Philippines Says China has Stopped Chasing Fishermen from Contested Shoal

Chinese coast guard members, wearing black caps and orange life vests, confront Philippine fishermen off Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in September 2015. (Renato Etac/Associated Press)

By Emily Rauhala, Washington Post 

BEIJING — Filipino fisherman were able to fish this week in waters near the disputed Scarborough Shoal without being chased away by Chinese vessels, the Philippines said Friday, suggesting a potential deal with China over the disputed South China Sea. 

The news comes about a week after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a high-profile visit to Beijing, praising his Chinese hosts while calling for a “separation” from his longtime ally, the United States.   

In the run-up to Duterte’s visit, there were rumors that Beijing and Manila were close to a deal on fishing rights at Scarborough, which China has controlled since 2012. However, the trip ended without any agreement announced.

Earlier this week, though, Duterte hinted that Philippine fisherman “may” be able to return. “We’ll just wait for a few more days,” he said.

[Duterte to U.S.: “Time to say goodbye”]

Philippine fishermen told reporters from ABS-CBN News, a local TV network, that they were allowed near the shoal on Tuesday and fished there for three days without interference. A report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper said eight groups of fisherman were able to fish at the shoal on Wednesday.

Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella appeared to confirm those reports Friday, telling journalists in Manila that thefishermen were operating at Scarborough Shoal without harassment. “All I can say is that at this stage, it has been observed that there are no longer any Chinese coast guards in the area,” he said, according to Philippine news reports. 

At a briefing later, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that “both sides are conducting official conversations on the issue.”

It is not clear whether the apparent return is part of a deal between Manila and Beijing — none has been reported. Even a provisional or informal arrangement, if confirmed, would signal a major shift in an issue of consequence for the Philippines, China and the United States. 

[Duterte wants U.S. troops out ‘in the next two years’[]

Scarborough is a flash point in the South China Sea conflict. The shoal, which the Chinese call Huangyan and the Filipinos call Panatag, is a triangular chain of reefs and rocks that lies about 120 miles off the coast of Luzon, not far from Subic Bay, the former U.S. naval base that still hosts regular visits from U.S. ships. 

China seized control of the shoal in 2012. Since then, Philippine boats approaching the shoal have been routinely chased away by the Chinese coast guard, rammed or hit with a water cannon — a source of anger for many Filipinos.

The standoff between Manila and Beijing came to a head this summer when a European court issued a sweeping rebuke of China’s claims to most of the South China Sea, including Scarborough.

But rather than press China on the ruling, the Philippines’ new president surprised many by playing down — though not outright dismissing — the ruling. Duterte has said he will not relinquish territory but is willing to talk to China about ways to defuse tension and get economic ties back on track.

A deal on fishing, if confirmed, would be a domestic political victory. 

Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said he would not be surprised to see a return of Philippine boats.

“Duterte requested this concession during his trip to Beijing last week, and if China had refused his request, he would have had egg all over his face and nothing to show for his pro-China stance,” he said. 

[International tribunal rejects China’s claims to South China Sea]

An agreement on fishing would allow China and the Philippines to press ahead with rapprochement, potentially driving a wedge deeper into U.S.-Philippine relations. 

It would also send a message to other countries in Southeast Asia that have clashed with China on maritime issues, Storey said: “Don’t challenge our claims, and in return, we will be magnanimous and allow you to share the resources that rightfully belong to us.”

Richard Javad Heydarian, an assistant professor of political science at Manila’s De La Salle University, said a change in the status quo at Scarborough Shoal would ease tension between China and the Philippines in the short term, though the long-term picture looks less clear.

China remains unlikely to compromise on the key question — sovereignty — meaning that the dispute persists. “It’s too early to say whether this will stand over time,” he said. 

Europe’s problems

TUE, OCTOBER 25, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

Germany reforms its main intelligence service! This headline surprised me and many others too in whole Europe. How comes?

The German parliament has subjected the country’s intelligence service, the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst), to increased government scrutiny. But critics object that it also gives the BND wide-ranging new powers to spy on foreign nationals.

Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has passed a comprehensive reform of the country’s main intelligence service, the BND. The new legislation strengthens government monitoring of intelligence activities while explicitly allowing the BND to carry out certain types of surveillance activities.

