INQToday: Teodoro dares China to put maritime sovereignty claim to arbitration

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Teodoro dares China to put maritime sovereignty claim to arbitration

The chief of the Department of National Defense (DND) on Monday dared China to take its claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea to international arbitration following another standoff at the weekend, but said Manila would not budge on its position.

The Philippines accused China’s coastguard of using water cannon against a civilian boat supplying troops stationed on a grounded warship at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, damaging the resupply boat and injuring some crew, the latest in a succession of flare-ups in the past year.

China warns PH: Prepare to ‘bear consequences’ of sea actions

China has warned the Philippines to “be prepared to bear all potential consequences” of its actions in the South China Sea after the China Coast Guard (CCG) on Saturday accused Manila of bringing constructions materials to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal to justify the latest water cannon attack on a boat bringing supplies and new troops to the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated warship deliberately grounded there to serve as a Philippine outpost.

In the latest confrontation, CCG ships blasted water cannons at the Philippine supply boat Unaizah May 4 while en route to the shoal, causing an unspecified number of injuries to sailors onboard and heavy damage to the wooden vessel.

Big-time price hikes: Gasoline up P2.20/liter, diesel by P1.40

Local oil companies announced hefty increases in the prices of petroleum products effective Tuesday, March 26.

In separate advisories, the firms said the price of gasoline will climb by P2.20 per liter while diesel and kerosene will rise by P1.40 per liter and P1.30 per liter, respectively.