Abu sayyaf target of philippine u s anti terrorism cooperation

SINGAPORE: President Halimah Yacob witnessed the signing of eight Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between Singapore and the Philippines on Monday (Sep 9), covering a range of fields from education to infrastructure development. The signing at Malacanang Palace in Manila, also witnessed by Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, was part of President Halimah's five-day state visit to the Philippines. The visit commemorates the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. One of the MOUs will enable education professionals from the Philippines to attend a programme on teaching and learning STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), funded by a S$640,000 grant from Temasek Foundation. "Science and technology education has been one of the key priorities of (the Philippines') DepEd to promote interest in students to consider careers in the sciences of engineering," according to materials in a press statement from … [Read more...] about Singapore, Philippines ink agreements on education, infrastructure and personal data protection

MANILA: Philippine and United States envoys announced on Tuesday (Jul 16) fresh US involvement in the Philippines' ambitious infrastructure-building programme, which also has projects financed through Chinese loans and grants. The announcement made on the concluding day of the US-Philippines 8th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) is the latest sign of a continuing China-US power struggle in the Southeast Asian state. It comes more than a month after the release of the first Indo-Pacific Strategy Report by the US Department of Defence, which calls China a "revisionist power" and highlights China's "use of economic inducements" to "persuade other countries to comply with its agenda”. The Build, Build, Build programme is Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's strategy to accelerate public spending on infrastructure, which the government said is targeted to reach between US$157 billion and US$177 billion from 2017 to 2022. "We understand and applaud the Philippines government … [Read more...] about US private firms to take part in Philippines’ China-backed infrastructure programme

TRECE MARTIRES, Philippines: A Philippine senator who initially led President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drug war sparked outrage on Thursday (Jun 4) when he dismissed the killing of a toddler in a police anti-narcotics operation with an expletive and as collateral damage. Ex-Philippine police chief Ronald Dela Rosa, who won a senate seat in May, made the comments as police burned 1.4 tonnes of seized narcotics while warning the nation still faced a flood of illegal drugs. Authorities said a three-year-old girl was killed Sunday in a sting operation outside Manila. Her father, a drug suspect, as well as an undercover police officer were also shot dead. "Of course you need to secure everything - no collateral damage. But if you infiltrate, it's not really possible," Dela Rosa told a news conference, dismissing allegations by the dead girl's family that the father had been unarmed. Dela Rosa was police chief in the first 21 months of Duterte's presidency. The crackdown has … [Read more...] about Philippine senator draws flak over toddler’s drug-raid death comments

In an interview with CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton, China's Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu has dismissed widespread allegations of China's "human rights abuses" against Uygur Muslims, calling the claims "the lies of the century". On Feb 22, the Canadian parliament passed a non-binding motion claiming China's treatment of Uygur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region "constitutes genocide", putting pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to take follow-up action. The motion, passed 266-0, was also amended just before the vote to call on the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympic Games from Beijing if there is no change in China's treatment of the Uygurs. Although Trudeau and his Cabinet abstained from the vote, some Canadian members of parliament's ideological hostility toward China reveals the real intention behind the move. Given that the wider international community has praised Xinjiang's socioeconomic … [Read more...] about By targeting Xinjiang, Canada barking up wrong tree

MANILA: Philippine police have recommended sedition charges against the vice-president and other opposition figures, a move slammed on Friday (Jul 19) as an attempt to stifle dissent under President Rodrigo Duterte. Police allege that Vice-President Leni Robredo, Catholic Church leaders and opposition politicians plotted to destabilise the Duterte government by implicating him in the narcotics trade. Duterte launched a war against the drug trade when he came into power three years ago. The crackdown has claimed thousands of lives. Prosecutors have opened a probe into the more than two dozen figures targeted, and they could face trial on charges that could lead to lengthy prison sentences. The maximum penalty for sedition is six years in prison. Robredo's Liberal Party said the police recommendation was clear political harassment against the second-highest elected official of the country, and who is also among the most prominent opponents of Duterte's drug crackdown. … [Read more...] about Philippine police seek sedition charges against Vice-President Robredo, Duterte critics