Over 300 anti-narcotics and human rights groups from around the world on Tuesday called for the United Nations to condemn Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s war on drugs that has already killed hundreds of people. 
 
The appeal, directed to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), came as an influential Philippine senator called for an investigation into the killings of suspected drug pushers that Duterte has endorsed. 
 
Senator Leila de Lima and the foreign organisations cited reports of police killing hundreds of people since Duterte won May elections largely on a platform to wage a bloody war on drugs. 
 
&quot;Instead of ensuring the protection and rights of people who use drugs... President Duterte has called for them to be killed,&quot; said the statement from groups such as the Australian Drug Foundation and Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. 
 
&quot;Instead of ensuring the rights of people suspected of committing drug-related crimes... the President has called for them to be executed on the spot.&quot; 
 
The statement called on the INCB and the UNODC to condemn the killings and &quot;demand an end to the atrocities&quot;. 
 
De Lima, in a speech before Senate, also lashed out at the killings. &quot;We cannot wage the war against drugs with blood. We will only be trading drug addiction with another more malevolent kind of addiction.&nbsp;This is the compulsion for more killing,&quot; said the senator, a former justice minister who also headed the nation&#39;s human rights body. De Lima said police were summarily killing even innocent people, using the anti-drug campaign as an excuse. 
 
Since assuming the presidency on June 30, Duterte has promised to protect police and soldiers from sanctions for killing criminals and even urged ordinary citizens and communist rebels to join in the bloodshed. 
 
While his campaign has been widely popular in the impoverished Philippines, more groups have begun criticising Duterte, with De Lima calling for a congressional probe into the killings. 
 
But the president has dismissed human rights concerns while police have insisted that they only acted in self-defence. In June, even UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon condemned Duterte&#39;s apparent support of extra-judicial killings. 
 
Police figures showed that as of Tuesday, 402 drug suspects had been killed a month into Duterte&#39;s presidency. 
 
The figure does not include those slain by suspected vigilantes. The country&#39;s top broadcaster, ABS-CBN, reported that 603 people had been killed since Duterte was elected, with 211 murdered by unidentified gunmen. 
 
(AFP)

While his campaign has been popular in the impoverished Philippines, more international groups have begun criticising President Duterte

Over 300 anti-narcotics and human rights groups from around the world on Tuesday called for the United Nations to condemn Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs that has already killed hundreds of people. The appeal, directed to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), came as an influential Philippine senator called for an investigation into the killings of suspected drug pushers that Duterte has endorsed. Senator Leila de Lima and the foreign organisations cited reports of police killing hundreds of people since Duterte won May elections largely on a platform to wage a bloody war on drugs. "Instead of ensuring the protection and rights of people who use drugs... President Duterte has called for them to be killed," said the statement from groups such as the Australian Drug Foundation and Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. "Instead of ensuring the rights of people suspected of committing drug-related crimes... the President has called for them to be executed on the spot." The statement called on the INCB and the UNODC to condemn the killings and "demand an end to the atrocities". De Lima, in a speech before Senate, also lashed out at the killings. "We cannot wage the war against drugs with blood. We will only be trading drug addiction with another more malevolent kind of addiction. This is the compulsion for more killing," said the senator, a former justice minister who also headed the nation's human rights body. De Lima said police were summarily killing even innocent people, using the anti-drug campaign as an excuse. Since assuming the presidency on June 30, Duterte has promised to protect police and soldiers from sanctions for killing criminals and even urged ordinary citizens and communist rebels to join in the bloodshed. While his campaign has been widely popular in the impoverished Philippines, more groups have begun criticising Duterte, with De Lima calling for a congressional probe into the killings. But the president has dismissed human rights concerns while police have insisted that they only acted in self-defence. In June, even UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon condemned Duterte's apparent support of extra-judicial killings. Police figures showed that as of Tuesday, 402 drug suspects had been killed a month into Duterte's presidency. The figure does not include those slain by suspected vigilantes. The country's top broadcaster, ABS-CBN, reported that 603 people had been killed since Duterte was elected, with 211 murdered by unidentified gunmen. (AFP)

UN must condemn Philippine drug killings: Rights groups

The Philippine government may still re-impose a ceasefire with Maoist-led guerrillas, a senior administration official said today, a day after it was withdrawn by President Rodrigo Duterte. 
 
Duterte lifted the unilateral truce with the communist New People&#39;s Army on Saturday evening, six days after it was declared as a goodwill gesture ahead of formal peace negotiations in Oslo next month.&nbsp;The move came after rebels did not respond to a deadline to reciprocate the government&#39;s truce. 
 
&quot;We may work out a negotiated truce with the Communists,&quot; Jesus Dureza, presidential peace adviser, said. &quot;It was in our agenda when the formal peace talks resume in Oslo. The peace talks will go on as scheduled.&quot; 
 
The peace talks, brokered by Norway, will resume on August 20, four years after bogging down due to rebels&#39; demand for the release of 500 political prisoners. The government has now promised to free them for health and humanitarian reasons. 
 
Dureza said he welcomed a statement from rebel leader Jose Maria Siso, who was interviewed on local television hours after Duterte withdrew the ceasefire, saying the communists had also intended to impose a truce but it was overtaken by events. 
 
&quot;This is what we have been waiting for,&quot; Dureza said in an official statement. &quot;The leadership of the CPP/NPA/NDF announced through the media its belated but still strategic and awaited decision to also declare its own unilateral ceasefire.&quot; 
 
Duterte also was angered by reports that Maoist-led rebels had killed a militiaman, and wounded four others, in an ambush on Wednesday when they were returning to an army base in Davao del Norte to comply with the government&#39;s unilateral truce. 
 
Renato Reyes, secretary-general of Bayan (Nation), a left-wing political group, criticised the government for imposing &quot;unrealistic&quot; ultimatums, saying the &quot;peace talks are more complicated than some folks think&quot;. 
 
&quot;The road to peace is a difficult one, where deadlines and ultimatums cannot just be imposed and where discussions of the substantial agenda are the only sure means to achieve a lasting end to hostilities,&quot; he said. 
 
Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla said army units have resumed offensive action against the rebels. 
 
&quot;The rebels have missed a golden opportunity to manifest their commitment to the attainment of much sought peace throughout the land,&quot; he added. 
 
(Reuters)

President Rodrigo Duterte lifted the truce after reports that rebels violated it by killing a militiaman and wounding four others

The Philippine government may still re-impose a ceasefire with Maoist-led guerrillas, a senior administration official said today, a day after it was withdrawn by President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte lifted the unilateral truce with the communist New People's Army on Saturday evening, six days after it was declared as a goodwill gesture ahead of formal peace negotiations in Oslo next month. The move came after rebels did not respond to a deadline to reciprocate the government's truce. "We may work out a negotiated truce with the Communists," Jesus Dureza, presidential peace adviser, said. "It was in our agenda when the formal peace talks resume in Oslo. The peace talks will go on as scheduled." The peace talks, brokered by Norway, will resume on August 20, four years after bogging down due to rebels' demand for the release of 500 political prisoners. The government has now promised to free them for health and humanitarian reasons. Dureza said he welcomed a statement from rebel leader Jose Maria Siso, who was interviewed on local television hours after Duterte withdrew the ceasefire, saying the communists had also intended to impose a truce but it was overtaken by events. "This is what we have been waiting for," Dureza said in an official statement. "The leadership of the CPP/NPA/NDF announced through the media its belated but still strategic and awaited decision to also declare its own unilateral ceasefire." Duterte also was angered by reports that Maoist-led rebels had killed a militiaman, and wounded four others, in an ambush on Wednesday when they were returning to an army base in Davao del Norte to comply with the government's unilateral truce. Renato Reyes, secretary-general of Bayan (Nation), a left-wing political group, criticised the government for imposing "unrealistic" ultimatums, saying the "peace talks are more complicated than some folks think". "The road to peace is a difficult one, where deadlines and ultimatums cannot just be imposed and where discussions of the substantial agenda are the only sure means to achieve a lasting end to hostilities," he said. Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla said army units have resumed offensive action against the rebels. "The rebels have missed a golden opportunity to manifest their commitment to the attainment of much sought peace throughout the land," he added. (Reuters)

Philippines may still re-impose withdrawn ceasefire with Maoist-led rebels

The newly convened Philippine Congress heard a proposal today to re-impose the death penalty for &#39;heinous crimes&#39;, giving priority to President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s push for capital punishment in its first legislative session. 
 
The death penalty bill was received the same day Duterte took office on June 30, and it cites illicit sales and use of drugs as the root cause of &quot;the most perverse and atrocious crimes&quot;. 
 
