North Korea allies dry up: Malaysia halts ALL funding to Kim-Jong-Un in World War 3 threat

North Korea allies dry up: Malaysia halts ALL funding to Kim-Jong-Un in World War 3 threat

MALAYSIA, which until recently had been one of Pyongyang's closest allies has halted all imports from North Korea.

Malaysia is attempting to cut the flow of money to the country, as part of global efforts to cut off funding for its nuclear and missile programmes.

Malaysia did not buy any goods from North Korea in June and July, after buying 20.6 million ringgit ($4.89 million) worth of goods in the first five months of the year, according to data from the Department of Statistics.

Malaysia's ties with North Korea have deteriorated since the February assassination of Kim Jong Un's estranged half brother at Kuala Lumpur international airport, which the United States and South Korea say was ordered by the North Korean leader.

Kuala Lumpur last month banned its citizens from travelling to North Korea, two weeks after Prime Minister Najib Razak met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

The visit gave Najib a political boost at home, with his popularity suffering over a massive scandal at a state investment fund, which the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating.

Trump told reporters after meeting with Najib at the White House last month that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak "does not do business with North Korea any longer, and we find that to be very important."

Malaysia had been a key source of revenue for the North. Citizens from both countries enjoyed visa-free travel. Malaysia was host to hundreds of overseas workers. More importantly were operations that funnelled money to the regime. Reuters reported earlier this year North Korea's spy agency, the Reconnaissance Bureau, was running an arms operation out of Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia's halt to North Korean imports came ahead of drastic U.N. and U.S. sanctions last month that ramp up export bans and penalise companies and individuals doing business with North Korea.

The United Nations on Sept. 11 banned North Korea's lucrative textile exports as well as all joint ventures with North Koran individuals or entities.

Trump issued an executive order 10 days later penalising any company or person doing business with North Korea by cutting off their access to the U.S. financial system, freezing their assets or both.

Other Southeast Asian nations have similarly reduced imports from North Korea. The Philippines said last month it has suspended trade with North Korea to comply with sanctions.

Thailand's imports from North Korea dropped to $400,000 between January and August, compared with $1.8 million in the same period last year, according to data from the commerce ministry.

Indonesia, on the other hand, increased its imports from North Korea to $1.8 million in January-July before the latest round of sanctions, versus $910,000 in the same period last year.

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson, on a swing through Southeast Asia in August, urged countries to do more to cut funding streams for North Korea.

For instance, North Korean front companies were using Bangkok as a regional hub, changing their names frequently, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton told reporters during Tillerson's visit to Bangkok in early August. 

Malaysia's past imports from North Korea ranged from big ticket items such as coal, medical devices and light emitting diodes to even crabs, noodles, cloth hangers and fire extinguishers.

A U.S. government official said Malaysia has assured the United States it does not import from Pyongyang anymore.

Malaysia's trade ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Malaysia had been one of the few countries increasing its imports from North Korea in recent years - from a mere 1,183 ringgit ($311) in 2012 to 8.2 million ringgit in 2016.

An unusual purchase this year was coal, which Malaysia bought right after China, the top buyer of the North's minerals banned imports of the commodity in February. A U.N. report in September said North Korea had diversified its coal exports to other countries after the China ban.

Malaysia bought $3.4 million worth of coal in March and $16.6 million worth of coal tar products, data showed. The March purchase was the first time Malaysia had bought coal from North Korea since at least 2012.

While imports have stopped, Malaysia has continued exports to North Korea. Exports included palm oil, food and medical supplies worth 4.4 million ringgit between January and July.

Duterte blasts UN, EU anew, dares envoys to leave PH 'in 24 hrs'

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday blasted the United Nations and the European Union (EU) anew over criticism of his drug war, telling envoys to leave the country in 24 hours.

BREAKING: Comelec chair Andres Bautista resigns

 

“It is with my deep sadness that I am informing you about my decision to resign as the chair of the Commission on Elections by the end of the year,” Bautista said in an open letter posted on his social media accounts.

It was addressed to his “Comelec family.”

“After much prayer and discernment, I believe that this is the right time to step down given the postponement of the Barangay and SK elections.”

“This was not an easy decision, but my family, especially my children, need me now more than ever,” he said.

Bautista’s resignation came less than a month after the House of Representatives junked an impeachment complaint against him over his alleged unexplained wealth.

His wife, Patricia, claimed that he might have amassed nearly P1 billion in ill-gotten wealth. The Comelec chief has repeatedly denied the allegation.

In the letter, Bautista thanked his Comelec family for the love, prayers and support that they showed him “most especially during my most challenging times.”

“Amid the hurtful, baseless and malicious accusations hurled against me, most of you never left my side,” he said.

House votes to impeach Comelec Chairman Bautista

House votes to impeach Comelec Chairman Bautista

MANILA, Philippines— The House of Representatives has overturned the decision of its justice committee by voting to impeach Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista, who earlier in the day announced his decision to step down from his post at the end of this year.

During the plenary debates on the complaint, 137 representatives voted to reject the committee resolution that dismissed the impeachment charge against the poll chief while 75 House members voted to adopt it. Two representatives abstained during the voting.

