go for the gold...

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1. Jasmine Paler Alkhaldi - born on June 20, 1993 in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Jazmine will represent the Philippines swimming team. This 18-year old Hawaii-based lass began competing in local competition at the age of six and joined the international swimming competition at eleven. She is a gold medalist in the SEA Championships.

2. Mark Anthony Barriga - born on June 11, 1993 in Panabo, Davao del Sur, Philippines, Mark Anthony will compete in boxing. He was qualified to London Olympics through the 2011 AIBA Boxing Championships in Azerbaijan.

3. Daniel Caluwag - Daniel was born in Chino, California, USA and is the only Asian to make it to the BMX event in the London 2012 Olympics. He will represent the Philippines in the Cycling competition.

4. Rene Herrera - born on Apri 24, 1979 at Guimaras Philippines is for athletics. He was a gold medalist in the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia.

5. Tomohiko Hoshina - born in Tokyo, Japan on July 4, 1987, Tomohiko will represent the Philippine team in Judo. He is the son of a Filipina teacher who is currently based in Japan.

5. Brian Rosario - born in Manila, Philippines on April 17, 1982, Brian is the Philippine representative in Skeet Shooting. He is the PNSA National Champion from 2005 up to present and he holds the Philippine skeet record 122/125.

6. Jessie Khing Lacuna - Jessie will represent the Philippines in the swimming competition. He was born in Pulilan in Bulacan, Philippines and he was exposed tot he world of swimming as early as three moths old. He was qualified for the London Olympics through the rankings in the Federal Internationale de Natation Federation.

7. Marestella Torres - Marestella is from Negros Oriental, Philippines and she will represent the Philippine London 2012 Olympics team in Athletics. She was a gold medalist in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

Good luck and God bless Team Philippines! Filipinos all over the world are proud of you. You may not win but for us you're already winners. Bring the Philippine spirit in London! Go Team Philippines! One goal, one team! Go for the gold!

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Will the US defend Philippines if China attacks?

MANILA, Philippines - The US military might not come to the Philippines' aid if Chinese forces attack Filipino ships and claimed territory in the disputed Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, international affairs experts have warned.

While the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) requires Manila and Washington to support each other if either of the 2 countries are attacked by a third party, the United States has yet to make a full commitment with regard to the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG).

"The treaty text leaves the extent of US commitments open to interpretation," the ICG said in its latest report on the territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

"While the text calls for the US to respond to an armed attack against the Philippines, Manila only received 'vague assurances' that Washington would uphold the treaty during the Scarborough standoff," the ICG added.

"Furthermore, the US has not confirmed whether the scope of the treaty covers contested territories in the South China Sea," said the Brussels-based organization, which advises governments and world bodies like the United Nations, European Union and World Bank on the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts.

It added that MDT predates the Philippines' territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea, resulting in uncertainties how the US will interpret its application to disputed territories in the event of a conflict.

US neutral in Philippines-China dispute

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier said Washington is neutral in the Philippines-China dispute and is instead focused on ensuring free navigation, unimpeded commerce and stability in the West Philippine Sea.

The ICG also mentioned an analysis of Asian affairs specialist Thomas Lum, who said in an April 2012 report for the Congressional Research Service that the US does not consider the MDT and subsequent renewals to extend to features in the West Philippine Sea.

"Some Philippine officials have suggested or sought assurances that the treaty obliges the United States to come to the defense of the Philippines if China were to take disputed territories in the South China Sea by force, while some US interpretations limit US intervention to a foreign military attack on the main Philippine islands or upon Philippine military forces," Lum said.

However, he added, that "the Obama administration has not further specified the circumstances under which the US armed forces would intervene on behalf of the Philippines."

"The Manila Declaration of November 16, 2011, did not lay out specifically the circumstances in which the United States would defend Philippine claims in the South China Sea," he said.

DFA: US will defend Philippines

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has issued an official statement saying the Obama administration, through Clinton, renewed its "commitment to the defense of the Philippines" if China attacks Filipino forces in the Spratly Islands.

Del Rosario also said Clinton, during the "Two Plus Two" meeting between officials of the 2 countries in Washington, D.C. in April this year, "reiterated that the U.S. "reaffirms our commitment and obligations under the mutual defense treaty."

He said even without an actual armed attack against either the Philippines and the U.S., Article III of the MDT allows officials of the 2 countries to discuss threats in the Pacific.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino and US President Barack Obama reaffirmed their commitment to the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty, as well as to peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, during their bilateral meeting in the White House in June this year.

The White House said Aquino briefed Obama on the situation in the West Philippine Sea during their one-on-one dialogue.

In a statement issued after their meeting, the US leader pledged Washington's support for the upgrade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the building of a "minimum credible defense posture" for Manila.

Without going into details, Obama said he had discussions with Aquino on various security and military issues, particularly with regard to the US pivot back to Asia, "and reminding everybody that, in fact, the United States considers itself, and is, a Pacific power."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Benigno Aquino take center stage at a lunch she hosted for the Philippine leader in Washington, D.C. in June.