Introduced by two lawmakers, including a house speaker allied with Duterte, the bill cites the need for a war on crime and argues that existing laws were not a deterrent and had &quot;emasculated&quot; the criminal justice system. 
 
The death penalty was repealed in 2006 following pressure from church groups. 
 
The bill comes as Duterte&#39;s war on crime is in full swing, with at least 200 people killed in the past month, according to police, who say many of the deaths are the work of vigilantes. 
 
Other estimates of the body count are far higher and human rights groups are outraged. 
 
Duterte&#39;s vow to wipe out crime and drugs by the end of the year resonated among millions of locals when he campaigned for election on threats to kill drug dealers who refused to surrender and dump their bodies in Manila Bay. 
 
He will not get everything his way, however, with the bill calling for lethal injection as a method of administering the punishment. Duterte had called for death by hanging, which he described graphically during speeches. 
 
(Reuters)

Philippine Congress discusses death penalty bill that cites illicit sales and use of drugs as the root cause of most atrocious crimes

The newly convened Philippine Congress heard a proposal today to re-impose the death penalty for 'heinous crimes', giving priority to President Rodrigo Duterte's push for capital punishment in its first legislative session. The death penalty bill was received the same day Duterte took office on June 30, and it cites illicit sales and use of drugs as the root cause of "the most perverse and atrocious crimes". Introduced by two lawmakers, including a house speaker allied with Duterte, the bill cites the need for a war on crime and argues that existing laws were not a deterrent and had "emasculated" the criminal justice system. The death penalty was repealed in 2006 following pressure from church groups. The bill comes as Duterte's war on crime is in full swing, with at least 200 people killed in the past month, according to police, who say many of the deaths are the work of vigilantes. Other estimates of the body count are far higher and human rights groups are outraged. Duterte's vow to wipe out crime and drugs by the end of the year resonated among millions of locals when he campaigned for election on threats to kill drug dealers who refused to surrender and dump their bodies in Manila Bay. He will not get everything his way, however, with the bill calling for lethal injection as a method of administering the punishment. Duterte had called for death by hanging, which he described graphically during speeches. (Reuters)

Philippine President Duterte pushes for re-imposition of death penalty in first legislative reform

Southeast Asian nations overcame days of deadlock today when the Philippines dropped a request for their joint statement to mention a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea, officials said, after objections from Cambodia. 
 
Beijing publicly thanked Cambodia for supporting its stance on maritime disputes, a position which threw the regional bloc&#39;s weekend meeting in the Laos capital of Vientiane into disarray. 
 
Competing claims with China in the vita shipping are among the most contentious issues for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with its 10 members pulled between their desire to assert their sovereignty while finding common ground and fostering political and commercial ties with Beijing. 
 
Communique insists on peaceful resolutions&nbsp; 
 
China claims most of the sea, but ASEAN members -- the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei -- all have rival claims. In a ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration on July 12, the Philippines won an emphatic legal victory over China on the dispute. 
 
The Philippines and Vietnam both wanted the ruling, which denied China&#39;s sweeping claims in the strategic seaway that channels more than $ 5 trillion in global trade each year, and a call to respect international maritime law to feature in the communique. 
 
Calling for bilateral discussions, Cambodia opposed the wording on the ruling, diplomats said. 
 
Manila agreed to drop the reference to the ruling in the communique, one ASEAN diplomat said today, in an effort to prevent the disagreement leading to the group failing to issue a statement. 
 
The communique referred instead to the need to find peaceful resolutions to disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, including the United Nations&#39; law of the sea, to which the court ruling referred. 
 
&quot;We remain seriously concerned about recent and ongoing developments and took note of the concerns expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region,&quot; the ASEAN communique said. 
 
It was important to avoid militarisation of the region, and for freedom of navigation to be maintained, ASEAN said. 
 
Beijing says the court ruling has no bearing on its rights in the sea, and described the case as a farce. 
 
Cambodia&#39;s position was the right one and would safeguard unity of ASEAN and cooperation with China, China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Cambodia&#39;s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, according to a statement posted on China&#39;s Foreign Ministry website early today. 
 
&quot;China greatly approves of Cambodia and other ASEAN countries taking charge of impartiality and safeguarding fairness,&quot; Wang said. 
 
China frequently blames the United States for raising tensions in the region and has warned regional rival Japan to steer clear of the dispute. 
 
&quot;We will not permit any outside force to seek to exploit and hype up the so-called South China Sea arbitration case and bring chaos to this region,&quot; Wang said. 
 
Major powers arrive 
 
The United States, allied with the Philippines and cultivating closer relations with Vietnam, has called on China to respect the court&#39;s ruling. 
 
It has criticised China&#39;s building of artificial islands and facilities in the sea and has sailed warships close to the disputed territory to assert freedom of navigation rights. 
 
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Laos capital today. 
 
He is expected to discuss maritime issues in a meeting with Wang, as well as in meetings with ASEAN members. 
 
Both are in town for the ASEAN regional forum and East Asia summits, which bring ASEAN diplomats together with the US, China, Japan, Russia and several other countries. 
 
Kerry will urge ASEAN nations to explore diplomatic ways to ease tension over Asia&#39;s biggest potential military flashpoint, a senior US official said ahead of his trip. 
 
Barack Obama is set to become the first US president to visit Laos, attending an annual summit in September. 
 
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is also in Laos, making her debut at ASEAN meetings as the foreign minister for Myanmar. 
 
(Reuters)

Philippines agreed to drop the reference to ruling in communique,to prevent disagreement leading to the group failing to issue a statement

Southeast Asian nations overcame days of deadlock today when the Philippines dropped a request for their joint statement to mention a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea, officials said, after objections from Cambodia. Beijing publicly thanked Cambodia for supporting its stance on maritime disputes, a position which threw the regional bloc's weekend meeting in the Laos capital of Vientiane into disarray. Competing claims with China in the vita shipping are among the most contentious issues for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with its 10 members pulled between their desire to assert their sovereignty while finding common ground and fostering political and commercial ties with Beijing. Communique insists on peaceful resolutions China claims most of the sea, but ASEAN members -- the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei -- all have rival claims. In a ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration on July 12, the Philippines won an emphatic legal victory over China on the dispute. The Philippines and Vietnam both wanted the ruling, which denied China's sweeping claims in the strategic seaway that channels more than $ 5 trillion in global trade each year, and a call to respect international maritime law to feature in the communique. Calling for bilateral discussions, Cambodia opposed the wording on the ruling, diplomats said. Manila agreed to drop the reference to the ruling in the communique, one ASEAN diplomat said today, in an effort to prevent the disagreement leading to the group failing to issue a statement. The communique referred instead to the need to find peaceful resolutions to disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, including the United Nations' law of the sea, to which the court ruling referred. "We remain seriously concerned about recent and ongoing developments and took note of the concerns expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region," the ASEAN communique said. It was important to avoid militarisation of the region, and for freedom of navigation to be maintained, ASEAN said. Beijing says the court ruling has no bearing on its rights in the sea, and described the case as a farce. Cambodia's position was the right one and would safeguard unity of ASEAN and cooperation with China, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, according to a statement posted on China's Foreign Ministry website early today. "China greatly approves of Cambodia and other ASEAN countries taking charge of impartiality and safeguarding fairness," Wang said. China frequently blames the United States for raising tensions in the region and has warned regional rival Japan to steer clear of the dispute. "We will not permit any outside force to seek to exploit and hype up the so-called South China Sea arbitration case and bring chaos to this region," Wang said. Major powers arrive The United States, allied with the Philippines and cultivating closer relations with Vietnam, has called on China to respect the court's ruling. It has criticised China's building of artificial islands and facilities in the sea and has sailed warships close to the disputed territory to assert freedom of navigation rights. US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Laos capital today. He is expected to discuss maritime issues in a meeting with Wang, as well as in meetings with ASEAN members. Both are in town for the ASEAN regional forum and East Asia summits, which bring ASEAN diplomats together with the US, China, Japan, Russia and several other countries. Kerry will urge ASEAN nations to explore diplomatic ways to ease tension over Asia's biggest potential military flashpoint, a senior US official said ahead of his trip. Barack Obama is set to become the first US president to visit Laos, attending an annual summit in September. Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is also in Laos, making her debut at ASEAN meetings as the foreign minister for Myanmar. (Reuters)

ASEAN breaks deadlock on South China Sea, Beijing thanks Cambodia for support

Vietnam has warned that the inability of Southeast Asian nations to forge a unified front against Beijing&#39;s militarisation of the South China Sea is a &quot;test&quot; of the regional bloc in the face of its greatest security challenge. 
 
