IMOA
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Pacquiao Emerges as Obstacle to Duterte’s Succession Plans
Boxer-turned-politician Manny Pacquiao is emerging as an obstacle to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s succession plans when his single six-year term ends next year. Pacquiao, a loyal ally to Duterte since his shock election win in 2016, has rankled loyalists to the strongman leader since becoming acting head of the president’s ruling PDP-Laban party in December. Tensions spiked last week when…
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China ‘remiss’ in its UNCLOS obligations, says PH envoy to Asean
Deputy Permanent Representative Elizabeth Te of the Philippines Mission to Asean said during her Commission on Appointments. MANILA, Philippines — China has been “remiss” in its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a Filipino envoy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) said as the Philippines protests recent Chinese actions in the…
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The role of maps in territorial disputes
Are maps relevant in territorial disputes over ownership of tiny islands in the South China Sea? The question arises because maps are usually drawn unilaterally by one state. This raises the issue of whether such maps showing islands as part of the territory of the state drawing the map can bind another state which also claims the same islands as…
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US vows to challenge China on human rights, South China Sea issues
The United States has reaffirmed its “deep commitment” to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of which the Philippines is a key member, and vowed to challenge China on issues such as human rights and the South China Sea, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region. US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman made this statement during the…
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South China Sea dispute: Malaysia accuses China of breaching airspace
Malaysia says it is to summon China’s ambassador after 16 Chinese military aircraft flew over disputed waters off its eastern state of Sarawak. Fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the transport planes on Monday after detecting “suspicious” activity over the South China Sea. Malaysia’s foreign ministry described the manoeuvre as a “serious threat to national sovereignty”. China, however, said its…
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The role of maps in territorial disputes
Are maps relevant in territorial disputes over ownership of tiny islands in the South China Sea? The question arises because maps are usually drawn unilaterally by one state. This raises the issue of whether such maps showing islands as part of the territory of the state drawing the map can bind another state which also claims the same islands as…
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[OPINION] The stakes in 2022
‘A Bong Go presidency is…the greatest threat to Philippine sovereignty and independence when it comes to dealing with China’ We have less than one year to go until the May 9, 2022 elections. Although the filing of certificates of candidacy has not yet taken place – much less the election campaign period – there are already reports of widespread campaigning…
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Filipino fishers lose 70pct of income due to Chinese incursions: group
MANILA – Filipino fishermen in Zambales lose some 70 percent of their income due to the increasing presence of Chinese vessels in Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), a militant fishers group said Thursday. The average income of a fisherman dropped from an average of P1,000 to a measly P300 per fishing trip since last year, said PAMALAKAYA vice chair for Luzon…
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Biden’s Asia czar says era of engagement with Xi’s China is over
The U.S. is entering a period of intense competition with China as the government running the world’s second-biggest economy becomes ever more tightly controlled by President Xi Jinping, the White House’s top official for Asia said Wednesday. “The period that was broadly described as engagement has come to an end,” Kurt Campbell, the U.S. coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the…
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VERA FILES FACT CHECK: PH didn’t ‘handpick’ entire panel in South China Sea arbitration case
People’s Television (PTV) News, a state-run media network, posted a misdated quote card of former ambassador Rosario Manalo, in which the latter inaccurately claimed that the Philippines “handpicked” the arbitration panel in the South China Sea maritime dispute with China. The quote card was then amplified by a Facebook page managed by two pro-Duterte lawyers, further insinuating that China’s nonparticipation…