alarming situation would be when our senior non-commissioned officers leave the AFP. So we will be left with mostly young personnel, it will not be a healthy organization),” Brawner said, noting that the military organization also needs the leadership of its non-commissioned officers. According to Brawner, he already advised AFP personnel “to just wait for the final version of the law before making a decision on their retirement.” He added that soldiers are always willing to sacrifice a portion of their pay for the country's benefit. Brawner stressed the Department of National Defense has developed a plan that would enable the AFP to generate pension funds, including utilizing available real estate assets. The post CA confirms Brawner, 29 military officers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AFP confirms 85% of monitored foreign vessels in WPS/SCS Chinese-owned
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. confirmed that 85 percent of the more than 400 foreign vessels monitored sailing within the South China Sea are Chinese-owned ships. "Well, at any one time, in the entire South China Sea, there are more than 400 na mga foreign vessels, these include fishing vessels, research vessels, Coast Guard and the Navies of other countries," the AFP chief told reporters reporters in a chance interview shortly after the National Heroes Day event at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. During Brawner’s visit to the AFP’s Western Command headquarters in Palawan five days after the water cannon incident involving Chinese Coast Guard and Philippine vessels in Ayungin Shoal last 5 August, WesCom chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos also confirmed that 85 percent of these monitored vessels in the West Philippine Sea are likely Chinese fishing ships. Carlos noted that about 191 of these vessels are in the vicinity of the Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef, which is about 134 nautical miles from Palawan and 602 nautical miles from China. The AFP earlier stressed that the Mischief Reef is a low-tide elevation, like Ayungin Shoal, that forms part of the country’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro earlier called on China not to pressure the Philippines within its own EEZ and stop building Chinese structures in the West Philippine Sea if they really want to resolve the increasing maritime tensions. "Nanawagan din tayo sa China na sana makipagtulungan din sila na tigilan yung tension, papaano naman ‘yun eh pinapatigil nila tayo eh wala naman tigil yung pananakop nila. Simple naman sakin 'yun, okay naman makipag usap eh basta tabla (We call on the China to cooperate with us to stop the tension. They want us to stop yet they also keep on encroaching. For me it's simple, we talk with them but it has to fair),” Teodoro previously said. The post AFP confirms 85% of monitored foreign vessels in WPS/SCS Chinese-owned appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China launches military drills around Taiwan as ‘stern warning’
China launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday as a "stern warning" after voicing anger over a stopover in the United States by the island's vice president, William Lai. Lai, who is the frontrunner in Taiwan's presidential election next year, stopped in New York and returned via San Francisco on a trip to Paraguay, one of a dwindling number of nations that diplomatically recognize Taipei. China on Saturday called Lai a "troublemaker" and vowed to take "resolute measures... to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity". The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army "launched joint air and sea patrols and military exercises of the navy and air force around the island of Taiwan" on Saturday, state media outlet Xinhua quoted military spokesperson Shi Yi as saying. Xinhua said the drills, the scale of which was not immediately known, were meant to test the PLA's ability "to seize control of air and sea spaces" and fight "in real combat conditions". They were also intended to serve as "a stern warning to the collusion of 'Taiwan independence' separatists with foreign elements and their provocations", it added. Taiwan on Saturday said it strongly condemned "such irrational and provocative behavior" and said it would dispatch "appropriate forces" to respond "with practical actions". "Conducting a military exercise this time under a pretext not only does not help the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait but also highlights (China's) militaristic mentality and confirms the hegemonic nature of its military expansion," Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said in a statement. 