August 23, start ng klase — DepEd

ni Lolet Abania | April 30, 2021

Binigyang-diin ng Department of Education (DepEd) na ang pinal na desisyon sa pagbubukas ng klase para sa taong 2021-2022 ay na kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, habang ang panukalang August 23 ay isa lamang sa kanilang mga opsiyon.

Ayon sa DepEd, maghahain pa ang ahensiya ng ibang options kay Pangulong Duterte.

“The August 23 start date proposal is only one of the options since DepEd is mandated to open the school year not later than the last day of August under the same law unless the President intervenes,” ayon sa inilabas na statement.

Inisyu ng DepEd ang nasabing pahayag matapos na isa sa mga opisyal ng ahensiya ang nagmungkahi na sa August 23 ay maaari nang simulan ang school year 2021-2022, kung saan wala pang dalawang buwan ang bakasyon ng mga estudyante matapos ang klase ngayong taon.

Samantala, pinalawig ang school year 2020-2021 nang hanggang July 10.

“Nonetheless, we are still conducting policy consultation and review with concerned stakeholders to determine the most appropriate course of action on this matter,” sabi pa sa statement.

Dagdag ng DepEd, maglalabas sila ng official guidelines para sa school year sa mga susunod na araw.

Fishing agreement nina P-Duterte at Xi Jinping ng China, nabulgar, Palasyo todo-tanggi

ni Ronalyn Seminiano Reonico | April 24, 2021

Pinabulaanan ng Malacañang ang diumano'y “fishing agreement” sa pagitan nina Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at Chinese President Xi Jinping kaugnay ng patuloy na presensiya ng mga barko ng Tsina sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Kamakailan ay nagpahayag si retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio na nananatili umano ang mga Chinese vessels sa WPS dahil nagkaroon ng “fishing agreement” sina P-Duterte at Jinping.

Saad pa ni Carpio, “The strong diplomatic protests filed by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., as well as the strong warnings issued by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, are not being taken seriously by the Chinese because they know they have a fishing agreement with President Duterte.”

Pahayag naman ni Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, “There is no truth to the speculation of a purported ‘verbal fishing agreement’ between President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and President Xi Jinping, nor that Chinese vessels were encouraged to stay in West Philippine Sea despite the diplomatic protests and strongly worded statements of Philippine government officials. This is without basis and is quite simply, conjecture."

Samantala, kamakailan ay nagsampa na ng dalawang diplomatic protests ang Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) laban sa China dahil sa mga Chinese vessels na palaging namamataan sa WPS.

Saad pa ng DFA, “The continued swarming and threatening presence of the Chinese vessels creates an atmosphere of instability and is a blatant disregard of the commitments by China to promote peace and stability in the region.

“The presence of these vessels blatantly infringe upon Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.”

Atras sa face-to-face... P-Duterte, hindi dadalo sa ASEAN summit — Roque

ni Ronalyn Seminiano Reonico | April 22, 2021

Hindi dadalo si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa gaganaping Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit na dinadaluhan ng mga lider ng bansa.

Ayon kay Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, hindi dadalo si P-Duterte dahil required umano ang face-to-face sa naturang meeting na gaganapin sa Jakarta, Indonesia sa April 24.

Pahayag ni Roque, “Ang pagkakaintindi ko po riyan, it’s the issue of face-to-face.”

“Could it be face-to-face or could it be virtual, marami rin pong mga hindi makakarating na heads of states from ASEAN personally.”

Kabilang sa mga nakatakdang pag-usapan sa naturang summit ay ang COVID-19 pandemic.

Saad ni Roque, “But the Department of Foreign Affairs [representatives] surely will be there.”