Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:
West Philippine Sea ramming incident could escalate – Pentagon
The United States Department of Defense called China’s behavior in the recent West Philippine Sea ramming “provocative,” warning that it could escalate into “more violence.”
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder slammed China in the latest ramming incident in the West Philippine Sea, which left eight Filipino servicemen injured— with one reportedly losing their thumb.
Gatchalian: Investor resident visa may prove Guo’s orgins
Sen. Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian presented on Tuesday what he considered possible proof of the real identity of Alice Guo, the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac province, who is at the center of a firestorm over the illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in her town.
Gatchalian said he had obtained a document from the Board of Investments and the Bureau of Immigration that would support suspicions that Guo was not a Filipino national, contrary to her claim.
Alice Guo denies she’s Guo Hua Ping – legal counsel
Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo denied that she is Guo Hua Ping or her alleged true identity, her legal counsel said on Wednesday.
Guo’s alleged real identity was bared by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday, citing the Guo family’s application for a Special Investors Resident Visa (SIRV) which indicated that Guo Hua Ping is Alice’s real name.
VP Duterte slammed for ‘silence’ amid injuries in latest Ayungin incident
West Philippine Sea advocates slammed Vice President Sara Duterte for her continued silence on the maritime issue hounding the western section of the country’s exclusive economic zone despite China Coast Guard’s (CCG) latest actions there which caused injuries to several naval personnel.
Rafaela David, chief convenor of the group that led civilian missions in the West Philippine Sea twice, said Duterte’s refusal to comment on the matter is opposite to her immediate statement about the serving of an arrest warrant against fugitive religious leader Apollo Quiboloy.