Good bye China; Japan wins the heart of ASEAN countries for Security and Economic ties-Pledge $20 Billion Dollars Investment

Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (L) shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the start of their meeting at Abe's official residence in Tokyo December 15, 2013 - AFP

 

Japan, Southeast Asia agree to boost economic ties

 

Japan and Southeast Asian countries Sunday pledged to boost economic and security ties, a day after they agreed on the importance of ensuring freedom of the skies after China declared a controversial air defense zone.

 

The leaders were discussing increasing exchanges of top diplomats and defense officials and closer coastguard cooperation, finalizing a three-day special summit between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), officials said.

 

Tokyo Saturday pledged $20 billion in aid and loans to Southeast Asia at the summit with leaders of the ASEAN regional bloc, the latest step in its bid to woo global public opinion in its territorial dispute with China

 

In bilateral talks Sunday, Japan and Myanmar also agreed on an investment accord to accelerate Japanese investment in the former junta-ruled country, while Tokyo and Laos agreed to kick-start talks on a civil aviation agreement, officials said.

 

The talks came a day after Japan and ASEAN agreed on the importance of the "freedom of over flight and civil aviation safety", seen as a mild regional rebuke to China for its unilateral declaration last month of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

 

China denounced as "slanderous" remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the summit calling for Beijing to rescind its air zone, which was widely criticized as increasing regional tensions.

 

Beijing has said all aircraft entering the zone have to submit flight plans and obey orders issued by Chinese authorities.

 

Some analysts fear the ADIZ in the East China Sea is a forerunner to a similar zone in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

 

China has sovereignty disputes with four members of ASEAN -- the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei -- and has been repeatedly accused of intimidation and coercion.

 

"We will continue to provide support, both at the public and private level, for infrastructure building initiatives and work toward Myanmar's development," Abe said after meeting with Myanmar's President Thein Sein.

 

In addition to Tokyo's development aid in loans, the investment accord signed Sunday would likely boost Japanese investment in the quickly developing former pariah state, a trade ministry spokesman said.

 

The deal would give Japanese companies so-called national treatment, or rights that local businesses receive in Myanmar when making investment decisions, helping Japanese firms avoid political risks in investing there.

 

The move comes as Myanmar prepares for an economic resurgence following the end of decades of military rule, which in turn is attracting attention from firms all over Asia and the West.

 

Meanwhile, Abe and Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong agreed to start negotiations for a civil aviation agreement that would pave the way for direct flights between Laos and Japan, officials said.

 

They also agreed to continue their talks to launch a bilateral security dialogue framework involving foreign and defense officials, according to Japanese officials.

 

With Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Abe discussed strengthening cooperation between the coastguards of the two countries which both face territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea or in the East China Sea.

 

In bilateral talks with Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, Abe took up the issue of China's air defense zone, Jiji Press reported, without citing sources.

 

Dung said the issue should be resolved based on international law while Thongsing said it was important to settle it by peaceful means, Jiji said.

 

With Cambodia, whose economy is heavily reliant on China, Japan is also expected to discuss an aviation treaty and further exchanges of defense officials, officials have said.

 

The Japan-ASEAN summit commemorating 40 years of ties with the bloc comes at a time Tokyo is keen to garner support in its fractious spat with Beijing over the sovereignty of a small chain of islands in the East China Sea.

 

The case has taken on a greater urgency since China's declaration of the air zone which covers the contested archipelago. - By Kyoko Hasegawa | AFP News

Continue reading

Another ₱1-Billion PDAF pork barrel scam being investigated linked to Roque not to Napoles

Photo: philsStar

 

The government will investigate another Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam involving P1 billion and allegedly perpetrated by non-government organizations linked to businessman Godofredo Roque, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima bared yesterday.

 

De Lima said a task force under the Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAAGCC) will be assigned to investigate the charges against Roque by labor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP).

 

"I think Mr. Roque, along with others who also operated their NGOs in amassing PDAF, will be covered by the investigation of the inter-agency task force," De Lima said.

 

Are you searching for a fast and affordable Shared, VPS and Dedicated webhosting service? Visit SOMOSOTECH at [ www.somosotech.com ]

 

The task force would be composed of representatives of the Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Office of the Ombudsman, and Commission on Audit (COA).