Washington must clarify position

Ian Storey of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies told the National Bureau of Asian Research that Manila has sought clarification from Washington on how the MDT applies to situations in the West Philippine Sea.

"Manila seems to think that the MDT covers contingencies in the area, whereas the US position is that the Spratlys are not covered by the MDT because they were only formally claimed by the Philippines in 1978, 27 years after the treaty was signed. However, under the terms of the MDT, both sides would be obliged to consult if the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) came under attack in the South China Sea," he said.

"Although the United States has given strong rhetorical support to its alliance relationship with the Philippines, in the event of a clash in the South China Sea U.S. military assistance to the AFP would be 'scenario dependent,'" Storey added.

Walter Lohman, director of the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation, believes that Washington must clarify its position on the MDT with regard to the Philippines-China territorial dispute.

In a May 2012 analysis, "Scarborough Shoal and Safeguarding American Interests," Lohman said previous administrations have issued clear statements on Washington's responsibilities of its ally is attacked.

He said in 1979, US Secretary of State Cyrus Vance confirmed in an official letter to Philippine Foreign Secretary Carlos P. Romulo that the MDT covers an “attack on Philippines armed forces, public vessels or aircraft” even if such attack does not occur in the “metropolitan territory of the Philippines or island territories under its jurisdiction.”

"US Ambassador Thomas Hubbard reaffirmed these assurances in 1999 during deliberations over the U.S.–Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement. He also stated unequivocally that 'the U.S. considers the South China Sea to be part of the Pacific Area.' This position has not changed," Lohman said.

He said the Obama administration must highlight its treaty commitments to the Philippines.

"The US should make clear to [China] officials privately that in the event of an armed PRC attack on Philippine 'public vessels,' the U.S. must invoke its treaty commitment to declare such action 'dangerous to its own peace and safety' and would initiate formal consultations with the Philippines to determine an appropriate course of action. The nature of its response will be dictated by the nature of the attack," Lohman said.

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Insider needed for wounded Supreme Court—Justice Abad

A wounded Supreme Court may need one of its own—not an outsider—to lead in the healing process.

Associate Justice Roberto Abad told the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Wednesday that the ouster of Chief Justice Renato Corona had damaged the high tribunal.

“We have a wounded court after the impeachment trial,” the 68-year-old Abad said on the second day of the nationally televised hearing to choose Corona’s successor.

One of the senior justices of the Supreme Court, Abad said that if he were chosen Chief Justice, he would begin the process of reconciliation.

“You cannot have healing without forgiveness,” he said under questioning by Representative Niel Tupas, the much-criticized head of the House prosecution team.

Tupas said he thought the impeachment was a healthy exercise because it allowed the prosecution team to elicit evidence against Corona during his trial, referring to the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth that a senator-judge, Franklin Drilon, drew from a Supreme Court witness.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Abad’s statement was a “sales pitch from an insider,” dousing speculation that a senior justice at the helm of the high tribunal over the short term could defuse the debilitating fallout from the ouster of Corona.

“Are we prepared to accept the premise that it is a wounded court? From the point of view of the executive branch, I think we reformed (the Supreme Court). It is the first step in judicial reform. So, we don’t necessarily follow that it is a wounded court. In fact, it’s part of our advocacy for reform,” Lacierda said.

Also interviewed Wednesday were Associate Justice Arturo D. Brion, Election Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, veteran lawyer Rafael Morales, former University of the Philippines law dean Raul Pangalangan and retired Bulacan Judge Manuel Siayngco.

2 disqualified

The JBC announced Wednesday that it had disqualified former Immigration Commissioner Rufus Rodriguez and private lawyer Vicente Velasquez as nominees for their failure to comply with documentary requirements, cutting the number of nominees to 20.

Six nominees, including Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, were interviewed on Tuesday, leaving eight more to undergo questioning. The council is expected to recommend a short list of three candidates from which the President will chose the country’s 24th Chief Justice.

Abad said that while he was appointed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the high court, he said he had voted against her, pointing out that he was among the minority who upheld President Benigno Aquino’s executive order creating the Philippine Truth Commission. The order was declared unconstitutional.

He also said he joined the Masses expressing support for Corona during his impeachment trial and that he visited him when he was hospitalized after his testimony in the Senate in May for hypoglycemia, a dizziness spell symptomatic of a diabetic. “I’m a person who does not discard a friend when he is in trouble,” he said.

Abad dismissed Tupas’ suggestions that the Supreme Court under Corona was bedeviled by factionalism. “Even when the Chief Justice takes a position, he loses a lot of cases,” he averred.

Graft and corruption

Brion, 65, acknowledged that the Supreme Court was hobbled by perceptions of graft and corruption and inefficiency.

Corruption is not only purely a judiciary problem but a societal problem, he said. “There are a lot of very ‘clean’ ones in the judiciary,” he said, adding that the problem of corruption must be addressed by the three branches of government working together.

