PH NEEDS TO SEND NOTE VERBALE TO CHINA OVER ROCKET PART 'SEIZURE': MARCOS JR.

MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said Tuesday said it is necessary for the Philippines to send China a note verbale regarding the alleged forcible seizing by the latter's coast guard of a rocket debris recovered near Pag-asa Island by Filipino personnel over the weekend.

"Yes, I think that that’s what we need to do," Marcos said when asked about the proposed action, in a brief media interview in Pasay City.

The president noted that the issue has to be clarified due to conflicting accounts from the two parties, although he admits he trusts the Philippine Navy that used the term "forcible" in its report about Sunday's incident.

"The word 'forcibly' was used in the Philippine Navy report, and that was not the characterization in the report coming from China," Marcos said.

"Of course, I have complete trust in our navy. And if this is what they say happened, I can only believe that that is what happened. So we have to now ask the Chinese why is it that their account is so different, and it’s much more benign," he added.

Senior Usec. Jose Faustino, officer-in-charge of the

Department of National Defense, said that while the agency awaits "additional reports" about the rocket debris seizure and alleged explosions near Pag-asa Island (international name: Thitu), it stands by the account of Filipino personnel that the recovered item "was rudely taken" by the Chinese Coast Guard.

"We support the diplomatic efforts of Philippine government agencies to engage our Chinese counterparts to address the incident," Faustino said in a statement.

Marcos said "we will have to find a way to resolve this…With the way that the region—Asia-Pacific—is heating up, if someone messes up, if many mistakes occur, if misunderstanding occurs, then the flame will only get bigger,” he added.

He said National Security Adviser Secretary Clarita Carlos recommended sending China a note verbale regarding the incident.

HARRIS URGES NATIONS TO HONOR THE HAGUE DECISION ON EEZ

All nations must respect the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision that rejected China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea and upholding the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the area, US Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday.

Harris issued the statement in a speech on board the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua.

“The United States is proud of our longstanding ties with the people of the Philippines. I am here in Palawan to underscore the importance of our partnership in order to create economic opportunities, protect coastal ecosystems, maintain peace and stability, and uphold international rules and norms here in the South China Sea and around the world. To the Philippine Coast Guard, you are on the frontlines of standing up for the international rules-based order,” said Harris, the highest ranking US government official to visit Palawan.

“As you patrol these waters, you uphold the rules and norms that are vital to the prosperity of the Filipino people, and people around the world. As the United States has long made clear: We support the 2016 ruling of the UN Arbitral Tribunal, which delivered a unanimous and final decision firmly rejecting China’s expansive South China Sea maritime claims. The tribunal’s decision is legally-binding, and must be respected,” she said.

“We must stand up for principles such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, unimpeded lawful commerce, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and throughout the Indo-Pacific,” she added.

Harris urged Philippine leaders to defend such principles, especially against illicit activities and harassment experienced by Filipino fishers in the disputed waters.

“Communities like this have seen the consequences. And people here know the impact when foreign vessels enter Philippine waters and illegally deplete the fishing stock, when they harass and intimidate global fishers, when they pollute the ocean and destroy the marine ecosystem,” Harris said.

GOV’T TO REVIEW ‘GRAY ZONE’ IN DEFENSE PACT WITH US

The government has formed a study group to review the country’s 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States, National Security Adviser Secretary Clarita Carlos said Tuesday.

The group is composed of officials from the National Security Council (NSC), the Department of National Defense (DND), and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Carlos told Dobol B TV.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave the directive, Carlos said.

“I will lead this (group). The NSC, the DND, and the DFA, we have already formed a study group that will clarify and review the MDT,” she said.

There is no “automaticity” under the treaty for either country to extend assistance in case of an attack on the other, Carlos said, adding this must still undergo constitutional processes.

“They will go through their constitutional processes. It means it’s up to their Congress, their President (to ratify it),” she said.

The Philippines also needs to review the MDT considering that its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the US, which is seen to advance the treaty’s implementation, is up for termination or renewal in April next year, Carlos said.

PARTIDO FEDERAL NG PILIPINAS EXPELS FORMER EXECUTIVE SECRETARY VIC RODRIGUEZ

MANILA - The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) on Tuesday said it has expelled former Palace executive secretary Atty. Vic Rodriguez from the party.

In a strongly worded statement, the PFP said Rodriguez was removed as a member of the party in a decision dated November 11, 2022.

"Rodriguez was expelled from the PFP for his incompetence as a public servant, conduct inimical to the interests of the party, abuse and breach of trust and confidence reposed on him by the President and the party, abandonment and disloyalty," the party alleged.

PFP also said Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Anton Lagdameo has been appointed as the new Executive Vice President of the party.

The party said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took no part in the decision to expel Rodriguez, but has been informed of the decision and "offered no objection".

