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| 27 JULY 2007 | . | |
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| 27 JULY 2007 | . | |
| 40th AMM to tackle energy security, avian flu scourge |
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said Thursday that the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will tackle regional cooperation in energy security, the rights of migrant workers, disaster mitigation and the avian flu scourge when they meet from July 29 to Aug. 2 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). In a press briefing at the International Media Center at the PICC, Romulo said the four regional concerns top the agenda of the 40th ASEAN Ministers Meeting (AMM). The four topics were initially discussed during the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu last January, and "these important things, and related matters would be pursued by the ASEAN foreign ministers" in the Manila meetings, Romulo said. "We will have here in Manila the declaration or creation of this Migrant Workers Committee in preparation for the establishment, hopefully in Singapore, of a convention on the promotion of the rights of migrant workers," Romulo said. The Philippines, this year’s ASEAN chair, will turn over the chairmanship of the regional grouping to Singapore in November. Attending the AMM are the foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN member countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia. Some 750 dignitaries from ASEAN and its dialogue partners are expected to attend the 40th AMM. |
| Nuclear non-proliferation tops AMM agenda -- Romulo |
| Foreign Affairs
Secretary Alberto G. Romulo stressed today that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation,
an important Philippine agenda, will figure prominently in the ASEAN senior officials
meetings now ongoing at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) preparatory
to the 40TH ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) that formally opens here July 29. In a statement, Romulo, chairman of the 40th AMM, said that the scourge of nuclear weapons must be eliminated to ensure regional and global security. "The emergence of possible non-state actors that might be eager to resort to the threat or use of nuclear weapons, highlights the seriousness of this problem," he said. "For the Philippines, our national policy is clearly enshrined in our Constitution, that of freedom from nuclear weapons," he added. A total of 27 countries, including the world's big powers, will be attending the 40th AMM, the Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMCs) and the 14th ASEAN Regional Forum. Romulo said that several topics with a nuclear dimension are to be taken up during the meetings. "The liberation of the Korean peninsula from nuclear weapons, as well as the nuclear issues involving Iran, will be taken up in our meetings," he said. On the Korean peninsula issue, Romulo said that the Philippines offer for the members of the Six-Party Talks to hold a meeting in Manila at the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings remains. "As we will be discussing issues relating to non-proliferation, this will provide an appropriate context within which we can urge the states that have not yet done so, to accede to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), as the Philippines has already done," Romulo said. "Aside from promoting nuclear non-proliferation, the CTBT can also be an important instrument in monitoring naturally-occurring seismic incidents like earthquakes and tsunamis," he added. Under the CTBT, seismic stations are set up in the territory of state parties to monitor nuclear tests around the world. These stations can also monitor other seismic events. According to Romulo, another important meeting will be the historic first gathering of the Commission for the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone. Romulo will chair this meeting. "During this meeting, we will chart the future course in implementing the SEANWFZ Treaty through the adoption of a Plan of Action," Romulo said, adding that "the SEANWFZ Treaty entered into force in 1997 and all ASEAN states are parties to the treaty." "Part of ASEAN's advocacy in the meetings here in Manila is to encourage the five nuclear weapons states to adhere to the Protocol of the SEANWFZ or Bangkok Treaty," Romulo said, referring to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the United States, China, Great Britain, Russia, and France. Romulo said that nuclear weapons-free zones are important tools in promoting nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. "Significantly, I will also be chairing the Ministerial Meeting of the Southwest Pacific Dialogue. This brings together some members of the Bangkok Treaty (Philippines, Indonesia) and the Treaty of Rarotonga or the South Pacific Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea). We will of course discuss the importance of continuing to work for nuclear disarmament," Romulo said. The DFA chief, who will also chair the ASEAN Regional Forum, said that aside from discussing nuclear issues, the participants will adopt an ARF Statement on the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540. The Philippines was a member of the UN Security Council when Resolution 1540 was adopted. "We must continue to implement Resolution 1540 in order to ensure that weapons of mass destruction do not spread, and that non-state actors are denied access to weapons of mass destruction or to materials that can be used to produce these weapons," Romulo said. |
