MANILA, Philippines – Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday, November 26, that President Rodrigo Duterte’s new Memorandum Order (MO) against lawless violence will not lead to a nationwide implementation of marital law.

In an interview with DZRH, Lorenzana gave assurances that Duterte’s order is limited to areas in Samar, Bicol, and Negros Island since these are where communist guerrillas are most active nowadays.

“Wala dapat sila ipag-alala. Natatakot silang martial law, walang martial law ito. Nakita ba nila sa MO kung may salitang 'martial law'? Wala e it's just an [order] para lang paigtingin ang ating efforts para mapanatili ang kapayapaan sa mga lugar, especially sa countryside,” Lorenzana said.

(There’s nothing to worry about. They’re [public] scared there will be martial law, but there won’t be any martial law. Did they see the words “martial law” in the MO? It’s just an [order] to intensity efforts to achieve peace, especially in the countryside.)

He added, “Limitado lang ‘yun.... Hindi ba nila napapakinggan yung sinasabi ni Presidente publicly na hindi siya magdedeclare ng nationwide martial law?” (It's limited.... Didn’t they hear the President say publicly that he won’t declare martial law nationwide?)

For elections too: Lorenzana said that the order is also a way for the government to ensure that the May 2019 national and local elections and the campaign period preceding the polls would be peaceful.

He said that in the past election, they received reports that New People's Army rebels barred voters from entering precincts or campaigned for certain candidates.

Lorenzana said, though, that he does not expect violence to escalate in other regions due to the elections. “Doon lang sila talagang malakas, (They’re only strong in those areas [Samar, Bicol, Negros Island]),” he said.

The defense secretary’s statement came after Vice President Leni Robredo questioned Duterte’s order. She said Malacañang should justify its use of the term "lawless violence," as many worried about creeping military rule across the country.

Robredo also said the government should look into why insurgency has intensified in the last two years. The Vice President noted that rebel activities have been commonplace since 3 decades ago, but that they have been considerably reduced in the last decade.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde echoed Lorenzana’s statements, saying the MO "has nothing to do with martial law."

The PNP deployed and realigned teams from its Special Action Force following Duterte’s order. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said she does not like it when lawmakers file resolutions calling for investigations in aid of legislation, arguing that "only harassment" occurs during these probes.

The former president turned Pampanga 2nd District congresswoman said this during the lunch she hosted with House reporters on Monday, November 26. (READ: Arroyo: No punishment for lawmakers who reject Duterte priority bills)

"I don't like resolutions in aid of legislation because there is no legislation that happens, only harassment that happens," said Arroyo. 

Arroyo was explaining why she wants the House to focus on its oversight function– where lawmakers assess how the executive branch implements laws – during the last weeks of the 17th Congress.

The Speaker said Ilocos Sur 1st District Representative Deogracias Victor "DV" Savellano had approached her to propose holding an inquiry in aid of legislation for a certain issue, which Arroyo could not recall during the lunch.

Arroyo told reporters that she did not agree with Savellano's proposal, saying it might be better if he would just call it an oversight proceeding. 

The Speaker added she would only support such a proposal if a lawmaker has carefully outlined what piece of legislation he or she wants to amend by holding such a probe. 

"He mentioned something and I said, 'DV, you know inquiries in aid of legislation, I don't like them to be done unless you give me a rough draft of the legislation you are thinking of. Otherwise let's call it oversight.' Call it what it is because after all it is a function of Congress," said Arroyo.

"Then let's have a briefing, not an inquiry where you are going to be so inquisitorial. So he said he will change his resolution," she added.

Arroyo said there is only "one policeman" in the House – the committee on good government and public accountability.

"There's one policeman, I told the congressman, one policeman in the House and that's the committee on good government. Let them do what they want to do. They're the only ones authorized to make inquiries," said the Speaker.

House committees have held several probes into various issues during the 17th Congress. Among the most controversial ones include the justice panel's probe into the proliferation of drugs at the New Bilibid Prison when embattled Senator Leila de Lima was still justice secretary. Lawmakers had feasted on her love affair with her driver Ronnie Dayan during the probe.

De Lima has since been arrested because of multiple drug charges. 

Legislators are also known to resort to grandstanding during these investigations, in a bid to milk airtime on television and news websites that carry live streams of hearings. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The prices of alcoholic beverages may eventually increase after the House of Representatives approved on 2nd reading a bill seeking to increase excise taxes on these products.

Lawmakers approved House Bill (HB) No. 8618 on 2nd reading with a vote of ayes and nays on Monday, November 26, just 5 days after the committee on ways and means passed it. 

The proposed tax increases are targeted to "significantly curb" alcohol consumption and raise funds for the Universal Health Care (UHC) program.

The Department of Health earlier said about P257 billion is needed for the first year of implementation of the UHC law. 

It is still a long road ahead for this tax bill to become a law, however. It has to be passed on 3rd and final reading by the House and must successfully go through another 3 readings at the Senate before Preisdent Rodrigo Duterte can sign it into law.  

If passed, HB 8618 would increase excise taxes for distilled spirits like gin, rum, and vodka. The proposed increases are as follows:

• Starting January 2019, 22% ad valorem tax on the net retail price of the alcohol product (excluding excise and value-added taxes) plus a specific tax of P30 per proof liter.
• In addition to the 22% ad valorem tax, specific tax per proof liter will increase to P35 in 2020, P40 in 2021, and P45 in 2022.
• From 2023 onwards, on top of the ad valorem tax, the specific tax will be increased by 7%.
• For sparkling wines, the bill proposes an ad valorem tax of 15% of the net retail price (excluding excise and value-added taxes) per liter and a specific tax of P650 per liter. The specific tax will increase by 7% in 2020 onwards.

For still and carbonated wines with 14% alcohol or less, it will be P40 per liter, to be increased by 7% starting 2020. For still and carbonated wines with more than 14% alcohol, taxes will also increase by 7% on top of P80 per liter from 2020 onwards.

The tax on fermented liquors will be P28 per liter in 2019, P32 per liter in 2020, P34 per liter in 2021, and P36 per liter in 2022. After this, a 7% increase will be observed 2023 onwards.

The bill also seeks to increase the adjustment of alcohol taxes due to inflation from 4% to 7%.

HB 8618 would amend the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 and Republic Act No. 10351, which restructured the excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco in 2012. – Rappler.com

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife have been pictured cuddling a litter of puppies whelped by one of the dogs given to them by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a symbol of the strengthening ties between the two countries.

Images released on Sunday, November 25, show the couple smiling as they sit on the ground outside their residence in Seoul surrounded by the 6 pups and their mother Gomi.

Kim sent Moon a pair of indigenous North Korean hunting dogs following their meeting in Pyongyang in September  as a token of their rapidly blossoming friendship.

"Meet the newborn puppies of Gomi, one of the Pungsan dogs from North Korea," Moon's office tweeted on Sunday.

It posted two pictures of the dogs, one of them showing 5 furry white pups cuddled on Moon's lap with the sixth in the first lady's arms, with Gomi by their side in the courtyard of the presidential residence.

{source} <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="ko" dir="ltr">11월 9일에 태어난 ‘곰이’의 새끼들입니다. 엄마개와 여섯 새끼들 모두 아주 건강합니다. 사진은 오늘 오후에 문재인 대통령과 김정숙 여사가 관저 앞마당에서 곰이와 새끼들을 살피는 모습입니다. <a href="https://t.co/pkP6KpgRZJ">pic.twitter.com/pkP6KpgRZJ</a></p>&mdash; 대한민국 청와대 (@TheBlueHouseKR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBlueHouseKR/status/1066588297571393537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> {/source} 

Both the mother and the puppies – 3 males and 3 females born on November 9 – were "very healthy", the presidential office said.

Known for loyalty and intelligence, the Pungsan breed – a hunting dog with a thick, creamy white coat, pointy ears and hazel eyes – is originally from an area of the same name in the North.

"As the pregnancy period of dogs is about two months, Gomi must have been pregnant when she came to us," Moon tweeted when the puppies were born, adding: "I hope inter-Korean ties will also be like this."

Moon is a known animal lover who has 4 dogs – the two canines gifted by Kim, another Pungsan dog Maru, and a black mutt named Tory he adopted after taking office – plus a former shelter cat called Jjing-Jjing. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Reverse a ruling that denied her plea to disqualify 13 convict-witnesses from testifying against her in connection with illegal drug trading charges filed by the justice department. This was what detained Senator Leila de Lima asked the Court of Appeals last week.

De Lima asserted in a 26-page petition for certiorari and prohibition that Judge Lorna Navarro-Domingo of Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess in jurisdiction when she denied her plea to disqualify the convicts.

Citing the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act and the Rules of Court, De Lima said the 13 convicted criminals should be disqualified from becoming state witnesses. Criminal conviction, she argued, should be basis for disqualification as a witness.

The 13 are German Agojo, Nonilo Arile, Jojo Baligad, Joel Capones, Peter Co, Herbert Colanggo, Engelberto Durano, Rodolfo Magleo, Noel Martinez, Jaime Patcho, Vicente Sy, Hans Tan, and Froilan Trestiza.

No less than the High Court itself had previously ruled that allowing criminals guilty of crimes involving moral turpitude to become state witnesses is both arbitrary and a gross violation of the Rules of Court.

De Lima’s petition said the Muntinlupa RTC judge – “in a whimsical, capricious, despotic, and arbitrary manner” – did not apply the law and committed grave abuse of discretion, amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.

The Muntinlupa RTC had based its decision not to disqualify the convicted criminals from testifying against De Lima on Section 20 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedures. It says that “all persons who can perceive, and perceiving, can make their known perception to others, may be witnesses.”

Disputing claims that the 13 convicts were ordinary witnesses, the senator said they were illegally admitted into the Witness Protection Program (WPP). They were granted immunity as state witnesses and are therefore not ordinary witnesses.

The 13 were granted immunity under Section 12 of Republic Act 6981, the law that grants immunity only to state witnesses, she said.

Issue a TRO

De Lima then asked the CA to issue a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction to stop the Muntinlupa RTC and the justice department from presenting the convicts in court as witnesses.

De Lima earlier went to the Ombudsman to file a complaint against former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and current Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra for using convicts as state witnesses in the drug case against her.

In her complaint, De Lima said both men violated both the WPP and the anti-graft law.

Guevarra, however, contradicted De Lima, saying that as far as he knew, “no convicted person has been used as a state witness against Senator De Lima."

None of the 13 convicts who testified against her in the Senate and House hearings had been admitted into the WPP, Guevarra said. And because De Lima faces charges pertaining to the illegal trade of drugs inside the National Bilibid Prison, it would “not be surprising that inmates might be called upon to testify.” – Rappler.com

TEHRAN, Iran – More than 700 people were injured in a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that shook western Iran, state television reported in an updated toll Monday, November 26.

The quake struck Kermanshah province late Sunday, with an epicenter 17 kilometres (11 miles) southwest of the city of Sarpol-e Zahab, according to the country's institute of geophysics.

State television, citing the emergency services, said that 716 people had been injured, but there were no reports of deaths or major damage.

State TV showed images of cracked walls inside homes, but said only 33 of those injured remained in hospital on Monday morning.

The initial quake, around 7 kilometres deep, was followed by several aftershocks including one with a magnitude of 5.2.

Morteza Salimi, an official with Iran's Red Crescent Society, said most of Sunday's casualties had been injured in a stampede sparked by the first tremors.

AFP journalists reported feeling the quake as far away as Baghdad in neighboring Iraq.

Salimi told semi-official news agency ISNA on Sunday that the quake had rocked areas newly rebuilt after a 7.3-magnitude tremor last November that killed 620 people and injured thousands more.

Iran sits on top of two major tectonic plates and sees frequent seismic activity.

In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude tremor struck the southeast of the country, decimating the ancient mud-brick city of Bam and killing at least 31,000 people.

The country's deadliest such incident was a 7.4-magnitude quake in 1990 that killed 40,000 people in northern Iran, injured 300,000 and left half a million homeless. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Reviving his rants against priests and bishops of the Catholic faith, President Rodrigo Duterte encouraged Catholics to just build their own chapels so they won't need to go to church.

"You build your own chapel in your own house and pray there. You don't have to go to church to pay for these idiots," he said on Monday, November 26, in a speech in Davao City.

He spent a chunk of his speech claiming bishops and priests pocket money offered by mass-goers and criticizing the imposition of fees for baptisms, marriages, and services for the dead.

"Pagka baptism bayad...pagka namatay bayad (For a baptism, you have to pay...when someone dies, you have to pay)," said Duterte, president of a predominantly Catholic country.

But he quickly clarified that Catholics should still go to church if the church is run by priests he is friends with.

"Pero 'yung ibang pari kaibigan ko. Magbigay ka sa Ma-a (But some priests are my friends. You give Mass offerings in Ma-a)," he said, referring to an area in Davao City.

Duterte again made claims about Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, among the Catholic Church leaders most outspoken about the government's bloody campaign against illegal drugs. This time, the President said he suspects the bishop himself is into drugs.

This time, Duterte made it clear he was referring to David, identifying him as the bishop of Caloocan.

"David! Nagdududa nga ako bakit ka sige ikot diyan nang gabi. Duda tuloy ako, putang ina, nasa droga ka (David! I'm having my doubts because you keep going around at night. I have suspicions, son of a bitch, that you're into drugs)," said Duterte.

In his speech, delivered at the inauguration of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, he again defended his controversial "God is stupid" remark and his beef with the "original sin" tenet in the Catholic faith. (READ: In 24 hours, Duterte breaks vow to stop hitting the Church) – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – A party-list congressman called for "genuine" modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) after the military helicopter he was riding crashed in Capas, Tarlac, last week.

Cooperative NATCCO Network Party (COOP-NATCCO) Representative Anthony Bravo delivered his privilege speech at the House plenary on Monday, November 26, 4 days after his helicopter crash.

Bravo said he discovered there were two other accidents that involved Sokol helicopters, the same type of helicopter he was riding.

In August 2014, a Sokol helicopter carrying then-4th Infantry Division commander Ricardo Visaya crashed in Lanao del Sur, injuring two other passengers. The second one involved a Sokol helicopter which crashed in Palawan in November 2016, leaving 12 people injured.

"Madam Speaker, we cannot afford to lose lives just because our military aircraft, equipment, facilities, or the training of our men are way behind. We need quality military assets with maximum capability," said Bravo.

"Hence, I call on the government to pursue a genuine modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We need to develop the AFP in all aspects such as personnel capacity building, upgrading of facilities and equipment, and proper maintenance," he added.

What happened to Bravo? On November 22, Bravo, former House secretary-general Cesar Pareja, Commission on Appointments sergeant-at-arms Arthur Baybayan, 4 other passengers, and 4 crew members were aboard a Sokol helicopter on the way to the Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base or Crow Valley in Capas.

Bravo, a military reservist, was part of the House contingent invited by the AFP Office of Legislative Affairs to attend a live fire demonstration in Crow Valley.

Bravo said they first participated in a record firing activity by the Philippine Army at Camp O'Donnell before they headed to the Crow Valley Gunnery Range for a live fire demonstration.

But during the helicopter's final approach, Bravo said it turned on its side and plunged into a ravine near the helipad.

Most of the passengers, including Bravo, came out with minor scratches and bruises. But Bravo said one of the pilots sustained head injuries, while chief aircrew Sergeant Byron Deomano had to undergo amputation of his arm.

According to Bravo, there is also a need for lawmakers to address the "tedious" process of purchasing military assets needed for modernization.

"In fact, in 2017, COA (Commission on Audit) found out that [the] P3.859-billion AFP fund was unutilized and 78.43% of it or P3.027 billion was for AFP's modernization intended for the acquisition of military equipment," said Bravo.

"The AFP cited the stringent requirements of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act as the reason for such," he added. – Rappler.com

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – The United Arab Emirates on Monday, November 26, pardoned British academic Matthew Hedges just days after sentencing him to life in prison for spying in a case that stunned Britain and his family.

The UK thanked its Gulf ally and Hedges's wife expressed her joy after he was among more than 700 prisoners pardoned by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for next month's National Day.

"Mr. Hedges will be permitted to leave the UAE once formalities are completed," Jaber al-Lamki, a government media official, said in a statement.

The UAE showed footage at a news conference in the capital Abu Dhabi in which Hedges purportedly confessed to being an MI6 foreign intelligence agent.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt expressed gratitude to the oil-rich state, which London considers a strategic Middle East ally and supplies with British arms.

"Fantastic news about Matthew Hedges. Although we didn't agree with charges we are grateful to UAE govt for resolving issue speedily," Hunt said on Twitter.

Hedges's wife Daniela Tejada, who last saw him on the day he was sentenced, said in a statement: "The presidential pardon for Matt is the best news we could have received. Our six plus months of nightmare are finally over and to say we are elated is an understatement."

Asked by BBC radio about the UAE's repeated accusation that Hedges was a spy, Colombia-born Tejada said: "In my heart, I know that he isn't".

But she added: "If that's what it takes for him to be back, I welcome the news".

Hunt said on BBC radio of the spying charges: "We have never seen any evidence that they are true".

Hunt said he expected Hedges to be released "very soon indeed", adding that it was a "bittersweet moment" because of other Britons detained unjustly around the world.

'Classified information'

Hedges, a 31-year-old researcher at Durham University, was detained in Dubai while researching the UAE's foreign and internal security policies after the Arab Spring revolutions of 2011.

He was sentenced to life in jail by a court in Abu Dhabi last week after he was convicted of spying for a foreign country.

Lamki said that Hedges was "a 100-percent secret service agent and was convicted of espionage."

He said Hedges confessed to gathering information about the UAE ruling family, military and its involvement in the Yemen war.

"He confirmed he collected sensitive and classified information about the UAE," he said, calling the evidence "irrefutable".

Hedges's role was "to gather classified information about the UAE military capabilities ... and sensitive information on UAE key government figures including members of the UAE ruling families," he said.

Hedges was arrested on May 5 at Dubai airport.

Lamki said a lawyer had been appointed to defend Hedges who was also allowed to speak to his family repeatedly during his detention.

The presidential pardon came in response to a letter by Hedges's family delivered by a British official, he said.

UAE state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said the pardon allowed the two countries to refocus to developing their relations.

"It was always a UAE hope that this matter would be resolved through the common channels of our longstanding partnership. This was a straightforward matter that became unnecessarily complex despite the UAE's best efforts," he said in a statement. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo called "baseless and unfair" the criticism aired by Vice President Leni Robredo and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales against the oil and gas development deal between the Philippines and China, speculating they didn't read it before making negative comments.

Since the comments were likely not based on the actual agreement but "merely on media reports," Panelo said those were proof that Robredo and Morales did not live up to the standards of the law profession.

"Sadly, disappointment comes to mind as expectations for their being trained in the law have not been reached. Legal minds are not only analytically exacting but judicious as well," he said on Monday, November 26, in a statement.

Panelo insisted Robredo and Morales made their statements without seeing the copy of the deal since Malacañang had released it to the public only that morning. (DOCUMENT: Oil, gas development deal between Philippines, China) 

Robredo had released a statement on Wednesday calling for transparency on the memorandum of understanding and for the Philippines to assert its 2016 legal victory over China in an international court.

She had also said, "Our sovereignty must not be compromised in any agreement we enter into with any country."

But Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr had released a copy of the agreement on Thursday, November 22, or two days after the agreement was signed.

The copy Locsin shared in a CNN Philippines interview on Thursday exactly matches what Malacañang released on Monday.

On Saturday, November 24, Morales, in a Taguig forum, used a quote from Roman statesman Cicero to warn of "treason from within," when it comes to defending Philippine rights over the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino language advocates on Monday, November 26, filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to reverse its ruling that lifted a 2015 temporary restraining order (TRO) on a higher education directive removing Filipino and Panitikan as required subjects in college.

In a 19-page petition filed by the Alyansa ng Mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wikang Filipino/Alliance of Defenders of the Filipino Language (Tanggol Wika), the group argued once more that Section 6, Article XIV of the Constitution is in fact self-executory because “the entirety of the Constitutions is still presumed to be self-executory.”

“Exceptions to that rule must be declared only with extreme caution and as a last resort in order to prevent the wrong impression that there are, as Justice Leonen puts in his dissent, 'second -order rights.' Exceptions, where declared, must also be limited and strictly construed against government and more favorably interpreted in favor of the rights denigrated,” they said.

In 2015, advocates appealed to block the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) memorandum issued in 2013 excluding Filipino, Panitikan, and Constitution as required subjects in college, saying it was unconstitutional. This because, the Constitution says “the Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system.”

The SC in its decision, however, said that the provision was not absolutely instructive.

This means that the SC considered it among parts of the Constitution that cannot be enforceable by itself; instead these need separate legislations to be in effect.

Responding to this, Tanggol Wika argued the use of “shall” in the Constitution leaves government no other choice but to take steps to enrich the use of Filipino. They also said the provision was self-executing because government is tasked to “sustain” the use of Filipino, as outlined in the provision.

They group likewise warned that implementing the higher education order would leave rights guaranteed by the Constitution such as the right to education and work, “vulnerable to being diminished or defeated at the hands of a government…which fails…to act on mandates of the Constitution.”

“The Tanggol Wika Petitioners fear that with this we’re back to rhetoric,” they added.

Not a repeat of topics: Tanggol Wika also argued that the teaching of Filipino and Panitikan were not duplications of subjects taught in elementary and high school, as the CHED and SC said in its memorandum and decision, respectively.

The group said a side-by-side comparison of Filipino in the core curriculum of basic education and Filipino in the general education curriculum of colleges showed the argument had “no factual basis.” This, because, there were topics covered in the tertiary level, which were not present in elementary or high school.

But CHED Chair Prospero De Vera earlier said the law did not require the subjects to be taught in colleges and that "the study of Filipino can easily be included as courses of study in the tertiary level, if higher education institutions decide to do so."

In response, the group said Filipino cannot be sustained if left to the “whims of higher educational institutions.” They also said excluding the subjects would reverse decades of efforts that saw advocates fight to to increase Filipino units in college.

Meanwhile, groups and faculty from several universities previously slammed the SC's decision, saying the removal of the subjects from the minimum required courses in college would lead to the erosion of Philippine culture and identity.

Implementation of the order is also on hold, as the CHED said it would wait for a final decision from the SC after education and language groups said they planned to appeal the Court’s decision. – Rappler.com

BRUSSELS, Belgium – NATO will hold an emergency meeting with Ukrainian officials at alliance headquarters in Brussels on Monday, November 26 over the naval standoff with Russia off the coast of Crimea.

Russia fired on and then seized three Ukrainian ships on Sunday, accusing them of illegally entering its waters in the Sea of Azov, in a dramatic spike in tensions that raises fears of a wider escalation.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg held phone talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and officials from the two sides will meet later in the day.

"The Secretary General expressed NATO's full support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, including its full navigational rights in its territorial waters under international law," NATO said of Stoltenberg's call.

Kiev demanded the return of its ships and sailors, denouncing "another act of armed aggression" by Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

The Ukrainian military has been put on high alert and the country's parliament is to vote on a request by Poroshenko to impose martial law for 60 days.

Ukraine has also urged its Western allies to step up existing sanctions implemented against Russia over Crimea and its role in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine between the government and pro-Moscow separatists.

Moscow blamed Kiev for the incident, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accusing Ukraine of a planned provocation and of using "dangerous methods" that put ships in the area at risk.

Russian denials drew a barbed response on Twitter from the US Special Envoy for Ukraine Negotiations, Kurt Volker.

"Russia rams Ukrainian vessel peacefully traveling toward a Ukrainian port. Russia seizes ships and crew and then accuses Ukraine of provocation???" Volker tweeted.

Tensions have been building over the Kerch Strait, where Russia has built a new bridge that gives it a land connection to Crimea.

Kiev has accused Moscow of blocking access for Ukrainian ships though the strait, the only way in and out of the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.

The European Union warned Sunday that tensions in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait had "increased dangerously" and demanded Russia restore freedom of passage. –  Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A lawmaker disagreed with a provision under the proposed draft constitution in the House of Representatives that requires the president, vice president, and Congress members to have a college degree. 

The said provision would rob the poor the chance to dream of serving their fellow Filipinos, said Nueva Ecija 3rd District Representative Rosanna Vergara during the plenary debates on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 15 on Monday, November 26. (READ: Highlights of the House's draft federal constitution)

“‘Wag naman sana nating ipagkait ang mangarap sa ating mga kababayan na hindi pinalad na makapag-aral dahil sa kahirapan,” said Vergara, who was interpellating the sponsor, Zamboanga Sibugay 1st District Representative Wilter Wee Palma II.  

(Let us not deny our countrymen the chance to dream just because they are unable to study due to poverty.)

“I hope they are still able to dream of serving others as a representative, senator, vice president, and president, because what we are looking for in a leader – more than being smart – is honesty, humility, love of country, and the desire to serve without asking for anything in return,” added Vergara in Filipino.

Why does Vergara think the provision is anti-poor? Vergara explained the college degree requirement would “disenfranchise” voters. 

The legislator said that in 2010 only 10% of Filipinos had college degrees. Vergara said this number increased to 36% this year. She also pointed out that the free tuition law has only been recently implemented.

“Thus, requiring college degrees would disenfranchise almost 64% of our voters, narrow the pool of qualified people simply because they don’t have a college degree. And there’s no scientific evidence that a college graduate would perform better a a leader than one who isn’t,” said Vergara. 

The neophyte congresswoman said “none” of the classes she took in college were relevant to her job in Congress.

“The trainings that helped me serve my constituents better have nothing to do with my college educational attainment. Rather, perseverance, the recognition of my strengths and weaknesses, knowledge about the needs of my constituents, and making informed and sound choices when voting and making bills – these are the things that I rely on mostly, none of which I learned in college,” said Vergara.

How did Palma defend the college degree requirement? Palma said the provision essentially aims to “elevate” the kind of service that the future president, vice president, senators, and representatives would give to Filipinos should the country shift to federalism.

He said that he agrees that educational attainment does not define what kind of a leader a person will be. 

But he also pointed out that some blue collar jobs already require a college degree, yet the highest position in the land does not. 

Palma also argued a college degree is crucial for a job that involves the creation of laws.

“We just want to elevate the quality of service…. There are sectors in the government, such as ourselves in Congress, wherein academic standards is needed, especially because we are creating laws here,” Palma said in Filipino. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It’s final: the government will be operating under a reenacted budget until at least the first week of February 2019.

This was approved on Monday, November 26, in an all-senators caucus. 

The government is operating on a P3.767 trillion national budget for 2018, and is proposing P3.757 for 2019– 

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri gave the media a copy of the new schedule.  

The House was behind schedule in approving the 2019 General Appropriations Bill or the proposed budget for next year. The chamber approved it on second reading on October 3 but passed the bill on final reading only on November 20.

Some senators earlier blamed congressmen for the delay, citing their supposed insertions of pork barrel. 

The Senate received the budget bill on Monday, but it would not be able to scrutinize it due to lack of time. 

Congress is set to adjourn on December 15 and resume session on January 14. 

The Senate expects the approval of the budget on second and 3rd reading by January 16.

The bicameral conference committee, which will reconcile the two versions of the bill versions, is set to convene between January 10 and 23, with the target ratification of the bicam report on January 29.

Last week, Zubiri said the reenacted budget would be in effect only until January 2019, but the schedule apparently moved after discussions in the caucus. 

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign the 2019 budget on February 7. 

Next year, an election year, will be the first time since 2010 that the government will operate under a reenacted appropriation. 

The last years of then-president and now House Speaker Gloria Arroyo were marked with national budgets that were not passed on time or by yearend. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte has designated National Housing Authority general manager Marcelino Escalada Jr as secretary-general of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

The office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said on Monday, November 26, that Escalada will perform functions in the HUDCC alongside his role as NHA chief.

"It's just a designation. So in the meantime, he will perform functions of Secretary-General in addition to his primary duties as NHA GM (general manager)," said the office in a message to reporters.

Escalada's new role comes days after Duterte announced he fired HUDCC secretary-general Falconi Millar due to supposed corruption allegations.

Millar, meanwhile, denied any wrongdoing, saying he was the victim of a "demolition job" by people whom he "irritated." He also claimed he filed his resignation hours before Duterte announced his sacking.

Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said a company which had dealings with HUDCC had sent Malacañang a letter accusing Millar of demanding money from them for the release of government payments.

Panelo could not name the company, saying he "forgot."

Duterte has frequently declared he will fire his appointees after hearing only a "whiff of corruption" yet he has also re-appointed those accused of wrongdoing into key posts.

Among these are former customs chief Nicanor Faeldon, accused of conniving with drug smugglers responsible for bringing in P6.4 billion worth of shabu inside the country, who is now Bureau of Corrections chief. There's also Pompee La Viña, who Duterte himself accused of misusing government funds yet was appointed agriculture undersecretary. - Rappler.com 

HONG KONG, China – A scientist in China claims to have created the world's first genetically-edited babies, a move that would be a ground-breaking medical first but which has generated a barrage of criticism.

Chinese university professor He Jiankui posted a video on YouTube saying that the twin girls, born a few weeks ago, had had their DNA altered to prevent them from contracting HIV.

The professor, who was educated at Stanford in the US and works from a lab in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said their DNA was modified using CRISPR, a technique which allows scientists to remove and replace a strand with pinpoint precision.

The development emerged Sunday, November 25, in an article published by industry journal the MIT Technology Review, which referenced medical documents posted online by He's research team to recruit couples for the experiments.

He's video then went online, prompting a heated debate among the scientific community, including from experts who cast doubt over the claimed breakthrough, and others who decried it as a modern form of eugenics.

He said the babies, known as "Lulu" and "Nana" although they are not their real names, were born through regular IVF but using an egg which was specially modified before being inserted into the womb.

"Right after sending her husband's sperm into her egg, an embryologist also sent in CRISPR/Cas9 protein and instructions to perform a gene surgery intended to protect the girls from future HIV infection," he said.

Gene editing is a potential fix for heritable diseases but it is extremely controversial because the changes would be passed down to future generations and could eventually affect the entire gene pool.

The MIT Technology Review warned "the technology is ethically charged".

The claims come ahead of a conference of world experts in Hong Kong this week, with He expected to speak on Wednesday and Thursday.

But there is as yet no independent verification of his claims, which have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal – an omission that the scientist's critics have seized on.

'Highly problematic'

The research has been robustly criticized by Chinese scientists and institutions. The university where He works said he had been on unpaid leave since February and his research is a "serious violation of academic ethics and norms".

"This research work was carried out by Professor He Jiankui outside of the school," the Southern University of Science and Technology said in a statement Monday.

And a joint statement from a group of 100 scientists in China criticized the findings and called for better state legislation.

"It is a great blow to the global reputation and development of biomedical research in China," said the statement posted on social media platform Weibo.

"It is extremely unfair to the vast majority of Chinese scholars who are diligent in scientific research and innovation."

Other scientists all around the world were also critical, with some saying a YouTube video was an inadequate way of announcing scientific findings, and others warning that exposing healthy embryos and children to gene editing was irresponsible.

Professor Joyce Harper, professor in genetics and human embryology at London's UCL, said: "Today's report of genome editing human embryos for resistance to HIV is premature, dangerous and irresponsible."

The issue of editing human DNA is highly controversial, and only allowed in the US in laboratory research – although US scientists said last year that they had successfully edited the genetic code of piglets to remove dormant viral infections.

But this is not the first time Chinese researchers have experimented with human embryo technology, and last September scientists at Sun Yat-sen University used an adapted version of gene-editing to correct a disease-causing mutation in human embryos.

There is also a history of fraud within China's academic community – including a scandal last year that led to the withdrawal of 100 "compromised" academic papers.

He Jiankui did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.

Neither was there any response from queries to the organizers of the Hong Kong conference, and it is not clear whether they were aware of He's work.

In a pre-recorded video on the conference's website, biologist and chair of the international summit David Baltimore said: "We have never done anything that will change the genes of the human race, and we have never done anything that will have effects that will go on through the generations." – Rapplercom

WASHINGTON, USA – US border patrol agents have arrested 42 Central American migrants who crossed the southern frontier from Mexico, Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said on Monday, November 26.

"Forty-two people crossed the border and were arrested. To be completely frank there were numerous people who actually made it across the border," Scott, of the San Diego Sector Border Patrol, told CNN, adding that the majority of those detained were men.

They were among a group of migrants mostly driven back – under tear gas and rubber bullet fire– when they tried to rush the border on Sunday from a camp where about 5,000, mostly from Honduras, are staying in hope of eventually becoming US residents.

"We're in the process of building the new border wall here but we don't have it completed. There were sections that had dilapidated border wall that was made out of scrap metal the military gave us," Scott added.

"The group breached a couple of sections of that, actually tore down one small section. They started to rush across and that's another time they starting assaulting our agents and we were able to hold them back using riot techniques." – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – China on Monday, November 26, said that it has barred 3 reported US citizens – a woman and her two grown children – from leaving the country because they are suspected of "economic crimes".

According to the New York Times, Chinese-born mother Sandra Han and her children, Cynthia and Victor Liu, were prevented from leaving the country after they arrived in June.

The children say police are preventing them from returning home to compel their father, a former executive at a Chinese state-owned bank, to return to China to face criminal charges, according to the Times.

Their mother is allegedly being held in a secret site known as a "black jail", the Times reported.

The siblings told American officials and family associates that they were prevented from flying home despite not having been charged with a crime, the newspaper said.

China's foreign ministry on Monday defended the decision.

"As we understand it from the relevant authorities, these people you have mentioned all have legal and valid identity documents as Chinese citizens," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.

"They are suspected of having committed economic crimes and have been restricted from leaving China by Chinese police."

Chinese law does not recognize dual citizenship.

While China is known to bar naturalized foreign citizens who are former Chinese nationals from leaving, it is rare that one of those being held was born in the United States.

The US State Department issued a travel advisory in January, warning its citizens about the use of "exit bans" to compel American nationals to resolve disputes or compel family members or colleagues to cooperate with Chinese authorities.

US-born Victor, 19, was set to start his second year at Georgetown University while his sister, Cynthia, 27, was heading back to work with consulting firm McKinsey & Company, according to the Times.

They have unsuccessfully tried to leave 3 times and have been moving between cities and living with an uncle, the paper reported.

The siblings claim they are innocent and are being used to pressure their father, Liu Changming, a wanted man in China.

A former executive at the Bank of Communications, Liu is accused of helping to carry out one of the country's biggest bank frauds, in which $1.4 billion in illegal loans were issued to property developers.

He fled China in 2007 and his children say he is estranged from the family, cutting off ties in 2012.

The US State Department said it was in "close contact" with Victor and Cynthia Liu.

An official said: "US citizen siblings Victor and Cynthia Liu have been unable to leave China since June 2018 due to an exit ban.

"US officials, including the Secretary of State, regularly raise the issue of exit bans with the Chinese government."

The official added: "We routinely call for a more transparent process and fair treatment for US citizens." – Rappler.com

PASADENA, USA – Cheers and applause erupted at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Monday, November 26, as a waist-high unmanned lander, called InSight, touched down on Mars, capping a nearly 7-year journey from design to launch to landing.

The dramatic arrival of the $993 million spacecraft – designed to listen for quakes and tremors as a way to unveil the Red Planet's inner mysteries, how it formed billions of years ago and, by extension, how other rocky planets like Earth took shape – marked the 8th successful landing on Mars in NASA's history.

"Touchdown confirmed," a mission control operator at NASA said, as pent-up anxiety and excitement surged through the room, and dozens of scientists leapt from their seats to embrace each other.

"It was intense and you could feel the emotion," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine, in an interview on NASA television afterward.

Bridenstine also said Vice President Mike Pence called to congratulate the US space agency for its hard work.

The vehicle appeared to be in good shape, according to the first communications received from the Martian surface.

But as expected, the dust kicked up during the landing obscured the first picture InSight sent back, which was heavily flecked.

"Here's a quick-and-dirty attempt at processing out distortion in the first image from InSight," Emily Lakdawalla, senior editor at the Planetary Society, wrote on Twitter.

"It does look like the lander is a bit tilted, which is not ideal, but the workspace looks flat as a pancake and nearly rock-free."

The principal investigator on the French seismometer, Philippe Lognonne, said he was "relieved and very happy" at the outcome.

"I've just received confirmation that there are no rocks in front of the lander," he told Agence France-Presse.

Next, InSight must open its solar arrays, as NASA waits until later in the afternoon to learn if that final, crucial phase went as planned.

The spacecraft is meant to be solar-powered once it reaches the surface of Mars.

A post-launch press conference is planned for 2200 GMT.

Entry, descent, landing

The spacecraft is NASA's first to touch down on Earth's neighboring planet since the Curiosity rover arrived in 2012.

More than half of 43 attempts to reach Mars with rovers, orbiters and probes by space agencies from around the world have failed.

NASA is the only space agency to have made it, and is invested in these robotic missions as a way to prepare for the first Mars-bound human explorers in the 2030s.

"We never take Mars for granted. Mars is hard," Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for the science mission directorate, said on Sunday, November 25.

The nail-biting entry, descent and landing phase began at 11:47 am (1940 GMT) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, home to mission control for Mars InSight, and ended one second before 1953 GMT.

A carefully orchestrated sequence – already fully preprogrammed on board the spacecraft – unfolded over the following several minutes, coined "6 and a half minutes of terror."

Speeding faster than a bullet at 12,300 miles (19,800 kilometers) an hour, the heat-shielded spacecraft encountered scorching friction as it entered the Mars atmosphere.

The heat shield soared to a temperature of 2,700 Fahrenheit (about 1,500 Celsius) before it was discarded, the 3 landing legs deployed and the parachute popped out, easing InSight down to the Martian surface.

Goal: 3D map of inner Mars

InSight contains key instruments that were contributed by several European space agencies.

France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) made the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, the key element for sensing quakes.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) provided a self-hammering mole that can burrow 16 feet (5 meters) into the surface – further than any instrument before – to measure heat flow.

Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia made the spacecraft's wind sensors.

Three of InSight's seismic instruments were designed and built in Britain.

Other significant contributions came from the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika and the Swiss Institute of Technology.

"It is wonderful news that the InSight spacecraft has landed safely on Mars," said Sue Horne, head of space exploration at the UK Space Agency.

Together, the instruments will study geological processes, said Bruce Banerdt, InSight's principal investigator at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

By listening for tremors on Mars, whether from quakes or meteor impacts or even volcanic activity, scientists can learn more about its interior and reveal how the planet formed.

The goal is to map the inside of Mars in 3 dimensions, "so we understand the inside of Mars as well as we have come to understand the outside of Mars," Banerdt told reporters. – Rappler.com

ANKARA, Turkey – The Open Society Foundation of US billionaire George Soros on Monday, November 26, said it would cease its activities in Turkey after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit out at the Hungarian-born philanthropist last week.

Erdogan on Wednesday, November 21, accused Soros of supporting the jailed Turkish financier and philanthropist Osman Kavala who organized civil society events.

Kavala has been in prison for the past year awaiting trial. Without directly naming him, Erdogan claimed Kavala "financed the terrorists" during anti-government protests in 2013.

In a statement, the Soros foundation said that new investigations by Turkish authorities were trying to create a link between it and the 2013 demonstrations.

"These efforts are not new and they are all completely false," the foundation added.

The executive board also pointed to the recent "increase in the number of baseless accusations and unbalanced speculations in the media against Open Society Foundation" which led the board to conclude that "continuing (its) work has become impossible".

The foundation said it would apply for its closure to the court "immediately", but insisted it conducted each operation in Turkey in compliance with the country's laws.

Erdogan previously said Kavala was the representative in Turkey of the "famous Hungarian Jew Soros" whom he accused of trying to "divide and tear up nations".

Funding philanthropic projects across the world, Soros has become a favorite target of far-right extremists in many countries.

Activists have condemned the lack of an indictment over a year after Kavala's detention.

Turkish authorities suspect Kavala of "attempting to remove the constitutional order" and "attempting to overthrow the government" by "force or violence." – Rappler.com