Brion admitted that the backlog of cases, some pending for as long as 10 years, was a “serious problem” that contributed to the erosion of public trust in the judiciary.

“Our old cases are frightening. You’ll get an asthma attack just by opening (the files),” he said.

Morales and Pangalangan told the JBC that their experience made them capable of being at the helm of the high tribunal.

With 37 years in legal practice and 15 years as law professor, Morales said he was “willing, ready and able to go to public service.”

Morales, 61, said that if he were appointed Chief Justice, his priorities would be to fill up vacancies in the judiciary which he described as “undermanned,” raise salaries to attract more people and work for the increase of the budgetary allocation of the judiciary.

“I will approach each of the justices and appeal to their sense of patriotism and extend their cooperation to me in the interest of the country and the judicial system.”

Changes since ouster

Pangalangan, 53, noted changes in the judiciary since Corona’s ouster.

“Just to show the effect of the impeachment trial: Had it not been for that event, no outsider will be even sitting before the JBC to be considered for this office. No outsider would have the nerve to accept the nomination because it’s too much of a burden … but because of those events, here we are,” he said.

Sarmiento shrugged off allegations that he was involved in cheating in the 2007 senatorial elections in Mindanao, saying he had been cleared by Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes and the justice secretary.

Asked why he was vying for the Chief Justice position, he said this would be a “big chance to serve the country,” adding that the job called for not only “a visionary but a leader and CEO, an all-out and all-seasoned public servant.”

Sarmiento said he had practiced law for the past 26 years, handling criminal, civil and labor cases.

On his independence, he said he had given dissenting opinions on six to seven cases, including one involving Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, a son of former President Arroyo, as head of the party-list group Ang Galing Pinoy. He said he did not believe Mikey was a representative of security guards in the country.

“I stopped dreaming of a promotion in the Court of Appeals and Sandiganbayan after six attempts,” Siayngco told the council. He said contending for the post of chief magistrate would be a chance for him to show “moral integrity, probity, independence.” He said the chief magistrate “should also have a heart that bleeds for the miseries of the people.”

“I do believe that I have that from my experience as a lower court judge,” Siayngco said.

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South China Sea tensions over fishing, resources heighten war threat

Tensions in the South China Sea between China and its neighbours have become so charged that open conflict in the region is an increasingly likely prospect, a new report says.

China, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries are battling one another for fishing stocks, and oil and gas deposits. The disputes come as the countries grapple with growing nationalism at home, which makes it difficult for leaders to back away from conflicts after they materialize, the International Crisis Group (ICG) says in its report.

“The risk of escalation is high, and … pressure in the region threatens to boil over,” says the report, “Stirring Up the South China Sea: Regional Responses.”

“All of the trends are in the wrong direction, and prospects of resolution are diminishing.

“The regional buildup of arms increases the likelihood of unintentional escalation, and the aggressive use of law enforcement vessels to assert claims leads to more frequent contact with civilian vessels and other coast guards.”

China claims virtually the entire 3.5 million-square-kilometre South China Sea, while the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim parts of the sea, which is also considered a vital transport route.

Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, a former United Nations official in China who wrote the ICG report, said in an interview that the South China Sea has become a simmering powder keg.

“There are very worrying signs,” she said. “Countries are aggressively enforcing their claims and there is no code of conflict in the region to peacefully settle these disputes.”

In recent months, China and the Philippines faced off over an uninhabited group of islands known as Scarborough Shoal. The Philippine Navy in April discovered coral, giant clams and live sharks on a Chinese boat and the Philippines announced the Chinese fishermen would be arrested for poaching.

The showdown lasted for more than two months before the Philippines ordered its two ships to withdraw.

“There are a series of tit for tats in the region and one never knows how far it’s going to go,” Kleine-Ahlbrandt said. “With the Scarborough Shoal dispute, the Philippines upped the ante by sending ships and China threw the book at them.”

The ICG report’s release comes as local media report China has inaugurated Sansha, a city on the disputed Paracel Islands which was elevated in political status to bolster China’s claims to the island chain.

It’s often reported that most disputes in the region are over gas and oil deposits. The seabed in the South China Sea is believed to contain as much as 225 billion barrels worth of oil and natural gas.

But Kleine-Ahlbrandt said most conflicts in recent months have flared after fishing-related disputes.

Roughly 700 million people live near the South China Sea and depend on the rich fishing stocks for their livelihoods, as well as 80 per cent of their diets. Vietnam estimates its population of 87 million will surge by 25 per cent by 2050 and it will need additional food and fish.

“Vietnam and China are incentivizing to encourage fishermen to buy larger boats and go farther from shore into disputed waters,” she said. “The boats have sophisticated GPS devices so if there is a problem, if they bump into boats from other countries, they can call for help immediately.”

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Former Philippine President Out on Bail

Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was granted bail on charges of election fraud and released from the army hospital where she was being held—the latest twist in a high-profile saga seen as a key test of President Benigno Aquino III's promise to fight corruption.