'New provocative move' China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has pledged to take it one day, by force if necessary. It launched major military exercises after Nancy Pelosi, then House speaker, visited Taiwan last year and later when President Tsai Ing-wen met top US lawmakers as she transited through the United States. Washington had called for calm over Lai's transit, describing the travel as routine. But on Saturday, an official from the ruling Communist Party's Taiwan Work Office "strongly condemned" Lai's trip, calling it a "new provocative move" by his party, the DPP, "to further collude with the United States", Xinhua said. "Lai's latest 'stopover'... was a disguise he used to sell out the interests of Taiwan in order to seek gains in the local election through dishonest moves," the official was quoted as saying. "Lai's deeds have proven that he is an out-and-out troublemaker who will push Taiwan to the dangerous brink of war and bring deep troubles to Taiwan compatriots", the readout continued. At a lunch in New York during the trip, Lai vowed "to resist annexation" and continue to uphold the core tenets of Tsai's administration. Lai has been far more outspoken about independence than Tsai, to whom Beijing is already hostile as she refuses to accept its view that Taiwan is a part of China. The Harvard-educated doctor turned politician has previously described himself as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker". The post China launches military drills around Taiwan as ‘stern warning’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China busts CIA spy
China on Friday said it busted a citizen spying for the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States. “After meticulous investigation, the state security authority obtained evidence of Zeng’s espionage activities and, in accordance with the law, took coercive measures against him to eliminate the harm in a timely manner,” Beijing’s Ministry of State Security said in a statement published online. The case quickly received widespread attention in China, soaring to the top of a list of trending topics on social media site Weibo on Friday morning. The ministry said the 52-year-old Zeng was befriended by a CIA agent stationed at the US embassy in Rome when he studied in Italy. The CIA agent offered Zeng “a huge amount of compensation” and immigration assistance for his his family to move to the US in exchange for sensitive Chinese military information. Zeng allegedly signed a contract with the US side and received training before returning to China to conduct the espionage activity. Earlier, two American naval officers have been arrested in California for allegedly selling US warships and weapons manuals to China. The US Department of Justice identified the suspects as sailor Jinchao Wei, 22, and Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26. Wei is assigned at the amphibious assault ship the USS Essex in San Diego, California while Zhao is from the Naval Base Ventura County, north of Los Angeles in the same state. The DoJ alleged that Wei handed over dozens of documents, photos and videos detailing the operation of ships and their systems, including technical and mechanical manuals that dealt with the weaponry of his own vessel. He was allegedly paid thousands of dollars for the information. Zhao is alleged to have been paid almost $15,000 by a Chinese intelligence agent for information about a large-scale US military exercise in the Indo-Pacific, including details on the timing and location of amphibious landings. He is also alleged to have handed over electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system at a US military base in southern Japan, where the US has a large military presence. WITH AFP The post China busts CIA spy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Two US Navy men arrested on China spying charges
Two serving members of the US Navy have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, the Department of Justice said Thursday. The men are suspected of selling secret information to Beijing that included manuals for warships and their weapons systems, as well as blueprints for a radar system and plans for a huge US military exercise. "These arrests are a reminder of the relentless, aggressive efforts of the People’s Republic of China to undermine our democracy and threaten those who defend it," said Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, which was involved in the sting. China "compromised enlisted personnel to secure sensitive military information that could seriously jeopardize US national security." In a press release, the Department of Justice said sailor Jinchao Wei, who served on the amphibious assault ship the USS Essex in San Diego, had handed over dozens of documents, photos, and videos detailing the operation of ships and their systems. These included technical and mechanical manuals that dealt with the weaponry of his own vessel. The 22-year-old, who is alleged to have been paid thousands of dollars for the information, faces possible life in jail if convicted. In a separate case, the DoJ said Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, had spied for China for nearly two years from his perch at Naval Base Ventura County, north of Los Angeles. Zhao is alleged to have been paid almost $15,000 by a Chinese intelligence agent for information about a large-scale US military exercise in the Indo-Pacific, including details on the timing and location of amphibious landings. He is also alleged to have handed over electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system at a US military base in southern Japan, where the United States has a large military presence. "By sending this sensitive military information to an intelligence officer employed by a hostile foreign state, the defendant betrayed his sacred oath to protect our country," US Attorney Martin Estrada said. "Unlike the vast majority of US Navy personnel who serve the nation with honor, distinction and courage, Mr. Zhao chose to corruptly sell out his colleagues and his country." If convicted, Zhao faces up to 20 years in jail. The post Two US Navy men arrested on China spying charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese ship captain found dead