 

De Lima said Roque's case would be treated separately from that of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, which has been the focus of the NBI probe.

 

"As I have said many times, the coverage of the NBI probe is only Napoles, particularly NGOs related to her and therefore within the knowledge of our whistle-blowers," she added.

The NBI has filed two batches of corruption cases against Napoles and several lawmakers linked to her before the Office of the Ombudsman.

 

"We continue to build up cases on those within the knowledge of our whistle-blowers but are not supported yet with documentary evidence either from DBM (Department of Budget and Management) or COA," De Lima said.

 

As to Roque's case, the DOJ chief said the probe duties would be up to the IAAGCC task force.

 

"The main mandate of the task force is to make independent evaluation of and build up cases from the COA special audit report not covered by the NBI investigation," she said.

 

The probe is pursuant to the Supreme Court (SC) order last month for the government to "investigate and prosecute all government officials and/or private individuals for possible criminal offenses related to the irregular, improper and/or unlawful disbursement of all funds under the pork barrel system," she added.

 

De Lima also bared that the IAAGCC probe would include lawmakers mentioned in the COA report, but were not investigated by the NBI since they had no links with Napoles.

 

The BMP, in its letter-request for investigation, had linked an ally of President Aquino, Iloilo fifth district Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., to Roque's scheme.

 

"Rep. Tupas himself admitted that he signed the documents naming the NGOs of Godofredo Roque as beneficiaries under his special allocation release order (SARO)," BMP alleged.

 

BMP national president Leody de Guzman alleged that Tupas gave P17.49 million of his PDAF for the projects of National Agribusiness Corp. (NABCOR) and the National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC).

 

De Guzman said the funds went to Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation Inc. (KKAMFI), an NGO which was allegedly endorsed by Tupas to NABCOR and NLDC.

 

KKAMFI is supposedly an NGO of Roque, who was able to amass around P1 billion in PDAF based on reports.

 

"Even if these politicians are allies of the President, your office should not tolerate their questionable acts. We are hoping that your agency will conduct a thorough investigation on the matter and that they would be made answerable before the court the soonest possible time," BMP said.

 

SC again asked to stop DAP

 

As this developed, the Supreme Court was again asked yesterday to stop the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) of President Aquino.

 

One of the nine petitioners, former Iloilo Rep. and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority head Augusto Syjuco Jr., reiterated his motion for issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) as the SC goes into its yearend recess next week and with just days left in the government's fiscal year.

 

In a nutshell, petitioners alleged that the discretionary fund of the President violates the exclusive power of Congress to appropriate funds, just like in the case of the PDAF.

 

In his 16-page reiterated second motion, Syjuco argued that the people would suffer irreparable harm if Malacañang would be allowed to continue using its remaining DAP funds for this year pending legal questions before the SC.

 

"All facts considered, the petitioner in behalf of all the taxpayers shall suffer imminent and irreparable harm if the respondents are not enjoined from continuously realigning and spending government funds from the DAP despite its constitutional infirmities," Syjuco said.

 

"Undisputed is the fact that the DAP was created not by virtue of any law. Rather, it is a mere unilateral act of the President. Government funds have been continuously emptied out from the government coffers without any valid and existing law that sanctions its allocations and disbursements," he added.

 

Watch the new Powerful Philippine online shopping Mall soon to open at? Visit Pilipinas Online Shopping Mall at [ www.PilipinasMall.com ]

 

This is the third time Syjuco pleaded for a TRO against the DAP.

 

Earlier, the SC deferred ruling on the prayer for immediate relief and instead set the case for oral arguments.

 

The first oral argument was held last Nov. 19 with the counsels of Syjuco and eight other petitioners arguing how the DAP violates the Constitution.

 

The second oral argument, originally set last Dec. 10, was deferred to Jan. 28, 2014 when the executive and legislative branches would have their turn to justify the legality of the DAP.

 

The postponement of oral arguments, a court insider said, could mean that the Palace would no longer be restrained from using its DAP funds for this year. - philSTAR

Continue reading