PH asks US for radars, patrol boats, aircraft

WASHINGTON – The Philippines said Wednesday it has asked the United States to supply its armed forces with patrol boats and aircraft as well as radar systems amid an escalating territorial dispute with China. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the hardware would help his country achieve a “minimum credible defense,” a phrase he used in unprecedented talks with senior US officials in Washington earlier this week. “We need to know what’s going on around us. That’s maritime domain Read more [...] Continue reading →

UN completes arbitration body to tackle Manila’s maritime case vs China

MANILA – The Philippines’ case against China took another step forward after a United Nations arbitration body named the last three judges in the five-man tribunal that will hear Manila’s complaint over Beijing’s “excessive” claim to the South China Sea. “We are hoping that this case that we filed with the tribunal will proceed as soon as possible,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez told a press briefing Thursday. Manila initiated an arbitration process under the UN Convention on Read more [...] Continue reading →

European Parliament adopts resolution backing PHL arbitration on West Philippine Sea

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution approving a report which included its support for the Philippines’ arbitration initiative, under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in clarifying the country’s maritime entitlements in the West Philippine Sea. Accordiong to the Department of Foreign Affairs, a paragraph on the West Philippine Sea was included in the report, saying the European Parliament “…underlines the global importance of the South China Read more [...] Continue reading →

1,000 fighters slip into Sabah

MANILA, Philippines – An additional 1,000 armed men from Tawi-Tawi and Sulu have slipped into Sabah and joined the followers of Agbimuddin Kiram to fight Malaysian security forces, a source from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) said yesterday. The source said the armed men arrived in small groups to evade the Philippine and Malaysian naval blockade. MNLF spokesman Emmanuel Fontanilla confirmed thousands of Tausugs has began preparing since the outbreak of hostilities between the royal Read more [...] Continue reading →

Taiwan plans to expand pier in West PH Sea

TAIPEI – Taiwan plans to expand a pier on one of the disputed Spratly islands, officials said Sunday, as the rest of the claimants beef up military deployment in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The Coast Guard Administration has budgeted Tw$19 million ($640,000) to evaluate the project, which is part of its efforts to boost defense capabilities in the disputed area this year. “The fund will mainly be used to do an environmental impact study near Taiping Island,” a coast guard official Read more [...] Continue reading →

China seeks N. Korea assurance, warns on ‘troublemaking’

BEIJING – China said it had asked North Korea to ensure the safety of its diplomats after a warning that missions should consider evacuating, and that it would not tolerate “troublemaking” on its doorstep. North Korean authorities on Friday told embassies in Pyongyang that their safety could not be guaranteed if a conflict breaks out, after weeks of escalating threats against the United States and South Korea. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China “expresses grave concerns” about the Read more [...] Continue reading →

Sulu ‘royal army’ fighters regroup in Sabah

MANILA, Philippines – The fighters of the Sulu sultanate’s royal security force under the command of Agbimuddin Kiram regrouped in Lahad Datu, Sabah, it was learned yesterday. Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani said around 135 fighters of Agbimuddin regrouped and were reinforced by around 100 armed supporters from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. “They have regrouped and were even augmented. The only problem they have right now is the lack of food,” Idjirani said. Idjirani added that the Malaysian Read more [...] Continue reading →

Navy confirms 2 unidentified fighter jets intrude into PH airspace

MANILA, Philippines – Two unidentified fighter jets intruded into the country’s airspace, Col. Edgard Arevalo, designated Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea and other special naval concerns, confirmed on Saturday. “Naval operating forces in Palawan have reported sightings of two unidentified aircraft passing at high speed and high altitude over the vicinity of Pagasa Island,” Arevalo said. Arevalo said the sightings were affirmed by Commodore Joseph Rustom Pena, commander of Read more [...] Continue reading →

‘Concerned about regional tension,’ US backs PHL arbitration bid in West Philippine Sea row

MANILA, Philippines – United States Secretary of State John F. Kerry has assured Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario that Washington will continue to work with the Philippines in seeking a peaceful solution to the conflicting claims in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in the coming ASEAN and related meetings. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila reported Wednesday on the outcome of the meeting— the first between the chief diplomats of the two allies since Read more [...] Continue reading →

Sultan’s army gets reinforcements in Sabah

MANILA, Philippines – Some 100 heavily armed men have joined the followers of Agbimuddin Kiram in Sabah to continue fighting Malaysian forces in Lahad Datu, sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani said yesterday. Idjirani said Agbimuddin, brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III called him up to report that some heavily armed civilians have joined the fighting in Sabah. Idjirani said the civilians managed to slip through the sea blockade of the Malaysian and Philippine navy forces in going to Read more [...] Continue reading →
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