Joel Asuncion 🇺🇸🇵🇭

My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his suffering and to be like him in his death. Philippians 3:10.

[Joel Asuncion 🇺🇸🇵🇭 @SoontobeFilDPT]

@ImJimR87 I replied and deleted my answer. I have to reread your tweet. I was just so excited that I figured it out🤣🤣🤣.

[Jay Tarriela @jaytaryela]

In an age in which decency and orderly conduct are expected to govern international life almost everywhere except, it would appear, in China itself, the Chinese Communist Party can no longer conceal its bullying and barbaric behavior—even at an international security forum in Seoul, South Korea. Its leaders appear to believe that power exempts them from any obligation of decorum on the world stage.

The episode reveals two truths. First, they calculated that such unruly conduct would intimidate other nations into silence over their imperial claims in the South China Sea. Second, they cannot restrain their hostility whenever Secretary Teodoro informs the world how dangerous the region has become because of states such as China, which neither observe international law nor hesitate to defy it.

This incident, however, also teaches a larger lesson. It is now unmistakable that the international community must collectively condemn China’s unruly and imperial ambitions. Failure to do so would return humanity to a darker age of civilization—one in which might alone is permitted to decide who is right.

[Dr. Michael F. Bird @mbird12]

This guy just became my hero!

[Department of National Defense - Philippines @dndphl]

MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO | Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. responded to a note from the Chinese side during the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2026 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

#DNDPHL #DiKaPasisiil #SDD2026

[Joel Asuncion 🇺🇸🇵🇭 @SoontobeFilDPT]

@drewdyck What happened to Florida?

[Joel Asuncion 🇺🇸🇵🇭 @SoontobeFilDPT]

@bankertobuilder Missed it by half a mile. I’m so disappointed now.

[Joel Asuncion 🇺🇸🇵🇭 @SoontobeFilDPT]

Since Costco in #elkgroveca is closed today, every one is Trader Joe’s. It was so busy in there! #elkgrove #elkgrovelife #burblife

[Joel Asuncion 🇺🇸🇵🇭 @SoontobeFilDPT]

@racheljwelcher 2

[Elizabeth Warren @ewarren]

United & Delta donated $1M → Trump ended flight cancelation compensation rules.

TurboTax parent donated $1M → Trump killed free tax filing.

Toyota donated $1M → Trump canceled CFPB refund order for overcharged borrowers.

It’s a pattern of corruption that costs you money.

[CNN International PR @cnnipr]

Exclusive:

Tensions have escalated between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

@IvanCNN gained rare access on board a Philippine government ship when a Chinese vessel targeted it with a water cannon.

[BRP Sierra Madre @BRPSierraMadre]

China’s pattern of dangerous behavior is not confined to the sea. From radioactive scrap at Philippine Sanjia Steel to thorium‑bearing materials at Chuangxing Steel, PRC‑linked operations have brought nuclear and toxic risks into Philippine communities under the cover of “investment,” while propaganda tries to recast enforcement as “anti‑China” or “harassment of investors.”

Resisting this means evidence‑based vigilance: questioning narratives that downplay nuclear and toxic hazards, expose foreign‑serving disinformation, and speak up when suspicious emissions, dumpsites, or illnesses appear near PRC‑linked facilities.

#WestPhilippineSea #FactsOverLies #ProtectCommunities #NoToToxicInvestments #StandForTheTruth

[NewsWatch Plus PH @newswatchplusph]

Ten years ago today, an international tribunal affirmed what Filipinos have always known: the West Philippine Sea is ours. The Marines have never left. A decade on, the Unsinkable Spirit holds the line — for our sovereignty, and for our future. This is the Way Forward.
#TheWayForward #TheUnsinkableSpirit #WestPhilippineSea #UNCLOS #BlueEconomy

----

���年前的今天，国际法庭确认了菲律宾⼈ ⼀直以来都知道的事实：⻄菲律宾海是我 们的。海军陆战队从未离开。⼗年过去了，“不沉精神号”依然坚守阵地——为了我 们的主权，也为了我 们的未来。这就是我 们前进的⽅向。

[Jay Tarriela @jaytaryela]

The China Coast Guard’s statement inverts reality. There was no “intrusion,” and there was nothing “lawful” about its actions.

Bajo de Masinloc sits approximately 124 nautical miles from Zambales — well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The 2016 Arbitral Award, final and binding under UNCLOS, affirmed that the shoal is a traditional fishing ground and that China’s interference with Filipino fishermen there is unlawful.

Philippine government vessels operating in these waters require no one’s permission. It is the CCG — deployed over 500 nautical miles from Hainan — that has no legal basis for its presence, its so-called “law enforcement,” or its use of force.

[Jay Tarriela @jaytaryela]

“All under control”?

Let us be clear: you cannot take control of something that is not yours. What the China Coast Guard calls “control measures in accordance with the law” is neither control nor lawful. It is not effective jurisdiction — it is attempted theft through the excessive illegal deployment of maritime forces.

Bajo de Masinloc is not “Huangyan Dao under China’s jurisdiction.” It sits approximately 124 nautical miles from Zambales, well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone under UNCLOS — a convention China itself signed and ratified.

[BRP Sierra Madre @BRPSierraMadre]

Beijing’s narrative machine is working overtime in the West Philippine Sea, denying the 2016 Arbitral Award, blurring Philippine territory, and even using racist AI content to dehumanize Filipinos.

The facts are simple: the Award is final and legally binding, backed by 14 countries and the European Union, and China’s new “claims” over places like Batanes are textbook lawfare and historical laundering, not legal strength.

