News Roundup 09 August 2023
Aug 09, 2023 • 4 min Read
US defense chief Austin condemns recent Chinese activities near Ayungin Shoal | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — United States Defense Chief Lloyd Austin III on Wednesday condemned China’s water canon attack near the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, stressing that the US supports the Philippines’ lawful rights to operate freely in the maritime domain.
In a recent phone call, Austin and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. discussed the situation, with Austin expressing his disapproval on China’s interference with the Philippine resupply mission to the Ayungin Shoal, also known as the Second Thomas Shoal.
“I was glad to speak today with Secretary Teodoro about U.S.-Philippines alliance cooperation. The United States stands with our allies in supporting their lawful rights to operate freely in the maritime domain,” Austin wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder released a statement on Wednesday, detailing the phone call between Teodoro and Austin.
“Secretary Austin condemned the China Coast Guard’s use of water cannons and other dangerous maneuvers, which put the safety of Philippine vessels and crew at risk,” the statement read.
Full Story at: US defense chief Austin condemns recent Chinese activities near Ayungin Shoal | Philstar.com
Rights groups condemn cops’ fatal shooting of minor due to ‘mistaken identity’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Rights advocates have condemned the recent killing of a minor by Navotas cops, stressing that the incident follows the same pattern of indiscriminate shooting by police forces.
The Navotas police’s claim of killing 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar due to “mistaken identity” is also a “flimsy excuse,” according to rights group Karapatan, which stressed the need for all police personnel to exercise due diligence in going after suspects.
What the Navotas police allegedly did was “cold-blooded murder,” said a representative of Karapatan.
“They should in fact exercise due diligence in every police operation. It is far worse to hear that they continued shooting when the victims were already in submission,” Karapatan spokesperson Michelle Agcaoili said in a statement.
Karapatan also drew parallels to the cases of Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, and other individuals killed in the drug war launched by the Duterte administration and stressed that incidents continue to occur due to a perceived lack of respect for life and rights within the police force.
“The killings are clearly not over. And these killings continue because it remains part of the police’s orientation and mindset to kill, kill, kill,” Agcaoili said.
Similarly, Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women’s Party) also condemned the shooting and highlighted the “culture of impunity” that persists within the country’s law enforcement agencies.
Full Story at: Rights groups condemn cops’ fatal shooting of minor due to ‘mistaken identity’ | Philstar.com
SC voids Romeo Jaloslos’ proclamation as Zamboanga del Norte congressman | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) invalidated the proclamation of Romeo Jaloslos Jr. as representative of Zamboanga del Norte’s 1st District in Congress.
In a decision penned by Justice Mario Lopez and made public Wednesday, the SC directed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to instead proclaim Roberto “Pinpin” Uy Jr. as Zamboanga del Norte’s 1st District congressman.
It also ruled that the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) has no jurisdiction over this case.
The SC’s public information office said in a statement that the high court set aside Comelec’s en banc order in May 2022 and resolution in June 2022 for being issued with “grave abuse of discretion.”
The SC decision stemmed from the results of the 2022 national and local elections when Uy ran against Romeo Jalosjos, Frederico Jalosjos, and Richard Amazon.
Full Story at: SC voids Romeo Jaloslos’ proclamation as Zamboanga del Norte congressman | Inquirer News
Coast Guard receives Japanese grant for satellite data communication system upgrade | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is expected to further bolster its vessels’ satellite data communication system through a grant from the Japanese government.
In a statement on Wednesday, the PCG said it received a ₱432 million grant from Japan to procure a state-of-the-art satellite data communication system for two of the Coast Guard’s 97-meter multi-role response vessels (MRRV) and ten of its 44-meter MRRVs.
The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines said this grant is part of Japan’s commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Full Story at: Coast Guard receives Japanese grant for satellite data communication system upgrade | Inquirer News
