PH appeals ICC’s revival of ‘drug war’ probe

by TETCH TORRES-TUPAS Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippine government has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reverse the January decision of its pre-trial chamber (PTC) which authorizes the resumption of investigation on abuses and deaths related to the Duterte administration’s brutal war against illegal drugs.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra confirmed that the notice of appeal was filed by the government last February 3.

The five-page appeal registered the Philippine government’s disagreement to and rejection of the PTC’s reasons for reviving the “drug war” probe. The PTC concluded that the Philippine government is not undertaking tangible, concrete steps to investigate abuses and deaths in the conduct of the anti-drug campaign.

The Philippine government requested the ICC to suspend the implementation of the PTC’s decision pending final resolution of its appeal, which was signed by Guevarra and Assistant Solicitor Generals-Myrna AgnoCanuto, Henry Angeles, Marissa

Duterte, meanwhile, obtained a net satisfaction rating of “excellent” +77 in December, up from “excellent” +73 in October.

SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of at least +70 as “excellent;” +50 to +69 as “very good;” +30 to +49 as “good;” +10 to +29 as “moderate;” +9 to -9 as “neutral;” -10 to -29 as “poor;” -30 to -49 as “bad;” -50 to -69 as “very bad” and -70 and below as “execrable.”

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by DANIZA FERNANDEZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippine-United States alliance is “rock solid,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said on Friday, February 3.

Manalo made the remark after he met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who visited Manila “I had a very good first meeting with [Defense Secretary] Austin. There’s no doubt—PH-U.S. Alliance is rock solid,” Manalo posted on Twitter.

“We identified key initiatives to improve mutual understanding of our priorities & challenges and to strengthen our relationship in ways that would secure our peoples,” he added.

Austin, meanwhile, stressed that the U.S. “remains determined to support regional peace & prosperity in the [Indo-Pacific].”

“We deeply value our ironclad alliance & working shoulder-to-shoulder with such an indispensable ally & friend,” the U.S. official wrote on Twitter.

During Austin’s visit, the Philippines and the U.S. agreed to have four new additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites across the archipelago.

The Philippine Department of National Defense

by GAEA KATREENA CABICO Philstar.com

MANILA — Philippine health authorities have detected the first confirmed case of the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which is said to be the most contagious variant of the virus causing COVID-19.

The Department of Health said in its latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report that 196 out of the 1,078 samples sequenced last week were classified as XBB, including one case tagged as XBB.1.5.

World Health Organization COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove earlier said that XBB.1.5—an offshoot of the Omicron XBB subvariant— is the “most transmissible subvariant that has been detected yet.”

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control classified XBB.1.5 as a variant of interest.

Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the Omicron subvariant now accounts for 66.4% of cases there from January 29 to February 4.

“According to the rapid risk assessment done by the WHO, there is moderate-strength evidence for increased risk of transmission and immune escape,” the DOH said.

“However, currently available evidence for XBB.1.5 does