News Roundup 28 June 2024
Jun 28, 2024 • 5 min Read
US tells China that Philippines support ‘ironclad’ | PHILSTAR.COM – WASHINGTON, United States — A top US official on Thursday told a Chinese counterpart that Washington’s defense commitments to the Philippines were “ironclad” after a violent clash in the South China Sea.
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell “raised serious concerns” about Chinese actions in a call with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, the State Department said.
Campbell “reiterated that US commitments to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty remain ironclad,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Campbell also called for “peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait, in the wake of China’s military drills around the self-governing democracy following the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, and renewed US concerns about Chinese exports that support Russia’s defense industry.
Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an ax surrounded and boarded three Filipino navy boats last week, in the most serious of a number of escalating confrontations.
China has been asserting claims in the strategic South China Sea and separately has put pressure on Taiwan, which it considers part of its territory awaiting reunification.
The United States provides weapons to Taiwan but has been deliberately ambiguous on whether it would come to its defense in a Chinese invasion.
By contrast, the United States has a defense treaty with the Philippines that dates to 1951 that says Washington will come to its former colony’s aid in case of an “armed attack.”
Full Story at: US tells China that Philippines support ‘ironclad’ | Philstar.com
Hontiveros: Deportation won’t save Guo from jail time in the Philippines | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — If a Philippine court convicts her, suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo will have to serve her sentence in the country before being deported, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Friday.
In a virtual press conference on Friday, the senator said that she was assured by Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, head of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, that Guo would have to complete her sentence in the country if she is convicted of the crimes that have been filed against her by the Philippine government.
“Even if she gets a penalty of deportation, if she is convicted in any of the cases, she will first have to serve her sentence in the Philippines,” Hontivero said in Filipino.
Ejecting Guo from the country will not give her a “free pass” from facing the “consequences” if she is found guilty of violating the country’s laws by local courts, Hontiveros added.
Guo is facing the non-bailable offense of qualified human trafficking, which was filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) nearly a week ago.
Full Story at: Hontiveros: Deportation won’t save Guo from jail time in the Philippines | Philstar.com
Marcos can’t use de Lima acquittal for ignoring ICC – Lagman, Castro | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Two opposition lawmakers are questioning President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s use of former Sen. Leila de Lima’s recent acquittal as proof that the justice system is working — so the government need not cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) probe of his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.
“The much-belated acquittal of former Senator Leila De Lima of all the Duterte-fabricated drug charges against her does not evince that the Philippine justice system is working for all drug offenders and victims,” Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman, the Liberal Party president, said in a statement on Friday.
“As long as former President Rodrigo Duterte, the principal instigator of the drug-related extrajudicial killings is not indicted before the proper Philippine court, the Philippine justice system still fails to work for all the perpetrators and their victims,” he added.
Not a reason for refusing to cooperate
Lagman’s statement came a day after Marcos, in an ambush interview with reporters, said that de Lima’s acquittal proved that the Philippine justice system was working.
“Maybe this is something we should show the ICC. The judiciary is working properly. Our investigative services are working properly and former senator De Lima has been acquitted. I don’t know what further comments there could be,” he said.
But Lagman said that a working justice system could not be used as a reason for refusing to cooperate with ICC.
“Complementarity of a ‘working justice system’ cannot be invoked by the Philippines for exemption from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the case of the complaint for alleged crimes against humanity committed by Duterte and his principal cohorts,” he noted.
Full Story at: Marcos can’t use de Lima acquittal for ignoring ICC – 2 House reps (inquirer.net)
Hontiveros distances from Trillanes’ anti-Duterte alliance bid | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros distanced herself from former senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s proposal of an anti-Duterte coalition with the Marcos administration.
According to Hontiveros, the opposition looks at “forming its own offer distinct from that of the administration.”
“I understand where former Sen. Sonny Trillanes is coming from. At naiintindihan ko siya dahil magka alyado kami, at the same time I treasure yung pagkakakilanlan namin at ko rin bilang oposisyon,” said Hontiveros in a press conference.
(I understand where former Sen. Sonny Trillanes is coming from. And I know him because we are allies; at the same time, I treasure our identity as the opposition.)
“And I think bagamat mahalaga na mapigilan yung pagbalik sa ganap na kapangyarihan ng mga Duterte, at the same time, may mga unresolved issue sa ating kasaysayan ng human rights violations at mga plunder,” she added.
(And I think although it is important to prevent the Dutertes’ return to absolute power, at the same time, there are unresolved issues in our history of human rights violations and plunder.)
Full Story at: Hontiveros distances from Trillanes’ anti-Duterte alliance bid (inquirer.net)
