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☆ Satellite images reveal floating barrier at mouth of disputed atoll in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Satellite images of the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea show a new floating barrier across its entrance, near where Philippine ships and China coast guard vessels have had frequent run-ins. China claims the Scarborough Shoal, although it is inside the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. An international arbitration tribunal in the Hague said in 2016 that China's claims had no legal basis — a decision Beijing has rejected. That makes the atoll one of Asia's most contested maritime features and a flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups over sovereignty and fishing rights. The satellite image bolsters a report and video distributed by the Philippine Coast Guard, or PCG, on Sunday showing two Chinese coast guard inflatable boats deploying floating barriers at the shoal's entrance on Feb 22.

Persons: BRP Datu Tamblot, Hague, China's Organizations: Philippine Bureau of Fisheries, Aquatic Resources, BRP Datu, Maxar Technologies, Reuters, Fisheries, Philippine Coast Guard Locations: China, Scarborough, South China, South, Philippine, Philippines, Beijing

☆ Chinese fishing vessels are going scorched earth and pumping cyanide into contested waters, Philippine fishing authority says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bureau on Saturday accused Chinese vessels of pumping cyanide into the shoal's waters. AdvertisementThe Philippines' fishing bureau has accused Chinese fishing vessels of using cyanide to destroy the Scarborough Shoal, a fish-rich atoll in the South China Sea contested by both Manila and Beijing. Cyanide fishing is a controversial fishing method that typically involves dumping the highly toxic chemical near coral reefs or in fishing grounds to stun or kill fish so they can be easily captured. Notably, the Philippines' fishing industry was known to use cyanide fishing back in the 1960s to capture live fish for aquariums and restaurants, though the practice has become less common. The Scarborough Shoal is contested by The Philippines, China, and Taiwan.

Persons: —, Nazario Briguera, Brigeura, Briguera, hadn't, Jay Tarriela, Guo Shoujing, Hague Organizations: Service, Bureau of Fisheries, Aquatic Resources, The Philippine, Philippine, Scarborough, Philippine Star, ROSA, GMA, Philippine Coast Guard, Conservation, Education Foundation, Global Times, The, TED, Getty, Google, Fisheries, Business Locations: Philippines, China, Scarborough, South, Manila, Beijing, Masinloc, Spanish, Scarborough Shoal, AFP, Bajo de, Cebu, South China, Taiwan, The Philippines, Quezon City, Philippine

☆ Philippines Committed to South China Sea Code of Conduct
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Karen LemaMANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines is firmly committed to negotiations for a code of conduct between China and Southeast Asian countries to avert confrontations in the South China Sea, its foreign minister said on Thursday. Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo also said tensions in the South China Sea were not all about a rivalry between superpowers the United States and China, and the Philippines, and others, had legitimate rights and interests to uphold. The idea of a code of conduct was hatched more than two decades ago but parties only committed to begin the process in 2017. China has chided the Philippines for encroaching on what it says is its territory. Manalo said a high-level "2+2" meeting of the defence and foreign ministers of the Philippines and United States was planned and dates not yet been finalised.

Persons: Karen Lema MANILA, Enrique Manalo, Manalo, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty Organizations: Beijing Locations: Philippines, China, Southeast, South China, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Manila

☆ Philippines Accuses China of Dangerous Maneuvers Near Scarborough Shoal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' coast guard (PCG) on Sunday accused China of "dangerous and blocking" maneuvers while its vessel patrolled near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea this month. Four Chinese maritime militia vessels were also present near the shoal, the PCG said. Located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Scarborough shoal is also claimed by China, making it one of Asia's most contested maritime features and a flashpoint for flare-ups. The PCG said its vessel was in the area to protect Filipino fishermen "from further harassment" in their traditional fishing ground. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce.

Persons: Teresa Magbanua, BRP Teresa Magbanua, Hague, China's, Mikhail Flores, Sonali Paul Organizations: Sunday, BRP, CCG Locations: MANILA, Philippines, China, Scarborough Shoal, South China, Manila's, Manila, Scarborough, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing

☆ Philippine Landslide Death Toll Climbs to 35
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The number of people killed by a landslide in the southern Philippines has risen to 35, an official said on Sunday, as rescue workers continued to dig through mud even as hope of finding more survivors dimmed. Macapili said over 300 people were involved in the rescue, but operations were being hampered by heavy rain, thick mud and the threat of further landslides. Asked if there were still survivors, Macapili said it was already "unlikely", but the search would continue. "The rescue team is doing its best, even if it's very difficult," Macapili said. Torrential rains have battered Davao de Oro in recent weeks, triggering floods and landslides.