CAMP GEN FLORENDO, La Union — Authorities reported that a Chinese ship captain died Sunday of cardiac arrhythmia inside his vessel while docked at Poro Point here. Police identified the victim as Xiagshuai Xu, the ship captain of of MV Guo Lian Hai 98 and initial reports said that the incident was reported by ship agent Spencer Federico. Investigations showed that on the evening of 22 July 2023, police received a message from a foreign vessel that they need to bring the victim to the hospital who suffered chest pain and difficulty of breathing while resting in his cabin. The post Chinese ship captain found dead appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Liza Araneta- Marcos: A refreshing perspective on the First Lady’s role
When Liza Araneta-Marcos’ husband, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, was elected President of the Philippines, many wondered how the incoming First Lady would play her role, given that the first Mrs. Marcos, First Lady from 31 December 1965 to 25 February 1986, had, for ages, loomed large on the Filipino consciousness. Imelda had been described as Ferdinand Marcos’ secret weapon whose popularity contributed immensely to his winning the presidential election. Whether true or not, Imelda Marcos went on to capture the hearts and imagination of the Filipino people as she wowed them with her numerous projects, including the mammoth Cultural Center of the Philippines, even as it also served as fodder for the critics of her husband’s administration. Fast forward to the presidential election of 2022 — what people saw was a Bongbong who chose to fight his detractors by ignoring them. He focused instead on rebuilding a nation that needed to be united if it must overcome the challenges brought by the recent pandemic, not yet totally eradicated despite the wonders of immunization at the time he was about to take his oath of office. It was the right campaign strategy, for it promised renewal and, more importantly, a break from the past. That Ferdinand Marcos Jr. won the presidency, despite losing in his bid for the vice presidency in the previous national elections, confirms that a large segment of the voting population saw in him the answer to the many ills of our nation. Beautiful and fragrant First Lady On the day of the inauguration, Imelda Marcos sat quietly, almost stoically, on the stage, her face showing hints of a smile, and obviously preferring to be a low-key mother, and not as the fabulous Imeldific that had been her trademark because, as she claimed in her heyday as a Human Settlements Minister, “The Filipinos want their First Lady to be beautiful,” which also meant fragrant and, well, bejeweled and dressed to the nines. [caption id="attachment_161345" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] MELDA Marcos, the quietly proud mother at her son Bongbong’s presidential inauguration. With them is First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. | ted aljibe/agence france-presse[/caption] Her detractors would say there was so much hunger and poverty, and here she was as though oblivious to the realities of Filipino life. Imelda Marcos was a voice culture student and an education graduate, the president of the student council of her college, the Rose of Tacloban and a Miss Manila wannabe who, when she came crying to the swashbuckling mayor, was given the title of Muse of Manila. Imelda Marcos, from day one, was a great beauty and was fated to live her life in an aquarium for neighbors and the public to ogle. Interestingly, amidst the simplicity and humility of circumstances that she experienced in her childhood, she lived close to Malacañang, the stately presidential home which, she did not know then, would become her home for 20 years. In the meantime, her father, distraught by the loss of his second wife, Imelda’s mother, and financially strapped, brought his family home to Tacloban. Here, the young Meldy would blossom into such an attractive lass, one rich Chinese businessman wanted to marry the young girl who he thought was old enough to be his wife. Imelda, early on, could sing like a nightingale and, as she herself related, impressed General Douglas MacArthur with her voice. And because of her, Irving Berlin composed the song, “Heaven Watch the Philippines,” after he heard her sing “God Bless the Philippines” to the tune of his composition, “God Bless America.” Feisty and no-nonsense lawyer Now comes a feisty, no-nonsense lawyer, who is related to the very rich