The reform comes in the wake of the 2013 revelations by American whistle-blower Edward Snowden that a number of national intelligence services, including the BND, had spied on behalf of the US National Security Agency (NSA) and that the NSA had spied on its allies. That prompted the formation of a German parliamentary committee to draft intelligence agency reforms.

The new legislation subjects the BND to monitoring by an “independent panel” of two judges and a federal prosecutor and a “permanent commissioner” from the Interior Ministry. It stipulates that surveillance of international communications networks must be authorized by the Chancellor’s Office rather than by the BND itself and explicitly prohibits economic and industrial espionage.

The new laws also provide for better protection for whistle-blowers within intelligence services and subjects the BND to annual public hearings instead of private ones, as has been the case. The reforms also explicitly allow the BND to direct espionage operations at EU institutions and other EU member states, if they are aimed at gathering “information of significance for [Germany’s] foreign policy and security.”The reform also permits the BND to cooperate with foreign intelligence services like the NSA if it serves specific purposes, including fighting terrorism, supporting the German military on foreign missions or collecting information concerning the safety of Germans abroad.

The legislation was passed with the votes of the governing Conservative-Social Democratic coalition, which said that the reforms address the concerns raised by the Snowden leaks while allowing the BND to use 20th century means to ensure Germany’s security. “How else is the BND supposed to protect us against terrorism other than listening in on conversations between people outside of Ger-many?” said Clemens Binninger of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, the chairman of the Bundestag’s NSA parliamentary committee.

Do we have to deal with so-called Extra-legal spaces?

Former Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger tweeted, “Unconstitutional BND law: I’m consulting with my colleagues at the FDP (Liberal Democratic Party).

But what matters more? Or even most? EU leaders have ended a Brussels summit without agreeing on a free trade deal with Ottawa as Belgium’s region of Wallonia refused a last minute offer. Canada’s trade minister said the deal was “impossible” at the moment. Tensions were high in Brussels on Friday (yesterday, write this piece on Saturday, October 22, 2016), after the government of Wallonia refused to budge on CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) despite massive pressure from Canada, the Belgian government, and the overwhelming majority of EU officials. Ottawa’s representative Chrystia Freeland blasted the EU as incapable of resolving the impasse, saying her country was “disappointed.”

“It seems evident for me and for Canada that the European Union is not now capable of having an international accord even with a country that has values as European as Canada, even with such a kind, patient, country,” the trade minister said in the Belgian city of Namur.

The parliament of the 3.5 million-strong region voted against the so-called CETA last week , blocking the deal near the very end of the seven-year negotiation procedure which aimed to cancel 98 percent of trade tariffs between EU and Canada. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was to travel to Europe and sign the deal on the 27th of October.

Romania and Bulgaria were also opposed to the deal, but decided to get on board in exchange for visa-free travel to Canada from 2017. Wallonia, however, still  holds out against it, with its lawmakers concerned about CETA lowering Europe’s health standards, hurting small farmers, and giving big business power to force governments to change laws.

Also, CETA is seen as a probe for a much larger deal with the US, with citizens across Europe voicing similar com-plaints.

CETA also faced a challenge in Germany’s Constitutional Court, but was deemed to be in line with German law just over a week ago.

Europe is dealing with a lot of problems on all sights, while this nation Philippines is facing a lot of changes. For the good or the better? Future shall show us.

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Who will be the 2016 Mrs. Philippines-Globe?

By Ver Paulino (The Philippine Star) | Updated October 20, 2016 - 12:00am

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The pageant’s finalists with national pageant director Carla Cabrera-Quimpo (center), Mrs. Philippines-Globe 2015 Sherry Lou Villaseñor (eighth from left) and Mrs. Globe 2013 Sheryl Lynn Baas (seventh from right)

MANILA, Philippines – Mrs. Philippines-Globe recently presented its 17 finalists to the media at the Sofitel Hotel.

The pageant aims to empower single mothers and married women. “We want them to be movers of society by bringing out their strengths and encouraging them to be the best versions of themselves,” said national pageant director Carla Cabrera-Quimpo. 