Analysts say her release—which came after a court on Wednesday found that evidence against her was weak—is likely to provide only temporary relief for Ms. Arroyo, who still faces other legal challenges over allegations of graft, including charges of plunder from alleged misuse of state lottery funds. The trial is expected to begin next month.

Ms. Arroyo says she is innocent of all charges and has accused Mr. Aquino and his government of pursuing political vendettas against her.

The latest move adds more drama to a long-running battle between the country's current and former presidents that has riveted the Philippines for months since government officials prevented Ms. Arroyo from leaving the country in a bizarre standoff at Manila's international airport last year.

The Pasay City regional trial court hearing ruled that the charges against Ms. Arroyo on allegations of political sabotage were too weak to deny her bail, and released her on bail of one million pesos ($23,800). She is still blocked from leaving the country, though, and government lawyers are seeking another arrest warrant for her.

"This temporary freedom...just a small bump in the road for the Aquino administration," said J. Prospero de Vera, vice president for public affairs at the University of the Philippines.

Mr. Aquino has made fighting corruption a cornerstone of his administration, which has drawn praise from foreign investors who believe cleaning up graft is a prerequisite to getting the country's long-suffering economy back on track. Mr. Aquino won one major victory earlier this year when the Philippines Senate voted to dismiss the chief of the country's Supreme Court for masking millions of dollars in assets, in a highly charged impeachment trial.

Apart from charges of plunder, or high-level corruption, Ms. Arroyo also is facing charges of graft over an aborted government contract, when she was president, with China's ZTE Corp. from 2007 that allegedly was overpriced and involved kickbacks. She has pleaded not guilty.

"The government will not go slow in prosecuting [Ms. Arroyo] for the abuses and excesses of her nine-year misrule," said Franklin M. Drilon, a Philippine senator who served under Ms. Arroyo's administration and is serving under the current government. "This is not vindictiveness. This is about justice and holding public officials accountable for their actions," he added.

Ms. Arroyo, 65 years old, has been held for eight months in the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, a military hospital. She has a degenerative bone condition, and exited the hospital wearing a neck brace. Elena Bautista-Horn, a representative for Ms. Arroyo, said the former president "needs close medical attention and supervision" and is enjoying "precious moments with her family" now that she is out on bail.

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Mayor elected in China's newly established Sansha city

YONGXING ISLAND, Hainan, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The newly established city of Sansha in the South China Sea elected its first mayor Monday afternoon.

Xiao Jie, 51, head of the Hainan Provincial Agriculture Department, was elected mayor in the first session of the first Sansha Municipal People's Congress held on Yongxing Island, the government seat of the city.

Xiao was also appointed secretary of the Sansha Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Fu Zhuang, 56, deputy director of Hainan Provincial Civil Air Defence Office, was elected director of the standing committee of Sansha Municipal People's Congress, the city's legislative body.

The legislative conference also elected three deputy mayors, head of the city's intermediate people's court and procuratorate. It also elected another five members of the standing committee of the Sansha Municipal People's Congress.

"It's a great honor to be the first mayor of Sansha, and it's also a brand new mission, challenge and test for me," said Xiao.

The first Sansha municipal government will be devoted to administrative management, economic development, people's livelihoods and environment protection in the coming five years, Xiao said.

The deputies and members of the standing committee of the municipal People's Congress should make positive contributions to the management, development and protection of the islands as well as the sea waters surrounding Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha, said Fu.

Forty-five deputies to the municipal people's congress attended the first session of the first Sansha Municipal People's Congress and cast their votes.

The deputies, divided into groups from the Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha islands, were elected Saturday by 1,100 residents from the islands.

The State Council, or China's cabinet, in June approved the establishment of Sansha, a prefectural-level city in south China's Hainan province to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands and the surrounding waters in the South China Sea.

China's central military authority has approved the formation and deployment of a military garrison in Sansha.

Sources with the People's Liberation Army Guangzhou Military Command said Friday that the Central Military Commission had authorized it to form a garrison command in the city.

Yongxing Island is part of the Xisha Islands.

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Aquino submits P2-trillion budget to Congress

President Benigno Aquino has submitted to Congress the proposed P2.006-trillion national budget for 2013, saying it is a crucial step in improving the lives of Filipinos.

Mr. Aquino submitted the country’s very first P2-trillion budget, which he described as a “budget of empowerment,” the day after he delivered his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.

Malacañang officials said the administration expects Congress to pass the budget measure before the end of the year.

“The expenditure program is consistent with our macroeconomic and fiscal aspirations for the next fiscal year and in the medium term,” Mr. Aquino said in his budget message.

“Above that, this budget is a crucial step in our continuing pursuit of good governance—governance that will give our impoverished countrymen the opportunity to lift themselves out of their situations; governance that will ensure that this country moves forward together,” he added.

The 2013 budget represents 16.8 percent of the country’s projected gross domestic product (GDP). Based on a higher growth assumption of six to seven percent, it is higher by 10.5 percent, or P190 billion more, than the 2012 budget.

Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad explained that 2013 budget intends to sustain the fiscal momentum set in 2011 and 2012 to ensure long-term and sustainable growth.

