Join ANC PRESTIGE to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvi6hEzLM-Z_unKPSuuzKvg/join For more ANC Interviews, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm34qRgqWBU4AT2G3LWF27_RErcz0GVd9 For more Dateline Philippines videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm34qRgqWBU7zvfIETnDCK9mOu9dhNLos For more ANC Highlights videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm34qRgqWBU5gJ3Zls7EqjlC6dCw3aCji Subscribe to the ANC YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/ANCalerts Visit our website at https://news.abs-cbn.com/anc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ancalerts Twitter: https://twitter.com/ancalerts #ANCNews #ANCHighlights #DatelinePhilippines

Video Transcript / Subtitles:( AI generated. About AI subtitles » )

* AI ("Artificial Intelligence") subtitles on Tagalog.com are generated using "Whisper" by OpenAI (the same company that created ChatGPT and DallE2). Results and accuracy may vary.
* The subtitles do include errors occasionally and should only be used as a tool to help with your listening practice.
* You can request this website to create a transcript for a video if one doesn't already exist by clicking the "Request AI Subtitles" button below a video. Transcribing usually takes 30-40% of the length of a video to complete if there are no other videos in the queue. For example, a 21 minute video will take 7-8 minutes to transcribe.
* Running a super fast cloud GPU server to do these transcriptions does cost money. If you have the desire and financial ability, consider becoming a patron to support these video transcriptions, and the other tools and apps built by Tagalog.com

🎵 Music 🎵

US President Joe Biden vowing an ironclad commitment to defend the Philippines in the face of China's growing maritime aggression.

The Philippines, US and Japan set to open a so-called Luzon Corridor of Investments

after the trilateral summit happening in Washington.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte denies conceding anything to China during his administration.

And petroleum prices seen heading higher for a fourth straight week.

I'm Stanley Palizada. Dateline Philippines begins right now.

For those of you joining us or watching us on YouTube and Facebook, glad you could join us.

We begin in Washington, D.C. and the historic trilateral summit

between the US, Japan and the Philippines

where long-simmering tensions between China and its neighbors took center stage.

We have this report from Voice of America correspondent Chris Casquejo.

US President Joe Biden reiterated his vow that the US defense agreements

with the Philippines and Japan are ironclad.

So let's start with the Philippines, which is a key part of the US defense strategy in the region.

No troops from the US.

The US are permanently stationed there.

And the US and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty that dates back to 1951.

Last year in 2023, they agreed upon four additional sites under the 2014

Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, EDCA,

to provide additional staging capacity for US military

where US troops rotate their presence no more than 10,000 at a time.

And the Philippines also needs to retrofit its military assets.

So to that end, the US Senate has proposed

$2.5 billion in grants over five years to help Manila purchase weapons from Washington.

Today, we mark a historic moment.

The first-ever leaders summit between the United States, Japan and the Philippines.

And it's truly an honor to have you both here as we begin this new era of partnership.

Today, we commit to writing that story in the future together.

To building the Indo-Pacific that is free,

to building the Indo-Pacific that is free, to building the Indo-Pacific that is free,

open, prosperous and secure for all.

open, prosperous and secure for all.

And I want to be clear,

the United States,

the United States' defense commitments to Japan

and to the Philippines are ironclad.

They are ironclad.

As I've said before,

any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces

in the South China Sea

would invoke our mutual defense treaty.

We meet today as friends and partners,

We meet today as friends and partners,

bound by a shared vision and pursuit

of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

It is a partnership born not out of convenience nor of expediency,

but as a natural progression of a deepening relation

and robust cooperation amongst our three countries.

This is a meeting that looks ahead.

As we deepen our ties and enhance our coordination,

we seek to identify ways of growing our economies

and making them more resilient,

climate-proofing our cities and our societies,

sustaining our development progress

and forging a peaceful world for the next generation.

