Sweden More Investments to the Philippines: JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Jets Wants to Arm Air Force for $30M Each

Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Jet Photo: defenceindustrydaily.com

§  Sweden’s biggest ever 70 Executives trade delegation Arrived the Philippines

§  The Philippine’s GDP growth accelerated to 7% in the second quarter from 6.8% in the first, making it one of the region’s fastest growing economies

§  USA refused to sell High-Powered-Arms to the Philippine Police

§  Sweden wants to armed the Philippines and other Asian Countries

Sweden eyes ‘great opportunities’ in the Philippines

Sweden trade minister's push comes as US firms flee the country because of President Duterte’s anti-American outbursts

Sweden’s biggest ever trade delegation to the Philippines, led by Minister of Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg, arrives in Manila Monday and coincides with the reopening of the country’s embassy in the capital Manila.

“The Philippines is a very interesting export market,” Damberg said in an emailed response to questions.

“I see great opportunities to deepen our trade relations with the Philippines by promoting Swedish solutions. I believe that a Swedish embassy in Manila will help to open doors for increased Swedish exports and encourage new contacts.”

Damberg and the 70-member business delegation will meet with Philippine Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez to discuss industry and infrastructure investments.

The Philippine’s GDP growth accelerated to 7% in the second quarter from 6.8% in the first, making it one of the region’s fastest growing economies.

Many companies Swedish Ambassador-designate Harald Fries said he has spoken to since arriving in Manila have expressed a positive outlook for the Philippine economy.

Among those is defense contractor Saab Group which is opening a new office in Manila and is reportedly in pole position to secure a deal to sell its JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft to the Philippine Air Force.

[video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxMYFYDNF_g ]

Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Jet Video: SAAB

The ambassador told local media that Saab, a company providing air, land, naval and civil aerospace products and services, could offer coastal surveillance equipment and even submarines to the Philippines.

Also IKEA has decided to establish stores in the country, the ambassador said.

“They have been here for a long time checking the situation and finally (they feel the time is right),” Fries told the Philippine Star.

Participating companies also include Atlas Copco, Ericsson, Scania, Volvo Bus, SEB and Swedish Match.

The Swedish push comes as other countries have grown increasingly worried about developments in the country due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-American outbursts and controversial war on drugs, in which some 2,000 people have been killed in alleged extra-judicial executions in just a few months.

The head of the American Chamber of Commerce to the Philippines, Ebb Hinchliffe, said several US trade delegations to the country have been canceled and that some American companies have chosen to do business elsewhere. Also the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines has raised alarm.

Damberg has expressed concern over the bloody war on drugs, and said that Sweden strongly rejects the executions taking place.

During his visit, Damberg will meet with representatives of a human rights organization, as well as representatives of opposition parties.

“Perhaps it’s even more important to have an embassy in countries where there are challenges. Our increased presence in the region makes it easier for us to support Swedish companies to do right,” Damberg said in an interview – Asia Times

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Chinese Coastguard left Panatag Scarborough Shoal- Filipino Fishermen Returns with Huge Fish Catch

Pinoy fishers return from Panatag Shoal with huge catch of fish

Fishermen from Pangasinan returned home early Saturday with a huge load of big species of fish they caught from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, after they were allowed to fish inside the lagoon for first the time in four years.

Some fishermen from Pangasinan arrived with their huge catch early Saturday morning after days of fishing inside the shoal beginning Wednesday night.

They showed their "brimming" boats with the catch of black and orange lapu-lapu fish, bakalaw, tanigue, and damas o bisugong bato, among other species of fish.

The returning fishermen said they were surprised when finally on Wednesday evening no Chinese Coast Guard vessel blocked them upon their approach at the entrance of the shoal.

"Noong Martes, sinubukan naming pumunta sa Scarborough Shoal (called Kalburo in the locality) pero hinarang kami ng Chinese Coast Guard vessels," said Gilbert Rovinna, the skipper of F/B Rovinna fishing boat.

Free to fish again at Scraborough --GMA News

He said they tried again to go near Wednesday evening and they were surprised the Chinese did not stop them until they got inside the lagoon and dropped anchors.

Gilbert and his companions thought that the sudden change in the Chinese Coast Guard's behevior was a result of President Rodrigo Duterte's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

They said they are happy to be back at the shoal because fish is abundant in the fishing ground, especially in the west side of the lagoon.

Noel Daruca, Gilbert's companion, said that when they came to the shoal on Tuesday, Chinese Coast Guard met them at the opening of the lagoon. He said they told the Chinese that the Philippine President had talked to their President, but the coast guard personnel said "go!go!go!"

Then they tried their luck Wednesday evening. No Chinese blocked them so they proceeded into the lagoon.

Chinese ships circling shoal

Only a small Chinese Coast Guard vessel is left inside the lagoon, the report quoted the fishermen as saying.

A separate report by Bam Alegre on "Balitanghali" said that at least three Chinese Coast Guard vessels were seen circling the perimeter of Panatag Shoal on Saturday morning.