He said that in devising the 2013 budget, the administration wanted “to build on the gains we have so far posted as well as encourage more robust and inclusive fiscal growth in the coming year and beyond.”

He said the government expanded the citizen engagement in designing next year’s budget.

“To truly empower Filipinos with this budget, we intensified civic society and grassroots involvement in budget preparations so that the resulting expenditure plan accounts for the needs of the ordinary Filipino,” Abad said.

With the proposed 2013 budget, Abad said the Aquino administration sustains its comprehensive support of the social services sector, which received a 13.9-percent increase.

The total allocation—which now stands at P698.4 billion—will be used to close the delivery gaps in public education, health and social protection for the poor and vulnerable in the next fiscal year, according to Abad.

The economic services sector has been allotted P511.1 billion, or an increase of 16.4 percent from its 2012 budget of P439 billion. Abad said the increase will support rapid, sustained and inclusive growth that will benefit all Filipinos in a “direct, immediate and sustainable manner.”

According to Abad, the general public services sector takes up the third largest share of the 2013 budget with P346.1 billion allocation, higher by 8 percent than its current P320.3 billion.

He said debt services will receive P333.9 billion, while defense spending will get P89.7 billion.

Net lending under the 2013 budget will receive P26.5 billion in allocations, or an increase of 15.2 percent from the current budget.

DBM figures showed that the education department will continue to receive the bulk of budgetary support in line with the President’s agenda to improve the quality of public education in the country.

With an allocation of P292.7 billion for 2013—up by 22.6 percent from 2012—the Department of Education will be able to “plug up” all resource gaps for classrooms, teachers and textbooks by the end of 2013, officials said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways has the second largest share, in line with the Aquino administration’s goal of strengthening the country’s infrastructure base and fueling economic growth. It has a budget of P152.9 billion, or an increase of 21 percent.

The Department of National Defense will get a total of P121.6 billion, up by 12.5 percent from 2012, while the local governments department has been allotted P121.1 billion, an increase of 21.3 percent.

The Department of Agriculture will get a 20.6-percent increase in 2013, its total allocation rising to P74.1 billion. The agency aims to achieve food self-sufficiency by 2013.

The Department of Health got the highest budgetary increase of 24 percent, with P56.8 billion. The increase is expected to help the administration promote its universal healthcare agenda for all Filipinos, especially the poor.

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Armed clashes loom in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines - Heightened militarization, hardline nationalism, and countries' refusal to meet halfway to settle their differences over territory in the West Philippine Sea are an explosive mix that could result in armed clashes in the disputed waters of the region, a new analysis by an international group has warned.

While the possibility of a full-blown war between countries remains low, escalating tension between China, the Philippines, and Vietnam can make a sudden turn for the worse, the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said on Tuesday.

"The failure to reduce the risks of conflict, combined with the internal economic and political factors that are pushing claimants toward more assertive behaviour, shows that trends in the South China Sea are moving in the wrong direction," the ICG warned in its latest report on the unrest in the waters of the West Philippine Sea.

It said "tensions in the South China Sea could all too easily be driven to irreversible levels" if rival countries do not agree on a mechanism to resolve their dispute.

"The risk of escalation is high," said the ICG, which advises governments and world bodies like the United Nations, European Union and World Bank on the prevention and resolution of deadly conflict.

It reported at least 5 "significant skirmishes" between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the first 5 months of 2011 alone, with one of the most prominent being a standoff between the Philippines and China in March 2011.

The March 2011 incident involved a Philippine vessel conducting a seismic survey in natural gas-rich Reed Bank that was approached by two China Marine Surveillance ships that maneuvered aggressively to force it to leave the area.

It also highlighted the Scarborough Shoal standoff in April that has sent bilateral relations between the Philippines and China plunging.

"The Philippines dispatched its largest warship to investigate sightings of Chinese fishing boats, which prompted China to deploy Marine Surveillance vessels to prevent arrest of its fishermen," the ICG said. "When Manila replaced the warship with coast guard ships, the vessels from both sides engaged in a protracted two-month stare down."

Philippine made wrong move in Scarborough

The ICG said the Philippines' use of a warship to go after Chinese fishermen sent the wrong signal to Beijing.

"The standoff... was not deliberate brinkmanship by Manila. It was, however, read that way by some regional players, including China," it said.

"Beijing saw the incident as allowing it to take full advantage of a mistake by the Philippines to have used force first (by deploying the navy), justifying a robust response to demonstrate China’s willingness to defend its claims to a domestic audience," the ICG said.

"After the incident, Beijing announced that it would continue dispatching administrative vessels to 'serve' Chinese fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal – an indication of intent to increase law enforcement presence in disputed areas. This has weakened de facto Philippine control over the area," it added.

"Chinese law enforcement vessels have remained near Scarborough Shoal and have shown no sign of leaving the area ever since. Some Chinese military experts have dubbed this strategy the 'Scarborough Shoal' model," it said.

The ICG report, however, explained that the deployment of the Philippine Navy's BRP Gregorio del Pilar frigate was of necessity and not by design.

