Manila Standard - 2021 January 28 - Thursday

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PH blasts China’s law on SCS DFA tags it as ‘war threat’ in allowing Sino coast guards to fire at foreign ships

STANDING GROUND.

A Filipino activist holds a Philippine flag while a Chinese coast guard ship sails close to his ship at the Scarborough Shoal in this file photo. The country filed a diplomatic protest against China over its law authorizing its coast guard to shoot foreign vessels in areas it claims in the disputed South China Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (inset) said on Wednesday. AFP

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta HE Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest against China over its law authorizing its coast guard to shoot foreign vessels in areas it claims in the disputed South China Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Wednesday.

T

“After reflection I fired a diplomatic protest,” Locsin said, in his Twitter post. “While enacting law is a sovereign prerogative, this one—given the area involved or for that matter the open South China Sea—is a verbal threat of war to any country that defies the law, which, if unchallenged, is submission to it,” Locsin added. A Filipino security and Chinese studies expert said Wednesday this new Chinese law allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels found to be infringing on their sovereignty or jurisdictions can be challenged before the international community if Next page

Incoming AFP chief well-versed in Chinese incursions in WPS By Vito Barcelo

February 4. “We wish General Sobejana all the PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has cho- best in his new tour of duty as we pray sen Army commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito for his success,” Roque said. Sobejana himself will Sobejana as the next serve as AFP chief only chief of the Armed Forcuntil July 31, when he es of the Philippines to turns 56. succeed General Gilbert He will take over the Gapay, Malacanang said. helm of one of the weak“We are confident that est military forces in General Sobejana will Asia, which is being criticontinue to modernize our cized for its supposed inmilitary and undertake action on the aggression reform initiatives to make of Chinese troops in the the Armed Forces truly West Philippine Sea. professional in its manHis commander-indate as the protector of the people and the State,” Lt. Gen. Cirilito Elola Sobejana chief, President Rodrigo Duterte, and Defense Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also conHarry Secretary Roque said. Gapay will reach the military’s sider the communist insurgency as the mandatory age of retirement of 56 on Next page

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 324 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Manila-Washington ties seen off to fresh good start By Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz PRESIDENT Joe Biden has appointed a Filipino-American as acting administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an independent agency of the US federal government primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance to mostly

developing countries. Meanwhile, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario lauded Biden’s appointment of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, whom he said played a vital role in arriving at a decision to undertake joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea. Also, a leader of the House of Representatives said he expected that relaNext page

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JANUARY 27)

518,407 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

2,245 32,384 NEW

ACTIVE

10,481

95

475,542

140

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

NEW

NEW

Daily infections of 2,245 highest in last 3 months ANTI-COVID MEASURES. An elderly woman (left photo) undergoes a swab test for the coronavirus on Day 2 of the mass swab testing in Bontoc, Mountain Province, while Health

Secretary Francisco Duque III administers a placebo ‘vaccine’ on a barangay health worker during the dry-run of the Taguig City’s vaccination drive on Wednesday, with vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. peering behind Duque. Mt. Province DRRM Office, DOH photo

NCR mayors for GCQ retention; Galvez says move ‘correct judgment’ By Joel E Zurbano and Willie Casas

Metro Manila mayors met on Tuesday night to come up with a recommenMETRO Manila will remain under a dation to the Inter-Agency Task Force general community quarantine (GCQ) for the Management of Emerging Inin February, Taguig City Mayor Lino fectious Diseases (IATF) regarding the quarantine classification starting Feb.1. Cayetano said Wednesday.

Cayetano said the Metro Manila Council would make the official announcement, but he said it was the consensus of the mayors that the GCQ would remain. Cayetano said in an interview on

radio dzBB that maintaining GCQ in Metro Manila would help prevent spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases. Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., National Task Force Against COVID-19 Next page

By Willie Casas THE Department of Health announced 2,245 new infections of the coronavirus on Wednesday -- the highest daily increase since November 8 last year – bringing the Philippines’ COVID-19 tally to 518,407. Baguio City and Cebu City had the highest number of new cases at 121 each, followed by Davao City with 102, Quezon City with 87, and Pangasinan with 81. Next page

DOH traces 615 Magalong, wife guests at Tim Yap’s ‘maskless’ party close contacts of UK variant cases By Nickie Wang

AT LEAST 615 close contacts of 13 COVID-19 cases infected with the UK variant of coronavirus in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) have undergone testing, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire was referring to the 13 UK variant cases in the region, 12 of which 12 are in Bontoc, Mountain Province, and one of which is in La

WITH a more contagious COVID-19 variant currently spreading, people have been advised to follow strict health protocols or at least avoid crowded places to prevent further its spread. Many celebrities, however, have been caught breaking social distancing orders, even though many of them have been telling their fans to follow the government’s quarantine rules seriously. Case in point, “eventologist” and lifestyle personality Tim Yap has been trending on Twitter since Wednesday for celebrating his 44th birthday in Baguio City and throwing a “maskless” party attended by people in his close circle, including actress KC

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By Willie Casas

DACERA DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES—PNP

Story on A2

Celebrity even organizer Tim Yap (left) and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.


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