China should prepare itself for military confrontation in the South China Sea, an influential Chinese paper said today, a week ahead of a decision by an international court on a dispute there between China and the Philippines. 
 
Tensions have been rising ahead of a July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing the argument between China and the Philippines over South China Sea in the Dutch city of The Hague. 
 
In joint editorials in its Chinese and English editions, the state-run Global Times said the dispute, having already been complicated by US intervention, now faces further escalation due to the threat posed by the tribunal to China&#39;s sovereignty. 
 
&quot;Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups around the South China Sea, and it wants to send a signal by flexing its muscles: As the biggest powerhouse in the region, it awaits China&#39;s obedience,&quot; it said. 
 
China should speed up developing its military deterrence abilities, the paper added. 
 
&quot;Even though China cannot keep up with the US militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;China hopes disputes can be resolved by talks, but it must be prepared for any military confrontation. This is common sense in international relations.&quot; 
 
The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Party&#39;s official People&#39;s Daily, and while it is widely read in policy-making circles it does not have the same mouthpiece function as its parent. 
 
China, which has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea, will be holding military drills in the waters there starting from Wednesday. 
 
China&#39;s defence ministry said the drills are routine, the official China Daily reported. 
 
US officials have expressed concern that the Hague court ruling could prompt Beijing to declare an air defence identification zone (ADIZ)&nbsp;as it did over the East China Sea in 2013. 
 
What response China takes will &quot;fully depend&quot; on the Philippines, the China Daily added, citing unidentified sources. 
 
&quot;There will be no incident at all if all related parties put aside the arbitration results,&quot; one of the sources told the English-language publication. 
 
&quot;China has never taken a lead in ... stirring up regional tension,&quot; another source&nbsp;added. 
 
About $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year though the energy-rich, strategic waters of the South China Sea, where China&#39;s territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. 
 
(Reuters)

Tensions are rising ahead of a July 12 ruling in The Hague where an arbitration court will hear the argument between China and Philippines

China should prepare itself for military confrontation in the South China Sea, an influential Chinese paper said today, a week ahead of a decision by an international court on a dispute there between China and the Philippines. Tensions have been rising ahead of a July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing the argument between China and the Philippines over South China Sea in the Dutch city of The Hague. In joint editorials in its Chinese and English editions, the state-run Global Times said the dispute, having already been complicated by US intervention, now faces further escalation due to the threat posed by the tribunal to China's sovereignty. "Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups around the South China Sea, and it wants to send a signal by flexing its muscles: As the biggest powerhouse in the region, it awaits China's obedience," it said. China should speed up developing its military deterrence abilities, the paper added. "Even though China cannot keep up with the US militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force," it said. "China hopes disputes can be resolved by talks, but it must be prepared for any military confrontation. This is common sense in international relations." The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, and while it is widely read in policy-making circles it does not have the same mouthpiece function as its parent. China, which has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea, will be holding military drills in the waters there starting from Wednesday. China's defence ministry said the drills are routine, the official China Daily reported. US officials have expressed concern that the Hague court ruling could prompt Beijing to declare an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) as it did over the East China Sea in 2013. What response China takes will "fully depend" on the Philippines, the China Daily added, citing unidentified sources. "There will be no incident at all if all related parties put aside the arbitration results," one of the sources told the English-language publication. "China has never taken a lead in ... stirring up regional tension," another source added. About $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year though the energy-rich, strategic waters of the South China Sea, where China's territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. (Reuters)

State must prepare for conflict in South China Sea: Chinese newspaper

Philippine police have killed 10 people with suspected links to drugs since President Rodrigo Duterte took office, authorities said Saturday, in a brutal start to his controversial war on crime. 
 
Duterte was sworn into office on Thursday after a landslide win built largely on a pledge to kill thousands of suspected criminals in a relentless law-and-order crackdown he said was needed to stop the Philippines becoming a narco-state. 
 
Police in Bulacan province neighbouring Manila said they launched an anti-drug trafficking blitz on Thursday, the day Duterte took office, that claimed nine lives. 
 
&quot;We are just following the marching orders of our new chief of the Philippine National Police,&quot; Bulacan police spokeswoman Senior Inspector Linel Solomon said. 
 