"Due to the Philippines’ limited capabilities, the navy and coast guard share responsibility for policing the waters," it said.

"Manila later justified its decision to deploy its largest warship to the shoal by explaining that it was already in the area, implicitly recognising that confronting the Chinese fishing boats with a naval vessel had escalated what should have been an issue of maritime law enforcement."

Militarization, nationalism

China and the Philippines have not been involved in an armed conflict over the disputed waters, but Vietnam has suffered deaths at the hands of Chinese naval forces in their clashes over the Paracels, which are also located in the West Philippine Sea.

The ICG, however, believes that military buildup of countries in the region, as well as hardline nationalism, may only add fuel to the growing fire.

"While increased military power is likely to raise the threshold for, as well as cost of, armed conflict, it could also embolden countries to be more pro-active in their territorial claims, making skirmishes harder to resolve," it said.

"There is a risk that in seeking to flex their military muscle, claimant states will engage in brinkmanship that could lead to unintentional escalation."

It said armed clashes are being avoided only because Beijing is still holding back its military to assert its claims and other countries do not want to engage in armed conflict with an important economic partner and major military power.

"Tensions in the South China Sea are unlikely to be abated so long as risk-reducing measures gain little traction," the ICG said. "Domestic pressures have prevented policymakers in claimant countries from making even the slightest compromises in their claims, which would be a precondition to any legal solution."

The latest turn of events in the region's waters involves China's plan to build a military garrison in the Woody Island in the Paracels following the establishment of a city that will manage all of the terrority that Beijing claims.

It has prompted the Philippines to summon the Chinese ambassador to Manila, while Hanoi filed a formal protest with China.

While China's People's Liberation Army Navy was not been on the forefront of the country's push in the West Philippine Sea, the Chinese Defense Ministry said it is now sending "combat ready" naval and aerial patrols to the Spratly Islands.

"In order to protect national sovereignty and our security and development interests, the Chinese military has already set up a normal, combat-ready patrol system in seas under our control," Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said.

'Small-scale skirmishes possible'

The ICG report echoed assessments made by other analysts studying the West Philippine Sea dispute.

Gregory Poling, research associate at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) Southeast Asia Program, told ABS-CBNNews.com that although there is little chance of a full-scale shooting war between China and the Philippines or Vietnam, "small-scale skirmishes are not out of the question."

He added that the only reason why China does not want to unleash its military might is because it risks being a pariah in the global community if it attacks other countries claiming parts of the disputed Spratly Islands.

"Beijing knows that it could easily occupy every disputed feature in the South China Sea, but it cannot do so without causing wide and probably irrevocable damage to its interests abroad," Poling said.

Ian Storey, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore, also said in a July 2012 report that risks of naval clashes in the region remain high amid "the increased tempo of military operations by some of the claimant countries."

"A conflict in the Spratlys is in no one’s interests: apart from the potential for loss of life, an armed confrontation would upset regional stability and hence economic growth, endanger freedom of navigation," Storey said.

"A military engagement in the South China Sea would undo much of the progress achieved in Sino-ASEAN relations over the past two decades and undermine China’s “peaceful development” thesis," he said.

"Consequently there exists an urgent need for all parties concerned to negotiate and effectively operationalize CBMs (confidence-building measures) that would contribute to a relaxation in tensions, build trust, and reduce the risk of naval confrontations in the South China Sea," Storey said.

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SC dismisses petition questioning JBC authority, PNoy power to appoint CJ

The Supreme Court has dismissed for lack of merit a petition seeking to halt the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) search for nominees to fill post left vacant by the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.

In their petition, Attorney Homobono Adaza, Attorney Alan Paguia, Herman Tiu Laurel and Uriel Borja said the JBC had no authority based in the Constitution for the conduct of its search for nominees for chief justice.

They claimed further that there is no provision in the Constitution empowering the President to appoint a chief justice. They said the President can only appoint members of the high court.

Citing the Famela Dulay vs. JBC case, the court upheld the JBC selection process for the Chief Justice and the power of the President’s power to appoint one.

The SC said the Constitution provides that “members of the Supreme Court and the judges of lower courts shall be appointed by the President from a list of at least three nominees prepared by the Judicial and Bar Council for every vacancy.”

In that case, the high court upheld the JBC’s actions in the selection process for the Chief Justice as well as the President’s power to appoint one.

On the pending petitions that questioned the jurisdiction of the Senate in the Corona impeachment case, the court said, “Said petitions should not bar the JBC from performing its duty of selecting the nominees for the vacant post, and the President from making the appointment.”

The court added that the JBC has a constitutionally-set deadline of 90 days from the date of the vacancy.

The 90-day limitation “cannot be defeated by the pendency of the cases referred to by the petitioners,” the Court said in its resolution.

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Aquino urges Philippines to unite on China

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino urged all Filipinos on Monday to unite in sending a message to China over a territorial row, insisting his country would not give in to its more powerful neighbour.

