Latest news with #EnriqueManalo
Yemen Online
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Philippines Seeks Release of Nine Sailors Detained by Houthis in Yemen
Aden – The Philippine government is actively working to secure the release of nine Filipino crew members detained by Houthi rebels in Yemen after a maritime attack earlier this month in the Red Sea. The incident occurred when the cargo vessel Eternity C came under assault and ultimately sank. In a video released by Houthi media, the sailors were shown being rescued from the water. Officials in Manila confirmed the crew is alive, although concerns remain about their well-being and the conditions of their detention. Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo stated that the Philippines will not engage directly with Houthi authorities, opting instead to seek assistance from friendly nations in the region to mediate the sailors' release. The Department of Migrant Workers is also coordinating closely with the families of the detained to ensure their safe repatriation. One sailor reportedly sustained injuries during the rescue operation, though details about the remaining crew remain limited. This episode marks another troubling case involving Filipino mariners, who make up nearly 30% of the global shipping workforce. The Houthis previously held Filipino crew members of the Galaxy Leader for over a year before releasing them in January 2025. International maritime organizations have expressed alarm over rising attacks in the Red Sea, urging greater protective measures for commercial shipping lanes and crew safety.
Business Insider
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
US Army soldiers reworked a new missile system in the field during a deployment that deeply frustrated China
Troops deployed to the Pacific tinkered with and reworked a missile system in the field, showing the value of soldier-driven design input during a deployment that irritated China, a recent report noted. Soldiers were in the Philippines and working with the US Army's new Mid-Range Capability, or Typhon, missile system. The Government Accountability Office, a watchdog agency, reported last month on the Army's modernization efforts for its artillery, rocket, and missile systems. Citing conversations with the program's officials, the GAO said that there were "multiple design changes" made "during development based on user input provided during new equipment training and other exercises." The improvements made included reducing the reload time and stress on the system's components, and they were made by soldiers on the ground during those exercises. "For example, because of the orientation of the launcher, soldiers suggested moving certain access points and panel connections on the trailer to make it easier to reload, operate, and maintain," the office said. User input on the system was collected during and after its deployment to the Philippines last year as part of a joint US-Philippine exercise. In a statement at the time, US Army Pacific called it a "landmark deployment" marking "a significant milestone for the new capability while enhancing interoperability, readiness, and defense capabilities in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines." It marked the system's first overseas deployment. The MRC is one of the Army's newest missile systems. It's a versatile ground-based missile system capable of firing both the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and Tomahawk Land Attack Missile and designed to fill a key gap in the US arsenal in terms of range and flexibility. While it wasn't fired during the trainings, its presence angered China, which demanded it be removed. In September 2024, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said that China had made its opposition to the deployment clear more than once. "The deployment is a move to turn back the wheel of history," he said, adding that "it gravely threatens regional countries' security, incites geopolitical confrontation, and has aroused high vigilance and concerns of countries in the region." China notably maintains a large arsenal of ballistic missiles. China has also expressed its frustrations to the Philippines. In August last year, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, had expressed concerns the weapon could destabilize the security and relations of the region, and that when they discussed it, China "made it very dramatic." Beijing has said the Philippines, a key US ally, is serving American interests ot the detriment of its own, and China has kept up its complaints amid reports of a coming second MRC deployment to the Philippines, which has expressed great interest in the system's capabilities. The MRC's development came after the 2019 US withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which banned nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. That withdrawal, which the first Trump administration said was driven by Moscow's violation of the treaty with its SSC-8/9M729, has opened new doors for the US arsenal. In the GAO report, the office noted that the effort underway for the MRC has "reflected several attributes of an iterative product development approach as it established a business case with flexible requirements focused on a minimum viable product," including adapting new capabilities and requesting user feedback on the system. Iterative, or staged, development with key soldier feedback has been of growing interest for US Army's transformation and innovation projects. The Army has called these soldier touchpoints, but there are many names for this process within the military. US special operations forces have also been really involved in this approach. The value of this kind of work in the field has also been seen in the war in Ukraine, where Ukrainian soldiers are often in close contact with and providing feedback to weapons makers, fueling rapid growth in experimental and emerging combat technologies. The Army's first iteration of the Mid-Range Capability experienced that during the Philippines deployment. Military leaders have said that companies should be testing their tech on the front lines. Short of that, they'd ideally be getting their systems in the hands of deployed troops in training.
