01:08.9
It would be a disaster for the Philippines not to recognize the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction.
01:16.0
That warning coming from ICC Assistant to Counsel, Attorney Christina Conti.
01:21.1
Conti says President Marcus Jr.'s mind may still be changed by the legal briefing,
01:27.2
the Justice Department is preparing.
01:29.7
Marcus has consistently maintained the Philippines will not cooperate with the ICC probe into former President Duterte's bloody war on drugs.
01:38.8
It will be a wet paper for the Philippines.
01:41.3
It may be questionable, we may be laughing.
01:45.0
If we don't recognize a decision of the International Court,
01:49.4
while we are very close to a violation of the International Tribunal in the West Philippine Sea,
01:57.2
If it's not in our favor, we don't want to do it or we won't join it.
02:01.3
That's the worst thing for the international community.
02:04.1
Senator Ronald de la Rosa is unfazed by the Justice Department's actions.
02:09.1
It's normal for them if they want to do their job.
02:12.7
If they want to do their input, they can do it.
02:17.8
There's no problem.
02:19.3
That's why there are options.
02:21.3
It's just in case.
02:24.4
If that's the case,
02:27.2
There are no options available to the President.
02:32.8
The senator also says he will reveal in due time
02:36.3
his upperclassman at the Philippine Military Academy
02:39.2
who is trying to convince police officers to testify against him and Duterte at the ICC.
02:46.4
He himself is the one who convinces the PNP officials
02:53.9
to testify against us,
02:56.3
us, President Duterte,
02:57.2
and Vice President Sara Duterte at the A40.
03:02.8
They will testify against us at the ICC.
03:07.5
Their A40 is well-funded.
03:10.0
There's a lot of money at the back.
03:11.2
NCR Police Office Chief Major General Jose Nartate says
03:15.6
they are not aware of police officers cooperating with the ICC investigation.
03:21.2
We are not monitoring who participates in the ICC.
03:24.6
And so far as if there are,
03:27.2
there has been a pronouncement with regards to coordination with the ICC.
03:33.1
And it was said that it's a policy that nobody will,
03:39.8
no one will coordinate, meaning positively coordinate with the ICC.
03:44.6
The ICC probe, according to Conti, may involve retired Police General Oscar Albayalde,
03:51.4
who was one of the police chiefs under the Duterte administration.
03:55.7
Albayalde, for his part, said,
03:57.2
as he's ready to face any possible charges against him.
04:01.5
He notes, he's grateful that Marcos Jr. has not allowed the ICC in the country.
04:07.3
We will not hide anything there.
04:09.4
And all of our operations, all of them are above board.
04:13.7
We hope for our President, BBM,
04:16.4
that I think it will not continue because I said,
04:21.4
he's saying it over and over again that the force cannot enter.
04:27.2
We have our own justice here in the Philippines.
04:31.5
Former Philippine Senator and Duterte critic Antonio Trillanes earlier claimed
04:36.2
the ICC investigators were able to talk to dozens of police officers.
04:42.0
Meantime, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva says
04:45.7
they will study if their chamber's concurrence is needed
04:49.7
if the country rejoins the international body.
04:57.2
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. belittles
05:00.3
a former anti-narcotics agent who linked him to illegal drug use.
05:05.5
The President spoke during a visit to General Santos City.
05:08.5
He dismissed the Senate testimony of former PIDEA agent Jonathan Morales
05:13.4
who claimed leaked anti-drug documents implicated the President
05:17.4
and actress Maricel Soriano.
05:23.5
It's hard to give importance.
05:27.2
this fellow is a professional liar.
05:30.5
And it's like a joke box.
05:32.7
If you fall, as long as you fall, you'll get money.
05:35.3
No matter what song you want to sing, he'll sing.
05:37.2
It's all about the music.
05:39.9
Senator Ronald De La Rosa says his Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs
05:44.6
will hold another hearing on the matter.
05:50.3
Philippine President Marcos Jr. sees no need for a loyalty check
05:54.2
in the country's security forces.
05:57.2
in response to a claim by former Senator Sonny Trillanes
06:00.2
that some police and military officers were plotting to overthrow the government,
06:05.0
Marcos Jr. believes it's possible some retired police officials
06:08.0
may be working against him.
