CHINA DENOUNCES 'FALSE ACCUSATIONS' IN PHILIPPINES-US JOINT STATEMENT

MANILA — China on Wednesday denounced a joint statement by the Philippines and the United States objecting to its activities in the West Philippine Sea and stressed that "pandering to forces outside the region" will not resolve disputing maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Manila and Washington's defense and foreign affairs officials met for the third-ever 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue to discuss initiatives for military cooperation as well as bilateral trade opportunities, among others.

At the very top of their joint statement, however, was "their strong objections to the unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea, including the recent attempts of the People’s Republic of China to disrupt the Philippines' lawful operations at and around Second Thomas Shoal and the repeated massing of PRC maritime militia vessels at several sites within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone."

BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded landing ship that is still part of the navy fleet, is the Philippines' presence on Second Thomas Shoal, which Manila calls Ayungin.

"China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands and the adjacent waters," Wang Wenbin, spokesman of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a press conference on Wednesday, a transcript of which was made available to reporters later that evening.

"The joint statement of the US and the Philippines misrepresents and discredits the legitimate and lawful maritime law enforcement activities of the Chinese side and even makes false accusations against China," he also said.

"We would like to once again remind the relevant country in the region that pandering to forces outside the region will not bring greater security, but will cause tensions, put regional peace, and stability at risk, and eventually backfire."

US, PH SEEK CIVIL NUCLEAR PACT TO REDUCE EMISSIONS

The United States is looking to forge a civil nuclear cooperation deal with the Philippines as the latter pushes to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

The US will be “providing technical assistance and regulatory guidance to support the growth of the Philippines’ civil nuclear energy program,” Blinken said in a press conference in Washington.

“We’re looking to grow our cooperation through a 123 Agreement on civil nuclear cooperation which will make it easier for us to share technical knowledge as well as nuclear material and equipment,” he said.

The United States’ 123 Agreement is “a legally binding framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation between the US and [its] partners,” according to the US Department of State website.

“The criteria require 123 agreements to legally obligate our partners to observe specific standards in a multitude of areas including peaceful uses… and prohibitions on enriching, reprocessing, and transfer of specific material and equipment without our consent,” it read.

“A full-fledged nuclear cooperation partnership can lead to political and economic ties lasting as long as 100 years and can be the catalyst for cooperation on other foreign policy issues.”

US EXPECTS TO INVEST $100 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IN 9 EDCA SITES

MANILA — The United States is expecting to allocate at least $100 million for the development of infrastructure in the 9 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the Philippines, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday.

Austin gave the remark during a press conference in Washington after the Philippines and the US held its 2+2 Ministerial meeting for the first time in 7 years, and days after the traditional allies announced the location of 4 new EDCA sites in the Southeast Asian country.

“We’re proud of the investments we’re making, and by the end of FY ’23 we expect to have allocated more than $100 million in infrastructure investments at the new and existing EDCA sites,” Austin said.

“So those investments will spur job creation and economic growth in local Philippine communities,” he said.

Austin did not elaborate on what would be built in Philippine military camps where American troops would be able to access, but noted that the 2 countries are “also committed to swiftly finalizing the US–Philippines bilateral defense guidelines, which charts our vision for alliance cooperation across all operational domains, including space and cyberspace.”

“We’re building on some 500 defense engagements that our militaries conduct each year, and we’re forging new ties between our militaries and expanding the breadth of our cooperation,” he added.

MARCOS OKS SINGLE OS FOR GOV’T TRANSACTIONS

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the creation of a single operating system for all government transactions to ensure ease of doing business in the country.

During a sectoral meeting on improving bureaucratic efficiency, President Marcos said different agencies working on a code or policy must consider the differences between the national bureaucracy and various local government units (LGUs).

“There are technological reasons, as well as political and local considerations to comply with the law and the government has to deal with those issues,” the President said.

“I think it may help when you’re writing the code or when you’re putting the system together, you’re going to have to think about the differences between the national bureaucracy and the different LGUs,” Mr. Marcos said.

