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PH, Vietnam to hold naval drills, scientific research in South China Sea

Published by Ellen on November 16, 2015

President Aquino and Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang met during the 2014 APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Beijing, China . (Malacañang Photo Bureau)

(On Tuesday, Nov. 17, on the sidelines of the 23rd APEC Leaders Meeting, President Aquino and Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang will hold bilateral talks in Malacanang. They will finally be signing the “Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the Republic of the Philippines and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” which had long been prepared. VERA Files is reposting this article which was first published on April 24, 2015.)

By Tessa Jamandre and Ellen Tordesillas
VERA Files

The Philippines and Vietnam have agreed to conduct joint naval drills and scientific studies amid concerns over China’s intensified reclamations in the South China Sea.

The planned activities are part of the soon-to-be signed “Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the Republic of the Philippines and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” a copy of which was obtained by VERA Files.

In the strategic partnership agreement, which is considered a final draft until it is signed, the Philippines and Vietnam “reaffirm their commitment to resolve territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, as well as to the freedom of navigation in and over flight above the SCS (South China Sea) all in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”

In awe of how the French handled the crisis

Published by Ellen on November 15, 2015

Pres. Hollande declares state of emergency. Televised address Saturday.

We join everybody in condemning the attacks in Paris and nearby places that killed more than 120 people and injured about 200 Friday night.

There’s no justification for violence perpetrated on innocent people.

The group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), a fanatical group that aims to transform the entire earth as an Islamic State and promotes religious violence to achieve its goals, has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A Metro Manila never seen before during APEC2015

Published by Ellen on November 12, 2015

Next week, we will experience Metro Manila we have not seen before.

For the 23rd summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC which will be held in Manila on Nov. 18 and 19, stringent measures will be implemented to ensure the safety of leaders or their representatives of the 21 member Economies.

A number of roads leading to the Philippine International Convention Center will be closed from Nov. 16 to 19. Same thing with roads leading to the Mall of Asia Arena where the Leaders will attend an evening event. (Click here for the detailed advisories on road closures: http://apec2015.ph/2015/10/27/apec-aelm-road-advisories/

Covering reality for APEC visitors. Pasong Tamo st. Photo by Chips Guevara from Manila Coconuts.co.

Alibaba’s Jack Ma in APEC

Published by Ellen on November 10, 2015

Aside from President Xi Jinping, another APEC guest from China is stirring interest.

He is Jack Ma, founder and chairman of the Alibaba Group, the largest marketplace in the world which is expected to be worth over $150 Billion by next year, according to Forbes.com.

Ma is the second richest man in China (Forbes: $28.7 billion) and is the 18th richest man in the world.

He will be one of the speakers in the APEC2015 CEO Summit to be held on Nov. 16 to 18 at the Makati Shangrila in Makati.

South China Sea looms large even if not in APEC 2015 agenda

Published by Ellen on November 9, 2015

South China Sea looms large even if it is not in the agenda of the 23rd meeting of the leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Manila on Nov. 18 and 19.

Foreign Undersecretary Lula del Rosario, chair of the APEC 2015 Senior Officials Meetings, which did all the vital spadework for the Foreign Ministers Meeting and the Leaders Meeting, gave two reasons why South China Sea is not in the agenda.

First, the South China Sea issue is political.

Second, South China Sea is not common to all APEC members.

APEC is an organization of Economies, not countries (That’s why Hongkong is member separate from China. So is Taiwan.) Started in 1989, APEC’s primary goal is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
Its 21 member economies are home to around 2.8 billion people and represent approximately 57 per cent of world GDP and 47 per cent of world trade in 2012.

Tanim-bala: Nagpapatunay ng kawalang kakayahan ni PNoy bilang lider

Published by Ellen on November 8, 2015

Tanggap ko na na mahina talaga si Pangulong Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III bilang administrator ng bayan. Kasama na sa kanyang kahinaan na ‘yan ang pagpili ng mga tao na kasama niya sa pagpatakbo ng bayan.

Ngunit hindi ko akalain na ganu’n siya at ang kanyang mga kasamahan kawalang alam tungkol sa ordinaryong pamumuhay ng Filipino. Dito sa isyu ng tanim-bala, lumabas talaga angkawalan ng kakayahan mamuno ni Aquino.

Isa pa itong si Mar Roxas na kandidato ng Liberal Party (LP) sa pagka-presidente sa 2016. Inindorso siya ni Aquino para raw ipagpatuloy ang kayang Tuwid na Daan. ‘Yung naman ang isinusulong ni Roxas sa kanyang kampanya.

Hindi nakapagtataka.

