Latest news with #Lazaro
Filipino Times
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
PH government provides legal aid to 3 Filipinos detained in China for alleged espionage
The Philippine government has extended legal assistance to three Filipinos detained in China over alleged involvement in espionage, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Monday. Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said the case is being handled as a consular matter and the Philippine government hiring a law firm to represent the detainees. 'We have already hired a law firm to protect these Filipinos. This is what we have done so far toward the protection of these Filipinos in China,' Lazaro said during a press briefing. The DFA earlier confirmed that the three individuals were detained in Hainan Province and are now receiving consular and legal support from the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou. Lazaro said Philippine officials have been granted access to the detainees but did not provide further details due to the sensitivity of the case. The three Filipinos are reportedly former recipients of the Hainan Government Scholarship Program, established under a sisterhood agreement between the provinces of Hainan and Palawan. Their arrest follows the detention of suspected Chinese spies in the Philippines earlier this year. The DFA has yet to release official statements on the specific charges filed against the individuals.
GMA Network
14-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
DFA Chief to Pinoy sailors: Avoid Red Sea
Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro appealed to Filipino seafarers to avoid sailing to the Red Sea. (Photo by Michaela del Callar) Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro on Monday appealed to Filipino seafarers to avoid sailing to the Red Sea following the back-to-back deadly attacks against two cargo vessels by Houthi rebels. Both the MV Magic Seas and the MV Eternity, attacked by the Iran-backed Yemeni group a day apart, were manned by Filipino crew. The two ships sank off the Red Sea – a key trade route. 'We encourage our Filipino sailors to avoid sailing in the Red Sea while the situation remains dangerous,' Lazaro said in a press briefing. All 17 Filipino seamen from the Magic Sea survived the assault, while eight were rescued from the Eternity, including the Filipino captain. The fate of the rest of the 13 of the 21 Filipinos from the Eternity was unknown amid reports that the rebels took several hostages from the sunken vessel. Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships it claims have links to Israel and have vowed to step up attacks until the country ends its aggression in Gaza. Lazaro said the DFA and its diplomatic posts, along with the Department of Migrant Workers, are coordinating with relevant agencies for the rescue of the missing Filipinos. Manila is also in touch with Saudi Arabia and the UK, as well as the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), she added. 'The DFA continues to advocate for the rights, safety, and decent conditions for our seafarers,' Lazaro said. Piracy and ransom kidnappings of Filipino sailors, particularly in waters off Africa, have long been a problem for the Philippine government, as it cannot monitor their movements when at sea. The Philippines is one of the world's largest providers of shipping manpower. A bulk of Filipino seamen or more than 20 percent of the world's 1.2 million sailors are manning oil tankers, cargo ships, luxury liners, and passenger vessels worldwide, exposing them to attacks. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
The Star
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Philippines rejoining ICC not in motion, but discussed
FILE PHOTO: A general view of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, March 12, 2025. - Reuters MANILA: Malacañang has yet to issue a directive regarding the country's bid to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), but discussions among agencies involved have transpired, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Sec. Ma. Theresa Lazaro said on Monday (July 14). Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Lazaro repeatedly clarified that there are no ongoing efforts to rejoin the ICC. 'There's no movement as far as cascading to the Department of Foreign Affairs, I'm sure there had been discussions with other agencies like the Department of Justice,' said Lazaro. In June, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. said he was open to discussions on the Philippines rejoining the ICC. On March 17, 2018, then President Rodrigo Duterte formally withdrew from the Rome Statute – the treaty that established the ICC. Despite the withdrawal, the ICC retained jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed in the Philippines between November 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019, covering the period when the country was still a member. The ICC currently has custody of Duterte, who was arrested on March 12 and sent to The Hague for crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during his administration's bloody war against drugs, which left at least 6,000 people dead. Human rights groups are reporting the toll could be as high as 20,000. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
AsiaOne
11-07-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
Philippines' president to discuss tariffs in Trump meeting this July, top diplomat says, World News
KUALA LUMPUR — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this month, Manila's top diplomat said on Friday (July 11), with an increased trade tariff on one of Washington's top defence allies set to be discussed. Philippine foreign minister Theresa Lazaro, in an interview during a regional summit in Malaysia, confirmed the arrangement of what will be the first meeting between Trump and Marcos, whose nations have stepped up military engagements significantly of late. "The issue of tariffs will be discussed among others…it's also very important to us. We have already sent negotiators to discuss this issue," Lazaro told Reuters on Friday. A White House official earlier told Reuters the meeting was set for July 22, while the office of Marcos said he will visit the US from July 20-22. The Philippines is concerned over a 20 per cent tariff rate announced this week by Trump, which was increased from 17 per cent threatened in April, without explanation. The US goods trade deficit with the Philippines widened to US$4.9 billion (S$6.2 billion) in 2024, a 21.8 per cent increase from 2023. The Philippines has said it remains committed to continue negotiations and a delegation will travel to Washington next week to pursue a trade deal. Relations between Manila and Washington have soared under Marcos, who has