News Roundup 20 March 2024
Mar 20, 2024 • 5 min Read
Meeting with Blinken ‘absolutely necessary’ for PH-US ties – Marcos | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. deemed his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as “absolutely necessary” in boosting bilateral ties between the Philippines and the US.
Marcos made the pronouncement after meeting with Blinken on Tuesday during the latter’s courtesy call in Malacañang.
According to the Presidential Communications Office in a statement on Wednesday, some of the issues tackled by Marcos and Blinken included efforts to strengthen PH-US alliance, increased cooperation on trade and investment, as well promoting regional peace and security, defense modernization and economic cooperation.
“We are all familiar with the situations that you are having to deal with the world and it is extremely encouraging for the Philippines that despite all of these extremely important issues that you have to attend to that you consider the Philippines important enough to take time from all global–globally important issues to come with us in the Philippines here today,” Marcos told Blinken and members of his delegation.
“As with many meetings that we have with yourself, of these officials, our meetings always cover a great deal, great regard, wide scope and as again this happened in a quick chat that we just have and this is absolutely necessary. It is important that we continue to do that,” he added.
Full Story at: Meeting with Blinken ‘absolutely necessary’ for PH-US alliance (inquirer.net)
Philippine, US, French navies to sail in West PH Sea for Balikatan | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines, United States, and France will conduct sail in the West Philippine Sea next month in a move that is expected to irritate China.
The trilateral naval drills will be conducted as part of the 2024’s Balikatan exercise, according to Col. Michael Logico, the exercise’s executive agent.
“This is also a new thing,” Logico said of the trilateral naval drills distance during the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) regular press conference in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Logico explained the AFP conducts group sails during Balikatan but only inside the 12 nautical mile territorial waters of the country.
“Now we are venturing outwards,” he said.
Logico said at least four AFP ships and one from the French Navy will join the sail, while the total number of participating US Navy ships has yet to be determined.
The Philippines has a visiting forces agreement with the US, which is the basis of such activities.
The visiting forces agreement with France is still in the works, but Logico said Paris could nevertheless join such drills since it will be conducted outside the territorial waters.
Full Story at: Philippine, US, French navies to sail in West PH Sea (inquirer.net)
Lawyers file petition pushing Congress to enact law vs political dynasties | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A group of lawyers on Tuesday filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to compel Congress to enact a law prohibiting political dynasties in the country.
In a 46-page petition for mandamus filed by the lawyers before the SC, the group said that the 1987 Constitution has a prohibition against political dynasties which should be mandatory and that the Congress of the Philippines should have a law for it to be effective.
“Petitioners submit that the duty is ministerial, it is mandatory for Congress to pass a law defining and prohibiting political dynasties,” the plea read.
“As such, Petitioners take the stand that the Honorable Supreme Court, pursuant to the powers vested in it by law, can and should issue a Writ of Mandamus to compel Congress to perform that duty,” it added.
The petition is led by Philippine Bar Association president Rico Domingo, who is one of the lawyers of Rep. France Castro (ACT-Teachers) in the grave threat case against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Full Story at: Lawyers file petition pushing Congress to enact law vs political dynasties | Philstar.com
Islamic religion student slain near scene of deadly Maguindanao Sur ambush | PHILSTAR.COM – COTABATO CITY — Relatives want an extensive probe on the brutal killing of a 16-year-old Islamic religion student, found dead on Monday in Barangay Tuayan in Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao del Sur near where four soldiers were fatally ambushed by local terrorists the day before.
The patriarch of the slain Abdulrahman Esmail, Salahuddin, told reporters via mobile phone on Wednesday that there were signs that his son was tortured before he was shot in the upper torso that caused his death.
Esmail was a hafidz, which means one who is studying Islam in a Madrasah, or Islamic school, in Datu Hoffer.
“I learned of his death when I was notified by barangay officials that I need to get his cadaver from where they found it,” Salahuddin said in Filipino, in a Maguindanaon accent.
Four soldiers, Pvt. Marvin Dumaguing, Pvt. Jessie James Corpuz, Pfc. Carl Araña and Cpl. Creszaldy Espertero of units under the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, were killed in an ambush in Barangay Tuayan on Sunday by members of the Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
The four soldiers in a vehicle on their way to their command post in Barangay Tuayan when members of the two terrorist groups opened fire as they got close, killing all of them on the spot.
Their attackers finished them off with rifle shots in the head, according to barangay officials and the local police.
Full Story at: Islamic religion student slain near scene of deadly Maguindanao Sur ambush | Philstar.com
