UN: PH still high on HIV/AIDS list

By Gabriellea B. Pariño

THE Philippines is among the top countries in the Asia Pacific where cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections have rebounded in the last year, according to global AIDS-prevention watchdog UNAIDS.

While cases of HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been declining in several countries, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines have been reported to have a rebound of cases, with key populations in the youth between ages 15 and 24 being the most vulnerable.

China...

From A1 areas in the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea in which the Philippines says it has sovereign rights, and that sovereignty patrols would be done more often.

On the 7th anniversary of Manila's win in its arbitration case against China, Beijing on Wednesday night said the US has been pushing more countries each year to commemorate the ruling.

"As the mastermind behind the South China Sea arbitration, the US ropes in allies to play up the issue each year on the anniversary of the illegal award to gang up against China and to exert pressure, and force China into accepting the award," the embassy statement said.

"We are firmly against this," it added.

China's remark came after a growing number of countries openly expressed support for the Philippines in the maritime row—a development welcomed by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Among those countries include the US, an ally of the Philippines; Japan, which also has disputes against China over the East China Sea; Australia, which shares the same waters with the Philippines and China; India, which shares a border with China; and the UK; France and other European nations.

On July 12, 2016, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled that China's "nine-dash line," which

SolGen:...

From A1 the above appeal will be delivered in open court on Tuesday, 18 July 2023 at 10h00."

Asked if Duterte and other officials of his administration may be among those who could be indicted, Guevarra said, "Anyone may be charged with enough evidence."

During the previous administration's controversial drug war, at least 6,200 suspects were allegedly killed in police operations based on government records. But human rights groups the actual death toll could be anywhere from 12,000 to 30,000.

However, Guevarra insisted that the country’s domestic institutions were "in-

NIA...

From A1 expressway in Bicutan, Paranaque City, resulting in heavy traffic.

A low-pressure area will bring more rain showers across the country until the weekend, according to the state weather bureau PAGASA.

By working together with other government agencies, NIA said, it remains confident that the country can overcome all the challenges that the El Niño phenomenon brings.

The NIA is also conducting preliminary activities, such as weekly monitoring of field conditions, including dam hydrological data and discharge; information, education, and communication activities; and adjustments to the planting calendar during the wet season and early planting during the dry season.

On the Bicutan flooding, Skyway O&M Corp. said in a statement: "Historically, this portion of the Skyway System

PBBM...

From A1

EO No. 18 creates “green lanes” in government offices to facilitate and expedite the processing of investments. (See related story in Business, Page A8— Editors) Issued on Feb. 23, 2023, the EO is part of the administration's eight-point agenda, which mandates all government offices, to expedite the processes involved in the issuance of permits, licenses, and certifications required to implement investments.

“I am confident that the green lanes will pave the way for the realization of many pledges that we have had—includ-

‘Blasphemous’:...

From A1 on fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ community to “umayos kayo” (fix yourselves), saying that her being

“To end the AIDS epidemic, we must significantly slow the stream of new infections. If we do not take decisive action, we are at risk of seeing a reversal of prevention gains,” said UNAIDS Asia Pacific Regional Director Eamonn Murphy in a press release. The slow progress in the prevention of it cites as basis to claim the West Philippine Sea, a part of the bigger South China Sea, is contrary to the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

UNCLOS is an international agreement, which both the Philippines and China ratified, that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities.

In the same statement, China said it will "never accept any claim or action based on the award."

Arguing that its rights and interests in the South China Sea were "established in the long course of history," China said its claims "are solidly grounded in history and the law" and will not be affected by any award.

China then urged countries outside the region to respect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.

It also called on them to "stop using the South China Sea issue to drive wedges among regional countries, and refrain from being a troublemaker to peace and stability in the South China Sea."

JAKARTA TALKS

Meanwhile, top US and Chinese diplomats will hold their second meeting in as many months on Thursday in Jakarta, seeking to manage tensions that risk flaring anew over alleged Chinese hacking.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Wang Yi, China's top foreign policy official, will meet on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations talks in the Indonesian capital, the State Department's public schedule showed.

