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Canceling diplomatic passports 'not unlawful' — Locsin Patricia Lourdes Viray (Philstar.com) - June 24, 2019 - 12:29pm MANILA, Philippines — Canceling all courtesy diplomatic passports is not unlawful, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Monday. This is in response to former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, who said revoking all diplomatic passports issued to former foreign affairs secretaries and envoys would be unlawful. The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier announced that it would be issuing an order canceling all courtesy diplomatic passports after Del Rosario was denied entry to Hong Kong, a semiautonomous part of China. "It is not 'unlawful'; it is a courtesy to those who have ceased doing the job requiring blue passports. We don't want to have them out there dishonored by foreign immigration by rejection," Locsin said on Twitter. Del Rosario was carrying a diplomatic or a … [Read more...] about Canceling diplomatic passports ‘not unlawful’ — Locsin

Cancelling diplomatic passports 'not unlawful' — Locsin Patricia Lourdes Viray (Philstar.com) - June 24, 2019 - 12:29pm MANILA, Philippines — Cancelling all courtesy diplomatic passports is not unlawful, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Monday. This is in response to former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, who said revoking all diplomatic passports issued to former foreign affairs secretaries and envoys would be unlawful. The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier announced that it would be issuing an order cancelling all courtesy diplomatic passports after Del Rosario was denied entry to Hong Kong, a semiautonomous part of China. "It is not 'unlawful'; it is a courtesy to those who have ceased doing the job requiring blue passports. We don't want to have them out there dishonored by foreign immigration by rejection," Locsin said on Twitter. Del Rosario was carrying a diplomatic or … [Read more...] about Cancelling diplomatic passports ‘not unlawful’ — Locsin

Del Rosario: DFA cannot cancel diplomatic passports Patricia Lourdes Viray (Philstar.com) - June 24, 2019 - 11:23am MANILA, Philippines — Revoking all courtesy diplomatic passports issued to previous foreign affairs chiefs and diplomats would be unlawful, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said Monday. Del Rosario, who was carrying a diplomatic passport, was barred from entering Hong Kong and was detained for almost six hours at the airport last week. "I was carrying a diplomatic passport and a diplomatic passport must be respected because it carries the seal of the Republic if the Philippines so to discredit the bearer is to discredit the republic," Del Rosario told CNN Philippines' "The Source." Following the deportation of Del Rosario from the semiautonomous Chinese territory, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it would be issuing an order cancelling all courtesy diplomatic passports. Citing … [Read more...] about Del Rosario: DFA cannot cancel diplomatic passports

Lacson: I am not 'posturing' for 2022 (Philstar.com) - June 24, 2019 - 11:08am MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson denied Monday that he is "posturing" for the national elections in 2022 amid his vocal criticisms on the Duterte government’s response to the sinking of a Philippine boat by a Chinese vessel.  In a post on Twitter, the senator said: “To those accusing me of posturing for 2022, I am not.” The Philippines will hold its national elections on 2022. Lacson’s term as a senator will end on the same year. “I am just myself—mostly serious, sometimes funny, naughty, controversial, dull, boring,” he added. The senator has taken to posting his reactions on several national issues on microblogging platform Twitter. He also posted his thoughts on the allision at Recto Bank where 22 Filipino fishermen were abandoned by the Chinese vessel than … [Read more...] about Lacson: I am not ‘posturing’ for 2022

Angat Dam seen to breach lowest water level this week (Philstar.com) - June 24, 2019 - 10:32am MANILA, Philippines — Angat Dam, the primary water source of Metro Manila, could breach its lowest water level this weekend. Sevillo David, executive director of the National Water Resources Board, said this in an interview on CNN Philippines Monday as the water level at Angat Dam continues to decline. “If the current situation continues and without significant rainfall, we might breach that lowest recorded level of 157.57 meters by the end of the week,” David said. Angat Dam registered its lowest level of 157.57 meters in July 2010. The latest monitoring of state weather bureau PAGASA showed that as of early Monday morning, the dam’s water level was down to 159.09 meters—0.91 meters below the critical level of 160 meters. Water allocation for Metro Manila water concessionaires was slashed to 36 cubic … [Read more...] about Angat Dam seen to breach lowest water level this week