“Those are the things that we still work with. The questions we were trying to bring it down to that level, and the local governments are really part of that thing. You’ve seen how it can happen. That’s what we need to address,” he pointed out.

Government officials who met the President also said that’s the reason why the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), are now mapping the processes of different agencies so they can be able to collate them in a single system.

ICC’S KHAN NIXES PH GROUNDS FOR APPEAL

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan has rejected the grounds raised by the Philippine government in its appeal before the ICC Appeals Chamber, opposing the country’s move to halt the ICC probe.

In a 59-page submission dated April 4, Khan said the Philippines “failed to show any error in the Decision” of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber authorizing the resumption of the drug war probe.

“[T]he Prosecution respectfully requests the Appeals Chamber to reject the Appeal and confirm the Pre-Trial Chamber’s authorization of the resumption of the Prosecution’s investigation in the Situation in the Philippines pursuant to Article 18(2) of the [Rome] Statute,” he said in an ABS-CBN report.

The Philippine government has been seeking to halt the ICC prosecutor’s probe on the killings connected to the drug war in the country and the alleged death squad in Davao. But the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber, in January this year, authorized the prosecutor to resume his probe.

Manila filed its appeal last March.

In its appeal, the Philippines said the ICC no longer had jurisdiction over the country when it launched its probe in September 2021 since the withdrawal from the ICC took effect in March 2019.

But Khan said what matters is the period when the alleged crimes were committed, and not when the investigation was opened.

He pointed out that cooperation is not a precondition for the ICC to exercise its jurisdiction.

Khan said a state’s refusal to cooperate with the ICC does not deprive the court of jurisdiction over a situation it is investigating.

PDEG CHIEF DOMINGO RELIEVED FROM POST OVER ALLEGED P6.7-BILLION SHABU HAUL COVER-UP

MANILA — The national police has removed the head of its Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) from his post over his alleged involvement in an attempt to cover up the arrest of an officer during a multibillion-peso anti-narcotics operation last year.

PDEG Director PBGen. Narciso Domingo, who earlier denied the alleged cover-up, was reassigned to the Office of the Chief PNP (OCPNP), based on an order dated April 12, 2023.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos recently tagged 10 high-ranking policemen in the alleged cover-up of the arrest of PMSg. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. in Tondo, Manila last year.

Some 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion was recovered from Mayo's property.

Abalos alleged some police officers took 42 kilos of the illegal drugs, which was later recovered.

Domingo had said he would take a leave of absence due to the issue.

BASILAN FERRY FIRE: BODY OF LAST MISSING PASSENGER FOUND, DEATH TOLL AT 33

MANILA — The death toll from a fire that engulfed a ferry off Basilan in late March has climbed to 33, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Thursday.

The PCG said the body of the last missing passenger of the ill-fated MV Mary Joy 3, Private First Class Marion Manda, was recovered on April 11.

 The ferry was traveling to Sulu from Zamboanga when it caught fire off Baluk-Baluk island, Basilan in the late hours of March 29.

Out of its 249 passengers, 216 survived, the PCG said.

Faulty electrical wiring was seen as a possible cause of the fire, based on initial investigation from the Coast Guard's Maritime Casualty Investigation Team (MCIT) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

ARREST WARRANT ISSUED VS BANTAG

MANILA — A Muntinlupa court has ordered the arrest of former prisons chief Gerald Bantag in connection to the death of an alleged middleman in the killing of radio commentator Percy Lapid.

The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 issued the warrant of arrest against Bantag and his former deputy Ricardo Zulueta on April 12, 2023.

Justice department prosecutors in March indicted Bantag and Zulueta for 2 counts of murder. They were tagged in the deaths of Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor as principals by inducement or those who offered money or reward in exchange for the commission of the crime.

Murder is non-bailable, noted the arrest warrant issued by Judge Gener Gito against Bantag and Zulueta.

Percival Mabasa, who went by Percy Lapid in his radio show, was shot dead near his home last October after making comments online that appeared to link Bantag to corruption.

