Marcos aware of need to go beyond diplomatic protests vs China --- Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — After nearly two years of dealing with repeated skirmishes in the West Philippine Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. believes the Philippines must do more than file diplomatic protests to address Chinese vessels' aggression at sea. Marcos told reporters at the sidelines of an event on Thursday that the country has filed "over a hundred" protests and a similar number of démarches to respond to Chinese vessels' presence in Philippine waters. "We have to do more than just that," Marcos said, according to a Presidential Communications Office news release. On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines and China are preparing to hold a bilateral consultation mechanism meeting in July. During this meeting, escalating tensions between the two nations in the South China Sea, the entirety of which China claims, are expected to be brought up. "Whatever confidence-building measures we achieve, they will be not at the expense of promotion of our sovereignty, sovereign rights, as well as our rights and jurisdiction on the West Philippine Sea," Manalo said. Marcos earlier assured the public that the Philippines will not resort to war in addressing issues in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). He said that the country will address issues related to the disputed region through "peaceful means." This comes after a June 17 altercation where Chinese vessels foiled Philippine forces' resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre, which was deliberately grounded atop Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to assert Manila's territorial claim. During the altercation, a Philippine Navy servicemember, Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo, lost his thumb.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UP Diliman Professors Share Scientists’ Procurement Struggles at Senate Hearing

By Harvey Sapigao Senate hearing of the revised procurement law (Photo credit: Senate of the Philippines) College of Science (CS) Dean Giovanni Tapang held up a little white device as he finished his presentation. “This is a ₱150,000 component,” he described. “Isa lang gumagawa nito sa buong mundo, pero ang hirap pilitin sila na magregister sa PhilGEPS,” he continued, referring to the requirement that foreign companies must first register to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) before they can sell products to local scientists. Marine Science Institute (MSI) Deputy Director Dr. Irene Rodriguez explained that the small device is a resin that filters metals in water. “May budget tayo,” she said, “pero ang problema ko ay ‘yung resin na ito.” This and other bottlenecks brought about by the procurement law, or the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), slow down research and development in the country. UPD leaders were invited to the Senate he
Read more

How war is putting Middle East aviation at risk ---AL JAZEERA

The human suffering in Gaza is accompanied by losses that are undermining this vital industry With more than 40 years' experience in aviation, including a stint as chief executive Bahrain's Gulf Air and sitting on the International Air Transport Association's Board of Governors, Royal Jordanian’s CEO Samer Majali is someone who knows the industry in the Middle East – and its challenges – like few others. In an exclusive interview with The National yesterday, he spoke for many executives when he described how six months of violence in Israel and Palestine had hurt his airline and the region’s economy. While the human cost is, of course, the biggest, and Palestinian society is bearing the brunt of this war, its consequences are far reaching. The plummeting bookings, operational difficulties and financial losses being experienced by the aviation sector are being exacerbated by a widespread perception that the Middle East is in turmoil. “They lump the region as a homogeneous
Read more

Azerbaijan looks to enhance ties with Kuwait --- By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Azerbaijani Ambassador to Kuwait Emil Karimov stated that the strong and historical ties between Kuwait and Azerbaijan pave the way for further strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors. During an iftar held by the embassy for local media, the ambassador said “With a focus on tourism, food, and education, both countries are poised to enhance collaboration and mutual exchange of expertise.” He noted that 30,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited Azerbaijan during the past year. Regarding the trade between the two countries, the ambassador said that the volume of trade exchange for the year 2023 reached $665,000 and Azerbaijan is keen to increase trade exchange with Kuwait. He said the Kuwaiti side has expressed an interest in importing food products from Azerbaijan, signaling a desire to diversify its sources of agricultural goods and strengthen economic ties to enhance trade relations. To deepen cultural understanding and foster people-to-people connections between the t
Read more