"The vote shows that the resolution is overridden and pursuant to Section 11, Article 3 of the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings a vote of at least one-third of all the members of the House shall be necessary to override such resolution. I am directing the Committee on Justice to prepare the articles of impeachment immediately," Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu (Batangas) said after receiving the results of the voting.

The House Committee on Justice earlier junked the impeachment case filed by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio and former Negros Occidental Rep. Jacinto "Jing" Paras for insufficiency in form.

The House has the power to overturn the committee decision should one-third of its members vote to do so.

The vote of the House paves the way for the justice committee to prepare the articles of impeachment, which will be sent to the Senate for an impeachment trial.

Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay), however, dismissed the notion that the articles of impeachment should now be formulated after the plenary vote.

"Only form was discussed and voted upon this afternoon. The plenary should return to the committee on justice for further proceedings the complaint against Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista," he said.

Reps. Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu) and Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao Del Norte) objected to the motion of House Justice Committee Chairman Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro) for the plenary to approve House Resolution 1397 dismissing the Paras-Topacio case.

According to Garcia and Barbers, the case should proceed as they believe that the charges against the Comelec chairman should be heard at the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.

The two added that an impeachment trial would give Bautista an opportunity to present his side and defend himself from the allegations in the charge.

"It is perceived that there was (sic) some infractions that was (sic) committed by no less than the chairman of the commission. We never heard any reply to the allegations being hurled at him," Barbers said during the plenary deliberations.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao Del Norte) also voted to reject the committee resolution and said that the charges against Bautista were serious.

According to Umali, his committee dismissed the complaint since it did not conform to the verification required by the rules of the House.

He added that no authentic records were attached to the complaint to support the charges it contained.

"The verification stated that the complainants had personal knowledge and/or belief of the allegations contained therein which is not consistent with what the rules require that it must be based on authentic records," Umali explained.

Lagman, who voted to affirm the resolution, said after the vote that the plenary should have supported the decision of the justice panel.

He said that the decision to override the panel resolution was a "no-confidence" vote on Umali and the leadership of the committee.

"I think we should have supported the integrity of our committee system," he said, adding that the dismissal of the complaint has precedent.

The allegations in the Paras-Topacio complaint were based on the accusations of Bautista's estranged wife, Patricia, that the poll chief had wealth not reflected in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

He also betrayed public trust when he failed to adopt safeguards that could have prevented the data breach or hacking of the Comelec's website, the two alleged.

Paras and Topacio said the failure of Bautista to "promptly act" on the hacking of the Comelec website constituted betrayal of public trust.

Another ground for impeachment was obstruction of justice when the Comelec chairman cleared the personnel of the poll body's technology provider, Smartmatic, and the IT specialists of the electoral agency of any wrongdoing after they tweaked the script of a program during the canvassing of the results of the May 2016 elections.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, October 11, voted to impeach Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, October 11, voted to impeach Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, October 11, voted to impeach Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista, overturning a justice committee resolution that earlier dismissed the complaint against him.

Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia, during session, moved to reject the committee's resolution, arguing that the complaint must be tackled before the Senate sitting as animpeachment court.

Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers agreed with Garcia's motion.

137 voted to reject the committee resolution, 75 to adopt the resolution, while two abstained.

The vote was made a day before Congress was to adjourn session. Session will resume on November 13.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez himself rejected the adoption of the resolution, saying he believes the allegations against Bautista were "serious."

Earlier on Wednesday, Bautista announced that he would step down from his post by December 31, 2017. (LOOK: What Comelec's Bautista told Duterte in his resignation letter)

The committee on justice, which is tasked to tackle verified complaints against impeachable officials, earlier junked the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio and former Negros Occidental congressman Jacinto Paras because it was insufficient in form.

However, Kabayan Representative Harry Roque, during a press conference, argued that theimpeachment must still push through since, until Bautista resigns on December 31, theComelec chairman may still sign contracts related to the 2019 elections.

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WelcomeBohol serving with Smile Around the GLOBE

Bohol is a 1st provincial income class island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands.^[6] Its capital is Tagbilaran. With a land area of 4,821 km² (1,861 sq mi) and a coastline 261 km (162 mi) long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines.^[7] To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea, is Mindanao.

The province is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formations, are the most popular attraction. The formations can be seen by land (climbing the highest point) or by air via ultralight air tours. Panglao Island, located just southwest of Tagbilaran, is famous for its diving locations and is routinely listed as one of the top ten diving locations in the world. Numerous tourist resorts and dive centers dot the southern beaches. The Philippine tarsier, amongst the world's smallest primates, is indigenous to the island.A narrow strait separates the island of Cebu and Bohol, and both share a common language, but the Boholanos retain a conscious distinction from the Cebuanos. Bohol's climate is generally dry, with maximum rainfall between the months of June and October. The interior is cooler than the coast.

It was the home province of Carlos P. Garcia, the eighth president of the Republic of the Philippines (1957–1961) who was born in Talibon, Bohol.