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Metro Manila, Philippines –  The United States understands the Philippines’ position on the International Criminal Court (ICC), Malacañang said Thursday, after Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez raised the issue with officials of the U.S. State Department. Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Romualdez described the ICC issue as a “sensitive” matter for the Philippines, citing the country’s residual obligations following its withdrawal from the Rome Statute and its continued cooperation with Interpol. “Binanggit po niya na ang isyu patungkol sa ICC at ng Pilipinas ay isang sensitibong bagay. At binanggit din po niya ang residual obligation ng Pilipinas pati po ang pakikipag-cooperate sa Interpol,” Castro said. [Translation: He said the ICC issue involving the Philippines is a sensitive matter. He also cited the Philippines’ residual obligations as well as its cooperation with Interpol.] Castro said U.S. officials acknowledged the Philippine government’s position. “Noong tinanong po natin kay…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to reset the Philippines’ relationship with China and prevent past tensions from recurring, Malacañang said Thursday, July 23,  after his meeting with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos and Jing met for about one hour and 20 minutes on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations. “Actually, tumagal ang meeting ng isang oras at bente minutos. Yes, nag-usap sila, at ang nais na mangyari dito ng Pangulo ay hindi na maulit ang mga pangyayari at ma-reset sana ang relasyon ng China at ng Pilipinas sa mas magandang pakikipag-ugnayan,” Castro said.  [Translation: The meeting lasted about one hour and 20 minutes. Yes, they talked, and what the President wants is to ensure that those incidents do not happen again and that the relationship between China and the Philippines is reset toward better engagement,” Castro said.]  Castro, however, said the…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  Japan and the Philippines have completed the diplomatic exchange needed to bring into force a military logistics agreement aimed at strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries. In a  statement, the Japanese Embassy said the two governments exchanged diplomatic notes in Manila on July 23 for the implementation of the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which will take effect on Aug. 22. The agreement establishes the legal framework for the reciprocal provision of supplies and services between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during joint activities, including procedures for settling transactions. Japanese officials said the pact is expected to facilitate the timely exchange of logistics support and improve interoperability between the two militaries. The agreement was signed in Manila on Jan. 15 by then-Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro. The ACSA is the…

Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippines does not need China’s permission to conduct resupply missions or sail to Ayungin Shoal, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday, June 23, rejecting Beijing’s interpretation of the provisional arrangement governing resupply operations to the BRP Sierra Madre. In a statement, the DFA said Ayungin Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling. “As a low-tide elevation, Ayungin generates no maritime entitlement of its own and cannot be claimed by any other state,” the DFA said.  “The Philippines alone holds the sovereign right to authorize any structure there, and Philippine vessels do not require permission to sail to Ayungin,” it said. The statement came two days after Chinese Ambassador Ambassador Jing Quan, said Beijing expects both sides to implement the provisional…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  US President Donald Trump has assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that he will raise the country’s concerns over the South China Sea during his next meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Malacañang said Thursday, July 23.  According to the Presidential Communications Office, Marcos and Trump discussed global economic and security issues in a phone call that followed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s courtesy call on the Philippine leader in Malacañang on Wednesday. It said Marcos updated Trump on recent incidents in the South China Sea, including the latest confrontation involving Philippine and Chinese vessels. The Palace said the US leader assured the president that he would bring up the Philippines’ concerns when he next meets Xi. It did not state when the meeting would take place. The phone call came a day after Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to its alliance with Manila during a meeting…