The Philippines’ long-standing dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) can only be settled through diplomatic negotiations and “not by force,” President Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Monday. Duterte made the remarks as he reassured the public that he is not relinquishing the WPS to China. “We need to do more in our partners. We continue scaling our maritime domain awareness, defense capabilities. Yet, we will not close our doors for diplomacy because that is how disputes are settled and never by force,” he said in his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA). The Philippines
Some PHP300.55 million worth of illegal drugs have been seized by various police units in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental in the past five years as a result of the intensified war on drugs campaign of the Duterte administration. Data from the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) given to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Monday showed that from July 1, 2016 to July 22, 2021, operatives have recovered a total of 18,172 grams of shabu worth PHP123.572 million. Each gram of shabu is pegged at PHP6,800, based on the value set by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB). Also seized