Now on to Japan,

which has 50,000 U.S. troops stationed there,

but command and control for those forces is located in Hawaii.

The U.S. and Japan committed on Wednesday

to better coordinate their military command and control

with some reforms.

And this is all in the hope of discouraging China's

so-called gray zone tactics like firing water cannons

in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea

and aiming military-grade lasers at other vessels.

Reporting from the White House, Chris Cascajo, VOA News.

Meanwhile, the Trilateral Summit has concluded

with Manila receiving several pledges of aid from Tokyo and Washington

including the opening of an economic corridor in Luzon.

Katrina Domingo has the story

and she's reporting live from Washington, D.C.

to give us details.

Kat, go ahead.

Hi, Stanley.

The Philippines' trilateral partnership

with Japan and the United States

is expected to produce more jobs and more investments

that will ultimately benefit Filipinos.

That was the guarantee of U.S. President Joe Biden

during the Trilateral Summit that happened here earlier.

Now based on the joint visual statement that was released

after that historic summit,

the three countries have agreed to open the Luzon Corridor

which is basically a string of investments and developments

that will connect Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas.

Among the Luzon Corridor projects that the U.S. and Japan will help fund

are the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway system,

the expansion of the Clark International Airport,

and the Clark National Food Hub

which will be the central drop-off point

for agricultural products in the region

both for export and delivery.

And domestic consumption.

Now the Development Finance Corporation,

which is the United States' financing arm for developing nations,

will also open its first office in the Philippines

to help steer the development of the Luzon Corridor.

Let's listen to a portion of President Biden's speech.

Now President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscores

that Manila's cooperation with Tokyo and Washington

came from their shared vision and pursuit

of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Let's listen to his statement.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

This is a meeting that looks ahead

as we deepen our ties and enhance our coordination.

We seek to identify ways of growing our economies

and making them more resilient,

climate-proofing our cities and our societies,

sustaining our development progress,

and forging a peaceful world for the next generation.

Stanley, that Japan and the U.S. have also committed

to provide training programs for Filipino students

who wish to work in the semiconductor industry

to help the Philippines expand one of its most profitable sectors.

On the defense front, the three allies condemned China

for its illegal presence and dangerous tactics

inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

The three countries have also agreed

to mount joint naval training exercises

including maritime drills around Japan in 2025.

The joint vision statement also mentioned

the three countries' united stance

on the civil and safe use of nuclear power

as well as a vow to uphold democratic values,

human rights, and gender equality.

Stanley, so far we expect to get more details

about this trilateral partnership later on

as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

is expected to answer several questions from the media

tomorrow before his return flight to Manila.

Stanley.

All right.

We're looking forward to those developments.

Katrina Domingo again.

Thank you so much for the updates.

Joining us now to give us his thoughts

on the historic trilateral summit between the U.S.,

Japan, and the Philippines

and other recent issues involving China

is maritime security expert Mr. Ray Powell.

Mr. Powell, welcome to Dateline Philippines.

Thank you so much for talking to us.

Thanks, Stanley.

It's great to be with you.

It's good to have you here.

Now, let's hear about your insights

on the recently concluded trilateral summit.

What do you wish to give?

I mean, you know, when you talk about the topics,

the subjects that were tackled there,

you have economy, you have defense.

Did you hear what you wanted to hear

as far as defense is concerned?

Well, I heard what I think and I expected to hear,

which is the reassurance from Japan and the United States

that they stand squarely with the Philippines

in its troubles in the West Philippine Sea.

And, of course, the reiteration of the U.S. commitment

to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

But, you know, the U.S. is really now trying to draw in

its other allies to create more of a mesh network of allies

so that it's not just the U.S. as the hub

and, you know, the Philippines and Japan as individual spokes,

but now they're beginning to mesh together.

And we see this happening even with the commitment

toward a reciprocal access agreement

for Japanese and Philippine troops,

hopefully to be concluded by the end of the year.

All right.

