poli recent events

8/11/2019 Poli Recent Events

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POLITICAL LAW: 2013 RECENT EVENTS

USS Guardian (MCM-5),an American mine countermeasures ship, ran ground atTubbataha Reef,testing relations between the Philippines and the United States.Elena L. Aben (17 January 2013)."US War Ship Runs Aground in Philippines".Manila Bulletin.

Retrieved September 2014. "The Guardian arrived last 13 January for a port call and fuel stop inSubic and was transiting the Sulu Sea on Thursday when she ran aground."

MANILA, Philippines --- A United States Navy (USN) minesweeper warship ran agroundearly Thursday morning in the Tubbataha Reef as it transited along Sulu Sea, US authoritiesreported.In a statement, the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs said the "USS Guardian" (MCM-5), which isforward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan, struck a reef, about 130 kilometers east-southeast ofPalawan, at 2:25 am yesterday.No one was reported injured among the crew of about 80 of the Avenger-class minecountermeasures ship, which had just completed a port call and refueling in Subic Bay.

The Tubbataha Reef is a marine sanctuary containing a reef of enormous size. It wasdeclared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO) in December 1993.The US Fleet Public Affairs disclosed that the Guardian is still stuck on the reef while thecrew works to determine the best method of safely extracting the ship.For its part, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sent an aircraft to survey the areaand eventually deployed a ship for assistance."We are still assessing the kind of assistance that we could provide. Right now there arereconnaissance operations to determine the exact location and assess the situation," said Maj.Oliver Banaria, commander of the 6th Civil Relations Group based in Palawan.The incident happened some 98 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

Banaria said the USS Guardian, the second US Navy ship of that name, arrived for the portcall in Subic last January 15.It was actually heading towards the next port when the grounding occurred, he said.The USS Guardian was laid down on May 8, 1985 by the Peterson Builders Inc., SturgeonBay, Wisc. and launched on June 20, 1987. The ship was subsequently commissioned onDecember 16, 1989 as part of Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7.In late November 2007, Guardian and fellow minesweeper USS Patriot (MCM-7) soughtrefueling and refuge from an approaching storm in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, but weredenied entry without explanation by the People's Republic of China.Both ships were eventually refueled at sea and returned safely to their homeports in Japan.In February, 2010 Guardian became the first MCM in the Seventh Fleet to receive theWomen-at-sea modification which is intended to allow the small vessel to accommodate a

mixed crew.The grounding of the US Navy ship comes on the heels of the recent recovery of a US-madeunmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that washed ashore off the coast of Masbate Island.The US embassy said the expended BQM-74E Aerial Target drone was launched from theUSS Chafee (DDG 90) during exercise Valiant Shield 2012 on September 19 off the coast ofGuam and the ocean currents brought the drone to where it washed ashore last week offMasbate Island.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Guardian_(MCM-5)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubbataha_Reefhttp://www.mb.com.ph/articles/390033/us-war-ship-runs-aground-philippines#.UPeohrvgGi8http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/390033/us-war-ship-runs-aground-philippines#.UPeohrvgGi8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubbataha_Reefhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Guardian_(MCM-5)


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The 9-day-long Valiant Shield 2012 war games were held by the US Navy from September19 in the region around Guam in order to improve coordination and joint interoperabilityamong different units as a maritime force.According to the American military, the goal of the drills is to train US forces for a variety ofscenarios seen in real-world operations, including combat exercises, search-and-rescue, and

humanitarian aid exercises.The drone were launched from the flight deck of the USS Chafee missile destroyer toprovide a "realistic missile threat" and then targeted, intercepted and engaged by a section ofF/A-18 fighter jets.Valiant Shield is a US-only biannual exercise conducted by the US Navy in Guam since 2006.(With reports from Aaron B. Recuenco and Elena L. Aben)

De Lima bats for Freedom of Information Bill to battle corruptionhttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/351001/de-lima-bats-for-freedom-of-information-bill-to-battle-corruption

MANILA, PhilippinesDespite Malacaangs lack of support for the Freedom ofInformation Bill, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday pushed for the adoption of anFOI law, saying it was the most effective method to stop corruption.Notwithstanding the continued difficulties in making effective FOI legislation, I believemost, if not all the people in this room, agree with me that FOI is the most effectivemodality to prevent corruption, De Lima said in a speech at the 5th Global Organization ofParliamentarians Against Corruption at the Philippine International Convention Center inPasay City.[A] well-informed citizenry can and will meaningfully participate in the governance of acountry. Indeed, one of the aspirations of institutionalizing the FOI principle in our countryis for our people to enjoy economic and social mobility as anticipated fruits of political

maturity, the Secretary added.The FOI bill has been pending in the House of Representatives and is considered virtuallydead due to lack of time, lack of quorum and lack of support from President Aquino.De Lima said the adoption of an FOI law was timely.In my humble opinion, I assess that the Philippine society is now poised to divest itself ofthe shackles of secrecy and complacency. After many years of legislative lobbying, theopportunity to create an FOI act is within our reach. The path has been laid out before us.We need only now to simply take it.De Lima said that despite the gains of President Aquinos administration in theanticorruption drive, there remains a need for an FOI law.The willingness and the good faith of this government to make an authentic commitment

to transparency as an important element in democratic, efficient and honest governance willnot be enough unless there is a very well-crafted law that not only encourages requests forinformation by the public but also affords speedy processing of the same, she said.For De Lima, FOI will ensure the peoples access to public documents and information thatwould enable them to hold the government accountable for any irregularity or wrongdoing.She said the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, when he was mayor of Naga City,implemented policies of openness and freely affording access to information to the publicwhich empowered his constituents and encouraged their active participation in governance.
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Such emancipation of the citizenry transformed a lethargic city into a booming economy,she said.De Lima also recalled that former Chief Justice Renato Corona was removed from office byimpeachment because of discrepancies in a public documenthis Statement of Assets,Liabilities and Net Worthwhich was not readily accessible to the public and which the

Senate impeachment court was nearly unable to obtain.

Old Spanish maps may yet boost PH claim to Panataghttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/63237/old-spanish-maps-may-yet-boost-ph-claim-to-panatag

Spanish and Filipino delegates to this years Tribuna Espaa-Filipinas forum have agreed toembark on a coordinated archiving program of historical documents, especially thoseinvolving the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines more than 400 years ago.As the sixth edition of the annual multisectoral forum between the two countries drew to aclose on Wednesday, an official of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport toldthe Inquirer that some of the Spanish archives, once catalogued and translated, may evenhelp the Philippines in its claim to the disputed Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal.

Luis Enseat Calderon, director of the ministrys Ibero-Archivos Program, said Spanishhistorical archives contained documents and maps on the Spanish colonization of thePhilippines from the 16th to 19th century.

Possible proof

The archives may be important in this way to demonstrate that in the 19th century, theChinese did not control these group of islands, Calderon said, when asked how Spanisharchives could help the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China over the ScarboroughShoal.He quoted colonial Spanish officials in the 1800s, saying these islands were controlled,

more or less, by the Philippines from Manila.While these documents are available at the National Historical Archive of Spain, he said it isnot yet accessible to the public because his office is still digitizing the documents.But little by little, we can make progress and publish this on the website, he said, referringto Spanish archives website www.pares.mcu.es.Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Domecq denied reports he made a categoricalstatement about Spain turning over old maps to the Philippines to help strengthen thecountrys claim on Scarborough Shoal.The majority of the maps are here in the Philippines in private collections. We did anexhibition last year of all the important maps of the Philippine geography from 1598 to1898four centuriesat the Metropolitan Museum, Domecq said.

