News Roundup 26 October 2022
Oct 26, 2022 • 5 min Read
With fences mended, Philippines and US plan dialogue on security alliance | PHILSTAR.COM – Officials of the United States and the Philippines will soon meet to discuss the ever-changing security situation in the Asia Pacific as the two countries rekindle ties that cooled during the Duterte administration. US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue and a 2+2 Dialogue will be held “in the coming months” between US and Philippine senior-most foreign and defense officials. “These meetings represent important opportunities to reiterate our shared vision of the alliance and offer a platform to explore ways we can modernize the alliance to confront today’s complex challenges to our regional security interests,” Carlson said during the Mangrove Forum on Wednesday. The US is the Philippines only military ally through the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and is its former colonizer. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo met in August, during the former’s brief visit to Manila where he underscored Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to the Philippines. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last month hosted Department of National Defense Officer-in-Charge Jose Faustino Jr. in Hawaii, where both officials discussed potential ways to expand cooperation. Faustino on Wednesday also emphasized how the security alliance has since expanded beyond the scope of traditional security. Although President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has already nudged the US to ramp up its military assistance to the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and civilian law enforcement. “Our respective governments demonstrated over the past year a renewed commitment to pursuing even closer cooperation as equal and sovereign partners,” Manalo said on Wednesday.
Bongbong Marcos doubts ‘middleman’ in Percy Lapid slay died of natural causes | INQUIRER.NET –President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he is not convinced that the alleged middleman behind the assassination of veteran broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa has died of natural causes. Marcos said that even though the toxicology report on the death of Cristito Villamor Palaña (previously identified as Crisanto or Jun Villamor) came back negative for foul play, he asked authorities to dig deeper. “The toxicology report came back. Walang lason o gamot na binigay doon sa namatay. But I’m still not satisfied that it’s natural causes,” he said in a chance interview at the sidelines of the National Information and Communications Technology Summit 2022 at the Manila Hotel. (There is no poison nor medicine given to the deceased.) “Sabi ko tingnan ninyo nang mabuti because there are ways to kill a person that do not show up in the medico legal,” the President added. (I said examine it very carefully because there are ways to kill a person that do not show up in the medico legal.) Palaña was earlier reported to be “dead on arrival” at the NBP hospital at 2:05 p.m. on Oct. 18, just hours after the alleged gunman to Lapid’s killing, Joel Escorial, was presented to the public in a news conference. The initial autopsy report did not specify the cause of his death while Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag insisted he died of “cardiac arrest.” Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said he suspected foul play might have been involved in the death of the alleged middleman, saying the timing is “questionable.”
Bantag denies involvement in Percy Lapid slay: Anong mapapala ko diyan? | INQUIRER.NET – Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director-general Gerald Bantag on Wednesday denied his involvement in the assassination of Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa, saying he has nothing to gain from it. Bantag also said he has since received flak since assuming the post but none of his critics has been killed. “Wala po. Anong mapapala ko diyan?,” he said in an interview over dzRH when asked if he was behind the killing. (I’m not behind it. What would I gain?) “Nagtagal na tayo sa BuCor, ang dami namang bumatikos sa ating mga blogger na ganyan. Wala namang namamatay na gano’n,” Bantag added. (We have been in BuCor for a long time. Many bloggers have criticized me but no one has died.) He also denied claims of a lavish lifestyle resulting from his post as the BuCor chief. “’Yung pinakita na video, tinawanan ko nga dahil sabi ko para namang lalabas ngayon akin lahat ang sasakyan. Anim na sasakyan ng BuCor ang gamit ko? Siyempre may personal din ako,” Bantag said. (I just laughed at the video because it is making it look like I own all the cars in BuCor. I also have a personal car.) “Ano bang ranggo ko? Galing akong Marine, galing akong serbisyo. Diba ako nakakapagtabi rin? Ang kuri-kuripot ng kasama ko, kuripot na makunat pa. Makakapagtabi kahit sino. Kahit magbobote nakakabili ng motor, nakakabili ng kotse. Ako pa kaya na stable din ang trabaho ko?” he added. (What is my rank? I came from the Marines, I came from the service. Of course, I will be able to save some money. Even scavengers can buy a motor[cycle] or a car, all the more that I can since I have a stable job.) Bantag was referring to the video shown by Lapid during his radio show, showing the supposed house and 11 vehicles of Bantag lined up along the street in an exclusive subdivision in Laguna province. The suspended BuCor chief is one of the 160 personalities tagged as persons of interest in the fatal ambush of Lapid, according to the Philippine National Police. This is based on the police’s review of about 600 of Lapid’s posts, where they identified 160 of the slain radio broadcaster’s frequent targets on his program since 2021.
