Category: Foreign Affairs

Aquino last to know about canceled China trip

Published by Ellen on September 1, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas,VERA Files

President Benigno S. Aquino III at the 27th Apolinario Mabini Awardees on Aug. 28 during which he said he was visiting China on Sept. 3.

Early last week, President Aquino was telling everybody—from the Vietnamese defense minister to guests at the 2013 Apolinario Mabini Awards in Malacanang—that he was pushing through with his Sept. 3 visit to China.

The media reported the trip on Wednesday, and quoted the President saying, “Bibiyahe ho tayo next week. Mahaba hong biyahe sa China. Alis akong ala-singko ng umaga; balik ho nang ala-singko ng hapon. Ayaw nating ma-overstay ang welcome natin doon (We are traveling next week. It will be a long trip to China. I will leave 5 a.m., back 5 p.m. We don’t want to wear out their welcome).”

What Aquino did not know then that he was really not welcome at this time in China, which had already canceled the visit the previous week.

Sources say the President could have been spared the diplomatic embarrassment—or “loss of face,” as the Chinese would say—had officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Malacañang only acted fast enough and followed up Chinese efforts to arrange the visit, plans for which began more than a month ago.

Carpio:MDT does not cover islands, reefs,rocks; update on UN case vs China

Published by Ellen on September 1, 2013

PH can learn lesson how U.S. handling Syrian crisis

The decision of U.S President Barack Obama to get the approval of Congress before he orders a missile attack on Syria should shatter the illusion of those who believe that America will immediately come to the rescue of the Philippines in the unlikely event of an armed conflict between the Philippines and China in the Scarborough Shoal and in the Spratlys.

Obama’s decision to involve Congress in the planned retribution against Syria for it’s unleashing of chemical weapons last week that allegedly killed 1,429 people will delay the airstrikes because Congress is on recess and the senators and congressmen will resume session on Sept. 9 yet.

There is no assurance that Congress will come on board just like what happened with British Prime David Cameron who was rebuffed by the British Parliament in his decision to get involved in the Syrian turmoil.

Aquino to visit China Sept. 3

Published by Ellen on August 13, 2013

By Tessa Jamandre,VERA Files

Presidet Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2011.

President Aquino is going on a one-day trip to China on Sept. 3 in what is seen as an effort to end strained relations with China triggered by the standoff in Bajo de Masinloc in April last year.

The President has accepted China’s invitation to attend the 10th ASEAN-China Expo (CAEXPO) to be held in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 3 to 6, Malacañang and Department of Foreign Affairs sources said.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will receive Aquino and the special envoys of the other nine ASEAN countries. Aquino will also attend a forum with Chinese businessmen.

US access talks: it’s PR

Published by Ellen on August 13, 2013

DND Asst Sec Raymund Jose Quilop, DFA Asst Sec Carlos Sorreta, DND Usec Pio Lorenzo Batino, Justice Usec FranciscoBaraan III.

In the media briefing last Monday announcing the start of the talks between the Philippines and the United States on “a possible framework of agreement on the increased rotational presence” of U.S military in the Philippines, the question that was repeatedly asked was, “What does the U.S. wants that the existing Visiting Forces Agreement does not cover?”

The VFA is an agreement between the Philippines and the United States regarding the treatment of U.S. Armed Forces Visiting the Philippines. It was signed in 1998 by Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon and U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hubbard and ratified by the Philippine Senate.

U.S to PH: stop anti-China rhetorics

Published by Ellen on August 11, 2013

Pres. Aquino greets Col. Stephen Neary, commander of the US Marines participating in 2011 Balikatan exercises.From Exercise Balikatan facebook.

Many , including high-ranking Philippine officials, like to think that increased presence of American military in the Philippines, which is a subject of talks between the two countries starting today, is a commitment by the Americans to defend the Philippines in case of an armed conflict in the West Philippine Sea, where a number of islands are being claimed wholly or partly by the Philippines, Brunei, China,Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Those who have taken these view will be disappointed because the U.S has taken a neutral position in the conflicting claims in the South China Sea (part of it is referred to as West Philippine Sea) and has always been consistent in urging for a peaceful resolution of the conflicting claims.

The Obama administration has decided to rebalance its military forces from Middle East to Asia, in what is seen by analysts as a move to contain China’s hegemony in the region.

