News Roundup 12 July 2022
Jul 12, 2022 • 4 min Read
US backs Philippines on WPS, warns that Washington will back Manila should there be armed attacks | PHILSTAR.COM – On the 6th anniversary of the 2016 Hague ruling, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to the Philippines and warns that it will back Manila should there be armed attacks. “We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke the U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press statement dated July 11. The Permanent Court of Arbitration, a United Nations-backed tribunal, ruled in 2016 that China’s claims over the South China Sea is invalid as the claims already exceeds Beijing’s maritime entitlements. It also ruled that some of the areas are already within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. Six years since the ruling, the Philippines has filed over 200 diplomatic protests as China refuses to recognize the ruling. This was also backed by a recent US study on coastal state maritime claims, as noted by Blinken, that China’s claims over the disputed waters remain “plainly inconsistent with international law.” “We call again on the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law and cease its provocative behavior. We will continue to work with allies and partners, as well as regional institutions like ASEAN, to protect and preserve the rules-based order,” Blinken said. In a separate statement, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo asserted that “these findings are no longer within the reach of denial and rebuttal, and are conclusive as they are indisputable.”
Hontiveros files bill declaring part of Philippine Rise a protected area | INQUIRER.NET – Sen. Risa Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 146 declaring a portion of the Philippine Rise, formerly known as Benham Rise, a protected area, and establishing a Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve Management Board. The bill is known as the “Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PRMRR) Act.” “This bill seeks to provide an added layer of protection for the pristine habitats of the Philippine Rise and establish the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve Management Board which will oversee the management of the protected area,” Hontiveros said in the bill’s explanatory note. The management board will be chaired by the secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Some of the prohibited acts under the proposed law include: – poaching, killing, destroying, or disturbing any wildlife within the protected area; – hunting, taking, collecting, gathering, or possessing any wildlife or any of its by-products, or resources, whether living or nonliving within the protected area without the necessary permit, authorization, or exemption; – possessing or transporting outside the protected area any wildlife, or by-products derived therefrom, which are ascertained to have been taken from the protected area; – using any fishing or harvesting gear or employing any practices, or any of their variations, that are unsustainable, or detrimental to coral reefs, seagrass or seaweed beds, or other marine life and their associated habitat; – securing a vessel in place either by using an anchor or tying onto any part of the reef – dumping, throwing, using, or causing to be dumped into or placed in the protected area of any toxic chemical, noxious or poisonous substance, or non-biodegradable material. – littering or depositing refuse or debris within the protected area; – possessing or using blasting caps or explosives anywhere within the protected area; – establishing or introducing exotic species, including GMOs or invasive alien species; – Prospecting, hunting, or locating hidden treasures within the protected area. Violators may face a fine of up to P5 million or imprisonment of up to six years depending on the gravity of the violation.
Bongbong Marcos nominates Toni Yulo-Loyzaga as DENR secretary | INQUIRER.NET – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has nominated Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Palace announced Tuesday. Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles made the announcement, but with a caveat that Yulo-Loyzaga’s nomination is still subject to the fulfillment of required documents. “The President has nominated Ms. Ma. Antonia ‘Toni’ Yulo-Loyzaga as Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources. Her nomination will still be subject to the fulfillment of the required documents,” Cruz-Angeles said in a statement. Yulo-Loyzaga previously served as chairperson of the International Advisory Board of the Manila Observatory where she worked to advance more scientific research on climate and disaster resilience. She also served as technical adviser of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and was a part of the Senior Advisory Board of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Command and General Staff College.
