No success for Roxas

As expected, DILG Sec. Mar Roxas, another presidential special envoy to China, was rebuffed by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping who not only reiterated China’s sovereign claim to the disputed islands at the West Philippine Sea and the Panatag islands, but also gave no assurance the Chinese vessels would be withdrawn from the disputed area. To make matters worse, China demanded payment of the $500 million Northrail loan.

Roxas also had a 4-hour meeting with Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fu Ying which also yielded no result. Roxas told Xi Jinping of the “Near Permanent” presence of Chinese vessels at Panatag which he argued was “legally, historically and geographically ours.”

Xi Jinping insisted on Chinese ownership of the entire South China Sea, Roxas reported.

Roxas admitted there was no improvement in the bilateral relations because both sides are saying “that’s ours.” So, there hasn’t been any change.

Roxas also said that his visit to China was a one time assignment and the DFA should be the one to negotiate with China.

Trillanes failed. Roxas failed. Del Rosario also has not been able to get China to seriously talk. Even President Aquino failed to get an audience with President Hu Jintao at Vladivostok.

Deadlocked, what else can the Philippine government do? It looks like it will take years to solve this problem. It is clear that we have to wait for the change of Chinese leadership next year. Maybe China is also going to wait for a new Philippine leadership in 2016.

In the meantime, we are going to suffer from a big drop in Chinese tourists.

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MVP QUITS . . PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan has severed his ties with Ateneo over irreconcilable differences of opinion over key issues, namely the mining issue and the RH bill.

Pangilinan is president of Philex Mining Corp.

Fr. Ramon Villarin, SJ said, “As we accept this decision with sadness, we honor it with profound respect. Thru the years, MVP’s presence and support in various capacities have helped the Ateneo achieve its mission and deepen its identity.”

The latest development is the resignation of ex-Ateneo president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres as an independent director of PLDT.

Ateneo basketball coach Norman Black who is a PLDT employee also offered to resign. But Pangilinan told him to continue as coach until the end of the UAAP season. Black has been hired by MVP as the new coach of the PLDT basketball team.

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58th VICTIM . . Photojournalist Reynaldo Momay from General Santos has been formally identified by the Department of Justice as a victim of the Maguindanao massacre.

Assistant State Prosecutor Bernardo Parico said the dentures recovered and the testimony of witnesses proved he was the 58th victim.

The new murder charge has been filed before the QC RTC Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes.

Already, 197 people have been charged but only 96 have been arrested, 78 have been arraigned.

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POLITICAL UPDATE . . After the LP proclamation of Cong. Ayong Maliksi as candidate for governor of Cavite in tandem with Jay Lacson as vice governor, the team of Gov. Jonvic Remulla and Jolo Revilla was proclaimed in Covelandia last Tuesday under a Magdalo-Lakas coalition with 10,000 people attending the proclamation of all local candidates.

Congw. Annie Susano will face off with exCong. Dante Liban in the 5th District of Quezon City.

Senator Ed Angara is set to run as Governor of Aurora. He will be opposed by Vice Gov. Gerardo Noveras.

Rev. Benny Abante will run against Rep. Sandy Ocampo in Manila’s 6th District. Former Councilor Ernie Dionisio will run against Cong. Atong Asilo in the 1st District of Manila.

Gov. Gwen Garcia has decided to run for Congress in Cebu’s 3rd District. She will be opposed by Toledo City Mayor Geraldine Yapha.

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LP SENATE SLATE . . TESDA Chief Joel Villanueva and Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon have dropped out of the Senate race. General Danny Lim is also not running. It is also expected that Cong. Erin Tañada will also not be included.

So far the “replacements” are Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Sen. Jamby Madrigal and Paolo “Bam” Aquino.

It appears that only Magsaysay will be the full bloodied liberal to be included in the LP slate.

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NOT RESIGNING . . DFA Sec. Albert del Rosario announced in Washington that he is not resigning as DFA Secretary.

Ambassador to Washington Jose Cuisia Jr. together with the officers and personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Washington signed a manifesto of support for Del Rosario, calling him a “true patriot.”

Del Rosario has been an effective hand on DFA Secretary especially in handling the different crises in the Middle East.

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CAMSUR BILL . . Sen. Francis Escudero who comes from Sorsogon, pressed for approval of the Nueva Camarines bill saying the matter should be left to the people to decide in a plebiscite.

Senate President ProTempore Jinggoy Estrada and Bicolano Senator Gringo Honasan expressed the same view.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said they will accept certificates for candidacy for Nueva Camarines. He said they will be nullified if the bill is not passed.

The bill will be taken up again by the Senate on October 8.

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TIDBITS . . . Congratulations to judges who received Judicial Excellence Awards (JEA) from the Supreme Court. They are Manila RTC Judge Maria Theresa Dolores Gomez Estoesta, Marikina RTC Judge Geraldine Fiel Macaraig, Zamboanga RTC Judge Gregorio de la Peña and Manila MTC Judge Emily San Gaspar Gito.

The unemployment rate of a woman is 36.5% translating to 6.5 million unemployed women compared to only 18.9% or 4.4 million unemployed men.

Congratulations to Balanga, Bataan Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III for receiving the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award from Pres. Aquino.

China has put into service an aircraft carrier.