Hits and misses for a legal tool to protect the environment in Philippines
by Purple Romero on 28 April 2021
In 2010, the Philippines’ Supreme Court set the provisions for what it calls the “Writ of Kalikasan,” a landmark legal remedy that compels the government to act and halt environmental degradation that impacts more than one municipality.
More than a decade since it was first defined and used in court, the writ has been invoked for various cases, from closing open dumpsites and illegal landfills, to prompting the government to protect important bodies of water like the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.
While many petitions have been approved this way, the rulings haven’t always been implemented by local governments.
Philippine coast guard holds drills in south sea
GUARDING JURISDICTION: Manila has deployed more patrol vessels, including coast guard and navy ships, to intensify surveillance and prevent illegal fishing
AFP, MANILA
The Philippine Coast Guard is conducting drills in the South China Sea, which an official said yesterday were part of efforts to secure “our maritime jurisdiction” over the waters disputed by several countries, including Taiwan.
The coast guard drills near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island (Jhongye Island, 中業島) and China-controlled Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島), both of which are also claimed by Taiwan, come amid heightened tensions over the resource-rich sea.
The latest row between the two nations was triggered by the detection last month of hundreds of Chinese vessels in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), which are also claimed by Taiwan.
obama wages war on Yemen.
The US bombed Yemen three times during the week, claiming that it was a response to missiles fired at the USS Mason by the armed Houthi political opposition faction in Yemen. The Pentagon, however, has now admitted that it s possible no missiles were launched at the US naval warship.
According to a Reuters report on Monday, the Pentagon said it is not sure whether the USS Mason was targeted by missiles launched in Yemen on Saturday.
Moscow Expresses Grave Concern Over Violations of Humanitarian Law, Civilian Deaths in Yemen We are still assessing the situation. There are still some aspects to this that we are trying to clarify for ourselves given the threat the potential threat to our people, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told journalists.
Manila hits Beijing s blatant disregard of South China Sea vow | China News aljazeera.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from aljazeera.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
South China Sea Conflict: Philippines Threatens China with Daily Protests
The Philippines is protesting against Chinese ships anchored at Whitsun Reef. (Image: Free-Photos via Pixabay)
Authorities from the Philippines have warned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that it will file daily diplomatic protests unless China removes the several dozen ships presently occupying Whitsun Reef, which is also known as Julian Felipe Reef in the Philippines. The reef is located within Manila’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The conflict began last month when approximately 220 Chinese ships moored at the Reef on March 7. They did not exhibit any signs of fishing activity. On March 22, Manila filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing over the issue.