The unusually strong comments from a key claimant to the contested waters, comes as diplomats meet in Laos for the first summit since a UN-backed tribunal debunked Beijing&#39;s legal claim to vast stretches of the strategically vital sea. 
 
After talks stuttered on Sunday, Vietnam&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a late night statement warning that the South China Sea had become &quot;a test case for the unity and the central role of ASEAN&quot;. 
 
&quot;Many ministers stressed that in this context, ASEAN should promote solidarity, unity and a central role,&quot; the statement added. 
 
Diplomats met for a new round of crunch talks, called for by Laos today morning.&nbsp;As they came to a close, Indonesia&#39;s foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, expressed optimism that a statement would be agreed to, though diplomats previously told AFP it would likely be &quot;watered down&quot;. 
 
Staunch Beijing ally Cambodia has been accused of scuppering efforts by the bloc to issue a joint statement calling on Beijing to adhere to the UN tribunal&#39;s decision.&nbsp;Four ASEAN members - Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea.&nbsp; 
 
Most members of the bloc want to keep pressure on China over its campaign of island building in the strategic waters.&nbsp;But ASEAN operates on a tradition of consensus diplomacy, meaning a single nation can have an effective veto power if it disagrees with the others. 
 
China has been accused of teasing poorer members like Laos and Cambodia into fracturing regional unity with promises of aid and trade.&nbsp;Critics have long derided ASEAN for lacking real diplomatic clout. 
 
A failure to respond to the tribunal ruling or the region&#39;s key security issue will do little to counter those claims.&nbsp;The ongoing impasse in Vientiane has led to fears of a repeat of a 2012 summit in Cambodia, where the bloc failed to issue a joint communique for the first time in its history because of disagreements over the South China Sea. 
 
Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling show of discord by the bloc, when countries swiftly disowned a joint statement released by Malaysia after an ASEAN-China meeting.&nbsp;That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing&#39;s activities in the South China Sea. Cambodia and Laos were later fingered as being behind moves to block the joint statement. 
 
(AFP)

Four ASEAN members - Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea

Vietnam has warned that the inability of Southeast Asian nations to forge a unified front against Beijing's militarisation of the South China Sea is a "test" of the regional bloc in the face of its greatest security challenge. The unusually strong comments from a key claimant to the contested waters, comes as diplomats meet in Laos for the first summit since a UN-backed tribunal debunked Beijing's legal claim to vast stretches of the strategically vital sea. After talks stuttered on Sunday, Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a late night statement warning that the South China Sea had become "a test case for the unity and the central role of ASEAN". "Many ministers stressed that in this context, ASEAN should promote solidarity, unity and a central role," the statement added. Diplomats met for a new round of crunch talks, called for by Laos today morning. As they came to a close, Indonesia's foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, expressed optimism that a statement would be agreed to, though diplomats previously told AFP it would likely be "watered down". Staunch Beijing ally Cambodia has been accused of scuppering efforts by the bloc to issue a joint statement calling on Beijing to adhere to the UN tribunal's decision. Four ASEAN members - Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea. Most members of the bloc want to keep pressure on China over its campaign of island building in the strategic waters. But ASEAN operates on a tradition of consensus diplomacy, meaning a single nation can have an effective veto power if it disagrees with the others. China has been accused of teasing poorer members like Laos and Cambodia into fracturing regional unity with promises of aid and trade. Critics have long derided ASEAN for lacking real diplomatic clout. A failure to respond to the tribunal ruling or the region's key security issue will do little to counter those claims. The ongoing impasse in Vientiane has led to fears of a repeat of a 2012 summit in Cambodia, where the bloc failed to issue a joint communique for the first time in its history because of disagreements over the South China Sea. Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling show of discord by the bloc, when countries swiftly disowned a joint statement released by Malaysia after an ASEAN-China meeting. That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing's activities in the South China Sea. Cambodia and Laos were later fingered as being behind moves to block the joint statement. (AFP)

Vietnam warns South China Sea is a 'test' of ASEAN

The Philippines has stopped accepting applications for new ride-sharing vehicles of Uber and Grab due to a backlog amid a government review of its policies on fare spikes, a senior official said today. 
 
The Southeast Asian nation was the first country to regulate app-based car-hailing operations after coming out with rules last year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just the new applications that we have to suspend so we don&#39;t have a huge amount of backlog,&quot; said Cherie Mercado, spokeswoman of the transportation department. 
 
Applications have ballooned to record high, with 29,000 pending, 23,000 of which were for Uber and the rest divided between Grab and u-Hop, she said. 
 
Mercado said the suspension was indefinite and it was not clear what changes would be required to reverse it. 
 
&quot;We will also review the fare scheme, the surge pricing,&quot; she said, referring to the fluctuating fare charges which have caused friction as conventional taxis are not allowed to apply them. 
 
The Philippines is Southeast Asia&#39;s third fastest growing market for automobiles. 
 
The country&#39;s motor vehicle sales jumped 25.4 per cent in January to May, next only to Singapore 76.8 per cent uptick and Vietnam&#39;s 36.6 per cent climb, data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation showed. 
 
Uber said it respected the decision, even though it went against its goal of getting more people into fewer cars, which it said would be a plus for a notoriously gridlocked city like Manila. 
 
&quot;Fewer drivers on Uber leads to lower reliability of service for riders in Metro Manila, who have come to rely on Uber as a viable alternative to buying and driving their own private vehicles,&quot; it said in a statement. 
 
&quot;This decision also comes at a time when we are trying to help improve the traffic situation in Metro Manila by providing an efficient method of carpooling.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Applications have ballooned to record high, with 29,000 pending, 23,000 of which were for Uber and the rest divided between Grab and u-Hop

The Philippines has stopped accepting applications for new ride-sharing vehicles of Uber and Grab due to a backlog amid a government review of its policies on fare spikes, a senior official said today. The Southeast Asian nation was the first country to regulate app-based car-hailing operations after coming out with rules last year. "It's just the new applications that we have to suspend so we don't have a huge amount of backlog," said Cherie Mercado, spokeswoman of the transportation department. Applications have ballooned to record high, with 29,000 pending, 23,000 of which were for Uber and the rest divided between Grab and u-Hop, she said. Mercado said the suspension was indefinite and it was not clear what changes would be required to reverse it. "We will also review the fare scheme, the surge pricing," she said, referring to the fluctuating fare charges which have caused friction as conventional taxis are not allowed to apply them. The Philippines is Southeast Asia's third fastest growing market for automobiles. The country's motor vehicle sales jumped 25.4 per cent in January to May, next only to Singapore 76.8 per cent uptick and Vietnam's 36.6 per cent climb, data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation showed. Uber said it respected the decision, even though it went against its goal of getting more people into fewer cars, which it said would be a plus for a notoriously gridlocked city like Manila. "Fewer drivers on Uber leads to lower reliability of service for riders in Metro Manila, who have come to rely on Uber as a viable alternative to buying and driving their own private vehicles," it said in a statement. "This decision also comes at a time when we are trying to help improve the traffic situation in Metro Manila by providing an efficient method of carpooling." (Reuters)

Philippines suspends new Uber, Grab vehicle registrations as backlog mounts

Former Philippines president Gloria Arroyo was released from detention today following nearly five years in a military hospital after the Supreme Court dismissed her corruption charges, her lawyer said. 
 
The 69-year-old, who suffers from a spinal illness, was accused of stealing 366 million Pesos ($8.8 million) in state lottery funds meant for charity programmes while she was in office between 2001 and 2010.&nbsp;The Supreme Court threw out the case on Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence, but her release was delayed for procedural reasons. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a happy day today because she has just been freed,&quot; said Laurence Arroyo, who is also a distant relative through marriage.&nbsp;&quot;Finally justice has been done.&quot; 
 
A convoy of vehicles carrying Arroyo, her supporters and lawyers left the suburban hospital compound near Manila but she could not be seen from her car&#39;s tinted windows.&nbsp;Outside the gates of the hospital, supporters drenched by rain cheered Arroyo&#39;s release and carried placards reading: &quot;We love Gloria&quot;. 
 
Arroyo returned to her home in a smart area of the capital minutes after her release. Laurence Arroyo said she may now seek medical treatment abroad for her disease.&nbsp;In a statement issued by her lawyers on Wednesday, Arroyo thanked the Supreme Court and newly-installed President Rodrigo Duterte for not standing in the way of her release. 
 
Government Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales defended the decision to charge Arroyo for plunder, and said on Wednesday she was preparing another corruption charge against her. 
 