Persons: Apex Mining Edward Macapili, Macapili, Mikhail Flores, Sonali Paul Organizations: Apex Mining Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Maco, Davao de Oro

☆ Philippines Says 110 Missing After Landslide Kills at Least 11
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The number of missing from a landslide that struck a southern Philippine province rose to 110 on Thursday as rescuers recovered more bodies, bringing the official death toll to 11, disaster officials said. The landslide happened on Tuesday night in the town of Maco in the province of Davao de Oro, burying homes and two buses, which a provincial official said were carrying more than two dozen passengers. The number of missing had risen to 110 from the more than 40 previously reported, Maco's disaster agency said in a statement posted on its social media account, adding more than 1,166 families had been evacuated from their homes. Torrential rains have battered Davao de Oro in recent weeks, triggering floods and landslides. Rosa Cristina Rosete-Manuel, spokesperson for the military's Eastern Command helping lead the rescue operations, said rescuers remained hopeful of finding survivors.

Persons: Rosa Cristina Rosete, Manuel, Karen Lema, Nick Macfie Organizations: Eastern Command Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Maco, Davao de Oro

☆ Philippines' Marcos Says Secessionist Threats 'Doomed to Fail'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Thursday that calls for independence for the country's southern island of Mindanao were a "constitutional travesty" and "doomed to fail." "The new call for a separate Mindanao is doomed to fail, for it is anchored on a false premise, not to mention a sheer constitutional travesty," Marcos said in a speech on Constitution Day without naming his outspoken predecessor. "I strongly appeal to all concerned to stop this call for a separate Mindanao. "This is not the new Philippines that we are trying to mold. That was followed by Marcos' defence chief on Monday vowing to strictly enforce the country's sovereignty after Duterte's secessionist threats.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos, Duterte, Karen Lema, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Sunday Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Mindanao, Philippines, Republic

☆ Landslide in Southern Philippines Buries Two Buses, Injures 11
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - A landslide triggered by heavy rains in a southern Philippine province buried two buses, injuring at least 11 people, disaster officials said on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear how many passengers were on board the buses. Those injured, including one in critical condition, were taken to a hospital, Maco town's disaster agency said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The disaster agency also issued evacuation orders in five villages in Maco, located on the island of Mindanao. A northeast monsoon and a trough of low pressure has brought rains in southern Mindanao region from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2, resulting in deadly floods and landslides, data from the national disaster agency show.

Persons: Karen Lema, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Apex Mining Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Maco, Davao de Oro, Mindanao, Jan

☆ Philippines Wards off Cyber Attacks From China-Based Hackers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Hackers operating in China attempted to break into websites and e-mail systems of the Philippine's president and government agencies, one promoting maritime security, but failed, an information and communications ministry official said on Monday. But using the internet protocol addresses, we pinpointed it to China," Paraiso said, adding the hackers were traced to be using the services of Chinese state-owned Unicom. "We are appealing to the Chinese government to help us prevent further attacks." The thwarted cyber attacks came at a time of heightened tensions with China, largely over disputed territory in the South China Sea. The Philippines is currently working on a five-year cybersecurity strategy to beef up its cyber defences to combat attacks and digital crimes.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, DICT, Renato Paraiso, Paraiso, Neil Jerome Morales, Michael Perry Organizations: Department of Information, Communications Technology, National Coast Watch, Philippine Locations: MANILA, China, China's, Manila, South China, Philippines

☆ Floods, Landslides Kill at Least 20 People in Southern Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - At least 20 people have died after days of torrential rains in parts of the southern Philippines, provincial disaster agencies said on Monday. Thirteen people died in Davao de Oro province while two were missing, and seven people were killed in neighbouring Davao del Norte, disaster agency officials said. A northeast monsoon and trough of a low pressure area brought rains in southern Mindanao region from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2, resulting in deadly floods and landslides, data from the national disaster agency show. In mid-January, 18 people died due to floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in southern Philippines. Landslides and floods are frequent in the Southeast Asian nation, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands that is hit by about 20 tropical storms annually.

