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→Sarangani Launches Mahin Summer Festet
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==5 foreign vessels enter shoal== | |||
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=798783&publicationSubCategoryId=63 | |||
*April 20, 2012 12:00 AM | |||
:by Alexis Romero | |||
MANILA, Philippines - Three foreign vessels and two small boats have been spotted in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in addition to the two Chinese maritime vessels involved in a standoff with a lone Philippine Coast Guard ship. | |||
Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara said the three foreign vessels were sighted on Wednesday, the same day Philippine-commissioned vessel MT Sarangani left the area after conducting an archaeological survey. The vessel left Wednesday night. | |||
Meanwhile, the current impasse has little or no effect on Filipino workers in China, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said. | |||
“I think it’s the quality of our workers there who, despite political tensions, are just continuing their work,” Baldoz said. | |||
“A summary report submitted to me said there are three vessels but these are not Filipino vessels. There are also outrigger boats outside and inside the lagoon,” Alcantara reported. He said they could not tell whether the small boats were of local or foreign origin. Alcantara clarified that the departure of the vessel had nothing to do with China’s demand for Philippine ships to leave the shoal. | |||
“Perhaps their research has been completed. The ship was just commissioned by the National Museum,” he said. | |||
It was the National Historical Commission of the Philippines which commissioned the Sarangani. Its passengers included nine French nationals and three employees of the National Museum. | |||
Alcantara stressed, however, the situation in the area was stable and no unusual incidents were reported. | |||
Masinloc, Zambales Mayor Desiree Edora said Zambales fishermen were now avoiding Panatag Shoal for fear of getting harassed or arrested by the Chinese or caught in an armed confrontation between Chinese and Filipino forces. | |||
“My secretary interviewed the fishermen and it’s been a while since they sailed there because they are afraid that a confrontation might ensue,” she told dzMM radio reporter Edwin Sevidal. | |||
Edora said they have yet to coordinate with the military or the Foreign Affairs department regarding the matter. | |||
Panatag Shoal is 124 nautical miles from Zambales and is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which China is a signatory. | |||
On April 8, eight Chinese fishing vessels were spotted in the shoal, prompting the Navy to send its largest warship BRP Gregorio del Pilar to the area to check on the vessels. | |||
The ship reached the shoal on April 10 and its crew boarded the fishing vessels where they found live sharks, corals, and giant clams. | |||
But before the Filipino sailors could arrest the fishermen and seize their catch, two Chinese “surveillance” ships arrived and stopped them. The fishing boats were able to flee with their illegal harvests. | |||
The Del Pilar eventually left the area to replenish supplies and was replaced by the smaller and lightly armed BRP Pampanga of the coast guard. | |||
Aside from the Chinese ships, an aircraft – also believed to be Chinese – had reportedly buzzed a Filipino fishing vessel. | |||
Baldoz, meanwhile, recalled that Filipino workers felt no backlash even after the Rizal Park hostage tragedy in August 2010 that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead. The incident briefly soured relations between the Philippines and China. | |||
Labor department records show there are 26,772 Filipino workers in China, mostly doctors and professionals. | |||
“We don’t send that many OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) to China. They are mostly going there as tourists and try their luck to gain employment and just convert their visas into working visas upon getting jobs,” she added. | |||
Encouraging | |||
At Malacañang, Presidential Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said President Aquino had a chance meeting with Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing to whom he expressed his feeling of satisfaction that both sides were willing to talk to resolve the issue. | |||
“He told her that it was encouraging that both sides continue to talk,” Carandang said. | |||
Chinese embassy spokesman Zhang Hua, for his part, said his country prefers friendly consultations over discussing the issue before a United Nations-backed tribunal. | |||
“We want friendly efforts to solve it,” Hua told The STAR. | |||
Sen. Francis Escudero, meanwhile, said he supports proposals for the Philippines to have a joint exploration with China in the disputed islands in Palawan. | |||
Escudero stressed that issues involving the Panatag Shoal and the West Philippine Sea should be resolved through diplomatic means. | |||
Escudero recognized that Congress has the power to allow the administration to launch a war against China, but it is not choosing that option. | |||
“Somebody asked me the question on why Congress is not doing anything. I know we have the sole power to declare war. The reason why Congress is quiet on it (is) because we don’t want to declare war,” Escudero said. | |||
Come budget deliberations, Escudero said he expects explanations from defense and foreign affairs officials about the developments on the maritime disputes. | |||
“I think the briefings will come during the budget deliberations and then we have more information with respect to the actions that the government has taken through the international organizations that we have brought this matter up with,” the senator said. | |||
Escudero recommended that both China and the Philippines should agree on joint exploration. He said profits may be shared equally or the Philippines may bat for a bigger share. He said there is no reason to fight over areas that might yield no oil or gas or minerals. | |||
He said accusing China of bullying is only worsening the problem. | |||
“I think the President was being factual when he made the statement in connection with our position in relation to China,” Escudero said. | |||
He said the Philippines has ordered only two new aircraft while China has more than 2,000. – With Christina Mendez, Pia Lee-Brago, Sheila Crisostomo | |||
==Sarangani Launches Mahin Summer Festet== | ==Sarangani Launches Mahin Summer Festet== | ||
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/178517/ex-sarangani-governor-6-others-charged-with-graft | *Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/178517/ex-sarangani-governor-6-others-charged-with-graft | ||
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Mahin is a festival unique to the town of Glan which brings back traditional beach activities the townsfolk have been fond of doing since then like horse racing at the shoreline. | Mahin is a festival unique to the town of Glan which brings back traditional beach activities the townsfolk have been fond of doing since then like horse racing at the shoreline. | ||
==Ex-Sarangani governor, 6 others charged with graft== | ==Ex-Sarangani governor, 6 others charged with graft== | ||