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Month: July 2017

The trade off: multi-billion dollar projects in exchange for Chinese exploration in PH EEZ

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi July 25,2017. DFA photo.

From the fragmented information about the resumption of talks on joint exploration with China in the disputed parts of the Spratlys, what is emerging is a repeat of jumbo loans that the administration of Gloria Arroyo obtained from the Chinese government in 2004 in exchange for agreeing to allow China to explore within the country’s economic exclusive zone.

In his State-of-the Nation address last Monday, the issue about West Philippine Sea was mentioned sort of in passing. “The West Philippine Sea issue and federalism are matters that we have to tackle sooner or later,” Duterte said.

Reporters followed it up in his post-SONA press conference. Duterte added more information:

“When they start to excavate the gas and all. I tell you, it’s going to be just like a joint venture. Para pareho. (So it’s equal). “

Vera Files fact checks Duterte’s SONA

What’s Duterte’s speech without his trademark slogan, “Putang Ina?”

I’m bit disappointed that he spewed out only nine putang ina in his State-of-the Nation address Monday. That’s way below his usual 20 or so Putang Ina in one speech. And he spoke for two hours!

Pres. Duterte applauded by Senate President Koko Pimentel and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

In his 2017 SONA, regaled the Filipino people with his own imagined “truths”, telling people of praises that were never uttered and ordering or taking credit for what are already long in place.

During the SONA, VERA Files did a live Fact Check of some of what Duterte said.

Here are some of the items VERA Files came up with:

Trump has a lot to learn from Duterte on taming media

Oftentimes, when we read or watch on TV news about what’s happening in Donald Trump’s United States of America, you can easily find similarities in the Philippines.

It’s because Trump and the Philippine’s Rodrigo Duterte have many things in common: their contempt for the rule of law, their low regard of women, and their antagonism towards media.

The other day, Trump’s press, Secretary Sean Spicer resigned. This inspired social media wit, Bernard Ong, to pen a letter to Trump with very exciting recommendations.

U.S. former Press Secretary Sean Spicer

Explaining Duterte


The president of the Philippines is the country’s chief executive, head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
His powers are awesome, so his words carry the weight of his powerful position.

In his one year in office, President Duterte has shocked, stunned, and bewildered not only Filipinos but also the international community with his pronouncements.

A political observer said that to keep his sanity, he usually waits a day or two before deciding whether to take seriously or dismissing Duterte’s statements.

North Korea in the lives of Filipinos

A photograph released by the North Korean news agency showing Kim Jong-un reacting after the launch. Credit KCNA, via Reuters

I’m intrigued by the results of the survey conducted by the American fact tank, Pew Research Center, showing only Filipinos, among seven countries in Asia Pacific, have a generally positive view of North Korea.

The survey was conducted between February and May this year, before North Korea’s successful launching of an intercontinental ballistic missile last July 4. It was reported as North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un’s gift to the United States.

The survey showed the Japanese are most negative on North Korea (94%); Australians, 82 %; the Americans, whose president is the most hostile towards North Korea, 78%.

The height of impunity

The President’s favorite cop: Police Supt Marvin Marcos.

Upon orders of President Duterte, Police Chief Director General Ronald de la Rosa said the murderer-cops, led by Police Supt. Marvin Marcos will be re-instated to the positions they held before they were suspended for the killing of former Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and his fellow inmate, Raul Yap, in Baybay provincial jail in Leyte on November 5 last year.

The reaction of Sen. Panfilo Lacson sent to the media by text expresses the feeling of many upon hearing the reinstatement of Marcos: “There is a phrase to describe this whole damn thing: P… Ina.”

Lacson’s committee investigated the incident and found that the killing of Espinosa and Yap was premeditated

PH win in Arbitral Court, one year after

Pres. Duterte and China Pres. Xi Jinping in Beijing Oct. 2016 state visit. Malacanang photo.
One of the good things that President Duterte has done was to rekindle relations with China which reached its lowest ebb during the administration of Benigno Aquino III.

Never mind that during the election campaign, he rode on the anti-China sentiments of most Filipinos fueled by the pro-American leanings of Aquino and his Foreign Secretary, Albert del Rosario.

