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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 29 February 2020
Ex-Philippine official warns of `tragedy' if U.S. pact ends

By JIM GOMEZ are efforts to find a way
Associated Press to keep American special
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — forces who provide coun-
A former Philippine foreign terterrorism training, intel-
secretary warned Friday ligence and advice to Fili-
that the president's deci- pino troops in the southern
sion to end a key U.S. secu- Philippines. There should
rity pact will undermine the be efforts to study how the
ability of American forces VFA can be "polished" or
to help the country deal improved using other simi-
with major disasters and lar status of forces agree-
deter aggression in the dis- ments, including one the
puted South China Sea. Philippines forged with Aus-
Former Foreign Secretary tralia, Romualdez said.
Albert del Rosario cited the "From what I'm told, the
deployment of more than door is not totally shut," he
13,000 American military said, without elaborating.
personnel, dozens of air- "But, again, the bottom line
craft and U.S. Navy ships always falls on sovereignty
under the Visiting Forces and that is the reason why
Agreement when Typhoon it is a very ticklish and a very
Haiyan ravaged the cen- sensitive issue for both our
tral Philippines in 2013. Former Philippines Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario talks during a forum in Makati, metropolitan countries in discussing what
"Other countries wanted to Manila, Philippines on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. we want to do moving for-
immediately respond but Associated Press ward."
were constrained by the temporary stay. The termi- cades-long treaty alliance. communist insurgency and Del Rosario said the coun-
lack of legal arrangements nation will take effect after Haiyan was one of the threats by Muslim extrem- try's alliance with Wash-
for their troops to enter the 180 days unless both sides most ferocious typhoons ists in the largely Roman ington appears to have
Philippines," del Rosario told agree to keep the agree- on record and left more Catholic nation's south deterred China from un-
a Manila forum where the ment. than 7,300 people dead without American military dertaking reclamation and
repercussions of President "What is unfolding before us or missing, flattened entire assistance. "Do we need construction in Scarbor-
Rodrigo Duterte's decision is a national tragedy which villages, swept ships inland America to survive as a na- ough Shoal, a disputed fish-
to terminate the VFA were should be resisted," del Ro- and displaced more than 5 tion?" Duterte asked. "Do ing area off the northwest-
discussed. sario said. "As a democratic million people. we need ... the might and ern Philippines that China
Duterte's administration no- and republican country, Del Rosario, who was for- power of the military of the effectively seized after a
tified the U.S. government we do not believe that one eign secretary when Hai- United States to fight our re- tense standoff in 2012.
two weeks ago that it in- man alone can make this yan struck, said the U.S. bellion here and the terror- China has claimed virtu-
tends to abrogate the 1998 damaging choice for our government delivered ists down south and control ally the entire South China
agreement, which allows people." 2,500 tons of relief supplies drugs?" Sea, where the U.S. military
the entry of large numbers The move by Duterte, and evacuated more than "The military and police presence has been seen
of American forces for joint known for his disdain of 21,000 people to safety. said, `Sir, we can do it,'" by some rival claimants as
training with Filipino troops, U.S. security policies while Duterte defended his de- Duterte said. Philippine a crucial counterweight in
including disaster-response praising China and Russia, cision Wednesday, saying Ambassador to Washing- a busy waterway where
maneuvers, and lays down would be a major setback the Philippines can survive ton Jose Manuel Romual- they fear an armed conflict
the legal terms for their for the two countries' de- and address a long-running dez told the forum there could erupt.q

Publisher, 2 politicians charged over Hong Kong protests

HONG KONG (AP) — Out- legislator and vice chair- threw gasoline bombs at
spoken Hong Kong pub- man of the Labour Party, government headquarters
lisher Jimmy Lai and two Lee Cheuk-yan, were also and set fires in the streets,
prominent opposition politi- arrested. "Well, the Hong while police stormed a sub-
cians were charged Friday Kong situation is getting way car and hit passengers
with illegal assembly over a tense here, but we have with batons and pepper
pro-democracy march last to go on, we have to go spray in some of the most
year as the territory's Bei- on," Lai told reporters after violent scenes up to that
jing-backed government speaking with officers. The point in the protest move-
appeared to move to set- three left the police station ment.
tle scores over the protests. after being charged and Hong Kong broadcaster
The months of demonstra- are to appear in court on TVB showed police on the
tions calling for reforms in May 5. They could face up platform of Prince Edward
semi-autonomous Hong to five years in prison along subway station swinging
Kong crippled its economy with fines. Senior police batons at passengers who
and put its leaders and po- officer Wong Tung-kwong Founder of Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper, Jimmy Lai, backed into one end of a
lice force under unprec- said all three were charged walks out from a police station after being bailed out in Hong train car behind umbrel-
edented pressure. with illegal assembly in con- Kong, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. las. The video also showed
Lai was picked up from his nection with the Aug. 31 Associated Press pepper spray being shot
home by police officers march, which was timed elections in Hong Kong. sands of people defied the through an open door at a
early Friday, while former to mark the fifth anniver- Organizers called off the order and filled the streets group seated on the floor
pro-democracy legisla- sary of a decision by China march after police banned in several areas of the Asian while one man holds up his
tor Yeung Sum and former against fully democratic it, but hundreds of thou- financial hub. Protesters hands.q