Sovereignty, accountability, and hope: Key Philippine stories of 2024

A frame grab from video footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows its ship, the BRP Bagacay, being hit by water cannon from Chinese coast guard vessels near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. Also hit on its way to the shoal was the BRP Bankaw of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. —AFP

MANILA, Philippines — From defending its territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea to tackling domestic issues and challenges overseas, the Philippines faced a tumultuous 2024.

Maritime tensions with China persisted, putting the nation’s sovereignty to the test anew, while crackdowns on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) highlighted authorities’ struggles with criminal activities.

On the international stage, controversies such as former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves seeking asylum in East Timor and the long-awaited hope for Mary Jane Veloso’s repatriation underscored the complexities of justice and diplomacy for the Filipino people.

Together, these issues painted a picture of resilience and the enduring fight for accountability, sovereignty, and human rights.

Here’s a closer look at some of the most significant stories that defined the Philippines’ struggles and triumphs in 2024:

1. Marcos: ‘All Pogos are banned!’

Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) are officially banned in the Philippines, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced on Monday.

“Effective today, all POGOs are banned,” Marcos said during his third State of the Nation Address. Read more here.

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

2. China vessels, warships withdraw from Scarborough after convoy 

The number of suspected Chinese maritime militia and coast guard vessels in Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal sharply decreased while all of Beijing’s warships also left after the trip of a civilian convoy there, according to the Philippine Navy data released on Tuesday. Read more here

3. Three PH cities among least polluted regional cities in Southeast Asia

Three cities in the Philippines were among the least air polluted cities in Southeast Asia, a 2023 international report on air quality showed.

The Swiss air-monitoring company IQAir’s 2023 World Air Quality Report provides a global review of air quality, citing PM2.5 air quality data from 7,812 cities spanning 134 countries, regions, and territories for 2023. Read more here.

4. House hearing reveals Chinese nationals recruited to PCG auxiliary

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) previously recruited Chinese nationals as auxiliary members of the agency but they have since been delisted.

This was revealed by PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan before the House Committee on Transportation’s hearing on Wednesday after Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers asked him about the recruitment issue, which was raised by Senator Francis Tolentino last year. Read more here.

Sen. Win Gatchalian (L) and Bamban Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. | PHOTOS: Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau and INQUIRER.net

5. Gatchalian: Alice Guo not homeschooled; we attended same school

No, suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo was not homeschooled. She also did not grow up on a farm.

This was according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian who presented Guo’s school documents before the Senate panel on women, revealing that he and the embattled local official, in fact, studied in the same school. Read more here.

6. Mary Jane Veloso returns home after 14 years

Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina on death row in Indonesia who spent almost 15 years in prison for drug trafficking, has returned home early Wednesday morning, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the aircraft carrying Veloso landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City at around 5:40 a.m. Read more here.

Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who was on death row in Indonesia and was nearly executed by firing squad in 2015, makes a heart sign during a press conference prior to her repatriation to the Philippines, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

7. 14 years on death row: Timeline of Mary Jane Veloso’s fight for justice

The case of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, has spanned over a decade and remains one of the most high-profile legal battles involving an overseas Filipino worker.

Veloso was arrested on April 25, 2010, at Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after she was found in possession of more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin. Read more here.

8. Carpio: Duterte gave up PH right over Ayungin in an agreement w/ China

Former President Rodrigo Duterte surrendered the Philippines’ sovereign rights over Ayungin Shoal in what was disguised as a “gentlemen’s agreement” with China.

This statement comes from Former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio. Read more here.

Former Rep. Arnoldo Teves with lawyer Ferdinand Topacio. His lawyer said the Teves camp is raising the harassment issue to the United Nations. (FILE) Photo from Atty. Ferdinand Topacio

9. Timor-Leste grants extradition request vs Teves for 2nd time

The Timor-Leste government has granted for the second time the Philippine government’s request to extradite Negros expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday.

According to the DOJ in a statement, the request was granted after a second round of extradition hearings, which resulted from the procedural objections made by Teves’ camp. Read more here.

10. China Coast Guard seizes PH supplies for Ayungin

The China Coast Guard (CCG) has been accused of seizing and dumping overboard food and other supplies meant for Filipino troops stationed at a remote outpost in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and allegedly obstructing a medical evacuation of ailing soldiers.

Both incidents took place on May 19, when the Philippine Navy performed an airdrop operation to bring the items to the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated warship grounded in 1999 to protect Manila’s claims to the shoal, according to a ranking military official, who asked not to be named for not having authority to speak to the media. Read more here.