Persons: Neil Jerome Morales, Bernadette Baum Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Mindanao, Jan

☆ China Says It Opposes and Cracks Down on All Forms of Cyberattacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Chinese government does not tolerate any form of cyberattacks and will not allow any country or individual to engage in such illegal activities using Chinese infrastructure, its embassy in the Philippines said. It made the assurances after the Philippines on Monday said that hackers from China last month attempted to break into government websites, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's personal website, but failed. Manila did not say the hackers were linked to any state, but said they were found to be using the services of Chinese state-owned company Unicom. "The Chinese government all along firmly opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyber attack in accordance with law, allows no country or individual to engage in cyber attack and other illegal activities on Chinese soil or using Chinese infrastructure," a spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Manila said late on Monday. The Philippines is currently working on a five-year cybersecurity strategy to beef up its cyber defences.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr's, Unicom, Neil Jerome Morales, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Embassy Locations: MANILA, Philippines, China, Manila

☆ Philippines Ready to Use 'Forces' to Quell Any Secession Attempt Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Duterte has called for the independence of his hometown Mindanao from the Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated this week over disagreements around efforts to amend the constitution. National security adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement any attempt to secede "will be met by the government with resolute force", citing "recent calls to separate Mindanao" but without specifically naming Duterte. "The national government will not hesitate to use its authority and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic," Ano said. Ano said calls for secession could reverse the gains of government's peace deal with former separatist groups. Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner told soldiers on Saturday "to remain united and loyal to the constitution and the chain of command".

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Duterte, Eduardo Ano, Ano, Ahod Ebrahim, Carlito Galvez Jr, Romeo Brawner, Mikhail Flores, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Moro Islamic Liberation Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Mindanao, Philippines, Moro Islamic

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The government of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has taken steps to to address human rights abuses in the country, including the killings of journalists and rights activists, a U.N. expert said Friday. Khan said she underscored the need for the Marcos administration to seek justice for rights victims under his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. She cited U.N. figures saying that at least 81 past killings of journalists in the Philippines have not been investigated and remain unresolved. He insisted that the task force Khan wants disbanded had helped weaken the communist insurgency in recent years, with just 1,500 guerrillas remaining. Once remaining guerrilla fronts have been dismantled, the task force would turn to promoting peace and national unity, Malaya said.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Irene Khan, Khan, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, ” Khan, ” Jonathan Malaya, Joeal Calupitan, Aaron Favila Organizations: United Nations, —, Communist Party of, New People’s Army, National Security Council, Associated Press Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, Manila, Malaya

☆ U.N. Expert Tells Philippines to Act on Media Killings, Abolish Anti-Communist Task Force
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Irene Khan, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, spent almost two weeks in the Philippines to assess the state of free speech and media rights. "The Philippines remains a dangerous country for journalists," Khan said, adding "much more needs to be done to attack impunity". A U.N. special rapporteur who visited Manila last year had a similar recommendation. The task force has been accused of "red-tagging", the practice of accusing government critics of being rebel sympathisers as a pre-text to silence, arrest or even kill them. The task force will "transition to a different body", given the weakening communist insurgency, Malaya said.

Persons: Irene Khan, Khan, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Jonathan Malaya, Mikhail Flores, Timothy Heritage Organizations: United, United Nations Educational, Cultural Organization, UNESCO, World Press Locations: MANILA, United Nations, Philippines, Manila, Malaya

☆ Analysis-'Open Warfare': Philippines' Marcos-Duterte Alliance Crumbles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

"The opportunistic political alliance was not meant to last," said Temario Rivera, chairman of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance think-tank. "It is still working," he said, adding he was keeping Sara Duterte as education minister. 'OPEN WARFARE'The alliance publicly disintegrated on Sunday when Duterte called Marcos a "drug addict" during a rally against moves to change the charter. Analysts said the public bust-up could be linked to the 2028 presidential race, which Sara Duterte is expected to contest and stands a strong chance. "It will be an open warfare this year," said Ronald Llamas, a veteran political analyst and former presidential adviser.

