The Fourth Perspective

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS was signed in 1982 and formally it took effect in 1994 with over 160 countries joining to date along with members of the European Union and the United Nations Security Council, including China sans the United States. The UNCLOS defined the parameters governing sea boundaries and demarcations, the rights on the use of the sea for commerce, research, environment protection, mining, extraction of marine life and exploration of the seabed among others. The philosophical basis of the convention, in the words of the preamble, is to “contribute to the realization of a just and equitable international economic order which takes into account the interests and needs of mankind as a whole and, in particular, the special interests and needs of developing countries.” The convention declares that the deep seabed and its resources are the “common heritage of mankind” and may be mined only “for the benefit of mankind as a whole, irresp

Manila Bulletin  – Thu, Jun 5, 2014 The government is crafting contingency measures should tension between China and the Philippines ratchet up in the West Philippine Sea………… A friend almost blurt into laughter when he saw this headline, then slowly it faded... and he shook his head in disbelief. His face turned a shallow but a painful smile, presumably triggered by aghast and frustration. The Chinese invasion is characterized by threat and intimidation, occasions of direct assault on Philippine marine resources and nationals is becoming a norm, and it has been going on for years. The Chinese utilization of resources from the sovereign territory is continuing and becoming larger day by day. Now after all the years of Chinese occupation and rape of Philippine resources, here comes this  government pronouncement that finally, they are “eyeing” and about to craft a contingency plan if things get sour with China. It is much easier to dismiss the statement as a j

BVR or Beyond Visual Range, Stealth, Over the Horizon, GPS, Countermeasures, Fire and Forget, Radar Homing are just but some of the prevalent characteristics of advance weaponry and its delivery system that could render dogfights obsolete, and less viable to be a part of primary strategy and may be viewed as a secondary tactical option. Accordingly, it may relegate to be the least as a priority for consideration when procuring weapon’s delivery system like fighter jets.  An aerial platform that has the aforementioned mode and characteristics of operation regardless of speed and size can pose as a serious threat even against late generation fighters. If procurement budget is a major constraint, e mphasis need be placed primarily not on the fighter jets capability to fly at supersonic or hypersonic speed, but rather on its ability to detect threat at far distances; to launch and employ its weapons at supersonic speed or at far distances; and to sustain utilization without breaking

It is unclear where the word “Tong” had originated, but in the Philippines it is a slang adapted as part of the vernacular referring to fee, commission or share in terms of money for favor, service or the tolerance of activities that crisscrossed the borders of legality and morality. It may equate to protection money, grease money or kickbacks. The recent Philippine "pork barrel" scam that allegedly involves hordes of elected and appointed government officials had resurrected the usage of the slang “tong” in mass media and the public at large as an  expression of abomination. Senators were called “Senatong” while Congressmen were labeled as Tongressman. Except for the few high profiled members of the legislative body, majority choose to keep silent amid the scandal. Their silence resonates not only on the issue of the kickbacks but also on the current situation of great national importance, the invasion of the Philippines. Generally, there is nothing  in public knowledge