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(Eagle News) — Malacañang stressed that any investigation that would be conducted by the United Nations Special Rapporteur “should have the proper consent from the state party,” as it questioned the credibility and character of UN rapporteur Agnes Callamard. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the UN Special Rapporteur system requires this “consent” from the state party. “To those familiar with the Special Rapporteur’s system, all investigations must be consented to by state […]
by Salima Lebel Agence France Presse KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (AFP) — The murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait has triggered outrage and prompted Manila to impose a departure ban for its citizens planning to work in the Gulf state. But the estimated 252,000 Filipinos and Filipinas already working in Kuwait must weigh their fear of sharing the fate of Joanne Demafelis against the potential loss […]
by Mynardo Macaraig Agence France Presse MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — After the murder of a Philippine maid in Kuwait, domestic helpers are streaming back to Manila with tales of abusive employers — but many are still prepared to take their chances overseas again. For them, the sometimes brutal conditions and the hide-and-seek with Kuwaiti police are outweighed by the need to provide for their families at home. “The mother of my boss, she would […]
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — The employers of a Filipina maid found dead in a freezer in Kuwait were both arrested in the Syrian capital Damascus, a Lebanese judicial official said on Saturday. Syrian authorities surrendered Nader Essam Assaf to Beirut on Friday because of his Lebanese citizenship but his Syrian wife Mona remains in custody in Damascus, the official said. The murder of Joanna Demafelis sparked outrage in the Philippines and prompted President Rodrigo […]
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Philippine officials are headed to Kuwait on Thursday to seek greater protection for migrant workers after a diplomatic row over the alleged mistreatment of Filipinos in the Gulf state. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello told reporters Wednesday one of his deputies would lead the delegation, which is also due to stop in Saudia Arabia and Qatar to urge reforms. Topping the list are demands that Filipino workers be allowed to keep their cellphones and […]
by Cecil Morella Agence France Presse MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The chief of the Philippines’ main Muslim rebel group warned Tuesday that jihadists loyal to the Islamic State group, flush with looted guns and cash, could seize another Filipino city after Marawi last year. Murad Ebrahim has billed his Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has made peace with the government, as a rival to IS for the hearts and minds of angry young […]
(Eagle News)– The Palace on Monday belied a maritime expert’s claim the Philippines was giving “too much, too early, too soon” to China. “On the contrary, we have upheld our national interest and produced tangible benefits for our people in pursuing friendly and mutually-beneficial ties with China,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. According to Roque, for instance, “our people have been able to resume their right to fish in Scarborough and there is peace in […]
ILOILO, Philippines (AFP) — More than a hundred relatives and supporters of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in Kuwait brandished banners demanding justice as her coffin was returned home on Saturday. The family of Joanna Demafelis openly wept as the white casket was unloaded at an airport cargo terminal in the central city of Iloilo. “Justice for Joanna D. Demafelis,” was emblazoned on banners and on T-shirts worn by the crowd […]
The Philippines and China are discussing joint mineral exploration in the South China Sea despite an ongoing territorial conflict over the strategic waterway, the foreign secretary said on Friday. The two countries, long embroiled in a dispute over their competing claims to the area, are hoping talks will open the door for them to jointly tap its resources, Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said. “We are pushing it aggressively because we need it,” Cayetano told […]
by Nick Reeves © Agence France-Presse GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AFP) — Filipino skating pioneer Michael Christian Martinez took to the Olympic ice on Friday — barely three weeks after coming out of retirement. The 21-year-old, who at Sochi 2014 became the first skater from the Philippines to compete at a Winter Games, had been resigned to missing out on South Korea. “I was sixth of seven at the qualifying event in Germany so I said to myself, it’s […]
(Eagle News) — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday said he would also assign Philippine names to the features at the Philippine Rise that were named by China. “We will still discuss this with the National Security Adviser and other Cabinet members,” he said. Lorenzana issued the brief statement after the Palace condemned China’s move to name the five undersea features. In a Facebook post, Jay Batongbacal, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines […]
“Iba naman yung exercising sovereign rights,” he says (Eagle News) — Unlike some of his colleagues, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III sees nothing wrong with China’s naming of five undersea features at Philippine Rise. “Without reading the convention or the treaty, or the rules governing the name, common sense tells me that no one has a monopoly of the power or the right to name features on earth. Wala naman pong ganun,” he said on […]
