china, ph coast guards manila artists tammy meet...

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016

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aittimes.net

02 05China, PH coast guards

meet despite sea row

Manila artists Tammy

Brown, Marya Sunga

perform at ‘Awit Saya 2016’

Philippines nixes

Trump associate’s

project over concerns

MANILA: Philippine environment officials havecanceled a compliance certificate for a housingproject by President-elect Donald Trump’s busi-ness associate, saying it would endanger a water-shed that supplies drinking water to 12 millionpeople. Century Communities Corp. seeks to putup the 58-hectare (143-acre) housing projectwithin the 2,000-hectare (4,942-acre) La MesaWatershed in the capital. It is the source of metro-politan Manila’s drinking water.

“That’s the watershed of 12 million peopleand I cannot see the possibility that a businessinterest is more important than the water ourpeople drink,” said Environment SecretaryRegina Lopez.

The certificate issued by the previous adminis-tration has been canceled because of scientificrecommendation against any kind of develop-ment inside the watershed, she said. —AFP

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertethreatened yesterday to end a military pact with theUnited States in a “tit-for-tat” response to Americanaid being deferred because of concerns about hisdeadly crime war.

Duterte reacted angrily to the announcement bythe US government this week that a decision on amulti-year aid package potentially worth hundreds ofmillions of dollars had been put off.

“Bye bye America,” Duterte said, after threateningto end a 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement that gives thelegal framework for US troops in the Philippines.

“Tit-for-tat. If you can do this, so do we, it ain’t one-way traffic.”

The American Millennium Challenge Corporationannounced this week that a decision had beendeferred over whether to continue giving aid, after aninitial five-year package worth more than $430 millionexpired in May.

“This decision reflects the Board’s significant con-cerns around rule of law and civil liberties in thePhilippines,” US embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscinasaid on Thursday. The US government set up the

Millennium Challenge Corporation to promote eco-nomic growth and reduce poverty around the world.

However countries can only qualify if they “demon-strate a commitment to just and democratic gover-nance, investments in its people, and economic free-dom”, according to the corporation’s website.

The United States has been a vocal critic ofDuterte’s war on drugs, which has claimed about5,000 lives since he took office in late June, withPresident Barack Obama urging Duterte to prosecuteit “the right way”.

The criticism has severely strained ties betweenthe longtime allies, with Duterte angered at what heinsists is unfair interference in the Philippines’ sover-eign affairs.

Duterte has made repeated threats to downgradeor even end military and diplomatic ties, while movingto establish closer ties with US rivals China and Russia.

Continued on Page 3

Duterte defiant

over kill admission

SINGAPORE: Philippine President RodrigoDuterte boasted again Friday he had killedcriminals, as he vowed no let up in his waron drugs that has already claimed thou-sands of lives.

In an hour-long speech to Filipinos inSingapore, Duterte referred to internationalnews coverage of his claims this week thatin his previous role as mayor of a majorsouthern city he killed suspects to set anexample for police.

“To spare you embarrassment about thecrawlers on television that have been run-ning on CNN and even the BBC since yes-terday that says Duterte admits killing orshooting the criminals: they were not mis-taken,” he said.

People in the 6,500-strong crowdcheered as Duterte used his trademarkstrong language to promise his drug warwould continue. “Sons of whores I will reallykill these idiots,” he said.

Continued on Page 2

Duterte warns US of ‘tit-for-tat’ response

Duterte insists on public debate with UN special rapporteurPage 4

LAS PINAS: Catholic faithful brave rain as they attend the first of nine dawn masses at a church in Las Pinas, suburban Manila tosignal the official start of the Christmas season. The tradition of dawn masses dates back to the Spanish era, which culminates onChristmas Eve and it is a popular belief that anyone who attends all nine masses will have his wishes granted. The Philippines, thebastion of Christianity in Asia, is more than 70 percent Catholic. —AFP

Rodrigo Duterte

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016 2

Duterte ...

MANILA: The Chinese and Philippine coastguards met for the first time on Friday andagreed to move forward on maritime coopera-tion, officials said, as relations between Beijingand Manila warm under Philippine PresidentRodrigo Duterte.