Aranetas, owners of the vast Cubao commercial center. The daughter of a handsome “crush ng bayan” basketball player known in his heyday as “twinkle toes” because he pranced around the court like a good dancer, she grew up sheltered, in a manner of speaking. She attended the Ateneo de Manila for both her undergraduate and law studies. Since she preferred to be low-key, she was not as well-known as her Araneta cousins, including the more famous Mar Roxas and Gaita Fores. Her mother being a Cacho makes her “royal” on both sides of her family and somehow related to the Cojuangcos, her mother’s sister, Sari, having married Pedro, the eldest brother of Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. How exactly does one regard Liza Marcos-Araneta? And how does she differ from Mrs. Marcos who impressed me while she was on the dance floor tripping the light fantastic and oh so gracefully and astoundingly, doing the tango and chacha with an equally magnificent Pepe Oledan, who later became our ambassador to Spain? [caption id="attachment_161347" align="aligncenter" width="1520"] ‘Liza knows how to put a group, a team together, find good people, put them in the right place, motivate them properly, and she’s always been good at that.’ | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESYOF FB.COM/LIZA MARCOS[/caption] Like an old friend The first time I met Imelda Marcos face to face, I had been sent to her Pacific Plaza home by my boss, socialite and future legislator Baby Arenas. As soon as I was ushered into Mrs. Marcos’ living room, she stood up and said, “Oh, Jojo, it’s nice of you to come.” It was all that she needed to say to make me glow and feel important. It was said that Imelda remembered names, but meeting her for the first time up close and here she was speaking like she had missed an old friend, wow, I felt like I was on top of the world. When I was a teenager, in 1973, Renata Tebaldi and Franco Correli, opera singers of world-renowned, had flown into the country to perform. I attended their concert at the Araneta Coliseum which shook to the rafters when their voices reached their highest crescendo. I was mesmerized by this electrifying performance when, all of a sudden, as I was seated in the back row of the orchestra, flashbulbs popped at my back, making everyone turn around, and lo, there was Imelda Marcos, radiant, beautiful and glowing, smiling charmingly and looking straight at the stage. She had the whole world at that moment to herself. How, tell me, could I forget my first sighting of the iron butterfly? [caption id="attachment_161344" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] THE First Family at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland held in January this year. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FB.COM/LIZA MARCOS[/caption] Voice of reason Fast forward to 2022, Bongbong Marcos took to the hustings and easily won over his opponent by an overwhelming majority of 58.77 percent or more than 31.6 million votes, and in the election that brought in the fastest result in all of the nation’s political history. How exactly did Liza contribute to her husband’s win, the victor himself shared, “Liza knows how to put a group, a team together, find good people, put them in the right place, motivate them properly, and she’s always been good at that.” Not surprisingly, given her credentials or qualifications, if that may be said of the First Lady of the land. A lawyer who took her post graduate studies in Criminal Procedure at New York University, a professor at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, St. Louis University and Mariano Marcos State University, media described her as “a significant voice of reason in the campaign.” If Ferdinand Marcos Sr. had a “secret weapon who sang and wept before crowds” in Imelda Romualdez Marcos, President BBM had an “expert lawyer with extraordinary skills in organization and logistics management” in Liza Araneta-Marcos. (More on Wednesday, 26 July) The post Liza Araneta- Marcos: A refreshing perspective on the First Lady’s role appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NBA Draft prodigy Wembanyama set for commercial bonanza
Victor Wembanyama is only 19 and has not played a minute in an NBA jersey but the French teenager is poised to land an array of lucrative deals likely to make him one of the most commercially successful athletes in history. Wembanyama will take center stage at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn on Thursday when the gifted 7ft 4in (2.24m) center widely viewed as a once-in-a-generation basketball talent is set to be chosen with the number one pick by the San Antonio Spurs. Already, Wembanyama is being tipped to potentially land an improved $100 million contract with US sporting goods behemoth Nike, eclipsing the $90 million offered to LeBron James when he entered the league in 2003. If the $100 million figure comes to fruition, it would be the biggest contract ever handed to a player who has not yet played in the NBA. Sonny Vaccaro, the legendary 83-year-old marketing executive who signed Michael Jordan to Nike and Kobe Bryant to Adidas, believes