News Roundup 22 February 2023
Feb 22, 2023 • 4 min Read
‘Our lives, culture are priceless,’ say marchers vs Kaliwa Dam | PHILSTAR.COM – ANTIPOLO, Philippines — For Dumagat-Remontados who oppose the P12.2-billion Kaliwa Dam, the impacts of the destruction that will be caused by the project on their lives and on their home—the mighty Sierra Madre—are irreparable and cannot be compensated.
Community leader Conchita Calzado said their lives and heritage are priceless.
“No amount of money will compensate for the destruction of our forests and sacred grounds. We are opposing Kaliwa Dam because our culture is priceless,” Calzado said on Wednesday while resting on a sidewalk in Antipolo town.
Calzado is one of the members of Dumagat-Remontado communities in the provinces of Rizal and Quezon who have been walking for eight days and are about to complete their 150-kilometer journey from General Nakar town to Malacañan Palace in Manila.
They have been walking rain or shine, sometimes dealing with individuals who accuse them of being used by interest groups and by communist rebels. They deny these accusations, and stress that they are marching to defend their lands.
According to them, 1,400 Dumagat-Remontado families in Sierra Madre will be affected by the Kaliwa Dam. Project proponents, however, said that only 46 families will be directly impacted by the water reservoir.
The marchers will arrive at the presidential palace on Thursday, where they hope to persuade President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to halt the construction of the China-funded Kaliwa Dam.
Full Story at: ‘Our lives, culture are priceless,’ say marchers vs Kaliwa Dam | Philstar.com
Philippines, Australia explore possibility of South China Sea joint maritime patrols | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Just as the Philippines resumes its joint maritime patrols with the United States, Manila is now also exploring the possibility of conducting similar exercises with Australia in the West Philippine Sea.
In a joint press conference on Wednesday, Defense Officer in Charge Carlito Galvez Jr. and counterpart Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles both confirmed that the two countries are considering to conduct joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea.
“We did talk today about the possibility of exploring joint patrols and we will continue that work and we hope that that comes to fruition soon,” Marles said, adding that the South China Sea is one of the most important trade routes for Australia.
He noted that both the Philippines and Australia are committed to maintaining international rules-based order and asserting the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Full Story at: Philippines, Australia explore possibility of South China Sea joint maritime patrols | Philstar.com
Sugar imports ahead of SRA order questioned | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A shipment of sugar from Thailand arrived in the country a week before the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) approved the importation of 440,000 metric tons (MT) of the agricultural commodity, Sen. Risa Hontiveros bared on Tuesday, describing that incident as “government-sponsored smuggling.”
Hontiveros said it was the Bureau of Customs (BOC) that flagged the entry of the imported sugar when the shipment arrived at the Port of Batangas on Feb. 9, or six days before the SRA’s issuance of Sugar Order (SO) No. 6.
“Since these are not covered by SO 6, there is no other conclusion but to say that these sugar shipments are smuggled,” the senator said in a media briefing. “What other conclusion can be drawn other than that this is government-sponsored smuggling?”
Hontiveros presented documents showing the timeline of events, the officials who signed the papers, and the entry of the sugar shipment without going through the BOC’s rigorous inspection.
Full Story at: Sugar imports ahead of SRA order questioned | Inquirer News
NPA owns killings of 2 gov’t soldiers in Albay | INQUIRER.NET – LEGAZPI CITY — The Santos Binamera Command of the New People’s Army (NPA) Albay claimed responsibility for the killings of two soldiers on Monday morning in Camalig town, Albay.
“The 31st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army is responsible for many crimes against humanity in Albay, Sorsogon at Masbate,” NPA spokesperson, Florante Orobia, said in a statement.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Bicol on Tuesday, Feb. 21, condemned the killings.
“The attack on our security sector is an attack on the peace and stability of the country and the people they have sworn to serve and protect. We hope that justice will be served to the victims,” Lawyer Arlene Alangco, director of CHR Bicol, said in a statement.
The Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Division earlier reported that Private John Paul Adalim and Private Mark June Esico, both assigned to the 31st Infantry Battalion, were buying goods at the public market in Barangay Cotmon on Monday morning (Feb. 20), when shot and killed by three armed men.
The two soldiers were part of the augmentation force in the search-and-rescue operations for the missing four passengers of the Cessna plane that crashed on Feb. 18 near the summit crater of Mount Mayon, the Army said.Alangco said the victims were also part of the security detail of an ongoing construction project in the town.