This seems to be the first time that, you know,

things are officially brought out

and, you know, countries are bonding together

to have this common agenda.

Now, do you expect more countries,

particularly claimants in the South China Sea,

because they've been unusually silent through all of this?

Yeah, I don't.

I think that ASEAN countries will probably remain very quiet.

You know, they have different sort of motives and motivations

and their populations see things differently.

But I think that what you will see

is an increasing involvement of other U.S. allies.

We're looking at, you know, joint sales,

not just with Japan and the Philippines and the U.S.,

but also, of course, Australia.

I expect that probably we'll see other European countries

join in in those joint activities in the West Philippine Sea.

Of course, in Balikatan, we're going to have a French ship.

So, you know, I think that there will be a lot more involvement

from other powers, not necessarily ASEAN powers,

which don't seem to be able to get together much on security issues.

All right.

So we've been hearing really about the joint exercises

for the past couple of years.

Now, what about actual military assistance or aid packages?

Did you hear anything substantial on that?

Well, of course, there was the commitment of, you know,

pending congressional approval of additional foreign military assistance

to the Philippines and that huge $2.5 billion

package that was introduced in the Senate,

which hopefully will go toward approval in the Congress

and signature by President Biden.

So that would be very substantial indeed.

All right.

Now, Mr. Powell, how do you think this will change China's stance now?

I mean, do you expect them to be more aggressive after this as a result?

Because, you know, China had been warning about these engagements.

Yeah, it's almost hard to see how much more aggressive Chinese ships

could be because they've been stepping right up to the limit

of what could be considered an armed attack.

And that's one reason that the U.S. avoids making specific red lines

because what you find is when you make a red line,

China will do everything up until that line.

So if you say that an armed attack has to involve, for example,

the firing of bullets, then they'll do everything up until the firing of bullets

just to test to see what your actual lines are.

So, I mean, I think that, you know,

China could try to punish the Philippines in other ways.

It could try, you know, economic or trade kinds of punishments.

It's done that before.

But, you know, at some point, China has to ask itself whether all of this is really worth it

or whether, you know, all of this barbaric activity in the West Philippine Sea

is causing it more problems than it could possibly solve.

All right.

Now, Mr. Powell, how aggressive now do you think should the Philippines, Japan, and the U.S. be

after the trilateral summit?

I mean, what immediate changes in behavior do you wish to see

in the way these countries work together in the South China Sea?

Well, I don't think that the—I don't think you're going to see a sudden step up.

For example, I wouldn't necessarily see U.S. or Japanese naval ships patrolling near Ayungin Shoal

with Philippine ships.

I think that that would just sort of give China the pretext to escalate themselves.

I think that—so I think that, you know, the Philippines will probably continue

to, you know, exert itself in moderate ways and not give up the moral high ground that it has.

I do expect that the Philippines will begin to explore other ways to try to get supplies

to the BRP Sierra Madre, to try to mix up its tactics using other methods.

I wouldn't want to necessarily speculate as to what those were, but, you know,

trying the same thing over and over again is certainly leading to some frustration

among the Filipino people.

Mm-hmm.

But it's also leading to an incredible amount of international support for the Philippines,

which is exemplified by this trilateral summit, which I have to say, you know,

I give all the credit in the world to the Marcos administration for its transparency campaign,

which I really believe brought this about.

You know, the fact that President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida invited President Marcos

on the heels of the prime minister's state visit to D.C.

is indicative of the fact the whole world now is paying attention,

and these two, you know, large powers want to lend their assistance.

All right.

Mr. Pao, I'd like to go back to what you mentioned earlier about China having other ways to retaliate.

Now, this might include some allegations of Chinese sleeper cells already in the Philippines

or even China recruiting Filipino military to join their forces and their activities.

Are these possible at this juncture?

Of course.

I mean, spying is not new in the world.

And in fact, we recently discovered an American sailor who was arrested for spying for the Chinese not very long ago,

just a couple of months ago.

