Miriam Santiago wins International Criminal seat

Feisty Philippine Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has "overwhelmingly" won a seat in the highly powerful International Criminal Court, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Tuesday (December 13, 2011).

DFA said Santiago is the first woman from an Asian developing state to join as a judge in the Netherlands-based international court.

ICC is an "independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes," according to the court's website.

Santiago reportedly topped the poll's first round, effectively gaining a seat with 79 votes out of 104 valid votes, which DFA said was "an indication of the strong support from States Parties."

DFA noted that to be elected, candidates must receive two-thirds majority of the total number of votes cast, mostly States Parties voting.

"She was the first to be elected out of 18 candidates vying for six seats on the Court.  For the first round of voting, she bested candidates from every region," DFA said in a statement.

"This is the message that we emphasized in the campaign.  We are pleased that the international community has listened to us.  Indeed, it is a new day for the Philippines, a day of pride for our country and a day of honor, knowing that this is a tremendous responsibility and mandate placed upon our compatriot," DFA Secretary Alberto del Rosario said.

Sen. Santiago recently went on a four-month campaign to get States Parties' support.

In October, Santiago said she would be resigning from the Senate should she win a seat in the International Criminal Court.

"I'll have to resign [as senator]. Isn't that good news for my enemies? I would have to live in The Hague. I will look like a European and speak like a European and I will be as snooty as a European when I come back," she reportedly said.

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Philippines: UN relief official in funding appeal for displaced in Mindanao

Big Family is still common in the Philippines as said to be this tropical country is a good breeding place for both human and animals and a haven of baby boomer in the world. Heavy rains in the Philippines in June 2011 left scores of homes like this one in Cortabato City, Mindanao, inundated with water

12 December 2011 – A senior United Nations relief official today called for a surge in financial support to provide humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of people driven from their homes by conflict on the Philippine island of Mindanao.

At the launch of the Philippines (Mindanao) Humanitarian Action Plan 2012, Jacqui Badcock, the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for the Philippines, appealed for $38 million in funding as part of the UN's ongoing efforts to provide emergency relief, protection and livelihood support to those in Mindanao affected by conflict and natural disasters.

"The situation remains fragile, and the people continue to live in fear and uncertainty," Ms. Badcock warned in Manila. "Our goal is to help them rebuild their lives as quickly as possible," she added.

The UN estimates that 680,000 people in central Mindanao are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, with new displacements continuing to occur as a result of sporadic armed fighting and the compounding effects of severe flooding caused by heavy seasonal rains.

"We have strengthened our needs assessment and analysis, and expanded programmatic and geographic areas where organizations work more cohesively," Ms. Badcock said.

"This will help level the imbalances and ensure a more seamless response to the complex needs of the people in Mindanao," she added, further noting that early and sustained donor funding was "critical" to the success of the action plan.

As of 11 December, the 2011 action plan had received 54 per cent of the required support with slow and imbalanced funding being a major concern. The 2012 action plan seeks $38 million to cover 30 projects over the next 12 months.

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