Ping, May Payo sa Commander-in-Chief sa Sigalot sa WPS

Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef. Image Courtesy: AP

Hindi nararapat para sa Commander-in-Chief na maglabas ng mensaheng magbubunsod ng interpretasyon na tila sumusuko na ang pamahalaan sa pakikipaglaban sa Tsina para maangkin ang bahagi ng West Philippine Sea.

Ito ang naging tugon ni Senador Panfilo Lacson, Chairman ng Senate Committee on National Defense, makaraang ihayag ng Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na maaring mauwi sa madugong sagupaan ang situwasyon kapag pinilit ng Pilipinas na igiit ang pang-angkin nito sa mga lugar.

“He’s the leader of our country and he’s the commander-in-chief of our armed forces. He can think of anything and speak about anything except surrender. Remember, we have an arbitral ruling in our favor and it’s permanent although it’s unenforceable. There are so many things to think about except surrender. We cannot wave the white flag, so to speak,” banggit ni Lacson sa panayam ng CNN Philippines.

Ayon kay Lacson, posibleng malagay sa alanganin ang kasarinlan ng Pilipinas kapag hindi ito nasolusyunan.

“I am not saying the President is actually raising the white flag but that’s the implication. If the officers and men of the AFP would take it that way, it could be disastrous to Philippine sovereignty,” dagdag ni Lacson.

Related: Lacson: Commander-in-Chief Cannot ‘Surrender’ on WPS Issue
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Lacson: Commander-in-Chief Cannot ‘Surrender’ on WPS Issue

Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef. Image Courtesy: AP

The Philippines’ Commander-in-Chief cannot afford to send the wrong message – especially implied surrender or resignation – on our territorial disputes with China in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson said this after President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday night that the Philippines may risk bloodshed and a no-win situation if it asserts its jurisdiction.

“He’s the leader of our country and he’s the commander-in-chief of our armed forces. He can think of anything and speak about anything except surrender. Remember, we have an arbitral ruling in our favor and it’s permanent although it’s unenforceable. There are so many things to think about except surrender. We cannot wave the white flag, so to speak,” Lacson said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

“I am not saying the President is actually raising the white flag but that’s the implication. If the officers and men of the AFP would take it that way, it could be disastrous to Philippine sovereignty,” he added.

Related: Ping, May Payo sa Commander-in-Chief sa Sigalot sa WPS
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Lacson: Without Acceleration of COVID Vaccination, No Herd Immunity till 2033

Image Courtesy: National Task Force Against COVID-19 Facebook page

Unless the government accelerates the pace of its COVID vaccination efforts, herd immunity may have to wait until about 2033, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson stressed Friday.

Lacson also said there is still much room for improvement in the government’s response to the pandemic, a year after it imposed community quarantine in Metro Manila to stop the spread of COVID.

“Unless we accelerate the pace of vaccination, medyo matatagalan tayo. As of March 10, 114,615 had been vaccinated. At the rate of about 4,000 a day, assuming that the vaccination is not accelerated and assuming we will have the vaccines for the 70-million targeted population for herd immunity, we might not achieve herd immunity until 2033 at the rate we’re doing it now. But if we accelerate and I hope the government would accelerate the vaccination rollout, then maybe we can advance the timetable,” he said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

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Ping: Pagpapawalambisa sa UP-DND Accord, Puwede Ipagpaliban

May mga pangyayari na puwedeng pagbatayan para ipagpaliban muna ang pagpapawalambisa sa 1989 UP-DND Accord.

Ayon kay Senador Panfilo Lacson, ang listahan ng mga estudyante ng University of the Philippines na diumano’y naging miyembro ng New People’s Army (NPA) at napatay sa pakikipagsagupaan sa militar ay isa sa mga pangyayaring dapat na tingnan.

“I think it is prudent now for Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to at least suspend the termination of the UP-DND accord and hold a dialogue as he already mentioned he would do,” paliwanag ni Lacson, chairman ng Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, sa panayam ng CNN Philippines.

Ayon sa mambabatas, lumalabas na base sa maling impormasyon ang naging basehan ng DND para i-terminate ang kasunduan, dahil ang mga nasa listahan nila na diumano’y nahuli o napatay ay buhay at malaya pa pala.

“They based their decision to terminate the UP-DND accord, signed way back, on what appears now to be false information. They included personalities that they said were captured or killed in action by the military, but turned out to be alive and not captured at all,” banggit ni Lacson.

Related: Lacson: Prudent to Suspend UP-DND Accord Termination
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Lacson: Prudent to Suspend UP-DND Accord Termination

Recent developments involving decisions based on “false” information may merit at least a suspension of the Department of National Defense’s decision to end its agreement with the University of the Philippines, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Monday.

Lacson said this after DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana apologized for an “unpardonable gaffe” involving the military’s list of UP students supposedly recruited by the New People’s Army and killed or captured in clashes.

“I think it is prudent now for Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to at least suspend the termination of the UP-DND accord and hold a dialogue as he already mentioned he would do,” Lacson, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

“They based their decision to terminate the UP-DND accord, signed way back, on what appears now to be false information. They included personalities that they said were captured or killed in action by the military, but turned out to be alive and not captured at all,” he added.

Related: Ping: Pagpapawalambisa sa UP-DND Accord, Puwede Ipagpaliban
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