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world news Diahuebs 7 OctOber 2021

Philippine dictator son’s presidential run triggers protests

(AP) — The son and Marcoses continue to stoke law victims until now.”
namesake of Philippine political divisions more than Palabay said a coalition of
dictator Ferdinand Mar- three decades after the dicta- left-wing and human rights
cos, who was toppled in tor’s downfall. groups would organize more
a 1986 pro-democracy street and online protests
uprising, registered his More than 100 anti-Mar- against Marcos Jr.’s candi-
candidacy Wednesday for cos activists vowed to cam- dacy and push the Supreme
next year’s presidential paign against Marcos Jr. and Court to uphold a graft con-
elections, sparking a pro- burned effigies of his father viction of his mother, former
test by activists who angri- and the current president, first lady Imelda Marcos, and
ly recalled the widespread Rodrigo Duterte, an ally of ask other candidates not to
human rights atrocities the Marcoses, in a protest at align with him.
that marked the martial the Commission on Human
law era under his late fa- Rights. They waved placards Marcos was ousted in a
ther. that read “never again” and 1986 army-backed “people
recalled the massive rights power” uprising and died in
Former senator Ferdinand violations that took place af- exile in Hawaii three years padlocked Congress, ordered ings and disappearances.
“Bongbong” Marcos Jr. filed ter Marcos placed the Philip- later without admitting any the arrest of political oppo- Imelda Marcos and her chil-
his papers with the elections pines under martial rule from wrongdoing, including accu- nents and ruled by decree. dren were allowed to return
commission, then waved at 1972 to 1981. sations that he and his family to the Philippines in 1991,
dozens of supporters chant- amassed an estimated $5 bil- A Hawaii court found Mar- and have since made a politi-
ing his name. The 64-year- “This is like deja vu,” said lion to $10 billion while he cos liable for human rights cal comeback, winning seats
old announced his candidacy protest leader Tinay Palabay. was in power. violations and awarded $2 in Congress and powerful
Tuesday, vowing to unite “It’s a slap on the faces of the billion from his estate to provincial posts and laying
Filipinos to overcome the victims of the widespread Marcos placed the Philip- compensate more than 9,000 the ground for a return to the
challenges in the wake of of torture, rapes and disappear- pines under martial rule on Filipinos who filed a lawsuit presidential palace and the
the coronavirus pandemic. ances. Some families are still Sept. 21, 1972, a year before against him for torture, in- top job they felt was stolen
But issues surrounding the looking for missing martial his term was to expire. He carceration, extrajudicial kill- from them.

Tensions flare as Chinese flights near Taiwan intensify

(AP) — With record num- lenging Beijing’s territorial The latest maneuvers bring
bers of military flights The sorties came as China, claims in critical waterways. the total number of flights to The international actions are
near Taiwan over the last with growing diplomatic and more than 815 as of Monday an attempt to counter China’s
week, China has been military power, faces greater Taiwanese Defense Minister since the Taiwanese govern- frequent claim that its own
showing a new intensity pushback from countries in Chiu Kuo-cheng told leg- ment started publicly releas- actions are in response to
and military sophistica- the region and an increas- islators Wednesday that the ing the numbers a little more American moves, and dem-
tion as it steps up its ha- ing naval presence from situation “is the most severe than a year ago. onstrate that democracies
rassment of the island it the United States and other in the 40 years since I’ve en- intend to defend established
claims as its own and as- Western democracies in Asia listed.” China has been rapidly im- maritime laws and norms,
serts its territorial ambi- as Taiwan pleads for more proving and strengthening its Graham said.
tions in the region. global support and recogni- While most agree that war military, and the most recent
tion. is not imminent, Taiwan- flights demonstrate a greater Australia, which also spoke
China’s People’s Liberation ese President Tsai Ing-wen level of technical expertise out against China’s recent
Army flew 56 planes off the The U.S. called China’s lat- warned that more is at stake and power, said Chen-Yi Tu, flights, last month announced
southwest coast of Taiwan on est actions “risky” and “de- if Beijing makes good on past a researcher at the Institute a deal with the U.S. and Brit-
Monday, setting a new record stabilizing,” while China re- threats to seize the island by for National Defense and Se- ain to obtain nuclear-pow-
and capping four days of sus- sponded that the U.S. selling force if necessary. curity Research in Taiwan. ered submarines, which was
tained pressure involving 149 weapons to Taiwan and its At the same time, many de- seen as a strong statement it
flights. All were in interna- ships navigating the Taiwan China regularly flies military mocracies have been increas- planned to play a greater role.
tional airspace, but prompted Strait were provocative. aircraft into Taiwan’s “air de- ingly vocal in their support of
Taiwanese defense forces to fense identification zone,” Taiwan and have stepped up And Japan, which has long
scramble in response and At the same time as the international airspace that naval operations in the area. been cautious with its rela-
raised fears that any misstep flights, the U.S. stepped up Taiwan counts as a buffer in tions with China, a key trad-
could provoke an unintended naval maneuvers in the Indo- its defense strategy, although As China was conducting its ing partner, now considers
escalation. Pacific with its allies, chal- previous flights have usually most recent flights, 17 ships the country a security threat
involved a handful of planes from six navies — the U.S., amid Beijing’s increasingly
at most. Britain, Japan, Netherlands, assertive activity in the re-
Canada and New Zealand — gional seas and around the
Perhaps more significant than including three aircraft carri- Taiwan Strait. New Japanese
the number of planes was the ers and a Japanese helicopter Prime Minister Fumio Kishi-
constitution of the group, carrier — carried out joint da said dialogue with China
with fighters, bombers and maneuvers off the Japanese is important but Japan should
airborne early warning air- island of Okinawa, northeast also team up with like-mind-
craft, said Euan Graham, a of Taiwan, meant to show ed democracies and step
defense analyst with the In- their commitment to a “free up its security alliance with
ternational Institute for Stra- and open Indo-Pacific.” the U.S. and other partners
tegic Studies in Singapore. while Tokyo also strengthens
A few days earlier, the Brit- its defense capabilities.
Controlling Taiwan and its ish frigate HMS Richmond
airspace is key to China’s transited through the Taiwan Under longstanding policy,
military strategy, with the Strait, announcing its pres- the United States provides
area where the most recent ence on Twitter and angering political and military support
sorties took place also leading China, which condemned for Taiwan, but does not ex-
to the west Pacific and the the move as a “meaningless plicitly promise to defend it
South China Sea. display of presence with an from a Chinese attack.
insidious intention.”