Wembanyama's unique talent could command "historic" riches. "This is unique. But a deserved unique," Vaccaro told AFP. "In my lifetime of evaluating and making financial prices for athletes, I've never seen anything like it. This kid will make history." Nike, which already has a deal with Wembanyama, has hinted at its strategy to make the Frenchman a global superstar. "Think (Victor Wembanyama) will change basketball? Think bigger," Nike wrote in a social media post after this year's draft order was revealed last month. Wembanyama's mammoth Nike deal will likely be the first of many, according to Steve Rosner of 16W Marketing, who predicts multi-million dollar deals in areas such as trading cards and other derivative products. Unique endorser "Victor is going to be one of those guys that are going to be able to have a nice endorsement portfolio before he ever plays a second in the NBA," Rosner said. "Because of all the promotion and the hype coming up leading up to this, he'll be a unique endorser as well, as far as being able to have these deals in place before he steps on an NBA court." In decades gone by, such a commercial bonanza for a foreign NBA player would have been unthinkable. Overseas stars such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, and Pau Gasol aroused little interest among sponsors. "Madison Avenue prefers an American guy," consultant Marty Blackman remarked in 1995 when commenting on how Olajuwon had failed to earn the sort of endorsement deals enjoyed by American players despite leading Houston to a second straight NBA championship. Victor Matheson, a professor at Holy Cross University, says that began to change in 2002 when China's Yao Ming entered the league. "Yao Ming was important, because not only was he a big name within the US, but he really opened up the Chinese market to the NBA as well," Matheson said. Today, the NBA's overseas fan base is larger than the entire population of the United States. According to Forbes magazine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and an NBA champion in 2021, earns more in off-court deals -- $45 million – than the salary paid to him by the Milwaukee Bucks of $42 million. "Victor can open up new markets," Matheson said. Rosner said Wembanyama's international profile is also likely to make him an attractive pitchman for multinationals such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's or Visa, who all signed deals with Yao. A world game now Twenty years ago, playing for a small-market NBA team such as San Antonio could have potentially diminished Wembanyama's commercial appeal. However, Vaccaro believes the global reach of the NBA and the rise of streaming and social networks have changed the dynamic. "It's a world game now, so it doesn't matter really," said Vaccaro. It may take time for Wembanyama to fully maximize his earning potential, though. The French prodigy and his entourage are in no hurry to cash in immediately. Wembanyama's agent, Bouna Ndiaye, who has represented numerous French NBA stars such as Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier, says the priority is basketball. "What we're trying to do, first of all, is make Victor rare," Ndiaye told ESPN. "We don't want him all over the place. We don't want to have 20 partners," Ndiaye said. "Victor is rejecting some rich, million-dollar deals right now because he wants to focus on basketball." Commercial partners, meanwhile, may also be reluctant to "give away the entire company to a player who actually hasn't played a single minute in the NBA", Matheson said. "I suspect they're going to be looking for a little bit more." Rosner, however, believes that if Wembanyama delivers on the court, commercial deals will be a formality. "Once he does everything on the court, then everything off the court will follow," Rosner said. Matheson echoed that position, stating that ultimately Wembanyama's fortune will be maximized through his achievements on the hardwood. "The reason that Jordan has become a billionaire is not that he signed one good deal but because his play over almost two decades meant that he could re-sign that deal and re-sign that deal and re-sign that deal," Matheson said. "In order to make LeBron James or Michael Jordan sort of money, it's not about signing that first deal. It's about showing what you can do actually on the court." The post NBA Draft prodigy Wembanyama set for commercial bonanza appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Messi confirms triumphant 2022 World Cup was probably his last
