Â鶹´«Ã½

Politics

    • Philippines seeking Canada's help to avoid 'great power rivalry' between China, U.S.

    Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo speaks during a bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Department of State in Washington, Friday, April 12, 2024. AP / Jose Luis Magana Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo speaks during a bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Department of State in Washington, Friday, April 12, 2024. AP / Jose Luis Magana
    Share

    The foreign minister of the Philippines wants closer business and military ties with Canada, saying the two countries can help maintain the post-war order in the Indo-Pacific by maintaining peaceful relations with both the U.S. and China.

    "The future of our region should not be determined by the great power rivalry," Enrique Manalo, the secretary of foreign affairs for the Philippines said in an interview last week.

    "Today's world is a lot different than it was after the Second World War, when you had a clear distinction between the West and the East. Now, you have a much more competitive world — and our relationships are more complex."

    Manalo visited Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa this month to mark 75 years of bilateral relations, meeting with federal ministers for trade, immigration, aid and diplomacy.

    His goal is to keep up the momentum that followed the Liberals' release of their Indo-Pacific strategy in late 2022.

    "Our relationship has really grown in the past two years, compared to where it was, let's say, five or 10 years ago," said Manalo.

    His visit came amid heightened tensions between the Philippines and China over maritime boundaries.

    A global court ruled in 2016 that Beijing's claims over a large swath of the South China Sea lacked a legal basis, a finding the Chinese government disputes.

    The Philippines sees that ruling as key to maintaining its sovereignty and securing income for fishers, Manalo said.

    Vina Nadjibulla, the research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said that the Philippines has a policy of publicly calling out any incident where it believes China is violating its territory, unlike some other Asian countries that tend to keep quiet.

    Last week, the Philippines' national security adviser called for Chinese diplomats to be expelled over the apparent leak of a phone call between military officials in both countries.

    And earlier, in March, Chinese coast-guard ships hit a Philippine supply boat with water cannons near a disputed shoal, which Manila said caused injuries to its seamen and a wooden vessel.

    The U.S. immediately called out Beijing for the confrontation, and Canada has similarly chided China for disruptions in the South China Sea.

    Still, Manalo said the best way to manage relations with Beijing is by maintaining frequent contact with Chinese officials, which he said the Philippines is committed to despite recent tensions.

    "It's important to find ways and means to discuss these differences. And China always says that, so we have the same view," he said.

    He noted China is his country's largest trading partner, with commerce dating back a millennium.

    The Philippines doesn't see China as an enemy, but rather a country that isn't following what it agreed to in the 1994 global treaty governing ocean activities, known as UNCLOS.

    "It boils down, really, to observing international law (and) the rules-based order," he said.

    Manalo said it's crucial that both Washington and Beijing see themselves as partners to smaller countries, whose actions are neither "connected to their rivalry" nor intended to "support one of the powers or the against the other."

    That's a message Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly could take to China if she makes a visit to the country, he said.

    Last month, Ottawa sent the top civil servant from Global Affairs Canada to China. Such trips are sometimes organized ahead of visits by the Canadian foreign minister. There is no confirmation such a trip is in the works.

    Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy puts a focus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a bloc of 10 countries that is seeing strong economic growth. Manalo said his fellow ASEAN countries generally don't want to side with either Washington or Beijing.

    Canada and the Philippines are "natural partners" that should work together more in fields such as agriculture, infrastructure, education and renewable energy, Manalo said.

    Nadjibulla said the Philippines is "at the heart of" Canada's regional strategy, and is "an anchor state" for Southeast Asia.

    "If we want to deepen our economic as well as strategic relations with the region, the Philippines is the place where we have the greatest chance of making that happen," she said.

    In January, Ottawa and Manila signed a defence agreement on military training exchanges and disaster response.

    A few months earlier, Canada agreed to help with "dark vessel detection," or using technology to spot illegal fishing from boats that have turned off their transmitters.

