News Roundup 11 August 2023
Aug 11, 2023 • 5 min Read
Philippine military says will send more supplies to Ayungin Shoal | PHILSTAR.COM – PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan — The Philippines will send more supplies to a remote outpost on a reef in the disputed South China Sea as early as next week, a military commander said Thursday, days after Chinese boats disrupted a delivery.
A resupply mission last Saturday couldn’t unload all of its cargo after China Coast Guard ships blocked and fired water cannon at Philippine coast guard vessels and charter boats carrying food, water and fuel for Filipino troops stationed on Ayungin Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal.
The incident has ignited a diplomatic row between Manila and Beijing, and sparked international criticism of China’s actions.
A handful of marines are based on a World War II-vintage ship called the BRP Sierra Madre, which was deliberately grounded on the submerged reef in 1999 to check China’s advance in the hotly contested waters. The tiny garrison depends on regular deliveries for their survival.
One of the charter boats carrying supplies to the outpost on Saturday was prevented from reaching the shoal, while the other succeeded in unloading its cargo.
The next delivery would be “early next week hopefully, but definitely before the supply runs out. We’re on the clock now,” Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, chief of the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Palawan island, told reporters.
Carlos said they would use the same charter boats as last Saturday, adding that he hoped there would not be another water cannoning incident.
An airdrop was also being considered, he said.
Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometres from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan island.
The incident has fanned tensions between the countries, which have a long history of maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
Full Story at: Philippine military says will send more supplies to Ayungin Shoal | Philstar.com
‘Retail prices of rice can surpass 1998 crisis level’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The present high retail prices of rice are comparable to the 1998 rice crisis and can even surpass that level amid the continued spike in prices of the grains, Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) national manager Raul Montemayor said yesterday.
Montemayor earlier also warned of a repeat of the rice crisis in 2018 during the Duterte administration.
“During the rice crisis in October 2018, the highest retail price of regular milled rice was P46.19 per kilo and well-milled rice was P49.44 per kilo. We are now at that level and the peak harvest season will still be in October,” Montemayor said in an interview with The STAR.
While it is understandable that the government does not want to create panic, unless necessary actions are made “it (rice crisis) will blow up in their face and will affect President Marcos,” he added.
Montemayor noted that even if there is still supply of rice in the market, the price spike in the last few weeks already reached P7 per kilo.
He said there was an abrupt increase in the farmgate price of palay. From P23, it became P30, then P34 and now traders are procuring at P37 per kilo, which means that rice millers are willing to pay higher farmgate prices as they take advantage of the lean months.
“If the farmgate price of palay is P34 per kilo, the retail price of rice will range between P65 and P70 per kilo for premium grade. The retail price of regular milled rice is going up because a spike in the premium grade is influencing it,” he noted.
Full Story at: ‘Retail prices of rice can surpass 1998 crisis level’ | Philstar.com
Navy crew in resupply mission in BRP Sierra Madre says ‘they were unarmed’ | INQUIRER.NET – PALAWAN, Philippines — The Philippine Navy crew who joined the resupply mission in BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal said they were unarmed while doing the task.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Richard Lonogan said it’s because their mission is civilian in nature.
“The boat is civilian-owned, so we did not bring arms there,” Lonogan said in a press conference in Western Command headquarters here in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
“Our intention is to bring supply goods necessary for the sustainment of our troops in BRP [Sierra Madre],” Lonogan added. “The protection of the supply boats is the task of the Coast Guard.”
The China Coast Guard vessel fired a water cannon at a PCG vessel and a supply ship delivering food, water, fuel and other supplies to military personnel stationed in BRP Sierra Madre.
Full Story at: Navy crew in resupply mission in BRP Sierra Madre says ‘they were unarmed’ | Global News (inquirer.net)
Former AFP comptroller Carlos Garcia released from prison — BuCor | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday announced the release of retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia after over 17 years in prison.
Garcia was a former Armed Forces of the Philippines comptroller who was convicted for crimes including direct bribery and facilitating money laundering.
According to BuCor in a statement, Director General Gregorio Catapang carried out the order after Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla approved Garcia’s release.
BuCor said Garcia’s sentence was already fully served upon computation including the 3,288 good conduct time allowance (GCTA) under Republic Act 10592 or the law granting GCTA for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Under the said law, GCTA refers to a sentence reduction provision afforded to PDLs who show good behavior.
Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang carried out the order after Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla approved Garcia’s release, BuCor said.
Full Story at: Former AFP comptroller Carlos Garcia released from prison — BuCor | Inquirer News