She said the nine died in seven encounters, insisting police were forced to kill them because the suspects fought back. 
 
Another drug suspect was also shot dead after he used a gun during a raid on his home in the central city of Dumaguete on Friday, local police desk officer Mark Tikling told AFP. 
 
With Duterte encouraging them, police had already killed dozens of suspected criminals between his election victory and being sworn into office. 
 
Duterte, who has been accused of links to vigilante death squads that killed more than 1,000 people during his nearly two decades as mayor of southern Davao city, insisted during his inauguration speech that he would not break the law during his war on crime. 
 
But in a series of speeches afterwards he urged communist rebels and ordinary citizens to kill suspected criminals and drug addicts. 
He also promised to use his presidential powers to protect police who faced legal charges for mass killings. 
 
&quot;If in the process you kill 1,000 persons because you were doing your duty, then I will protect you,&quot; he said in a speech to install the country&#39;s new chief of police, Ronald Dela Rosa. 
 
Dela Rosa also warned on Friday that police officers linked to drug trafficking to surrender by Sunday or be killed. 
 
Spokesmen for the new president could not be contacted for comment on the new killings. 
 
Wilnor Papa, the local coordinator for human rights group Amnesty International, warned Duterte was inciting extrajudicial killings. 
 
&quot;When you have the highest ranking person, the president, saying this is the way he wants it to happen, you are emboldening the members of law enforcement to go beyond what the law requires,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
&quot;It is not sustainable, it will create more problems.&quot; 
 
Papa warned there would be an &quot;erosion of due process&quot;, with ordinary people using violence to solve disputes. 
 
In a sign of possible vigilante activity, a bullet-riddled body was found in a Manila slum on Friday with a sign on it that read: &quot;I am a Chinese drug lord&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

Duterte urged citizens to kill suspected drug addicts and promised to protect police from legal charges that may result from mass killings

Philippine police have killed 10 people with suspected links to drugs since President Rodrigo Duterte took office, authorities said Saturday, in a brutal start to his controversial war on crime. Duterte was sworn into office on Thursday after a landslide win built largely on a pledge to kill thousands of suspected criminals in a relentless law-and-order crackdown he said was needed to stop the Philippines becoming a narco-state. Police in Bulacan province neighbouring Manila said they launched an anti-drug trafficking blitz on Thursday, the day Duterte took office, that claimed nine lives. "We are just following the marching orders of our new chief of the Philippine National Police," Bulacan police spokeswoman Senior Inspector Linel Solomon said. She said the nine died in seven encounters, insisting police were forced to kill them because the suspects fought back. Another drug suspect was also shot dead after he used a gun during a raid on his home in the central city of Dumaguete on Friday, local police desk officer Mark Tikling told AFP. With Duterte encouraging them, police had already killed dozens of suspected criminals between his election victory and being sworn into office. Duterte, who has been accused of links to vigilante death squads that killed more than 1,000 people during his nearly two decades as mayor of southern Davao city, insisted during his inauguration speech that he would not break the law during his war on crime. But in a series of speeches afterwards he urged communist rebels and ordinary citizens to kill suspected criminals and drug addicts. He also promised to use his presidential powers to protect police who faced legal charges for mass killings. "If in the process you kill 1,000 persons because you were doing your duty, then I will protect you," he said in a speech to install the country's new chief of police, Ronald Dela Rosa. Dela Rosa also warned on Friday that police officers linked to drug trafficking to surrender by Sunday or be killed. Spokesmen for the new president could not be contacted for comment on the new killings. Wilnor Papa, the local coordinator for human rights group Amnesty International, warned Duterte was inciting extrajudicial killings. "When you have the highest ranking person, the president, saying this is the way he wants it to happen, you are emboldening the members of law enforcement to go beyond what the law requires," he told AFP. "It is not sustainable, it will create more problems." Papa warned there would be an "erosion of due process", with ordinary people using violence to solve disputes. In a sign of possible vigilante activity, a bullet-riddled body was found in a Manila slum on Friday with a sign on it that read: "I am a Chinese drug lord". (AFP)

Philippine police kill 10 with suspected drug links under new President

Two things catch the eye in the office of Joselito Esquivel, a police colonel enforcing a national crackdown on drugs in the Philippines&#39; most crime-ridden district: a pair of boxing gloves in a display cabinet and an M4 assault rifle lying beside him. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s all-out war,&quot; the Quezon City officer says of a spike in killings of suspected drug dealers by police across the country since last month&#39;s election of Rodrigo Duterte, a tough-talking city mayor, as the country&#39;s President. &quot;Duterte has already given the impetus for this massive operation.&quot; 
 
Duterte has vowed to wipe out drug crime within six months, but, according to Chito Gascon, head of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the aggressive rhetoric behind his promises has already instilled a sense of impunity among the police. 
 