06:10.3
But he says the involvement of active duty officials has not been monitored.
06:15.2
The President urged the police and military to remain true to their mandate.
06:21.4
I don't know what loyalty is.
06:23.7
What can you say to people?
06:25.6
Are you loyal to me?
06:26.7
Of course I'm loyal to you, even if he's not loyal to you.
06:29.9
But let's look at the records.
06:32.3
Even if you didn't vote for me, it's okay with me.
06:35.5
As long as you're a professional, do your job properly.
06:38.6
That's all I ask of the police and all the enforcement.
06:45.1
The Ombudsman orders grant charges to be filed against former Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III
06:52.0
and former Undersecretary of the Budget Department's Procurement Service,
06:58.0
The Ombudsman ruled Duque and Lau are guilty of grave misconduct
07:01.9
and ordered the forfeiture of all their retirement benefits
07:05.6
and perpetual disqualification from public service.
07:09.5
This stems from the alleged pandemic supply deal
07:12.2
secured by formerly pharmaceutical corporation during the Duterte administration.
07:17.8
Duque's legal counsel told ANC they plan to pursue all available legal avenues
07:23.0
to contest the Ombudsman's decision.
07:26.7
...maintains all facts and evidence point to Duque's innocence.
07:32.5
The Philippine National Security Advisor called for sanctions on Chinese diplomats in Manila.
07:38.6
Secretary Eduardo Año issued a statement after the Chinese embassy
07:42.3
allegedly made an illegal recording of a phone conversation
07:46.1
with a senior Philippine military official.
07:49.0
Año accused the Chinese embassy of repeatedly spreading disinformation and misinformation.
07:54.5
He echoed remarks by...
07:56.7
...government agencies that the Chinese embassy is out to sow division among Filipinos.
08:02.1
Año insists the embassy's actions are a breach of international relations and diplomacy.
08:08.9
A Filipino-Chinese business group is worried stricter visa policies
08:14.1
against Chinese nationals may deter Chinese investors.
08:18.3
The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry also warns
08:23.0
the move could lead to a drop in visiting Chinese tourists.
08:26.7
The Philippine Foreign Affairs Department earlier said
08:29.9
it is working on a visa policy that would require applicants to submit
08:34.3
a social insurance certificate on top of other necessary documents.
08:39.6
Undersecretary Jesus Gary Domingo says the move is part of the agency's efforts
08:44.2
to crack down on crimes linked to offshore gaming operations.
08:50.2
There's been a lot of attention and we have to strike now.
08:53.7
Of course, it's a lot of hard work.
08:56.7
But I'm glad that we have the full cooperation of our colleagues in the other agencies
09:00.2
and of course our foreign service posts, even the government of China is helping.
09:04.0
I'm confident with our spirit of cooperation we could make a big dent on this criminality.
09:10.7
The Philippines and the U.S. set their sights on next year's joint military drills
09:15.8
as they officially conclude the 2024 Balikatan exercises.
09:21.0
Bianca Dawa tells us both sides are gearing up to conduct a full-scale mock battle
09:25.5
in the upcoming exercises.
09:26.7
The 2024 Balikatan exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines
09:34.1
and the United States Armed Forces officially closed on Friday.
09:38.9
By virtue of the authority vested in me as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
09:45.4
I hereby declare the Philippines-United States Balikatan exercise 39-2024 close effective this date.
09:56.7
After the closing ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City,
10:01.8
the planning for next year's joint military drills immediately started.
10:05.7
I believe that next year's exercise will be more complex.
10:12.2
I was told that starting this afternoon,
10:16.7
they will already start the planning process for next year's Balikatan exercise.
10:22.0
Defense Secretary Gilberto Chudoro Jr. said
10:25.0
the 2025 Balikatan exercise will be more complex.
10:26.7
Balikatan will simulate a full-scale battle
10:28.8
which will test the capabilities of the two countries
10:31.8
in the most realistic scenarios.