Those maps are also in Spain in our archives,which are open to experts from any place inthe world, he added.Calderon said during the forums second day that an exchange program of Spanish andPhilippine archivists was discussed, with one Filipino archivist going to Spain, and vice versa,hopefully by the latter half of the year.He also invited Filipino archivists to help catalogue Spanish archives.Calderon said they are also working with the National Archives of the Philippines to makedigital copies for Spain of colonial documents preserved in the country.Calderons office uploads the Spanish archives catalogues at www.pares.mcu.es.
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The Senate version of the bill exempts children 15 years old and below from criminal liabilitywhile the House version exempts children 12 years old and below.Another bicameral conference will be held for both panels to negotiate further on thedisagreeing provisions of both bills.Both bills provide that children caught committing crimes shall be released back to their

parents but would be made to undergo an intervention or rehabilitation program of theDepartment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).The bill also provides that parents would also be held accountable for whatever damagestheir children might have caused, according to a lawyer of Senator Francis Pangilinan, theco-sponsor of the bill in the SenateIf the child committed theft, he or she is obliged to return the thing he or she has stolen. Ifit is not possible to return what he or she has stolen, the parents should pay the amountequivalent to what the child has stolen, lawyer Cecile Palines of Pangilinans office said in aprevious statement.If the child committed a heinous crime such as murder, homicide, kidnapping, rape, he orshe would immediately be made to undergo a multi-disciplinary intervention program underthe intensive juvenile intervention and support center of the Bahay Pag-asa, the bill said.

The bill also states that any person who has been found to be taking advantage or exploitingthe child who committed the crime shall be held punished for the act of the child.[Adults who] take advantage of the vulnerabilities of the child and shall induce, threaten orinstigate the commission of the crime, shall be imposed the penalty prescribed by law for thecrime committed in its maximum period, the bill said.Children who have gone through a rehabilitation program must be assessed by the court todetermine if the child is ready to be reintegrated with his family or if the program must becontinued further, it said.Assistance to victims of a crime committed by the child, such as psychosocial intervention, isalso required to be provided by the local DSWD officer, the bill said.

Senate bill urges govt to hold interfaith activitieshttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/352455/senate-bill-urges-govt-to-hold-interfaith-activities#ixzz3DkGq6sOd

MANILA, PhilippinesA bill recently passed in the Senate is seeking to foster genuineunderstanding amongst people of different faiths and belief systems by urging governmentagencies to hold interfaith activities during the first week of February every year.Senator Loren Legarda, author of World Interfaith Harmony Week Bill, said in a statementMonday that this measure will greatly contribute to easing any conflict or tension caused bydiffering religious beliefs in the country.The Philippines, the largest Catholic country in Asia, has long suffered from internal

conflicts due to rebel secessionist groups. One group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front(MILF), has recently signed a peace framework agreement with the government.Gatherings and activities for World Interfaith Harmony Week have been held in variouscountries across the world with diverse backgrounds, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Italy,and Jordan, Legarda said.More than 40 countries in the world are already celebrating the World Interfaith HarmonyWeek following a resolution by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.According to the website of the World Interfaith Harmony Week, the event was originallyproposed to the UN by HM King Abdullah II of Jordan back in 2010.
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He proposed the idea with the aim of achieving a faith-driven world harmony by extendinghis call beyond the Muslim and Christian community to include people of all beliefs [and]those with no set religious beliefs as wellThe idea was later adopted unanimously as a UN Observance Event.Legarda noted that even in our country, the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines

(NUCP) staged a gathering in Zamboanga City in honor of inter-religious cooperation.The bill also advocates dialogues among leaders of religious institutions. The harmony weare pushing for is democratic, and built on effective communication and mutual respect,Legarda said.The bill has been passed on third and final reading in the Senate and is awaiting approval inthe lower house, she said.

US vows to provide compensation, restoration efforts for Tubbatahahttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/63457/us-vows-to-provide-compensation-restoration-efforts-for-tubbataha

MANILA, PhilippinesThe United States (US) government has vowed to provide

appropriate compensation for the damage its stranded Navy Ship caused to the TubbatahaReef, saying that it would conduct activities aimed at conservation and restoration of theworld heritage site.In a statement made by the US embassy in Manila Sunday, the office noted the US hadexpressed its regrets for the damage caused by the USS Guardian accident, and that it wasprepared to provide appropriate compensation to the Republic of the Philippines. In addition to compensation, the US government is planning a number of other activitieswhich will underscore its commitment to Tubbatahas recovery and the protection of themarine resources of the Philippines, it added.Latest reports had noted that from an initial estimate of 1,000 square meters, the damagedarea has been pegged at 4,000 square meters.

The embassy noted that the US would grant P4.1 million or $100,000 to a Philippineuniversity to support coral restoration research at the reef. It said that the grant would becoursed through the Coral Triangle Support Partnership (CTSP) under the embassys U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID) Office.It said that in the next two weeks, the embassy would organize a round-table discussion withlocal coral reef conservation experts to listen to concerns and discuss options forconservation and restoration of the reef.Invitees to this discussion will include entities such as USAID, the U.S. National Oceanicand Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), relevant Government of the Philippines agencies, andthe Tubbataha Management Office (TMO), it said.It said that a separate US interdisciplinary scientific team was being formed to initiate

discussions and coordinate with Philippine government agencies such as the TMO, non-governmental organizations, and Philippine-based marine scientists and experts to reviewand assess damage remediation options.It said that the US would also offer to fund a site survey for proposed improvements tothe existing ranger station on Tubbataha Reef.Proposals could include the installation of radar and communications equipment that canassist Park Rangers and Philippine Coast Guard in avoiding collisions and keeping tabs onmarine poachers, it said.
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The US government would also share hydrographic survey data with the PhilippinesNational Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) to improve cartographicinformation available on Tubbataha protected area and environs, it added.In its statement, the embassy noted that the US recognized biodiversity as a priorityreflected in the Assistance Agreement between the two countries, and that it should be a

priority under the US Philippines Bilateral Science and Technology Agreement that tookeffect in October 2012.The Tubbataha Reef accident focuses renewed attention on this goal and offersopportunities for future bilateral cooperation in science and technology that reflect our long-standing shared commitment to the protection of the marine resources of the Philippines, itsaid.Latest reports had noted that the SMIT Borneo of SMIT Singapore, one of the two liftcranes commissioned by the US Navy to begin the removal of the grounded minesweeper,arrived at the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park on Sunday.The Guardian ran aground on Jan. 17 while in transit to Indonesia after a port visit at theformer US naval base, Subic.Authorities said that one of the US Navys plans was to dismantle the minesweeper and

remove it in sections from the marine sanctuary, but a final plan had yet to be approved.President Benigno Aquino III, meanwhile, had earlier noted that authorities had been taskedto investigate the grounding incident and that the country would hold United States Navyaccountable under Philippine laws for the damage caused by the incident.

Senate ratifies amendments to Overseas Absentee Voting Acthttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/353089/senate-ratifies-amendments-to-overseas-absentee-voting-act#ixzz3DkHQvRZg

MANILA, PhilippinesThe Senate ratified Tuesday the bicameral conference committeereport on the amendments to the Overseas Absentee Voting Act.

Amendments to the OAV include the removal of a provision requiring Filipinos who areabroad to issue an affidavit where they declare they will return to the Philippines after beingregistered as an overseas absentee voter.Immigrants and permanent residents not disqualified to vote [must submit] anaffidavit declaring the intention to resume actual physical permanent residence in thePhilippines not later than three years after approval of his/her registration as an overseasabsentee voter, the provision had said.Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms andPeoples Participation and sponsor of Senate bill 3312, previously stated that the removal ofthe particular provision would encourage more Overseas Filipino Workers to vote.