"The decision stated that the President will not leave the PFP and join another party, but instead will strengthen the party," it said.

According to the PFP, it received a complaint from PFP BARMM officers against Rodriguez for alleged corruption on presidential appointments.

"The decision found that no single original PFP official, coming from the party of the President, was recommended by Rodriguez to be appointed to any position in this administration, notwithstanding that he is the Executive Secretary or “Little President” thru whom all appointments pass thru. Hence, the party found no useful purpose to maintain its association with respondent," the party said.

In a statement, Rodriguez said he could not let any non-qualified applicant be appointed in the Marcos Jr. administration, whether or not they are members of PFP.

"My loyalty to Partido Federal ng Pilipinas ends where the interest of the 31.6 million Filipinos who believed in us during the campaign, and my loyalty to the Republic of the Philippines begins," he said.

"I could not, in conscience, during my time as executive secretary, let a non-qualified applicant be appointed to the administration of PBBM simply because he or she is a member of PFP," Rodriguez added.

Malacañang in September announced the resignation of Rodriguez, Marcos Jr.'s long-time lawyer and spokesperson.

At that time, Rodriguez said he will still be part of the Marcos administration as the Presidential Chief of Staff.

INDONESIA QUAKE TOLL JUMPS TO 268, RESCUERS HUNT FOR SURVIVORS

CIANJUR, Indonesia - The death toll from an earthquake on Indonesia's main island of Java jumped to 268 on Tuesday, as rescuers searched for survivors in the rubble and relatives started to bury their loved ones.

As body bags emerged from crumpled buildings in Indonesia's most populous province, West Java, rescue efforts turned to any survivors still under debris in areas made hard to reach by the mass of obstacles thrown onto the roads by the quake.

The epicenter of the shallow 5.6-magnitude quake on Monday was near the town of Cianjur where most of the victims were killed, hundreds were injured and dozens feared trapped as buildings collapsed and landslides were triggered.

The death toll jumped dramatically again later on Tuesday from 162 to 268, Suharyanto, the head of Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency, or BNPB, told a press conference.

At least 151 people remain missing and more than 1,000 have been injured, said the official, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

President Joko Widodo visited the area on Tuesday, offering compensation for victims and ordering disaster and rescue agencies to "mobilise their personnel".

Many of those killed were children, according to the head of Indonesia's national rescue agency Basarnas.

FINANCE CHIEF ON WAY OUT? FAKE NEWS, SAYS PRESIDENT

Reports that Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno would be replaced by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda are “fake news,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday.

“I don’t know where it comes from. Why will I do that? We have assembled a great team,” Mr. Marcos told reporters.

“We’re trying to go down a certain direction…it’s a very, very poor time to, as they say, change horses in midstream.”

Diokno, who also served as Socioeconomic Secretary in the previous Duterte administration, has said he maintains good relations with the President, adding he is “old enough in this game to even bother” about such rumors.

Salceda, touted as the economist of the House of Representatives, earlier denied that he would succeed Diokno as finance chief.

Diokno said he has since spoken with Salceda, whom he described as a friend.

“Oh no. Hindi po,” Salceda, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said when asked about the reports.

“I have nothing to do or start this DOF news flow. It is not my style,” he added.

Salceda said he was content with shepherding fiscal strategies of the administrations he had worked with since 2006.

“Do not covet thy neighbor’s job. In past administrations, as in the present, I was able to move fiscal policy from my seat in Congress,” the lawmaker said in a statement.

MR. MARCOS TO LOOK INTO ‘CONFLICT’ IN NIA

The operations of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) will not be disrupted despite the suspension of its chief, Benny Antiporda, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. guaranteed on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event at the Philippine International Convention Center, Mr. Marcos said he would find out first what happened to Antiporda and why he was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The President, who is concurrently Agriculture Secretary, said the NIA’s food security program would not be affected by the issue.

“In fact, if there was that conflict inside the agency, now that has been removed, the operations might even improve,” he said.

“There are enough people there in the NIA who know what to do. In fact, I’m meeting them after this to make sure that the functions of the NIA continue on.”

“We have to find out what happened to Benny, see what really is the situation there, (and) why Ombudsman Martires suspended him. So it happened all when I was away. I’ve asked them to give me the background on what happened. But the function of the NIA is – does not – is not going to change,” he added.

The Office of the Ombudsman placed Antiporda under preventive suspension for six months following administrative complaints filed against him by NIA staff.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered the suspension after NIA employees Lloyd Allain Cudal and Michelle Gonzales Raymundo complained against Antiporda’s alleged conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave misconduct, harassment, oppression, and ignorance of the law.

Antiporda was accused of applying “retaliatory tactics” such as threatening employees, using flag ceremonies as an avenue for bullying and fake news, maligning his employees, and misleading the President, among others.