The former leader was jailed in 2011 under the administration of arch critic, then-president Benigno Aquino.&nbsp;Aquino questioned the ruling to free Arroyo today, saying she should be held accountable for the mismanagement of funds that were supposed &quot;to alleviate the suffering of many of our countrymen&quot;. 
 
Duterte succeeded Aquino in June, and said he was willing to pardon Arroyo.&nbsp;Another of Arroyo&#39;s lawyers, Estelito Mendoza, had suggested that the Supreme Court waited until Aquino stepped down before issuing its ruling as a &quot;courtesy&quot; to Aquino. 
 
Arroyo was initially arrested on charges of electoral sabotage for allegedly conspiring with election officials to rig 2007 senatorial polls.&nbsp;Because of her illness, the government allowed her to be detained in a military hospital. 
 
She was granted bail for the vote-rigging case in July 2012 after the court, while not dismissing the charge, ruled evidence against her was weak.&nbsp;But the corruption case against Arroyo was lodged the same year, keeping her in detention. 
 
Despite being detained, Arroyo has won a seat in the House of Representatives in the past three elections, serving as a congresswoman while being held in the hospital. 
 
(AFP)

Gloria Arroyo was accused of stealing $8.8 from lottery funds meant for charities. She served as a congresswoman while in hospital

Former Philippines president Gloria Arroyo was released from detention today following nearly five years in a military hospital after the Supreme Court dismissed her corruption charges, her lawyer said. The 69-year-old, who suffers from a spinal illness, was accused of stealing 366 million Pesos ($8.8 million) in state lottery funds meant for charity programmes while she was in office between 2001 and 2010. The Supreme Court threw out the case on Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence, but her release was delayed for procedural reasons. "It's a happy day today because she has just been freed," said Laurence Arroyo, who is also a distant relative through marriage. "Finally justice has been done." A convoy of vehicles carrying Arroyo, her supporters and lawyers left the suburban hospital compound near Manila but she could not be seen from her car's tinted windows. Outside the gates of the hospital, supporters drenched by rain cheered Arroyo's release and carried placards reading: "We love Gloria". Arroyo returned to her home in a smart area of the capital minutes after her release. Laurence Arroyo said she may now seek medical treatment abroad for her disease. In a statement issued by her lawyers on Wednesday, Arroyo thanked the Supreme Court and newly-installed President Rodrigo Duterte for not standing in the way of her release. Government Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales defended the decision to charge Arroyo for plunder, and said on Wednesday she was preparing another corruption charge against her. The former leader was jailed in 2011 under the administration of arch critic, then-president Benigno Aquino. Aquino questioned the ruling to free Arroyo today, saying she should be held accountable for the mismanagement of funds that were supposed "to alleviate the suffering of many of our countrymen". Duterte succeeded Aquino in June, and said he was willing to pardon Arroyo. Another of Arroyo's lawyers, Estelito Mendoza, had suggested that the Supreme Court waited until Aquino stepped down before issuing its ruling as a "courtesy" to Aquino. Arroyo was initially arrested on charges of electoral sabotage for allegedly conspiring with election officials to rig 2007 senatorial polls. Because of her illness, the government allowed her to be detained in a military hospital. She was granted bail for the vote-rigging case in July 2012 after the court, while not dismissing the charge, ruled evidence against her was weak. But the corruption case against Arroyo was lodged the same year, keeping her in detention. Despite being detained, Arroyo has won a seat in the House of Representatives in the past three elections, serving as a congresswoman while being held in the hospital. (AFP)

Former Philippines president freed after 5 years in military hospital detention

A decision invalidating China&#39;s vast claims in the South China Sea was a &quot;crowning glory&quot; that renews faith in international law, the&nbsp;Philippines&#39; top lawyer said on Friday, in Manila&#39;s strongest comment yet on its sweeping win.

The remarks by solicitor general Jose Calida follow two days of carefully calibrated responses from the&nbsp;Philippines&nbsp;and are almost certain to irritate China further.

Manila has so far been keen not to rock the boat in the hope of starting dialogue towards Beijing allowing it to exercise what the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were its sovereign maritime rights.

&quot;It confirms that no one state can claim virtually an entire sea. The award is a historic win not only for the&nbsp;Philippines&nbsp;... it renews humanity&#39;s faith in a rules based global order,&quot; Calida told a forum on the South China Sea.

&quot;The award opens a horizon of possibilities for all stakeholders. The award is a crowning glory of international law.&quot;

China has refused to recognise Tuesday&#39;s ruling and did not take part in its proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries for the decision to be adhered to.

China&#39;s foreign ministry on Friday said Beijing&#39;s position on the case had the support of Laos, the current chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc long dogged by discord over how to deal with China&#39;s maritime assertiveness.

The verdict was discussed on Thursday between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith ahead a regional summit in Mongolia.

&quot;Thongloun said that Laos supports China&#39;s position, and is willing to work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.

The statement did not elaborate. Laos&#39; foreign ministry has not responded to Reuters&#39; request for comment on the ruling and its state media made no mention of Thongloun&#39;s comments to Li.

Land-locked Laos, which is boosting economic ties with China, will be hosting a key security meeting later this month at which the South China Sea is expected to dominate. ASEAN has not issued a statement about the ruling and its members have not said why.

Cautious Approach

China has said it has widespread support for its rejection of the case but many countries have stuck to cautious comments about resolving disputes peacefully and following international laws.

China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the&nbsp;Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims.

Philippines&#39; President Rodrigo Duterte ended his unusual silence at a private function late on Thursday and said he wanted dialogue with China and was considering sending former President Fidel Ramos to Beijing to get the ball rolling.

&quot;War is not an option,&quot; he said. &quot;So, what is the other side? -&nbsp;Peaceful talk.&quot;

Immediately after the ruling, the normally brash and outspoken Duterte privately told his ministers to be magnanimous and not to pique Beijing, according to one minister.

But the cautious tone appears to be changing in the&nbsp;Philippines, where there are signs of public disgruntlement with the subdued government response to a decision that most of the country was celebrating.

The United States, a key&nbsp;Philippines&#39; ally, is urging Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalize on the court ruling, according to US&nbsp;administration officials.

The chief of its naval operations, Admiral John Richardson will discuss the South China Sea among other issues when he meets China&#39;s navy commander, Admiral Wu Shengli, from Sunday on a three-day trip to &quot;improve mutual understanding&quot;, according to a US navy statement.

(Reuters)

China said Beijing's rejection of the verdict had the support of Laos, current chair of the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN)

A decision invalidating China's vast claims in the South China Sea was a "crowning glory" that renews faith in international law, the Philippines' top lawyer said on Friday, in Manila's strongest comment yet on its sweeping win. The remarks by solicitor general Jose Calida follow two days of carefully calibrated responses from the Philippines and are almost certain to irritate China further. Manila has so far been keen not to rock the boat in the hope of starting dialogue towards Beijing allowing it to exercise what the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were its sovereign maritime rights. "It confirms that no one state can claim virtually an entire sea. The award is a historic win not only for the Philippines ... it renews humanity's faith in a rules based global order," Calida told a forum on the South China Sea. "The award opens a horizon of possibilities for all stakeholders. The award is a crowning glory of international law." China has refused to recognise Tuesday's ruling and did not take part in its proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries for the decision to be adhered to. China's foreign ministry on Friday said Beijing's position on the case had the support of Laos, the current chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc long dogged by discord over how to deal with China's maritime assertiveness. The verdict was discussed on Thursday between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith ahead a regional summit in Mongolia. "Thongloun said that Laos supports China's position, and is willing to work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region," the ministry said in a statement. The statement did not elaborate. Laos' foreign ministry has not responded to Reuters' request for comment on the ruling and its state media made no mention of Thongloun's comments to Li. Land-locked Laos, which is boosting economic ties with China, will be hosting a key security meeting later this month at which the South China Sea is expected to dominate. ASEAN has not issued a statement about the ruling and its members have not said why. Cautious Approach China has said it has widespread support for its rejection of the case but many countries have stuck to cautious comments about resolving disputes peacefully and following international laws. China claims much of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims. Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte ended his unusual silence at a private function late on Thursday and said he wanted dialogue with China and was considering sending former President Fidel Ramos to Beijing to get the ball rolling. "War is not an option," he said. "So, what is the other side? - Peaceful talk." Immediately after the ruling, the normally brash and outspoken Duterte privately told his ministers to be magnanimous and not to pique Beijing, according to one minister. But the cautious tone appears to be changing in the Philippines, where there are signs of public disgruntlement with the subdued government response to a decision that most of the country was celebrating. The United States, a key Philippines' ally, is urging Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalize on the court ruling, according to US administration officials. The chief of its naval operations, Admiral John Richardson will discuss the South China Sea among other issues when he meets China's navy commander, Admiral Wu Shengli, from Sunday on a three-day trip to "improve mutual understanding", according to a US navy statement. (Reuters)

Philippines' top lawyer hails South China Sea ruling a 'crowning glory'

A Chinese coastguard boat stopped a group of Philippine fishermen from approaching a disputed shoal on Thursday despite an arbitration ruling granting the Philippines the right to fish in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 
 
An international court in The Hague ruled on Tuesday that China has no historic title over the large swathes of the South China Sea and that it has breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines with its actions there. 
 