Remember, a standard in Duterte’s campaign speech was his boast that he will ride on a jet ski to one of the islands in the disputed Spratlys and plant the Philippine flag. He would kiss the flag to dramatize his promise.

Once in Malacanang, he was asked when he was going to jetski to Spratlys and he replied it was a joke. He said he didn’t even know how to swim.

‘Martial law pa more’

Pres. Duterte and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. Malacañang photo.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he will be pushing for a five-year extension of Martial Law in Mindanao declared by President Duterte last May 23 and is supposed to end on July 22, two days before he delivers his second State-of-the Nation address.

Alvarez, who has proven himself valuable to Duterte for shepherding a docile House of Representatives to latter’s bidding, said Saturday, ““If I can convince my colleagues, I will push for an extension until 2022, because two months is too short. Five months or one year or two years is too short.”

Alvarez did not say what is needed that cannot be done in normal times, without the sword of Martial Law hanging over Mindanao.

Duterte himself does not seem so eager to lift martial Law in Mindanao. News reports said when he was asked last week if he would lift it before delivers his second SONA on July 24, he replied, “No”.

‘Huwag gawing basurahan ang Marawi’

(Unang lumabas itong column sa https://www.abante.com.ph/prangkahan-huwag-gawing-basurahan-ang-marawi.htm)

Lugmok na nga ang Marawi ngunit sa halip na tulungan palakasin ang kalooban, ini-insulto pa.

Ito ang tingin ng marami sa ginawa ni Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa sa pagpadala ng dalawang tiwali nag a pulis sa Marawi.

PNP Chief Ronald de la Rosa. Photo from UNTV

Tama lang na pinuna ito ni Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at nagreklamo si Zia Along Adiong, ang tagapagsalita ng Marawi Crisis Management Committee.

Kumalat sa social media noong isang linggo ang video nina PO1s Jose Julius Tandog at Chito Enriquez ng Mandaluyong police na sinasaktan ng yantok ang dalawang lasing na nahuli at dinala sa pulis station. Hindi nila alam ng mga pulis na habang sinasaktan nila ang isa, kinukuhaan pala sila ng video ng kasama.

Bilang parusa, sabi ni de la Rosa bilang parusa, maliban sa kasong administratibo na isasampa laban sa dalawa, ipadala sila sa Marawi para “doon nila ipakita ang kanilang tapang.”

The dissenting voices

Of the four members of the Supreme Court who dissented from the majority decision upholding President Duterte’s declaration of Martial Law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao, three ( Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa) supported him as far as Marawi City was concerned.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio
In his dissenting opinion, Carpio said, “Without question, the widespread killing of both government forces and innocent civilians, coupled with the destruction of government and private facilities, thereby depriving the whole population in Marawi City of basic necessities and services, endangered the public safety in the whole of Marawi City. Hence, with the concurrence of an actual rebellion and requirement of public safety, the President lawfully exercised his Commander-in-Chief powers to declare martial law and suspend the privilege of the writ in Marawi City.

“However, the same does not apply to the rest of Mindanao. Proclamation No. 216 and the President’s Report to Congress do not contain any evidence whatsoever of actual rebellion outside of Marawi.

“In fact, the Proclamation itself states that the Maute-Hapilon armed fighters in Marawi City intended to remove “this part of Mindanao,” referring to Marawi City, from Philippine sovereignty. The Proclamation itself admits that only ‘this part of Mindanao’ is the subject of separation from Philippine sovereignty by the rebels. The President’s Report did not mention any other city, province or territory in Mindanao, other than Marawi City, that had a similar public uprising by a rebel group, an element of actual rebellion. Thus, the President’s Report concludes that ‘based on various verified intelligence reports from the AFP and the PNP, there exists a strategic mass action of lawless armed groups in Marawi City.’ The President’s Report expressly states that the Maute-Hapilon armed fighters were waging rebellion first in Marawi City as a prelude or “precedent” to waging rebellion in the rest of Mindanao. This is a clear admission that the rebellion was only in Marawi City and had yet to spread to the rest of Mindanao. “