AMID TENSIONS WITH CHINA, PHILIPPINES GETS BOLDER

Tensions between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea — a key shipping route that sees trillions worth of global trade transiting each year — have recently increased.

The Second Thomas Shoal, also known as the Ayungin Shoal, is a disputed area in the South China Sea, controlled by the Philippine military but claimed as its own by China.

In April, a Chinese coast guard vessel nearly collided with a Philippines fishing boat in disputed waters, as it attempted to block a Philippine patrol vessel in the South China Sea. This occurred a day after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr met Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Manila.

The Philippines coast guard accused China of "aggressive tactics" after the incident.

"The Philippines wants to enjoy its fishing rights within its [Exclusive Economic Zone, EEZ], which China has denied since it began the occupation and militarization of some areas in the [South China Sea]. Before China started with its more aggressive actions, fishermen from many countries in the region could fish these areas freely," Dr. Elaine Tolentino, an international relations analyst said.

"The Philippines hopes that we could talk about fishing rights in the South China Sea and ensure the security of the country's maritime territory," she added.

NO NEED TO ADJUST PH'S HEALTH STATUS ON COVID-19: MARCOS JR.

MANILA—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday there is no need to change the country’s status on COVID-19 after the World Health Organization lifted the public health emergency status on the disease.

“We did not restore the emergency status of the Philippines. Matagal na, last year pa,” Marcos said told reporters.

“So we don’t need to do anything. We are already on normal footing. Nauna pa tayo sa kanila. And in terms of the – also the requirement that we used to have for a valid vaccine certificate, wala matagal ng tinanggal ‘yun.

“So now we have the e-Pass that’s much easier to use. That was for – that really was so that to make the ease of travel better. But we did that a few months back,” he said.

In October, Marcos said that the Philippines would stop treating the COVID-19 pandemic “as an emergency” but would not lift the nationwide state of calamity as the government has yet to settle several non-health issues.

MARCOS JR. WANTS TO TALK WITH VIETNAM FOLLOWING RECTO BANK INCIDENT

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the Philippines and Vietnam to “develop talks” with regard to the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) following the flagging of the Philippine Coast Guard of a Vietnamese vessel that recently entered Recto Bank, an area inside the country’s EEZ.

Marcos said that during his bilateral meeting with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, he had asked Department of Foreign Affairs Sec. Enrique Manalo and his Vietnamese counterpart to find a way to avoid anything that could cause tension.

“We have to find a way. Sabi ko huwag ‘yung ganito na nag-a-ano tayo, mag-usap tayo nang mabuti. And that’s why I have asked our foreign ministers, ating Foreign Secretary and then the Foreign Minister of Vietnam to begin develop the talks so that we can have an agreement na hindi na siguro magkaproblema ng mga ganyang klase,” he told reporters when he was asked about the issue.

“Dahil hindi naman contentious – it’s something that we never had to worry about before, ngayon lang. Kaya’t kailangan habang maaga eh pag-usapan na natin at makahanap na tayo ng sarili nating usapan. Maliwag nga na hindi magkagulo, hindi magka-incident ng mga nangyayari sa atin ngayon,” he added.

PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua was deployed to the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) to patrol the area when it encountered the Vietnamese-flagged fishing vessel off Recto Bank last Feb. 9.

MUNTINLUPA COURT ACQUITS DE LIMA IN 2ND DRUG CASE

A Muntinlupa court on Friday acquitted former Sen. Leila de Lima of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading.

De Lima's acquittal is with respect to the charge before Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 where ex-Bureau of Corrections officer in charge Rafael Ragos retracted his claim that he delivered drug money to her in 2012.

Ragos, in April last year, retracted all his allegations, claiming he was coerced by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

"A glorious day. This is the beggining of my vindication," De Lima said as she was escorted by policemen out of the court.

"Maraming, maraming salamat," she added.

In a statement, the former senator said she had no doubt from the very beginning that she would be acquitted in all the cases filed against her during the Duterte administration "based on the merits and the strength of my innocence."

"That's already two cases down, and one more to go. I am of course happy that with this second acquittal in the three cases filed against me, my release from more than six years of persecution draws nearer. I am extremely grateful to all those who stood by and prayed for me all these years," she said.

De Lima thanked those who helped her in her fight to prove her innocence.