&quot;Basically, you have Mr Duterte saying: &#39;It&#39;s okay, I&#39;ve got your back&#39;,&quot; said Gascon. 
 
On average, at least one person has been shot dead by police or anonymous vigilantes every day since the May 9 election that swept Duterte to power, an escalation from the first four months of the year when the rate was about two a week. 
 
Handwritten warning signs have been left on some corpses. 
 
Duterte, who will be inaugurated on Thursday for a six-year term, has cheered the police on: after a druglord was killed in a northern province recently, he travelled there to congratulate them and hand over a reward worth about $6,000. 
 
Critics, including leaders of the influential Roman Catholic Church and human rights advocates, fear a spiral of violence could lie ahead for the Philippines if vigilantism and summary executions become an accepted norm after Duterte takes office. 
 
&quot;My concern is that instead of law and order, what we will see is lawlessness and fear,&quot; said Gascon. &quot;What will result is an increase in the body-bag count.&quot; 
 
On Monday, Duterte branded as &quot;stupid&quot; human rights groups and lawmakers who have complained about his draconian plans to crush crime and re-introduce the death penalty. 
 
&quot;When you kill someone, rape, you should die,&quot; he told his last public meeting as mayor of Davao City, where death squads have killed hundreds of drug-pushers, petty criminals and even streetchildren since 1998, according to rights groups. 
 
Duterte denies any involvement in the vigilante killings. 
 
A political outsider whose coarse defiance of the traditional ruling class has drawn comparisons with Donald Trump, Duterte has even figured in commentaries on Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union as an example of a global trend towards populism triumphing over the establishment. 
 
Police covering their tracks 
 
Duterte&#39;s pick to be the country&#39;s police chief, Ronald dela Rosa, concedes that some recent killings may have been carried out by officers involved in the drugs business who were covering their tracks so that the new President does not go after them. 
 
&quot;That could be true,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;Some police officers are shifting from drug protectors to drug punishers.&quot; 
 
But dela Rosa added that so much work towards wiping out drug crime has been accomplished recently that his job will be easy when he takes over at the end of this week. 
 
Railing against critics, he said most of the victims in the recent wave of killings were shot by police in self-defence. 
 
&quot;I have no problem how many people die in legitimate police operations, the police have a right to defend themselves,&quot; he said. &quot;We are police officers, we are not hard killers.&quot; 
 
Only two of the roughly 60 recent killings took place in Quezon City, a crowded and gritty part of sprawling Metro Manila that has the country&#39;s highest crime rate. Most were in areas outside the capital that are less intensively policed. 
 
Esquivel, the officer in Quezon City, said his force has also adopted a softer tack by inviting drug peddlers and addicts to surrender and go into rehabilitation. Just last week, over 1,000 gave themselves up there, he said. 
 
Despite that gentler approach, police in the Philippines are open about their readiness to use guns. 
 
Outside Esquivel&#39;s headquarters there is a police firing range and a banner cheerily announces a monthly &quot;shoot fest&quot;, a contest for officers where sometimes winners receive a gun. 
 
According to data from the University of Sydney, the number of guns in the Philippines is a small fraction of the total in the United States, but Filipinos seem much more inclined to use them. 
 
Gun deaths per 100,000 people in the United States was at 10.54 in 2014, but the Philippines rate of 7.2 in 2008, the last year for which figures were available, was not far behind. 
 
Narco-state 
 
Duterte has predicted that if the tide of drug addiction in the Philippines is not pushed back, it will become a narco-state. 
 