Senate passes tighter gun control billhttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/353069/senate-passes-tighter-gun-control-bill#ixzz3DkHTpwD7

MANILA, PhilippinesThe Senate has approved on third and final reading Sen. PanfiloLacsons comprehensive bill on guns and ammunition that again imposes Marcosianpenalties such as imprisonment of at least 30 years for illegal possession of firearms.Sen. Gregorio Honasan, the sponsor of Senate Bill No. 3397 and chairman of the Senatecommittee on public order, expressed confidence that the measure would pass Congressbefore the official start of the campaign period next week.
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The Senate worked on the comprehensive gun control bill during its tight three-week nine-session schedule after returning from its Christmas break and before another recess thatstarts on Feb. 9 to make way for the election campaign.The stiffer penalties on illegal acquisition and possession of guns and ammunition came inthe wake of gun-related incidents such as the stray bullet killings of children in Navotas and

in Mandaluyong during the New Years Eve revelry, the Kawit gunplay that killed eight andthe Atimonan massacre.This is not a knee-jerk reaction to the recent incidents. This is a proactive measure withlong-term implications, Honasan told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.We are hoping that this will be a deterrent and so it will rely on strong public support,Honasan added.Congress in 1997 enacted a law that brought down the penalties for illegal possession offirearms. Lacson said it was about time the penalties were brought back up.The penalties should be made harsher because many crimes are attributed to the use offirearms and the use of guns, the display of guns and the commission of crimes using gunshave become too blatant, Lacson told reporters.But more than that, the reason why [the proposed bill] is comprehensive is that even the

safety features of how to use and how to possess guns are provided for. For instance, havinga vault [for keeping the gun] at home. It also provides for which persons are authorized topossess and carry firearms, Lacson added.According to Honasan, public hearings on the proposed measure have shown that whilethere are 600,000 to 800,000 registered firearms in the Philippines, there are as manyunlicensed guns across the country.Aside from the stiffer penalties on illegal acquisition and possession of guns, Honasan saidthe bill would punish illegal distributors and manufacturers of firearms.Its like [our strategy] in the dangerous drugs law, we intend to hit the source and go forsupply reduction and, at the same time, demand reduction, Honasan said. Under the proposed bill, illegal possession of a small firearm is punishable with prision

mayor (six years and one day to 12 years in prison) in its medium period; illegal possession ofthree or more small arms, reclusion temporal (12 years and one day to 20 years) to reclusionperpetua (at least 30 years); illegal possession of a Class A light weapon, prision mayor in itsmaximum period; and illegal possession of a Class B light weapon, reclusion perpetua.The penalties imposed would be one degree higher if the firearms illegally possessed wereunder any or a combination of the following conditions: loaded with ammunition or insertedwith a loaded magazine; fitted or mounted with laser or any gadget used to guide the shooterin hitting the target such as a thermal weapon sight and the like; fitted with sniper scopes,firearm muffler or firearm silencer; accompanied with an extra barrel; and converted to befired semi-automatic or full automatic.The bill passed on final reading in the Senate provides that only small arms may be registered

by licensed citizens of licensed juridical entities for ownership, possession and concealedcarry.It further provides that a light weapon shall be lawfully acquired or possessed exclusively bythe Armed Forces, the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agenciesauthorized by the President, provided that private individuals who have licenses to provideClass A light weapons upon the effectivity of this act shall not be deprived of the privilege tocontinue possessing the same and renewing the licenses therefor.Arm smuggling and the unlawful manufacture, importation, sale or disposition of firearmsand ammunition would be punished with as many as 30 years in prison.


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Senate sets inquiry on Philex mining spillhttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/353063/senate-sets-inquiry-on-philex-mining-spill#ixzz3DkHWIBSq

MANILA, PhilippinesThe Senate has set an inquiry into the unprecedented mine spill

that occurred at a mining site of Philex Mining Corporation in the province of Benguet lastAugust 2012.On August 2012, the country witnessed a mine tailings leak of unprecedented proportions,Senator Sergio Osmea III said in a privilege speech Tuesday.Mine tailings are a form of waste from the process of extracting the valuable minerals ormetals from rocks or ore.The penstocks of the only operational mine-tailings pond or Pond C of Philex in Benguethad collapsed, causing the discharge of over 20.6 million metric tons of mine wastes,Osmea said.He said that the amount of wastes spilled in the incident was 20 times more than theinfamous Marinduque Mining Disaster that left Boac River dead over a decade ago.There have been no official findings yet from the government on the exact details of the spill

such as the toxicity of waste, the accurate amount of waste spilled, as well as the effect on allthose living near the Balog and Agno river systems, Osmea said.Various Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) have written to him calling on the Senateto conduct an investigation into the incident, he said.We owe it to our people, the country and ourselves to know the truth about the massiveleak, its impact to the affected communities, the Local Government Units, and ourecosystem, Osmea said.In the interest of transparency, fairness, and justice, I strongly and respectfully request thatthe appropriate committees of the Senate initiate proper inquiry, in aid of legislation, evenwhile the Senate is on recess, he added.

Lawmakers disagree on treatment of young criminals

MANILA, PhilippinesDisagreement over the age when youth criminal offenders shouldbe penalized has marred the bicameral meeting where senators and members of the Houseof Representatives are ironing out kinks in a measure amending the Juvenile Justice andWelfare Act of 2006.Senate Majority Leader Tito Sotto said he and House members on the bicameral panel hadwanted youth offenders 12 to 15 years old, who committed heinous and major crimeswith prison terms at least 12 years, to be given the same sentences.The House of Representatives also wanted to lower the age for youth offenders to be triedin court to 15 years old.

However, Sotto said the bills principal author, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Pia Cayetano,had insisted on pegging the age of youth offenders to be tried in court to 15 years oldregardless of the gravity of the crime.Cayetano is the chairperson of the Senate committee on women and youth.Pangilinan earlier said the bill had exempted children 15 years old and below from criminalliability but not from civil liabilities.It is the parents of juvenile offenders who would shoulder the civil liabilities incurred by thechildren.
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Pangilinan acknowledged the impasse, saying in a text message that a deadlock occurredduring the bicameral meeting Monday morning.Sotto deplored the presence of representatives from the Commission on Human Rightsduring the bicameral meeting that should have been attended exclusively by lawmakers.Sotto argued that the current situation required that laws be adjusted because criminal

offenders in cases of murder, rape, drug trafficking and parricide were becoming younger.He cited a case of a 12-year-old girl who was gang-raped by four boys 12 to 13 years old.Are they saying those boys did not have discernment? Those boys are now at home withtheir parents to whom authorities have turned them over. But what about that girl? Sottoasked.Sotto said he would convince Sen. Francis Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee onjustice, to prevail upon Pangilinan and Cayetano to adopt the House version dropping thecutoff age for juvenile offenders to be meted criminal sentences to 12 years old.Under the Senate bill, youth offenders would be imprisoned in a facility separate from adultcriminals.

PH, US reaffirm probe on Tubbataha grounding incident

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/63587/ph-us-reaffirm-probe-on-tubbataha-grounding-incident#ixzz3DkHeu9E0

MANILA, PhilippinesThe Philippines and the United States (US) on Tuesday reiteratedtheir pledge to cooperate in investigating the cause of the grounding incident at theprotected Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea, saying that both countries agreed that preventingfurther damage to the reef remained a top priority.In a joint statement by the countries released on Tuesday, officials noted that in a meeting atthe Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday, US Ambassador to the PhilippinesHarry Thomas Jr. reiterated the US assurances to provide appropriate compensation forthe damage to the reef caused by the ship.

The statement noted that since the grounding incident, representatives from the DFA, theDepartment of Justice (DoJ), the Department of Transportation and Communications(DoTC), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), along with representatives of the US Navy andthe U.S. Embassy had held a series of meetings to discuss the issue.Various militant groups have urged the government to bring legal charges against US Navyofficers and crew members of the USS Guardian, the 63-meter long minesweeper that ranaground on the Tubbataha Reef last January 17.Reports had noted that the groups Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ngPilipinas (Pamalakaya) and the Anakpawis party-list filed a letter of complaint to the DoJ,saying that that were was enough evidence to enforce the arrest of US Navy officials and 79crew members of USS Guardian for extremely violating the countrys sovereignty and laws.

