News Roundup 22 November 2022
Nov 22, 2022 • 6 min Read
US VP Harris cites 2016 sea ruling in pitch for international rules-based order | PHILSTAR.COM – United States Vice President Kamala Harris puts emphasis on the 2016 Hague ruling on the arbitration case filed by the Philippines over the South China Sea in underscoring the importance of international law. As the final stop in her Philippine trip, Harris visited Puerto Princesa in Palawan, the province nearest to the disputed Spratlys island. She is the highest ranking US official to set foot on the province. “We must stand up for principles such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, unimpeded lawful commerce, the peaceful resolution of disputes and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and throughout the Indo Pacific,” Harris said in a speech delivered aboard the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Teresa Magbanua. The 2016 arbitration ruling invalidated China’s sweeping nine-dash claims over waters that included portions of the West Philippine Sea. China has continuously ignored the ruling, with the Philippines filing hundreds of diplomatic protests against its neighboring country. Washington has repeatedly said it will back Manila in case of armed attacks. “The tribunal’s decision is legally binding and must be respected. We will continue to rally our allies and partners again, unlawful and irresponsible behavior when the international rules based order is threatened somewhere is threatened everywhere,” Harris said. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning has commented on Harris’ Palawan trip, saying Beijing is not against the US interacting with regional countries. However, she reminded that the vice president’s visit “should be good for regional peace and stability and not damaging to other countries’ interests.” Harris also emphasized the role and responsibility of the Philippine Coast Guard in ensuring these norms are followed, especially in an area that has an impact on global trade. “The United States and the broader international community have a profound stake in the future of this region,” she said. “America’s prosperity relies on the billions of dollars that flow through these waters every day and we are proud to work with you in your mission.” Earlier Tuesday, she also met with leaders of Tagburos, a fishing village whose residents bear the brunt of illegal, unreported, and unregulating fishing. Harris departed the Philippines right after the engagement.
Marcos party boots former ES Vic Rodriguez over ‘disloyalty’, appointments | PHILSTAR.COM – Disgruntled over several appointments to government allegedly made through the intervention of former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, the fringe party chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expelled the erstwhile top Malacañang official who resigned in September. Rodriguez announced his resignation as executive secretary after being dragged into controversy. He said he would take on the role of the president’s chief of staff — a post that did not exist at the time — but said in October that he was out of the Marcos administration. Partido Federal ng Pilipinas kicked out Rodriguez earlier this month as member and executive vice president due to him being an “incompetent and notoriously undesirable public servant,” his supposed betrayal of the party and of Marcos’ trust and confidence, “abandonment, disloyalty and many other acts inimical to the party.” “PFP’s ties with respondent must be cut off immediately like a gangrene to prevent his further poisoning of the PFP body politic. [Rodriguez] must perforce be expelled from the party straightaway for its own good,” the party’s executive committee said in a resolution dated November 11 but published in full by News5 on Tuesday. Rodriguez’ expulsion from PFP stemmed from a complaint from party officials in the Bangsamoro region alleging that the “highly questionable” appointment of Christopher Pastarana as Philippine Ports Authority general manager was traced to the former executive secretary. The complaint — which heavily relied on blogs by broadcaster Anthony Taberna and hyperpartisan social media personality RJ Nieto, or more popularly known as Thinking Pinoy — claimed that Pastrana is one of the owners of Archipelago Philippines Ferries Corp. which supposedly owes P132 million to the Department of Transportation. But the party’s executive committee took offense over more appointments, particularly as “no PFP member … was ever appointed” to any government position. “There had been reports both among PFP members and non-members that [Rodriguez] treated with extreme discrimination and blocked all applications for appointment that PFP members submitted to his office,” the executive committee said in its 11-page resolution. The panel said it was able to confirm these reports and added that “PFP members helplessly observed, mostly in silence and submission” as other people who were supposedly less qualified, corrupt or were supporters of former Vice President Leni Robredo got appointed instead of them. “[Rodriguez,] as the Executive Vice President of the PFP was supposed to be our champion in the appointments process … Unfortunately, [he] put the PFP down,” the committee said. “In truth, [Rodriguez] became PFP’s tormentor. Our names did not make the president’s ‘short list’ thanks to [him.] He is like a bad dream to PFP, and to others of us even a nightmare,” it added.
Carpio: Harris visit a message to China that PH will have capability to defend itself | INQUIRER.NET – The visit of United States Vice President Kamala Harris to the Philippines will send a message to China that the country will have the capability to defend itself against any armed attack or attempt to take over its islands, retired Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Tuesday. Carpio said the visit is a reiteration of the US defense commitments to the Philippines, including the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Enhanced Cooperation Agreement (Edca). He said Harris’ visit to the Philippines is a message to China that the US will stand by its MDT commitment. “They [US] want to repeat it to reassure everybody, not only the Philippines but other countries, and particularly, this is a message to China that the Americans will stand by their MDT commitment,” he said in an interview over ABS CBN News Channel. Carpio added that the visit of the US Vice President is “important” since it is a message that the Philippines will have the capability to defend itself, especially with the Edca agreement with the US. He said under Edca, the US will preposition its weapons and military equipment in Philippine military bases, particularly in Palawan, including the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Carpio said Filipino soldiers will be trained to use the HIMARS which can be used should there be conflict in the South China Sea. “It is a message to China that the Philippines has the capability to defend Philippine-occupied islands in the Spratlys because right now we do not have that capability,” he said. “China can just invade Pagasa and there’s nothing we can do but with the HIMARS and later on we will acquire anti-ship missiles, we have the means to prevent and to fight back,” Carpio added. He said this message will deter China to initiate any attack on the Philippines.