Know the law. See through the propaganda. Stand with the tribunal ruling, our coalition of partners, and our disciplined unity in defending the West Philippine Sea and all Philippine territory.

#BRPSierraMadre #StandWithTheTribunalRuling #FactsNotPropaganda #DefendWestPhilippineSea

[Jay Tarriela @jaytaryela]

𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐂𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐅𝐀𝐑 𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐉𝐎 𝐃𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐋𝐎𝐂

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) were subjected to a series of water cannon attacks and dangerous maneuvers by China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels this morning, 24 July 2026, while carrying out the Kadiwa ng Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda (KBBM) program in the vicinity waters of Bajo de Masinloc (BDM)—an initiative of the national government to deliver fuel subsidies and provisions to Filipino fishing boats, and to ensure the safety and security of Filipino fisherfolk exercising their legitimate rights in their traditional fishing ground.

At approximately 6:26 AM, CCG vessel 3107 fired its water cannon at BRP Cape San Agustin (MRRV-4408) from a distance of approximately 400 meters, while the PCG vessel was conducting a maritime patrol approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of BDM. Prior to the incident, MRRV-4408 was being shadowed by no fewer than six CCG vessels, alongside Chinese Maritime Militia vessels operating in the area.

At around 7:35 AM, CCG vessel 21581 began directing water cannon fire at the DA-BFAR vessel BRP Datu Paduhinog (MMOV 3017), which was en route to conduct its regular MCS mission approximately 12 nautical miles northeast of the shoal. CCG 21581 recklessly closed to a distance of approximately seven (7) meters off the port bow of BRP Datu Paduhinog—a maneuver that placed Filipino personnel at serious risk of collision. It is worth noting that the CCG vessel had deliberately switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), concealing its identity in violation of international regulations on safety of navigation.

At approximately 7:53 AM, CCG 21581 scored a direct water cannon hit on BRP Datu Paduhinog, followed by two more direct water cannon attacks at around 8:00 AM. Shortly thereafter, BRP Datu Paduhinog experienced a temporary loss of its satellite internet connectivity while transiting approximately 10 nautical miles northeast of BDM; connectivity was restored at 8:36 AM.

At around 8:09 AM, Chinese Maritime Militia vessel 00318 was monitored pulling a rope approx 100 meters dead astern of BRP Datu Sumakwel (MMOV 3019), an act that posed a hazard to the vessel's safe navigation. At approximately 8:55 AM, CCG vessel 3303 likewise fired its water cannon at BRP Datu Cabaylo (MMOV 3001) from approximately 300 meters dead astern.

Despite these illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive (ICAD) actions, all PCG and DA-BFAR personnel are safe, and the vessels sustained their presence in the area in continued support of Filipino fisherfolk exercising their legitimate rights in their traditional fishing ground.

As of 9:30 AM, the PCG monitored a total of twenty-six (26) vessels in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc: three (3) PCG vessels, seven (7) DA-BFAR vessels, against twelve (12) CCG vessels and three (3) Chinese Maritime Militia vessels.

The PCG strongly condemns the dangerous and unprofessional actions of the China Coast Guard. Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippine territory, and its surrounding waters form part of the country's territorial sea and exclusive economic zone. The 2016 Arbitral Award has affirmed that BDM is a traditional fishing ground of Filipino fisherfolk, whose rights cannot be lawfully impeded by any foreign power.

The PCG, under the leadership of Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan and in coordination with the NTFWPS, remains steadfast in adhering to the guidance of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. that is to protect Filipino fisherfolk, uphold the rule of law, and defend the country's sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea—without escalating tensions and in accordance with international law, particularly the UNCLOS.

[The Associated Press @AP]

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine government ship in the South China Sea, a Philippine Coast Guard official said on Thursday.

Footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed the two boats in close proximity to each other near the Scarborough Shoal.

[Jay Tarriela @jaytaryela]

This is how Foreign Minister Wang Yi looks down on the Philippines. Despite China’s aggressive actions against our personnel, the militarization of the West Philippine Sea, the stationing of PLA Navy assets at Panganiban Reef inside our own EEZ, and the blatant disregard of our sovereignty and sovereign rights, he declares that China has “never” seen the Philippines as a security threat.

Of course we are not a threat to them — in their eyes, we are prey. The premise behind Wang Yi’s statement is the true insult: that no matter how China bullies, coerces, and deceives us as a nation, we can do nothing about it. That is not the language of a good neighbor. That is the language of a bully who believes his victim is powerless.

[BRP Sierra Madre @BRPSierraMadre]

JUST IN: China Coast Guard Water Cannons Philippine Vessel During Lawful Mission

A China Coast Guard vessel dangerously closed in on BRP Datu Dumangsil and blasted it with a water cannon for more than two minutes during a lawful fuel and food subsidy mission for Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc.

Despite the harassment, the mission was successfully completed, and no personnel were injured.

This comes just days after a Philippine Navy sailor was assaulted at Ayungin Shoal, underscoring a continuing pattern of coercive actions against lawful Philippine operations.

Harassment will not deter lawful missions. The Philippines will continue to uphold its rights and support its people in the West Philippine Sea.

#BRPSierraMadre #WestPhilippineSea #BRPDatuDumangsil #StandWithOurFrontliners #SupportOurFisherfolk #RulesBasedOrder

[Joel Asuncion 🇺🇸🇵🇭 @SoontobeFilDPT]

@edstetzer Praying for you Pastor.