For his part, the former journalist expressed his belief the complaint against him is part of a smear campaign that only seeks to humiliate him and Mr. Marcos.

Antiporda served as Environment undersecretary during the Duterte administration.

MARCOS WANTS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO ADOPT FEMA BEST PRACTICES

MANILA — Disaster management officials have been ordered to study the best practices of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure quicker response during calamities.

President Marcos issued the order during a meeting with officials of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) at Malacañang, according to the Office of the Press Secretary.

FEMA is an agency under the Department of Homeland Security, the US counterpart of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

It coordinates with other agencies to ensure readiness to respond to disasters.

Marcos suggested the creation of a team that would immediately work whenever a disaster or emergency occurs.

He said the idea is to avoid a circuitous bureaucratic process and allow agencies to respond quickly and facilitate the immediate release of state funds.

“If there is a disaster, within a day or two, hopefully within a day, they can enter and they’ll see what’s going on and then report back to us and start with the assessment,” he said.

“Once they assess (the situation) on the ground, they can start calling other agencies...That’s what I want. I want it to be faster,” he added.

Marcos said the team can be placed under the Office of the President (OP) and may be composed of different agencies, including the military.

“And then, they will come up with a very – report, they would tell the DSWD ‘we need this,’ and then they will have the power...under the OP, will give them the authority,” the President said, referring to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Once damage is identified, repair and reconstruction must start immediately, he said.

“I’m just trying to hasten it because if you are in that condition in the LGU (local government unit), everything is urgent, because people have no shelter and food,” he said.

13 YEARS SINCE AMPATUAN MASSACRE, FAMILIES OF VICTIMS CONTINUE TO CALL FOR JUSTICE

MANILA — Thirteen years since the Ampatuan Massacre — long recognized as the deadliest attack on journalists in the world — and justice continues to remain elusive for the families of the 58 victims killed in the 2009 massacre in Maguindanao.

According to the Office of the Press Secretary last week, an appeal by prosecutors has led to the conviction of another accessory, bringing the number of convicted to 44. This, while 83 accused in the murder cases, are still at large.

The NUJP said it held a short commemoration program on November 20, families with Justice Now — the organization of victims' families — to reaffirm their commitment to continue calling for justice in the Ampatuan Massacre case.

"Part of that call for justice is the recognition that there were 58 victims of the massacre and that the trial should include the murder of Reynaldo Momay, whose dentures were found at the massacre site and who was confirmed to have joined the coverage on November 23," it said.

Since the Quezon City Regional Trial Court's historic in December 2019, masterminds Datu Andal Jr and Zaldy Ampatuan have brought the conviction to the Court of Appeals.

"While this is within their right and is part of court processes, this also means the families face a longer wait for full justice as well as for compensation for the loved ones they lost on November 23, 2009," the NUJP said.

"We [...] hope, along with the families, that full justice will not take another 13 years. As the Justice Now families have stressed, forgetting is not an option for us," it also said.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

MISS GRAND INTERNATIONAL 2022 TOP 10 SET FOR PH VISIT

Roberta Tamondong is set to return to the Philippines, this time with her fellow winners in Miss Grand International 2022.

She and the rest of the Top 10 will have a sendoff event in Thailand at 4 p.m. Wednesday, and are scheduled to arrive in Manila at 11:15 p.m. on the same day, according to a post on the Miss Grand International Facebook page.

They will be staying in the country with Miss Grand International executives until November 26.

"The Miss Grand International 2022 team will travel on a mission in the Philippines between November 23-26," according to the announcement, which did not give further details.

Brazil’s Isabella Menin was crowned Miss Grand International 2022 during the coronation night held last October in Indonesia. Her runners-up include representatives from Thailand, Indonesia, Venezuela, and Czech Republic.

The Philippines’ Tamondong finished in the Top 20 during the pageant but was later on appointed as fifth runner-up, sharing the title with candidates from four other candidates in the Top 10: Cambodia, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Spain.

She replaced Yuvna Rinishta from Mauritius who, according to organizers, "made the decision to resign from her title."

SPORTS

FOOTBALL: RONALDO TO LEAVE MANCHESTER UNITED WITH 'IMMEDIATE EFFECT'

LONDON - Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial second spell at Manchester United is to end with "immediate effect", the Premier League giants announced Tuesday.

The Portugal forward appeared to be on his way out of Old Trafford following last week's television interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV in which he said he felt "betrayed" by the club and had no respect for new manager Erik ten Hag.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect," said a United statement.

"The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.

"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team's progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."

'Love United, love the fans'

Ronaldo issued a statement of his own, saying: "Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early.

"I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.

"I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future."

As well as criticizing the Old Trafford hierarchy and Ten Hag during his television interview, the 37-year-old Ronaldo, currently with the Portugal squad at the World Cup in Qatar, was scathing about the club's US owners.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idealised past. - Robertson Davies