In 2012, the United Nations said the Philippines had the highest rate of methamphetamine use in East Asia, and according to a US state department report, 2.1 per cent of Flipinos aged 16 to 64 use the drug, which is known locally as &quot;shabu&quot;. 
 
There appears to be support in the Philippines for Duterte&#39;s uncompromising line on criminals. 
 
When a suspected rapist was killed in custody recently, the CHR raised concerns, but they were lost amid an outpouring of sympathy for the police on social and mainstream media. 
 
Still many people across the country are feeling anxious. 
 
&quot;There is a sense of fear because what was done to the hardened drug couriers, users and manufacturers could be done to you,&quot; said Winston Boston, a 49-year-old financial adviser in Manila. &quot;Anyone could just be accosted.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The new President has already delivered the impetus for a massive operation to crack down on suspected druglords.

Two things catch the eye in the office of Joselito Esquivel, a police colonel enforcing a national crackdown on drugs in the Philippines' most crime-ridden district: a pair of boxing gloves in a display cabinet and an M4 assault rifle lying beside him. "It's all-out war," the Quezon City officer says of a spike in killings of suspected drug dealers by police across the country since last month's election of Rodrigo Duterte, a tough-talking city mayor, as the country's President. "Duterte has already given the impetus for this massive operation." Duterte has vowed to wipe out drug crime within six months, but, according to Chito Gascon, head of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the aggressive rhetoric behind his promises has already instilled a sense of impunity among the police. "Basically, you have Mr Duterte saying: 'It's okay, I've got your back'," said Gascon. On average, at least one person has been shot dead by police or anonymous vigilantes every day since the May 9 election that swept Duterte to power, an escalation from the first four months of the year when the rate was about two a week. Handwritten warning signs have been left on some corpses. Duterte, who will be inaugurated on Thursday for a six-year term, has cheered the police on: after a druglord was killed in a northern province recently, he travelled there to congratulate them and hand over a reward worth about $6,000. Critics, including leaders of the influential Roman Catholic Church and human rights advocates, fear a spiral of violence could lie ahead for the Philippines if vigilantism and summary executions become an accepted norm after Duterte takes office. "My concern is that instead of law and order, what we will see is lawlessness and fear," said Gascon. "What will result is an increase in the body-bag count." On Monday, Duterte branded as "stupid" human rights groups and lawmakers who have complained about his draconian plans to crush crime and re-introduce the death penalty. "When you kill someone, rape, you should die," he told his last public meeting as mayor of Davao City, where death squads have killed hundreds of drug-pushers, petty criminals and even streetchildren since 1998, according to rights groups. Duterte denies any involvement in the vigilante killings. A political outsider whose coarse defiance of the traditional ruling class has drawn comparisons with Donald Trump, Duterte has even figured in commentaries on Britain's vote to leave the European Union as an example of a global trend towards populism triumphing over the establishment. Police covering their tracks Duterte's pick to be the country's police chief, Ronald dela Rosa, concedes that some recent killings may have been carried out by officers involved in the drugs business who were covering their tracks so that the new President does not go after them. "That could be true," he told Reuters. "Some police officers are shifting from drug protectors to drug punishers." But dela Rosa added that so much work towards wiping out drug crime has been accomplished recently that his job will be easy when he takes over at the end of this week. Railing against critics, he said most of the victims in the recent wave of killings were shot by police in self-defence. "I have no problem how many people die in legitimate police operations, the police have a right to defend themselves," he said. "We are police officers, we are not hard killers." Only two of the roughly 60 recent killings took place in Quezon City, a crowded and gritty part of sprawling Metro Manila that has the country's highest crime rate. Most were in areas outside the capital that are less intensively policed. Esquivel, the officer in Quezon City, said his force has also adopted a softer tack by inviting drug peddlers and addicts to surrender and go into rehabilitation. Just last week, over 1,000 gave themselves up there, he said. Despite that gentler approach, police in the Philippines are open about their readiness to use guns. Outside Esquivel's headquarters there is a police firing range and a banner cheerily announces a monthly "shoot fest", a contest for officers where sometimes winners receive a gun. According to data from the University of Sydney, the number of guns in the Philippines is a small fraction of the total in the United States, but Filipinos seem much more inclined to use them. Gun deaths per 100,000 people in the United States was at 10.54 in 2014, but the Philippines rate of 7.2 in 2008, the last year for which figures were available, was not far behind. Narco-state Duterte has predicted that if the tide of drug addiction in the Philippines is not pushed back, it will become a narco-state. In 2012, the United Nations said the Philippines had the highest rate of methamphetamine use in East Asia, and according to a US state department report, 2.1 per cent of Flipinos aged 16 to 64 use the drug, which is known locally as "shabu". There appears to be support in the Philippines for Duterte's uncompromising line on criminals. When a suspected rapist was killed in custody recently, the CHR raised concerns, but they were lost amid an outpouring of sympathy for the police on social and mainstream media. Still many people across the country are feeling anxious. "There is a sense of fear because what was done to the hardened drug couriers, users and manufacturers could be done to you," said Winston Boston, a 49-year-old financial adviser in Manila. "Anyone could just be accosted." (Reuters)

