News Roundup 09 July 2024
Jul 09, 2024 • 5 min Read
Philippines-US nuclear deal for ‘peaceful uses’ takes effect | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The deal between the Philippines and the United States that will allow Washington to export nuclear technology to Manila for peaceful uses has taken effect, the US State Department announced on Tuesday.
The landmark nuclear cooperation pact, which the US hailed as a framework for “peaceful nuclear cooperation” based on non-proliferation commitments, came into force on July 2, around eight months after it was signed by country representatives at an economic summit in San Francisco, California.
This deal aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s plan to increasingly tap nuclear energy to meet the Philippines’ growing power demands, but the viability of nuclear as a clean energy source and the government’s slow transition to renewables has also been questioned by environmental and clean-energy advocacy groups.
The so-called 123 Agreement permits the transfer of nuclear material, equipment (including reactors), components, and information for nuclear research and civil nuclear energy production to the Philippines, the US State Department said in a statement.
The agreement also “[enhances] our cooperation on clean energy and energy security and strengthen our long-term bilateral diplomatic and economic relationships,” the US State Department added.
The agreement was named after Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, which requires the completion of a peaceful nuclear cooperation deal for the US to send significant amounts of nuclear material to a country.
The US State Department said that the deal builds on almost 80 years of peaceful nuclear cooperation between the US and the Philippines and establishes a continued civil nuclear trade between the two countries.
Full Story at: Philippines-US nuclear deal for ‘peaceful uses’ takes effect | Philstar.com
Philippines rejects China’s claim of destroying coral reef in Ayungin Shoal | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Tuesday rejected Chinese state media’s claim that its dilapidated warship grounded at Ayungin Shoal had wrecked the coral reefs in the area, saying instead that it is Beijing that has “jeopardized the natural habitat and the livelihood of thousands of Filipino fisherfolk” through its illegal island-building activities.
In a statement, Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson of the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), called for a third-party marine scientific assessment in the West Philippine Sea “by impartial recognized experts” and cast doubt on the credibility of the “experts” cited in the article by the Global Times, an English-language newspaper run by the Chinese Communist Party.
“The accusation against the Philippines by so-called ‘Chinese experts’ is false and a classic misdirection. It is China who has been found to have caused irreparable damage to corals,” Malaya said.
Malaya said that China’s destruction of the marine environment has been established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which ruled in 2016 that China built a large artificial island on Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef), inflicted “permanent, irreparable harm” to the coral habitat of Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef), and and commenced large-scale island building and construction work in Cuarteron Reef (Calderon Reef), Fiery Cross Reef (Kagitingan Reef), Gaven Reef (Burgos Reef), Johnson Reef (Mabini Reef), Hughes Reef (Mckennan Reef), and Subi Reef (Zamora Reef).
This is the same 2016 ruling by the Hague-based tribunal that ruled in favor of the Philippines and invalidated China’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea.
Full Story at: Philippines rejects China’s claim of destroying coral reef in Ayungin Shoal | Philstar.com
VP Duterte’s remark on truth-telling is ‘ironic, hollow’ – Castro | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Vice President Sara Duterte’s remark on truth-telling is “ironic” and “hollow,” Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list Rep. France Castro said on Tuesday.
Castro was referring to Duterte’s opening remarks during the National Press Conference (NSPC) in Carcar City, Cebu on Monday. The Vice President told students, “Never print, post, or circulate something that you know is not the truth.”
“It’s ironic that VP Sara Duterte is now lecturing students about not printing or circulating false information when she herself has been engaged in red-tagging and spreading fake news,” Castro said.
“How can VP Duterte tell students to ‘never print, post or circulate something that you know is not the truth’ when she has been at the forefront of spreading disinformation through red-tagging? This double standard is alarming and sets a dangerous precedent for our youth,” she added.
The House Minority Leader also pointed out that it was “hypocrisy” as the Vice President claimed in 2019 that “everybody lies” after the senatorial bets of the opposition accused the candidates of the Duterte administration of telling lies.
Full Story at: VP Duterte’s remarks on truth-telling is ‘ironic, hollow’ – Castro (inquirer.net)
Alice Guo must attend next Senate hearing on Bamban Pogo – Hontiveros | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday urged Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo to attend the next Senate hearing on her alleged involvement in the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hub in Bamban if she wants to clear her name.
According to Hontiveros, Guo and her legal team should respect the country’s laws.
Guo did not attend the last Senate hearing; her lawyer said she was not feeling well. During the previous hearings, Guo denied the allegations.
The Senate issued a subpoena to Guo, her parents, and three siblings, ordering them to appear at the Senate hearing on July 10.
However, the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms said in a letter dated July 4 that the subpoenas were not served because Guo had not been in their farm for several weeks, according to a farm helper. The Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms also said the farm helper did not know Guo’s siblings.
Full Story at: Alice Guo must attend next Senate hearing on Pogo – Hontiveros (inquirer.net)