    Nadjibulla said it's "really important" that Trudeau solidify the relationship by attending ASEAN's annual summit in Laos this October, after taking part in the past two years' meetings.

    She also said Canada should consider joining Japan, Australia and the U.S. in regional joint military exercises, to discourage Beijing from breaching international treaties.

    Manalo noted the size of the Filipino diaspora in Canada — some 925,000 people, according to the 2021 census — and said common challenges are arising from the fact "our world is getting smaller."

    Yet the Philippines is rarely on Canadians' radar, despite the country having strong economic growth and a favourable view of Canada, in part due to the longtime presence of Canadian insurance firms such as Sun Life and Manulife.

    The ranks Canada as second-last for relevance among the 11 countries with whom ASEAN has a formal partnership, according to polling of 2,000 people across the region in January and February by the Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

    Filipino respondents bucked the trend by ranking Canada as the seventh most-important country.

    Manalo's visit follows a pair of meetings between Trudeau and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other cabinet-level visits.

    It's a marked change in tone from Trudeau's 2017 meeting with former president Rodrigo Duterte, who didn't appreciate the Canadian prime minister chastising him over the country's violent war on drugs.

    Manalo suggested Ottawa seize the current momentum to get Canadian corporations more active in the Philippines, and then expand to neighbouring countries.

    "Canada now has a basis to really project its influence in the Philippines and in the region as whole."

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2024.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.

    Canada

    • We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    • The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.

    • Video of a B.C. man's surprise encounter with a black bear has gone viral online, generating much discussion about how to best respond when face-to-face with an aggressive animal.

    • An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Metro Vancouver grain terminal workers are now on strike, bringing tens of millions of dollars of exports to a standstill.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Reid Carruthers seeks a three-peat in curling's quirky PointsBet Invitational that's become an unofficial season kickoff because of money, field and visibility.

    • Cole Perfetti will suit up for the Winnipeg Jets for another two years.

    Autos

    • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.

    Local Spotlight

    An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

    Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

    Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

    A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    • Video of a B.C. man's surprise encounter with a black bear has gone viral online, generating much discussion about how to best respond when face-to-face with an aggressive animal.

    • Metro Vancouver grain terminal workers are now on strike, bringing tens of millions of dollars of exports to a standstill.

    • An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.

    • Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, season is just a few months away, but new vaccine options have already arrived for Ontario residents who may be vulnerable to the winter bug.

    • Premier Doug Ford is standing behind comments he made suggesting that people living in encampments “just need to get a job to lift themselves out of poverty.â€

    • Premier Danielle Smith says she plans to reinforce the right to decide whether to receive a vaccination or other medical procedure in changes to the Alberta Bill of Rights.

    • A Calgary man is facing child pornography charges after an investigation uncovered years of messages exchanged with an alleged felon.

    • As sirens sound in Lebanon amid escalating violence between Israel and militant group Hezbollah, many Ottawa residents with family there find it hard to watch.

    • Ottawa police say there is an ongoing investigation at Glebe Collegiate Institute.

    • Ottawa police say a 26-year-old man has been arrested following a several assaults on passengers travelling on OC Transpo vehicles Monday morning.

    • The heat is rising for Quebec Premier François Legault as opposition parties demand answers about his government's investment in the planned Northvolt battery factory near Montreal.

    • A fire in a container at one of the Port of Montreal's terminals prompted the city to issue a containment notice for the area adjacent to the port on Monday evening, in the Mercier--Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.

    • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.

    • One person was hospitalized after a crash involving a Valley Line Southeast LRT train and a semi Tuesday morning.

    • A transgender Albertan says it would be a slap in the face if Premier Danielle Smith allows back into the government caucus a member who once compared transgender children to feces.

    • Premier Danielle Smith says she plans to reinforce the right to decide whether to receive a vaccination or other medical procedure in changes to the Alberta Bill of Rights.

    • NEW

      NEW

      Antigonish County District RCMP is trying to track down a man wanted on a provincewide arrest warrant for sexual assault in Nova Scotia.

    • Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative government has announced it will build four new schools in the Halifax region as part of its school capital plan for the area.

    • A candidate for Halifax mayor says the municipality's approach to homeless encampments has encouraged unhoused people from across the country to move to the city to live in tents. But housing advocates and a city councillor say that claim is untrue.

    • The province has announced a new plan to lower the age for mammogram self-referrals to 40 from 50 in an effort to get more Manitobans screened for breast cancer.

    • An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

    • Parks Canada said it is considering treatment options and bringing in third-party experts after multiple, living juvenile zebra mussels were once again discovered in Clear Lake.

    • A report from a tribunal appointed by the Saskatchewan Party government says a proposed federal emissions cap and methane regulations would cause severe economic damage.

    • Health care is shaping up to be a major issue for this fall’s provincial election in Saskatchewan and on Monday both the Sask. Party and NDP announced plans on how they will work to improve the sector if elected this fall.

    • Regina police will be conducting a two-day traffic blitz in and around the city Tuesday and Wednesday.

    • A reward of up to $50K has been issued by Waterloo Regional Police for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Joshua Bennett.

    • Environment Canada says southwestern Ontario could get up to 55 mm of rain by Wednesday morning.

    • A man and woman in Saskatoon who had two kilograms of methamphetamine seized from a home are going back to trial after having their acquittals overturned.

    • The Saskatchewan Government is in the province's highest court fighting to prevent a Court of King’s Bench judge from determining if its Parents' Bill of Rights actually violates the Charter.

    • Fire crews are battling a blaze at the Candle Lake Golf Course clubhouse on Monday morning.

    • We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    • A 49-year-old Sudbury woman who was killed in a tragic collision with a police boat June 7 on Nepewassi Lake was told to remain in a residence on an island until police returned to pick her up.

    • A London man charged with criminal harassment following an incident outside the Parkhill Public Library during a Drag Queen story reading on April 29, 2023, has been found not guilty.

    • The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.

    • Todd Thompson never imagined he would raise over $100,000 towards men's cancer and mental health programs in just a few short years. That's because he was entirely cancer-free, a few years ago.

    • Three construction workers are being praised for their actions that police in Barrie say likely prevented an armed man from fleeing before being taken into custody.

    • Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.

    • An Uber driver was handed a 12-month driving ban on Tuesday following a collision that injured a pedestrian and killed a dog in Barrie.

    • Windsor police officers are asking for the public’s help identifying and finding a suspect after a convenience store robbery in south Windsor.

    • A man swimming across the Detroit River from Windsor to Detroit was rescued by a mail boat, according to the J.W. Westcott Company.

    • Residents living in a Tecumseh neighbourhood had an unusual sighting over the weekend.

    • A man and a woman from Nanaimo, B.C., are facing more than two dozen charges after police seized four guns and several hundred grams of illicit drugs following a complaint about drug trafficking in the city's downtown core.

    • Former British Columbia chief coroner Lisa Lapointe has emerged from retirement to throw her weight behind a BC Green's campaign pledge to expand safer supply of opioids and other drugs to deal with the province's deadly overdose crisis.

    • Video of a B.C. man's surprise encounter with a black bear has gone viral online, generating much discussion about how to best respond when face-to-face with an aggressive animal.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • To make higher education an easier step to take for Indigenous students, the University of Lethbridge is dropping some fees for those applicants.

    • Authorities arrested a man from Pincher Creek after shots were fired near a home on the Blood Tribe First Nation.

    • A former Lethbridge pastor who bilked millions out of hundreds of southern Albertans has appealed his conviction and sentence.

    • A 25-year-old suspect was charged with impaired driving Sept. 21 after police spotted two people without helmets on an ATV on Sand Bay Road in Goulais River.

    • A federal offender who was last seen in Sudbury is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for allegedly breaching his statutory release conditions.

    • The judge in the sexual assault trial against former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard delivered his instructions to the jury in a northern Ontario courtroom Tuesday afternoon.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½