| APT to discuss 2 vital documents in Manila meet |
Progress in the drafting of two documents vital to the Asian region are expected to be discussed in the 8th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting on Tuesday (July 31) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). In that meeting, foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, Japan and South Korea would take a closer look at the 2nd Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation and the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan for 2007-2017. The two documents are scheduled for adoption at the 11th ASEAN Plus Three Summit on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Accord. The annual ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting provides an opportunity for the foreign ministers of the 10-member ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea to exchange views on regional and international issues, review the state of ASEAN Plus Three dialogue relations and provide directives and guidance for its future decision. ASEAN Plus Three countries have demonstrated their solidarity in addressing the threat posed by terrorism and other transnational crimes. The first ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime was held on Jan. 10, 2004 in Bangkok where the ministers adopted the concept plan to address transnational crimes in eight areas, namely terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, sea piracy, arms smuggling, money laundering, international economic crime and cyber crime. Specific work programs have been developed in the eight areas of the concept plan for joint cooperation. Each of the area is led by an "engine country" from ASEAN and supported by Plus Three countries. Bilateral trading arrangements between ASEAN and the three countries will serve as the building blocks for a possible establishment of an East Asia Free Trade Area (EAFTA) in the future. In financial cooperation, regional financing arrangement called the Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI) has been put in place. It consists of an expanded ASEAN Swap Arrangement (ASA) and a network of bilateral swap arrangements (BSAs) among ASEAN member countries, including China, Japan and South Korea. By enhancing the effectiveness of the CMI, substantive progress has been made in developing the Asian Bond Market Initiative (ABMI). |
| ASEAN: 40 years after |
| When the five-day
40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) opens at the Philippine International Convention
Center (PICC) on Sunday (July 29), the regional grouping will be only 11 days shy of its
40th anniversary on Aug. 8 this year. From the original five, ASEAN now has 10 members, comprising all the countries in Southeast Asia. Although the member countries have different political and ideological orientations, ASEAN has one unifying objective: to promote peace and stability in the region. ASEAN was established on Aug. 8, 1967 at the height of the Cold War by the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand during their historic meeting in Bangkok where they signed the ASEAN Declaration, now known as the Bangkok Declaration. Those who signed the landmark declaration were Indonesian Foreign Minister Adam Malik, Malaysian Foreign Minister Tun Abdul Razak, Philippine Foreign Secretary Narciso R. Ramos, Singapore Foreign Minister S. Rajaratnam and Thai Foreign Minister Thanat Khoman. The five were dubbed as the organization's Founding Fathers. Following is the joint communiqué issued after the First ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok on Aug. 8, 1967: Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on Jan. 8, 1984. Four other nations later joined the group in succession: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. At the outset, ASEAN's aim was to promote economic cooperation and the welfare of its people, including social and cultural development. ASEAN was also formed to safeguard the political and economic stability of the region which has a population of about 600 million and an area of 4,465,500 square kilometers and an estimated gross domestic product of US$2.755 trillion. The cohesiveness of ASEAN has been further strengthened when it adopted the theme, "One Caring and Sharing Community" during the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu last January 2007. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said the Philippines is ready to host the ministerial meetings. "At the invitation of the Government of Thailand, the Presidium Minister for Political Affairs/Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the Deputy Prime of Malaysia, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand met in Bangsaen and Bangkok from August 5 to 8, 1967, and after fruitful discussions, 1. Adopted the ASEAN Declaration of August 8, 1967, announcing the formation
of the Association of South East Asian Nations. |
| Marching Order Out PGMA to PNP and AFP: Go and get killers of Marine soldiers in Basilan |
