News Report
21 November 2019 Local
1. Duterte limits Robredo’s powers
Manila Bulletin, 21 November 2019, p. 1, continued on p. 7
President Duterte declared Tuesday night that he cannot trust Vice President Leni Robredo, whom he recently appointed as co-drug czar, and would not let an opposition leader be part of his Cabinet.
Despite his lack of trust, the President said he would not fire Robredo as co-chair of the Inter- Agency Committee on Illegal Drugs (ICAD) but she will only be on a “need-to-know” category in terms of vital government information on the drug war.
Korea
2. Rody, SoKor president to discuss SCS
The Philippine Star, 21 November 2019, p. 1, continued on p. 6
President Duterte will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Republic of Korea (ASEAN-ROK) Commemorative Summit to discuss military upgrades, North Korea, the South China Sea row and other security matters.
3. PH to shop for warships, arms in S. Korea next week - Duterte Manila Bulletin, 21 November 2019, p. 2
The government will be shopping for military warships and weapons when President Duterte visits South Korea next week. The President has bared the planned acquisition of military equipment as he recognized that South Korea as a “vital partner” of the Philippines particularly in the area of defense cooperation.
4. Duterte says he’s well enough to attend ASEAN-Korea Summit Philippine Daily Inquirer, 21 November 2019, p. A5
President Duterte on Tuesday night said he was well enough to take part in the Asean-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan, South Korea, from Nov. 25 to 26. The President’s trip to Busan will be his second foreign trip after suffering a motorcycle fall and an episode of muscle spasm in Japan that forced him to cut his trip short in October.
Economic
5. PH, China tie up for competition law enforcement The Philippine Star, 21 November 2019, p. B1
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has tied up with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) to strengthen relations on competition law enforcement. A memorandum of understanding (MOU), which provides a general framework on the parties’ cooperation on
competition enforcement, was signed by PCC chair Arsenio Balisacan and SAMR minister Xiao Yaqing on Tuesday.