The meeting is going ahead despite vestigating and prosecuting the abuses" committed in the drug war.

"It will not change the fact that our own domestic institutions are investigating and prosecuting abuses committed in relation to the government's campaign against illegal drugs," said Guevarra, who also served as head of the Department of Justice under Duterte’s watch.

"We can discharge this responsibility with or without the ICC," he added.

Nonetheless, Guevarra expressed optimism that the Philippines has a "fair chance" of getting a favorable ruling.

Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the Hague-based tribunal in 2019 after it began a preliminary probe into his drug war, followed by the launch of a formal inquiry later that year.

The investigation was suspended in has remained flood-free and we have consistently strived to maintain a smooth and reliable traffic flow for our valued users."

But over the past few months, the company said the rise in floodwaters at the carriageway has become evident.

"These incidents were primarily due to a drainage system problem outside of the Skyway system, which we traced in February this year, due to ongoing construction works in the area that are unrelated to our operations and outside our direct control," the Skyway operator said.

"Since then we have been in constant coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other government and private sector stakeholders in the area to find a way to address the issue together," it added.

The company said it lent some of its equipment to help drain floodwater faster and deployed maintenance teams to siphon off water from the carriageway.(See full story online at manilastandard. net) ing those that I have personally received while abroad—ensuring that they will bear fruit for our people and our nation,” Mr. Marcos said.

According to the EO, the Board of Investments should establish a One-StopAction-Center for Strategic Investments which will serve as a single point of entry for all projects qualified as Strategic Investments.

Mr. Marcos said that the creation of "green lanes" will also attract foreign investors into the country.

The green lanes will enable the electronic submission of applications for and the issuance of clearances, permits, payments, certifications, and among other documentary requirements. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

“offended” by the video was an understatement.

But the drag performer himself said that his performance as Jesus meant no disrespect.

"I’d like to stress that my drag performance as Jesus was not meant to disre- the disease is attributed to the lack of fullscale HIV-prevention services as needed by key populations, including the young, and barriers presented by laws, stigma, and discrimination, according to the report by UNAIDS.

“Key priorities for the AIDS response in Asia and the Pacific include modernizing and scaling up HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care services; leveraging innovative solutions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and virtual interventions; removing barriers to access services; prioritizing key populations; pursuing equitable and sustainable HIV financing; implementing legal and policy reforms to create a more enabling

Microsoft saying two days earlier that Chinese hackers had breached US government email accounts, including those of the State Department.

The Jakarta talks come nearly a month after Blinken traveled to Beijing, the first visit by a US secretary of state in nearly five years, and met President Xi Jinping as well as Wang and Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

Wang, who leads the foreign affairs commission of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, is representing China at the Jakarta talks among foreign ministers as Qin is ill, the foreign ministry in Beijing said.

Blinken's trip opened a flurry of diplomacy, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visiting Beijing last week and a trip by climate envoy John Kerry set for the coming days.

But the United States has still not achieved its key goal of resuming dialogue with the Chinese military, seen as critical to avoiding worst-case scenarios.

Tensions between the world's two largest economies have soared in recent years over a host of issues including China's growing assertiveness in the region and sweeping restrictions imposed by the United States on exports of advanced semiconductors.

US officials fear China is readying plans to invade Taiwan, the self-governing democracy it claims, and want to preserve the status quo that has reigned, often uneasily, for nearly five decades.

Neither the United States nor China has predicted breakthroughs from the renewed diplomacy, but both have spoken

November 2019 after the Philippine government said it was re-examining several hundred cases of drug operations that led to deaths at the hands of the police, private hitmen, and vigilantes.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had asked to restart the inquiry, saying the Philippine government had not provided evidence it was carrying out thorough inquiries.

The ICC authorized the reopening of the inquiry in January 2023.

In an appeals brief filed in March, the Philippine government sought a reversal of the decision of the ICC to reopen an inquiry.

Duterte, for his part, has continuously dismissed the ICC probe.

“On Tuesday, 18 July 2023, at 10:00

(The Hague local time), the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal

SC...

From A1 should have been filed first before the trial courts for proper proceedings.

