Not yet time to invoke PH-US treaty over WPS incidents – Marcos

by NESTOR CORRALES Inquirer.net

BAGUIO CITY — President

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday, February 18 said he was not yet inclined to invoke the country’s Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States over incidents in the West Philippine Sea because it would only escalate rather than cool down tensions.

Speaking to reporters here after joining the annual alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) at Fort del Pilar, the president said activating the

Marcos, a known Duterte ally, said he would not allow “former imperialists,” such as the ICC, to control the Philippines, unless it could be proven that the international court has jurisdiction over the country.

“So, that is not something that we consider to be a legitimate judgment. So, until those questions of jurisdiction and the effects on the sovereignty of the Republic are sufficiently answered, we cannot cooperate with them,” he said.

SAN FRANCISCO – A horrific explosion and fire that demolished a San Francisco home killed a disabled Filipino American mother of three young children and left her caregiver hospitalized.

The body of Rita Evelyn Lopez Price, 51, was found amid the charred rubble of her family’s house in the city’s Sunset District.

PH, US set to hold biggest Balikatan

Annual joint exercises to include maritime, territorial defense

by MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN Philstar.com

MANILA — Filipino and American troops are set to hold their biggest joint military exercises in April under Balikatan 2023 amid China’s growing brazenness in asserting its claim over waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Philippine Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., in an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News Monday night, February 20, said Palawan would be among the areas where the exercises would be held.

Several of the land features in the West Philippine Sea occupied by the Chinese are off Palawan.

Last week, a Chinese coast guard ship beamed powerful lasers on Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel BRP Malapascua that was helping deliver provisions to a military outpost on the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the Kalayaan Island Group.

The military-grade lasers briefly blinded some crewmembers of Malapascua.

The Chinese claimed the laser beams were meant merely to check the speed and distance of the PCG vessel and was not harmful.

“We are now bringing in more components into the training exercise. There are now many new capabilities that we have to develop jointly. So we are