The two-day meeting in Manila on establish-ing a Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC) camejust days after new images showed China hadapparently installed defensive weapons on arti-ficial islands in the hotly contested South ChinaSea. In a joint statement, the coast guards saidpossible areas for cooperation included fightingdrug trafficking and other maritime crimes,environmental protection and search and res-cue. “This is a milestone because it opened thecommunication lines between the two agen-cies involved in the (South China Sea),”Philippine coast guard spokesman ArmandBalilo told AFP.

China claims most of the strategic SouthChina Sea — despite partial counter-claims bythe Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and

Vietnam — and Chinese coast guard vesselshave become an ever-growing presence in thewaterway. Balilo said territorial issues were notdiscussed, but the meeting was a “confidence-building measure” resulting from Duterte’s tripto China in October.

Duterte, 71, has pivoted his nation’s foreignpolicy away from traditional ally the UnitedStates towards China and Russia.

His predecessor, Benigno Aquino, hadangered China by asking a UN-backed tribunalto outlaw Beijing’s claims to most of the SouthChina Sea.

A July ruling gave Manila a sweeping victorybut Duterte vowed not to “taunt or flaunt” it ashe sought to improve economic relations, whilepraising China’s support for his deadly drug war.

Philippine ambassador to China JoseSantiago Santa Romana said “sensitive” issueswould be tackled separately.

“It will be discussed using quiet diplomacy aswell as high-level diplomacy,” Santa Romanatold ABS-CBN television. —AFP

China, PH coast guards meet despite sea row

MANILA: This handout photo taken and released by the Philippine coast Guard-Public Information Office (PCG-PIO) shows Philippine coast guard commanderCommodore Joel Garcia, right, shaking hands with Chinese coast guard deputydirector general Yun De at the end of their meeting in Manila. —AFP

Continued from Page 1

“My campaign on drugs will not end, untilthe end of my term six years from now whenevery drug pusher is (killed),” he said, makinga throat-cutting gesture.

Duterte easily won presidential electionsin May largely on a promise to eradicate ille-gal drugs in society by killing tens of thou-sands of people. More than 5,000 peoplehave been killed since Duterte took office inlate June, leading to fears of mass extrajudi-cial killings and a breakdown in the rule oflaw. Duterte’s comments this week aboutpersonally killing people when he was may-or of Davao city triggered fresh outrage fromrights groups. Long-running efforts by aUnited Nations rights rapporteur, AgnesCallamard, to probe the drug war hit anotherhurdle on Friday when she said she hadrejected three conditions for her visit set byDuterte’s government.

Callamard said she had written to thegovernment urging it to reconsider the con-ditions, which included a public debate withDuter te. Phi l ippine Foreign Secretar yPerfecto Yasay, speaking to reporters inSingapore on Friday, said the governmentwould not make any concessions.

“ I f she cannot comply with it (thePhilippine conditions), then that’s the end ofit,” Yasay said. Duterte has repeatedly insist-ed neither he nor his security forces arebreaking any laws in prosecuting the crimewar. Duterte’s aides and political supportersthis week shrugged off his statements aboutpersonally killing people.

But after flying home from Singapore tohis southern hometown of Davao, Duterte

outlined how, as city mayor in 1988, he andtwo policemen had shot dead three menwho had collected a ransom payment for akidnapped local woman. “Maybe my bulletskilled them, maybe not, but after the broombroom (shooting) they were all dead,” hetold a news conference, adding the suspectshad aimed a carbine rifle at him and thepolicemen. “I had an M-16 (assault rifle), car-ried one because Davao was then a wildcountr y. I took the bull by the horns,”Duterte added.

Just ‘hyperbole’?Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre has

said Duterte did not violate any law, andeither was making up the claims or hadkilled people only in self defence. “The presi-dent always uses hyperbole, is always exag-gerated to put his message across,” Aguirresaid Wednesday.

“If the suspect fought back, he must havebeen forced to kill him.” Surveys show manyFilipinos endorse Duterte’s campaign, andsome of those who turned up to listen tohim in Singapore on Friday expressed senti-ments felt by compatriots back home.

“When the president promises that he willsolve the drugs and crime problem, it’s veryhopeful for us,” said Eloisa Lopez, 50, adomestic worker who had taken time off tovolunteer at the event. Singapore’s leadersalso gave Duterte a warm welcome duringhis two-day state visit, that began earlyThursday.

