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GMA Network
24-05-2025
- GMA Network
WPS research missions won't stop despite China aggression — BFAR
China Coast Guard vessel 21559 fires a water cannon and sideswipes a BFAR vessel in Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay) in the West Philippine Sea on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Courtesy: Philippine Coast Guard video screen grab The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) remains committed to conduct marine research missions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) despite continued aggression from the China Coast Guard (CCG). "Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na binomba 'yung barko ng BFAR at alam niyo naman na hindi tayo nagpapatinag, tuloy pa rin naman ang pagsasagawa ng mandato ng ahensya sa kabila nga mga iresponsable, marahas, na aksyon ng Chinese Coast Guard sa West Philippine Sea," BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said during the Saturday News Forum. (This is not the first time that a water cannon was fired at a BFAR vessel. This will not stop us from performing the agency's mandate despite the irresponsible, aggressive actions of the Chinese Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea.) The BFAR official made the pronouncement after a CCG ship fired a water cannon and sideswiped the agency's vessels in Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay). According to the Fisheries bureau, its ships BRP Datu Sanday and BRP Datu Pagbuaya were on a routine mission with a scientific team to collect sand samples in the area as part of a marine scientific research initiative. The BFAR said the Philippine scientific team was able to complete its operations in Pag-asa Cays 1, 2 and 3 despite the CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels' "aggressive, dangerous, and illegal" actions. The bureau pointed out that the incident happened within the territorial sea of the Philippines in the area of Pag-asa Island and Pag-asa Cay 2, which are part of the Kalayaan Island Group in the WPS. "Hindi ito magiging dahilan para tumigil tayo na gawin ang misyon, mandato ng ahensya sa pakikipagtulungan ng ibang concerned agency like the Philippine Coast Guard… nasa karagatan tayo na sakop ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas, may karapatan tayo na magsagawa ng mga gawain, ayon sa mandato ng aming ahensya," Briguera said. (This will not be the reason for us to stop doing our mission, the mandate of the agency in cooperation with other concerned agencies like the Philippine Coast Guard… We are in the maritime zone that is part of Philippine territory. We have the right to conduct our activities in accordance with the mandate of our agency.) In a statement, the China Coast Guard said it took "control measures" against the Philippine vessels, which it said "illegally intruded" into waters near Subi Reef and Sandy Cay. CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun also claimed that one of the Philippine vessels "dangerously" approached and collided with a CCG ship, and that responsibility "lies entirely" with the Philippine side. Briguera dismissed the CCG's claim, adding that evidence will show who really is the aggressor in the particular incident. "Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na naglabas tayo ng ebidensya kung sino talaga kumabaga ang gumawa ng provocative action sa mga ganitong pagkakataon," he said. The BFAR official said that CCG's moves on its vessels "would entail thousands of pesos doon sa damage kasi itong mga barko natin hindi basta-basta 'yung mga materials ng mga barko natin… thousands, maybe millions of pesos." (... would entail thousands of pesos to repair the damage because our vessels are made of high-quality materials... the cost may be thousands, if not millions of pesos.) "Nasa ano naman 'yan, protocol na kapag nagkaroon ng damage ibabalik sa home court …ia-assess 'yung damage," Briguera said. (Whatever the case may be, whenever our vessels sustain damage, they must be brought back to home court... to assess the damage.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
17-05-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Sacked OWWA chief Ignacio's P1.4-B land deal under probe — DMW
The alleged anomalous P1.4-billion land acquisition deal of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which supposedly did not have approval by the agency's Board of Trustees, is now under investigation by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). "[DMW] Secretary Hans Cacdac made a statement already, allow me to say this and as a lawyer I would also say this, there's an investigation… I will allow due process to take its course," DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne "PJ" Caunan said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. On Friday, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac told GMA News Online that former OWWA administrator Arnell Ignacio was removed from his post on the count of "loss of trust and confidence" due to the alleged anomalous P1.4-billion land acquisition deal he entered into but was not authorized by the OWWA Board. Cuanan is replacing Ignacio as administrator of the OWWA. "As the new administrator of OWWA, we will perform the necessary audit, we will seek the required legal opinion from the Department of Justice and we will engage with the Commission on Audit," she said. The new OWWA chief said the land purchase deal under the agency's previous leadership was supposed to be for a "half-way house" or a dormitory-type accommodation of overseas Filipino workers to be located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1. Cacdac earlier said the agreement was entered into last September 2024. "Let's go back to OWWA law. It says there that the power to purchase a real property… the approval should be with the Board of Trustees of OWWA and the Chairman of the Board is the Secretary of DMW, the Vice Chair is the OWWA Administrator. So the regular process or what is expected is that purchases should go through the Board of Trustees," Caunan said. In a phone interview with reporters, Ignacio said he would address the matter in a proper forum as he declined to provide a statement in the meantime. The axed OWWA administrator, however, expressed "shock" about the ongoing developments. OFW Fund intact Amid the controversy surrounding the land purchase deal, Cuanan said the P1.4-billion fund "did not come from the trust fund." She was referring to the OWWA Fund, a pool of funds coming from contributions of member-OFWs, seafarers, and their employers. Budget documents showed the 2025 OWWA Fund stands at P2.973 billion. This is on top of the P3.409-billion fund for the agency under the General Appropriations Act (GAA). "So it's with the government budget, the GAA. So intact 'yung pera nu'ng trust fund. Hindi ito trust fund para wala na parang paninisi, diretsuhin ko na," Caunan said. (So it's with the government budget, the GAA. So the money for the trust fund is intact. It's not a trust fund that—, let me be frank, as if others are being blamed.) "The OFW Fund is sacred… we are very serious about… We take this very seriously," she said. Asked if there are other officials being probed, the new OWW chief said, "What we can say is that I think there is an investigation already..." Cacdac earlier said that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has already been informed about the issue and that "there will be a corresponding case to be filed in the appropriate office or authority." — VDV, GMA Integrated News
