China rips ‘US-led’ SCS effort Says rival 'roping in allies to gang up' on Beijing into accepting arbitral ruling

By Rey E. Requejo

CHINA on Wednesday accused the United States of masterminding efforts to rally countries against Beijing and instead support the 2016 decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated its expansive claims to the South China Sea and upheld Manila’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Manila, China accused the US of mobilizing countries to gang-up on

DOTR NIXES CLAIM IT FAILED TO HELP PUV DRIVERS

Beijing to pressure it into accepting the arbitral ruling.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the

Philippines (AFP) on Thursday said it deployed additional assets to the Kalayaan Group of Islands in the West Philippine Sea amid continued Chinese incursions in the disputed waters.

Additional ships were deployed in the islands to hold sovereignty patrols, which AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said was part of the military's mission to "protect Filipinos and the state" together with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Aguilar did not disclose how many assets were deployed but assured the AFP would devote more time to patrol wider

SolGen: ICC may indict gov’t execs in probe on drug war

By Rey E. Requejo

SOLICITOR General Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor could proceed with an indictment of certain individuals if there is sufficient evidence.

This was predicated, however, on the possibility that the appeals of the Philippines against a resumption of the ICC drug war probe are dismissed, Guevarra hinted.

Meanwhile, the ICC has set July 18 for the release of a ruling on the appeal of the Philippine

PBBM unveils ‘green lanes’ for investors

By Charles Dantes

government against its decision to allow the court’s prosecutor to proceed with the probe on the killings in the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte and the so-called Davao Death Squad.

"If it is dismissed, the ICC prosecutor will be authorized to resume his investigation into the Philippine situation and he may indict certain individuals based on whatever evidence he may be able to gather," Guevarra said.

SC junks 3 petitions to invalidate IATF issuances during pandemic

SC’s en banc session on July 11, the high tribunal resolved to dismiss the petitions for violating the doctrine of the hierarchy of courts.

Guevarra made the statement as the ICC's appeals chamber is expected to is is- sue next week its decision on the Philippines' appeal. In a three-page order signed by Presiding Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, the appeals chamber said; "Judgment in

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday stressed the need for reforms to streamline the process of investing in the country and launched “green lanes” for investors to make that happen.

During the official launch and signing of Ex ecutive Order No. 18 in Pasay City, Mr. Marcos remarked that to create a conducive business en vironment, the government should fix its bureau cratic processes. “It is, indeed, long overdue to have reforms that will not only attract more investments into the country but will also create an environment conducive to business growth and develop ment,” the President said.

THE Supreme Court has junked three petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional the various issuances on the COVID-19 pandemic by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), local government units, and other govern- govern ment agencies. resolu

In a resolution adopted during the

It said the issues raised required determination “and adjudication of extremely technical and scientific facts that necessitates the conduct of full-blown proceedings before the court of first instance.”

The SC stressed that the petitions