Gunboat diplomacy

If Beijing continues to build artificial islands with potential military uses in contested parts of the South China Sea, then the United States will not sit idly by and uphold freedom of navigation in international waters. 

           

That, in essence, is the strong message sent by the presence of a guided missile destroyer of the US Navy in the area yesterday. The USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef. The patrol, which lasted a few hours, also included Mischief Reef.

           

This, according to Washington, would be the start of a series of challenges to China’s territorial claims in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.

           

This latest demonstration of gunboat diplomacy is necessary in light of Beijing's  insistence that it owns almost all of the South China Sea based on a dubious "nine-dash line" historical claim.

           

While the conspicuous display of US naval power has prompted an angry rebuke from Beijing, it remains to be seen whether the Chinese government would decide to establish a stronger military presence in the area, or stop its territorial expansion activities altogether.

           

We hope Beijing realizes that its aggressive expansionism in the South China Sea heightens the possibility of armed conflict, and urge the Chinese leadership to uphold the code of conduct among claimant countries based on the rule of law. 

Image by: www.rt.com

Who are in the pipeline?

 

The aviation police detailed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has zero credibility to sell to the public its claim that a 56-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was found to be carrying a piece of carbine ammunition. 

 

This is apparent from social media posts and from the public feedback received by radio stations, the common thinking being that the OFW is a victim of frame up on yet another “laglag-bala” or bullet-planting incident.

 

The credibility issues of the aviation police, as well as the baggage X-ray technicians and inspectors at the NAIA, have to do with two things: No.1, prior instances of laglag-bala involving them; and No.2 lack of motive on the part of the OFW to bring a bullet even as a purported amulet.

 

As exposed in news reports and a congressional hearing, so many people have already been victimized by unscrupulous personnel at NAIA who planted bullets on their luggage for the purpose of extorting money from them.

 

So, the blanket exculpation of the aviation police chief of his men all but laid bare what could be the reason for this nth bullet-planting incident: To make it appear that indeed OFWs are carrying bullets on their luggage.

 

So flyers by way of NAIA beware: You may become the next victim of this extortion scam.

 

 

 Image by: pinoytrendingnews.net

The "buying" begins

Six months to go before the May 2016 general election, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) claims that wholesale vote buying has already begun.

Apparently, some candidates are already "buying" certain barangays from P30,000 to P50,000 depending on their size.

The group said they have alerted the government about the reports of vote-buying and that they are ready to testify if needed.

PPCRV revealed that in 2010, they received information about cases of pre-shaded ballots stuffed into ballot boxes in controlled areas. But they were not able to document instances of vote buying in the past because the witnesses were afraid to speak up.

To address vote buying, PPCRV has launched its One Good Vote program to educate voters and at the same time crowdsource poll-related incident reports.

Part of this is the launching of PPCRV SIM cards that can be used by volunteers to communicate with PPCRV information and feedback from the field.

Aside from this, the PPCRV also launched its mobile phone app for One Good Vote where it will feature profiles and platforms of candidates for president and vice-president. App users can also rate each candidate.

We know that vote-buying goes against the idea of free and fair elections. If candidates resort to vote-buying, they are likely to recoup the money they spent to buy votes during the campaign from the public coffers once elected, thus perpetuating corruption in the bureaucracy.

Image by: www.filipinostarnews.net

Where the crowds are

The Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) did well in bringing the semifinals and finals of the National Open badminton championship to the Glorietta 5 in Makati Saturday and Sunday.

From holding the preliminaries to the quarterfinals at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Center in Manila, the semis and finals attracted enthusiastic crowds at the Makati City mall.

The idea was to show the people – those who would not otherwise go to Rizal Memorial – what top-level badminton is all about – with its intensity, lighting-fast shuttlecocks and good-natured competition, featuring top Filipino and some Indon players.

The kids in the crowd may have awakened in themselves a love for the game as can be seen from their reaction. A few may have even dragged their parents to the nearby sports shop to buy some badminton rackets.

Sarah Joy Barredo won the singles championship, while Mark Alcala bagged the men’s singles title.

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Coping with smaze

 

It used to be called "smog," possibly a contraction of smoke and fog, the result of heavy vehicle emissions, especially from those running on diesel engines.

But now there's a new term for it: "smaze," a combination of smoke from forest fires in Indonesia and the resulting haze that has already made its presence felt in parts of Mindanao and the Visayas.

The question now is: Would Metro Manila be affected by the smaze in days ahead?

That's a likely possibility. And that would exacerbate what’s already a bad air pollution situation in the metropolis, particularly along the EDSA corridor, where the smog seems to be a permanent fixture.

As the government monitors the thick haze situation in Mindanao, the Department of Health (DOH) is advising people, particularly the elderly, children and those with asthma or other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPDs) to prepare to cope with the risks of haze.

According to DOH spokesperson Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, the haze from the forest fires in Indonesia can cause air pollution that in turn can heighten risks for respiratory tract infections and cardiac ailments.

The DOH advisory by Dr. Lee Suy gave these helpful, possibly life-saving, tips:

 • The vulnerable sectors of the population must stay indoors and have good ventilation.

• Appropriate dust masks must be worn when going outside the house.

• Refrain from physical activities in heavily populated areas; this will allow the body to gain and maintain its strength or natural immune system.

• Stay away from low-lying areas where smoke and suspended particles tend to accumulate can help.

• Tune in to the radio or television for more health advisories;

• Consult the doctor if there is difficulty of breathing, cough, chest pain, increase tearing of eyes and nose and throat irritation. Early treatment and better management of one's condition is vital.

• Motorists who encounter haze on the roads should exercise extreme caution to prevent accidents.

Using headlights/fog lights is one way of exercising caution. Follow the required minimum speed limit and ensure that the vehicle is in good running condition. 


Image by www.sunstar.com.ph