Reports had also noted how the groups lamented the governments inaction to pursue theirarrest and demand accountability from them.The joint statement, meanwhile, noted that during the meeting, the Philippine officialsconveyed to the US representatives that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had started itsindependent inquiry into the grounding incident. The Philippine Coast Guard formed theMaritime Casualty Investigation Team (MCIT) in accordance with its standard proceduresand resolutions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on serious maritimeincidents to establish the circumstances and causes of the grounding on Tubbataha Reef andto formulate safety measures to prevent a repetition of this incident, the statement said.
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In the meeting, the two governments agreed to cooperate during investigations of thegrounding incident, the statement added.The US embassy in Manila had also said that it would conduct a number of other activitiesto underscore its commitment to Tubbatahas recovery and the protection of the marineresources of the Philippines.

It had said that a separate US interdisciplinary scientific team was being formed to initiatediscussions and coordinate with Philippine government agencies such as the TubbatahaManagement Office, non-governmental organizations, and Philippine-based marinescientists and experts to review and assess damage remediation options.The embassy noted that the US would grant P4.1 million or $100,000 to a Philippineuniversity to support coral restoration research at the reef.It said that in the next two weeks, the embassy would organize a round-table discussion withlocal coral reef conservation experts to listen to concerns and discuss options forconservation and restoration of the reef.Invitees to thisdiscussion will include entities such as USAID, the U.S. National Oceanicand Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), relevant Government of the Philippines agencies, andthe Tubbataha Management Office (TMO), it had earlier said.

The US Navy had also said that it had presented to the PCG its plan to dismantle theminesweeper and remove it in sections from the marine sanctuary. It had said the operationwould utilize floating cranes to minimize damage to the world heritage site.Latest reports had noted that from an initial estimate of 1,000 square meters, the damagedarea has been pegged at 4,000 square meters.It is expected that the start of the salvage operation will be announced shortly. In themeantime, the United States is coordinating closely with PCG in the salvage operation toextract the USS Guardian from the reef, the joint statement said.

Chinese warships enter West Philippine Seahttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/63539/chinese-warships-enter-west-philippine-

sea#ixzz3DkHhQJZ9

MANILA, PhilippinesChinese naval vessels entered Philippine waters on Feb. 1 amidefforts by the Philippines to peacefully resolve its territorial dispute with China in the WestPhilippine Sea through arbitration in the United Nations.Chinas state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday that a naval fleet of the PeoplesLiberation Army (PLA) entered the West Philippine Sea for patrol and training missionsthis week.Xinhua said the three ships from the PLA Navys North China Sea fleetthe missiledestroyer Qingdao and missile frigates Yantai and Yanchengtraveled through the BashiChannel, an international sea route between Luzon and Taiwan, before entering the West

Philippine Sea at 11:40 a.m. on Friday.The report said the training exercises would be held within Chinese territorial waters.China claims almost all of the West Philippine Sea, including parts close to the shores of thePhilippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.UN arbitrationThe Philippines has protested Chinese incursions into waters within its exclusive economiczone (EEZ), but China insists those waters are part of its territory.Last month, the Philippines took its dispute with China to the United Nations for arbitration.
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The Philippines asked the United Nations to declare invalid Chinas claim to parts of the seathat are within the Philippine EEZ.Manila also asked the United Nations to stop Beijings incursions into Philippine terri tory inthe sea.It is not clear whether the Philippine action can proceed without Chinas participation in the

arbitration.China refuses to bring its territorial disputes with its neighbors to any international forum,insisting on resolution through bilateral negotiations.US supportA congressional delegation from the United States that recently visited Manila, however,expressed support for the Philippines decision to go into arbitration in accordance with theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.The Department of Foreign Affairs said it decided to take the dispute to the United Nationsbecause the government had already exhausted all other options.

US to compensate PH for damage to Tubbataha Reefshttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/63507/us-to-compensate-ph-for-damage-to-tubbataha-

reefs#ixzz3DkHkiku7

PROTEST AT US EMBASSY Activists protest the destruction of Tubbataha Reefs as aresult of a US Navy minesweeper getting stuck at the World Heritage Site.

The US government has apologized and pledged to provide appropriate compensation tothe Philippines for the damage caused by the grounding of a US warship at the protectedTubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea.The US compensation will come in a package that includes a joint scientific assessment ofthe reefs for rehabilitation, a P4.1 million ($100,000) grant for coral restoration on the reefs,and funding for improvements in the communications system within and around the natural

park.In a statement released by the US Embassy in Manila on Sunday, the US government said ithad been committed over the past decade to help the Philippines protect its marineecosystems, including coral reefs.In view of the damage caused by the USS Guardian accident at Tubbataha Reefs, the UShas expressed it regrets and is prepared to provide appropriate compensation to the Republicof the Philippines. In addition to compensation, the US government is planning a number ofother activities which will underscore its commitment to Tubbatahas recovery and theprotection of the marine resources of the Philippines, the statement said.No comment was immediately available on Monday from the Tubbataha Protected AreaManagement, which had been talking about going after the US Navy for the damage caused

to the reefs by the Guardian.Keep quietThe Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had cautioned the Tubbataha gatekeeper againstmaking too much noise about Philippine environmental laws and penalties lest it antagonizethe United States, which could opt to play hardball and not pay compensation at all.In a meeting with Tubbataha, Navy, Coast Guard, Palawan local government andenvironmental officials on Jan. 31, Assistant Foreign Secretary for American Affairs CarlosD. Sorreta said the Americans were to announce payment of compensation for the damageto the reef.
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But if they hear many things like threats, their lawyers will advise them not to commit to doanything that may be construed as an admission of guilt, Sorreta said. That hardens themand pushes them to the extreme of hiding behind immunity. We want a win-win situation.Sorreta said the DFA was not advising caution to side with the Americans. [R]ather it isprotecting our own self-interest. The compensation that we will ask for will cost more than

the fines, he said.The grounding of the Guardian on the reef on Jan. 17 has caused damage to 4,000 squaremeters of coral on the reefs.The Philippines imposes a fine of $300 for every square meter of damaged coral.Sue themLeft-leaning groups on Monday asked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to bring criminalcharges against the officials and crew of the Guardian for damage to Tubbataha, a Unesco-World Heritage Site area that the Philippines considers a national treasure.Famous around the world for its breathtaking corals and unique marine life, Tubbataha rivalsAustralias Great Barrier Reef as a tourist attraction.Leaders of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) and theAnakpawis party-list group handed a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday,

asking De Lima to take legal action not only against US officials but also against Philippineofficials who had not done anything about making the United States accountable for damageto Tubbataha and allowed the officers and crew of the Guardian to leave the Philippines.The two groups said the damage to the reefs would affect the livelihood of 100,000fishermen and workers on commercial fishing vessels in the West Palawan Sea and Sulu-Celebes Sea and nearby fishing grounds in the Visayas and Mindanao.They said the damage to the reefs merited the DOJ endorsement of their demand for theabrogation of the Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement withthe United States.De Lima had no immediate comment on Monday about the two groups request.Damage review

In the US Embassy statement, the US government said it was now forming a USinterdisciplinary scientific team that would initiate discussions with Manila to review coralreef rehabilitation options in Tubbataha, based on assessments by Philippine-based marinescientists.The team will help assess damage and remediation options in coordination with theTubbataha Management Office, appropriate Philippine government entities,nongovernmental organizations and scientific experts from Philippine universities.The US government will offer to fund a site survey for proposed improvements in theexisting ranger station in Tubbataha Reef, it said, adding the proposals could include theinstallation of radar and communications equipment that could help park rangers and thePhilippine Coast Guard avoid collisions and monitor marine poachers.

