Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay expressed concern that due to our anemic and ambivalent stance on the South China Sea territorial dispute, we might lose our sovereign right in the West Philippine Sea.
“For not invoking The Hague international arbitration court ruling in favor of the Philippines, the country could be waiving its right on the West Philippine Sea where China continues its military buildup,” said Hilbay. He warned China instead of complying with The Hague court ruling could instead be the one to raise the point that the Philippines defaulted on its right.
Hilbay’s warning should be taken into account by the Duterte administration. But because of President Rodrigo Duterte ‘s closeness to China and the fact the views expressed by Hilbay came from a former official of the past Aquino administration, it is doubtful whether this sound legal advice would be heeded. Hilbay comes with credible credentials. He is a member of the Philippine panel who argued Manila’s case in The Hague tribunal. He topped the Bar examinations of 1999. Hilbay now teaches Advanced Constitutional Litigation and Philosophy of Law at the University of the Philippines.
Some people are asking whether I have a hate-China fixation. This is far from the truth. I write often about Chinese transgression because they violate our territorial sovereignty. I have a lot of Chinese friends but it’s the ruling clique in Beijing that I find oppressive and the aggressor in the South China Sea.
Further affiant sayeth naught.
Teo’s replacement
Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo gave President Duterte no choice but to dismiss her for the highly irregular DoT ad placement on her brother Ben Tulfo’s radio-TV program on PTV-4. Secretary Teo, however, claimed she has not been fired but was merely asked by the President to explain her role in the P60-million ad placement. A late afternoon news report, however, said Teo had resigned. The Tulfos said they would return the P60-million payment. That is an act, however, which is tantamount to admission of guilt. In legal circles, settlement by an accused party gives the impression that a crime has been committed or harm has been caused.
Whom will the President appoint to replace Teo? Undersecretary Ricky Alegre seems to be a good choice but the DoT is a plum post with high pay and all the perks. An outsider who helped in the Duterte presidential campaign seems a likelier candidate.
Alegre is a former journalist and later a public relations practitioner. These are the qualifications needed to sell the Philippines to foreign and domestic tourists Placing ads in the domestic market like Teo did is not the right market-audience approach.
Although it’s a little more expensive, projecting the Philippines’ interesting tourist spots on international TV and publications like what Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are doing is the right step. These countries have a better foreign tourist-arrival rate than the Philippines.
Terrorism on the road
There is another form of terrorism going on the country’s roads. It is not terrorists who plough their vehicles into pedestrians. Nor is it road rage by out-of-control, emotionally impaired drivers. These terrorists on the road are those drivers whose usual excuse is that their brakes didn’t work. These killers and their owners/operators who are equally responsible for the mayhem and death of innocent civilians must be meted stiff punishment. More than a fine, driver and owners must be penalized with imprisonment so that companies take the necessary step to make sure public utility vehicles dispatched have working brakes.
Next in line
Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro has been nominated as the next ombudsman. She replaces outgoing Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales whose tenure ends this May. She is also a former Associate Justice of the high Court.
Recall that De Castro testified against SC Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in the House hearing the impeachment case against the chief magistrate. Legal quarters are not surprised by De Castro appointment as Ombudsman. It was expected that De Castro would be rewarded for impugning the integrity and competence of Sereno.
This is not to impugn De Castro’s competence. She is just as capable to be Ombudsman and let us not forget there were other associate justices like Francis Jardeleza et al who testified against Sereno at the House hearing.
Meanwhile, who’s next in Digong’s firing list—Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano or Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III? Your guess is as good as mine.