"Hindi ninyo ako iniwan. Hindi ninyo ako pinabayaan. Maraming salamat sa inyong paninindigan na balang araw ay makakamit ko ang katarungan, lalaya, at makakasama kayong muli," she said.

However, she also pointed out that years of incarceration would mean she would no longer see some of her loved ones who had already passed away during her absence.

"Ito marahil ang pinakamasakit na nangyari sa panggigipit sa akin. Gayunpaman, itinuring ko itong pagsubok sa tatag ng aking loob at lalim ng aking pananampalataya sa Panginoon."

'NO EVIDENCE TO DRUG TRADING': COURT

De Lima's lawyer, Atty. Filibon Tacardon, explained why the judge ruled in favor of De Lima.

"Ang sinabi ng hukuman ay although napatunayan na meron ngang illegal drug trading sa loob ng National Bilibid Prison, walang nakitang ebidensya o positive evidence ang prosecution na mag-uugnay kay Senator Leila De Lima at Ronnie P. Dayan sa sinasabing illegal na kalakaran ng droga," he said.

"Binanggit din ng hukuman na importante ang naging recantation ni Deputy Director Ragos dahil nung binawi niya itong salaysay eh nawala na nang tuluyan ang basehan ng akusasyon sa kanya at nagkaroon ng reasonable doubt sa akusasyon laban kay Senator De Lima," he added.

Tacardon added that they are hopeful that justice will prevail and her bail petition will be granted.

De Lima is still facing another drug case before the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256 involving Bilibid convicts where her petition for bail is pending.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday welcomed former Senator Leila de Lima's acquittal in one of two remaining drug charges against her.

“The rule of law has prevailed and it just points out to us that the independence of the judiciary is a basic foundation of our democratic system. So it’s good, it’s good for us. It just proves that things are working in our country,” Remulla told reporters at the Department of Justice, shortly after Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 promulgated its verdict.

“Di ko pa nakikita yung decision pero it could’ve gone either way. It just means democracy is working,” he added.

Remulla, as justice chief, oversees the National Prosecution Service, whose prosecutors were responsible for pursuing the conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading charges against De Lima.

The third and last remaining charge against her is undergoing trial.

KUWAIT SUSPENDS ENTRY, WORK VISAS FOR PINOYS

MANILA — Kuwait has suspended the issuance of entry and work visas for Filipinos, citing the Philippines’ alleged non-compliance with the labor agreement between the two countries.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes said in a CNN Philippines interview that the Kuwaiti government has not yet informed the Philippines of its decision to suspend entry and work visas for Filipinos.

Only Filipinos with valid visas can enter Kuwait starting May 10.

“The Kuwaiti government has suspended the issuance of new entry visas for Philippine nationals into Kuwait,” Cortes said.

“However, those holding current resident visas, as evidenced by their possession of a Kuwait civil ID, can enter and leave Kuwait anytime,” he added.

Cortes said the Philippine government is committed to settling the issue amicably.

Al Arabiya News reported that Kuwait First Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister and acting Defense Minister Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah ordered the suspension of visa issuance for violation of a labor agreement.

The Philippines decided to temporarily ban the deployment of first-time household service workers to Kuwait to ensure their safety following the murder of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jullebee Ranara by her employer’s son. Ranara’s burnt corpse was found in a desert.

The Kuwait Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a memorandum on May 10 that ordered personnel of Kuwait International Airport to bar Filipinos from entering the country, even those with visas, except for Filipinos who are Kuwait residents.

Local recruitment industry consultant Manny Geslani said the suspension could affect at least 3,000 Kuwait-bound OFWs.

CAAP, PHILSA ISSUE NOTICES OF POSSIBLE CHINA ROCKET DEBRIS

MANILA — Two government agencies warned pilots and seafarers about possible debris from a rocket launch by China that could “pose a danger to aircraft and seacraft” around Bajo de Masinloc.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said yesterday it issued three separate notices to airmen (NOTAM) on Wednesday night.

In an advisory, the CAAP said China’s Long March 7 rocket was launched at 9:22 p.m. (Philippine time) on Wednesday from Wenchang.

The three NOTAM were from 9:14 p.m. to 9:52 p.m., 9:15 p.m. to 9:56 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. to 10:02 p.m. advising the closure of several area navigation routes for possible debris drops from the rocket launch.