In the next weeks, the US Embassy will organize a roundtable with local coral reefconservation experts to listen to concerns and discuss options for conservation andrestoration of the Tubbataha Reefs.Those who will be invited to the discussion include the US Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, concernedgovernment agencies and the Tubbataha Management Office.Coral restoration


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Through USAIDs Coral Triangle Support Partnership, P4.1 million, or US$100,000, will begranted to a Philippine university to support coral restoration research at Tubbataha Reef,the embassy said.The US government said it would also share hydrographic survey data with the PhilippineNational Mapping and Resource Information Authority in a bid to improve cartographic

information available on the Tubbataha protected area and its environs.The Tubbataha Reef accident focuses renewed attention on this goal and offersopportunities for future bilateral cooperation in science and technology that reflect ourlongstanding shared commitment to the protection of the marine resources of thePhilippines, the embassy said.US supportIt said the US government had invested more than P1.9 billion, or $46.5 million, to supportmarine biodiversity conservation programs in the Philippines over the past decade.The investment includes the USAIDs Philippines Coral Triangle Support PartnershipProgram, which since 2007 has contributed P254.2 million, or $7.2 million, to protect coralreef ecosystems in the Philippines, including Tubbataha Reefs.The 63-meter-long, 1,300-ton Guardian remains stuck on the southern atoll of Tubbataha,

waiting to be broken apart and removed piece by piece to avoid further damage to the reefs.The US Navy has presented to the Philippine Coast Guard a dismantling plan usingfloating cranes to remove the Guardian from the reef.Lt. Commander Armand Balilio, spokesman for the Coast Guard, told the Inquirer onMonday that the plan must be approved by the Philippine government before the removalof the vessel could begin.Balilo said the SMIT Borneo of SMIT Singapore Pte. Ltd., the floating crane contracted bythe US Navy to break the Guardian apart, arrived in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan lastweek.Further reef damageHe said the task force headed by the Department of Transportation and Communications

(DOTC) was amenable to the US Navys decision to break the ship apart, but was concernedabout further damage the removal of vessel could cause to the reefs.Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena, the Coast Guard commandant, is flying to Puerto PrincesaTuesday to attend a meeting of the task force, Balilo said.The task force will take up the issue. Its decision needs the final approval of the DOTC,he said.The Coast Guard is a member of the task force. The other members are the privateTubbataha Reef Foundation and provincial and local government representatives fromPalawan.

Senates failure to pass whistle-blower security bill hit

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/356867/senates-failure-to-pass-whistle-blower-security-bill-hit#ixzz3DkIwz7gu

MANILA, PhilippinesWhistle-blowers in two of the major scandals to hit the Arroyoadministration lamented the Senates failure to pass a bill that would have given them moresecurity, even as they urged senatorial candidates to commit to the measures passage in the16th Congress.
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Jose Barredo, a self-confessed runner in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam, said thewhistle-blowers protection bill was necessary even if President Aquino was not embroiled incorruption scandals. There are other officials who could be engaged in wrongdoing, he said.Another whistle-blower, former Philippine Army Sgt. Vidal Doble, said threats to their well-being could not be discounted even if they were in the governments Witness Protection

Program.Doble and Barredo applied for a gun ban exemption at the Commission on Elections onMonday.House Bill No. 5715, otherwise known as the Whistleblower Protection, Security andBenefit Act of 2011, was passed by the House of Representatives in April last year, but asimilar bill did not progress to third and final reading in the Senate.Its impossible that corruption has been totally wiped out, Barredo told the Inquirer onMonday, adding that without the assurance of adequate protection, witnesses to crime wouldbe reluctant to come out.Doble said he and his fellow whistle-blowers were worried over the nonpassage of thewhistle-blowers protection act, especially with the end of the term of Sen. Panfilo Lacson,who had been safeguarding their interests.

Doble had claimed to be part of an intelligence team that recorded the Hello Garciconversations, in which former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was supposedly heardasking an election official about keeping her lead in the 2004 polls.Leila B. Salaverria

Sulu sultan called in to help in Sabah standoffhttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/64689/sulu-sultan-called-in-to-help-in-sabah-standoff#ixzz3DkJcFkmb

LAHAD DATU, SabahA Sulu sultan has been called in to resolve a standoff between

Malaysian security forces and a group of Filipino armed claiming to be members of theroyal army of the Sultanate of Sulu.Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, a descendant of the Sultanate of Sulu and a relative of the armedgroup leader, is expected to help find a peaceful solution to the standoff that entered its fifthday Saturday.The leader of the armed group has been identified as Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, who hadbeen negotiating with the Malaysian emissaries since Tuesday.Azzimudie, who was dressed in white robes, was said to have been an assistant districtofficer of Kudat during the time of former chief minister Tun Datu Mustapha Harunbetween 1967 and 1976.Azzimudie also met another relative of the Sulu Sultan, who was brought in from Kuala

Lumpur.He has yet to respond to requests by emissaries to go home.The emissaries are hoping for the group to give up their demands for their ancestral land ofthe Sulu Sultanate. Sultan Jamalul is expected to come by boat from the southern Philippines.Azzimudie, who spoke to the emissaries in English, showed them documents of theancestral claim to Sabah.He was staying in a house of a man in his 60s called Pakcik Umrah (Uncle Umrah).
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Umrah and his wife is the only local family remaining in Kampung Tanduo, while the otherfamilies from 15 houses have moved in with relatives in Tanjung Labian, about 30kilometers away.The number of armed men has increased from 30 from Saturday to about 300 as of thiswriting.

The group is comprised of Tausugs and Bajaus from Basilan, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi, andarrived on board several boats since Saturday.Most of them, aged from 20 to 60, were in dressed in black and grey military fatigues andarmed with M16 rifles, M14 grenade launchers and Colt 45 pistols.At least six camps have been set up there.A villager, who returned to check on his house, said the Filipinos did not enter the vacanthouses and were living off whatever that was grown in the village.Malaysian security forces have locked down all routes in the Felda Sahabat 17 oil palmplantation leading to Kampung Tanduo.Only food and water were allowed to be brought in as negotiations were going on.Patrol boats from the security agencies have blocked off entry from the southern Philippines,whose closest islands are Sipangkut and Sibutu, which can be reached by boat within 15

minutes.Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said police have contingency plans in theevent the talks broke down.We are optimistic that the situation will be resolved very soon with the group returning totheir home country, he said Friday.Hamza said Malaysian authorities were also in contact with Philippine Foreign AffairsSecretary Albert F. del Rosario.

PH, Malaysia to patrol common maritime bordersAFP chiefhttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/64629/ph-to-increase-military-presence-in-common-maritime-borders-afp-chief#ixzz3DkJgxYea

BAGUIO CITY, PhilippinesThe Philippines will increase military presence in commonmaritime borders with Malaysia to prevent further entry of armed groups in Sabah, a high-ranking military official said Friday.The chief of the Malaysian defense forces, General Tan Sri Dato Sri Zulkifeli bin MohdZin has requested us to patrol our borders as they will patrol their side to prevent illegalentrants so they are going to address peacefully the situation there, Armed Forces of thePhilippines Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista told reporters in a chance interviewwith reporters Friday night.The AFP Chief issued the statement amid a stand-off between Malaysian authorities andabout 200 armed Filipinos, who illegally entered Sabah claimed it as its own territory.

Bautista did not confirm how many armed Filipinos are in Sabah, saying that there areFilipinos who are also residents of Sabah.The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said the armed Filipino men who wereclaiming to be part of the Sulu royal army, was not sanctioned by the Philippinegovernment.DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario also sought the Malaysian authorities assurance that therights of Filipinos who are permanently residing in Sabah would be respected.
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Palace hopes anti-money laundering law will avert blacklistinghttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/359713/palace-hopes-anti-money-laundering-law-will-avert-blacklisting#ixzz3DkJjLy4Q

MANILA, PhilippinesThe Philippines hopes to avoid being put on a blacklist of money-

laundering havens after President Benigno Aquino signed a new law boosting safeguardsagainst such crimes, his spokeswoman said Saturday.The law brings the country up to international standards as required by the inter-governmental Financial Action Task Force which threatened to blacklist it, spokeswomanAbigail Valte said.Were very hopeful that, with the passage ofthis particular law, the FATF will see we arereally serious in our commitment to fight money-laundering, she told reporters.Officials of the Philippine anti-money laundering council will leave soon for an FATFmeeting in Paris to show that Manila was complying with their conditions, she said.The law is aimed at preventing terrorists, corrupt officials, drug syndicates and human-traffickers from using the country as a hiding place for their ill-gotten gains, Valte said.As demanded by the FATF, it broadens the definition of crimes covered and expands the

businesses to be monitored for money-laundering beyond mere financial institutions such asbanks.The FATF had previously placed the Philippines on its dark grey list of jurisdictionsdeemed not to be making sufficient progress in fighting money-laundering and threatened toblacklist it in early 2012.It called for greater state powers to make it easier to scrutinise bank accounts, as well ascasinos, foreign exchange traders and other non-bank entities.While the Philippines previously passed two crucial anti-money laundering laws in June, itonly passed the third law sought by the task force this month.The new law, signed by Aquino late Friday, also still spares casinos from coverage for fearthis would scare off investors, lawmakers said.

