US commits USD 32-M aid for PHL law enforcement training

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 27): US commits USD 32-M aid for PHL law enforcement training

The United States has committed USD 32-million assistance to the Philippines for law enforcement training, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella disclosed Wednesday.

“Basically, it will come in the form of trainings and stuff,” he told reporters in a briefing after the lunch courtesy call of US Secretary of State John Kerry with President Rodrigo R. Duterte in Malacanang.

Abella said there was no mention on measures about the maritime dispute between the Philippines and China during the meeting except that any talks on this “will begin with the ruling (of the UN Tribunal).”

The Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines on the jurisdiction claims over three islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), saying that it “found that Mischief Reef, Second Thomas Shoal and Reed Bank are submerged at high tide, form part of the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the Philippines, and are not overlapped by any possible entitlement of China.”

Mischief Reef is also called Panganiban Reef in the Philippines, Second Thomas Shoal is known as Ayungin Shoal and Reed Bank as Recto Bank.

Abella said there was no stalemate on the territorial dispute since “conversation will continue to proceed.”

President Duterte earlier said he still prefered the diplomatic way of addressing the territorial dispute and eyes to tap former President Fidel Ramos to be the Philippines’ representative on this issue.

Other topics discussed during the courtesy call included the long-standing relationship between the US and the Philippines, which paved the way for some four million Filipinos to live and work in the US and at least 500,000 US citizens to enjoy the same in the Philippines.

Also discussed are issues on terrorism, crime, drugs, religious fanaticism, and maritime security and menus of solution on these problems, Abella said.

Climate change issue was also touched on and “Mr. Kerry was helpful in defining certain issues about the Paris pact.”

“And the President also responded appropriately when he said the Philippines will work out just as long as everything is fair,” he said.

President Duterte earlier said he would not heed the Paris Pact, signed in December 2015 calling on signatories to reduce carbon emissions, since this would restrict economic growth of the Philippines.

Under the agreement, the Philippines is committed to reduce carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=907876