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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 26 July 2022
Philippine leader vows recovery but quiet on human rights

By JIM GOMEZ would be streamlined but
Associated Press did not specify if that’s in-
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — cludes layoffs.
Philippine President Ferdi- The Philippines will adopt
nand Marcos Jr. vowed to an independent foreign
considerably ease poverty, policy, he said, and add-
boost economic recovery ed: “I will not preside over
and defend the country’s any process that will aban-
territory in his first key pol- don even a square inch of
icy speech Monday that territory of the Republic of
avoided contentious issues the Philippines to any for-
like human rights and per- eign power.”
vasive corruption. It was an obvious reference
Amid soaring costs of living to Manila’s long-running
following the coronavirus feud with China and four
pandemic and the global other claimants in the dis-
fallout from the Ukraine puted South China Sea.
war, Marcos Jr. said “we He also promised to im-
can no longer afford an- prove the country’s health
other lockdown.” system to deal with con-
“I do not intend to dimin- tinuing coronavirus threats.
ish the risks and challenges The Philippines has been
that we face in this turbu- among the countries worst-
lent time in global history,” New Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., delivers his first state of the nation address in, hit in Asia by the two-year
he said, adding that “I see Quezon city, Philippines, Monday, July 25, 2022. pandemic after more
sunlight filtering through Associated Press than 60,000 deaths and
these dark clouds.” of a huge estate tax. protesters marched ahead and troops were deployed extended lockdowns sent
With the “best Filipino They said scant details in his of his speech. They issued in metropolitan Manila, the economy to its worst re-
minds” working in his ad- state of the nation address a range of demands, from where a gun ban has been cession in 2020 since World
ministration, the president did not inspire public confi- government aid and fuel imposed, to secure the late- War II and worsened pover-
said: “We will endure.” dence. subsidy to justice for human afternoon ceremony at the ty, unemployment, hunger
Activists rejected his up- The presidential speech rights victims under Marcos House of Representatives. and debts.
beat outlook and criticized “suffers from a crisis of clar- Jr.’s father, the late dictator Thousands of pro-Marcos In a bid to boost agricul-
his silence on human rights ity, direction and vision,” who was ousted in a 1986 supporters were allowed to tural output and foster eco-
issues, his plan to deal with the left-wing Akbayan pro-democracy “People gather outside the heavily nomic growth, Marcos Jr.
decades-old communist group said, adding that Power” uprising. secured compound for a said he would order a one-
and Muslim insurgencies, Marcos Jr. offered “nothing They asked Marcos Jr. to musical concert. year suspension of land
allegations of widespread new, bold or extraordinary” outline a clear roadmap Marcos Jr. did not an- and interest payments by
extrajudicial killings and his to confront the country’s out of the economic hard- nounce any new taxes, farmers, who could then
family’s legal troubles, in- multiple crises. ships.More than 20,000 po- except on online services, invest the money to boost
cluding the non-payment About 5,000 flag-waving lice, anti-riot contingents and said the bureaucracy production.q

Boat carrying Haitian migrants sinks off Bahamas, killing 17

any people missing after in this tragedy,” Davis said. and efforts to hold general
the boat sank about seven “My government, from elections have stalled. The
miles from New Providence. the time it came to office, turmoil has led a growing
Prime Minister Philip Brave has warned against these number of people to flee
Davis said in a statement treacherous voyages.” the country of more than
that the dead included 15 Haitian Prime Minister Ariel 11 million in search of a bet-
women, one man and an Henry said he sympathized ter and safer life.
infant. He said the people with the parents of the vic- Several sinkings involving
rescued were taken for ob- tims. migrants have occurred in
servation by health work- “This new drama saddens the Caribbean this year,
ers. the whole nation,” he said. including one in May in
Davis said investigators had “I launch, once again, an which 11 people were con-
determined that a twin- appeal for national recon- firmed dead and 38 were
engine speed boat left the ciliation in order to solve saved off Puerto Rico.
Bahamas about 1 a.m. car- the problems that are driv- Another incident in Janu-
rying as many as 60 peo- ing away, far from our soil, ary saw one man rescued
ple, apparently bound for our brothers, our sisters, our and another confirmed
In this photo provided by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, Miami. children.” dead after a boat carry-
survivors sit on a capsized boat as they are about to be rescued
near New Providence in the Bahamas, early Sunday, July 24, Davis said a criminal investi- A year after the assassina- ing 40 migrants went down
2022. gation had begun into the tion of Haitian President off Florida, with the missing
Associated Press suspected human smug- Jovenel Moïse last July, never found.
gling operation. gang violence has grown Governments in the region,
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A rity forces recovered the “I would like to convey the worse and Haiti has gone including the United States,
boat carrying Haitian mi- bodies of 17 people and condolences of my gov- into a freefall that has seen have reported a surge in
grants apparently capsized rescued 25 others, authori- ernment and the people of the economy tumble. At- the number of Haitians de-
off the Bahamas early Sun- ties said. the Bahamas to the families tempts to form a coalition tained trying to enter other
day, and Bahamian secu- It wasn’t clear if there were of those who lost their lives government have faltered, countries.q