These vessels did not block and allowed at least six Filipino fishing boats to catch fish inside the disputed shoal, the report said.

Quoting fishermen as saying, as recent as October 8 local fishermen are being blocked by the Chinese but in the last five days the first batch from Subic were allowed entry.

On Friday, Malacañang confirmed that Chinese Coast Guard men were no longer chasing Pinoy fishermen away from shoal.

"Also on regarding fishing in Scarborough Shoal, for the past three days it has been observed that there are no longer any Chinese Coast Guard vessels and that Filipino fishing boats are no longer being intercepted and that they are now able to fish in the area without being intercepted," presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said at a news briefing in Malacañang on Friday. —John Ted Cordero/ALG, LBG, GMA News

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Four Filipino Seamen Arrested in India for sending Cyclone Update through a Satellite phone

Four citizens of Philippines were arrested by personnel of Arjyapalli marine police station in Ganjam district of Odisha, India on Sunday afternoon on charges of illegally using satellite phone on Indian soil.

Sources said the four Philippine Nationals were using satellite phone in the radius of five km from the coast.

The police seized one satellite phone from their possession. They were arrested from Gopalpur port. The arrested Philippine nationals had reached Gopalpur port in a cargo ship. The ship in which they have travelled to Odisha coast has reached the port to carry export cargo for OSCOM, a unit of Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL). They had come to Gopalpur Port in a cargo vessel - MV Fortune - last week to take minerals to Japan.

According to Ashok Parida, inspector in-charge of marine police station, on Sunday they had intercepted satellite phone calls from Gopalpur port premises. It was found that the satellite phone was being used illegally.

Immediately a police team tracked down on the users and arrested the four Philippine nationals.

On Saturday evening, they were using a Thuraya satellite communication set on board, to talk to their families about the possible cyclone developing in the sea. Coast Guard officials saw them using the satellite phone and informed the police.

They are identified as Second Officer Nathaniel A. Faza (38), Chief Petty Officer Librado P. Jemina (37), Chief Cook Eduardo S. Gruspe (46), and Seaman Jescel B. Bautista (34).

Several calls were made by arrested Filipinos from the banned satellite phone which has been frequently used by terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir. The phone was used during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, police sources said.

A Dubai-based satellite communications company, Thuraya has global customers which include industry leaders from a variety of sectors including energy, media, marine, government and NGOs. Islamic terrorists are also detected subscribing Thuraya satellite services for their communication needs reason why it is banned in Indian Territory.

The superior network of the company enables clear communications and uninterrupted coverage across two thirds of the world via satellite and across the globe through our unique GSM roaming capabilities.

The Filipinos had not declared the presence of the set in the Pre-Arrival Notification System (PANS) of the vessel, a mandatory declaration for all boats and ships that intend to enter Indian waters.

Use of Thuraya satellite phones is banned in Indian territorial waters under section 6 of Indian Wireless Act and section 20 of Indian Telegraph Act.

The Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Odisha’s Chhatrapur today granted bail to four Philippines nationals.

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ICC International Court - Lack of Law knowledge: Cannot go After Philippines' Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte. (ACE MORANDANTE/PPD)

International court can’t go after Duterte

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) says any person who encourages or condones President Digong’s war on drugs is liable to be prosecuted before the court.

“Let me be clear: any person in the Philippines who incites or engages in acts of violence including by ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing in any other manner, to the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC is potentially liable to prosecution before the court,” ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement recently.

The ICC would then be prosecuting 76 percent of Filipinos who encourage the elimination of lowlifes in our society such as people who commit heinous crimes or peddle illicit drugs.

That’s 76 million Filipinos out of the total population of 100 million.

According to the latest survey of the Social Weather Station, 76 percent of the population approve of what President Digong is doing for the country.

The killing of criminals in the government’s war on drugs (drug traffickers, drug pushers and peddlers are considered criminals) is not within the ambit of the ICC.

You see, the Hague-based court’s mandate is to investigate and when warranted, try individuals charged with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Genocide refers to the mass slaughter of people on account of their race, religion, culture or political belief.

Peddlers of illicit drugs are not being singled out because of race (they’re Filipinos like the rest of us), religion (they’re Christian or Muslim like the rest of us), culture (they have the same culture as the rest of us) and political belief (they’re apolitical and criminal).

The Philippines is not at war with any country; therefore, President Digong is not committing any war crime if he really ordered—granting but not admitting—the killing of drug criminals.

“Humanity” refers to people in general; therefore, Digong cannot be charged with a crime against humanity as he is not a misanthrope or one who hates mankind.

It was unfair and stupid of ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to accuse Digong of committing genocide, a war crime or crime against humanity in his war on drugs.

Why didn’t the International Criminal Court investigate and try then US President George W. Bush of committing war crimes when he ordered US troops to invade Iraq?

It was only in Bush’s imagination that Iraq was keeping weapons of mass destruction.

Bush was eventually proven wrong when not a single weapon of mass destruction was found in Iraq and only after the US had already invaded that country.