As Duterte takes over in Philippines, police killings stir fear

Jakarta banned today any Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to the Philippines, the transport ministry said, after yet another violent kidnapping in the strife-torn waters between the two nations. 
 
The ruling was issued after the government confirmed seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped at gunpoint earlier this week, and were being held hostage by an unknown group. 
 
It&#39;s the third time this year Indonesian sailors have been abducted in the Sulu sea, a vital waterway that&#39;s seen a spike in seaborne crime like armed robberies and kidnappings. 
 
In response to the latest incident, the transport ministry issued a notice informing all harbour masters they were &quot;strictly prohibited from issuing permits to all Indonesian-flagged vessels bound for the Philippines, without exception&quot;. 
 
&quot;This hijacking issue is a serious matter and cannot be tolerated anymore,&quot; the ministry&#39;s water transport director general A Tonny Budiono said in a statement. 
 
To prevent any commercial vessels from breaching the ban, Indonesia will also ramp up marine patrols in its waters bordering the southern Philippines, Budiono added. 
 
It&#39;s not yet clear how significantly trade will be affected by the ban, but it could severely disrupt the flow of goods from Southeast Asia&#39;s largest economy -- including natural resources like coal -- to the Philippines. 
 
The Sulu and Celebes seas form a key waterway between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and are used for the passage of 55 million metric tonnes of goods and over 18 million people per year. 
 
Last month, the three countries agreed to launch a coordinated patrol of the waters after the recent surge of kidnappings. 
 
The Indonesian sailors abducted this week were towing a coal barge through the Sulu sea when their tugboat was attacked by gunmen. 
 
&quot;The government will do everything possible to free these hostages,&quot; foreign minister Retno Marsudi told reporters. 
 
Sulu, a southern archipelago, is a known hideout of Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants who have earned millions of dollars from kidnappings in recent years. 
 
A spokesman for the foreign ministry said he could not confirm whether a ransom demand had been made, or if Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the abductions. 
 
Earlier this year the group kidnapped 14 Indonesian sailors, holding them in their stronghold in the southern Philippines. They were later freed but there was no information on whether a ransom was paid. 
 
(PTI)

Ban comes after gunmen abduct Indonesian sailors in Sulu sea, a hideout of Abu Sayyaf militants known for kidnappings

Jakarta banned today any Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to the Philippines, the transport ministry said, after yet another violent kidnapping in the strife-torn waters between the two nations. The ruling was issued after the government confirmed seven Indonesian sailors were kidnapped at gunpoint earlier this week, and were being held hostage by an unknown group. It's the third time this year Indonesian sailors have been abducted in the Sulu sea, a vital waterway that's seen a spike in seaborne crime like armed robberies and kidnappings. In response to the latest incident, the transport ministry issued a notice informing all harbour masters they were "strictly prohibited from issuing permits to all Indonesian-flagged vessels bound for the Philippines, without exception". "This hijacking issue is a serious matter and cannot be tolerated anymore," the ministry's water transport director general A Tonny Budiono said in a statement. To prevent any commercial vessels from breaching the ban, Indonesia will also ramp up marine patrols in its waters bordering the southern Philippines, Budiono added. It's not yet clear how significantly trade will be affected by the ban, but it could severely disrupt the flow of goods from Southeast Asia's largest economy -- including natural resources like coal -- to the Philippines. The Sulu and Celebes seas form a key waterway between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and are used for the passage of 55 million metric tonnes of goods and over 18 million people per year. Last month, the three countries agreed to launch a coordinated patrol of the waters after the recent surge of kidnappings. The Indonesian sailors abducted this week were towing a coal barge through the Sulu sea when their tugboat was attacked by gunmen. "The government will do everything possible to free these hostages," foreign minister Retno Marsudi told reporters. Sulu, a southern archipelago, is a known hideout of Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants who have earned millions of dollars from kidnappings in recent years. A spokesman for the foreign ministry said he could not confirm whether a ransom demand had been made, or if Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the abductions. Earlier this year the group kidnapped 14 Indonesian sailors, holding them in their stronghold in the southern Philippines. They were later freed but there was no information on whether a ransom was paid. (PTI)

