News Roundup 06 April 2024
Apr 06, 2024 • 4 min Read
China Coast Guard harassed PH ships anew, says PCG official | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The China Coast Guard (CCG) has again harassed Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official said Saturday.
The incident happened on Thursday, April 4, in the vicinity of Rozul Reef, which is located within the West Philippine Sea, PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela revealed on X (formerly Twitter).
He 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.
“While the Philippine Coast Guard vessel and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were dropping floating aggregate device (payao) in the vicinity of Rozul Reef, the two Chinese Coast Guard vessels (21551 and 21556) who were the usual interdictors in the resupply operation in Ayungin Shoal arrived and started harassing the Filipino Fishing Boats who were voluntarily supporting the PCG-BFAR operation last 04 April,” Tarriela narrated on X.
He added that the CCG vessels showed “unlawful behavior” during the incident.
“The Chinese Coast Guard vessels went as far as pretending to man their water cannons and threatening the Filipino fishermen, demonstrating China’s unlawful behavior aimed at depriving the Filipinos of their rights to access the resources in our Exclusive Economic Zone,” Tarriela said.
Full Story at: China Coast Guard harassed PH ships anew, says PCG official (inquirer.net)
PH combats fake news on West Philippine Sea spread by ‘trolls’ | INQUIRER.NET – LAPU-LAPU CITY — The fight on the West Philippine Sea has taken on another level: Fake news.
Aside from asserting the country’s claim on the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine government is fighting against fake news and misinformation that have been spread by pro-Chinese trolls, said Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson on West Philippine Sea.
The sad part, he added, was that some Filipinos participated in the spread of fake news.
“It really saddens me because I know for a fact that these trolls in social media, most of them are Filipinos. It is sad. The discussion on the West Philippine Sea is for the Philippines and these trolls are Filipinos. It means they are willing to receive money to counter our issue in the West Philippine Sea and that is the saddest part because what we talking here is our country,” Tarriela said in mixed English and Filipino.
“What really motivates them to do this? Probably financial gain. Obviously, somebody is paying them or funding them to carry out this misinformation and counter our factual narrative,” he added.
Undersecretary Jose Torres Jr., Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director General, called these trolls “traitors to their country.”
Full Story at: PH combats fake news on West Philippine Sea spread by ‘trolls’ (inquirer.net)
‘Illegal Coast Guard recruiter’ arrested in Parañaque City | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard commandant CG Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has ordered the arrest of an alleged illegal recruiter in Parañaque City on Friday.
Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo, in a statement on Saturday, said that the arrest was made following a report from one of their aspiring applicants.
The said recruiter, a certain Lowell Ace Dalnay, was reportedly offering “assistance on the Coast Guard nationwide recruitment application in exchange for money on 04 April 2024.”
“The PCG immediately coordinated with the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Southern Police District (PNP-CIDG SPD) for the conduct of an entrapment operation,” said the PCG.
“Upon confirmation of the payment transaction, the PCG-PNP team immediately apprehended the suspect.”
The operation resulted in the arrest of Dalnay in Parañaque City, who was said to be posing as a PNP intelligence officer.
Full Story at: ‘Illegal Coast Guard recruiter’ arrested in Parañaque City | Philstar.com
KOJC member ‘threatens media with rock’ outside Quiboloy property | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A member of Apollo Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) threatened journalists with a huge chunk of rock outside one of the latter’s properties ahead of a seven-day ultimatum set for the controversial religious leader’s arrest.
An unidentified man could be seen reaching for a brick-sized rock in Davao City on Friday while shoving the camera of a News5 crew, who were then filming TV footages outside The Children’s Joy Foundation, Inc. (CJFI) in Brgy. Indangan.
“Who did you gain permission from? This is not permitted,” said the man in his local language before leaving the media on Friday.
Quiboloy, who is subject to a warrant of arrest issued by a Davao Regional Trial Court (RTC) due to a child and sexual abuse complaint, is currently hiding from law enforcement officers — with some speculating of his presence inside the CJFI’s premises.
Only six days remain as of Saturday before the two warrants of arrest are returned to the Davao RTC Branch 12. After that, new warrants of arrest should be issued by the court.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been serving warrants to Quiboloy’s properties within the Davao and Samal Island for four days now.
Full Story at: KOJC member ‘threatens media with rock’ outside Quiboloy property | Philstar.com