So, yeah, it's entirely possible.

It's one of those things that all countries have to be alert for.

You don't want to overreact and assume that there's a spy around every corner.

But you certainly have to build up your resilience against these kinds of activities.

All right.

Now, let's take a contrarian view here.

What do you think of ideas or opinions that the Philippines should not have trusted the United States

since it is not even a signatory to UNCLOS?

It is not a party to the dispute that it only pushes for its own interests

and that the Philippines has become a willing pawn in the U.S.-China rivalry.

What are your thoughts on this?

Well, the first thing I think is that that just denies the Philippines all agency,

as if the Philippines is dut.

As if, honestly, it's accusing the Philippines of being stupid.

And I think that's just offensive.

Secondly, all countries act in their own interests.

What makes the U.S. and Philippine alliance strong is that not only do they have common values,

but they share a convergence of interests.

So, you know, a lot of those things are simply talking points coming out of Beijing.

Which seeks to divide and conquer.

It wants to sort of deal with every smaller nation individually

so that when it walks in the room, it can sort of outweigh the other

and sort of force them to negotiate on Beijing's terms.

So it despises any kinds of groupings that might make smaller countries more networked,

more formidable in a negotiation.

And what the Philippines is doing is very wisely increasing its leverage.

All right.

Lastly,

how far do you think China would go at this juncture?

Well, you know, that's the million-dollar question, right?

What deters China?

And, you know, we used to, I think, have a better idea of what this was under Xi Jinping.

That's been a little less clear.

China is on a little bit of a charm offensive.

It's been trying to make nice with a variety of different countries that it's had differences with.

And I think that at some point, you know, China will have to realize that

this is, you know, this kind of, you know, picking this fight over sort of what's really just kind of a minor annoyance

of this rusty ship on a shoal cannot possibly be serving China's interests.

In fact, what it's doing is galvanizing the world against it.

And so, you know, if it wants to continue to sort of, you know, make, improve its relations

so that it can concentrate on more important things like its economy,

and its demographic problems, and other kinds of things,

then it really needs to put this to bed and find a way to climb down off of the escalatory cycle it's put itself on.

We're really looking forward to how this would pan out in the South China Sea again.

Mr. Ray Powell, maritime security expert, thank you so much for joining us this afternoon for your insights.

Thanks, Stanley.

Moving on, former President Rodrigo Duterte is setting the record straight on his alleged gentleman's agreement with China

during a press conference aired on SBS.

MNI's Facebook page, Duterte said he conceded nothing to China during his administration.

But he says Manila and Beijing did agree to maintain the status quo in the West Philippine Sea.

Aside from the fact of having a handshake with President Xi Jinping,

the only thing I remember was that status quo.

That's the word.

There's no movement.

No movement.

No armed patrols there.

As is the race.

So there's no confusion.

We won't get confused.

That's what I remember.

A Senate probe on the alleged deal has been sought,

with some critics of the former president calling the agreement treasonous

and unconstitutional.

President Marcos also said he was horrified by the deal.

China again calling on the Philippines to honor a supposed promise and an agreement in their maritime row.

Beijing insists the Philippines reneged on its promise to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal.

It also slams the Philippine government for denying reaching an agreement with China during the Duterte administration.

China continues to claim Manila is one,

provoking Beijing by bringing construction materials to the BRP Sierra Madre,

the lone navy outpost of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.

China has been working with the Philippines to manage the situation on the Ranay Reef through dialogue and consultation.

The reasons for the current situation on the Ranay Reef are clear and obvious.

If the Philippines truly wants to ease the situation on the Ranay Reef,

through dialogue and communication,

it should honor its promise, abide by consensus and stop provocations.

In other news, former President Rodrigo Duterte revealing the possible location of fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

Duterte said Quiboloy might be hiding in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ's properties in Tamayong Village in Kalinan, Davao City.

