South China Sea tensions escalating

The Philippines has invited foreign investors to explore 15 petroleum blocks in the disputed South China/Western Phlippine Sea. 38 companies have already lined up to place bids on contracts.
Needless to say, Beijing isn't happy.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Tuesday that "it is illegal for any country, government or company, without the Chinese government's permission, to develop oil and natural gas in waters under Chinese jurisdiction," China Daily reports.

But the Philippines maintains that all of the 15 areas are within Philippine territory.
-United Press International

Two of the petroleum blocks to be exploited are near Reed Bank, where Chinese warships threatened to ram a Philippine survey vessel last year, setting off the current round of tension in the resource-rich region.

China claims Asia

The Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily has warned its Asian neighbors to be on guard against the “danger” of feeling they can “do whatever they want” in the region because of the financial support and physical presence of Uncle Sam.

The U.S. set off China’s ire in 2010 when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking at a regional summit in Hanoi, called resolving the competing claims to the sea “a leading diplomatic priority.” That drew a rebuke from Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who said internationalizing the incident with U.S. involvement “can only make matters worse and more difficult to solve.”
-Bloomberg

Basically, in response to a US military spending spree in region, the China has claimed Southeast Asia as its bitches.

2nd Anniversary of Melissa Roxas kidnapping

Today, it has been two years since Melissa Roxas was abducted and tortured, and there is still no justice for her or any of the other victims of human rights violations committed by former-President Arroyo and her military.
The Philippine Commission on Human Rights recently released a resolution after "investigating" Melissa's case, and essentially exonerated the military. Apparently, the New People's Army kidnapped her and tortured her in an attempt to get her to falsely claim that she was a member of the New People's Army.

Read and sign the open letter to demand justice for Melissa Roxas by clicking here.