Dismissed by the SC were the petitions filed by Jose C. Montemayor Jr. on Feb. 17, 2022; Passengers and Riders Organization (Pasahero) on Feb. 23, 2022; and Nicanor Jesus P. Perlas III on May 12, 2022.

In a statement, the SC Public Information Office said the petitioners “assailed the validity of several issuances by the IATF in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as those issued by local government units and government agencies."

They specifically cited IATF Resolution No. 148-B, 148-G, 149, 150, 155, 163, and 164; IATF Guidelines on Nationwide Implementation of Alert Level System for COVID-19 Response dated February 27, 2022; MMDA Resolution No. 22-01; DOTr D.O. No. 2022-001; DILG Memorandum Circular Nos. 2022-002 environment, reducing stigma and discrimination and empowering community leadership,” Murphy added. of making sure that disagreements do not lead to outright conflict.

Harry Prabowo, Programme Manager of the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV also urged governments to support the key populations within their countries into recovering from AIDS.

The cases of HIV are projected to reach about 364,000 by 2030, according to the Department of Health (DOH). About 39 million people around the world live with HIV as recorded by UNAIDS in the previous year.

A total of 112,028 cases were recorded from 1984 to February 2023 by the Department of Health.

Blinken spoke in unusually sanguine terms about China after his trip to Beijing, avoiding the Cold War-like talk of a longterm global confrontation with the rising Asian power that was popular under former president Donald Trump's administration.

"At least in the near term, maybe even in the lifetimes of most people in this room, I don't think (there is) a clear finish line," Blinken said of US goals in China during a recent appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

"This is more about getting to a place where we have peaceful and maybe somewhat more productive coexistence between us."

But incidents have repeatedly crept up to overshadow the relationship.

Microsoft this week said that a Chinese hacking group had gained access to nearly 25 organizations with the goal of espionage.

The State Department said it detected "anomalous activity" but stopped short of publicly blaming China, saying an investigation was underway.

Blinken's first plan to visit Beijing was scuttled in February after Washington said it detected a Chinese spy balloon over the mainland United States.

SCS TENSION

The South China Sea is set to be a major topic at the ASEAN talks in Jakarta, where Washington and Beijing will both take part in an 18-nation East Asia Summit with foreign ministers' on Friday. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Court (ICC) will deliver, in open Court, its judgment on the appeal of the Philippines Government against ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I’s authorization, pursuant to Article 18(2) of the Rome Statute, to resume the investigation of the Prosecutor,” the international tribunal said in a media advisory late Wednesday.

Five judges comprise the Appeals Chamber, namely Presiding Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Judge Piotr Hofmański, Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa, and Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze.

The Philippine government appealed the decision of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber in January this year to allow the resumption of the probe. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) and 2022-008; LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2022-001; DepEd-DOH Joint Memorandum Circular No. 001, Series of 2022; DOH Department Circular No. 2022-0131; and Makati City Ordinance No. 2022-005.

Citing one of the assailed issuances, the PIO said that “IATF Resolution No. 148-B, requires all public and private establishments to require its eligible employees who are tasked to do on-site work to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or else subject themselves to RT-PCR testing every two weeks at their own expense, among others.”

It said the petitioners "collectively contended that the foregoing issuances trampled on their right to life and liberty without due process of law, constituted an impairment of their right to travel, as well as an infringement of the equal protection clause for applying only to those without access to private vehicles, and is discriminatory against the unvaccinated.” Rey E. Requejo (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

BLASPHEMOUS?

Drag performer Pura Luka spect anyone. On the contrary, it is a drag art interpretation of worship," Vega said. "I was very intentional of using a specific song and the symbolism to relate the queer crowd with the intersection of queerness and religion," he explained.

Vega, wearing a costume to depict Jesus Christ, is shown in this video grab of his performance of a punk rock version of the ‘Ama Namin’ or The Lord’s Prayer, which outraged Catholics after it went viral.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri bewailed what he described as a “blasphemous and offensive" video showing people in a club making a mockery of the Christian faith and disrespecting The Lord’s Prayer. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)