Officials have also accused Bantag of ordering the killing of Jun Villamor, a prison inmate who allegedly passed the kill order to the gunman who shot Mabasa.

Bantag had previously denied any corruption or role in the killings.

The killings have put alleged abuses in the country's overcrowded prisons in the spotlight.

After his sacking, Bantag admitted that he ordered a huge pit dug beside his home inside a Manila prison complex, but denied it was an escape tunnel for inmates.

He said he wanted to create the "deepest swimming pool" in Manila, to use for scuba diving.

Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla had said that Bantag had told him he was searching for fabled treasure stolen from around Southeast Asia by Japanese forces in World War II and rumored to be buried in the Philippines.

Bantag is said to be in Metro Manila while Zulueta is reportedly in Bulacan, according to the arrest warrant.

THE REST

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DOH GREENLIGHTS 2ND COVID BOOSTER SHOT FOR PUBLIC, WARNS OF CASE SURGE

The Philippines will offer the second COVID-19 booster to the public, the Department of Health announced Wednesday, allowing more Filipinos to get additional protection against the virus.

“Based on the updated emergency use authorization of the Food and Drug Administration and the positive recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council, we can now use the vaccines we have as second booster for the general population or our health adults,” DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing.

Only vulnerable groups such as healthcare workers and the elderly were allowed to receive the fourth jab last year.

The DOH also warned that the daily COVID-19 cases in the country may reach up to 600 by mid-May if the minimum public health standards will not be complied with.

Based on the latest projections as of April 11, the daily cases may increase to 289 up to 611 nationwide by May 15, according to Vergeire.

Vergeire said these projections were based on factors including the transmission rate, level of vaccination, and compliance with minimum public health standards.

She said at least 30 to 122 daily cases are also seen in the National Capital Region (NCR) by May 15.

“But as we always say, these are projections, these are not cast in stone. At least we are guided by these projections,” Vergeire said at a media forum.

LEPTOSPIROSIS CASES INCREASE

MANILA — Cases of leptospirosis in the country have increased since January, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday.

In its latest disease surveillance report, the DOH said 1,015 cases of leptospirosis were recorded from Jan. 1 to March 18.

The cases were 188 percent higher compared to the 353 cases reported during the same period last year.

Western Visayas recorded the highest number of cases with 212 followed by Central Luzon with 128 and Central Visayas, 89.

Zamboanga peninsula logged an increase in cases by 1,640 percent or from five to 87; Mimaropa, 1,000 percent or from four to 44, and Calabarzon, 425 percent or from eight to 42 cases.

Data from the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau showed that leptospirosis-related deaths reached 85, a case fatality rate (CFR) of 8.37 percent.

Fifty deaths were recorded last year, a CFR of 14.16 percent.

Western Visayas recorded the highest number of fatalities at 18 followed by Zamboanga peninsula with 10 and Davao, nine.

ENGINEERING PHILIPPINE’S ‘MOST SEARCHED’ COLLEGE DEGREE – GOOGLE DATA

MANILA — Engineering emerged as the most popular college degree in the Philippines, based on Google search data compiled by researchers at the University of the Potomac in the United States.

The research used data from the popular search engine platform to determine the most searched degrees around the world.

For the Philippines, engineering emerged as the most search university degree, followed by architecture and psychology.

Globally, Google data showed that nursing was the most searched degree, followed by business administration and law.

“These three programs likely attract a large number of students due to their practical and in-demand nature, as well as the diverse career opportunities they can provide,” Google said.

Meanwhile, across Southeast Asia, engineering also topped the most searched degrees in Indonesia and Vietnam. It was education among Google users in Cambodia and Thailand, accounting in Malaysia and psychology in Singapore.

No data was available for Brunei, Laos, Myanmar and Timor Leste.

In the US, computer science was the most searched college degree, followed by business and psychology. Psychology was the most popular in the United Kingdom, followed by law and nursing.

