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Philippines alone in ASEAN vs China

Published by Ellen on July 10, 2012

DFA explains why there was no ASEAN communique: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/44771/why-there%E2%80%99s-no-asean-joint-communique

Update:Southeast Asian summit breaks up in acrimony
Agence France-Presse
Posted at 07/13/2012 2:52 PM | Updated as of 07/13/2012 3:02 PM

PHNOM PENH – Days of heated diplomacy ended in failure Friday as splits over territorial disputes with China prevented Southeast Asian nations from issuing their customary joint statement at a summit Friday.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/07/13/12/southeast-asian-summit-breaks-acrimony

As of late afternoon Tuesday, the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who were meeting in Pnom Penh, Cambodia, had not released the joint communiqué which usually concludes the meeting.

Reporters covering the 45th ASEAN FMM said the discussion Monday was contentious between the Philippines and the chair, Cambodia over the subject of Scarborough Shoal.

The Philippines, represented by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, introduced the following paragraph in the draft communiqué. The capitalized phrases were taken out by Cambodia, apparently in consideration of China, but the Philippines insisted on its restoration: “ In this context,we discussed in depth the recent developments in the South China Sea INCLUDING THE SITUATION IN THE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL, and expressed serious concern over such development in the area PARTICULARLY THOSE CONTRARY TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE 1982 UNCLOS RELATED TO THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE AND CONTINENTAL SHELVES OF COASTAL STATES. In this connection we called on all parties to respect THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE AND CONTINENTAL SHELVES OF COASTAL STATES as well as the freedom of navigation in and overflight over the South China Sea as provided for by the universally recognized principles of international law,inclusing the 1982 UNCLOS. “

Ano ang dapat parusa sa nagti-text habang nagmamaneho?

Published by Ellen on July 8, 2012

Don Mariano bus accident — Result of texting while driving

Wala palang batas na nagbabawal mag-text habang nagda-drive?

Sa dami ng ating mga mambabatas, dapat may mag-file na ng ganung batas. Huwag nang hintayin pa ng magbuwis pa ng maraming buhay sa aksidente.

Noong Miyerkules, naaksidente ang isang “Don Mariano” bus sa EDSA-Ortigas flyover. Sumampa sa railing. Mabuti lang hindi nahulog . Walong pasahero ang nasugatan. Maulan nang oras na iyon.

Hindi na nga maganda ang panahon na dapat maingat ang pagmamaneho. Ang siste, nagti-text pa ang driver kaya naaksidente, ayun sa mga pasahero.

Kapag nagmamaneho, dapat ang mata ay sa kalsada. Tapos itong driver, na nasa kamay ang buhay ng maraming pasahero, magti-text?

Paliwanag ni Commissioner Ricardo David sa sitwasyon sa NAIA1

Published by Ellen on July 7, 2012

Sumulat si Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Ricardo A. David ,Jr. na dating Philippine Armed Forces chief of staff, tungkol sa aking sinulat noong Hulyo 1 tungkol sa sobrang haba na pila sa immigration sa NAIA 1.

Ipinaliwanag ni Commissioner David na pitong buwan na nakasara ang ilang parte ng runway ng NAIA dahil inaayos kaya kailangan walang eroplano sa runway 30 minutos makalaampas ang hatingggabi. Dahil doon, sunod-sunod ang mga dating ng eroplano.

Ang problema, maliit talaga ang lugar para sa immigration sa NAIA I.

Ito ang isang parte ng sulat ni David: “Please be informed tha the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has commenced implementing a seven-month partial closure of the NAIA due to runway repairs from January to August 2012 from 00:30H to 5:30H, affecting departing and arriving flights at the NAIA.

Has Aquino thought of PH sovereignty in plan for U.S. spy plane over SCS?

Published by Ellen on July 5, 2012

Reuters interview — Claims he was taken out of context but affirms the idea.

President Aquino committed a major blunder when he disclosed to Reuters his plan to ask the United States to deploy spy planes over the Spratlys in South China Sea to help monitor the area which is being claimed by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Reuters’ quote of Aquino was “We might be requesting overflights on that.”

The report said Aquino was referring to U.S. P3C Orion spy planes. “We don’t have aircraft with those capabilities,” Reuters further quoted Aquino.

The blunder was shocking enough. Imagine the chief executive of the land announcing a major national security plan that would cede Philippine sovereignty to the United States!

But the tragedy is that Aquino does not even know that he committed a blunder.

The advantage of having De Lima as CJ: she will also be SC spokesperson

Published by Ellen on July 3, 2012

Based on Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s account of how she transitioned from being a “reluctant” nominee for Supreme Court chief justice to one who will be a “unifying force” in the judiciary, it happened after her meeting with President Aquino.

It is presumed that unlike Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares who decided to stay put at the Bureau of Internal Revenue after she was told that it is important that the reforms she has introduced in the agency have to sustained, De Lima was encouraged by the President.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said De Lima told him that the President’s encouragement consisted of “It’s up to you, you make your decision.”

Lacierda also said whatever decision De Lima makes, the President will respect it.

P100 million to combat human trafficking

Published by Ellen on July 1, 2012

DCIM100HPDVC — De Lima with Human trafficking victim

Amidst stories of Filipinos being lured by syndicates to a life of misery and degradation, here’s a silver lining:

Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad has granted the request of the Department of Justice for P100 million for the 2013 operations of the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking.

There were fears earlier that the DBM would only give IACAT P40 million which is even P10 million less.

Justice Undersecretary Jovy Salazar, who is in-charge of IACAT, said “The IACAT 2013 budget approval is a recognition and acknowledgment of the importance of what we do for the most vulnerable members of our society. We are truly grateful and up to the challenge.”

Hindi “fun” pagdating sa NAIA1

Published by Ellen on July 1, 2012

Interaksyon NAIA 1 photo — Interaksyon file photo

Hindi na bago itong reklamo ngunit uulitin ko na naman dito dahil ganun pa rin ang sitwasyun sa arrival sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport 1. Nakakadismaya na nakakainis. Sobra isang oras kaming nakapila sa Immigration noong Sabado ng gabi.

Hindi bale ako dahil tatlo at kalahati oras lang ang biyahe mula Seoul. Ang marami sa mga nakapila ay galing pa ng Amerika at ang iba ay galing Middle East at Europe na humigit-kumulang 14 oras ang biyahe. Siyempre pagod na sila. May mga bata na umiiyak.

It’s not fun arriving in the Philippines via NAIA1.

Ang dalawang J na namamayagpag sa Korea

Published by Ellen on July 1, 2012

Jessica Torralba Kang showing Amb Cruz her insurance agent license.

SEOUL,Korea – Nagkita kami ng ating ambassador sa Korea na si Luis T. Cruz at ilan sa kaniyang mga kasamahan sa embassy. Dumalo kasi ako dito sa seminar ng Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) tungkol sa relasyon ng human rights at internet.

Siyempre kuwentuhan ng kalagayan ng mga Pilipino dito sa Korea na karamihan ay nagtatrabaho sa mga factories. Ngunit ang marami din ay ang mga Pilipino na dito na talaga naninirahan. Umaabot sila ng 6,000 at marami sa kanila ay asawa ng mga Koreano.

Maraming success stories ng mga Pilipino dito sa Korea. Dalawa sa mga kuwento na yun ay sina Jessica Torralba Kang at Jasmine Lee. Parehong “J”.

Nakita ko sa Facebook ang litrato ni Jessica na pinapakita kay Ambassador Cruz ang kanyang lisensya bilang pinakaunang immigrant na nakakuha ng Insurance Agent Certification in South Korea. Nagtatrabaho si Jessica sa Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd.

More funds needed in fight vs human traffickers

Published by Ellen on June 29, 2012

Relatives of victims of human trafficking from MigranteB — Relatives of victims of human trafficking. Thanks to Migrante for photo.

Okay, the Philippines has evaded going back on the Watch List of the United States Department of State’s monitoring of Trafficking of Persons.

Considering that the government has intensified export of Filipino workers overseas because it cannot provide jobs for them, continuing to avoid going back in the Watch List is a consolation, however small because the ideal situation is that there should be jobs available for Filipinos in the country so that the father or mother, son or daughter does not need to be far away from his or her family in a strange environment just to earn a living.

Official rumor mongering

Published by Ellen on June 26, 2012

Why are high government officials so eager to release unverified information that later turn out to be false?

Spreading false information is not funny at all. Worse, it is coming from official sources.

Last Sunday, Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, released to media the information that a Chinese vessel rammed a Philippine fishing boat, Axl John, last June 20 on the waters near Bolinao, Pangasinan.

Four of the eight fishermen aboard Axl John were rescued but one later died. Four are still missing.

How sure was Ramos that it was a Chinese vessel? He said that was according to the fishermen who saw the markings on the ship. Apparently the name was not written in Roman alphabet which Filipinos are familiar with.

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