A news team from local network ABS-CBN joined a group of fishermen as they travelled to Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the Philippines&#39; Exclusive Economic Zone and was seized by China in 2012. 
 
A Chinese coastguard patrol ship was spotted while they were approaching the mouth of the shoal and was soon approached by its personnel. 
 
&quot;This is Chinese Coastguard performing law enforcement duties here. you should leave here immediately,&quot; said one of the Chinese coastguard personnel. 
 
The fishermen decided to return and fish outside the shoal, ABS-CBN reported. 
 
The coastal town of Masinloc, which faces the South China Sea, has advised its fishermen not to fish in Scarborough Shoal until disputes are completely settled with China. 
 
In Manila, the Philippines&#39; top lawyer told a forum on today that the decision invalidating China&#39;s claims was a &quot;crowning glory&quot; that renews faith in international law. 
 
&quot;It confirms that no one state can contain virtually an entire sea. The award is a historic win, not only for the Philippines, but for the community because it renews humanity&#39;s faith in a rules based global order,&quot; Solicitor General Jose Calida said, the strongest comment a Philippine official has made since the arbitration award. 
 
&quot;The award opens a horizon of possibilities for all stake holders. The award is a crowning glory of international law. It provides for the norms to be followed, for the peaceful and orderly conduct of world affairs,&quot; he added. 
 
Manila has so far been keen not to rock the boat in the hope of starting dialogue towards Beijing allowing it to exercise what the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were its sovereign maritime rights. 
 
The ruling is significant as it is the first time that a legal challenge has been brought in the dispute, which covers some of the world&#39;s most promising oil and gas fields and vital fishing grounds. 
 
The court has no power of enforcement, but a victory for the Philippines could spur Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei to file similar cases. 
 
China has refused to recognise Tuesday&#39;s ruling and did not take part in its proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries for the decision to be adhered to. 
 
China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. 
 
(Reuters)

China has refused to recognise Hague's ruling on Tuesday that it has no historic claim over the South China sea

A Chinese coastguard boat stopped a group of Philippine fishermen from approaching a disputed shoal on Thursday despite an arbitration ruling granting the Philippines the right to fish in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). An international court in The Hague ruled on Tuesday that China has no historic title over the large swathes of the South China Sea and that it has breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines with its actions there. A news team from local network ABS-CBN joined a group of fishermen as they travelled to Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone and was seized by China in 2012. A Chinese coastguard patrol ship was spotted while they were approaching the mouth of the shoal and was soon approached by its personnel. "This is Chinese Coastguard performing law enforcement duties here. you should leave here immediately," said one of the Chinese coastguard personnel. The fishermen decided to return and fish outside the shoal, ABS-CBN reported. The coastal town of Masinloc, which faces the South China Sea, has advised its fishermen not to fish in Scarborough Shoal until disputes are completely settled with China. In Manila, the Philippines' top lawyer told a forum on today that the decision invalidating China's claims was a "crowning glory" that renews faith in international law. "It confirms that no one state can contain virtually an entire sea. The award is a historic win, not only for the Philippines, but for the community because it renews humanity's faith in a rules based global order," Solicitor General Jose Calida said, the strongest comment a Philippine official has made since the arbitration award. "The award opens a horizon of possibilities for all stake holders. The award is a crowning glory of international law. It provides for the norms to be followed, for the peaceful and orderly conduct of world affairs," he added. Manila has so far been keen not to rock the boat in the hope of starting dialogue towards Beijing allowing it to exercise what the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled were its sovereign maritime rights. The ruling is significant as it is the first time that a legal challenge has been brought in the dispute, which covers some of the world's most promising oil and gas fields and vital fishing grounds. The court has no power of enforcement, but a victory for the Philippines could spur Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei to file similar cases. China has refused to recognise Tuesday's ruling and did not take part in its proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries for the decision to be adhered to. China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. (Reuters)

Chinese coastguard blocks Philippine fishermen from approaching disputed shoal

The Philippines urged Beijing today to respect an international tribunal&#39;s ruling that rejected Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea, escalating a row that has raised the prospect of conflict. 
 
China reacted furiously to the verdict by a UN-back tribunal on Tuesday, insisting it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich and strategically vital waterway into a &quot;cradle of war&quot;. 
 
Dispute to remain talking point during at ASEM&nbsp; 
 
The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the ruling. This followed President Rodrigo Duterte`s directive to achieve a &quot;soft landing&quot; with the Philippines&#39; much more powerful Asian neighbour. 
 
But Manila hardened its stance today with a statement detailing Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay&#39;s priorities when he attends an Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia this week along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. 
 
&quot;Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM&#39;s agenda the Philippines&#39; peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision,&quot; the foreign affairs department said in a statement. 
 
Even just raising the issue at the two-day summit starting on Friday will anger China, which has long bridled at Philippine efforts to have the dispute discussed at multilateral events. 
 
Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou insisted on Monday the ASEM summit was &quot;not an appropriate venue&quot; to discuss the South China Sea. 
 
But China appears to be in the minority -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said today as he left for Mongolia that he wanted to discuss the South China Sea at the summit. 
 
China claims nearly all of the sea -- which is of immense military importance and through which about $5 trillion worth of shipping trade passes annually -- even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. 
 
US, China call on China to respect Hague ruling&nbsp; 
 
China justifies its claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its territory using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. 
 
However the tribunal, in The Hague, ruled China&#39;s claimed historic rights to resources within the nine-dash map had no legal basis. 
 
It also declared that China had acted unlawfully by violating the Philippines` sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone -- waters extending 200 nautical miles from the Filipino coast. 
 
China had done so by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration within the exclusive zone, as well as by building artificial islands there. 
 
China has in recent years undertaken giant land reclamation works in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest island groups in the sea which partly falls within the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone. 
 
The United States and Australia were among Philippine allies this week to call on China to respect the ruling.&nbsp; 
 
China mulling over introducing air defence zone over the sea&nbsp; 
 
But the Chinese government and state media instead unleashed a tirade of vitriol against the tribunal, and vowed never to give up its claims to the sea. 
 
&quot;Do not turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war,&quot; vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday in a warning to rivals. 
 
He also said China may introduce an air defence zone over the sea, which would give its military authority over foreign aircraft, depending on the &quot;threat&quot; level. 
 
The English-language China Daily said: &quot;Beijing certainly should, and has to, ready itself for worst-case scenarios, including potential military collisions&quot;. 
 
China and the United States had already deployed significant naval firepower in the sea ahead of the verdict.&nbsp; 
Taiwan, which has a very similar claim to the waters as China, sent a warship into the waters on Wednesday to protect its interests.&nbsp; 
 
The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Duterte`s predecessor, Benigno Aquino. Relations between Beijing and Manila plummeted over the row. 
 
Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects.&nbsp; 
 
Unlike Aquino, Duterte has said he wants to talk directly with China over the issue. Beijing also wants to negotiate, but at the same time insists it will never concede on sovereignty. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Philippines' Foreign Secretary will discuss country's rules-based approach on South China Sea with Chinese Premier at ASEM this week