The Philippines recently opened Entertainment City, an $4 billion Manila casino complexaimed at rivalling Macau, Las Vegas and Singapore as a gaming hub.Asked if omitting casinos might have a negative effect, Valte said we will make anevaluation first and then well move forward from there.An FATF blacklist would make it difficult for millions of Filipinos working abroad to remittheir earnings and also affect Filipinos seeking to invest overseas.

PH urged to consider reviving Sabah claimhttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/65105/ph-urged-to-consider-reviving-sabah-claim

MANILA, PhilippinesA legislator on Thursday urged the Philippine government to

consider reviving its claim to Sabah amid a standoff between the Malaysian authorities and agroup claiming to be members of the Sultan of Sulu.But such a claim should be pursued through a diplomatic and peaceful solution said BayanMuna Representative Teddy Casio.The recent actions of the heirs of the Sulu Sultanate have very strong historical and legalgrounds, he said, pointing out that the group was acting on the Philippines continuingclaim on Sabah.Historical records show that the Philippines has the upper hand. Many accounts reveal thatthe Sultanate of Sulu predates all existing governments, said the partylist lawmaker.
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Casio said that the government should begin talks with Malaysia for a just, comprehensiveand peaceful solution to the issue.House minority leader Danilo Suarez meanwhile said that as far as the minority bloc isconcerned, that is our land. If it werent, why would they pay rent?Casio said that Malaysia continues to pay a token annual rent of about 5,300 ringgit

(P77,000) to the Sultanate of Sulu as a cession fee.Up to now, they are paying the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu, said Suarez.Maybe its time those claims are revived It is in the interest of the nation that thePhilippine government pursues the Sabah claim with the same intensity as it is asserting oursovereignty and territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea, said Casio.

PH navy ships near Sabah as deadline for Sulu army to leave loomshttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/65185/ph-naval-ships-in-tawi-tawi-waters-to-help-stabilize-situation#ixzz3DkKp7XhU

LAHAD DATU, SabahThe Philippines sent six navy ships and an aircraft to the seas ofSulu and Tawi-Tawi as deadline for the Sultanate of Sulus royal army to leave Sabah

looms, officials said.The ships from the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard were patrolling the waters less thanhalf an hour by speed boat from the seaside village of Tandau in Sabah, where the Sulugroup of royal followers has been in a standoff with Malaysian authorities since February 9,Philippines Navy spokesman Lieutenant Commodore Gregory Fabic said Friday.We are conducting maritime security patrol. We were given instruction to do this to preventthe movement of people [to and from Sabah], Fabic told Radyo Inquirer 990 AM.This is also to prevent the escalation of the Sabah issue, he said.Aside from six naval vessels and a Philippine Navy Islander aircraft, ships from thePhilippine Coast Guard were also sent to the area as the country intensified its watch on theSulu Sea amid a Friday deadline imposed by Malaysia for the Sulu group to leave the area.

Fabic said that the naval vessels would not dock in Sabah but were there only to help makethe situation stabilize.He said there were no instructions given for the evacuation of the Sulu group of about 100men led by Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, the brother of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.We are hoping that this will be resolved peacefully. If they are retreating, we are not thereto help them because we need instructions if they can be picked up, Fabic was quoted assaying.If there are conflicts, we cannot help them. We will (only go there) if it is resolvedpeacefully and are given instructions to repatriate them, he added.The Malaysian security forces, who have thrown a tight land and sea cordon around thegroup, are reportedly in a position to deport the group anytime but are holding back pending

efforts to resolve the standoff through negotiations without bloodshed.Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino reportedly said in Manila that the Sulu gunmen,whose action has revived discussions in the Philippines on the dormant Sabah claim, shouldgive up peacefully.Going there with arms is not the way to resolve this. When you brandish arms naturally theother side has only one way to respond to such a challenge, Aquino was quoted as saying inhis first public comment on the incident.Aquino also said that his government had been talking to all parties, including the Sultansfamily, to find a peaceful solution.
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Philippine Foreign secretary Albert del Rosario said in a separate statement that Aquino hadordered government authorities to do everything possible to try and urge them topeacefully withdraw and to do this as quickly as possible.The Islamic Sultanate of Sulu once controlled parts of Borneo, including the site of thestand-off, as well as southern Philippine islands.

The sultanate leased northern Borneo to Europeans in the 1870s. While the sultanatesauthority gradually faded as Western colonial powers exerted their influence over the region,it continued to receive lease payments for Sabah.Heirs to the sultanate still receive nominal yearly compensation from Malaysia under a long-standing agreement. One of the demands from the gunmen is more compensation.Estimates of the number of the armed men has varied. Last week, Malaysian Home MinisterHishammuddin Hussein put the number at between 80 to 100 gunmen.But the sultans spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, said in Manila there were about 400 membersof the group, including 20 with arms.Idjirani said the sultan, Jamalul Kiram, who lives in a Manila suburb, gave the men theauthority to reside in Sabah and they were determined to resist efforts to expel them.The sultans men in Sabah were instructed not to fire first, Idjirani added.

But if the Malaysian military will attack us, we will beleft with no choice but to defendourselves, he quoted Kiram as saying. Tetch Torres-Tupas, INQUIRER.netwithAgence France-Presse

DFA, DOJ, Palace ordered to study Sulu sultans Sabah claim http://globalnation.inquirer.net/65099/doj-dfa-ordered-to-study-validity-of-kirams-sabah-claim#ixzz3DkKuETQ5

MANILA, PhilippinesApparently seeking to appease the sultan of Sulu, who has untilFriday to order his followers to leave Sabah, the government said on Thursday it wasstudying the sultanate of Sulus claim to the eastern Malaysian territory.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said President Aquino had ordered the Department of Justice(DOJ), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Office of the President itself tostudy the legal validity of the sultanates claim to Sabah.The DOJ will handle the legal aspect of the claim, De Lima said. The DFA will deal with thepolicy dimension, while the Presidential Communications Development and StrategicPlanning Office will handle the historical aspect of the claim, she said.The sultanate is now headed by Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, who last week sent a group of hisfollowers to occupy Sabah, creating a crisis that could revive irritations between thePhilippines and Malaysia involving the resource-rich state in northern Borneo.De Lima said the study would include an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of theSulu sultanates claimto Sabah.

The study will dig as deep as possible into the history of the claim, using all availablematerials, including previous studies, De Lima said.No deadlineShe said the President did not give her a deadline for the submission of the study but herunderstanding was that it was a priority assignment.I will try to finish it in a few days, she said.About 300 followers of Jamalul led by his brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, are holed up in thevillage of Tanduao in Lahad Datu town in Sabah.
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They are surrounded by Malaysian police, military and naval forces, and Malaysianauthorities have given them until Friday to come out for deportation or they will be roundedup and sent back to Sulu.The government has sent emissaries to Jamalul to talk to him about settling the crisispeacefully.

