Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, November 5, 2023.
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READ: Kishida: PH, Japan, US cooperation crucial
JAPANESE Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday said the cooperation between the Philippines, the United States and Japan is crucial to protect the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. In his address before a joint session of Congress, Kishida said multilayered cooperation among allies and like-minded countries is "crucial" as the international community is now at a "historic turning point" and the international order that is based on the rule of law "under serious threat."
READ: PH, Japan wary of China's actions
Kishida said the Philippines and Japan expressed serious concerns over China's attempt "to unilaterally change the status quo by force" in the East China Sea and South China Sea. He said such a move was "unacceptable." The Japanese prime minister and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reaffirmed their commitment to the freedom of navigation and overflight in the East and South China Seas during their meeting in Malacañang on Friday. In their joint press statement, the two leaders stressed the need for adherence to a "rules-based approach in resolving competing claims in maritime areas."
READ: US Navy resumes operations in SCS
THE United States Navy resumed on Friday its freedom of navigation operation (Fonop) in the South China Sea after a six-month pause. The commander of the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs said the U.S.S. Dewey (D.D.G. 105) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law. The U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs chief said the Fonop upheld the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law "by challenging restrictions on innocent passage" imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. China, Taiwan and Vietnam each claim the entirety of the Spratly Islands, while the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim certain features. The U.S. Navy said that China, Vietnam and Taiwan each require permission or advance notification before a military vessel or warship engages in "innocent passage" through their territorial sea, in violation of international law.
READ: Año: No destab plot vs Marcos
NATIONAL Security Adviser Eduardo Año said Saturday there was no movement planning to destabilize the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He made the remark in reaction to statements made by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., apparently confirming that some former military officers are behind destabilization calls. In his remarks during the change of command ceremony at the Western Mindanao Command, Brawner said that he heard a lot of calls for destabilization.
READ: Israel allows 136 Filipinos to leave Gaza
THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said that Israel has allowed all 136 Filipinos in Gaza to leave the Palestinian territory as fighting intensifies. Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said that the first to leave on Sunday, November 5, were 20 Filipinos stranded in Gaza who exited via the Rafah border toward Egypt, where their travel documents will be processed before going to Manila. He said 23 more Filipinos will cross the border "in the next day or two."
READ: Return of Filipinos to Israel likely – official
REPATRIATED overseas Filipino workers from war-troubled Israel can go back to work once the situation is over, Department of Migrant Workers Officer in Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said on Friday. Cacdac said that displaced workers underwent a proper separation process from their employer in Israel, so they can go back to work when the conflict is over.
BUSINESS: Total govt revenue to exceed target
In business, the national government's revenue performance is expected to exceed the 3.73-trillion peso target for this year, the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee said. In a joint statement issued following a special meeting on Friday, the DBCC said the emerging total revenue collection for this year is estimated to reach 3.84 trillion to 3.90 trillion pesos.
SPORTS: Magnolia, TNT collide as PBA season begins
Over to sports, after a six-month lull, the Philippine Basketball Association is making a comeback on Sunday, November 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with powerhouse teams Magnolia and T.N.T. colliding in the lone game marking the start of the Season 48 Commissioner's Cup. The much-awaited match begins at 7 p.m., following the Annual Leo Awards and the opening ceremonies. T.N.T. coach and team manager Jojo Lastimosa can finally heave a sigh of relief as Quincy Miller already got his release from Converge, so he can now reinforce the Tropang Giga against the Hotshots.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he thinks the containment of the African swine fever in other parts of the world is an equivalent of war.
Today's editorial says defending the country's sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea is not a hostile act. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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