Tag: philippines

President Duterte meets with Myanmar President Htin Kyaw and state counsellor Suu Kyi

  (Eagle News) — Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte met with Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw at the Presidential Palace in his first official visit in Myanmar, which is expected to forge deeper bilateral ties between the two countries. The President also met on Monday with state counsellor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi for 30 minutes, where he presented $300,000 as humanitarian support for the persecuted Rohingya people, capping his two-day official […]

Robredo video vs drug war presented by Washington-based NGO in Vienna; Palace questions timing

    (Eagle News) — Vice-President Leni Robredo criticized the Philippine government’s campaign against illegal drugs in a six minute video, in an effort to bring to the attention of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs annual meeting in Vienna the claims by the opposition that the anti-drug war of President Rodrigo Duterte was not good for the country. But her video was not presented to the main UN session in Vienna, but only […]

President Duterte to meet China’s vice premier on Friday

  (Eagle News) — The Chinese vice prime minister is scheduled to meet President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao on Friday, March 17. This is according to Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, who on Thursday, March 16, held his first-ever press conference since assuming the post. The acting secretary did not specify a name, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China website said Vice Premier Wang Yang of the State Council would be on official […]

China says it “fully respects” Philippines’ rights on Benham Rise

  (Eagle News) — China said it “fully respects the Philippines’ rights to the continental shelf of Benham Rise” and clarified that it has no intention of challenging these rights. This was China’s latest statement on the issue of Benham Rise coming from its foreign ministry amid various reports on the issue that seemed to try to put the Philippines and China at odds over this. “I’m willing to reiterate that China fully respects the Philippines’ […]

President Duterte on Chinese ships in Benham Rise: What incursion? They were research ships

(Eagle News) — What incursion? They were research ships. President Rodrigo Duterte allayed fears the Chinese had made an incursion into an underwater landmass 250 kilometers off the east coast of the main island of Luzon, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, saying the foreign ships spotted by the Philippine Armed Forces there were only there for research. Duterte’s pronouncement in a news briefing on Monday appeared to be a response to a statement […]

Philippines insists, “Benham Rise is ours” as DND reveals plans to put up structures in area

(Eagle News) — The Philippines insisted on its rights and ownership of Benham Rise as the Department of National Defense said it would increase patrols and build structures in Benham Rise to ensure that the country would protect its rights over the area, which is considered as part of the country’s extended continental shelf. “Well, we will do something there,  we will increase our patrols at the same time, we might set up a structure to […]

DND, planong magtayo ng istruktura sa Benham Rise

(Eagle News) — Plano ng Department of National Defense (DND) na maglagay ng istraktura sa Benham Rise na magsasabing ito’y pag-aari ng Pilipinas. Ayon kay Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, ito ang nakikita nyang hakbang matapos ma-monitor ang pag-aligid umano roon ng Survey Ship ng China. Inatasan na rin umano sila ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na magdagdag ng mga magpapatrolya sa nasabing karagatan para maipakita na sakop ito ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas. ‘Di pag-aari ng PHL […]

PH secures economic priorities in ASEAN

PARAÑAQUE CITY, March 11 (PIA) — The Philippines successfully advocated its trade priorities in ASEAN as the country’s hosting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) Retreat and Related Meetings ended on March 10. The Department of Trade and Industry led by Secretary Ramon Lopez secured endorsements from ASEAN Economic Ministers on the timely realization of Philippine priority deliverables for 2017. “Aside from championing our trade agenda as a country, we are also able to advance […]

DFA sends note verbale to China on Benham Rise ship activity

  (Eagle News) — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has already sent a note verbale to the Chinese Embassy on the alleged presence of Chinese survey ships in Benham Rise, a 13-million hectare underwater plateau that had been recognized internationally as part of the country’s continental shelf. DFA Assistant Secretary Charles Jose told reporters that “the Philippines has sent a note to the Chinese Embassy seeking clarification on this.” Benham Rise is […]

Chinese survey ships entering Philippine territory: Manila

    MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Chinese survey ships have been entering waters recognized by the United Nations as Philippine territory, Manila’s defense secretary said Thursday, in a move he described as “very concerning”. Delfin Lorenzana said the ships were seen last year near Benham Rise — a Philippine territory 250 kilometres (155 miles) off the east coast of the main island of Luzon — as well as Reed Bank in the South China Sea, […]

Manila sends message of “strong protest” to US TV drama showing fictional PHL President

  Manila on Tuesday “strongly protested” an American television drama which shows a fictional Philippine president making a sexual advance on the US secretary of state. In the trailer for the latest edition of “Madam Secretary”, the lead character punches “the Philippines’ unconventional new president” in the face and gives him a bloody nose in reaction to his unwanted pass. “I clobbered a world leader instead of saving a major regional agreement,” the secretary of […]

Bill re-imposing death penalty approved in Lower House

(Eagle News) — With 216 “yes” votes and 54 “no” votes, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading the bill seeking to reimpose the death penalty in the country. House Bill 4727 was passed on Tuesday, March 7, just six days after its second reading approval on voice voting. This time, through nominal voting, there was only one abstention, as lawmakers expressed their votes before the passage of the bill. Only drug-related […]