US Ambassador Philip Goldberg says that from 2012 to 2016, “USAID (United States Agency for International Development) contributed more than P3 billion to Mindanao and the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), with P500 million specifically allocated for health services.”

Because of the souring relations between the Philippines and the United States, Goldberg’s statement sounds like he’s, as we call it in Filipino, “nanunumbat.”

Goldberg is practically telling the Filipino people, “Hey, you are so ungrateful! We give you so much money and yet you bite the hand that feeds you.” – Inquirer.net

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Ruder Finn Signs Partnership Agreement with ENGAGE PR Consultancy in the Philippines

Ruder Finn Founded in 1989, Ruder Finn Asia (www.ruderfinnasia.com) is the Asia-Pacific subsidiary of New York-based Ruder Finn (www.ruderfinn.com), the leading independent global public relations consulting firm. Photo: everything-pr.com

Ruder Finn Asia and ENGAGE, a member company of the EON The Stakeholder Relations Group, have signed a partnership agreement under which ENGAGE will become the Philippine affiliate of Ruder Finn's comprehensive Asia Pacific network. The agreement will enable ENGAGE to tap into the Ruder Finn international network in all markets outside the Philippines.

ENGAGE is a full-fledged PR agency that specializes in public affairs and government relations consultancy and has an extensive list of clients and services that complement Ruder Finn's own portfolio and offerings. ENGAGE and Ruder Finn have been working together for many years for clients across a wide range of industries.

The partnership is expected to expand both firms' presence in the Risk Management sector. ENGAGE will be able to tap into the regional network of Ruder Finn to access new markets while Ruder Finn can leverage on ENGAGE's strong presence in the ASEAN region to expand its own market reach. The two companies will continue to expand their offerings in crisis management, including RF's unique and proprietary Social Media Issues product, SONAR, which will complement ENGAGE's own proprietary listening suite of tools.

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn, said: "We are fortunate to have partnered with a company of ENGAGE's caliber for many years and this union will reinforce our commitment to helping our clients through transitional moments. With the rise of digital, the growth of the services economy, and a renewed focus on transparency and accountability in the Philippines, the need for smart, strategic risk management support has become critical to companies at all levels. Ruder Finn's global insights and vast network, combined with ENGAGE's deep knowledge of the Filipino landscape, will maximize our ability to service clients across the ASEAN region."

Jean-Michel Dumont, Chairman of Ruder Finn Asia, said: "The Philippines is very important in the region for many of our clients, and we also see many Philippines-based companies looking to expand in the region. This partnership will further extend our regional reach and strengthen our network. I have known EON's founder, Junie del Mundo, for more than 20 years and through the years, he and his team's professionalism have always been at the highest level."

EON Group's Chief Executive, Junie del Mundo, said: "The Philippines is one of the most promising economies in the region, but also one that takes experience and expertise to navigate. ENGAGE takes pride in its years of experience handling clients in highly regulated and sensitive industries, and we look forward to sharing our expertise in this area as we also learn from Ruder Finn's extensive risk management knowledge base." – PR Newswire

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First Semi-portable 600 Watts Picohydro power plant in Philippines - Commissioned in Visayas

Picohydro power generation model. Photo: renewablesfirst.co.uk

Soleco puts up 1st picohydro power plant in Philippines

Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative Inc. (Soleco) has put up a picohydro power generation system, the first of its kind in the country, state-run National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.

In a statement, NEA said Soleco’s picohydro system, which started operating in Aug. 12, utilizes tail water from the Hanabian Minihydro Power Plant and generates power of up to 600 watts with maximum water flow velocity of 4.6 meter per second.

It has partnered with Helios Altas and DA Green Power Consultancy which also undertook development of project feasibility studies.

Using the mechanism of a waterwheel, the picohydro system has an engineered suspension system for easy mounting, making it one of the most adaptable small-scale renewable energy (RE) technologies to environmental changes.

Picohydro power generation process

Soleco general manager Jonathan Empeño said the system is already synchronized to the grid, allowing the electric coop to sell generated power at a blended generation cost.

He said the approximate cost of picohydro system below five kilowatts (kW) was $8,500/kW, while cost for five kW and above was estimated at $5,500/kW. Cost includes engineering design, construction, equipment installation, and commissioning.

According to DA Green Power Consultancy chief operating officer Regino Galindes, the picohydro power generation system poses minimal modifications to existing water systems as it uses a modular and scalable energy device that can easily harness power from running water in rivers, irrigation canals, and base of dams.

He added it only took two days to install the Soleco picohydro power system and could easily be dismounted if there are warnings of flood or typhoon.

To keep the picohydro facilities in check, a remote monitoring device was likewise installed in the system to prompt data and important alerts to the central control system.

Soleco’s use of RE technology is “consistent with the policy direction of the national government to tap renewables and increase its share in the energy mix,” NEA officer-in-charge Sonia San Diego said.

“As an agency committed to the protection of environment, NEA, together with its partner ECs, is pushing the frontiers in RE project development to help position the Philippines as a world leader in the use of renewables,” she said. - philSTAR

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