Persons: Karen Lema MANILA, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos, Duterte's, Sara, Jean Encinas, Sebastian Duterte, Temario Rivera, Sara Duterte, Rivera, Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Sr, Marcos Sr, Imelda, Ronald Llamas, Karen Lema, Michael Perry Organizations: University of the, Center for People Empowerment, International Criminal, Hague Locations: Philippine, Philippines, University of the Philippines, Davao, China, United States, Washington, South, Taiwan, South China

☆ Philippines' Marcos Says No Rift With the Vice President
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said there was no rift between him and his Vice President Sara Duterte after both her brother and father strongly criticised him. On Sunday, Duterte's brother, who is the mayor of Davao city, urged Marcos to resign over his supposed failings to address crime and a foreign policy that "endangers the lives of innocent Filipinos", while her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, called the incumbent president a "drug addict". Speaking to reporters while on a state visit to Vietnam, Marcos said his relationship with the vice president is "exactly the same", adding his "Uniteam" with Duterte was intact. Marcos and Duterte ran under the "Uniteam" ticket in the 2022 election, both winning a landslide victory. It's the unification of all political, hopefully all political forces in the Philippines to come together for the good country," Marcos said late on Tuesday.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Sara Duterte, Duterte's, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, Duterte, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, Miral Fahmy Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Davao, Vietnam, Philippines

Duterte also accused Marcos of being a drug addict. He has not commented on Duterte’s claim about lifting term limits, under which the president can serve only a single six-year term. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Monday that Marcos was never on such a list, contrary to Duterte’s claim. Early last year, Marcos allowed an expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Philippines under a 2014 defense pact. Marcos led his own rally Sunday at a seaside park in Manila, which police said drew about 400,000 people after nightfall.

Persons: —, Rodrigo Duterte, Fernando Marcos Jr, Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos, Duterte, Martin Romualdez, Duterte’s, Sara, Marcos ’, who’s, ” Duterte, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, ” Marcos, “ Organizations: Criminal, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, Davao city, Washington, China, South China, Manila

☆ 'I Think It's the Fentanyl': Philippines' Marcos Hits Back at Predecessor Duterte
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. struck back on Monday at his firebrand predecessor Rodrigo Duterte who called him a "drug addict", saying the former leader's fentanyl use could have affected his judgment. "I think it's the fentanyl," Marcos told reporters shortly before leaving for Vietnam in response to claims made by Duterte on Sunday while speaking at a rally in his hometown Davao against moves to amend the country's constitution. In 2016, Duterte admitted he used to take the highly addictive synthetic opioid fentanyl for pain relief after a motorcyle accident. Former president Duterte has earned international rebuke for unleashing a brutal campaign against illegal drugs when he assumed power in 2016, killing more 6,000 dealers whom police said resisted arrest during anti-drug operations. The International Criminal Court has allowed an investigation into the killings to resume, but Marcos said his government will not cooperate.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos, Duterte, Mikhail Flores, Michael Perry Organizations: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Vietnam, Davao

☆ Philippines and US Intend to Hold '2-Plus-2' Meeting in March, Envoy Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines and the United States intend to hold a "2-plus-2 meeting" of top diplomatic and defence officials in Manila in March, the Philippine ambassador to Washington said on Monday. He said there is an "intention" to hold a meeting, and the plan is "still a work in progress." Romualdez did not respond to a question on what will be the agenda of the planned meeting, which comes at a time of simmering tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea. The Philippines is a treaty ally of the United States. There was no immediate comment from the Philippines' defense secretary, the Philippine foreign ministry, and the U.S. embassy in Manila.

Persons: Jose Manuel Romualdez, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, Enrique Manalo, Gilberto Teodoro, Romualdez, Karen Lema, Lisa Shumaker, Diane Craft Organizations: Defense, Nikkei, U.S Locations: MANILA, Philippines, United States, Manila, Philippine, Washington, China, South China

☆ Former Philippine Leader's Son Calls President Marcos 'Lazy', Urges Him to Quit
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Karen LemaMANILA (Reuters) - Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte's son urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to resign on Sunday, calling him lazy and uncompassionate in a deepening rift between the two politically powerful families. Marcos teamed up with Duterte's daughter Sara to make her vice-president in their 2022 election win. Sebastian Duterte, who is mayor of Philippines' third most populous city Davao, said there had been a resurgence in crime after his father's hardline campaign had been relaxed. "He is putting politics first, their self-preservation ... rather than focusing on the job," Sebastian Duterte said. There was no immediate comment from Marcos' office or from the vice president on Sebastian Duterte's remarks.

Persons: Karen Lema MANILA, Rodrigo Duterte's, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Duterte's, Sara, Sebastian Duterte, Sara Duterte, Mr, Sebastian Duterte's, Karen Lema, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Bagong Pilipinas Locations: Philippine, Philippines, Davao, Taiwan, China

☆ China Slams US 'Provocation' in Taiwan Strait, Pledges Further Drills
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China criticised the United States on Thursday for causing "trouble and provocation" after the U.S. Navy sailed its first warship through the sensitive Taiwan Strait since presidential and parliamentary elections on the island. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. The U.S. Navy said the destroyer USS John Finn transited through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that was "beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state". Wu said China's response in driving away the ship was "justified, reasonable, professional and restrained". Wu added that China's military will "continue to organise relevant military operations" around the Taiwan Strait on a regular basis as part of its training, as analysts predict frequent drills in the run-up to Taiwan President-elect William Lai's inauguration in May.