In his annual "state of the nation" address to parliament, Aquino said his government had shown goodwill and forbearance in handling the months-long dispute over competing claims to parts of the South China Sea.

"I ask for solidarity from our people regarding this issue. Let us speak with one voice. Help me relay to the other side the logic of our stand," Aquino said.

"If someone entered your yard and told you he owned it, would you agree? Would it be right to give away that which is rightfully ours?"

Aquino recalled how the row began in April when Chinese government ships blocked Philippine boats from arresting Chinese fishermen in Scarborough Shoal, an outcropping claimed by both countries in the South China Sea.

He said the Philippines had since ignored the Chinese state-run media's "harangues" over the issue.

"I do not think it is excessive to ask that our rights be respected, just as we respect their rights as a fellow nation in a world that we share," Aquino said.

China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the sea, which is believed to hold vast amounts of oil and gas, is one of the region's most important fishing grounds and is home to shipping lanes that are vital to global trade.

The Philippines, as well as Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, also claim parts of the sea, making the area one of the region's potential military flashpoints.

The Philippines and Vietnam have complained over the past year that China has becoming increasingly aggressive in staking its claims to the area.

Aquino said the Philippines was looking to find a resolution that was "acceptable to all", and made no threats.

However, in a separate part of his 90-minute speech, he also stressed he was pushing through with the modernisation of the Philippine military, one of the most poorly equipped in Asia.

He said his government had allocated 28 billion pesos ($67 million) for military modernisation to acquire new hardware and repair old equipment, with new helicopters and a frigate due to arrive next year.

And he said the government was planning to spend 75 billion pesos on defence over the next five years.

A large part of Aquino's speech was devoted to the economic reforms he said had been achieved since his administration took over from his graft-tainted predecessor, Gloria Arroyo, in June, 2010.

Aquino cited as evidence economic growth of 6.4 percent for the Philippines in the first quarter of the year, one of the best in the region, as well as repeated credit ratings upgrades from international agencies.

He said his government had given millions of poor Filipinos greater access to health and education services, and that the unemployment rate had dropped from 8.0 percent in 2010 to 6.9 percent this year.

Aquino said the economic progress had been made possible because of efforts to tackle corruption that he alleged had infected all parts of government during the nearly 10 years that Arroyo was in power.

"Now, with a level playing field, and clear and consistent rules, confidence in our economy is growing," he said.

Aquino made repeated references to the plight of the nation under his predecessor, describing the Philippines then as a "rotten state", and vowing again to ensure those involved in corruption would be punished.

Arroyo has been one of his chief targets, and she is now in detention awaiting trial on vote fraud and corruption charges

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Enrile, Belmonte renew Cha-cha bid

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) - The 15th Congress officially opened its third session on Monday, with the leaders of both chambers urging lawmakers to push for charter change.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Sonny Belmonte also called on their colleagues to put 2 crucial measures to a vote.

In his speech, Enrile acknowledged that the Senate still has many urgent bills to pass, including measures concerning the economy.

"The Senate will be focusing on vital measures for the improvement of the economy," he said, citing Senate Bill 3098 that will prohibit or discourage the formation of anti-competitive mergers and anti-competitive conduct in business.

Enrile also said it is time for lawmakers to review the 1987 Constitution.

"The Senate will discuss the introduction of amendments to the 1987 Constitution," he said. "The Senate agrees to amend, particularly on the economic provisions of the present charter."

Riding on gains

Belmonte echoed the call for charter change at the House of Representatives.

He said the country must ride on its recent economic gains and sustain them by attracting more foreign investments.

"What I am suggesting is for us to take the first step towards relaxing the restrictive economic provisions of our Constitution to allow Congress to enact laws that would define foreign participation and nationality requirement in strategic sectors of our economy," he said.

"The Filipino-first policy is but a step towards the inclusive growth we are seeking. It has not brought us the economic growth we dreamed to achieve. We need to find new paths and take new steps away from the restrictive protectionist economic path," he added.

Belmonte said the push for charter change will not lessen the focus of the House on other issues.

Enrile and Belmonte also urged colleagues to put 2 controversial measures to vote: the reproductive health bill and the freedom of information bill.

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PNoy gets mixed reactions for 3rd SONA

MANILA, Philippines - Legislators on Monday gave mixed reactions to the 3rd State of Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III at the Batasan Pambasa complex in Quezon City.
President Aquino got a passing grade from an ally of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez.

From 1 to 10, Suarez said he gave the President 7.

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PNP units on full alert for anti-Sona rallies

Military and police forces in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces went on highest alert Sunday as President Benigno Aquino prepared to face a joint session of Congress Monday to deliver his report on the state of the nation.

But apart from massive protest rallies expected to be launched by militant and other antigovernment organizations, authorities expect no major threats to public security Monday.

“So far, we have not received any report of a threat,” Colonel Arnulfo Burgos Jr., military spokesperson, said Sunday. “However, we are continuing with our monitoring and surveillance in coordination with the Philippine National Police and other security agencies.”

