US State Department approves sale of armed Scout, Assault and Light Support Boats to the Philippines worth Usd 126 million

The United States (US) State Department has approved the sale of Scout, Assault and Light Support Boats with Armaments and Equipment worth Usd 126 million. 

The breakdown of the Boats are as follows: 

- 36 9m Scout Boats (SB)

- 36 10m Assault Boats (AB)

- 18 16m Light Support Boats (LSB)

The Boat’s Armaments will include:

- 156 M240B 7.62 x 51 mm Machine Guns

- 24 M2A1 .50 caliber Machine Guns

- 36 M134D-M 7.62 x 51mm Gatling guns

China’s Pressure causes Vietnam to cancel Contracts and pay Exploration Companies Usd 1 billion in compensation

Here is another bit of News that the Philippine Press are reluctant or don’t report at all since it is Negative News of Vietnam’s fight against China. If it is the other way around, meaning Positive News of Vietnam going up against China, the Philippine Press will print it immediately. 

That is how they control the narrative or the Story of the News. The narrative now of the Press and the Dilawans is that “Vietnam is standing up to China, and succeeding”. 

Well the facts say otherwise, because due to pressure from China, Vietnam had to cancel the Operations and Contracts of two International Oil Companies, Repsol of Spain and Mubadala of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to explore the South China Sea (SCS) on their behalf. 

US Senators urging the Trump Administration to act on Duterte’s supposed Human Rights abuses

Five United States (US) Senators recently wrote a Letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging the Trump Administration to take action against the Duterte Administration’s supposed Human Rights (HR) abuses.

The Senators are Edward Markey, Patrick Leahy, Richard Durbin, Benjamin Cardin and Jeffrey Merkley and as far as I can remember, at least three of these Senators were also involved before in the calling for the release from Jail of Philippine Senator Leila De Lima. 

Among other things, the Senators mentioned the issues like the Jailing of Senator Leila De Lima, the filing of Charges against Maria Ressa and the enactment of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. 

The Philippines’ supposed “Debt Issue” as of July 2020

The Philippine Press seems determined to lose their credibility these days just for the sake of trying to let the Opposition win in 2022 so their favorite Agendas can again be the Country’s Policies. 

This is evident in issues like the Philippines’ Debt which they try to report at every opportunity and make it appear like the Economy is already in trouble, despite the fact that various international institutions have said otherwise. 

Like the World Bank (WB) itself, for example who specifically said that a 50% Debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the Philippines is still safe.

Sabah is owned by the Philippines – Miriam Defensor Santiago

No less than the late Miriam Defensor Santiago said that Sabah is rightfully owned by the Philippines in her Legal opinion. She said that the Sovereignty over Sabah was vested to the Sultan of Sulu, and the Heirs of the Sultan ceded their Sovereignty of Sabah to the Philippines. 

Miriam also discusses more Technical Law details on why the Philippines has a more solid claim on Sabah than Malaysia in the Article. 

Meanwhile, the China-obsessed and supposed Nationalist Antonio Carpio is strangely silent about the issue of Sabah while constantly harping about “China, China” at every single opportunity he can get. 

SOURCE: Miriam: Sabah’s ours

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Philippines has the highest Growth Rate in SEA in terms of Renminbi Conversion

The Philippines has the highest growth rate in the conversion of its local Currency to the Chinese Renminbi so far this year, converting Rmb 350 million which is 138% higher compared to last year (2019).

The Philippines and China established a Philippine Peso (Php) to Rmb Trading Facility in 2018, allowing direct conversions between the Currencies without the need for them to be converted to the United States (US) Dollar first. 

The direct conversion lessened the Php’s dependence on the US Dollar (Usd) and at the same time protecting it from manipulation of the Php-Usd Exchange Rate, and it has worked. 

Duterte shoots down the US’ planned return to Subic

President Rodrigo Duterte said during his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) that he has rejected the United States’ (US) planned return to Subic Bay.

Remember that the Australian company Austal Ltd. and American company Cerberus Capital Management were reportedly negotiating with the Philippine government and several Banks to take over the operations of the South Korean company Hanjin in Subic.

So this won’t happen anymore, which I think is good because the Americans themselves also reportedly lobbied fiercely to keep a Chinese Company from taking over the Hanjin Shipyard. Now neither the Americans nor the Chinese will get to takeover Hanjin.

SOURCES: 

* Duterte turns down reported US plan to return to Subic

* US Navy eyes return to Subic Bay in a Commercial Deal

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