Persons: Wu Qian, John Finn, Wu, William Lai's, Dong Jun, Liz Lee, Laurie Chen, Greg Torode, Nick Macfie Organizations: U.S . Navy, Defence Ministry, Chinese Defence, U.S ., Pentagon, Indian, Reuters Locations: BEIJING, China, United States, Taiwan, U.S, Washington, Philippines, Spratly, Manila, South, India, New Delhi, Gaza, Beijing, Hong Kong

☆ Philippine Says Armed Forces to Ensure 'Unimpeded and Peaceful' Exploration in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Manila calls the portion of the South China Sea that is within its EEZ as the West Philippine Sea, where it has had a series of confrontations with China with both trading accusations of provoking conflict. In addition to the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the South China Sea disputed by China, which claims almost all of the sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. Plans by a Philippine firm to drill for oil and natural gas on the Reed Bank in the South China Sea have been hampered for years by the territorial dispute. The encroacher has a vast area of sea," Teodoro said. China and the Philippines agreed last week to improve maritime communication and to properly manage conflicts and differences in the South China Sea through friendly talks.

Persons: Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, China's, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Michael Perry Organizations: Manila Overseas Press Club, South China, West, Reed Bank Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Manila, West Philippines, South, West Philippine, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing, Philippine, South China

☆ Philippines' Marcos Says Constitution Should Be Changed to Fit 'Globalised World'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the country's constitution needs to be amended because it was "not written for the globalised world". Marcos, in an interview with GMA News TV aired on Tuesday, said the economic provisions of the 1987 constitution, which was introduced a year after the overthrow of his father and namesake after two decades in power, must be changed to attract more foreign investors.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos Organizations: GMA News Locations: MANILA, Philippines

☆ A helicopter trip to a Coldplay concert lands a world leader in trouble
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Larissa Gao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 18: Chris Martin of Coldplay performs on stage at Optus Stadium on November 18, 2023 in Perth, Australia. Villavecer said he left home seven hours before the concert in a carpool with other fans in order to avoid anticipated traffic jams. The leader of the Philippines has landed himself in trouble after using a presidential helicopter to bypass heavy traffic and make it to a Coldplay concert. MANILA, PHILIPPINES - JANUARY 10: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacanang Palace on January 10, 2024 in Manila, Philippines. "We've seen some traffic, but I think you have the number one in the world," he said.

Persons: Chris Martin, Coldplay, Paul Kane, Villavecer, Nick Villavecer, Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Ezra Acayan, Major General Nelson Morales, Morales, Renato Reyes Jr, Reyes, We've, Martin, concertgoers, it's, Mikaela Lopez Organizations: Optus, NBC, Philippine, Coldplay, Presidential Security Command, Manila, Philippine Department of Transportation Locations: PERTH, AUSTRALIA, Perth, Australia, Manila, Philippines, MANILA, PHILIPPINES, Malacanang, New York City, U.S

The fishermen, led by Saligan, reported to the Philippine coast guard that Chinese coast guard personnel drove them away from the disputed Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines on Jan. 12 and ordered them to dump their catch of fish and seashells back to the sea. However, five Chinese coast guard personnel, three of them armed with steel batons, followed by boat, alighted on the islet and ordered the fishermen to leave. Go away,” Saligan said he told the Chinese coast guard personnel, who he said insisted that they leave the shoal immediately. They wanted us to return our catch to the sea,” Saligan told a small group of journalists, including from The Associated Press, in Manila. Philippine coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said the written statements and video submitted by Saligan and his men have been validated as accurate by the coast guard.

Persons: Joely Saligan, Manila’s, Saligan, ” Saligan, “, Commodore Jay Tarriela, ” Tarriela, Tarriela, Thomas Shoal, Joeal Calupitan, Aaron Favila Organizations: Scarborough, The Associated Press, China, United, Associated Press Locations: MANILA, Philippines, China, Shanghai, Beijing, Manila, Washington, Philippine, Scarborough Shoal, South China, United States, Asia, U.S

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