News: PH Ayungin trip made it through China blockade

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

PH Ayungin trip made it through China blockade

August 24, 2023

Good day. Here are the most important news stories that you need to know.

PH Ayungin trip made it through despite China blockade try

ABOARD THE BRP CABRA — As a US military surveillance plane circled overhead, eight Chinese ships chased and briefly blocked four Philippine boats on a resupply mission to a tiny garrison in the hotly contested South China Sea. The high seas cat-and-mouse game on Tuesday followed assurances from Chinese coast guard vessels patrolling the waters that the Filipino boats would be allowed to deliver provisions to the remote outpost on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal "in the spirit of humanism."

By Frances Mangosing

QCPD goes after artist behind Marcos effigy burned at Sona

Looks like the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) is going hard on "polluters" — or at least the politically active kind. The resident artist of the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) received a subpoena on Wednesday asking him to appear before the Office of the City Prosecutor to answer a complaint from the QCPD that accused him of causing air pollution.

By Krixia Subingsubing

BLOCKING MANEUVERS Two Chinese coast guard ships corral a Philippine civilian boat chartered by the Philippine Navy to deliver supplies to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, in this photo taken from the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra on Aug. 22. —AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Like this email?

Forward it to your friends and let them know that they can sign up here.

No cuts, please: SC needs P200 million for 'judiciary marshals'

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the assistance of the Senate in reinstating P6.7 billion in planned allotments that Malacañang had slashed from the judiciary's proposed P71.97-billion spending program for 2024. During the budget deliberations presided over by Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, the chair of the finance committee, Supreme Court Administrator Raul Villanueva also asked the senators to augment by at least P150 million the initial funding for the establishment of the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, which was created by Republic Act No. 11691 to protect judges, justices and other court personnel.

By Dexter Cabalza, Marlon Ramos, Tina G. Santos

OPINION

Enforce law on workers' safety

Clearly, DOLE has to step up and exercise its mandate to uphold the rights of workers by using the full force of the law to compel employers to comply with health and safety rules. Like any other law, the OSHS' well-thought-out provisions are only as good as when they are properly, strictly, and consistently enforced.

By Editorial

Try Inquirer Plus.

Inquirer Plus is the digital version of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Register for a 30-day trial for free to get access to Inquirer's fearless reporting, app-exclusive stories, and archives.