The NOTAM’s area of concern included drop zones approximately 65 to 79 kilometers from Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, identified in coordination with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).

“Though the debris from the rocket launch will unlikely fall on inhabited land, it may still pose a danger to aircraft and seacraft,” CAAP said.

PhilSA said discarded debris may float around three identified drop zone areas or wash ashore to nearby coasts.

PhilSA advised the public to inform local authorities should they spot possible rocket debris, which may contain remnants of toxic substances such as rocket fuel, and avoid retrieving it.

The agency said it was able to issue warnings and temporary restrictions to ships, aircraft, fishing boats and other vessels passing through the drop zone areas.

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EDUCATORS URGED TO CATCH UP WITH CHATGPT TO REAP 'POSITIVE' BENEFITS ON LEARNING

MANILA — Educators must familiarize themselves with technological tools such as ChatGPT to properly guide students and efficiently flag cheating, a stakeholder said on Friday.

Since its debut, students and professionals are reportedly using ChatGPT for their job and in learning.

The rapid growth of this technology undermines the academic integrity tools currently used to catch plagiarism and other forms of cheating, which is why educators must also catch up, said cloud-based software solution provider for education Instructure's Vice President of Global Strategy Ryan Lufkin.

While ChatGPT can be "transformative" similar to when the calculator or internet was introduced, educators are crucial to instill ethics and guidance on how it is used, Lufkin said.

"ChatGP has very positive benefits. There's the ability to save educators time by automating some of the mundane tasks they have... But it does raise that specter of cheating...and so there's there's a bit of an arms race going on there. But what it's really going to do is force educators to find new ways to assess mastery of skills and mastery of knowledge, as opposed to just long-form papers or tests that they could simply run through chat GPT," Lufkin told ANC.

"Is this going to replace educators? ...No, the educator is the guide. They're guiding students through the educational journey and that's why it's imperative for them to actually learn how to use these tools well," he added.

He said moving past the fear and embracing technology could be "positive" for the education landscape.

The industry must also remember that ChatGPT is only about 6 months old and is likely to continuously "rapidly evolve."

GCASH EARNS PRAISES FOR QUICKLY THWARTING PHISHING, KEEPING FUNDS SAFE

MANILA — Various personalities and netizens have aired relief and gratitude over the quick resolution by GCash of the irregular funds’ movement which, it said, was caused by what internet authorities described as “phishing.”

The expression of grateful thoughts followed the timely detection by GCash of the cause of the unauthorized funds’ transfer, which was reported to the mobile wallet company by several subscribers, including well-known personalities.

“The digital scammers could have siphoned off over the weekend some P37 million from various GCash accounts if it were not detected timely by our IT experts,” said the GCash, adding that “the subscribers’ irregularly transferred funds have already been reverted entirely to their wallets and are assuredly safe.”

For social media celebrity and actor Chad Kinis, GCash has immediately acted on his concern after he reported the anomalous movement of funds from his mobile wallet.

“Naalarma agad sila (GCash) at ginawan ng paraan within the day. Tumawag sila sa akin at na i-reverse ‘yung pera… Thank you po for that. Maraming salamat sa pag-assure na okay po ang pera naming sa GCash,” Chad said in a video he posted on Facebook.

Lawyer and social media personality Jesus Falcis also lauded GCash’s quick response to the incident and advised netizens to be careful of what they’re clicking online.

“The good thing is, GCash has detected right away and stopped the unauthorized transfer. Always be skeptical of links in emails or other websites. Click only if you know of what you’re clicking and never share your mobile number or PIN in exchange for any online reward,” Falcis said on Twitter. 

GCash, however, assured its subscribers and the public that its application remains safe to use since its management maintains a cybersecurity program and policy that could deal with any arising internet challenges and anomalies.

CHILD IN POOR FAMILY DEAD, 4 SIBLINGS HOSPITALIZED FOR EATING FROGS

COTABATO CITY — It is the poor that always have sad stories to tell.

A five-year-old boy in a poor family in Dipolog City died while his four siblings got sick after eating grilled frogs and boiled cassava Wednesday.

Radio reports and sources from the Dipolog City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, under lawyer Arvin Bonbon, had confirmed the incident that went viral on Facebook.

The child who died and his grade school siblings now confined in a hospital in Dipolog City for food poisoning belong to the Galleposo family, the sources said.