PH will announce start of talks with US on increased military access tomorrow

Published by Ellen on August 11, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files

Photo from AFP's Balikatan Exercise Facebook. — Photo from AFP’s Balikatan Exercise Facebook.

The Aquino government will announce tomorrow the start of the talks with the United States on providing increased access by American military personnel to Philippine facilities.

The briefing to be conducted by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin will be held tomorrow at 9:30 a.m at the Patio Room of AFPCOC in Camp Aguinaldo.

Members of the panel will be composed of both foreign affairs and defense security experts. Head of the Philippine panel is Ambassador Carlos Sorreta.

The increase in US presence in the country is part of the US’ rebalancing security strategy termed “Pivot to Asia” which involves increasing military presence in Asia Pacific as it reduces its presence in Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Lessons from Taiwan incident: minimize inflammatory remarks

Published by Ellen on August 8, 2013

Update:
Taiwanese Foreign Minister David Lin just announced the lifting of the ban on hiring of Filipino workers for Taiwan, MECO Representative Antonio Basilio said.

One lesson from the unfortunate May 9 incident in Balintang Channel that led to a strain in the otherwise robust relations with Taiwan is for government spokespersons to be careful with their statements.

They should learn to moderate their arrogance and avoid words that inflame the public. There’s no room for uncalled- for side remarks in a tense situation with another country. This is particularly true with Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

A farewell tribute to Del Rosario?

Published by Ellen on July 23, 2013

The fourth State-of- the- Nation Address by President Aquino is notable for the number of issues that he didn’t touch.
He did not mention anything about the Freedom of Information Bill which he promised to support when he was campaigning for the presidency.

He did not say anything about China and Taiwan.

The once vibrant relations with Taiwan took a dip with the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by a Philippine Coast Guard at the disputed waters in Balintang Channel last May 9. Taiwan has suspended the hiring of Filipino workers pending the President’s decision on the report of the investigation of the incident which had been with him since June 11.

Key to normalization of PH-Taiwan relations: release of probe report

Published by Ellen on July 19, 2013

Is President Aquino going to announce at his fourth State of the Nation address what he is going to do with the investigation report of the National Bureau of Investigation on the May 9, 2013 incident in Balintang Channel where a member of the Philippine Coast Guard shot and killed a Taiwanese fisherman?

The NBI report, submitted to Aquino June 11, recommended the filing of administrative and criminal charges against the Coast Guard personnel, whose action caused serious diplomatic, political and economic problems for the country.

Although it has not been officially released, leaks to media, which were not denied by the NBI, revealed that the killing of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65, was unwarranted.

Sources said testimonies of personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources belied the claim of PCG that the 15-ton fiberglass made fishing vessel was ramming the 110-ton BFAR owned vessel, to justify the shooting of the fishing boat.

Taiwanese President Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeo, under pressure from an outraged constituency, made four demands from the Philippine government: formal apology, investigate the shooting and punish the guilty, compensation, and fisheries agreement.

Taiwanese meanwhile imposed sanctions: a freeze in the hiring of Filipino workers and a travel alert.

The sanctions translate to a loss of millions, even billions, of pesos. It means thousands of Filipinos remaining jobless because some 2,500 job applications are processed by Taiwan from Filipino applicants monthly. Those new hires join the more than 100,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan.

A guide to understanding the West Philippine Sea dispute

Published by Ellen on July 7, 2013

The Asian Center of the University of the Philippines has come out with a very useful document: The West Philippine Sea: Territorial and Maritime Jurisdiction Disputes from a Filipino Perspective.

It’s available online: http://www.babaylan.dk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/UP_Primer-on-the-West-Philippine-Sea_April-2013_0.pdf

Prepared under the direction of experts on the subject (Dean Eduardo T. Gonzalez of the Asian Center; Aileen S. P. Baviera, professor, Asian Center; and Jay Batongbacal, director, Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea of the UP College of Law), the timing of the primer is perfect as tension in the area continues to simmer.

The authors have succeeded in simplying the complicated topic. It covers history of the conflict and recent events. Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag shoal and by its international name Scarborough Shoal (Chinese name is Huangyan island) which has been the area of conflict since the standoff April last year involving Chinese and the Philippine ships, is well covered.