PCG to China: Explain contradictions on WPS

By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has asked China to clarify its contradictory words and actions regarding its stance on the disputed West Philippines Sea.

Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Wednesday urged China to order its Navy, Coast Guard and militia vessels to leave the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

During the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Shangri-la Dialogue 2023, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela asked China about the contradictions.

“So while China is talking about dialogue, China’s actions show confronta- tion. My question is; Why is there a big difference between China’s words and its actions,” Tarriela said.

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Li Shangfu avoided answering the questions directly. He cited instead an alleged confrontational incident at the Taiwan Strait recently.

“Foreign vessels and fighter jets coming to areas near our territory. They are not here for innocent passage; they are for provocation,” Li said.

China has indicated interest in reviving the joint committee meeting between the PCG and its Chinese counterpart after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said the Philippines has a neutral foreign policy.

Despite the ongoing tension in the region, Marcos said the Philippines would not give up an inch of its territory including the West Philippine Sea.

Rodriguez made the call following the departure of China’s research ship Xiang Yang Hong 10 and its dozen escort vessels from Vietnam’s EEZ early this week amid high-level talks between Chinese and United States officials in Beijing.

Vietnam had protested China’s presence in its EEZ.

UPMG AFFAIR. The United Print and Multimedia Group, an association of major publication companies in the country, taps the expertise of creative thinkers and marketers to put together its project dubbed “How Creativity and Banded Content are Reshaping Brand Strategies.” Photo taken following group’s general membership meeting in a hotel in Quezon City shows (from left) Barbie Atienza, president; Grace Fornier Magno, SM Supermalls vice president; Cleofe Alviso, managing director of Megaworld Hotels and Resorts; Angie Tijam Tohid, executive creative director of Havas Media Ortega; Maan Delos Reyes of Ogilvy Philippines; and Jay Sarmiento, sales and marketing director of PhilSTAR Media Group.

FANTASTIC ART WORK. Artist Toym Imao explains how he made a life-size jeepney installation made out of yarns during the formal opening of an arts exhibit at the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Lucky Chinatown in Binondo, Manila. The exhibit is part of a tribute to the 125th Philippines Independence Day on June 12.

Danny Pata

THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) has incurred a backlog of some 690,000 driver’s licenses, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista disclosed during a Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is finalizing the procurement of at least 500,000 driver’s license cards by July to address the LTO’s problem.

At present, Bautista said the LTO has about 70,000 plastic cards for driver’s license, but these were reserved for overseas Filipino workers needing driver’s license for their jobs.

As a temporary measure, Bautista said the LTO had already extended the validity of licenses that expired starting April 24 until October 31.

“Ang ini-issue nila ngayon sa mga bagong driver na kumukuha ng driver’s license is initially an OR [official receipt],” he said.

In an earlier Senate hearing, LTO officer-in-charge Hector Villacorta said they see the backlogs on driver’s license cards resolved by the end of 2023 through an emergency purchase arrangement with National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

Last April, the LTO announced it would print out drivers’ licenses on paper due to the shortage of plastic cards.

Villacorta earlier said he plans to address the shortages on license cards and license plates for motorcycles under his watch in the agency.

“Right now, there’s an ongoing procurement. There is already the lowest bidder. We are just doing a post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid,” Bautista told the senators.

“If we will be able to finalize this, if we will qualify the lowest bidder, we should be able to get maybe 500,000 licenses in July.”