News Roundup 11 April 2024
Apr 11, 2024 • 5 min Read
China claims sovereignty over Pagasa Island; accuses PH of encroachment | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — China asserted its sovereign rights over Pagasa Island on Thursday, accusing the Philippines, in return, of “illegally occupying” the area.
“This is our waters. I have no other [information] for you,” Chinese embassy told INQUIRER.net in a Viber message when it was asked about the reported presence of its vessels near Philippine-governed Pagasa Island earlier this week.
“Zhongye Dao (Pagasa Island) is illegally occupied by the Philippines. China has sovereignty over Nansha Qundao, Zhongsha Qundao, including Huangyan Dao, Zhongye Dao, and their adjacent waters, and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters,” it also said.
INQUIRER.net sought confirmation from the Philippine Coast Guard, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs on whether or not there’s truth to the reported presence of Chinese vessels near Pagasa Island, but none of the three agencies have so far provided data on it.
The DFA, however, previously defied China’s claims and insisted that the Philippines owns the area.
“Pag-asa island is part of the [Kalayaan Island Group] over which the Philippines exercises territorial sovereignty, jurisdiction and effective administration in accordance with international law,” it said.
Full Story at: China claims sovereignty over Pagasa Island (inquirer.net)
$100-B investments seen to flow into PH in 5-10 years – US envoy | INQUIRER.NET – WASHINGTON, DC — Investments of around $100 billion can flow into the Philippines in the next five to 10 years, Philippine Ambassador to the United States (US) Jose Manuel Romualdez said on Wednesday (Eastern time).
In a press briefing at the Philippine Embassy here—a day before the first-ever trilateral summit between the Philippines, US, and Japan—Romualdez said there are a lot of areas where investors are interested in putting their money in.
Romualdez said they got these estimates from businesses and economic managers as the Philippines has been gearing towards liberalization of its economy.
Hundred billion in investments
“I’m afraid I don’t have the ballpark figure but I can tell you, that the figures I’ve been hearing — this may sound a little bit expanded in a way—but were talking about a hundred billion in investments in the next five to ten years, perhaps even five years would probably be more appropriate,” Romualdez said when asked for a figure on the investments that would come into the Philippines.
“We have a lot of areas where we are putting ourselves, our economic managers are putting our country into a situation where we’re opening up our economy, especially in energy which is very important for us, and also of course in digital infrastructure and infrastructure, physical infrastructure, as also one of the other aspects of our economic package that we’d like to offer for potential investors,” he added.
Full Story at: $100-B investments seen to flow into PH in 5-10 years – US envoy (inquirer.net)
Quiboloy ordered arrested by Pasig court | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 159 issued a warrant of arrest against fugitive doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Thursday afternoon.
The arrest warrant is for the charge under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 which was the once-dismissed case of Quiboloy and five of his associates in 2020.
The Department of Justice reversed the charge last month and filed the qualified trafficking of persons charge before the Pasig RTC.
Quiboloy’s co-accused in the anti-trafficking case, Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Enteng Canada, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemañes, are also his co-accused in the child and sexual abuse case lodged before a Davao court.
The Davao court issued a warrant of arrest against the preacher and his associates last week.
Quiboloy’s co-accused posted bail before the case in Davao court where four surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation and one was arrested. The Pasig RTC case, however, is not bailable.
If found guilty, Quiboloy and his co-accused may face life imprisonment and a fine of not less than P2 million but not more than P5 million pesos.
The Pasig RTC also said that it denied the motion to defer/suspend the proceedings filed by the camp of Quiboloy.
Full Story at: Quiboloy ordered arrested by Pasig court | Philstar.com
Tulfo beats Sara in 2028 ‘match-up’ polls – OCTA | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — If the 2028 presidential race would be down to two leading candidates, Sen. Raffy Tulfo will win by a significant margin against Vice President Sara Duterte, based on commissioned polls conducted by the OCTA Research group.
“In all the survey results, Sen. Raffy Tulfo won by a margin of some 10 to 15 points,” OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye told One News’ “Storycon” on Tuesday.
“No survey that we have come up with show that, in a one-on-one situation, did Sara Duterte win over Sen. Raffy Tulfo,” he said as he disclosed the results of three commissioned surveys they conducted related to the 2028 presidential elections.
Rye stressed that these findings “don’t really matter” because a two-way presidential race never happened post-EDSA.
“What I’m trying to say, maybe in a real election, in a traditional election in the Philippines, you don’t have just one or two candidates,” he said.
“In a three- or four-way contest, these numbers will change. It’s slightly going to favor VP Sara or the candidates with a bailiwick,” he noted.
Too early
During the interview, Rye also stressed that it is still too early to conduct surveys on the 2028 presidential elections, saying there is “so much that will happen between now and 2028.”
He was responding to Tulfo’s request that his name be taken out of surveys for the next presidential elections.
“We respect the opinion of Sen. Raffy Tulfo. We’ll discuss it, and most likely we will take his name out. It’s really too early to do polls for 2028,” Rye said.
Full Story at: Tulfo beats Sara in 2028 ‘match-up’ polls – OCTA | Philstar.com
