News Roundup 27 October 2024
Oct 27, 2024 • 4 min Read
Singapore, Malaysia air assets arrive to aid Kristine relief efforts | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Military aircraft from Singapore and Malaysia arrived in the country on Saturday to provide assistance for the ongoing relief operations following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami).
A C-130 cargo aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and a Eurocopter EC725 transport helicopter from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) arrived at Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Saturday evening, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said.
These aircraft are set to play a crucial role in bolstering the Philippine Air Force’s ongoing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) operations in areas affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, according to a statement of Col. Ma. Consular Castillo, chief of PAF Public Affairs Office.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. welcomed the arrival of the aircraft with Malaysian Ambassador Dato Abd Malik Castelino, Singaporean Ambassador Constance See, and PAF Commanding General Lt. Gen. Stephen Parreño.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Army (PA) stepped up its relief operations in the province of Camarines Sur, one of the hardest hit areas of Kristine.
Two Urban Search and Rescue Teams (USAR) of the 525th Combat Engineer “Forerunner” Battalion distributed around 1,100 food packs and 18 boxes of drinking water for families in Barangays San Miguel, San Ramon, Umbao, Causip and San Roque in Bula town.
Full Story at: Singapore, Malaysia air assets arrive to aid Kristine relief efforts
Gov’t releases P130-M aid to flood-hit Bicol | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The national government released P130-million aid to the Bicol Region, which was battered by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami), the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Sunday.
In a statement, PCO said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. released P50 million to the provincial government of Albay, P30 million to Naga City, and P50 million to Camarines Sur.
During during his visit to Naga, Marcos also assured the public that “systems are in place” for the flood-hit Bicolanos.
“Our food packs, hygiene kits, all of that have been put in place. Our supply is enough so far,” he added.
Kristine exited the country’s area of responsibility over the weekend but it affected over five million people nationwide.
Full Story at: Marcos admin releases P130-M aid to flood-hit Bicol
‘Leon’ gains strength over Philippine Sea, likely to become typhoon | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Leon (international name: Kong-Rey) has slightly intensified as it continues to move westward across the Philippine Sea.
As of 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 27, Leon was spotted 1,000 km east of Central Luzon.
Bearing peak winds of 75 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 90 kph, Leon is moving westward at 20 kph.
Heavy rains, severe winds
Depending on its proximity to land during its north-northwestward movement, Leon’s outer rainbands may affect Extreme Northern Luzon.
PAGASA said the storm may reinforce the southwesterly windflow initially triggered by Tropical Storm Trami (formerly Kristine), bringing possible rains to parts of Visayas, Mindanao and the western section of Southern Luzon.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 may be raised in parts of Cagayan Valley and the northeastern Bicol Region as early as Sunday night or by Monday.
Signal No. 2 could also be issued if Leon’s path brings it closer to land.
The following areas are likely to experience gusty to gale-force winds in the coming days:
- Sunday, October 27: Palawan, Romblon, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Masbate, parts of Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Camiguin.
- Monday, October 28: Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Batangas, parts of MIMAROPA, Bicol, Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga.
- Tuesday, October 29: Aurora, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Camiguin.
Full Story at: ‘Leon’ gains strength over Philippine Sea, likely to become typhoon | Philstar.com
NSC: Nabbed CPP leader not a peace consultant | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The National Security Council (NSC) laughed off yesterday the claim by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) that its chairman, who was arrested on Thursday in Quezon City in a joint military and police operation, is a peace advocate.
“We find as funny and preposterous the claim of the CPP-NPA-NDF that CPP chairman Baylon Villarico is a ‘peace consultant’ and is therefore immune from arrest under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantee (JASIG) signed way back during the Fidel Ramos administration,” NSC spokesman, Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, said.
“The JASIG was terminated by the government in 2017. So what immunity under the JASIG are they talking about? The Joint Oslo Communique of 2023 signed under the Marcos Jr. administration with the NDF did not resurrect the JASIG,” he added.
Malaya noted that the JASIG is as good as dead and the NSC wishes to underscore “that this notorious NPA leader was arrested based on a warrant of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court of Mauban, Quezon for multiple crimes including extortion, recruiting minors and students to be combatants, violation of Anti-Terrorism Act, rebellion, aside from kidnapping with murder.”
“He is responsible for numerous atrocities against government forces, the killing and liquidation of individuals, terrorist attacks on innocent communities, sabotaging government projects and various extortion and money-making activities in Southern Luzon,” Malaya said.
Full Story at: NSC: Nabbed CPP leader not a peace consultant | Philstar.com
