00:00 the National Security Council
00:02 designated Hamas as a terrorist group.
00:06 Why did the NSC, ADG, choose this?
00:10 Well, Nina, we all know that Hamas is a terrorist organization.
00:15 That's why it was also declared a terrorist organization
00:19 by the United States, the European Union, Australia,
00:22 and many other countries around the world.
00:24 Now, in solidarity with the State of Israel,
00:27 National Security Advisor Eduardo Año also wanted
00:30 Hamas to be declared a terrorist organization.
00:35 Not only that, well, in addition to it being in solidarity,
00:39 we also saw that Hamas has been involved in
00:42 activities in the Philippines.
00:47 In fact, in 2018, there was a Hamas operative,
00:51 a bomb maker here in the Philippines,
00:54 who was arrested by the Philippine National Police
00:56 and was deported to Turkey.
00:58 And also, last year, they also had an operative
01:02 who talked to local extremist groups
01:05 so that they could also operate in our country.
01:08 So, they were gone, ADG.
01:12 That news is a bit worrying,
01:14 knowing that they were here and they attended.
01:17 Yes, yes. And the good news is that we stopped that.
01:22 In our cooperation with other countries, we stopped it.
01:26 Actually, my code is there.
01:28 The name of the terrorist is there.
01:30 Maybe later I will just release it.
01:32 We will update them.
01:33 Yes, we will update them.
01:35 We stopped that.
01:37 So, what we are doing in declaring Hamas
01:42 as a terrorist organization is to protect our fellow countrymen.
01:47 This is also a domestic act on the part of the Philippines
01:50 so that we can ensure the security of our fellow countrymen
01:53 and prevent the same things from happening to our fellow countrymen.
01:57 Okay, ADG John, what does it mean
01:59 when a group is declared a terrorist group or terrorist?
02:02 Well, based on the Anti-Terrorism Act of our country,
02:07 if you are a terrorist group,
02:09 it is easy for our operatives,
02:13 the Philippine National Police or our authorities to arrest you.
02:16 We can immediately arrest them without a warrant.
02:19 We can detain them for a certain period of time.
02:22 And another thing is we can stop what we call terrorist financing.
02:27 The AMLOC can immediately freeze the assets of people or groups
02:33 that are declared as terrorists.
02:35 So, ADG John, what will be the effect in the Philippines,
02:39 aside from what you said,
02:41 when Hamas is designated as a terror group?
02:45 First, this is a clear message by the Philippine government
02:51 that we will not allow Hamas to operate here.
02:55 That's really the purpose of the planned designation of Hamas
03:00 as a terrorist organization.
03:03 Second, we are ensuring the safety of our fellow countrymen.
03:09 And third, we are expressing our solidarity with the State of Israel
03:14 because we have a long and good relationship with the State of Israel.
03:20 A group said that declaring Hamas as a terrorist group
03:24 will not help in resolving the Palestinian question.
03:28 What is your reaction to this?
03:30 Well, Chi, I was really amused by that question,
03:34 the reaction of that group,
03:36 because we are not asking to resolve the problem in Palestine.
03:43 We do not intend to resolve the Palestinian question.
03:46 That's a long-standing problem,
03:48 and we are not saying that we will be the one to provide a solution to it.
03:55 That's why we are making this planned declaration of Hamas
04:01 as a terrorist organization of the Philippines for our own national interest,
04:06 which is that they cannot operate here
04:09 and they will not be a threat to the security of our country.
04:13 Because, as you know, when the Philippine National Police was investigating,
04:16 they wanted to do three things in the Philippines.
04:18 Number one, kill the Jews in the Philippines.
04:22 That was the plan.
04:23 Second, to fundraise here in our country.
04:27 And third, to use social media to spread their propaganda.
04:35 And one more thing, to rally in embassies and other places
04:41 to create disunity or chaos in our country.
04:45 DJ John, according to the group,
04:47 this will only help us to get points from America.
04:53 What can you say about this?
04:55 Again, this is not an instigation of the United States,
04:59 this is not an instigation of the State of Israel.
05:02 We are doing it again because of our national interest.