Revive claimThe crisis has given rise to proposals for the revival of the Philippine claim to Sabah despitethe hesitation of the Aquino administration, which does not want any complications for thepeace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) being brokered byMalaysia.The government and the MILF have signed a preliminary peace agreement, and arethreshing out a final accord.Despite the imminence of a final peace deal, Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casio on Thursdayproposed that the government revive the Sabah claim and vigorously pursue a diplomaticand peaceful solution to the standoff in Lahad Datu.Continuing claimThe recent actions of the heirs of the Sulu sultanate have very strong historical and legal

basis, Casio, a senatorial candidate in Mays midterm elections, said in a statement. In fact, they are acting on our continuing claim to Sabah, which has been dormant underprevious administrations, said Casio, a member of the House foreignrelations committee.[The] government should not turn its back on our Muslim brothers. We should start talkswith Malaysia for a just, comprehensive and peaceful solution to the issue, he said.Sabah is populated by Filipino Muslims and has rich natural resources that can help providefood, jobs and materials needed by [industries], Casio said. The Philippines claim to Sabah, made on behalf of the sultanate of Sulu, was first madeduring the term of President Diosdado Macapagal in 1962 before Sabah officially became astate of Malaysia.Token rental

Malaysia continues to pay a token annual rent of 5,300 ringgit (P77,000) to the sultanate ofSulu as a cession fee.Succeeding governments have sadly made this claim dormant through the years. It is hightime the government, considering our nations long-term interests and respecting the rightand principle of ancestral domain of our Muslim brothers and sisters, revived our claim toSabah, Casio said.This is the best way to diplomatically settle the current standoff that is the reason forcenturies of unrest in many parts of southern Philippines, Casio said. Ceded to SuluVarious historical records and accounts from 1473 to 1658 showed that Sabah was part ofthe sultanate of Brunei. In 1658, the sultan of Brunei ceded Sabah to the sultan of Sulu in

compensation for his help in settling a civil war in Brunei.In 1885, the colonizers United Kingdom, Spain and Germany signed the Madrid Protocol,recognizing the sovereignty of Spain in the Sulu archipelago in exchange for therelinquishment by Spain of all its claims to Sabah in favor of the United Kingdom.In 1888, Sabah became the protectorate of the United Kingdom, which then was alsooccupying Malaysia as its colony.Upper handHistorical records show that the Philippines has the upper hand. Many accounts reveal thatthe sultanate of Sulu predates all existing governments, Casio said.


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The Philippine government must follow through on its official claim to the territory notonly for the heirs of the sultanate of Sulu, but for the Filipino people and nation, he said.Originally posted at 03:56 pm | Thursday, February 21, 2013

Sultan of Sulu seeks UNCHR protection

Food running out for Sabah intrudershttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/65391/sultan-of-sulu-seeks-unchr-protection#ixzz3DkLCSlRe

The Sultan of Sulu has asked the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR)to help his followers who are running out of provisions after two weeks of holing up in avillage in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah.Sultan Jamalul Kiram III wrote the UNCHR in Manila on Feb. 20, asking for protection for250 members of the Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo whoselives, he said, were threatened by a food blockade thrown by Malaysia around the village ofTanduao in Lahad Datu town, Sabah.Jamalul has also written to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei asking for help in resolving thestandoff in Tanduao peacefully.

The UNCHR was furnished with a copy of Jamaluls letter to the sultan of Brunei, also datedFeb. 20.A deadline given by Malaysia to the armed group led by Jamaluls brother, AgbimuddinKiram, to come out and submit to deportation expired on Friday, but the Philippines askedthe Malaysians to give the sultans followers four more days to end the occupation ofTanduao peacefully.But that was before Jamalul announced at a news conference in Manila on Friday that he hadordered Agbimuddins group to stand fast until recalled.News of Jamaluls defiance slowed down the Malaysian decision on the Philippine requestfor an extension of the deadline.Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman notified the Home Ministry of the Philippine

request on Friday but Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein said he would leave thedecision to Anifah.Its up to policeHishamuddin said, however, that he would leave it to the police to conduct an operation toend the standoff with the armed group in Tanduao.The countrys sovereignty and the pride of the people of Sabah must not be taken forgranted, Hishamuddin told reporters on Saturday.Abraham Idjirani, secretary general and spokesperson for the Sultanate of Sulu, said theblockade around Tanduao had reduced Agbimuddins group to eating root crops andvegetables found in the area.The Malaysian authorities do not allow Tausug residents of Lahad Datu to enter Tanduao to

prevent food from reaching Agbimuddins forces, Idjirani said.Muzzle downAgbimuddin remains in contact with Jamalul, Idjirani said. The two men last talked by phoneon Saturday, with the younger Agbimuddin being counseled by the sultan to stay calm,Idjirani said.The sultan, he said, also instructed Agbimuddin and the royal security forces to keep theirmuzzles down, a military term meaning carrying rifles with the muzzles pointed to theground to signify no hostile intent.
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Idjirani told the Inquirer by phone that the sultan wrote a letter to Prime Minister NajibRazak four days ago to assure the Malaysian leader that the sultanates followers came toSabah to live in peace.Jamalul assured Najib that the sultanates forces would not initiate violence but woulddefend themselves if attacked, Idjirani said.

As of yesterday, Idjirani said, Jamaluls orders to Agbimuddin remained unchanged: Holdyour ground.Its still as is, Idjirani said.The administration of President Aquino refuses to intervene, as the standoff has to do withthe Sulu sultans heirs claim to Sabah,part of the Sultanate of Sulu and formerly known asNorth Borneo.SabotageMalacaang believes Jamaluls action is aimed at sabotaging the peace talks between theAquino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).The Palace reportedly suspects that the opponents of the peace process are using Jamalul toscuttle a preliminary peace deal between the government and the MILF, among them theMoro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the followers of former President Gloria

Macapagal-Arroyo and the Presidents uncle, Jose Peping Cojuangco and his wife,Margarita Tingting Cojuangco, whose plan to run for governor of the AutonomousRegion in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2011 went to naught after Congress postponed theregional election and synchronized it with this years midterm elections to give Mr. Aquinotime to introduce reforms in Muslim Mindanao.The MNLF has neither confirmed nor denied aiding Jamalul but its leader, Nur Misuari, haspublicly opposed the preliminary peace agreement between the Aquino administration andthe MILF.The MNLF has said that among the members of Jamaluls royal security forces are MNLFfighters.The allies of Arroyo are silent.

Cojuangcos clearedThe Cojuangcos issued a press statement on Saturday saying President Aquino had clearedthem of involvement in the Sulu sultanates Sabah action.According to the statement, Mr. Aquino texted his uncle Jose Peping Cojuangco belyingreports that he believed the couple had a hand in Jamaluls decision to send his followers toSabah to establish a presence there.Uncle Joe, we are looking for who is instigating them. Neither you nor Aunt Ting [has]been mentioned in any report to me, the Presidents text message said, according to thepress statement.The them in the message refers to Jamalul and his followers, whose action could endangerother Filipinos living in Sabah.

ARMM Acting Gov. Mujiv Hataman said he was trying to reach Jamalul to ask the sultan tocall back his followers, as their occupation of Tanduao could adversely affect the thousandsof other Filipinos living in Sabah.Sabahs proximity to southern Philippines makes it accessible to Filipinos from Palawan,Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Thousands of Filipinos cross to Sabah without passports andMalaysian authorities, eager for trade and manpower for industries in Sabah, have toleratedthem for years.Immigration crackdown


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If the court does find that there was indeed grave abuse of discretion, there should be acommensurate move to give effect to its pronouncement and this move is to requireCongress to follow the Constitution, the petitioners said.This is not an encroachment or usurpation per se but rather the enforcement of the will ofthe People as mandated by the Constitution! This is true democracy! they added.