Their parents, the spouses Tito and Flordelisa Galleposo, are both unemployed, according to reporters of Stations DXDR of the Radio Mindanao Network and Radyo Agong Dipolog, both in Dipolog City.

The impoverished family lives in a shanty in a secluded area in Purok Piña in Barangay Dicañas in Dipolog City.

The office of Dipolog Mayor Darel Uy had assured to provide support to the four members of the Galleposo family now confined in a hospital.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

'PIA WURTZBACH JAUNCEY': PIA WURTZBACH CHANGES NAME, INVITES ONLY 3 AT WEDDING WITH JEREMY JAUNCEY

MANILA — The intimate wedding of Pia Wurtzbach and Jeremy Jauncey has only three guests.

Held in a luxury resort on the secluded North Island of Seychelles, Pia revealed that the extremely private event was attended by their good friends Michael Gray, Georgia Ma and photographer Nelwin Uy.

In her Instagram story, Pia thanked Michael and Georgia for capturing their wedding moments on cam.

"Beyond grateful for this time! Thank you for shooting our wedding video & capturing all the moments," Pia wrote.

Michael and Georgia also shared photos and videos on their respective Instagram accounts. They said that it was an honor for filming Pia and Jeremy's wedding.

"In March, I had the honour of filming my good friends @jeremyjauncey and @piawurtzbach get married in the Seychelles. Congratulations guys!" Michael wrote.

"Such a wonderful experience to be here to capture this special moment," Georgia wrote.

Pia recerntly delighted her fans and followers by announcing that she has married Jeremy. The beauty queen had no glam team with her and did her own hair and makeup.

The Miss Universe 2015 winner also changed her Twitter and Instagram name, where she posted a video clip of their intimate wedding ceremony held last March on a private island in Seychelles.

SPORTS

SEA GAMES 2023 PHILIPPINES MEDALISTS MAY 11

No.       Medal   Name                           Sport                                        Event                            Date

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GOLD

27         Gold    Eric Cray          Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's 400m hurdles    11-May

SILVER           

47         Silver   Robyn Brown    Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Women's 400m Hurdles   11-May

48         Silver   Noelito Jose      Fencing pictogram.svg Fencing  Men's epee     11-May

49         Silver   Kristian Narca   Muay Thai pictogram.svg Kun Khmer            Men's -57kg      11-May

50         Silver   Jasmine Alkhaldi           Swimming pictogram.svg Swimming           Women’s 4 x 100m medley relay            11-May

                        Thanya dela Cruz

                        Miranda Renner

                        Teia Salvino

51         Silver   Ronne Malipay  Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics Men's triple jump     11-May

52         Silver   Sarah Dequinan            Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics            Women’s heptathlon      11-May

53         Silver   Kaye Maerylle Alpuerto  Electronic sports pictogram.svg E-sports   Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – women's team     11-May

                        Rica Fatima Amores

                        Alexandria Dhzoie Dardo

                        Gwyneth Diagon

                        Sheen Perez

                        Mery Christine Vivero

BRONZE

No.       Medal   Name                           Sport                                        Event                            Date

60         Bronze Ronald Oranza  Cycling (road) pictogram.svg Cycling            Men's criterium  11-May

61         Bronze Sandrex Gainsan          Wushu pictogram.svg Wushu            Men's jianshu + qiangshu           11-May

61         Bronze Russel Diaz      Wushu pictogram.svg Wushu     Men's sanda 52 kg      11-May

62         Bronze Carlos Baylon    Wushu pictogram.svg Wushu     Men's sanda 56 kg      11-May

63         Bronze Jenifer Kilapio   Wushu pictogram.svg Wushu     Women's sanda 48 kg      11-May

65         Bronze Jylyn Nicanor    Fencing pictogram.svg Fencing  Women's sabre    11-May

65         Bronze Francisco dela Cruz       Billiards pictogram.svg Billiards            Men's 3-cushion carom singles   11-May

66         Bronze Markus Tongco Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing     Men's 92 kg         11-May

67         Bronze Jasmine Alkhaldi           Swimming pictogram.svg Swimming           Women’s 50m butterfly  11-May

68         Bronze Mark Harry Diones        Athletics pictogram.svg Athletics            Men's triple jump           11-May

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 55.75

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To some will come a time when change itself is beauty, if not heaven. - Edwin Arlington Robinson