EMPRESS OIL LEAK SLOWS DOWN

MANILA — There is “good progress” in the response to the oil spill from the sunken tanker Princess Empress following bagging operations conducted by remotely operated vehicles from Japan and the United States, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Oil discharges from the Princess Empress have started to slow down as the leaking areas decreased from 23 on March 20 to 11 on April 2, Vice Admiral Rolando Punzalan Jr., PCG deputy commandant for operations, said.

“Eleven na lang yung visible na may discharge and intermittent… Nag-slow down na yung discharges. It gives us ample time to continue with shoreline cleanup and determine the next phase,” Punzalan said.

He said the next steps after bagging operations are siphoning and hot tapping.

'AMANG' WEAKENS INTO LPA, BUT RAIN TO PERSIST

MANILA — Tropical Depression Amang weakened into a low pressure area on Thursday morning, but it will continue to dump rain over Rizal and Quezon province, the state weather bureau said.

The LPA was last spotted over the coastal waters of Polillo in Quezon province, PAGASA said in an advisory.

But it will still bring heavy rain to most areas of Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Calabarzon. PAGASA warned that flooding and landslides are possible under these conditions, especially in areas that are susceptible to these hazards and in places with significant antecedent rainfall.

The LPA is forecast to track generally northwest or west northwest toward Polillo Islands and northern mainland Quezon. It is expected to dissipate in the next 24 hours.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the weather disturbance formerly known as Amang affected 280 families in Bicol region. Food packs were provided to affected residents in the region.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

JULIA MONTES' CRYPTIC SOCIAL MEDIA POST STIRS SPECULATION

MANILA —Julia Montes caused speculation among her fans with a cryptic social media post.

Montes shared a black screen on Instagram with a broken heart emoji and the date "04.18.23" written below, along with her name and official social media handles.

Some of her supporters surmise that this could be Montes’ next acting project.

Back in December, Montes said in an interview that she planned to be more active in terms of acting this 2023.

She mentioned that she hoped to work with screen veteran Vilma Santos.

“Parang alam ko, personally and with work, ang dami kong matututunan sa kanya. And every time na nakikita ko siya, 'yung presence niya mararamdaman mo na you will never get intimidated sa kanya kasi ganoon siya kabait," she said.

"Gusto kong ma-experience yung power ng isang Vilma Santos. Favorite movie ko na andoon siya is 'Anak.' All-time favorite ko talaga kasi idol ko din si Ms. Claudine Barretto. Kaya 'pag pinagsama pa 'yung dalawa talagang solid,” Montes added.

Montes was last seen on television when she starred with her long-time rumored boyfriend, Coco Martin, in "FPJ's Ang Probinsyano." The series ended last year.

SPORTS

TNT DEF. GINEBRA, 95-82, TIES SERIES AT 1-1 (PBA FINALS GAME 2) APRIL 12

TNT Tropang GIGA defeated the crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra, 95-82 in Game 2 of their best-of-7 final series in the 2023 PBA Governors' Cup on Wednesday, April 12 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Tropang Giga with an assist shy of a triple-double of 23 points (9/19fg, 1/3 3pt, 4/5ft), to go with nineteen rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Mikey Williams had another solid game of 21 points (8/21fg, 5/11 3pt) along with four rebounds, three assists and a steal while Roger Pogoy added 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

TNT shot 38-88 (43%) from the field, including 15-of-35 shooting from beyond the arc (GIN - 29/82fg, 7/29 3pts), and TNT went 4-of-5 from the free throw line (GIN - 17/26ft). Tropang Giga had 11 turnovers while the GinKings had 12 and TNT had more steals 8-3.

Game 3 is on Friday, April 14 (5:45pm) at Araneta.

The Scores:

TNT 95 – Hollis-Jefferson 23, M Williams 21, Pogoy 17, Oftana 14, Khobuntin 8, Castro 8, Erram 4, Montalbo 0, Marcelo 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0.

GINEBRA 82 - Standhardinger 29, Malonzo 17, Thompson 16, Brownlee 12, Pringle 5, Gray 3, Pinto 0, David 0, Mariano 0.

Quarters: 27-16, 51-39, 67-64, 95-82

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 55.22

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Action is the foundational key to all success. - Pablo Picasso