The Philippines urged Beijing today to respect an international tribunal's ruling that rejected Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea, escalating a row that has raised the prospect of conflict. China reacted furiously to the verdict by a UN-back tribunal on Tuesday, insisting it will ignore the decision while warning its rivals too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich and strategically vital waterway into a "cradle of war". Dispute to remain talking point during at ASEM The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, had initially refrained from asking China to abide by the ruling. This followed President Rodrigo Duterte`s directive to achieve a "soft landing" with the Philippines' much more powerful Asian neighbour. But Manila hardened its stance today with a statement detailing Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay's priorities when he attends an Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia this week along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. "Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM's agenda the Philippines' peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision," the foreign affairs department said in a statement. Even just raising the issue at the two-day summit starting on Friday will anger China, which has long bridled at Philippine efforts to have the dispute discussed at multilateral events. Chinese assistant foreign minister Kong Xuanyou insisted on Monday the ASEM summit was "not an appropriate venue" to discuss the South China Sea. But China appears to be in the minority -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said today as he left for Mongolia that he wanted to discuss the South China Sea at the summit. China claims nearly all of the sea -- which is of immense military importance and through which about $5 trillion worth of shipping trade passes annually -- even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. US, China call on China to respect Hague ruling China justifies its claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the sea, and outlines its territory using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. However the tribunal, in The Hague, ruled China's claimed historic rights to resources within the nine-dash map had no legal basis. It also declared that China had acted unlawfully by violating the Philippines` sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone -- waters extending 200 nautical miles from the Filipino coast. China had done so by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration within the exclusive zone, as well as by building artificial islands there. China has in recent years undertaken giant land reclamation works in the Spratlys archipelago, one of the biggest island groups in the sea which partly falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The United States and Australia were among Philippine allies this week to call on China to respect the ruling. China mulling over introducing air defence zone over the sea But the Chinese government and state media instead unleashed a tirade of vitriol against the tribunal, and vowed never to give up its claims to the sea. "Do not turn the South China Sea into a cradle of war," vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday in a warning to rivals. He also said China may introduce an air defence zone over the sea, which would give its military authority over foreign aircraft, depending on the "threat" level. The English-language China Daily said: "Beijing certainly should, and has to, ready itself for worst-case scenarios, including potential military collisions". China and the United States had already deployed significant naval firepower in the sea ahead of the verdict. Taiwan, which has a very similar claim to the waters as China, sent a warship into the waters on Wednesday to protect its interests. The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Duterte`s predecessor, Benigno Aquino. Relations between Beijing and Manila plummeted over the row. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects. Unlike Aquino, Duterte has said he wants to talk directly with China over the issue. Beijing also wants to negotiate, but at the same time insists it will never concede on sovereignty. (AFP)

Manila hardens stance, tells China to respect Hague ruling

The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China&#39;s claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally,&quot; said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. 
 
Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defence Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. 
 
&quot;This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China,&quot; the official added. 
 
The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan&#39;s maritime territory. 
 
The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a &quot;rock&quot;, according to the legal definition. 
 
The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. 
 
Unknown Quantity 
 
One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains &quot;somewhat of an unknown quantity&quot; who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. 
 
Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said that China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance. 
 
Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. 
 
China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying the it is time to get things back on the &quot;right track&quot; after the &quot;farce&quot; of the case. 
 
Today, the official newspaper of China&#39;s ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. 
 
&quot;China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect,&quot; the People&#39;s Daily said in a commentary. 
 
Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation,&quot; State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. &quot;What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward.&quot; 
 
Contingency Plan 
 
However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defence official said on Wednesday. 
 
Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think China wants a confrontation with the United States,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;They don&rsquo;t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don&rsquo;t want a confrontation with the United States.&quot; 
 
The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.&nbsp;US Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang, will attend the ministerial. 
 
Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China&#39;s government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China&#39;s export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. 
 
(Reuters)

Confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own

The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China's claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said on Wednesday. "What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally," said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defence Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. "This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China," the official added. The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan's maritime territory. The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a "rock", according to the legal definition. The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. Unknown Quantity One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains "somewhat of an unknown quantity" who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said that China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance. Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying the it is time to get things back on the "right track" after the "farce" of the case. Today, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. "China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect," the People's Daily said in a commentary. Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. "We don't have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. "What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward." Contingency Plan However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defence official said on Wednesday. Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. "I don't think China wants a confrontation with the United States," he told reporters. "They don’t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don’t want a confrontation with the United States." The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. US Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang, will attend the ministerial. Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China's government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China's export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. (Reuters)

US launches quiet diplomacy to ease South China Sea tensions

An international tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China in a bitter row over territorial claims to the South China Sea that is likely to ratchet up regional tensions. 
 
&quot;The tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the sea areas falling within the &#39;nine-dash line,&#39;&quot; the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) said in a statement. 
 
All eyes were watching for reaction from the Asian political and military powerhouse, which had fired off a barrage of criticism even before the decision by the PCA in The Hague was announced. 
 
China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea -- about 90 per cent of the strategically vital waters -- in the face of rival claims from its South East Asian neighbours. 
 
Manila had lodged the suit against Beijing in 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues.&nbsp;Beijing waged a months-long campaign to discredit the panel, which it says has no jurisdiction in the multinational dispute, and it refused to take part in the case. 
 
The state-run China Daily topped its front page with a picture of Woody Island in the Paracels, emblazoned: &quot;Arbitration invalid&quot;. 
 
English-language headlines on the official Xinhua news agency included: &quot;South China Sea arbitration abuses international law: Chinese scholar&quot;, &quot;Permanent Court of Arbitration must avoid being used for political purposes&quot; and &quot;The sea where Chinese fishermen live and die&quot;. 
 
Ahead of the decision, new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had signalled he did not want to antagonise China, saying he would not &quot;taunt or flaunt&quot; a favourable ruling and would seek a &quot;soft landing&quot; with China. 
 
Nine-dash line&nbsp; 
 
China&#39;s claims were first enshrined in a map drawn in the 1940s with a nine-dash line stretching south from China and encircling almost all of the sea, although it says Chinese fishermen have been using it for centuries. 
 
To bolster its position it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. 
 
It has held naval drills between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan in recent days. 
 
US naval destroyers have been patrolling near the Chinese-claimed Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands, supported by aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the US-based Navy Times reported. 
 
Chinese state media have said Beijing will not take a &quot;single step back&quot; after the ruling, and President Xi Jinping said earlier this month that China would never compromise on sovereignty, adding: &quot;We are not afraid of trouble&quot;. 
 
China had sought diplomatic support around the world, and foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said its latest backers included Angola, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea, showing that &quot;justice and righteousness always have popular support&quot;. 
 
&quot;Who is upholding the sanctity of international law and who is breaking international law, I think people are all clear about that,&quot; Lu said. 
 
Likely to &#39;escalate the war of words&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, saying China was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. 
 
One of the key issues was whether the land features in the area are islands capable of supporting human habitation - which under UNCLOS are entitled to territorial waters and an exclusive economic zone - or rocks, which only have territorial waters, or low-tide elevations, which get neither. 
 
If none of the outcrops are islands, then none of the claimants to them would gain sole rights to major expanses of the waters around them. 
 
&quot;The ruling can reduce the scope of the South China Sea disputes, but will not solve them,&quot; said analysts Yanmei Xie and Tim Johnston of the International Crisis Group in a report. 
 
The ruling was likely to &quot;escalate the war of words&quot;, they said, but added: &quot;Escalation to military standoffs is not inevitable&quot;. 
 
China could choose to withdraw from UNCLOS, or begin building on Scarborough Shoal, which Washington would view as a provocation. 
 
Beijing could also declare an air defence identification zone over the South China Sea, claiming the right to interrogate aircraft passing through the airspace, or try to remove a ship grounded by the Philippines on Second Thomas Shoal for use as a base. 
 
Alternatively, it could move to reduce tensions. 
 
Philippine foreign minister Perfecto Yasay had said on Friday that Manila hoped to open direct talks with Beijing on the dispute, and presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Tuesday: &quot;The top priority will be national interest.&quot; 
 
The Philippine embassy in China has warned its citizens to beware of personal &quot;threats&quot; and avoid political debates. 
 
Nationalist demonstrations are not rare in China, sometimes apparently with the tacit backing of authorities. 
 
More than 20 Chinese police were positioned outside the Philippine embassy on Tuesday, with more in vans nearby - a significantly larger presence than usual - along with two lorries loaded with crowd control barriers, a possible indication that authorities expected protests at the building. 
 
Official response from China 
 
China rejected an international ruling on the South China Sea on Tuesday, saying its islands had exclusive economic zones and the Chinese people have more than 2,000 years of history of activities there. 
 
China has sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea, including the Spratlys and Paracels, and China&#39;s position is consistent with international law and practice, China&#39;s Foreign Ministry added. 
 