“(We anticipate a) peaceful State of the Nation Address (Sona), yes,” he added.

Full alert

Police regional offices in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon were placed on full alert beginning noon Sunday.

Those in Zamboanga, Davao, Soccksargen, Caraga, Northern Mindanao and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are still on full alert even though the voters’ registration in the ARMM was over.

Police forces in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, Bicol, Cordillera Autonomous Region, and Western, Central and Eastern Visayas have remained at heightened alert.

Orders went out to all police commanders to secure all police camps and offices, vital installations, economic key points and public places.

Police sweeps

The military has seven Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) companies with about 500 troops standing by in case police ask for assistance, Burgos said.

Police ran sweeps of communities near the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Friday night to ensure there were no criminals lurking there to disrupt the President’s speech in Congress today.

Chief Superintendent Mario de la Vega, Quezon City police chief, ordered the “saturation drive” in the vicinities of the legislative complex, but the police sweeps produced negative results.

De la Vega said the sweeps also intended to flush out terrorists, but no terrorists were found.

The policemen carried warrants for the arrest of several criminals, but none of those wanted men was found in the raided areas, De la Vega said.

The communities around the House of Representatives were “generally peaceful,” De la Vega said.

The Senate and the House of Representatives will meet in joint session today at the Batasang Pambansa complex to listen to President Aquino’s third report on the state of the nation.

Militant groups have announced marches and rallies on Commonwealth Avenue, the main road leading to the legislative complex in Quezon City.

Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ladao, Central Luzon police director, on Sunday said he ordered 300 policemen to Quezon City to beef up security around the legislative complex.

“The aim is make this a peaceful Sona,” Ladao said.

Luisita farmers

On Sunday, 120 farm workers from Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac left the province to picket the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) offices in Quezon City.

The farm workers would join a march to Congress today, said Joseph Canlas, chairman of Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson.

At least 350 more farm workers from the disputed estate owned by the family of President Aquino were expected to join marches and programs near the legislative complex, he said.

“We challenge President Aquino to order the fast distribution of land in Luisita as ordered by the Supreme Court,” Canlas said. “If he’s truly sincere, he should render justice long denied the farm workers by his relatives.”

Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes earlier said his agency would be ready with a preliminary list of confirmed beneficiaries by August or September.

The DAR is interviewing the farm workers or heirs of farm workers whose names appear on a 1989 list prepared for the stock distribution plan, a system used by Hacienda Luisita owners to implement agrarian reform but was voided by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court thrice upheld the distribution of Hacienda Luisita land, as recommended by the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council.

March to Manila

In San Pablo City in Laguna province, more than 1,000 militant farmers pressed their march to Manila on Sunday despite heavy rain.

Orly Marcellana, a leader of the group, said getting soaked in the rain would not deter the farmers from continuing on to Manila to stage a protest.

Marcellana said his group would join militants from Metro Manila and march to the legislative complex carrying effigies of the President and Uncle Sam to dramatize their protest against human rights violations that, they said, the government has failed to stop, even under the Aquino administration.

In the Visayas, Mr. Aquino’s critics will also march and stage rallies today as he speaks in Congress Monday.

Thousands of protesters in Iloilo, Aklan and Capiz are expected to join, said Karlo Mongaya, spokesperson in Panay of the Kabataan party-list group.

The protest actions will include walkouts from schools to protest high tuition and other fees and insufficient funding for education, Mongaya said.

Protesters led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) will assemble in front of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) campus in Iloilo City and at the Jaro District plaza and converge at the Iloilo provincial capitol before marching around the city.

“We, of course, expect President Aquino to paint a rosy picture of his second year in office. But the people, especially those belonging to the poorest sectors know that life has not improved and has even gone worse,” said Lean Porquia, secretary general of Bayan-Panay.

Mongaya said students from UPV, West Visayas State University, Central Philippine University and other schools in Iloilo City will join the rally. Others will hold forums, wear red shirts, light candles and wear ribbons to show their support.

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Philippine newspaper columnist shot in face

MANILA, Philippines—A veteran newspaper columnist in the Philippines was in a critical condition after he was shot in the face during a robbery on Sunday, police said.

Nixon Kua, 49, was “hit on the face and different parts of his body” by one of four gunmen who attacked him and his brother at an exclusive gated housing enclave near the capital Manila, police said in a statement.

His brother was also shot several times in the body, but was later proclaimed out of danger at a hospital.

The motive for the attack was unlikely connected to Kua’s work as a journalist for tabloid Pilipino Star Ngayon, which is owned by one of the country’s leading publishers, police said.

Kua was also formerly a stringer for international news agencies, as well as head of a government bureau promoting tourism.

Police said the four men snatched a bag from Kua’s daughter containing about 2,000 dollars before they fled, leading investigators to believe the motive was purely robbery.

Outspoken journalists are routinely attacked in the Philippines, which is rated by watchdog groups as one of the most dangerous places for members of the press.

Four journalists have been killed since January, raising the total number of media workers murdered in the Philippines to 153 since democracy was restored in 1986, according to rights groups.

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