News Roundup 18 May 2024
May 18, 2024 • 4 min Read
Carpio: New China Coast Guard regulation contrary to Unclos, UN Charter | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The new Chinese coast guard regulation is “contrary” and in “clear violation” of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the UN Charter, according to former Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
Carpio issued his statement after media reports revealed that China approved of a new policy authorizing its coast guard extensive powers to detain “trespassers” of what it calls its borders for up to 60 days without trial.
“The new Chinese coast guard regulation is clearly contrary to Unclos and the UN Charter. Under Unclos, no state can subject the high seas to its sovereignty,” Carpio said.
“Under this new Chinese regulation, the Chinese coast guard is authorized to arrest, detain, and expel foreign individuals or foreign vessels that sail in the high seas of the South China Sea. China’s new coast guard regulation is subjecting the high seas of the South China Sea to China’s sovereignty in clear violation of Unclos,” he added.
Carpio likewise pointed out that the July 12, 2016, Arbitral Award already invalidated China’s nine, now the 10-dash line that covers the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
“Under Unclos, only the coastal state has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its own EEZ. China has no jurisdiction over the EEZ of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, or Indonesia. Thus, China’s new coast guard regulation cannot apply in the EEZs of other coastal states,” the former SC justice asserted.
Full Story at: Carpio: New China Coast Guard regulation contrary to Unclos (inquirer.net)
Bongbong Marcos slams destabilization plots at PMA graduation | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday condemned “blatant attempts at destabilization” during the Philippine Military Academy’s Bagong Sinag Class of 2024 graduation ceremonies in Baguio.
Marcos emphasized that the country is experiencing a rebirth, referring to it as “Bagong Pilipinas” or “New Philippines.”
“This is a time of birth pains—sadly, of opportunism, blatant attempts at destabilization, and last-ditch efforts to cling to the rapidly disappearing past,” Marcos said in his speech. “But we must be resolute. We must hold on. We cannot turn back.”
Former senator Antonio Trillanes recently alleged a plot to overthrow Marcos’ administration, involving police and military officials, primarily from the Davao region.
Full Story at: Marcos slams destabilization plots at PMA graduation (inquirer.net)
Gov’t expects 100K rebels to avail of Marcos amnesty program | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Over 100,000 former rebels from communist and Moro separatist groups are expected to avail of the amnesty proclamations signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last year, according to the National Amnesty Commission (NAC).
NAC commissioner Nasser Marohomsalik shared the figures in a recent news forum held in Quezon City on Saturday. The bulk of applicants, according to him, will be coming from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and leftist groups.
“The numbers that we’re giving are still tentative. Around 100,000 will avail,” said Marohomsalik in Filipino.
“Thousands will come from the [Moro National Liberation Front], but there are still no figures submitted to us. But what we know is it’ll be in the thousands.”
The administration has four separate amnesty programs covering the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB), Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP), MILF and MNLF.
Marohomsalik said that the amnesty process will only commence after congressional concurrence, nothing the House of Representatives concurred with the proclamation of Marcos.
On the other hand, the Senate only made the concurrence for amnesty proclamations of the RPA-ABB, MILF, MNLF and the Kapatiran last March.
“The Senate have only given [the concurrence] for former rebels of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” the NAC official said.
Full Story at: Gov’t expects 100K rebels to avail of Marcos amnesty program | Philstar.com
Death penalty vs illegal garbage dumping in Abra draws ‘deep concern’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed its deep concern over a barangay ordinance in Bangued, Abra, which proposes “death penalty” for a third offense of illegal dumping of garbage.
This comes more than a week after Brgy. Calaba chairperson Renato Brasuela, four barangay councilors and a Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson were suspended for crafting an ordinance seeking to mete out “death” to violators.
“This ordinance not only represents a severe disregard for human rights but also trivializes the most fundamental right of all–the right to life,” said the CHR in a statement on Saturday.
“While we recognise the importance of proper waste management and ordinances that will improve residents’ waste disposal practices within their communities, such cruel directives and offenses does not address the problem, instead, it only perpetuates confusion, perplexity, and distress among the constituents.”
The ordinance, which was imposed in Calaba last February, aims to punish first time violators with a P1,000 fine, second time violators with a P1,000 fine and eight hours of community service and third time offenders with the penalty of “being shot.”
Full Story at: Death penalty vs illegal garbage dumping in Abra draws ‘deep concern’ | Philstar.com