Lionel Messi on Tuesday confirmed he "doesn't think" he will play at another World Cup in an interview with Chinese media after the 35-year-old led Argentina to victory at last year's tournament in Qatar. "I have said several times before that I don't think so, that that (2022) was my last World Cup," he said when asked by China's Titan Sports in a video interview if he might feature at the 2026 tournament in North America. "I will see how things go but in theory, I don't think I will be around for the next World Cup," he added in Spanish in the video published on the app Kuaishou. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently in Beijing where Argentina will play a friendly against Australia on Thursday. His comments come after he said earlier this year to the Argentinian newspaper Ole that it would be "very difficult" to play at another World Cup. He will turn 39 during the next tournament. Messi last week announced he would join MLS side Inter Miami after his two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain came to an end. Argentina will play Thursday's friendly against Australia at the 68,000-capacity Workers' Stadium in Beijing. The match is a repeat of the last-16 tie between the teams at the World Cup in Doha, which Argentina won 2-1. With Chinese fans desperate to see the former Barcelona star in action, tickets have been rapidly snapped up despite being sold at prices rising to 4,800 Yuan ($671). The post Messi confirms triumphant 2022 World Cup was probably his last appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ageing maestros and strong women at epic Cannes film fest
This year's Cannes Film Festival has been an epic mix of ground-breaking women's perspectives and nostalgic homages to icons of the 20th century. As it heads into awards night on Saturday, the 76th edition of the French Riviera festival has been a feast for film-lovers. Here are some of the highlights. Old masters At times, Cannes felt like a sort of dream retirement home populated by ageing male film icons. Harrison Ford, 80, showed he still had stamina in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", and got weepy when given an honorary Palme d'Or. Martin Scorsese, 80, and Robert De Niro, 79, brought their new film, "Killers of the Flower Moon". European auteurs Ken Loach, 86, Marco Bellocchio, 83, Wim Wenders, 77, and Victor Erice, 82, all premiered new films -- Erice with his first in 40 years. It was notable that many of the starriest attendees made their names in the 1980s and 1990s: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Jude Law. "Over the last 10 years, we've done a really sh--ty job of creating a new generation of movie stars," one Hollywood agent moaned to Variety. Female gaze Michael Douglas, 78, who also got an honorary Palme d'Or, regaled the festival with memories of showing erotic thriller "Basic Instinct" here in 1992. "Watching those sex scenes on the biggest screen I'd ever seen... we had a very quiet dinner afterwards," he quipped. But it underlined how things have changed, with many films this year presenting more of a woman's perspective. "The entire range of human behavior should be accessible to women," said Portman, whose new film "May December" is a campy but complex look at a loving mother with a buried past as a sex offender. While Jude Law grabbed headlines as a tyrannical King Henry VIII in "Firebrand", the film's spotlight was really on Alicia Vikander as Catherine Parr, trying to escape the fate of the king's previous wives. Among many other examples were "Four Daughters" about a mother's role in the radicalisation of her children, and "How to Have Sex", a nuanced look at assault and consent among boozed-up Brits abroad. Hueller's double It was a strong competition this year and Germany's Sandra Hueller starred in two of the most stand-out films. In "The Zone of Interest" from British director Jonathan Glazer, she chillingly played the wife of a Nazi camp commandant, proud to be known as "the queen of Auschwitz". The unique film never shows the horrors of the camp, leaving them to be implied by background noises and small visual details. She also starred in "Anatomy of a Fall", another women-focused film, lauded by critics, about a wife accused of her husband's murder. Long films Audience patience was tested repeatedly, with Oscar-winner Steve McQueen presenting "Occupied City", a four-hour documentary about Amsterdam. Scorsese's Native American epic was widely praised though everyone felt the 210-minute runtime was a bit much. Ditto "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", which stretched the action out for more than two-and-a-half hours. A documentary about Chinese workers, "Youth (Spring)" also clocked in at 210 minutes, and director Wang Bing warned he plans two more chapters that will make it over nine hours. Fashion Helen Mirren got the ball rolling in style with a blue updo on opening night -- but the red carpet was often more understated after that. The on trend "naked look" was adopted by models Julia Fox and Irina Shayk. Otherwise, vintage scored the biggest hits: Portman in a recreation of Christian Dior's famous 1949 Junon dress, and Lily-Rose Depp in a classic black sequin number from the Chanel archives. The post Ageing maestros and strong women at epic Cannes film fest appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DEEP COVER: Drug ring courier held, P13.6-M shabu seized in Laguna sting
BY AARON RECUECO Thanks to a deep cover agent, police authorities were able to seize P13.6 million of shabu and arrest a drug syndicate’s courier in a buy-bust in San Pedro, Laguna. The suspect was identified as Edgarfeel Sakilan, 42, who works as a driver of the illegal drug group composed of Filipino-Muslim and Chinese […].....»»
