Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG’s spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the BRP Cabra is continuing its monitoring of the illegal presence of the Chinese Coast Guard vessel with bow number 3103 within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“The strategic maneuvering of BRP Cabra has effectively kept CCG-3103 from getting closer to the coastline of Zambales. Through the seamanship skills of the PCG personnel aboard, CCG-3103 has been successfully pushed further away and is now located approximately 80 to 90 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales,” he said. 

Crew of BRP Cabra has also conducted hourly radio challenges to “remind the CCG crew of China’s blatant violations of international law”, the spokesman said.

“The Philippine Coast Guard remains committed to safeguarding the nation’s maritime rights and ensuring the enforcement of international maritime laws while avoiding any escalation of tensions,” Tarriela said.

The PCG since early January 2025 has been closely monitoring the Chinese vessels’ illegal activities inside the West Philippine Sea.

Last week, the PCG said that China’s “monster ship” deployed off Zambales was so far Beijing’s closest vessel yet to the Philippine coastline.

The PCG first detected the 12,000-ton China Coast Guard vessel some 54 nautical miles away from Capones Island on January 4 — the closest it sailed near the country’s coastline and well within the nation’s exclusive economic zone, Tarriela confirmed to ABS-CBN News in a message.

National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya earlier said China’s deployment of its largest coast guard vessel inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone was alarming and intended to intimidate Filipino fishermen.

“It is clearly a provocative act and a clear attempt to intimidate our fishermen and deprive them of their legitimate livelihood,” Malaya said.

“We were surprised by the increase in aggression being shown by the PRC [People’s Republic of China] in deploying the monster ship. The monster ship is not close to Bajo de Masinloc but it is getting closer to the Philippine coastline. That is alarming,” he said. 

Comelec urged to boost teacher training for new poll counting machine

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The Commission on Elections demonstrates the automated counting machines by Miru Systems to be used for the 2025 Midterm Elections at the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City on June 19, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — Teachers supervising automated counting machines for this year’s midterm elections should receive additional training to familiarize themselves with changes and to address issues better, a poll watchdog and a teachers’ group said Monday.

Lito Averia, national chairperson of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), told TeleRadyo Serbisyo that teachers’ training should be strengthened ahead of the polls because there were slight changes in the technology used in the previous elections.

The Commission on Elections tapped South Korean joint venture Miru Systems Inc. to provide the new voting machines for the 2025 elections after the poll body banned its longtime contractor Smartmatic over a bribery scandal in the United States.

Halalan 2025: Key dates, facts on Philippines’ midterm elections

Averia said that while the new counting machines are not complicated to operate, there are a few changes, like a larger screen. 

He added that care should be taken when distributing ballots because, according to one observation during the mock elections, the ballots were thin. 

He said this caused an instance in which two ballots stuck together were issued to a voter.

Vladimer Quetua, chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, said that teachers wanted to learn more about the new counting machine.

“Nanghingi kami ng sapat na araw, hindi lang 2, 3 araw kasi kapag kulang ang training, sa araw ng eleksyon may nagtatanong pa rin na mga teacher kasi may mga teacher pa lang na maglilingkod sa halalan. Sa Election Service Reform Act, boluntaryo na lamang sila,” Quetua said.

He also called for additional allowance for teachers during the elections.

“Kulang ang allowance, lalo na sa transportation. Wala ring food allowance hindi katulad dati,” he said.

“Itinutulak namin kay [Comelec] Chairman [George] Garcia, madagdagan sana ‘yung transpo at magkaroon ng food allowance.”

source : abs-cbn