10:34.5
He looks forward to next year's exercise
10:37.2
which will be the, I believe, the full battle simulation
10:42.4
which will put to the test
10:45.8
the combined capabilities
10:48.5
in the most realistic of scenarios possible
10:52.6
with safety in mind.
10:54.2
Balikatan Exercise Director Major
10:56.7
Gen. Marvin Licudini said
10:58.3
the full battle test will be a more demanding exercise.
11:01.9
The full battle test would be a more demanding exercise.
11:08.8
The challenges as an exercise will be more elevated.
11:14.1
It would require a better force integration.
11:18.3
An integration that would be simple.
11:21.3
One of the highlights of this year's drills
11:23.4
was its first ever multilateral maritime exercise,
11:26.7
which was participated in for the first time
11:29.6
by the French Navy.
11:31.3
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. noted the importance
11:34.0
of joint maritime drills
11:35.6
with the country's allies and partners
11:37.8
saying these will help guarantee peace and stability
11:40.9
in the West Philippine Sea.
11:42.9
It's a big thing because this is the only way
11:46.7
to guarantee that the West Philippine Sea
11:51.8
will continue the so-called freedom of navigation
11:55.2
and the security of the sea.
11:56.2
It's a big thing because this is the only way
11:56.7
to guarantee peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea.
11:57.0
It's a big thing because this is the only way
11:57.0
to guarantee peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea.
11:57.0
And there are a lot of things happening there
11:58.1
and the so-called global economy is growing
12:03.6
and it needs to be ready for the global economy
12:06.9
to be ready for the place of the West Philippine Sea.
12:14.5
Balikatan 2024 also included
12:17.1
the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System
12:19.5
or High Mars Infiltration Exercise,
12:23.1
Counter Landing Live Fire Exercise,
12:26.7
and Maritime Strike
12:28.6
where Filipino and American troops
12:30.9
worked together to sink a mock enemy vessel
12:34.0
the decommissioned BRP Lake Kaliraya
12:36.2
off the coast of Lawag City in Ilocos Norte.
12:39.7
A U.S. military official expressed confidence
12:42.2
that the intensified Balikatan this year
12:44.8
will deter enemies from using force
12:47.2
against sovereign nations.
12:49.3
Balikatan 24 has directly built
12:52.4
warfighting readiness for all.
12:54.0
It has enhanced tactics, techniques,
12:56.7
and procedures across a wide range
12:59.1
of military operations.
13:00.9
It should also give pause to any adversary
13:03.1
who does not believe in a free and open Pacific,
13:06.9
who does not believe in transparency,
13:09.4
who does not seek peaceful resolution,
13:11.3
but would seek to use force to impose their will
13:14.6
on other sovereign nations.
13:17.8
With over 16,700 participants,
13:20.8
this year's Balikatan was the biggest edition
13:23.1
of the exercise in terms of scale and complexity.
13:26.7
Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News.
13:32.6
Manila's top diplomat Enrique Manalo
13:35.0
says Canada is expected to propose
13:37.3
a status of forces agreement with the Philippines.
13:40.7
Manalo is on a five-day visit to Canada
13:43.2
to mark 75 years of diplomatic ties
13:46.2
between Manila and Ottawa.
13:48.4
The security deal with Canada would be made
13:50.6
as Philippine vessels come under Chinese aggression
13:53.5
in the West Philippine Sea.
13:55.0
A status of force,
13:56.7
which would enable Canadian troops
13:59.2
to visit the Philippines
14:00.4
and participate in joint military drills.
14:04.0
Philippine Defense Chief Gilbert Chodoro
14:06.0
had hinted of a possible visiting forces agreement
14:09.0
since January when both countries signed
14:11.9
a Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation.
14:16.9
We, of course, are open to that proposal.
14:19.9
I suppose if there is such an arrangement,
14:22.4
it would be similar to the ones we have with Australia.
14:26.7
The US probably focusing a lot on humanitarian assistance
14:31.9
and also responses to natural disasters.
14:39.2
Philippine President Marcus Jr.
14:41.5
endorses his former presidential rival,
14:45.3
for the 2025 senatorial race.
14:48.1
He spoke during a visit Friday
14:49.6
to Pacquiao's hometown in General Santos City.