Duterte enjoyed a state dinner and hadan orchid named after him — an honouroften accorded to world leaders visitingSingapore. —AFP


MANILA: Inmates watch television as they relax inside the jail complex in QuezonCity, suburban Manila. China has pledged funds for a new detention facility in thePhilippines as part of its support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, thePhilippine jail chief said on December 14. —AFP

MANILA: Kabataan Party-list yesterday wel-comed the announcement of the introductionof free tuition in all state universities and col-leges (SUCs), calling it a “game-changer and astep in the right direction.” PhilippinePresident Rodrigo Duterte has been advocat-ing the free tuition fee to all, during his presi-dential campaign.

The appropriation will cover the tuition ofover 1.4 million students of 114 SUCs in thecountry.

“ The Filipino youth celebrates andembraces this development, which potentiallymakes the Philippines at par with some of thegreat nations of the world - including Norway,Sweden, Finland, and Germany - when it

comes to providing for free tuition in stateschools,” House of Representative’s sole youthparty-list said in a statement.

Starting 2017, tuition will be free in all statecolleges and universities across the country.The Government has allocated an additionalP8-billion fund for the Commission on HigherEducation (CHED under the P3.35-trillion 2017national budget.

They said that the announcement of freetuition is no Christmas gift, but a victory of theyouth movement. Kabataan also called forstudents, youth, and the public to firmly fol-low through on this initial victory, and urgedthem to actively shape the immediate and fairimplementation of tuition-free policy in SUCs.

“We must do everything in our power tohave it implemented quickly and with apositive effect on students and the SUCcommunity,”

Kabataan said it is also continuing to topush for the legislation of a comprehensiveFree Public Education Law with fellow advo-cates in both chambers of Congress.

Duterte’s free tuition in SUCs

a ‘game-changer’: Kabataan

GreetingNAJ ETHON SOTTO who cele-

brated his 1st Birthday onDecember 16, 2016 at Max’s

Restaurant, Salmiya. ‘We couldnot believe how swiftly time

passes us by, you are such a ‘bighandsome boy’ now. We hopethis is the beginning of your

greatest, most wonderful yearever. Happy Birthday dear son.’From Papa Jon, Mama Sheila,

Ninongs/Ninangs, relatives andfriends.

Contined from Page 1Duterte has already curtailed many of the

war games held between the two nations inthe Philippines. Duterte on Saturday said hew a s h o p i n g f o r b i l a t e r a l r e l a t i o n s t oimprove when US president-elect Donald

Trump took office next year. “I will just wait,I will let Obama fade away,” Duterte said in along press conference in his hometown ofDavao that began shor tly after midnightw h e n h e r e t u r n e d f r o m a s t a t e v i s i t t oSingapore. —AFP

Duterte warns ...


MANILA: People take “groupies” with tens of thousands of Christmas lights as a backdrop Friday, at the financial district of Makati city east of Manila, Philippines. The “danc-ing” lights and laser show, which boasts of over a million Christmas lights, has attracted thousands of Filipinos every Yuletide season. —AP

MANILA: President Rodrigo Duterte yester-day rejected United Nations SpecialRapporteur Agnes Callamard’s proposal tohold a private meeting with him on extraju-dicial killings and insisted on having a publicdebate with her on the issue.

The government had invited Callamard tothe Philippines to investigate the allegedextrajudicial killings of drug suspects butinsisted that she comply with some condi-tions. They include engaging Duterte in apublic debate where the president would beallowed to ask her questions.

Callamard has rejected the conditions,saying they go against the code of conductfor special rapporteurs. She said the findingsof an investigation should be confidential soshe can build trust among her sources ofinformation.

Instead of a public debate, the rapporteursuggested holding a private debriefing withDuterte and a joint press conference wherethe president can challenge her findings.

The president, however, was firm on hisstand that he and Callamard should have apublic debate.

“No, I want it discussed in public so shecan state her case. If that’s what she did thenI can refute her and ask her where did youget that garbage? What extrajudicialkillings?,” he said in a news conference inZamboanga City.

“I’ve been very open about everything.My order is to destroy (the drug apparatus).They did not understand the enforcementand the presidency,” he added.

Duterte said his order to destroy the drugapparatus includes not only tangible objectsbut also people involved in the narcoticstrade. “I’m not ordering a punitive police

action. I’m declaring war because of thenumber of people, Filipinos who were vic-timized by drugs,” he added. Duterte chidedthe western nations for supposedly trivializ-ing the Philippines’ drug problem, which heclaimed has affected four million Filipinos.