For this year, the candidates vying for the crown are Darlene Go Conde, Marjorie McMurchie, Brooke Irene Rose Cajita, Niezal Cayangan, Madonna Caguioa Naval, Maria Giselle Lyn Barrion, Maria Theresa Uhlmann, Annalyn Marie Gayatin, Michelle Duyungan Boyero, Rasha Demonteverde, Timikko Santos, Genieve Uy, Fritzie Lexdy Noche, Coleen Hazel Ramos, Nova Christine dela Cruz, Geisha Marie Muring and Angelica Marie Catangay.

The finalists will compete on Oct. 23 at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura, Taguig City. The winner of Mrs. Philippines-Globe will receive P150,000 worth of prizes. She will also represent the country in the Mrs. Globe 2016 World Finals in Hainan, China in December.

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Aside from the coveted Mrs. Philippines-Globe title, candidates will also vie for the Woman of Substance title along with other special awards such as Achievement of the Year, Charity or Advocacy of the Year, Best Talent of the Year, Career Woman of the Year, Most Beautiful Face, Darling of the Press, Entrepreneur of the Year, Mrs. Body Beautiful, Most Elegant Woman, Personality of the Year, Husband of the Year and a new addition to the roster of special recognitions — the Mrs. Philippines-Globe Classic 2018.

Mrs. Philippines-Globe is presented by Samsung Hall, Lucky Rainbow Makati, SM Tickets, Solane and Bio-Oil. The pageant is organized by EVI Marketing Communications.

Philippine leader meets China's president in charm offensive

Published October 19, 2016 

 Associated Press

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  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, front, walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)  (The Associated Press)

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BEIJING –  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was meeting Thursday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing as part of a charm offensive aimed at seeking trade and support from the Asian giant by setting aside a thorny territorial dispute.

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Duterte was greeted by Xi with full military honors at the Great Hall of the People, the seat of the ceremonial legislature in the heart of Beijing. The two leaders are due to oversee the signing of a raft of agreements between their governments following their discussions.

China has hailed Duterte's visit as a step toward ending years of estrangement between the countries. Tensions ran high after the Philippines won a major arbitration lawsuit against Beijing's massive territorial claims in the South China Sea just three months ago.

Duterte has walked a tightrope in trying to mend damaged relations with China while defending his country's claims in the disputed South China Sea.

In Beijing, the Philippine leader known for his devil-may-care, profanity-laden speeches said Wednesday he would not raise the issue that has angered China unless his Chinese counterpart first brought it up, out of "courtesy" to his host.

"As a matter of courtesy and in the Oriental way, you always wait," Duterte said ahead of a meeting with members of the Filipino business community in Beijing on Wednesday. "Because I am a visitor, I can't destroy the goodwill by just blurting out something."

He also signaled a major shift in reliance on the U.S., the Philippines' long-standing defense treaty ally, telling the Filipino community members: "So it's about time to say good-bye, my friend. Your stay in my country was for you own benefit."

He has already said he wants U.S. visiting troops to leave the southern Mindanao region and to President Barack Obama "you can go to hell." He has also said he would terminate joint combat exercises between Filipino and U.S. troops.

"No more American interference. No more American exercises. What for?" he said Wednesday night. "I will not go to America anymore. We will just be insulted there."

In interviews with Chinese state media published and aired this week, Duterte has said "only China can help" his country, urging the country not to leave out the Philippines from a regional trade initiative and to give his country a railroad "if you find it in your heart."

But the overtures have drawn criticism of Duterte at home in the Philippines, where the public is wary of taking a deferential attitude to a country regarded as a bully.

His visit is being watched by Washington for signs of just how seriously the new Philippine leader intends to pursue a shift away from Washington and toward Beijing, a move that could have a major impact on regional power dynamics.

Of deteriorating our world order

TUE, OCTOBER 18, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

Writing in the German mass-market newspaper BILD, Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said that tensions between Washington and Moscow have created a situation that is “more dangerous” than the Cold War.

“All options need to be considered” in light of recent atrocities in Syria, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman has said, when asked about the possibility of fresh sanctions against Russia. This statement is from October 7, 2016.

Steinmeier penned an opinion piece published  yesterday Saturday warning that relations between the US and Russia have reached a new low. I came across this article while waiting for my flight back to Davao from Manila.