14:53.0
Pacquiao has confirmed plans
14:54.4
to run in the senatorial ticket
14:56.1
of the President's Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.
14:59.0
The former world boxing champion and senator
15:01.6
placed third in the 2022 presidential race.
15:06.5
The Philippine Reclamation Authority
15:08.9
links up with several government agencies
15:11.3
for poverty alleviation projects in coastal communities.
15:15.6
It signed a Memorandum of Understanding
15:17.8
with the National Anti-Poverty Commission,
15:20.5
the Pasay City Government,
15:21.8
and the League of Provinces.
15:23.7
The projects aim to boost economic opportunities
15:26.1
for local fisherfolk.
15:28.4
The projects were announced days after two groups
15:31.3
filed an administrative complaint
15:33.1
against the PRA and the Environment Department.
15:36.6
Pamalakaya and the Calicasan People's Network
15:38.9
claim reclamation and dredging projects
15:41.3
have disrupted the traditional livelihood
15:43.7
of local coastal communities along Manila Bay.
15:47.5
Meanwhile, the Philippine House Panel
15:49.3
on Government Enterprises
15:50.6
held an ocular inspection of Manila Bay.
15:53.5
It is studying proposals to create
15:55.4
a Manila Bay Development Authority
15:57.6
that will monitor the implementation
15:59.8
of a Supreme Court order
16:01.6
to clean and rehabilitate Manila Bay.
16:06.5
Up next, Israel's Prime Minister
16:08.7
hopes he can overcome his differences
16:11.1
with Washington on Israel's Gaza offensive.
16:14.5
The World Tonight returns after a short break.
16:25.4
We'll be right back.
16:55.4
We'll be right back.
17:25.4
We're back on The World Tonight.
17:35.1
Iran has freed one of four Filipino crewmen
17:38.1
of a ship it seized last month.
17:40.4
The Philippine Foreign Affairs Department
17:41.9
says the crewman of the MSC Ares
17:44.1
was due to arrive in Manila Friday.
17:46.7
It thanked India for helping to secure his release.
17:49.9
The Philippine Migrant Workers Department
17:51.5
says it continues to work for the release
17:53.7
of the remaining three Filipinos.
17:55.4
The MSC Ares was seized
17:57.4
by Iran's Revolutionary Guards
17:59.2
after an alleged Israeli attack
18:01.3
on Tehran's consulate in Syria.
18:10.3
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
18:13.3
is optimistic he and U.S. President Joe Biden
18:16.7
can iron out their differences
18:18.3
over his country's war
18:20.3
against Hamas militants in Gaza.
18:22.8
Biden had warned Israel
18:24.4
that Washington's military
18:25.4
would stop supplying weapons
18:27.3
if Israeli forces push through
18:29.8
with the major invasion of Rafah City.
18:32.4
But Netanyahu remains defiant,
18:34.7
saying Israel will fight its war alone
18:38.4
The Israeli leader also revealed plans
18:40.6
for Gaza after the war.
18:44.0
We'll probably have to have
18:45.7
some kind of civilian government,
18:48.9
civilian administration
18:50.3
by Gazans who are not committed
18:53.9
to our destruction.
18:55.4
Possibly, I think,
18:56.4
with the aid of the United Arab Emirates,
19:01.6
Saudi Arabia and other countries
19:03.1
that I think want to see
19:04.7
stability and peace.
19:07.4
But we'll go to have to have
19:09.0
Israel continually root out terrorists.
19:15.1
The Israeli military, meanwhile,
19:17.4
said they have enough weapons
19:19.3
for their operations in Rafah.
19:23.8
U.S. President Biden,
19:25.4
is reportedly set to impose
19:27.0
new tariffs on imports from China.
19:29.9
Unnamed sources cited by Reuters
19:31.8
says the new levies
19:33.2
will cover Chinese electric vehicles,
19:35.6
semiconductors and solar equipment.
19:38.3
The tariffs are expected
19:39.3
to be announced by Tuesday.
19:41.4
The measures could invite retaliation
19:43.2
from China amid heightened tensions
19:45.2
between the world's two biggest economies.