Jakarta bans all Indonesian-flagged vessels from sailing to Philippines

Southeast Asian militants who claim to be fighting for Islamic State in the Middle East have said they have chosen one of the most wanted men in the Philippines to head a regional faction of the ultra-radical group, security officials said today. 
 
The claim was made in a video that was recently posted on social media, possibly last week, a military intelligence official in the Philippines said. 
 
The video is significant, experts say, because it shows that Islamic State supporters are now being asked to stay home and unify under one umbrella group to launch attacks in Southeast Asia, instead of being drawn to the fight in the Middle East. 
 
Authorities in the region have been on heightened alert since Islamic State claimed an attack in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in January in which eight people were killed, including four of the attackers. 
 
In a 20-minute video, young men and some children in military fatigues are shown carrying and training with weapons, and holding Islamic State flags. A section of the video showed some of these men engaging in gunbattles in jungles but it was not clear where and with whom. 
 
The video also showed three men apparently being executed, but it was not clear where and who they were. 
 
The authenticity of the video and when it was taken could not be independently verified. 
 
In the video, a man authorities in Malaysia have identified as Mohd Rafi Udin, a Malaysian militant currently in Syria, says in Malay: &quot;If you cannot go to (Syria), join up and go to the Philippines.&quot; 
 
In the video, Udin also urges Muslims to unite under the leadership of Abu Abdullah, a Philippine militant leader who pledged allegiance to Islamic State in January. 
 
Abu Abdullah, also known as Isnilon Hapilon, is a leader of the Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf. He is on the FBI&#39;s most wanted list for his role in the kidnapping of 17 Filipinos and three Americans in 2001 and carries a bounty of $5 million. 
 
The video was released to mark Islamic State&#39;s acceptance of allegiances from jihadists in the Philippines, the first formal recognition of a Southeast Asian group, said Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, chief of Malaysia&#39;s police counter-terrorism unit. 
 
&quot;This video is not just propaganda, but is a serious threat. We are definitely expecting more attacks in this region,&quot; Pitchay said. 
 
Hapilon is known to be based in the interior hills of the island of Basilan in the Mindanao region of the southern Philippines. In April, at least 18 Philippine soldiers were killed and 53 wounded in an attack on his followers on the island. 
 
Kidnap gang 
 
For decades, Abu Sayyaf has been known for extortion, kidnappings, beheadings and bombings, and is one of the most brutal Muslim rebel factions in the south of the largely Christian Philippines. 
 
The group has posted videos on social media sites this year pledging allegiance to Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. 
 
The latest video appears aimed at recognising Hapilon as the Southeast Asian leader of the group, anti-terrorism experts said. 
 
&quot;I think this is a very significant video,&quot; said Sidney Jones, a Jakarta-based security expert. &quot;This acknowledges support from Indonesia and Malaysia.&quot; 
 
&quot;It suggests there will be more efforts to get people to actually go to Mindanao to launch operations from there.&quot; 
 
The Jakarta attacks in January were claimed by Islamic State. But the attack did not bear the hallmarks of other spectacular strikes by the radical group - the militants lacked sophisticated weaponry and were amateurish in the execution. 
 
Some security officials fear a more organised and better trained militant group could launch far deadlier attacks in the region. 
 
But Philippine military officials dismissed these concerns, saying the video was just propaganda and should be ignored. 
 