“It’s a fallacy to think that this is like the Cold War. The current times are different and more dangerous,” Steinmeier wrote in a 214-word guest column published by BILD, Germany’s largest circulation newspaper. The Ukrainian crisis, Syrian conflict and a lapse in nuclear material cooperation between the former Cold War adversaries are listed by Germany’s top diplomat as reasons for the dangerous environment. He laid the blame mostly on Russia for “provoking” a new Cold War but, unlike the Cold War-era, in which the US and Russia had “red lines and respected them” the new multi-polar environment has more regional conflict making geopolitics “more unpredictable.”

In my opinion, there is indeed plea for stronger diplomacy. “But in spite of all the frustration, disappointment and deep distrust on both sides,” he wrote. “We must continue to search for ways to put an end to the insanity in Syria. The US and Russia must continue to talk.”

He closed by urging Moscow to put pressure on Damascus to allow humanitarian aid into the besieged city of Aleppo. “Russia can and must bring its weight to bear. And the regional players have to assert their influence on the fighters in Aleppo,” he concluded. This comes as the UN Security Council is poised to vote on two rival resolutions on Syria on Saturday, one drafted by France calling for an end to air raids on Aleppo and a second by Russia that makes no mention of a halt to aerial bombardment.

I experienced myself growing up and later residing in West-Berlin during times of the Cold War. Steinmeier’s opinion could really frighten us. But he is so damned right … !

Zumba, Durian and the Magsaysay Park in Davao City

Zumba, durian and the Magsaysay Park in Davao

CITY SENSE By Paulo Alcazaren (The Philippine Star) | Updated October 15, 2016 - 12:00am

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Magsaysay Park is a landmark site on Davao City’s waterfront.

This week we continue with our series on Philippine plazas and parks with a return to Mindanao. We previously featured plazas in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and General Santos. For this and next Saturday we visit Davao City, home of the current President of the Philippines.

I’ve been to Davao a number of times, the first time in 1999, to attend its famous Kadayawan Festival. Each visit since, I’ve noted the rapid urban growth of the city.  It is now the anchor of a huge metropolitan agglomeration called Metro Davao that includes Digos, Tagum, Panabo, Samal, Carmen and Santa Cruz.

Metro Davao is huge, about eight times the size of Metro Manila. It has a waterfront like Manila and a resort island like Metro Cebu. Both Metro Davao’s waterside and the island of Samal have yet to get anywhere near their full potential, though plans are afoot for ambitious projects in both areas.

That said, Davao does have plazas and parks in much better proportion to its urban population compared to that of Metro Manila or Metro Cebu. We look at the first park that caught my attention because of the 25-meter tall landmark that is a memorial to President Ramon Magsaysay.

Magsaysay Park sits off its eponymous avenue at the edge of the city’s Chinatown. It is a green oasis fronting the water between Davao and Samal, right beside the Santa Ana Wharf. The three-hectare site appears to be reclaimed land, probably for a port area project in the late 1950s. Similar projects were being planned or constructed in Manila and Cebu in the ‘50s to the ‘70s.

When Ramon Magsaysay died in a plane crash in 1957, the whole nation mourned. Many memorials to the beloved president were built afterwards. Davao’s local chapter of the Philippine Veterans Legion raised funds for its own memorial. It was finished in July of 1960. The local government of Davao has managed the three-hectare site from that point on.

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The central core of the park is the memorial to President Ramon Magsaysay. It was designed in a style typical of the late 1950s, influenced by a “sputnik” futurist bent. The memorial consists of a trylon, a tapering obelisk on a tripod containing a life-size statue of President Magsaysay below the apex.

The memorial’s obelisk is reminiscent of the ill-fated addition to the Rizal Monument designed by National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil about the same time. Nakpil’s tower was of steel but the Magsaysay memorial is in reinforced concrete. The steel extension to the Rizal monument was removed shortly after completion after public outcry. The Magsaysay monument’s design did not compromise any existing memorial so it has endured. I can find no attribution for the design of the memorial.

The memorial stands in a large rotunda elevated from the rest of the park.

 

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Davao’s waterside is lovely but underappreciated.

Fronting the memorial is a 1,000-sq. meter paved area ending in another rotunda, which used to be a skating rink (when the sport was popular). The paved area is popular among locals for morning Zumba class.