(AFP and Reuters)

China claims 90% of the sea. The Philippines took it to court in 2013, saying that after 17 years it had exhausted all other options

An international tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China in a bitter row over territorial claims to the South China Sea that is likely to ratchet up regional tensions. "The tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights within the sea areas falling within the 'nine-dash line,'" the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) said in a statement. All eyes were watching for reaction from the Asian political and military powerhouse, which had fired off a barrage of criticism even before the decision by the PCA in The Hague was announced. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea -- about 90 per cent of the strategically vital waters -- in the face of rival claims from its South East Asian neighbours. Manila had lodged the suit against Beijing in 2013, saying that after 17 years of negotiations it had exhausted all political and diplomatic avenues. Beijing waged a months-long campaign to discredit the panel, which it says has no jurisdiction in the multinational dispute, and it refused to take part in the case. The state-run China Daily topped its front page with a picture of Woody Island in the Paracels, emblazoned: "Arbitration invalid". English-language headlines on the official Xinhua news agency included: "South China Sea arbitration abuses international law: Chinese scholar", "Permanent Court of Arbitration must avoid being used for political purposes" and "The sea where Chinese fishermen live and die". Ahead of the decision, new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had signalled he did not want to antagonise China, saying he would not "taunt or flaunt" a favourable ruling and would seek a "soft landing" with China. Nine-dash line China's claims were first enshrined in a map drawn in the 1940s with a nine-dash line stretching south from China and encircling almost all of the sea, although it says Chinese fishermen have been using it for centuries. To bolster its position it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. It has held naval drills between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan in recent days. US naval destroyers have been patrolling near the Chinese-claimed Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands, supported by aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the US-based Navy Times reported. Chinese state media have said Beijing will not take a "single step back" after the ruling, and President Xi Jinping said earlier this month that China would never compromise on sovereignty, adding: "We are not afraid of trouble". China had sought diplomatic support around the world, and foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said its latest backers included Angola, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea, showing that "justice and righteousness always have popular support". "Who is upholding the sanctity of international law and who is breaking international law, I think people are all clear about that," Lu said. Likely to 'escalate the war of words' Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, saying China was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. One of the key issues was whether the land features in the area are islands capable of supporting human habitation - which under UNCLOS are entitled to territorial waters and an exclusive economic zone - or rocks, which only have territorial waters, or low-tide elevations, which get neither. If none of the outcrops are islands, then none of the claimants to them would gain sole rights to major expanses of the waters around them. "The ruling can reduce the scope of the South China Sea disputes, but will not solve them," said analysts Yanmei Xie and Tim Johnston of the International Crisis Group in a report. The ruling was likely to "escalate the war of words", they said, but added: "Escalation to military standoffs is not inevitable". China could choose to withdraw from UNCLOS, or begin building on Scarborough Shoal, which Washington would view as a provocation. Beijing could also declare an air defence identification zone over the South China Sea, claiming the right to interrogate aircraft passing through the airspace, or try to remove a ship grounded by the Philippines on Second Thomas Shoal for use as a base. Alternatively, it could move to reduce tensions. Philippine foreign minister Perfecto Yasay had said on Friday that Manila hoped to open direct talks with Beijing on the dispute, and presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Tuesday: "The top priority will be national interest." The Philippine embassy in China has warned its citizens to beware of personal "threats" and avoid political debates. Nationalist demonstrations are not rare in China, sometimes apparently with the tacit backing of authorities. More than 20 Chinese police were positioned outside the Philippine embassy on Tuesday, with more in vans nearby - a significantly larger presence than usual - along with two lorries loaded with crowd control barriers, a possible indication that authorities expected protests at the building. Official response from China China rejected an international ruling on the South China Sea on Tuesday, saying its islands had exclusive economic zones and the Chinese people have more than 2,000 years of history of activities there. China has sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea, including the Spratlys and Paracels, and China's position is consistent with international law and practice, China's Foreign Ministry added. (AFP and Reuters)

South China Sea dispute: Hague rules against China

Beijing has begun military drills in the South China Sea, state media reported today ahead of a ruling by an international arbitration court on a dispute with the Philippines over the strategic waters. 
 
The navy on Friday carried out &quot;combat exercises&quot; with &quot;live missiles&quot; between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan, the PLA Daily, the military&#39;s official newspaper, said on its website. 
 
State television CCTV broadcast images of fighter aircraft and ships firing missiles, helicopters taking off and submarines surfacing. 
 
&quot;The drill focused on air control operations, sea battles and anti-submarine warfare&quot;, said the PLA Daily, whose article was reposted on the defence ministry website. 
 
The military manoeuvres come as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to make its final decision on Tuesday in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. 
 
The PLA Daily however insisted they were &quot;routine exercises&quot; and unrelated to the court&#39;s ruling. 
 
China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. 
 
To bolster its claims it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. 
 
Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China&#39;s claims to much of the strategic waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. 
 
Beijing has boycotted the proceedings, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. 
 
The Philippines said on Friday it was willing to share natural resources with Beijing in the contested seas even if it wins next week&#39;s legal challenge. 
 
Foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay told AFP that President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday&#39;s verdict. 
 
He said the negotiations could cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The navy carried out 'combat exercises' with 'live missiles' between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan

Beijing has begun military drills in the South China Sea, state media reported today ahead of a ruling by an international arbitration court on a dispute with the Philippines over the strategic waters. The navy on Friday carried out "combat exercises" with "live missiles" between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan, the PLA Daily, the military's official newspaper, said on its website. State television CCTV broadcast images of fighter aircraft and ships firing missiles, helicopters taking off and submarines surfacing. "The drill focused on air control operations, sea battles and anti-submarine warfare", said the PLA Daily, whose article was reposted on the defence ministry website. The military manoeuvres come as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to make its final decision on Tuesday in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. The PLA Daily however insisted they were "routine exercises" and unrelated to the court's ruling. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. To bolster its claims it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China's claims to much of the strategic waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. Beijing has boycotted the proceedings, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. The Philippines said on Friday it was willing to share natural resources with Beijing in the contested seas even if it wins next week's legal challenge. Foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay told AFP that President Rodrigo Duterte's administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday's verdict. He said the negotiations could cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. (AFP)

Beijing holds South China Sea war games before Hague ruling

Manila, Phillipines: Nine people were killed overnight in the Philippines, authorities said Saturday, as police and suspected anti-drug gunmen pushed ahead with President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s controversial war on crime. 
 
Duterte won the May 9 election by landslide largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of drug dealers and other criminals, and has urged the police and civilians to help in the killings. 
 
More than 100 suspects have been killed in the seven weeks since Duterte&#39;s election. 
 
One pre-dawn raid in the town of Matalam, about 900 kilometres (600 miles) south of Manila, left eight &quot;drug personalities&quot; dead Saturday, including a woman, regional police spokesman Superintendent Romeo Galgo told reporters. 
 
One other person was arrested on suspicion of drug offences, Galgo said, adding that three pistols and four grenades were found on the dead suspects. 
 
In Manila, police said they found a yet to be identified dead man, his entire head wrapped in tape, on a poorly lit road late Friday. 
 
His torso was covered with a cardboard sign reading: &quot;I Am A Pusher&quot;. 
 
Civil rights campaigners including two legislators called Friday for an enquiry into recent months&#39; police operations amid concerns at least some of the dead suspects could have been summarily executed by the lawmen. 
 
Police have said they had operated within the boundaries of the law in killing 103 suspects between May 10 and July 7. 
 
The Manila newspaper Philippine Daily Inquirer&#39;s own &quot;kill list&quot; of suspected criminals showed 119 victims of suspected summary killings up until July 7, including 13 unidentified ones, since the elections. 
 
(AFP)

More than 100 people have been killed in the seven weeks since Rodrigo Duterte was elected President

Manila, Phillipines: Nine people were killed overnight in the Philippines, authorities said Saturday, as police and suspected anti-drug gunmen pushed ahead with President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial war on crime. Duterte won the May 9 election by landslide largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of drug dealers and other criminals, and has urged the police and civilians to help in the killings. More than 100 suspects have been killed in the seven weeks since Duterte's election. One pre-dawn raid in the town of Matalam, about 900 kilometres (600 miles) south of Manila, left eight "drug personalities" dead Saturday, including a woman, regional police spokesman Superintendent Romeo Galgo told reporters. One other person was arrested on suspicion of drug offences, Galgo said, adding that three pistols and four grenades were found on the dead suspects. In Manila, police said they found a yet to be identified dead man, his entire head wrapped in tape, on a poorly lit road late Friday. His torso was covered with a cardboard sign reading: "I Am A Pusher". Civil rights campaigners including two legislators called Friday for an enquiry into recent months' police operations amid concerns at least some of the dead suspects could have been summarily executed by the lawmen. Police have said they had operated within the boundaries of the law in killing 103 suspects between May 10 and July 7. The Manila newspaper Philippine Daily Inquirer's own "kill list" of suspected criminals showed 119 victims of suspected summary killings up until July 7, including 13 unidentified ones, since the elections. (AFP)

Nine more killed in controversial Philippines drug war

The Philippines is willing to share natural resources with Beijing in contested South China Sea areas even if it wins a legal challenge next week, foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay said today. 
 
Yasay said President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday&#39;s verdict, with the negotiations to cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone. 
 