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US government confirms receiving Oracle bid for TikTok
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Muzzle Mr. Met? Mascots wonder why they re banned from MLB
By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillie Phanatic had stories of his favorite adventures -- from the Galapagos Islands to the cobblestone streets of Philadelphia -- read to him most weeks from his very best buds. The Philly furball was tucked in with a bedtime story from Bryce Harper. Andrew McCutchen and manager Joe Girardi stopped by as guest readers to entertain fans and unite the Phillies community. But should the Phillies play ball this year, well, the book will close on the Phanatic. MLB wants to ban the birds -- sorry, Pirate Parrot -- and Bernie Brewer, Blooper, Bernie the Marlin, heck, all costumed creatures great and small from the ballpark this season. Firebird, Paws, the Oriole Bird, all face extinction -- at least this season, should baseball resume. Not even a muzzle on Mr. Met or a mask on Mariner Moose would help the cause. Gasp! Baseball’s furriest and funniest fans are forbidden from entering a ballpark. And that’s not cool. “Every mascot should be essential because of its ability to connect and distract with fun,” mascot guru Dave Raymond said. Raymond should know as well as any performer, as the first person to take on the 6-foot-6, 300-pound, 90-inch waist frame of the Phanatic. He’s since become a mascot consultant to the stars and helped create, brand and train the next generation of hundreds of stadium characters. Mascots are as much a ballpark staple as hot dogs and the long ball, and each fuzzy fist bump or chance concourse encounter hooks the youngest fans on the game. As baseball prepares for a summer slate without fans, Raymond wonders: What’s a game without a mascot? “You don’t have to convince me of that,” Raymond said. “It’s the powers that be that don’t understand that simple truth.” There’s already a blueprint MLB could follow that explains why mascots fit in barren ballparks. Take a look across the globe. Mascots remained a staple of baseball games in Taiwan and the KBO League in South Korea. American fans who stayed up late (or is it, woke up early?) to watch KBO games on ESPN were mesmerized by mascots gone wild in empty stadiums. The LG Twins mascots -- twin robot boys named Lucky and Star -- wore masks. So did cheerleaders and a drum section that provided the soundtrack for an otherwise dreary atmosphere. The Chinese Professional Baseball League barred spectators over concerns of spreading the new coronavirus in a crowded space, but the league decided it was safe to let in cheerleaders and costumed mascots. “This is the most important time to leverage fun, when people are sick and dying and dealing with the brutality of life,” Raymond said. “That is the time that you find a way to distract people and entertain them.” Philadelphia Inquirer cartoonist Rob Tornoe drew the Phanatic (wearing a mask) sitting atop the dugout with his phone and on hold with the unemployment office. “This is life or death now for a lot of characters, a lot of performers,” former Timberwolves mascot Jon Cudo said. It’s not that dire for most MLB performers who often have other duties within the organization or remained active in the community with food drives, firetruck parades or other feel-good efforts during the pandemic. Raymond had former and current mascots, including Cudo, join this week on his webinar, “What The Heck Should My Mascot Do Now?” The best suggestion to stay connected with fans -- with the ATV temporarily parked -- is engaging through social content. Mascot Mania has gone wild on Instagram and TikTok. Mr. Met cleans windows. D. Baxter the Bobcat taught crosswalk safety. Wally the Green Monster records virtual messages for charity. Then again, mascots have problems just like us: Who gives the Phanatic a trim during quarantine? “The Phanatic doesn’t need to get his hair cut,” Raymond said. “It’s actually a positive when it gets unkempt and long.” The Phanatic already underwent one makeover this year — his new look features flightless feathers rather than fur-colored arms, stars outlining the eyes, a larger posterior and a powder blue tail, blue socks with red shoes, plus a set of scales under the arms — because of a lawsuit filed against the team by the creators of the original Phanatic. The creators threatened to terminate the Phillies’ rights to the Phanatic as of June 15 and “make the Phanatic a free agent” unless the team renegotiated its 1984 agreement to acquire the mascot’s rights. Mascots were lumped in with other baseball traditions that would be weeded out under a 2020 proposal. The traditional exchange of lineup cards would be eliminated, along with high-fives, fist bumps and bat boys and girls. “I don’t know of anybody who bought season tickets to watch the bat boy,” Raymond said. “But you can say that in spades for the mascots. We’d be losing one of the draws that brings in people beyond the statistic nerds.” Plus, any fan who attended a Phillies game in the late 1990s at Veterans Stadium knows the Phanatic can play in an empty ballpark. Mascots just want to honk, honk, honk for the home team and they do care if they ever get back. “I’m just imploring them to value the character brands,” Raymond said. “There is a safe way for you to have fun, and frankly, fun is the most important thing you can invest in right now.”.....»»
MLB season begins
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers take center stage on Thursday as Major League Baseball’s new season gets under way on US soil against the backdrop of a gambling scandal that has engulfed its brightest star......»»