ZAMBOANGA CITY – "Go and get the killers of the Marine soldiers in Basilan." This was the marching order of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) when she presided over the top-level conference of all military and police officials of Mindanao this morning at the Mansion House of the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) in Camp General Navarro here. AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. revealed the President’s directive in a press briefing at the VIP Lounge of Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) right after the President flew back to Manila. "The President ordered us, the AFP and PNP, to carry out full blast operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan, as warranted," Esperon said. He said the full blast operations starts Tuesday after the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities completed its investigation on the July 10, 2007 ambush of the Marine soldiers in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan. Esperon said since the investigation of the JCCCH will be completed in three days from now, the plan of action is hold-off`up to Monday. Esperon said the PNP shall take the lead role in effecting the arrest of the perpetrators while the AFP is limited only as back-up force. In the command conference, he said, the President approved the emergency procurement of mortar tubes and ammunition, to include the speeding up of the procurement of individual force protection device (armored vests) for the frontline soldiers. He explained that the additional mortar will be used by the AFP as part of the upgrading of its armory. The President also approved the creation of joint Task Force Thunder under Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban and the activation of the 105th Infantry Brigade under Col. Noel Caballes, both to be stationed in Basilan. Esperon revealed that the creation of JTF Thunder is to complement JTF Comet stationed in Sulu, to ensure the security of the Basilan-Sulu-Tawi-Tawi island group. Defense Officer-in-Charge and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said the government still gives top priority to the ongoing peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but this would not bar punitive action against those who ambushed, beheaded and mutilated the soldiers. "This barbaric act has no place not only in Mindanao but in the entire country. There will be no amnesty for beheaders, this time and even in the future," Gonzales said as he condemned the incident in Basilan where 14 Marine soldiers were brutally killed in an ambush by the MILF renegade troops and ASG bandits. On his part, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza assured that all local government units in Mindanao will stand to support the proposed plan of action of the military to finally stop the hostilities and barbaric acts of lawless elements in the region. "The LGUs are in the frontline now. They are helping us in verifying information on who is the perpetrators and they already informed us that they will assist us in the servicing of the court order against the suspects," he said. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Subject: Clarification |
The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) article entitled "Mining out of DENR; now under GMA office" (27 July 2007) is misleading in that it gives the impression that all mining concerns have been transferred from DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) to the Office of the President. The text of EO 636 clearly states that it is the Philippine Mining Development Corporation, a government-owned and controlled corporation, that is being transferred to the Office of the President. There has been no change in DENR's mandate on mining matters. |
| PGMA launches Zambo airport runway improvement project |
ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo launched today Phase 2 of the P64-million Zamboanga City International Airport runway improvement project and visited at a military hospital here the Philippine Marine soldiers who were wounded in the ambush and encounter in Basilan and Sulu last July 10 and 17, respectively. In a simple ceremony held at the runway in front of Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB)), the President lowered the time capsule signaling the start of the asphalting of Phase 2 of the project. Transportation and Communications Assistant Secretary for Planning Elmer Soneja said asphalting the airport runway is one of the priority projects of the President in Zamboanga City. The Phase 2 project is 960 meters long and 45 meters wide. "The improvement and upgrading of the Zamboanga City International Airport is one of the priority projects of the President that was not mentioned in her State of the Nation Address (SONA)," Soneja said. He said the total budget for the rehabilitation and upgrading of Zamboanga City Airport is P100 million. The project will be completed next year. The President also visited Camp Navarro General Hospital after she presided over the Joint AFP-PNP Command Conference held in Zamboanga City for a wide-ranging assessment of the security and peace and order situation in Mindanao. During her visit to the hospital, the President awarded the Wounded Personnel Medal to Private First Class (PFC) Jeremy Francis Ymbol. She also handed over a P50,000 financial assistance to the wounded Marine. A member of Marine Battalion Landing Team 5, Ymbol was one of the casualties of the Patikul encounter between the Marines and 50 heavily armed members of the Abu Sayyaf Group. The President also talked to Cpl. Richard dela Cruz, Cpl. Marvin Guazon, Cpl. Christopher Villarin and Pfc Moneth John Daniel, who are also confined in the hospital. The four soldiers were wounded in an encounter with the rebels in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan on July 10. |
