News Roundup 25 September 2023
Sep 25, 2023 • 5 min Read
Philippines to ‘take appropriate actions’ to remove China’s barrier, protect Filipino fishers | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will take appropriate measures to remove a barrier installed by the China Coast Guard at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) and protect the livelihood of Filipino fishers, government agencies said Monday.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said that the move of Beijing to put up a 300-meter floating barrier violates the traditional fishing rights of Filipinos and international law.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has been informed of the developments at the Bajo de Masinloc, according to Año.
The official added that the government will “take all appropriate actions to cause the removal of the barriers.”
Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard for West Philippine Sea matters, earlier said that the PCG cannot remove the floating devices without authorization from the national government.
The Department of Foreign Affairs stressed in a separate statement that the 2016 arbitral award affirmed that Bajo de Masinloc, located off the coast of Zambales, is a traditional fishing ground of Filipino fisherfolk.
“China’s reported installation of barriers and its negative impact on the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk or any other activity that infringes upon the Philippines’ sovereignty and jurisdiction in Bajo de Masinloc are violations of international law, particularly UNCLOS and the Arbitral Award,” the DFA said.
Full Story at: Philippines to ‘take appropriate actions’ to remove China’s barrier, protect Filipino fishers | Philstar.com
Stella Quimbo bares OVP’s P125M confidential funds spent in just 11 days | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines (Updated September 25, 2:52 p.m.) — The Office of the Vice President spent its P125 million confidential funds in just 11 days — even shorter than the 19 days initially detailed by Makabayan lawmakers, Rep. Stella Quimbo (Marikina) revealed during budget plenary debates at the House of Representatives.
Vice President Sara Duterte has repeatedly refused to detail how her office spent the secret funds she obtained in 2022 from the Office of the President, relying instead on statements name-calling her critics and on her allies — including Quimbo — to insist there was nothing improper in the expenditure.
During the lower chamber’s plenary debates for the proposed 2024 budget on Monday, Quimbo said that she was also “surprised” to read in news articles that the P125 lump sum was spent in just 19 days.
But it was actually spent in just 11 days based on the Commission on Audit (COA) records, Quimbo said.
“The truth is, I was also surprised when I read the news that it seemed to have been spent in 19 days. I asked COA and looked at various reports, but it was not spent in 19 days but in 11 days,” Quimbo said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Full Story at: Stella Quimbo bares OVP’s P125M confidential funds spent in just 11 days | Philstar.com
Speaker warns OTS chief: Resign before budget hearing or I’ll block it myself | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has issued an ultimatum to Office of Transport Security (OTS) Administrator Mao Aplasca to resign before the House of Representatives tackles the agency’s proposed budget or he will personally block it.
Romuladez said this on Monday, two days before the House hears the Department of Transportation (DOTr) budget.
OTS is an attached agency of the DOTr.
“I am advising the OTS chief: submit your courtesy resignation before the House of Representatives tackle the budget of your office,” Romualdez said.
“Mag-resign ka na. Kung hindi ka magsa-submit ng resignation, ako mismo ang magba-block ng approval ng budget ng OTS,” he said.
(You should resign. If you would not submit your resignation, I myself would block the approval of OTS’ budget.)
Full Story at: Speaker warns OTS chief: Resign before budget hearing (inquirer.net)
COA: AARs publication good for transparency, but Congress has final say | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — While annual audit reports (AAR) are important in ensuring transparency and accountability in government transactions, the Commission on Audit (COA) said on Monday that they would leave it to Congress to decide if these should be published.
Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo, who sponsored COA’s proposed 2024 budget, said this in response to questions from Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano regarding her views of Ombudsman Samuel Martires’ proposal to stop the publication of AARs.
Martires during the budget deliberations at the committee level asked Congress to consider stopping the publication of the AARs, as it might affect government officials who were called out by COA but are still allowed to address certain issues.
“The COA agrees that it is important for transparency purposes that AARs need to be published. However they also understand certain consequences for example, there are instances where AARs are used and weaponized against agencies, there are such unavoidable consequences,” Quimbo said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“And so they submit to the will of Congress as to what reforms we can think of, where we could balance these two needs. So on one hand the need to make all government transactions transparent but on the other hand how to balance or how to protect our audited agencies,” she added.
According to Quimbo, COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba is also looking at practices in other government agencies now, where reports are not uploaded but are made available through freedom of information (FOI) reports.
Full Story at: COA: AARs publication good for transparency, but Congress has final say | Inquirer News