&quot;People should not be bothered by this,&quot; said Philippine military spokesman Restituto Padilla &quot;Authorities are working on this. They can be identified, and they can be hunted down.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The claim was made in a video that shows young men and children training with weapons and holding IS flags

Southeast Asian militants who claim to be fighting for Islamic State in the Middle East have said they have chosen one of the most wanted men in the Philippines to head a regional faction of the ultra-radical group, security officials said today. The claim was made in a video that was recently posted on social media, possibly last week, a military intelligence official in the Philippines said. The video is significant, experts say, because it shows that Islamic State supporters are now being asked to stay home and unify under one umbrella group to launch attacks in Southeast Asia, instead of being drawn to the fight in the Middle East. Authorities in the region have been on heightened alert since Islamic State claimed an attack in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in January in which eight people were killed, including four of the attackers. In a 20-minute video, young men and some children in military fatigues are shown carrying and training with weapons, and holding Islamic State flags. A section of the video showed some of these men engaging in gunbattles in jungles but it was not clear where and with whom. The video also showed three men apparently being executed, but it was not clear where and who they were. The authenticity of the video and when it was taken could not be independently verified. In the video, a man authorities in Malaysia have identified as Mohd Rafi Udin, a Malaysian militant currently in Syria, says in Malay: "If you cannot go to (Syria), join up and go to the Philippines." In the video, Udin also urges Muslims to unite under the leadership of Abu Abdullah, a Philippine militant leader who pledged allegiance to Islamic State in January. Abu Abdullah, also known as Isnilon Hapilon, is a leader of the Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf. He is on the FBI's most wanted list for his role in the kidnapping of 17 Filipinos and three Americans in 2001 and carries a bounty of $5 million. The video was released to mark Islamic State's acceptance of allegiances from jihadists in the Philippines, the first formal recognition of a Southeast Asian group, said Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, chief of Malaysia's police counter-terrorism unit. "This video is not just propaganda, but is a serious threat. We are definitely expecting more attacks in this region," Pitchay said. Hapilon is known to be based in the interior hills of the island of Basilan in the Mindanao region of the southern Philippines. In April, at least 18 Philippine soldiers were killed and 53 wounded in an attack on his followers on the island. Kidnap gang For decades, Abu Sayyaf has been known for extortion, kidnappings, beheadings and bombings, and is one of the most brutal Muslim rebel factions in the south of the largely Christian Philippines. The group has posted videos on social media sites this year pledging allegiance to Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. The latest video appears aimed at recognising Hapilon as the Southeast Asian leader of the group, anti-terrorism experts said. "I think this is a very significant video," said Sidney Jones, a Jakarta-based security expert. "This acknowledges support from Indonesia and Malaysia." "It suggests there will be more efforts to get people to actually go to Mindanao to launch operations from there." The Jakarta attacks in January were claimed by Islamic State. But the attack did not bear the hallmarks of other spectacular strikes by the radical group - the militants lacked sophisticated weaponry and were amateurish in the execution. Some security officials fear a more organised and better trained militant group could launch far deadlier attacks in the region. But Philippine military officials dismissed these concerns, saying the video was just propaganda and should be ignored. "People should not be bothered by this," said Philippine military spokesman Restituto Padilla "Authorities are working on this. They can be identified, and they can be hunted down." (Reuters)

Southeast Asian militants forming Islamic State unit in southern Philippines, say officials

Malaysian police have rescued 29 Filipinas who had been trafficked to work in bars, the Philippines embassy in Kuala Lumpur said today. 
 
The women were rescued from two bars in the town of Bintulu in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on June 9 after the embassy brought reports of trafficked women to Malaysian police, a statement by the embassy said. 
 
Also arrested during the raid were three Filipinos who served as agents and caretakers of the women, it said. 
 
It gave no further details on the case of the 29 women. 
 
But it said some individuals and agencies were allegedly offering work in Malaysia to people who enter as tourists, promising to convert them to employment visas in exchange for payment. 
 
&quot;The embassy reminds Filipinos to be vigilant and not to deal with unlicensed individuals or purported placement agencies, especially online, as they could end up being trafficked,&quot; it said.&nbsp; 
 
Malaysia&#39;s relatively developed economy is a magnet for migrants -- many of them illegal -- from around Southeast Asia, including large numbers of Filipinos. 
 