05:05 So irrespective if we get points from the United States or other countries,
05:10 we are doing this in solidarity with the people and State of Israel
05:14 that we know has been the subject of a brazen and deadly terrorist attack
05:20 in the hands of the Hamas terrorist organization.
05:25 DJ John, when it comes to the West Philippine Sea,
05:28 there are dangerous maneuvers by China in the rotation of the resupply mission
05:33 of the Philippine Navy in the Pagasa Island,
05:35 which is not the first time that this happened.
05:37 But what is the detail here?
05:38 Yes, we have a BRP Benguet that is going to the Rizal Reef.
05:44 Most of our countrymen are more familiar with Ayunginshol and Bawalimasintok.
05:49 This is a resupply ship of the Philippine Navy
05:53 that was blocked by the People's Liberation Army Navy of China.
06:00 There were dangerous maneuvers,
06:03 there were shadowings,
06:06 so there were radio challenges between the two sides.
06:09 But our resupply vessel reached the Rizal Reef.
06:13 Lisa, that's good news, DJ John.
06:17 But we have another question from our media partner, Chino Gaston of GMA News.
06:23 What will the Philippines do amidst the aggression of China?
06:28 Well, Nina, we will just continue to do what we're supposed to be doing,
06:32 which is implementing the 2016 Arbitral Award.
06:35 Because many are asking,
06:37 how will the Philippines implement the Arbitral Award?
06:40 By exercising our rights, our sovereign rights.
06:43 So we will just continue to resupply, whether it is in Ayunginshol,
06:47 whether it is in Rizal Reef, even if there is harassment,
06:50 not from the Chinese Coast Guard, but coming from the PLA Navy.
06:54 Our Navy personnel will not be afraid.
07:01 We will continue to do what is necessary to supply our people
07:05 and of course our fishermen who are fishing in the waters of the West Philippine Sea.
07:10 Okay. Next question from Chino Gaston,
07:13 will there be changes in operations now that Pagasa Islands is being subjected to Chinese law enforcement?
07:18 That is the question, why is there Chinese law enforcement
07:21 when the Permanent Court of Arbitration has already invalidated China's claim over the entire South China Sea?
07:30 There is no basis.
07:31 So the Philippines has the right to enforce laws,
07:36 whether international law or domestic law in the West Philippine Sea.
07:40 So for now, the Philippines will just continue to do what it is supposed to do.
07:43 We will continue to resupply our people
07:45 and we will continue to support our fishermen who are fishing in the West Philippine Sea.
07:50 And here's another follow-up question from GMA News,
07:54 how do we guarantee fishermen's rights?
07:58 Will this affect ongoing island rehab projects?
08:02 We will not stop sending BFAR vessels to bring gasoline and food to our fishermen,
08:14 despite the aggression coming from the Chinese Ghost Guard
08:18 or the People's Liberation Army Navy vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
08:23 We will not let our fishermen and fishermen go unnoticed
08:28 and we will continue to conduct maritime patrols, ISR and sovereignty patrols in the West Philippine Sea
08:34 to assert Philippine national interest.
08:37 Thank you very much, ADG John.
08:41 Thank you, Chie. Thank you, Nina.
08:42 Before we go to other news about the Filipinos who are returning home from Israel,
08:50 we have an update from my partner today.
08:54 Earlier, you did not mention who were the terrorists or members of Hamas arrested last year.
09:04 Yes, Nina.
09:05 In 2018, Hamas attempted to establish a presence in our country.
09:12 And in June 2018, the Philippine National Police arrested Tara Muhammad Al-Jabouri,
09:18 a Hamas bomb expert, who was arrested inside our country and deported to Turkey.
09:26 And then last year, the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group reported
09:31 that an informant, the source of our PNP, said that Fares Al-Shikli,
09:40 a Hamas foreign liaison of the Hamas foreign liaison section, who is also in the Red Notice of Interpol,
09:48 was trying to recruit Filipinos to attack Jews and other Westerners here in our country.
09:55 And fortunately, our authorities stopped him.
10:01 So for us at the National Security Council, it is very important that we declare Hamas as a terrorist organization
10:09 so that we can protect our country from these terrorists.
10:14 Thank you very much, ADG John.
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