Peace groups hail formation of TransCom for Bangsamorohttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/365435/peace-groups-hail-formation-of-transcom-for-bangsamoro#ixzz3DkLcSjDV

OZAMIZ CITY, PhilippinesPeace advocates lauded the formal organization of theTransition Commission (TransCom) by President Benigno Aquino III as the beginning of anew history for Mindanao.We applaud both sets of the TransCom members and congratulate each and every one ofthem on their selection and endorsement by their communities, leaders and peers. We knowthat they each have the support and backing of the sectors they represent, the MindanaoPeace Weavers (MPW), a network of nine major peace groups in the country focused on the

Mindanao peace process, said in a statement.The peace roadmap for Mindanao is expected to formally take off as President Aquino hasconstituted the 15-member TransCom that will draft a Basic Law to serve as charter of thefuture Bangsamoro autonomous political entity.The appointment of the TransCom members was made on the same day the peacenegotiating panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) kickedoff the 36th exploratory meeting in Kuala Lumpur to hammer out consensus on theremaining key issues relating to a comprehensive peace agreement.The creation of the TransCom is provided in the preliminary Framework Agreement on theBangsamoro (FAB) that the parties inked last Oct. 15.Now that the Commission is operational with the appointment of its full membership, the

mechanism to move forward on the roadmap set by the Framework Agreement on theBangsamoro is firmly in place, said presidential adviser on the peace process TeresitaQuintos-Deles in a statement e-mailed to the Inquirer.MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal is slated to head the TransCom. Joining him areMILF nominees Robert Alonto, Abdulla Camlian, Ibrahim Ali, Raissa Jajurie, MelanioUlama, Hussein Mu?oz, and Said Shiek.The government nominees are Akmad Sakkam, Johaira Wahab, Talib Benito, AsaniTammang, Pedrito Eisma, Froilyn Mendoza, and Fatmawati Salapuddin.As provided in the framework pact, the TransCom seats are reserved for Bangsamoro. Ofthe 15, four are women, namely, Wahab, Jajurie, Salapuddin and Mendoza.According to a Palace statement, the seven government nominees underwent thorough

screening and evaluation by a TransCom Selection Body composed of Deles, JusticeSecretary Leila de Lima, and Secretary Mehol K. Sadain of the National Commission onMuslim Filipinos (NCMF).The Palace further said that the Selection Body screened the nominees based on their trackrecord in support of the peace process, and established probity, untainted by any charge orsuspicion of corruption or abuse of power.Earlier, the MILF said its nominees were selected based on their sincerity to theBangsamoro cause (and) capability to discharge the task.
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Deles has noted that the TransCom membership is drawn from various ethnic, professionaland political backgrounds from within the Bangsamoro hence it is imbued with genderand generational balance.This manifests the commitment of the Aquino administration in upholding inclusivity inthe peace process, she stressed.

She added that the main challenge for the TransCom is formulating a Basic Law that shapesinclusive, participatory and empowering social and political institutions in the futureBangsamoro region.Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the Basic Law, while ensuring therealization of Moro self-governance aspirations, must also guarantee the rights andwellbeing of all citizens, groups, and sectors in the new political entity.The challenges to the 15 men and women of the TransCom remain the same as those thatthe negotiators faced when they sat on the table to discuss a lasting solution to the armedconflict in Mindanao for the first time, Coronel-Ferrer added.The MPW expressed hope their shared vision for the Bangsamoro will prove to be thebond that unites the efforts of the TransCom members regardless of who nominated themto be part of the body.

Iqbal, who will chair the TransCom, is a veteran in the Mindanao peace process and of theMoro struggle. Alonto and Camlian are currently members of the MILF peace panel.Ali is a Muslim cleric; Ulama is a leader of the Teduray Lambangian tribe who serves asconsultant to the MILF peace panel along with Jajurie, a Tausug.Muoz is military commander of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the MILF armedwing, while Shiek, a Maranao, heads the MILF ceasefire committee.Both Tammang and Sakkam are lawyers and natives of Sulu. Sakkam is also a diplomat whileTammang served a term as Sulu congressman from 1992 to 1995.Also a lawyer, the Maguindanaoan Wahab currently heads the legal team of the governmentpanel.Benito, a Maranao, is dean of the King Faisal Center for Islamic, Arabic and Asian Studies of

the Mindanao State University in Marawi City.Eisma, a native of Isabela, Basilan, used to be a local politician.Mendoza is a member of the Indigenous People and Cultural Communities Sectoral Councilof the National Anti-Poverty Commission being leader of the Teduray LambangianWomens Organization.Salapuddin heads the Sulu-based Bangsamoro Women Solidarity Forum, and at presentdirector of the NCMFs Bureau of Peace and Conflict Resolution.

3 partylist groups face Comelec over illegally posted campaign paraphernaliahttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/374137/3-partylist-groups-face-comelec-over-illegally-posted-

campaign-paraphernalia#ixzz3DkQdjBsY

MANILA, PhilippinesThree partylist groups defended themselves before theCommission on Elections (Comelec) en banc in a public hearing Friday for allegedlyviolating campaign rules.Piston, Kabataan, and LPGMA, through their lawyers, heard witnesses presented by theComelecs prosecution team who testified to the placement of the illegal posters inprohibited areas.
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Piston, Kabataan, and LPGMA are set to present their witnesses in the next session onMonday.Comelec subpoenaed Kabataan, Piston, and LPGMA over the allegedly illegally postedcampaign paraphernalia, which was discovered during the Comelecs ocular inspection.Comelec Education and Information Department Director James Jimenez previously said

Monday on Twitter that subpoenas served on Kabataan, Piston, LPGMA today, kicking offthe preliminary investigation into their poster violations.Hearing for motu proprio cancellation of poll accreditation of Kabataan, Piston, andLPGMA set for this Friday, March 15, Jimenez said.Kabataan partylist was previously issued legal notices for its election propaganda foundposted on the center island of Taft Avenue and tarpaulins inside the Polytechnic Universityof the Philippines campus in Manila.Several other senatorial candidates and partylis groups were issued legal notices for them totake down their illegal posters.Comelec has also been receiving reports of potential campaign violations from concernedcitizens through Facebook and Twitter.If stripped of accreditation, Kabataan, Piston, LPGMA will no longer participate in the

May 13 polls. Any votes they get will be considered stray, Jimenez said in his tweet.

Brillantes hits citizens' arm: 'Don't punch poll body'http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections-2013/27545-brillantes-hits-namfrel-arm-shouldn-t-punch-poll-body

What is a citizens' arm supposed to do?Facing criticism from the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel),

poll chief Sixto Brillantes Jr said this much is clear: the arm should not punch the poll body.Brillantes on Friday, April 25, criticized Namfrel for releasing a statement on malfunctioning

ballot-counting machines. Namfrel referred to incidents from as far back as two months ago,during the mock polls organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last February 2.

In a two-page letter to Brillantes, Namfrel said problems involving precinct countoptical scan (PCOS) machines will pose problems on election day, May 13. The watchdogpackaged the letter to Brillantes as a statement sent to the media on Thursday, April 24.I think it is definitely unacceptable to us for a citizens' arm to be coming up with such kindof a press release, Brillantes said in an interview with reporters on Friday. Why are theycoming out now that the elections is drawing very close?Warning to Namfrel

The Comelec chair aired a warning to Namfrel: We also have the same authority tocancel their accreditation if you think you cannot function as a citizens' arm, and you would

rather act as a (critic) or a detractor of Comelec. You should get out as a citizens' arm.But isn't a watchdog supposed to question the Comelec, from time to time, for checks andbalances? Does Brillantes expect Namfrel to side with Comelec all the time?When asked this question, Brillantes replied: Tama 'yon. (That's right)He said, however, Namfrel should engage Comelec in constructive criticismin the sensethat you can express your concerns, but not publicly.
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Kaya ka nga citizens' arm, kamay ka ng Comelec, Brillantes added. Isusuntok mo ba ang sarilimo?(That's why you're a citizens' arm. You're the arm of the Comelec. Will you punchyourself?)

In the first place, however, how has Brillantes responded to Namfrel's concerns?The Comelec chairman said he has engaged Namfrel in a discussion, but not yet in a point

by point refutation of Namfrel's issues. He assured the public: Definitely the PCOS is very,very reliable.He added that the mock elections last February 2 was for our own assessment of

the actual condition. Nakakita kami ng mga konting mali, kinorrect na namin lahat 'yan. Kaya ngawe did the mock elections months before, he explained. (We saw a few glitches and we correctedthem all. That's why we did the mock elections months before.)In its letter to B

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