Month: October 2016

Mourning the lack of collective outrage

Published by Ellen on October 30, 2016

Every Undas or All Souls Day (Nov. 2) when Filipinos troop to cemeteries to remember departed loved ones, I always think of the families of desaparecidos.

Where do they go to offer flowers and light the candles for their dead whom they didn’t bury? I think of Edith Burgos, whose son Jonas was last seen on April 28, 2007 at the Ever Gotesco Mall. I think of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno who were last seen on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

There are many more: Father Rudy Romano, a Redemptorist priest who served landless peasants and displaced settlers and the six workers of Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines namely Joseph Belar, Jovencio Lagare, Romualdo Orcullo, Diosdado Oliver, Artemio Ayala Jr. and Arnold Dangkiasan.

The list is long according to Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND).

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Is President Duterte a Foreign Service graduate?

Published by Ellen on October 29, 2016

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Is President Duterte a Foreign Service graduate? October 29, 2016 IN his state visit to China, President Rodrigo Duterte said he…

Duterte a Foreign Service graduate?

Published by Ellen on October 27, 2016

Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, welcomed by honor guards upon his arrival at the Prime Minister’s Office in Japan Oct.26. Malacanang photo by Albert Alcain.

Do you know that President Rodrigo Duterte is a Foreign Service graduate?

That what he said in his press conference with the foreign correspondents in China last Oct. 19.

He boasted: “Now that I am the President, by the grace of God, I read a lot; I’m a lawyer and I studied geopolitics and all, and also I am a graduate of the Foreign Service so I get to know how to balance this contending (forces).”

Being a “foreign service graduate” is quite a big leap from just having taken up foreign service which was what he said last Aug. 21, in a press conference in Davao City.

Comelec probes Duterte’s campaign finance

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2016

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL, VERA Files The Commission on Elections Campaign Finance Office (CFO) has started looking into campaign finance records of President Rodrigo Duterte…

South China Sea in Japan visit agenda

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2016

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is greeted by Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa upon his arrival at the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan on October 25. Malacanang photo by Albert Alcain.

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
VERA Files

IF the South China Sea took a backseat in President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to China, it will be high in the agenda in his bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday.

A diplomatic source said, Duterte will look to Japan for its maritime security needs in the South China Sea.

“On the South China Sea issue, it will be a conscious effort for us to use or message it that we are strengthened strategic partner, it’s not just any partnership, it’s a strengthened strategic partnership. Center to this is maritime security and when he talks of maritime security, it’s not just the civilian maritime law enforcement side, that will necessarily involve defense,” a source at the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

So it boils down to visa issue

Published by Ellen on October 23, 2016

Pres. Duterte lambasts the United States in a meeting with Filipino community in China. Malacanang photo by Toto Lozano.

President Duterte’s sharing of his experience with “American idiotic arrogance” has lifted part of the veil of mystery about the reason for his intense hostility towards the United States that many are concerned is adversely affecting long-standing Philippine-US relations.

In his speech before Philippines-China Trade and Investment Forum in Beijing during his three day visit to China (it was there where he announced the Philippines will “separate” with the United States militarily and economically) he related his encounter with immigration officials in Los Angeles Airport.

His story: “I was going to Brazil with some of the Congressmen and when we came back – because our entry, port of entry was L.A going there was Miami. You know when I was cleared by Customs, I was going out at the LA LAX airport. Here comes this black guy in uniform also black, with the pistol also black and his shoes was black and I thought that he was somebody – no slur intended that is his original color. And he accosted me and said “May I see your passport.” So I gave him, it was a diplomatic passport because we were travelling most of the Congressman in my entourage were travelling with passport diplomatic. And he said, “Where is your letter of authority to travel?” And so that was the first time that I say it was missing. And I said with probably because that letter was addressed to the port of entry in South American, which is Brazil and it was not clipped and so probably it was not re-inserted in the passport and it was lost this way. “

Duterte allows Xi to take lead on South China Sea issue

Published by Ellen on October 20, 2016

Pres. Duterte being interviewed by Beijing-based media upon arrival in China. Malacanang photo by King Rodriguez.

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS, VERA Files

President Rodrigo Duterte will not initiate and will instead let Chinese President Xi Jinping to take the lead on whether the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration will be discussed in their meeting today.

In a press conference in Wednesday night with Beijing-based media, on the eve of his meeting with Xi, Duterte said, “As a friend, and I would say this now, if he (Xi) mentions it in passing I will just say, Mr. President I don’t want to make hardline position. I don’t want to ask you to do it now because there will be a time that we shall be doing it. But I have to wait for your President to mention it in passing for me to respond.”

Duterte said the talking points will be broad enough to accommodate all issues but out of courtesy, the “oriental way” he would wait for the right time. He said the general outline of the agenda was reached in the preliminary talks between Philippines Foreign Secretary and his Chinese counterpart.

Fishery accords during Duterte China visit way forward in SCS dispute

Published by Ellen on October 19, 2016

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
VERA Files

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomes Pres. Duterte to Beijing.

WHETHER Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk about Scarborough Shoal in their first meeting in Beijing, the specter of the triangular-shaped coral reef 124 nautical miles west of Zambales looms large in this landmark visit that signals the rekindling of relations between the two Asian countries severely strained with the filing of the suit before the Hague tribunal by the previous administration of Benigno Aquino III.

A Malacañang source said Duterte will take up the South China Sea issue, “if raised” in his four-eyes meeting with Xi on Oct. 20. He will not initiate to raise the issue of the arbitral ruling but will respond if mentioned. However, his key message on the matter of Scraborough shoal will be asserting the fishing rights of Filipinos there, but while this is his wish “he will listen and will not make any imposition on the Chinese side.”

China visit will surely be ‘fruitful’

Published by Ellen on October 16, 2016

Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua gives a briefing of Pres. Duterte's China visit Oct. 14. With him is Philstar columnist Wilson Flores, owner of Kamuning Bakery where presscon was held. — Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua gives a briefing of Pres. Duterte’s China visit Oct. 14. With him is Philstar columnist Wilson Flores, owner of Kamuning Bakery where presscon was held.

An upbeat Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua told members of media last Friday that they expect President Duterte’s four-day state visit to China to be “fruitful.”

He said at least a dozen Memoranda of Understanding are being worked out to be signed during the Oct. 18 to 21 visit and one of them will be on increased importation of bananas, pineapples and dragon fruits.

In a press conference at Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City,four days before Duterte’s much-awaited state visit to China, Zhao said, “President Duterte has told me repeatedly that he is concerned about Filipino farmers particularly those farmers who are growing bananas or other tropical fruits. In response to this concern, the Chinese side has decided to increase the imports of tropical fruits, such as bananas, pineapples. As a matter of fact, among all ASEAN countries PH banana and pineapple have already constituted a very large percentage in the Chinese market. If I recall correctly, bananas constitute about 82 percent and pineapples constitute over 70 percent but still we would like to import more. “

FVR has earned the right to critique Duterte

Published by Ellen on October 12, 2016

The critique of former President Fidel V. Ramos of President Duterte’s first 100 days should be a warning to the latter that he cannot go on with his “Kill, Kill” mantra with five years and nine months more to go in his presidency.

FVR burst the bubble of Malacañang’s euphoria over the President’s 76 percent satisfaction rating (Social Weather Stations September 24-27, 2016 survey) with a commentary in the Oct. 9 issue of the Manila Bulletin that “..we find our team Philippines losing in the first 100 days of DU30’s administration – and losing badly. This is a huge disappointment and let-down to many of us.

“Team Philippines” refers to the 101 million Filipinos.