In the upper eastern corner of the park is an open amphitheater similar to the one at Rizal Park. A five-meter wide esplanade links this amphitheater to the other end of the park. The esplanade apparently ran much longer, to the edge of the site, or about 250-meters, but half of it seems to have been appropriated for several government offices related to tourism.

In front of these offices is a large children’s playground, a restaurant, parking area and a site for fruit kiosks, famous for durian, that line the outside of the western perimeter of the part. The park also hosts a small open-air chapel dedicated to Nuestra Señora del Pilar beside the esplanade. In one corner of the park is an Abueva sculture, a relief called the Pamathalaan Marker, “a symbol of the Mindanaoans commitment to Pamathalaan or God-centered Governance.”

The park is defined on its north side by the historic Sta. Ana Wharf, where Japanese migrant workers first landed in 1903. The Japanese helped develop the abaca industry in the region. The wharf has been expanded and improved several times since. There is a standing proposal for an even bigger expansion and extension for the facility, which involves the construction of mixed-use waterside development.

South of the park is a large informal settlement district that reaches down to the mouth of the Davao River. There appear to be some projects planned for urban redevelopment, relocation of informals and improvements under a PPP arrangement, but this will take a decade or so to come to fruition.

In the meanwhile Magsaysay Park is well used by the public and is a tourism draw. I would rate the park a 6.5 out of 10. The monument and the park facilities could use a makeover. While on my visit I had to use the public comfort rooms, which were less than comfortable. There is a good nursery on site but the general landscape of the park is a tad messy and worn out. The playground has also seen better days and the fruit kiosks could be better integrated with the park.

Finally, the esplanade, or sea wall as the locals call it, is a lost opportunity. This could be extended and improved with the relocation of those government offices. This is a problem nationwide with local or national governments erecting structures on parkland or plazas, which by definition should be green or open.

Overall, Magsaysay Park is still worth a visit if you’re a lover of Durian, a fan of Magsaysay, mid-century memorials, or Zumba early in the morning. Next week we look at Davao’s central civic space and the much larger People’s Park.

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Feedback is welcome. Please email the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.

German Lawmakers Supportive of Duterte's Peace and Development Agenda

(PNA) Members of the German Bundestag, Germany's lower house of Parliament, has expressed their full support to peace and development initiatives being espoused by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The German lawmakers expressed this during a courtesy call at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process early last week.

"We wish you all the success, because it could be a very good time, not just for the Philippines, but for the reason to sit together; and this can be a positive sign that could
Dr. Erwin Rueddel, German Bundestag parliament  member, this writer
and wife.

help end conflict, "German parliamentarian Dr. Thomas Gambke said. He also lauded and expressed at Bundestag's support for the Philippine government's transparent and inclusive approach on the peace process.

Gambke, who is the Parliamentary Friendship Group of Relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states chair, was joined by other German lawmakers Petra Ernstberger, Caren Lay, Elvira Drobinski-Weiss, Erwin Rueddel (photo above), Gordon Kricke, and Deputy Head of Mission (German Embassy), H.E. Michael Hasper.

Deputy Head of Mission (German Embassy) Michael Hasper and this writer

They were received by OPAPP Undersecretary for Peace Accords Nabil A Tan who discussed with them the Duterte administration's Peace and Development Roadmap, focusing on plans to implement massive socio-economic interventions and the continued and full implementation of already signed peace agreements with various rebel groups.

"The President has expressed strong will to honor peace agreements and reduce level of violence so that the poverty-alleviation and development programs can be implemented while talks are there," Tan explained.

While the OPAPP executive expressed high optimism for positive results within the year on the negotiations with the communist groups, he also told the German parliamentarians that there is a need to manage expectations.

"(P)ease process is not a destination as to when we can conclude, but it is a journey," he added.

OPAPP Secretary Jesus "Jess" Dureza and this writer

OPAPP Secretary Jesus G. Dureza was in Oslo, Norway, for another round of formal talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front.

Part of the agenda of the second round of peace talks held from October 6-10, involved discussions on the Comprehensive Agreement for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law; the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms; and the Comprehensive Agreement on the End of Hostilities and Disposition of Forces.