19:49.2
The lawyer of former U.S. President
19:51.7
Donald Trump tried to show
19:53.4
inconsistencies in the testimony
19:55.4
of porn star Stormy Daniels
19:57.3
about her 2006 sexual encounter
20:00.9
But Daniels stuck to her account.
20:03.4
Trump's lawyer also failed to convince
20:05.4
Judge Juan Merchan to relax
20:07.5
a gag order on Trump.
20:09.5
The 77-year-old Trump has pleaded
20:11.6
not guilty to 34 counts
20:13.6
of falsifying business records
20:15.3
to cover up his $130,000
20:18.4
payment to Daniels.
20:20.2
The money is in exchange
20:21.8
for her silence about her encounter
20:24.1
ahead of the 2016 election.
20:25.4
U.S. presidential election.
20:29.6
Ukraine's president fires
20:31.4
his chief security officer.
20:33.6
The move by Volodymyr Zelensky
20:35.1
comes after two of his bodyguards
20:37.2
were detained over an alleged Russian plot
20:39.4
to assassinate him.
20:41.2
Russia has targeted Zelensky
20:42.7
since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.
20:46.0
The Ukraine president says
20:47.3
he is aware of at least five or six
20:49.5
foiled assassination plots
20:55.4
The Philippine Environment Department
21:01.8
bears its plans to boost
21:03.6
the mining sector's contribution
21:05.2
to the country's economy.
21:07.0
Rafael Bosano reports.
21:10.4
With a growing demand
21:12.0
for electronic vehicles
21:13.2
and green energy,
21:14.8
the Philippine Environment Department
21:16.2
says this is the perfect time
21:18.4
for the country to leverage its status
21:20.3
as one of the world's most mineral-rich
21:22.7
nations to drive economic growth.
21:25.4
In a mining summit on Friday,
21:27.4
Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Layzaga
21:29.7
explained that maximizing the country's
21:31.8
vast mineral resources
21:33.0
can only happen if government ensures
21:35.9
that systems and processes
21:39.5
Significantly, we are committing
21:41.4
to explore the possibility as well
21:43.3
of parallel processing of permits
21:45.6
and approvals by different
21:47.5
government agencies.
21:49.8
According to the DENR,
21:51.5
from 2020 to 2022,
21:53.8
the agency released a total of
21:55.4
34 exploration permits
21:57.0
and mineral production sharing agreements.
22:00.0
This figure is said to have increased
22:03.4
during the Marcos administration.
22:06.0
The DENR also assures the public
22:08.3
it will not sacrifice
22:09.8
the welfare of communities
22:11.2
and cultural considerations
22:12.7
in their drive for efficiency.
22:15.3
What we are doing is working
22:16.7
with the NCCA now
22:19.7
to actually classify the types of sites
22:22.4
in order for us to put the required
22:25.4
mitigation or intervention
22:26.6
that would be needed
22:29.0
in order to preserve and protect these areas.
22:31.5
So it's very much a work in progress
22:33.0
but we now have that as part of the ECC process
22:36.0
and that's the first time
22:37.7
that we actually have had it
22:39.0
in the application.
22:41.1
National Economic Development Authority
22:43.1
Secretary Arsenio Balisacan says
22:45.1
government has yet to fully take advantage
22:47.8
of the mining sector
22:48.9
as it only contributed 0.5%
22:51.6
to the country's gross domestic product
22:55.4
Employment in this sector
22:58.5
The plan, the PDP,
23:04.6
the mining sector
23:06.4
as another pillar
23:10.0
for our development.
23:13.8
we have to ensure that
23:15.0
we have learned our lessons
23:19.0
Our mining activities
23:20.9
must not be destructive,
23:25.3
the needs of the people.
23:25.4
We must have international
23:29.6
to good governance
23:30.4
and that it must also benefit
23:35.8
the value of the extracted raw materials
23:37.8
can be further increased
23:39.2
by processing them
23:40.4
before they are sold.
23:43.1
the country generated
23:44.1
160 billion pesos
23:45.8
in the production of copper,
23:49.2
The DENR sees the huge potential
23:51.2
in the mining sector
23:52.3
in contributing to the economy
23:54.0
which is why countries
23:56.4
the United States,
23:58.8
China and the European Union
24:00.5
have expressed interest
24:03.2
particularly for nickel.
