October 2023
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Bongbong Marcos rescinds deal with China to withdraw BRP Sierra Madre: If it does exist
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday reiterated that there is no deal to withdraw the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, and should any agreement exist, he rescinds it. “I’m not aware of any such arrangement or agreement that the Philippines will remove from its own territory its own ship, in this […]
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PCG: Pro-China Filipinos ‘traitors’
MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos defending or “making excuses” for China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea are “unpatriotic” and “traitors,” the spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday. “If you are a Filipino, whether in government or private sector, regardless of your politics, defending and making excuses for China’s aggressive behavior should […]
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Do joint patrols with allies in next West Philippine Sea resupply mission, experts urge PH gov’t
Former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said the Philippines can follow the examples of Malaysia and Indonesia, which continued their survey and naval drills in their EEZ in the South China Sea, together with the United States and Australia, despite warnings from the Chinese Coast Guard. “We can have joint patrols with the US at […]
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Plan was to ground more ships vs China moves – Mercado
Former Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado on Wednesday said he was not aware of any Philippine commitment made to China to have the BRP Sierra Madre removed from Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. Mercado, who served in the Cabinet of the short-lived administration of then President Joseph Estrada, joined current officials in belying Beijing’s claims that Manila […]
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We support and stand by our Philippine Coast Guard
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela correctly called out a few misguided Filipinos who defend China’s aggression and even act like its mouthpiece as unpatriotic and a traitor to our country. “If you are a Filipino, whether in government or private sector, regardless of your politics, defending and making excuses for China’s aggressive behavior […]
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‘Little blue men’: Is a militia Beijing says doesn’t exist causing trouble in the South China Sea?
CNN — News that a Chinese coast guard ship fired water cannon on a smaller Philippine counterpart in a disputed area of the South China Sea should be worrying enough, given the region is widely seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict. But look more closely at video footage of the incident and tucked […]
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Fact checking the claim of the Chinese Embassy
The Business Mirror reported yesterday, August 15, 2023, that Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong claimed during a news conference at the Kamuning Pandesal Forum in Quezon City that the Potsdam Declaration and the Cairo Declaration stated that “all territories Japan has seized from the Chinese, including those of Nansha Islands and Xisha Islands, […]
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Taiwan steeling itself for Chinese drills over VP’s US visit
TAIPEI – China is likely to launch military drills next week near Taiwan, using Vice President William Lai’s stopovers in the United States as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of an election next year and make them “fear war,” Taiwanese officials said. The U.S. transits by Lai, who is the front-runner for Taiwan’s presidential […]
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Japan, U.S., Australia eye ship deployment to Philippines for drill
MANILA/TOKYO – Japan, the United States and Australia are considering sending their vessels carrying aircraft to the Philippines to conduct a trilateral naval drill next week in the South China Sea, sources close to the matter said Friday. The planned exercise set for Wednesday comes amid mounting tensions between China and the Philippines after a […]
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Ex-Pres. Arroyo: No deal with China to remove BRP Sierra Madre under my admin
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 19) — Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said her administration did not make any deal with China to remove the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era ship deliberately grounded in 1999 to serve as a military outpost in the West Philippine Sea, from Ayungin Shoal. “First, I never made […]