With the leaders of the United States, Philippines and Japan scheduled to meet this week, tensions escalated further in the Indo-Pacific Region as China, upon learning that the militaries of the three allies along with that of Australia were holding maritime drills in the disputed waters of the South China last Sunday, said it would conduct its own “combat patrols” in the same area on the same day. But AFP chief Robert Brawner Jr. said the military exercises of the four allied countries went on unimpeded and that they saw no Chinese “combat patrols” in the vicinity.
Earlier on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said Chinese ships harassed Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea. PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said two CCG ships harassed Filipino fishermen supporting PCG and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels on a mission to drop floating aggregate devices in the area.
Meantime, National Security Council Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the Philippines is prepared to respond to China’s attempts to foil its supply missions in the South China Sea, adding that the operations will be adjusted to counter Beijing’s conduct in the waterway.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., at the same time, reminded Filipinos that they must “not lose sight” of the “main threat” on the sovereign rights of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea amid purported rumors of the “gentleman’s agreement” with China. He also warned Filipinos not to fall for Chinese propaganda.
Sen. Imee Marcos, older sister of President Marcos Jr., voiced another opposition to his brother’s latest pronouncement on the WPS tensions. She said Marcos’ recently signed measure beefing up the country’s maritime security welcomes “many trojan horse” of foreign interference.
Unlike her friend Imee, who has been very vocal on his brother’s policies, Vice President Sara Duterte maintained her silence over disputes with China. When asked about her stand on China’s continued aggression in the WPS, Sara curtly said: “No comment.”
But the militant group Akbayan said the Vice President’s “no comment” remark echoes the “dangerous depths of her allegiance” with Beijing, adding “no comment” means “no love” for the country.
Marcos and Kishida head to Washington this week for a first trilateral summit aimed at boosting defense ties, hot on the heels of four-way military drills in the South China Sea that riled Beijing.
Before departing for the US, Kishida said spiraling geopolitical tensions have pushed the world to a “historic turning point” and are forcing Japan to change its defense posture from a pacifist policy that it has followed since its surrender to the US min World War II.
On Monday, China expressed its opposition to “stoking bloc confrontation” in the West Philippine Sea, reacting to the upcoming trilateral summit of the Philippines, Japan, and the United States.
Still in the Homeland, a co-accused of Kingdom of Jesus Christ Pastor Apollo Quiboloy was arrested in Davao city while four others surrendered to authorities following the issuance of arrest warrants against them and Quiboloy. They each posted P80,000 bail for their conditional release.
Saying he won’t be “caught alive,” Quiboloy set conditions for his surrender, including written warranties from Marcos and law enforcement officials that he would not be turned over to the US to face several charges filed by the FBI.
The President assured Quiboloy that his government would exercise compassion in handling his case even as he rejected the setting of conditions for the fugitive preacher’s surrender.
In the meantime, as Quiboloy continued to evade arrest, the Davao police created a special team to spearhead the manhunt for the fugitive preacher.
Another high-profile fugitive, former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerard Bantag, who is accused in the assassination of broadcaster Percy Lapid Mabasa, evaded arrest again as he was nowhere to be found when the NBI raided two homes in Santa Rosa, Laguna and Caloocan City.
Another hot issue during the week was the extreme heat that forced thousands of schools throughout the country to suspend in-person classes.
The situation has led teachers group Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) to demand that the Department of Education (DepEd) speed up the return to the old academic calendar, with students get a two-month break during summer in April and May.
On the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, US President Joe Biden, in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an ultimatum to Israel that U.S. support in the Gaza war depends on “immediate” steps to protect civilians and aid workers.
The Israeli airstrikes that claimed the lives of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers last week have stunned and outraged Democrats in Congress, fueling a fresh effort by lawmakers to push President Biden to impose conditions on US military aid to Israel.
Immediately after the call, the Israeli military said that it had dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles in drone strikes in Gaza that killed seven aid workers on a food delivery mission, saying they had mishandled critical information and violated the army’s rules of engagement.
The war between Israel and Hamas entered its seventh month on Sunday as US and other negotiators were expected to join the protagonists in Cairo in a renewed push for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Also in the Middle East, the US. is on high alert for a potential attack on Israel or on American facilities in the Middle East in retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed Iranian commanders.
In Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmity Peskov said Russia and NATO are now in “direct confrontation”, as the US-led alliance marked its 75th anniversary on Thursday.
Earlier, Russia’s defense minister warned his French counterpart against deploying troops to Ukraine in a rare phone call and noted that Moscow is ready to take part in talks to end the conflict.
NATO said it could send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine for the first time under a plan to “Trump-proof” Western support for the war-torn nation In case Trump wins the US presidency.
Sources close to Trump reported during the week that the former President has privately said he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine by pressuring its embattled government to give up territory, despite the repeated and vehement refusal of Ukraine’s leaders to cede any land in the conflict.
On his legal troubles, Trump lost his bid to delay his April 15 trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star until the U.S. Supreme Court reviews claim to presidential immunity in a separate criminal case.
But Trump was able to beat the deadline on his civil fraud trial on Monday when a billionaire supporter whose California company is known for subprime auto loans and who has ties to one of the former president’s banks arranged his $175 million appeal bond.
Trump assured his billionaire donors during a fund-raising gala in Florida that he’d keep their taxes low as he emphasized the importance of extending his signature tax cuts to some of the nation’s wealthiest political donors
Solar eclipse mania gripped North America on Monday as a breathtaking celestial spectacle captivated tens of millions of people, offering a rare blend of scientific interest, commercial opportunity and daytime partying.
Today being the Day of Valor (formerly Bataan Day to mark the Fall of Bataan), we are re-publishing a lengthy article by Brad Lendon of CNN narrating the events that led to the Fall of Bataan, the infamous Death March, and a maritime tragedy that followed a handful of survivors.
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