maritime-row | ABS-CBN News

Bello says Scarborough Shoal trip stopped by PCG

Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Apr 11 06:00 PM

Vice presidential candidate Walden Bello on Monday accused the Philippine Coast Guard of preventing his group from sailing to Scarborough Shoal. Read more »

Duterte fully restores troop pact with United States

Idrees Ali and Karen Lema, Reuters
Updated as of Jul 30 06:39 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte has restored a pact governing the presence of US troops in the Philippines, the two countries' defense ministers said on Friday, reversing a decision that had caused increasing concern in Washington and Manila. Read more »

Filipino female radio operators to become voice of peace in West PH Sea

Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jun 29 06:10 PM

Eighty-one female officers have completed a special radio operators course to become the country's "voice of peaceful and rules-based order at sea," the Philippine Coast Guard said Tuesday. Read more »

Duterte holds off VFA abrogation for another 6 months

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jun 14 09:03 PM

MANILA (UPDATED) — President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to extend the suspension of the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement between Manila and Washington, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday, as Beijing's threat in the West Philippine Sea remains.  Read more »

Robredo backs multilateral talks to equalize PH-China footing in sea dispute

Gillan Ropero, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 23 01:08 PM

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said Manila is at a disadvantage during bilateral talks with Beijing, and backs multilateral approach instead to settle the two countries' maritime dispute in the South China Sea. Read more »

Duterte balak makipagpulong sa mga dating pangulo ukol sa West PH Sea

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 20 07:43 PM

Plano ni Pangulong Duterte na imbitahan ang mga dating pangulo ng bansa para pag-usapan ang isyu ng West Philippine Sea.  Read more »

PH's top diplomat echoes Duterte: Arbitral win vs China 'meaningless for now'

ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 18 04:51 PM

The Philippines' top diplomat on Tuesday echoed President Rodrigo Duterte's position that the country's arbitral win invalidating China's expansive claims in the South China Sea is "meaningless for now" because it cannot be enforced to regain possession. Read more »

Enrile digs up US role in Scarborough loss to China

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 18 12:13 AM

Former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday questioned why Manila's ally United States failed to stop China from seizing Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea nearly a decade ago.    Read more »

Enrile urges Duterte: Keep 'friendly' approach towards China

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 17 11:56 PM

Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said on Monday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to keep a "friendly" approach to China in resolving its incursions in the West Philippine Sea.  Read more »

Palace: Duterte, Enrile to discuss Trillanes, Del Rosario roles in Scarborough mess

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 17 03:47 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte and former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday will discuss China's seizure of Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, Malacañang said.  Read more »

83 protests vs. China filed by Philippines under Duterte admin, says DFA

Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 13 06:32 PM

The Philippines has filed 83 diplomatic protests against China since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed power in mid-2016, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. Read more »

Roque wrong in saying Julian Felipe Reef is outside PH EEZ - maritime law expert

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 12 04:03 PM

Harry Roque, the spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte, is wrong in saying that Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea which Chinese vessels swarmed in March, is far-flung and outside of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, a maritime law expert said Tuesday. Read more »

Palace: Duterte wants hush on sea dispute with China

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 11 06:19 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte wants the maritime dispute between China and the Philippines to quiet down, Malacañang said on Tuesday, even as it blamed the previous administration for the conflict.  Read more »

Palace: China militarization in PH waters, 'not okay, but what can we do?'

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 11 05:34 PM

Malacañang on Tuesday said it was "not okay" for China to continue its militarization of the West Philippine Sea, but at the same time asked what the Philippines could do about this.    Read more »

China-swarmed Julian Felipe Reef 'never' in PH possession: Palace

Jamaine Punzalan and Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 12 04:03 PM

(UPDATE) Malacañang on Tuesday said that Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea where Chinese boats swarmed beginning March is far-flung and outside of the country's exclusive economic zone, and had "never" been in Philippine possession. Read more »

DFA chief asks Aquino admin: Why leave Scarborough if it was ours?

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 11 01:13 AM

MANILA — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday questioned the previous administration's withdrawal nearly a decade ago from Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, which remains a flashpoint in the maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing.    Read more »

Duterte tells Carpio: I'm not afraid of you, I just forgot you're not president

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 10 10:03 PM

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he is not afraid of retired Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who the Chief Executive challenged to a debate on the West Philippine Sea, from which he later backed out.    Read more »

#DuterteDuwag? He has nothing to prove, says Palace

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 10 02:58 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte "has nothing to prove," Malacañang said on Monday, after the Chief Executive challenged a retired Supreme Court justice to a debate on the West Philippine Sea and then backed out when the magistrate accepted the challenge.  Read more »

Palace: 'Wishful thinking' that Duterte will resign over West PH Sea row

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 10 02:33 PM

Malacañang said on Monday it was "wishful thinking" that President Rodrigo Duterte would resign over his remarks on the West Philippine Sea and two former officials.  Read more »

China, not Duterte, will throw away Philippines' arbitral victory, says Palace

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 06 05:45 PM

Malacañang on Thursday sought to clarify another remark from President Rodrigo Duterte, this time on the country's 2016 arbitral victory against China on the South China Sea which the latter referred to as "just a piece of paper" that he will dump in a wastebasket. Read more »