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PH protests vs. China mount DFA fires two more diplomatic notes; Chinese vessels unmoved
By Rey E. Requejo, Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta
T
HE Philippines has filed two new diplomatic protests against China over the presence of 160 Chinese vessels in some features and islands in the country’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. In a diplomatic note dated April 21, 2021, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the presence of these vessels in the West Philippine Sea "blatantly infringe[s] upon Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction." "The vessels were observed within the territorial sea of high tide features in the Kalayaan Island Group, in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and in
and around the territorial waters of Bajo de Masinloc," the department said. The DFA cited five Chinese Coast Guard vessels with bow numbers 3103, 3301, 3305, 5101, and 5203 that were sighted within the vicinities of Pag-asa Island, Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal. "Through these protests, the DFA reminded China that Bajo de Masinloc,
Balikatan 2021, the joint military exercises between the Philippines and United States, drew to a close with 640 troops taking part in a number of scaled-down events. The 36th edition of the'war games' saw all troops strictly observing health and safety protocols amid the raging pandemic, according to the military officers.
Pag-asa Islands, Panata, Parola, Kota Islands, Chigua and Burgos Reefs are integral parts of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction. The Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Julian Felipe Reef and Ayungin Shoal," the DFA told China. Despite repeated calls and protests from the Philippines, Chinese militia vessels continue to linger in the area and have even been spotted in other parts of the Kalayaan Island Group in the municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan off the country’s northwestern waters. "The continued swarming and threatening presence of the Chinese vessels creates an atmosphere of instability and is a Next page
General tags senators 'stupid', sparks outrage and resign call By Macon RamosAraneta, Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas VOL. XXXV • NO. 68 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PANTRY POOPER. Members of a militant group stage the Duterte Pantry for Teachers’ that showcased empty shopping bags bearing their demands for pay upgrade as well as internet and overtime allowances. Several policemen later came and ordered the protest bags seized or discarded.
THE spokesman for the government’s anti-communist task force called senators “stupid” for seeking to defund his agency after he red-tagged organizers of charitable community pantries.
CROWD-DRAWER. Movie-TV actress Angel Locsin organized a community pantry in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City to celebrate her birthday anniversary, a crowd-drawer event marred by the death of a senior citizen who died while waiting in line under the heat of the sun. | Via Radyo Pilipinas.
Tragedy mars Locsin-hosted community pantry; senior dies ness while waiting for his turn to receive his goods, and was declared dead on arrival due to natural causes at the East AvAN ELDERLY man died while waiting enue Medical Center, a report from the in line at a community pantry in Quezon Holy Spirit Police Station said. Locsin said on Facebook that the comCity organized by actress Angel Locsin, munity pantry opened at 8 a.m. because who opened the pantry on her birthday. Next page Rolando dela Cruz, 67, lost conscious-
By Willie Casas and Jess Malabanan
LENI'S LUGAW. In Manila, a young boy feasts on hot porridge (lugaw) given to him by supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo, who also marked her 57th birthday by having the street dwellers partake of hot porridge at the Liwasang Bonifacio. Norman Cruz
THE OCTA Research Group warned Friday against further easing COVID-19 restrictions in the National Capital Region even after coronavirus transmission showed signs of slowing down. The warning was raised two days before the Metro Manila Council is set to
meet Sunday to discuss its recommendation to the government's COVID-19 task force on the possible quarantine classification of the capital region for May, its chairman Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez told Teleradyo. Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal are under modified enhanced community quarantine – the second toughest lockdown level – unNext page til April 30.
'Jukebox King' Wood dead, 75 By Nickie Wang RENOWNED jukebox singer and former actor Victor Wood, a painter and entrepreneur off the screen, has passed on after contracting COVID-19 virus. He was 75. Wood was confined at New Era
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COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE
(AS OF 4 PM APRIL 23)
979,740 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES
8,719 102,799 NEW
ACTIVE
16,529
159
DEATHS
NEW
860,412 13,812 NEW RECOVERIES
Cavite gov chides Manila Mayor over relocators
OCTA warns vs. easing of curbs By Willie Casas and Othel V. Campos
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade pointed out that the senators themselves were the ones who signed and approved the budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). “I’ll tell you, they are stupid if they want to do this,”
Mayor Francisco Domagoso
CAVITE Governor Jonvic Remulla ridiculed Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso Friday for saying the former's provincial government had not helped Manileños who relocated in the town of Naic. Domagoso, also known by his screen name as Isko Moreno, had lamented that some 1,000 families from Manila did not receive cash aid for the pandemic after relocating to the government's housing program in Cavite. Remulla addressed the Manila mayor “Yorme” – the latter's pet name – in his social media post that many were aware of his presidential ambitions, and while he Next page
Pinoy priests capitalize on Tiktok craze AFTER delivering sermons and visiting slums, priest Fiel Pareja tends to his Gen-Z flock on TikTok, creating videos of himself praying, dancing and lip-syncing Christian pop music for 1.6 million followers. As the coronavirus pandemic forced places of worship to close across the Catholic-majority Next page
Governor Jonvic Remulla
PhilHealth gets IATF okay on payment scheme By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has allowed the implementation Next page