News
-
As debate rages over PH territorial claim, Carpio preaches ‘personal integrity’
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio says it is important to do the right thing, “even if you are alone against many.” File/Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News MANILA—Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Saturday told fresh graduates to protect their personal integrity in order to defend the country’s territories. Speaking at the University of the Philippines College of Social Sciences and…
-
‘Atin ang Pinas’: UP community urges graduates to uphold sovereignty
MANILA — Members of the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman community on Sunday joined a lightning rally urging graduates to champion Philippine sovereignty. Faculty, staff and students at the state-run university’s commencement exercises unfurled a bright red banner emblazoned with the phrase “Atin ang Pinas,” which translates to “The Philippines is ours”, as seen by a photo from the…
-
Duterte going the extra mile to protect Filipinos in EEZ issue – Panelo
MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte is “going beyond” the constitutional provision pertaining to the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) “to serve and protect the people,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Monday morning. “He is precisely going beyond that provision using Article 2 Section 4 of the Constitution which says that the prime duty of the government—which he (Duterte)…
-
Duterte: EEZ provision in PH Constitution for the ‘senseless, thoughtless’
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that the provision in the Constitution for the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is for the “senseless and thoughtless” and China won’t honor it. “That is a provision for the thoughtless and the senseless,” Duterte told reporters in Malacañang, referring to Section 2, Article XII of the Constitution, which states that…
-
Antonio Carpio: Constitution must prevail
MANILA, Philippines — Is Recto (Reed) Bank part of Philippine territory? Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio asked this question as he admitted this is a “justiciable issue” as domestic and international laws provide conflicting answers. He said, however, that the Constitution must prevail, and it provides that the EEZ is part of Philippine territory. Carpio last week said Recto Bank…
-
China could occupy more areas in WPS — expert warns
MANILA, Philippines — China may end up occupying more areas in the West Philippine Sea if it would be allowed to unilaterally rehabilitate coral reefs in the disputed region, a maritime expert warned. Jay Batongbacal, director of the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said China’s announcement that it would carry out coral reef rehabilitation…
-
South China Sea: Philippines risk Bejing’s wrath after cancelling diplomatic passports
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is facing mounting pressure at home to be more robust in his response to Chinese aggression as tensions between the two countries surge. Beijing and Manila have found themselves locked in a bitter diplomatic row over the ownership of the South China Sea, with both countries claiming a right to the strategically important area. In the…
-
Duterte on allowing China to fish in PH EEZ: If you try to impeach me, I will jail you
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 27) — President Rodrigo Duterte threatens to jail those who will attempt to impeach him over the Chinese fishing in Philippine waters. “I-impeach ako? Kulungin ko silang lahat. Subukan ninyo [Impeach me? I will jail you all. Try me],” he said after Senator Bong Go’s oath-taking late Thursday. “Do that and I will tell you.…
-
Palace: Critics want risky, ‘isolationist’ policy vs China
President Duterte’s critics are pushing for an “aggressive, isolationist” policy against China that would be “dangerous” for the Philippines, Malacañang said on Thursday. The Palace took a swipe at Duterte’s detractors, defending him for calling Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio “stupid” for invoking the Constitution in his allowing the Chinese to fish in Philippine waters. “What the President…
-
‘The fish could be from China’: Sotto sees no problem with allowing Chinese fishers in PH waters
MANILA (UPDATE) – Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Thursday said he sees no problem with President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that Chinese fishers can venture into waters where Manila has exclusive rights over natural resources. “He’s the President. The buck stops with him. If it’s wrong or right, it’s his accountability,” Sotto told ABS-CBN News’ Christian Esguerra. He added…
-
Gordon: Duterte’s personal friendships should not dictate PH foreign policy
MANILA, Philippines — The foreign policy of the Philippines should not depend on the personal friendships of the President, Senator Richard Gordon said on Thursday. “Our foreign policy and our national interest, cannot rely on personal friendships,” Gordon said during a weekly press forum at the Senate in Pasay City. Gordon’s reaction came after President Rodrigo Duterte said he had…
-
Duterte invokes 2016 fishing agreement with China
OUR SEA Members of the fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, who denounced President Duterte for saying the boat-ramming on June 9 near Recto Bank was just a small accident, will likely return to Mendiola, Manila, to rally against his policy of allowing the Chinese to fish in our country’s exclusive economic zone. —EARVIN PERIAS Claiming he…