24:05.2
Currently, the Philippines
24:06.2
has only two nickel processing plants
24:08.4
but government plans
24:09.9
to put up three more.
24:17.0
on the Philippine Stock Exchange Friday
24:20.2
over the country's inflation
24:21.8
and economic growth.
24:23.5
Details in this report.
24:25.3
Most Asian markets
24:28.0
ended the trading week
24:29.1
on a positive note
24:30.1
with initial jobless claims
24:32.0
in the U.S. up in April
24:33.6
strengthening hopes
24:36.0
by the Federal Reserve.
24:40.6
that the U.S. could unveil
24:42.4
as soon as next week
24:43.8
a plan to impose tariffs
24:45.5
in strategic sectors
24:46.8
including electric vehicles.
24:50.4
Philippine shares further slide
24:51.9
capping a data-heavy week
24:53.9
that ended with markets
24:56.0
on first quarter growth.
24:59.7
to the stock market
25:01.9
first public listing this year
25:03.5
by Oceana Gold Philippines.
25:05.9
MSCI rebalancing results follow
25:09.6
the policy decision
25:10.6
of the Philippine Central Bank.
25:12.7
The impetus really
25:13.7
for people to spend more
25:17.7
is really the rate cut.
25:19.6
So we'll see next week.
25:20.7
But on the other hand,
25:23.5
it might be a slow one.
25:25.1
If ever it happens,
25:26.5
it might be delayed.
25:27.7
I hope it's not delayed
25:28.5
because that's really the crux.
25:30.2
If that doesn't happen
25:31.2
by July, September,
25:34.0
then our GDP numbers
25:36.4
will be on the pessimistic side.
25:38.1
In corporate stories,
25:40.4
booked 6.2 billion pesos
25:42.2
in revenues in the first quarter.
25:44.3
This was higher by 31%
25:45.8
on upbeat performance
25:47.4
across its business segments.
25:49.7
The Vismin developer says
25:50.9
the strong showing
25:51.8
pushed its net income
25:53.3
attributable to parent,
25:55.1
8 to 978 million pesos.
25:59.1
27 billion pesos worth of projects
26:01.2
are in the pipeline,
26:02.9
including its first project
26:04.5
in General Santos
26:05.5
and more land acquisitions
26:08.8
As for Integrated Microelectronics,
26:13.9
in quarterly revenues.
26:16.0
This was partly due
26:16.8
to its unloading of shares
26:18.0
in its British subsidiary, STI.
26:21.2
The Ayala-led firm, however,
26:22.8
says cost rationalization efforts,
26:25.1
mitigated the drop in revenues.
26:28.1
Net loss also stood
26:34.9
The iconic five-star hotel
26:37.6
Sofitel Philippine Plaza
26:39.4
is closing after nearly five decades.
26:42.9
It will cease operations on July 1st.
26:45.7
The hotel says the move
26:46.9
is part of its commitment
26:48.2
to provide guests
26:49.5
with the best possible experience.
26:52.0
Sofitel says it will honor
26:53.5
its remaining engagements
26:54.6
and reservations.
26:55.1
Until the end of June.
26:59.0
Former Philippine Senator
27:01.9
and his actress wife,
27:04.4
filed a cyber libel complaint
27:06.5
against showbiz columnist
27:10.4
Fermin's reports in January
27:12.1
and in March and September last year
27:14.4
subjected them to humiliation
27:18.1
They did not specify
27:19.1
the allegedly libelous statements
27:22.1
in her YouTube show.
27:24.6
facing libel complaints
27:26.0
comes with the territory.
27:29.5
Our final word tonight
27:31.1
is a quote from Moliere.
27:33.7
It is not only what we do,
27:35.7
but also what we do not do
27:37.4
for which we are accountable.
27:41.8
And that is The World Tonight,
27:43.7
the 10th of May, 2024.
27:46.0
I'm Pia Gutierrez.
27:47.1
I'm Tony Velasquez
27:48.0
from the Philippines.
27:54.6
Thank you for watching!