pivoted closer to the US and allowed American soldiers to expand their presence at Philippine facilities. The former US colony is central to Washington's efforts to counter China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and towards Taiwan. The United States and the Philippines have a seven-decade old mutual defence treaty and hold dozens of annual exercises, which have included testing of a US Typhon missile system, angering China. Marcos' overtures of to the US and defiant stand on China have riled Beijing, which has repeatedly accused Manila and Washington of trying to stoke tensions. Lazaro said negotiations on a code of conduct between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China were dragging out and the Philippines would push for talks to finish when it becomes Asean chair next year. She said the code must be legally binding. The South China Sea remains a source of friction between China and the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, with ties between Beijing and Manila at their worst in years amid frequent confrontations that have sparked concerns they could spiral into conflict. "It is our view that it should not be taking so long. It is important that we have to deliver," she said. "So it is incumbent upon all of us, and actually China, to... endeavour to finish the negotiations, the discussions. And that's supposed to be in 2026." Lazaro also said a planned election in military-ruled Myanmar, an Asean member in the grips of a civil war, would only be acceptable if it were inclusive and peaceful. [[nid:719963]]
GMA Network
11-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PH renews call for China to comply with arbitral ruling on WPS
An imposing image of a China Coast Guard vessel patrolling the waters as the sun sets in the West Philippine Sea. JUN VENERACION/ GMA Integrated News The Philippines on Friday renewed its call to China to comply with the nine-year-old arbitration ruling that nullified Beijing's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, saying all countries, 'regardless of size, might, or capacity must meet their duties and obligations' under international law. Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro made the call a day before the anniversary of the July 12, 2016 ruling by The Hague tribunal that she said 'sets reason and right in the South China Sea.' 'Nine years hence, its legitimacy continues to be tested, challenged, and subverted, putting not only the Philippines' maritime interests in peril, but also the regional stability and prosperity we are all working so hard to achieve,' Lazaro said in a recorded video message at a forum commemorating the tribunal ruling hosted by Stratbase ADR Institute. Lazaro, who assumed the role of Manila's top diplomat on July 1, called the ruling 'a cornerstone of Philippine maritime policy' along with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and vowed that it 'will remain so under my watch.' Diplomacy Lazaro also outlined 'four dynamics' that will guide Philippine maritime statecraft, which includes building alliances with like-minded states and keeping lines of communication 'open bilaterally, both with China and with other ASEAN claimant states.' 'Galvanizing the rules-based order and promoting the arbitral award rests equally, if not primarily, with diplomacy,' Lazaro said. 'Deterrence is not only a military concept, but one that indispensably involves guarantees secured by diplomacy to assure peace and stability.' The tribunal award is a 'shining affirmations of the compulsory dispute resolution mechanisms' of UNCLOS, Lazaro said, noting that it's an 'unassailable part of the corpus of international law.' 'It is worrisome that China has continued to reject the binding Arbitral Award and persists with illegal, coercive, and aggressive actions under cover of a revisionist, self-serving interpretation and application of international law, particularly UNCLOS,' Lazaro said. The UNCLOS is regarded as the global constitution for the seas, signed by 162 nations, including the Philippines and China. China did not participate in The Hague proceedings initiated by the Philippines and ignored the decision. It has defied the ruling with aggressive actions, using high-pressure water cannons and dangerous maritime maneuvers on Philippine ships or vessels China has accused of entering its territorial waters illegally. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei - three of the 10 members of the ASEAN - and Taiwan have also laid claims to the South China Sea, where rich oil and mineral deposits have been discovered. China Coast Guard vessel 21559 fires water cannon and sideswipes a BFAR vessel in Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay) in the West Philippine Sea on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Screengrab from Philippine Coast Guard video Dialogue Lazaro said it is a 'strategic consideration' that the Philippines continue the dialogue and consultation with China despite tensions that severely impact the bilateral relationship. Using 'effective diplomacy' on China, she said, has resulted in 'several pragmatic solutions and positive outcomes,' such as the provisional agreement for the Philippine delivery of supplies to Filipino forces at Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) to prevent a repeat of past confrontations. Since the forging of the agreement, succeeding resupply missions to the shoal have been peaceful with Chinese ships keeping watch at a distance. 'Our two countries have long-standing history and deeply ingrained cultural ties. Thus, our diplomacy will continue to firmly protest and disagree where it is right, but also collaborate where it is practical and beneficial for the country,' she said. Manila, she added, will use current mechanisms with China 'to maintain dialogue and diplomacy at the appropriate official levels' that is 'in good faith, has a proper and conducive environment, and can enable the constructive management of differences without prejudicing our national position.' The Philippines' dynamic engagement with other claimants, on the other hand, propelled talks forward for an 'effective and substantive' regional code of conduct in the South China Sea, which the Philippines aspires to complete when it assumes the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN next year, she said. 'The challenges are clear and the uncertainties remain in the maritime domain, but the Philippines will not waver in firmly rejecting attempts to undermine the award and international law,' added Lazaro. 'Being on the right side of the rules-based order and international law makes it easier for others to join us in taking a stand and forming a tight bond that can withstand illegal and unfounded claims and aggressive actions at sea.' —VAL, GMA Integrated News