“I am angry because they are trivialize.They are underestimating the four million

(addicts), sons of b******, because they arenot Filipinos,” the president said.

The figure of four million is not supportedby data from the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Duterte said his critics did not seem tograsp the reality that he did not haveenough funds to address the drug problem.

“I assumed the presidency midterm. Mybudget was the budget of (former presidentBenigno) Aquino (III). He did not think thatthe number of Filipino addicts was that high,”he said.

“Whats the favorite battle cry of LP(Liberal Party)? Bottoms up, disburse every-thing. I was left with nothing, just the fundsfor maintenance and operation.”

Duterte insisted that he never orderedsecurity forces to execute people who whosehands were already tied and those beggingfor their life.

“Did I order them to shoot people whosehands were tied? If some say I did, I willresign tomorrow,” he said.

“If you order an illegal thing to the mili-tary and policemen, they will mount a coupd’ etat.”

Duterte visited wounded troopers atCamp Navarro in Zamboanga City yesterdayand handed out financial assistance to 16battle casualties. Families of soldiers whowere killed in clashes received at leastP500,000 each. —The Philippine Star

Duterte insists on public debate with UN special rapporteur

President Duterte, was in Zamboanga City to visit wounded troops. —PPD


Manila artists Tammy Brown, Marya Sunga perform at ‘Awit Saya 2016’

KUWAIT: Awit saya 2016, a concer t by Infinity EventManagement headed by Ana Del Mundo in partnership withADM International Manpower Services Al Alamia ManpowerServices was successfully held on Friday at Live TheaterDiscovery Mall in Murgab. Awit Saya performers include twoManila-based artists Tammy Brown and Marya Sunga.Proceeds of the event will go to GRACE; Golden Receptionsand Action Center for the Elderly and Other Special Cases,Bago Bantay, Quezon City. Local Filipino talents also show-cased their skills in both dancing in singing-Artist: TheChampions - Jennifer Uy - Najwa Marie Lacson - Mark Guarin- Mark Francisco - Carlo Delfinado - Richard Suico JuniorArtist - Ned Lacson - Kimberly Espena - Dyna Mae Dela CruzDancer: One Groove Crew Philippine Artist - Production TeamChoreography : Rhegs Villianueva Photographer: Maniniyotin Kuwait music and Sound Director: DJ Spark ExecutiveProducer: Ana Del Mundo, ADM Dolores Elenany, Al AlamiaProducer: Ronnie Ramos Production and Program: MildredLacson Creative Director: Nelson Lacson Artistic Director:Alejandro Ben B Braga IV Host: Ms Maxxy Santiago.

—Photos by Maniniyot in Kuwait


KUWAIT: A leading real estate property developer in the Philippinesowned by Senator Manny Villar celebrated last Friday, Christmas Partywhere they handed out freebies and lots of gifts/prizes like smart phones,television, laptop/tabs, groceries as well as rice. Attendees enjoyedsumptuous dinner served at the event, parlor games, Christmas carolsand some thrilling presentations plus exchange gifts. The group is alsovisiting the embassy today (Dec 18, 2016) to deliver the promised two-sets of 50-inch television sets, and lots of gifts for runaway housemaidscourtesy of the company owner, sales staff and managers.

Manila-based home developer celebrate Christmas Party


MANILA: The Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas VotingSecretariat (DFA-OVS), announced today, 15 December 2016,that the Video and Radio Public Service Announcements(PSAs) on Overseas Voting Registration/Certification producedby Ube Media/Panahon TV in collaboration with DFA-OVS, andapproved by COMELEC, have already been released viawww.dfa-oavs.gov.ph and disseminated to all Foreign ServicePosts (FSPs), partner nongovernment organizations and otheroverseas voting stakeholders. “This on-going public-privatepartnership between DFA-OVS and UBE Media/Panahon TV,will further enhance awareness on the overseas voting proce-dures and system, as well as the importance of politicallyempowering Filipinos abroad”, said DFA Undersecretary Ariel Y.

