News Roundup 18 July 2024
Jul 18, 2024 • 5 min Read
US senators urge Biden for ‘visible’ response to help Philippines thwart China | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Two ranking United States senators have urged US President Joe Biden to present military, economic and diplomatic options to help the Philippines stave off China’s further aggression in the South China Sea.
US senators Jim Risch and Roger Wicker, ranking members of the Senate foreign relations committee and the armed services committee, respectively, wrote to Biden on July 12, seeking urgent action to aid the Philippines in thwarting China in the contested waters.
The letter comes just before the US’ top military official arrived in the Philippines this week to finalize an intelligence-sharing deal with its longest treaty ally in the Asia-Pacific region amid China’s growing presence there.
In recent years, Chinese militia vessels have steadily expanded their presence in the South China Sea based on Beijing’s claim that it owns nearly all of the contested waters, including parts of the West Philippine Sea.
The US has routinely backed the Philippines over its altercations with China and expressed its “ironclad” commitment to defend the country, sparking concerns over how the South China Sea could become the staging ground for a violent showdown between the two powerful nations.
Risch and Wicker asked Biden in their letter to “respond with visible and concrete demonstrations” of the US’ support to the Philippines following a violent altercation between Chinese and Filipino vessels on June 19.
Full Story at: US senators urge Biden for ‘visible’ response to help Philippines thwart China | Philstar.com
Supreme Court asked to junk Quiboloy’s plea vs Senate arrest order | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Senate, through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition filed by fugitive doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy.
Quiboloy is challenging the contempt, arrest and detention order issued against him by the Senate on March 19. He also claimed that the Senate would violate his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
In a 45-page comment dated July 8, the OSG argued that Quiboloy’s claim is “mere speculation” and “misplaced.” The Senate maintains that if Quiboloy had attended the hearings as expected of all citizens, he would not be in this situation.
The OSG stated, “Petitioner seeks to carve out an exception for himself. Armed with only a speculative and misguided claim, he has the temerity to seek judicial succor even as he is openly and obstinately defying the authority of not one but two great branches of government.”
The OSG also noted that the right against self-incrimination may only be invoked by an accused during a criminal proceeding. A Senate inquiry, which Quiboloy was asked to attend, is not a criminal proceeding.
In January, the Senate invited Quiboloy to attend a committee hearing on alleged abuses committed by him and his church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Quiboloy did not attend any hearings and instead sent his lawyer. This led the Senate to cite him in contempt and issue an arrest order on March 19.
Full Story at: Supreme Court asked to junk Quiboloy’s plea vs Senate arrest order | Philstar.com
Solon, PAOCC agree Guo influenced Bamban execs even before election | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) believe suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo was able to exert her influence on Banban local government even before she was elected as she was able to somehow reclassify lands intended for agricultural use to commercial purposes.
The lands reclassified for commercial use, PAOCC spokesperson Winston John Casio told the House committee on public order and safety and the committee on games and amusements on Wednesday, was the site of the Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) hub operated by Hongsheng and later by, Zun Yuan.
“If you would look at the timeline po, so Baofu Land Development started as early as 2022 but by that time the then private citizen Alice Leal Guo or Guo Huaping was only at the beginning of her buying spree. She was buying lands for as low as 200 square meters to several hectares,” Casio said during the two panels’ motu proprio probe on illegal activities linked to Pogos.
Grand design
“There was a grand design as early as 2020. Now if you would take a look at the next part therein, you would see that she was able to seek the reclassification of what was formerly an agricultural piece of land, 7.9 hectares of that agricultural land, (were) reclassified into commercial and residential,” he added.
Full Story at: Solon, PAOCC agree Guo influenced Bamban even before election (inquirer.net)
Hacker apologizes for PH Navy cybersecurity breach | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Do something wrong, and the long arm of the law will catch you, the founder of the BloodSec International (BSI) group of hackers said Thursday.
“Basta gumawa kayo ng masama, may mga ahensya na hahabulin kayo. Hindi kayo makakatakbo. Kahit gaano kayo katagal magtago, mahuhuli kayo,” BSI founder Daniel Xavier Valdez said as he apologized to the Philippine Navy and Philippine Army.
(When you do something wrong, there will be government authorities that will go after you. You cannot run away, and no matter how long you hide, you will be caught.)
“Humihingi po ako ng pasensya sa ating Philippine Navy at ating Philippine Army sa pag-deface at sa pag-test [ng kanilang system] without papers,” said Valdez.
(I apologize to the Philippine Navy and Philippine Army for defacing and testing their system without papers.)
Valdez said his group defaced the Philippine Army website in 2016.
He said he tested the capability of the Navy’s system this year. However, he admitted that he did the testing without prior approval from military officials.
Full Story at: Hacker apologizes for PH Navy cybersecurity breach (inquirer.net)
