🐟 Keeping the fish, cursin' together

Today's briefing is about "jet ski-dding" and fishing in Philippine waters and why there's no "I love it when we're cursin' together" vibe between the Palace spokesperson and the foreign affairs chief.

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PHILSTAR.COM’S WEEKDAY NEWSLETTER Together with By Camille Diola Good morning. Today's briefing is about "jet ski-dding" and fishing in Philippine waters and why there's no "I love it when we're cursin' together" vibe between the Palace spokesperson and the foreign affairs chief.

1   Keeping the fish, not war Almost everyone saw that leg of the 2016 presidential debates where then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he would mount a jet ski and retake West Philippine Sea reefs from the control of China. It was recorded as the candidate's official position on the longstanding dispute. What went before: Just two months into his term as president, Duterte was handed the Philippines' winning case against the Asian giant on a silver platter. Instead of pressing on to pursue the country's interests in the South China Sea through diplomatic, multilateral channels, the arbitration award was immediately shelved and rarely alluded to by himself and his alter egos. Nobody officially asked for war, but nobody expected sweeping concessions either. The show of goodwill to China was seen as a way to secure its pledges of loans and infrastructure investments. Those remain largely unmet.   The "jet ski" comment on the campaign trail? It was a joke, Duterte said in 2018.   Then, just earlier this week, he said he never made such a promise. Giphy But what could Duterte have done? There are more than a few ways to fish and such in Philippine waters that do not involve conflict, it turns out. G7 meeting: In the so-called West, meanwhile, foreign ministers of wealthy democracies looked to build a solid, law-based front toward China.   2   Cursin' together China, as expected, took exception to Foreign Affairs Secretary Locin's Twitter profanity to say "microphone diplomacy" undermines trust without changing the facts. “It is hoped that relevant people in the Philippines will comply with basic etiquette and their position when making remarks," China's foreign ministry said. What's being said: Malacañang was quick to say Locsin apologized to Beijing for the remark. Locsin later qualified that he only apologized to his "friend" Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi alone.   The Palace also noted an exception. While the foreign secretary isn't allowed to hurl expletives, his boss can. "Only the president can curse, no one else can copy him," Duterte's spokesperson said. What's not being said: All officials are expected to observe Republic Act 6713 on the conduct of public officials. It's actually not acceptable for any one of them to resort to profanity. "There is accountability because if you look at the declaration of policies under Section 2, nakalagay po diyan it is the policy of the state to promote a high standard of ethics in public service," Civil Service Commissioner Aileen Lizada once said*.

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OBITUARY Ricky Lo, 75 I often visited the library as a high school student to take a break from athletic training and council meetings. There, I'd pick up the day's copy of The STAR despite not having an interest in politics or economics. I had at least one column in mind: Ricky Lo's. I marveled at how at ease celebrities were as they opened up to him and how he was often first to get details of what would become the talk of the town. Later, as a young reporter for the newspaper's digital counterpart, Philstar.com, I had the chance to meet Mr. Lo for the first and last time to ask him what he thought of an Android tablet he had that I was writing a review of. He would be remembered not only for his scoops, columns, television hosting or his long career as an entertainment news editor. His colleagues and those who knew him well described him as "generous" and "kind." And during that brief moment with him, I observed the same.

ELSEWHERE ON PHILSTAR.COM A Filipino-Norwegian chef found himself at the receiving end of criticisms after saying on a Norway TV show that Filipino food is "very bad." jumpman23 on Instagram Kiefer Ravena, an NLEX guard, became the newest athlete and first Filipino to join the iconic Jordan Brand. Anti-terror law arguments: Justices zeroed in on provisions allowing long detention without an arrest warrant. Debold Sinas, the outgoing police chief, said he lost 72 lbs in five months during his term. Face masks: Do we still need to wear them indoors? Experts explain.   Tweet me your thoughts about today's START or pitch possible topics you'd like us to send out a briefing on. I'd be thrilled to hear from subscribers so don't be shy. 💭 To see the rest of our coverage, visit www.philstar.com. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free. You received this message because you signed up for Philstar.com's daily newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive our emails, unsubscribe here.