Abadilla, Chairman of DFA-OVS. Last November, DFA-OVS andCOMELEC concluded the on-site trainings on the resumptionof registration / certification for qualified overseas Filipinos forpurposes of the 2019 elections. The on-site training covered allregions namely Americas (Los Angeles, U.S.A.), Middle East andAfrica (Kuwait), Europe (Prague, Czech Republic) and AsiaPacific (Osaka, Japan and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) were morethan two hundred (200) Officers and staff from differentForeign Service Posts (FSPs) who will act as AdministeringOfficer, Voter Registration Machine (VRM) Operator andResident Election Registration Board (RERB) attended and par-ticipated in the aforementioned activity. They were trained onthe procedural and technical aspect of overseas voting regis-

tration/certification. Similar Training was also conducted inManila for representatives of the Manila Economic andCultural Offices (MECOs) in Taiwan, Philippine Overseas LaborOffice (POLO) in Al-Khobar, Philippine Embassy in Yangon andPhilippine Embassy in Islamabad. All Filipino citizens whoexpect to be abroad from 13 April - 13 May 2019 during theoverseas voting period for the 2019 Elections, at least 18 yearsold on 13 May 2019, and not otherwise disqualified by law,may register as an overseas voter, at all Philippine ForeignService Posts including the three (3) Manila Economic andCultural Offices in Taiwan and Philippine Overseas Labor Officein Al-Khobar (for an updated list please go to www.dfa-oavs.gov.ph or www.comelec.gov.ph) R

DFA: Overseas voter registration information campaign kicks off

CIA celebrates Christmas in advance KUWAIT: CIA celebrated Christmas party held at Inn & Go Hotel, Kuwait city on 16 December 2016 as a simple way of saying THANK YOU for all the overflowing blessingsreceived for the year 2016. —Maria Al-Ameri

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016

Pages 7

CIA celebrates

Christmas in

advance

Will Pacquiao dare fight run-run Crawford?

PHNOM PENH : WBO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao, right, is welcomed by Cambodian minister ofTourism Thong Khon (2nd R) during a meeting at a hotel in Phnom Penh on Thursday. — AFP

The undefeated WBO light welterweight box-ing champion Terence Crawford loved to sellhis fights by adopting his mother’s bold bat-

tle cry: If you get hit, hit back. Hard! To those whosaw Crawford’s last fight against the stand-up war-rior Viktor Postol, Crawford failed to apply thatmotherhood fighting formula. “That’s movement,that’s boxing, Crawford would cry out loud in cele-brating his hard-earned win over Postol. For therecord, Crawford won that big one mainly on hiselusiveness, not on solid combat competence.

The title fight, for most of the rounds, oftenappeared more of a wild-goose chase; althoughCrawford would claim he used a superb way of slip-ping out of harm’s way. He called it a dance; criticssaid it was more of a frantic escape act.

Listen. Now that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has firmlydashed out hopes of a return bout with MannyPacquiao. “I’m retired. Listen, I don’t want to fightanymore.” comes the question on who the Filipinoboxing superhero, the only senator in the worldwith a world boxing crown, would fight next.

It would be recalled that Pacquiao ended up fac-ing Jessie Vargas after he was advised thatCrawford, a popular first choice, would proveyoung, quick, strong, and quite dangerous. By theway, in initially lining up other possible activePacquiao opponents, immediately after that winover Vargas, Crawford’s name got mentionedahead of Danny Garcia and Keith Thurmond. If youasked Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, nothing couldbe more lucrative at this point than a Pacquiao-Crawford clash. It would surely offer fierce ele-ments of an excit ing, compell ing combat.Crawford, by the way, has consistently maintainedall he needed was for Pacquiao to agree and takeon him. The silence on the part of Team Pacquiao,following the rejection by Mayweather of the pro-posed rematch, has been deafening. —PDI

Lomachenko ready

for Pacquiao fight

Classy Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko is eager for more ring chal-lenges, including a possible encounter with Filipino iconManny Pacquiao next year.

“I very much respect Manny Pacquiao,” Lomachenko toldBoxingScene.com after his seventh round stoppage of JamaicanNicholas Walters in New York Saturday. “And I would be very proud ifsomebody would give me that opportunity, to fight MannyPacquiao.”

That somebody could very well be Bob Arum, who promotes bothfighters and has been mentioning Lomachenko as a possiblePacquiao opponent late next year.

The only hitch could be weight as Lomachenko, the WBO 130-pound champion, said he’s not willing to fight past 135 pounds.Pacquiao is the WBO 147-pound king.—PDIVasyl Lomachenko

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