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Chinese Embassy confirms ‘gentleman’s agreement’; Marcos seeks answers
Marcos defends Sara on her “silence” over South China Sea issue
PH reaffirms expanded, stronger bilateral ties with Japan
Trilateral summit to boost cooperation between Japan, US and Philippines
UPDATE Japan, US, Australia and Philippines hold exercise in West Philippine Sea
Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines successfully conducted the first maritime drill at the West Philippine Sea on Sunday.
The Multilateral Marine Cooperative Activity (MMCA), showed the naval vessels and aircraft from the four countries performing communication exercise, division tactics or Officer of the Watch maneuver, and a photo exercise within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
These activities were designed to enhance the different forces’ abilities to work together effectively in maritime scenarios, a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.
Participants include the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar with AW109 helicopter, BRP Antonio Luna ( with AW159 Wildcat ASW helicopter, and BRP Valentin Diaz from the Philippine Navy; the USS Mobile and a P-8A Poseidon from the United States Navy; the Royal Australian Navy HMAS Warramunga and Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft; and JS Akebono from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces.
The MMCA demonstrated the participating countries’ commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific through interoperability exercises in the maritime domain.
It will also contribute greatly to the AFP’s capability development.
China on Sunday conducted military “combat patrols” in the disputed South China Sea that coincided with the joint drills by the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia.
In a statement, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said it was organizing “joint naval and air combat patrols in the South China Sea”.
The exercise should not be a reason to increase tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of National Defense (DND) said.
In an interview, Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said this maritime activity should not raise tensions since it will be conducted in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
“ As I said it’s a show of unity. If they consider it as a show of force that is up to them but what we’re doing is something that’s practiced by all civilized nations in the world…and what is important is that we are doing this in the name of our national interest in the Philippines because I mentioned what we’re getting out of this is the enhancement of our capability and our interoperability with our partners,” he added. DMS-Jaspearl Tan
Marcos vows to develop Metro Manila’s nearby provinces, cities to address metropolis’ traffic
Determined to address traffic congestion in Metro Manila, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed on Sunday to develop nearby provinces and cities as part of the administration’s long-term solution to the traffic problem in the metropolis.
In a five-minute video posted on his official YouTube channel, Marcos emphasized that developing nearby provinces and cities is one of the long-term traffic solutions as the population in Metro Manila continues to increase while construction of infrastructure projects is ongoing.
Marcos noted that providing equal opportunities outside Metro Manila is one of the best solutions to address traffic congestion in the metropolis.
“Habang patuloy ang pag-gawa ng ating mga tulay, flyover, skyway, subways, train systems, at iba pang mga imprastraktura, para sa transportasyon patuloy naman ang pag-dami ng populasyon natin at ang pag-dami ng mga sasakyan,” Marcos said.
“Congested ang Metro Manila, kung kaya bahagi talaga ng pag-paplano ay mai-develop ang mga kalapit na probinsya at siyudad. ‘Yan ang mga nakikita natin ngayon na developments. Ang Bulacan, Pampanga sa North at Cavite and Laguna sa South,” he added.
“Kaya pati ang mga kalye at tulay na papunta sa mga lugar na ‘yon ay patuloy ring pinapaganda pa. Pati na rin ang airport,” he said.
But the chief executive emphasized that all these development projects outside Metro Manila may take some time and may add problem to the traffic congestion before the motorists and commuters can feel the relief from gridlock.
He asked for people’s understanding as he assured them that a better traffic will be felt once all projects are complete.
“Malaking proyektong itong mga ito, kaya naman dapat nating isipin na hindi bukas na natin mararamdaman ito dahil malaki talaga ang scale at kung minsan pa nga ay nakakaabala pa dun sa mga traffic ngayon,” Marcos said.
“Kaya’t pag-tyagaan niyo lang, pero pagka-nabuo na ‘yan, asahan ninyo gaganda ang sitwasyon natin,” the chief executive added.
Marcos ordered government agencies during a recent Cabinet meeting to submit their recommendations, and on how their respective offices will adjust and configure their work environment, according to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
Balisacan said that Marcos wants to have a comprehensive and holistic approach in solving the traffic problem, not a “piecemeal approach” of the previous administrations, which appeared to be less effective. Presidential News Desk
Joint maritime drill between Japan, US, Australia and Philippines held
DepEd orders public schools to implement distance learning starting Monday
Chinese Coast Guard ships harass Filipino fishing vessels
Filipino fishing vessels helping the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) drop floating aggregate devices (Payao) in Rozul Reef were harassed by the Chinese Coast Guard on Thursday.
In his X (twitter) account, Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea the two Chinese Coast Guard vessels who were the usual interdictors in the resupply operation in Ayungin Shoal arrived and harassed the Filipino fishing boats that voluntarily supporting the PCG-BFAR operation.
“The Chinese Coast Guard vessels went as far as pretending to man their water cannons and threatening the Filipino fishermen, demonstrating China’s unlawful behavior aimed at depriving the Filipinos of their rights to access the resources in our Exclusive Economic Zone,” he said.
Tarriela said the aggressive action of the Chinese Coast Guard “stems from China’s greed and unfounded claim that these waters belong to them based on their imaginary dashed line”.
“It is important to note that Rozul Reef falls within the Philippines’ EEZ since it is located at approximately 128 nautical miles away from Palawan,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS