Latest news with #ChinoGaston
GMA Network
6 days ago
- GMA Network
Chinese warships approach PH-US exercise off Zambales
The Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessels BRP Cabra and BRP Suluan sail alongside the guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur during a joint exercise off the Zambales as seen from the Philippine Navy frigate BRP Miguel Malvar on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. GMA INTEGRATED NEWS Chinese warships approached and issued a radio challenge to Philippine vessels that were conducting joint exercises with the United States Navy off the Zambales coast. According to Chino Gaston's Wednesday report on '24 Oras,' the ships that took part in the exercise were the BRP Miguel Malvar, the Philippine Navy's newest frigate purchased from South Korea, the US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol vessels BRP Cabra and BRP Suluan. Meanwhile, the People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Jiangkai class frigate with bow number 551 and Jiangdao Corvette with bow number 646 were observed shadowing the joint exercise. The Chinese warships were accompanied by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel with bow number 4203. According to the Philippine Navy, the Chinese warships approached BRP Malvar to a distance of three to four nautical miles, but these later came nearer to the smaller PCG vessels. The Chinese also conducted a radio challenge but did not repeat it. ''Yung activity natin with the Philippine Coast Guard is very important because every time na mag-operate ang Coast Guard natin, we always support 'yong law enforcement ng Coast Guard,' said Lieutenant Commander Bryan Magura, the operations officer of the Malvar. (Our activity with the PCG is very important because we always support the Coast Guard every time they conduct their law enforcement activities.) 'So we are here to show that the coordination and interoperability with the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, to include 'yung partner nations natin, is enhanced and improved (to include our partner nations in enhancing and improving our operations),' he added. The division tactics exercise began at around 1 p.m. where the training focused on various sailing formations. In all maneuvers, the two PCG ships were in the middle of the formation. From the Malvar's flight deck, its Agusta Westland helicopter took off to observe from the sky and take photos. Two PCG vessels participated in the multilateral cooperative activity along with the Philippine and US navies in preparation for future missions where they need to be accompanied by warships. This is the eighth maritime multilateral cooperative activity (MCA) the Philippines has had with allied countries. According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, these military exercises will continue, along with adding more Philippine Navy ships and more allied countries that support the Philippines' defense of its exclusive economic zone — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
08-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Chinese vessel runs aground off Pag-asa Island
A Chinese fishing vessel ran aground just kilometers from Pag-asa Island, part of the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea where the Philippines maintains its longstanding sovereignty and jurisdiction, on Saturday afternoon amid stormy weather conditions. The vessel was reported to have run aground during the low tide on Saturday, and was eventually pulled by two other Chinese fishing vessels past 5 p.m. the same day, according to the Kalayaan Island Group local government unit. 'May mga naiwan pa nga doon na parang floating buoy. Hindi rin nila mapuntahan gawa ng malakas daw 'yung alon,' Kalayaan Island Group councilor MP Albayda said in a report by Chino Gaston on GMA's '24 Oras Weekend' on Sunday. 'May humilang dalawa na Chinese fishing militia rin, tapos ang ano nila ay paatras, paatras 'yung hila ng nabahurang barko,' he added. (There were floating buoys that were left. They couldn't go immediately because the waves were strong. There were two Chinese fishing militia vessels that towed the grounded vessel backwards.) Photos of the vessel were uploaded on social media by KIG resident Larry Hugo, who expressed doubts whether the vessel accidentally ran aground or if this was intentional. The incident prompted Filipino authorities to respond, with the Philippine Coast Guard deploying its force to check on the vessel. 'Na-report din po 'yan ng mga local fisherfolk sa authorities, so eventually, may naging actions po ang ating Coast Guard which is pinuntahan po nila, nag-deploy po sila ng force, pwersa nila, para i-check,' Naval Task Force 42 spokesperson Capt. Elaine Rose Collado said in the same report. (Local fisherfolk reported this to authorities so eventually, the Coast Guard took actions — they deployed their forces to check.) Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro over the weekend also flew to Balabac, Palawan to inspect the location of a planned airbase and naval station. 'Recognized international sea lane dito so minsan, dumadaan talaga dito ang mga Chinese vessels at eto, 'pag hindi nadama or hindi nagkaroon ng presence dito, napakadali na abusuhin ng foreign influence and other inappropriate illegal activities dito,' he said. (This is a recognized international sea lane so sometimes, Chinese vessels really pass through here. If there is no presence felt here, it is easy for foreign influence to abuse it or for other inappropriate illegal activities to be done here.) Balabac, Palawan is one of the locations of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites between the Philippines and the United States, which gives the US military access to Philippine bases for joint training, along with humanitarian and disaster relief efforts. To recall, the Philippines in 2013 challenged China over its claims on the West Philippine Sea, where Manila scored a victory and a landmark ruling by an international tribunal which invalidated Beijing's claims. China has refused to acknowledge the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling that invalidated its nine-dash line. Its government in 2022 claimed that it will continue to adhere to what it described as a 'friendly consultation' with the Philippines after several Chinese vessels have been found 'swarming' areas in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines has already filed over 150 diplomatic protests against China regarding the territorial dispute under the administration of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
06-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PH, China exchange radio challenges near Panata Island
The Philippines and China exchanged radio challenges on Friday near Panata Island in the West Philippine Sea. According to a ''24 Oras'' report by Chino Gaston on Friday, BRP Andres Bonifacio detected a Jiangkai class frigate (bow number 525) and two militia vessels before 8 a.m. while on a maritime patrol. The Philippine Navy vessel issued a radio challenge, which was not immediately answered by the Chinese side. They were within 4.6 nautical miles of the Chinese ship. 'We conducted the standard radio challenge within the territorial waters of Panata Island. They counter-challenged, and we counter-challenged that Panata Island and KIG (Kalayaan Island Group) are part of the Philippines. Once we issued our radio challenge, they immediately changed their course, going to Subi Reef,' said BRP Andres Bonifacio commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Christian Malabanan. Malabanan added it was critical to follow the rules of engagement in line with government policies to prevent violent confrontations. 'One action of the tactical units, which is kami po, is we'll escalate or de-escalate a certain situation. So, kung ano po yung binigay sa amin ng ROE (rules of engagement), stick po kami doon, and if ano yung general [instruction] ng government natin, yung po yung sinusunod namin. Although yung pressure na dyan, sir… We are trained to have a decision na mag-conduct ng in-line to avoid any action na magiging detrimental naman po sa government namin,' he said. (One action of the tactical units, which is us, is we'll escalate or de-escalate a certain situation. So, whatever the ROE gives us, we will stick with it, and whatever the general [instruction] of the government is, that is what we follow. Although, the pressure is there… We are trained to have a decision to avoid any action that will be detrimental to the government.) Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, including parts that fall within Manila's exclusive economic zone. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims, but Beijing has not recognized the decision. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
03-06-2025
- General
- GMA Network
China issues radio challenge vs PAF aircraft en route Pag-asa Island
Chinese forces issued a radio challenge to a Philippine Air Force (PAF) cargo aircraft headed to Pag-asa Island. In Chino Gaston's Tuesday report on '24 Oras,' the PAF C-130 Hercules was carrying officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and some members of the media to conduct an inspection of Pag-asa Island. The AFP aimed to show the new structures and the current situation of Pag-asa Island and other military outposts in the Kalayaan Island Group. Also onboard the plane were a number of residents and elementary school teachers. However, as the plane neared Pag-asa, China issued a radio challenge. 'Before we landed, there was a radio challenge. There was one radio challenge that occurred but hindi na ito nag prosper and with that ang sagot naman ng ating mga piloto, of course, we are asserting pa rin and holding our sovereign with this. We conducted itong media embedded maritime patrol na makita talaga natin yung situation in the area,' AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Padilla said. (Before we landed, there was a radio challenge. There was one radio challenge that occurred, but it did not prosper and our pilots' response has always been the same: we are attesting and holding our sovereign. We conducted a media-embedded maritime patrol to show the situation in the area.) The new airport control tower is almost finished, while the current three-kilometer long runway is currently being extended to accommodate larger aircraft. These developments are in stark contrast to a decaying watchtower and derelict amphibious tanks deployed by the military in the 1970s around the island. The island's electricity comes from a community generator while a desalination plant converts seawater to drinking water. A fisherman told reporters that fishing in the waters off Pag-asa has been difficult due to the presence of the Chinese and Vietnamese vessels. He mentioned their crews used cyanide to catch fish. Due to the bad weather and strong waves on Tuesday morning, Chinese fishing militia vessels surrounding the island were only observed in the afternoon once the weather improved. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
30-05-2025
- Health
- GMA Network
DOH monitoring mild variant of monkeypox in PH
The Department of Health (DOH) allayed the fears of the public as the monkeypox cases being monitored in the country are of Clade II variant, the mild variant of the said disease. According to Chino Gaston's report in '24 Oras' on Friday, the DOH, however, assured that it is on guard to prevent the entry of the more transmissible Clade 1b variant to the country. 'All of them are mpox Clade II. Wala pa kaming nakitang mpox Clade 1b sa Pilipinas. Yung [Clade] II, very mild, self-limiting, at tsaka ang transmission niya ay skin-to-skin contact,' said Health Secretary Ted Herbosa. (All of them are mpox Clade II. We have yet to monitor any mpox Clade 1b in the Philippines. The Clade II variant is very mild, self-limiting, and the transmission is only through skin-to-skin contact.) The DOH chief added that some of the fatalities it recorded did not die of mpox, but due to complications brought about by advanced human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. The latest mpox case logged was a resident from Maco, Davao de Oro. The patient has already recovered, but there were two other suspected cases in Maco and in Nabunturan. Another case was also reported in Iloilo Province but was also declared recovered by the provincial health office. In Iloilo City, on the other hand, four individuals are under isolation and monitoring due to suspected infection. Meanwhile, the local authorities in Bacolod City will strictly monitor hotels, spas, wet markets, and terminals to prevent any outbreaks. Among the symptoms to watch out for include a skin rash or mucosal lesions, which can last two to four weeks. The rashes are accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. There is no cure to mpox for now, but isolation, proper care, and rest for up to four weeks would suffice for recovery. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News