(AFP)

They were rescued from two bars in Bintulu in the state of Sarawak after the Philippines embassy brought reports of trafficking

Malaysian police have rescued 29 Filipinas who had been trafficked to work in bars, the Philippines embassy in Kuala Lumpur said today. The women were rescued from two bars in the town of Bintulu in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on June 9 after the embassy brought reports of trafficked women to Malaysian police, a statement by the embassy said. Also arrested during the raid were three Filipinos who served as agents and caretakers of the women, it said. It gave no further details on the case of the 29 women. But it said some individuals and agencies were allegedly offering work in Malaysia to people who enter as tourists, promising to convert them to employment visas in exchange for payment. "The embassy reminds Filipinos to be vigilant and not to deal with unlicensed individuals or purported placement agencies, especially online, as they could end up being trafficked," it said. Malaysia's relatively developed economy is a magnet for migrants -- many of them illegal -- from around Southeast Asia, including large numbers of Filipinos. (AFP)

Malaysian cops rescue 29 Filipinas from bars

The incoming Philippines transportation chief said today President-elect Rodrigo Duterte should be given emergency powers by Congress for two years to solve a debilitating traffic crisis in the capital Manila and elsewhere. 
 
The emergency powers will quicken the release of government funds aimed at declogging main roads that have hurt businesses and the overall economy. 
 
Transporation secretary Arthur Tugade, speaking on the sidelines of a business conference, cited the 2.4 billion Pesos ($52 million) in potential daily income lost due to the traffic problem based on a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. 
(Reuters)

The emergency powers will quicken the release of government funds aimed at removing traffic blockages

The incoming Philippines transportation chief said today President-elect Rodrigo Duterte should be given emergency powers by Congress for two years to solve a debilitating traffic crisis in the capital Manila and elsewhere. The emergency powers will quicken the release of government funds aimed at declogging main roads that have hurt businesses and the overall economy. Transporation secretary Arthur Tugade, speaking on the sidelines of a business conference, cited the 2.4 billion Pesos ($52 million) in potential daily income lost due to the traffic problem based on a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. (Reuters)

Incoming Philippines transport minister seeks emergency powers to fix traffic snarl

&nbsp;China hopes to get relations with the Philippines back on track, President Xi Jinping has told new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, after ties were affected by an increasingly bitter spat over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Xi sent a message to Duterte late on Monday congratulating him on his formal election victory, and said the two countries had a long history of friendly exchanges and a deep traditional friendship, China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said.

&quot;The friendly, stable and healthy development of Sino-Philippine relations accords with the basic interests of both countries and both peoples,&quot; Xi was quoted as saying in the ministry statement.

Both countries had the responsibility to deepen cooperation, he said.

&quot;(I) hope both sides can work hard to push Sino-Philippine relations back onto a healthy development track,&quot; Xi said.

China and the Philippines are locked in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which $5 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

Tension between the Philippines and China has risen as an international tribunal in the Hague prepares to deliver a ruling in the next few months in a case lodged by Manila in 2013.

The Philippines is seeking a clarification of United Nations maritime laws that could undermine China&#39;s claims to 90 percent of the South China Sea. China has rejected the court&#39;s authority.

President Xi Jinping hopes to get relations with Philippines back on track.

China hopes to get relations with the Philippines back on track, President Xi Jinping has told new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, after ties were affected by an increasingly bitter spat over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Xi sent a message to Duterte late on Monday congratulating him on his formal election victory, and said the two countries had a long history of friendly exchanges and a deep traditional friendship, China's Foreign Ministry said. "The friendly, stable and healthy development of Sino-Philippine relations accords with the basic interests of both countries and both peoples," Xi was quoted as saying in the ministry statement. Both countries had the responsibility to deepen cooperation, he said. "(I) hope both sides can work hard to push Sino-Philippine relations back onto a healthy development track," Xi said. China and the Philippines are locked in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which $5 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. Tension between the Philippines and China has risen as an international tribunal in the Hague prepares to deliver a ruling in the next few months in a case lodged by Manila in 2013. The Philippines is seeking a clarification of United Nations maritime laws that could undermine China's claims to 90 percent of the South China Sea. China has rejected the court's authority.

China's President hopes to get Philippines ties back on track

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