Noong isang araw, sinabi ni Roxas sindikato raw ang may kagagawan ng tanim-bala sa NAIA na maliban sa perwisyo na binibigay sa mga kawawang biktima ay naging malaking kahihiyan para sa Pilipinas. Kailangan daw mapanagot ang mga may kagagawan nito.

Maganda pakinggan. Kaya lang, bakit ngayon ka lang nagsalita? Mag-iisang buwan na ang isyu at hindi ninyo pinansin ‘yan. Hello??

Sabi ni Press Sec. Sonny Coloma noong isang buwan nang ibinalita ang pagditene sa isang 56 taong gulang na OFW papuntang Hongkong dahil may nakitang bala sa kanyang maleta, na masyado naman daw pinapalaki ng media ang isyu samantalang libu-libo raw ang dumadaan sa NAIA. “Iilan lang naman ang ganitong mga nakitaan ng bala,” sabi niya.

UN Arbitral Panel Rules In Favor of the Philippines: Now What?

Published by Ellen on November 7, 2015

Former Foreign Secretary Roberto R. Romulo

By Roberto R. Romulo

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario’s dogged determination to pursue the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea dispute through the rule of law has proven his approach correct. The court ruled that the case was “properly constituted” under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, that China’s “non-appearance” (i.e., refusal to participate) did not preclude the Court’s jurisdiction, and that the Philippines was within its rights in filing the case.

In the period before the ruling, there was a lot of pressure on the Secretary to dial down his stance and seek accommodation with China. While China has insisted on resolving the issue on a bilateral basis, the Secretary has maintained that this would leave us at a disadvantage and that in the instances where we tried to open dialogue, China has been unresponsive. That said, now that our hand has been strengthened, the argument in favour of the merits of seeking a peaceful, managed resolution has I think become even more persuasive. However, the responsibility of how to respond to this challenge will now have to be made by the incoming Administration. Unfortunately, the sounds currently coming from presidential aspirants or supporters of the aspirants reveal a misunderstanding of what the case is all about, claiming victory for our sovereign rights over the area. They have to get up to speed on the issue and determine the best way forward to protect the national interest rather than engaging in just nationalistic rhetoric.

Take an APEC vacation

Published by Ellen on November 4, 2015

Unless you are a participant or in the support staff of the coming summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, this is the best time to go on vacation. Anywhere. Just leave Metro Manila.

There will be 21 Leaders who will be coming for the Nov. 18 and 19 meeting to be held at the Philippine International Convention Center on Roxas Boulevard. U.S. President Obama will be here. So are China’s Xi Jinping (he has not said he won’t attend) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Canada’s new-elected Prime Minister, the young and very-good looking Justin Trudeau will also be coming.

The U.N. Arbitral Tribunal decision on PH case vs China

Published by Ellen on November 1, 2015

No amount of China’s protestation that the Oct 29 decision of the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal is “null and void” and it has “no binding effect” on them, cancels the fact that it’s a major blow to them.

Filipinos, on the other hand, should understand that the U.N. Arbitral Court’s decision, although a win for the country, does not award the disputed islands and waters of Spratlys to the Philippines.

That’s precisely because that is not what the Philippines asked from the U.N. Arbitral Tribunal when it filed the case against China on Jan. 22, 2013.

Members of the Tribunal: Judge Thomas A. Mensah of Ghana, president; Judge Jean-Pierre Cot of France; Judge Stanislaw Pawlak of Poland; Professor Alfred Soons of the Netherlands; and Judge Rüdiger Wolfrum of Germany. — Members of the Tribunal: Judge Thomas A. Mensah of Ghana, president; Judge Jean-Pierre Cot of
France; Judge Stanislaw Pawlak of Poland; Professor Alfred Soons of the Netherlands; and Judge Rüdiger
Wolfrum of Germany.

China on UN Arbitral Court decision in favor of PH: null and void

Published by Ellen on October 30, 2015

Peace Palace which houses the Permanent Court of Arbitration

China is not honoring the decision of the United Nations Arbitral Court that it has jurisdiction on the case filed by the Philippines against them, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement today.

China instead urged the Philippines to resolve the dispute through negotiations and consultations.

“The award rendered on 29 October 2015 by the Arbitral Tribunal established at the request of the Republic of the Philippines (hereinafter referred to as the “Arbitral Tribunal”) on jurisdiction and admissibility of the South China Sea arbitration is null and void, and has no binding effect on China,” the statement said.

On January 22, 2013, the Philippines asked the arbitral tribunal to rule on three basic issues: The validity of China’s nine-dash lines; Low tide elevations where China has built permanent structures should be declared as forming part of the Philippine Continental shelf; and That the waters outside the 12 nautical miles surrounding the Panatag Island (Scarbourough shoal) should be declared as part of the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone.

China refused to participate in the proceedings saying the U.N. Court has no jurisdiction on the conflict.

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