&quot;We can even have the objective of seeing how we can jointly explore this territory. How we can utilise and benefit mutually from the utilisation of the resources in this exclusive economic zone where claims are overlapping,&quot; Yasay said in an interview. 
 
The Philippines, under Benigno Aquino&#39;s previous administration, filed a legal challenge with a UN-backed tribunal in The Hague contesting China&#39;s claims to nearly all of the strategically vital sea. 
 
China&#39;s claims reach almost to the coasts of the Philippines and some other Southeast Asian nations, and it has in recent years built giant artificial islands in the contested areas to enforce what it says are its indisputable sovereign rights. 
 
The Philippines&#39; case enraged China, which repeatedly vowed to ignore the tribunal&#39;s ruling and is currently holding military drills in the northern part of the sea as a show of force. 
 
Duterte, who took office on June 30, has adopted a more conciliatory approach to China than Aquino. 
 
The previous president refused to hold direct talks, and likened China&#39;s expansionist efforts in the sea to Nazi Germany&#39;s march on parts of Europe ahead of World War II. 
 
Yasay signalled on Friday that Duterte would be making no such analogies, emphasising his administration would seek to ensure the best possible relations with China. 
 
&quot;I would like to be forward-looking on these matters,&quot; he said when asked to comment on Aquino&#39;s Nazi statement. 
 
&quot;I would like to make sure whatever actions this administration will take, the statements we will be making will be in the pursuit of strengthening our relationship with everybody and will be for the purpose of making sure there will be no stumbling block to our negotiating a peaceful solution to the issue.&quot; 
 
He also said China and the Philippines had agreed not to make any &quot;provocative statements&quot; following the release of the ruling. 
 
Yasay said after the ruling the Philippines would study it closely, discuss it with allies, and then seek to launch talks with China &quot;as soon as possible&quot;. 
 
Yasay said the Philippines was open to sharing Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground within the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone that China took control of in 2012. 
 
He said the Philippines would also consider jointly exploring a natural gas field at Reed Bank, which is also within the Philippines` exclusive economic zone. 
 
However Yasay insisted the Philippines would not concede any of its rights in the sea. 
 
Duterte and Yasay met with China&#39;s ambassador to the Philippines, Zhao Jianhua, on Thursday. Zhao was seen again at the Department of foreign affairs today. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

However, the Philippines' foreign secretary insisted that it will not concede any of its rights in the sea

The Philippines is willing to share natural resources with Beijing in contested South China Sea areas even if it wins a legal challenge next week, foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay said today. Yasay said President Rodrigo Duterte's administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday's verdict, with the negotiations to cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. "We can even have the objective of seeing how we can jointly explore this territory. How we can utilise and benefit mutually from the utilisation of the resources in this exclusive economic zone where claims are overlapping," Yasay said in an interview. The Philippines, under Benigno Aquino's previous administration, filed a legal challenge with a UN-backed tribunal in The Hague contesting China's claims to nearly all of the strategically vital sea. China's claims reach almost to the coasts of the Philippines and some other Southeast Asian nations, and it has in recent years built giant artificial islands in the contested areas to enforce what it says are its indisputable sovereign rights. The Philippines' case enraged China, which repeatedly vowed to ignore the tribunal's ruling and is currently holding military drills in the northern part of the sea as a show of force. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has adopted a more conciliatory approach to China than Aquino. The previous president refused to hold direct talks, and likened China's expansionist efforts in the sea to Nazi Germany's march on parts of Europe ahead of World War II. Yasay signalled on Friday that Duterte would be making no such analogies, emphasising his administration would seek to ensure the best possible relations with China. "I would like to be forward-looking on these matters," he said when asked to comment on Aquino's Nazi statement. "I would like to make sure whatever actions this administration will take, the statements we will be making will be in the pursuit of strengthening our relationship with everybody and will be for the purpose of making sure there will be no stumbling block to our negotiating a peaceful solution to the issue." He also said China and the Philippines had agreed not to make any "provocative statements" following the release of the ruling. Yasay said after the ruling the Philippines would study it closely, discuss it with allies, and then seek to launch talks with China "as soon as possible". Yasay said the Philippines was open to sharing Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone that China took control of in 2012. He said the Philippines would also consider jointly exploring a natural gas field at Reed Bank, which is also within the Philippines` exclusive economic zone. However Yasay insisted the Philippines would not concede any of its rights in the sea. Duterte and Yasay met with China's ambassador to the Philippines, Zhao Jianhua, on Thursday. Zhao was seen again at the Department of foreign affairs today. (AFP)

Philippines willing to share resources in South China Sea with Beijing

China&#39;s foreign minister spoke with the US secretary of state John Kerry over telephone on Wednesday, ahead of a key international court ruling on China&#39;s South China Sea claims, and warned Washington against moves that infringe on China&#39;s sovereignty, Beijing&#39;s official Xinhua news agency reported. 
 
Xinhua said Wang Yi repeated China&#39;s rejection of the jurisdiction of the International Court of Arbitration in a case the Philippines has brought against China&#39;s claims to nearly all of the South China Sea, calling it a &quot;farce&quot; that should come to an end.&nbsp; 
 
The court, based in The Hague, is due to give its ruling on Tuesday, raising fears of confrontation in the region. US officials say the US response should China stick to its vow to ignore the ruling could include stepped up freedom-of-navigation patrols close to Chinese claimed islands in what is one of the world&#39;s business trade routes. 
 
In the call initiated by Kerry, Wang &quot;urged the United States to honour its commitment to not to take sides on issues related to sovereign disputes, to be prudent with its actions and words, and not to take any actions that infringe upon the sovereignty and security interests of China,&quot; Xinhua said. 
 
Wang said that regardless of the tribunal&#39;s ruling, China would &quot;firmly safeguard its own territorial sovereignty and legitimate maritime rights and firmly safeguard the peace and stability,&quot; Xinhua said. 
 
Wang also said that relations between China and the United States were generally on a sound track and that the two sides should further focus on cooperation while properly managing their differences. 
 
The US State Department confirmed that Kerry had spoken by phone to Wang. 
 
&quot;The two discussed issues of mutual interest. We are not going to get into the details on this private diplomatic conversation,&quot; State Department spokeswoman Gabrielle Price said. 
 
China has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea in recent months and on Tuesday launched what the Defense Ministry termed &quot;routine&quot; military drills there.&nbsp; 
 
On Tuesday, Beijing sought to downplay fears of conflict in the South China Sea after an influential state-run newspaper said Beijing should prepare for military confrontation. 
 
US officials say they fear China may respond to the ruling from The Hague by declaring an air defence identification zone in the South China Sea, as it did in the East China Sea in 2013, and by stepping up its building and fortification of artificial islands. 
 
(Reuters)

Regional tension increases as China calls The Hague 'a farce' before the court releases its verdict

China's foreign minister spoke with the US secretary of state John Kerry over telephone on Wednesday, ahead of a key international court ruling on China's South China Sea claims, and warned Washington against moves that infringe on China's sovereignty, Beijing's official Xinhua news agency reported. Xinhua said Wang Yi repeated China's rejection of the jurisdiction of the International Court of Arbitration in a case the Philippines has brought against China's claims to nearly all of the South China Sea, calling it a "farce" that should come to an end. The court, based in The Hague, is due to give its ruling on Tuesday, raising fears of confrontation in the region. US officials say the US response should China stick to its vow to ignore the ruling could include stepped up freedom-of-navigation patrols close to Chinese claimed islands in what is one of the world's business trade routes. In the call initiated by Kerry, Wang "urged the United States to honour its commitment to not to take sides on issues related to sovereign disputes, to be prudent with its actions and words, and not to take any actions that infringe upon the sovereignty and security interests of China," Xinhua said. Wang said that regardless of the tribunal's ruling, China would "firmly safeguard its own territorial sovereignty and legitimate maritime rights and firmly safeguard the peace and stability," Xinhua said. Wang also said that relations between China and the United States were generally on a sound track and that the two sides should further focus on cooperation while properly managing their differences. The US State Department confirmed that Kerry had spoken by phone to Wang. "The two discussed issues of mutual interest. We are not going to get into the details on this private diplomatic conversation," State Department spokeswoman Gabrielle Price said. China has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea in recent months and on Tuesday launched what the Defense Ministry termed "routine" military drills there. On Tuesday, Beijing sought to downplay fears of conflict in the South China Sea after an influential state-run newspaper said Beijing should prepare for military confrontation. US officials say they fear China may respond to the ruling from The Hague by declaring an air defence identification zone in the South China Sea, as it did in the East China Sea in 2013, and by stepping up its building and fortification of artificial islands. (Reuters)

China warns US about controversial South China Sea sovereignty ahead of court ruling

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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