Arab News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Manila's negotiator to China takes oath as Philippines' new top diplomat
MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sworn in Theresa Lazaro, a veteran diplomat who previously led Philippine negotiations with China, as the country's new foreign affairs secretary. Lazaro took her oath on Tuesday at the presidential palace in Manila where she was also conferred with the Order of Sikatuna, a national honor of diplomatic merit, 'in recognition of her leadership and vital contributions' to Philippine foreign policy and diplomacy, Marcos' office said in a statement. 'The president underscored Lazaro's pivotal role in advancing Philippine interests in critical foreign policy issues, including maritime security, regional peace and stability, and multilateral cooperation under the ASEAN Political-Security Pillar,' it said. 'The president also recognized her leadership in establishing and revitalizing diplomatic mechanisms with traditional and emerging partners.' Lazaro served as undersecretary for bilateral relations and Association of Southeast Asian Nations affairs under her predecessor, Enrique Manalo, who will return to his role as the Philippines' permanent representative to the UN in New York. Her appointment was first announced in late May, a day after Marcos asked his cabinet members to resign as he attempted to address the people's dissatisfaction over his administration's performance and improve the quality of public service. The president has since retained some and replaced others, including the national police chief, solicitor general and foreign secretary positions. Lazaro, whose career in foreign service began in 1984, had also served as the Philippine ambassador to France and Monaco, as well as Switzerland. She is now the second woman to lead the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs after Delia Domingo Albert in 2003. As the foreign affairs undersecretary, Lazaro led the Philippines' negotiations with China last year over the Ayungin Shoal, also known as the Second Thomas Shoal. Between 2023 and 2024, the area in the disputed South China Sea was a flashpoint where clashes often occurred between the Philippines' navy personnel and the Chinese coast guard. Under Lazaro, the two countries reached a 'provisional understanding' in July 2024 that has since kept Philippines' resupply missions to the shoal peaceful. 'The added bonus here is that incoming Secretary Lazaro's experience being front and center in the bilateral consultative mechanisms with Beijing gives her that expertise in dealing with the Chinese. And of course, that will come in handy in future negotiations as well,' geopolitical analyst Don McLain Gill told Arab News. He added he did not expect her appointment to mark a shift in Philippine foreign policy, rather a continuity of the efforts that Marcos' administration has been pursuing, with the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East regions as 'priority areas.' 'The Indo-Pacific's Western Pacific and the Middle East, particularly the West Asia, North Africa sub-regions … these are very important and will continue to become very important,' he said.
GMA Network
28-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
DFA Chief Manalo seeks standard names for PH-claimed islands in WPS
Outgoing Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo has signed a resolution recommending the adoption of "standard names" for the islands and features in the West Philippine Sea. "Signed National Maritime Council (NMC) Resolution No. 002 (2025) recommending the adoption of the standard set of Philippine names for 131 features of the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in the West Philippine Sea," said Manalo in one of his last moves as DFA Chief before stepping down on June 30. Manalo, who will return as Manila's envoy to the United Nations in New York, will be replaced by Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Ma. Theresa Lazaro, the country's top negotiator to the Association of South East Asian Nations and China. READ: Defending Our Territory: The West Philippine Sea The KIG which the Philippines considers a municipality of Palawan province, is internationally known as Spratlys. With six coastal countries claiming all or parts of the South China Sea and attaching their own names for claimed areas, the nomenclature has been part of the disputes and has sparked confusion for the rest of the world. International names have been adopted for most contested features. In an administrative order by former president Benigno Aquino III in 2012, the Philippines officially named areas on the western side of the archipelago as the West Philippine Sea. President Ferdinand Marcos in 2024 issued an executive order creating the National Maritime Council to formulate policies and strategies towards a unified, coordinated, and effective framework on maritime security and domain awareness. Chaired by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, other members of the NMC are the Secretaries of the Departments of National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Environment and the National Security Adviser. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
25-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Philippines urges peace, multilateralism amid Middle East tensions
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo delivers the keynote speech at the launch of the UN80 stamps commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, June 25, 2025. DFA video The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, particularly between Iran and Israel, serve as a stark reminder for the Philippine government and United Nations (UN) member states to uphold international agreements that promote peace, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. Manalo, who is set to become the Philippines' next Permanent Representative to the UN, emphasized the importance of preserving diplomatic achievements during a speech marking the 80th anniversary of the Philippines' signing of the UN Charter on June 26, 1945. 'The devastation and human suffering in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, and the heightened tensions in the Middle East remind us that what we have achieved in fellowship with other nations needs to be preserved, and what we have accomplished in the future in the name of peace and development,' he said. He also highlighted the humanitarian crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine as urgent examples of why global cooperation is essential. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also reiterated the Philippines' firm opposition to the development and use of nuclear weapons. 'The Philippines spoke more than 200 times in defense of nuclear disarmament and arms control,' said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Charles Jose, adding that the country has consistently advocated for 'the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, the prevention of proliferation, and the establishment of nuclear weapons-free zones, especially in Southeast Asia.' Jose also reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment to multilateralism and its partnership with the UN. 'Amidst the sovereign crisis and uncertainties confronting humanity at this time, the Philippines is committed to work hand in hand with UN member states to affirm the power of multilateralism to serve humanity's highest aspirations,' he said. While the DFA did not name any specific country, tensions have escalated following Israel's claim that it attacked Iran in response to alleged nuclear weapons development intended for use against Israel, an accusation Iran has denied. UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Arnaud Peral called for an end to violence and a return to diplomacy. 'What we need today is the silence of weapons. 'The silence of weapons in Iran, in Israel, in Palestine, in Ukraine, in Sudan, and elsewhere. We need the silence to lead to diplomacy, to multilateralism, to dialogue, and to peace. Without peace, there is no development, there is no hope,' Peral said. The Philippines remains one of the founding members of the United Nations and continues to advocate for peace, diplomacy, and international cooperation. Hours after the UN 80 event, the DFA released an official statement specifically about the reported ceasefire agreement and said that the Philippine government has expressed its support and optimism for the development. In an official statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said, 'The Philippines welcomes the US announcement of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran.' The DFA emphasized that the country remains hopeful that this agreement could mark a significant step toward achieving long-term peace in the Middle East. 'We are hopeful that it will be a crucial step towards achieving lasting peace in the region,' the statement added. The Philippine government also called on all parties involved to remain committed to dialogue and negotiations in pursuit of a permanent resolution to the conflict. 'We urge all parties concerned to continue engaging in dialogue and negotiations toward a permanent solution to this issue,' the DFA said. The ceasefire, brokered with the involvement of the United States, comes amid heightened tensions and international calls for de-escalation in the region. — BM, GMA Integrated News
