World Bank, ADB as investment partners to boost Maharlika attractiveness

by lawrence agcaoili Philstar.com

TAKING in the investment arms of multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as strategic partners will likely boost the attractiveness of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla.

Medalla said in an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News TV that senators were amenable to taking in the International Finance Corp. (IFC) of the World Bank and the investment arm of ADB as strategic partners instead of doing an initial public offering (IPO).

“In particular, let’s say if the fund gets to attract strategic partners like the IFC of the World Bank and the investment arm of the ADB, then the fund u PAGE 2 should try and engage and take the position at a multilateral level between ASEAN so that we have a comprehensive approach and achieve an amicable resolution to this outstanding problem,” he said. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which is believed to hold large reserves of oil and natural gas.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims in the South China Sea.

ASEAN failed anew to put up a Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea with Beijing during its summit in Cambodia in November last year. ASEAN and China have been negotiating u PAGE 2

Drug war victims’ kin tell ICC: Don’t let PH gov’t stall probe

MANILA — Families who lost loved ones in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs have invoked the right to object formally to the Philippine government’s effort to stop the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) from investigating the thousands killed during the crackdown.

A Feb. 17 submission made public on Friday, February 24 and filed on behalf of some 90 family members asked the ICC for the opportunity to “present views and concerns in the appeal by submitting a response to the appeal brief” to be submitted by the Philippine government this month.

It cited Article 68 (3) of the Rome Statute, ICC’s founding document, which stipulates that the court should permit victims’ views and concerns to enter into the records at stages of the proceedings, in a manner not prejudicial to the rights of the accused.

The 90 applicants represent one of several groups that