But Duterte warned it may be challenging for authorities to search the area given its vast size.

Duterte's revelation came after he denied he is coddling and hiding Quiboloy in his house.

The former president also said he would not accept the pastor if he will surrender to him.

Coming up next, local pump prices heading higher for a fourth straight week.

That story and more when Dateline Philippines returns.

Stay with ANC.

Thank you for watching!

Thank you for watching!

Thank you for watching!

Thank you for watching!

Thank you for watching!

The Philippine National Police says it will launch mobility assets to aid affected passengers.

It will launch mobility assets to aid affected passengers.

It says instead of importing modern jeepneys, the government should focus on local manufacturers, which it claims can build better vehicles.

The local firm also reveals it will be building a 200-hectare special eco-zone in Camarines Norte, where other local manufacturers can produce affordable e-jeepneys.

The jeepney manufacturing of Francisco Motors is just a tiny part of the bigger project that we are doing.

Because we are developing a special economy.

200-hectare special economic zone in Camarines Norte.

Of which, the jeepney manufacturing is just one of those locators in that economic zone.

Wherein, we are inviting all of the suppliers in the supply chain of the manufacturing of electric jeepneys to locate in that special economic zone.

So, this endeavor will generate a lot of jobs for Filipinos here at home.

Of which, if we continue...

If we continue to import minibuses from other countries like China, India, or wherever, we are taking away jobs that are supposed to be for the Filipino workforce.

Francisco Motors also explains its ambitious plan to provide operators with free modern jeepneys.

Ang pwedeng sumali dito ay yung mga jeepney operators with valid franchises.

So it could be yung mga transport cooperatives, transport corporations.

At lahat ng sasali, meron sila mga lumang jeep.

So yung mga lumang jeep nila, we can still use them to operate them and help them na lumaki yung kita nila.

Because we will have the unlimited rides na tickets.

Kapag sumakay ka ng train, you can buy a ticket, you can hop on, hop off, unlimited times in a day, or in a week, or in a month.

So depende sa ticket na bibiliin mo.

So kung kayang gawin nyo ng developed countries, why can't we do it here?

Ang problema kasi ng ano?

Nung...

Mga operators natin is the cost ng mga sasakyan.

So kung ang problema nila ay cost, bakit ang solusyon is hindi pa utangin?

We create a business model na hindi yung lulubog sila sa utang.

We create a business model that is sustainable enough that we can actually give the jeepneys for free.

So dito sa unlimited rides tickets na ito, diyan kukunin yung sweldo ng mga drivers,

diyan kukunin yung kita ng mga transport cooperatives.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority clarifies the modified working hours for government offices in the metro is not rigid.

LGUs in Metro Manila were mandated to adjust working hours in government offices to 7am to 4pm from the current 8am to 5pm window starting Monday, that's April 15th.

This is part of government's efforts to ease traffic congestion in the region during rush hours.

But MMDA says government agencies can still implement other schedules.

Best suited for them.

Yung 7 to 4 naman po, general rule po yun.

Pero pwede naman po mag-adjust ang LGU, ang mga government agencies.

Kung ano yung suited sa kanina, meron pong nagsasabi na mas preferred nila yung 4 day work week.

Pero ang nakasentro po ito na 7 o'clock magsisimula na po yung servisyo publiko.

At tapos po ng 4.

Yung iba naman po, gagawing 4 day work week tapos alternate po.

Para lang po maikalat yung ating mga empleyado sa mas maraming oras o araw para po hindi po magkasabay-sabay na pag-homyot.

Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Council says some government workers will still stay in their offices until 5 in the afternoon to cater to the public as they adjust the new or to the new schedule.

Hindi naman po makakadisrupt sa servisyo ng lungsod ang isang oras.

At mag-iiwan naman po tayo ng skeletal force from 4pm to 5pm for frontline services.

Dahil baka meron pa rin mga darating po between 4pm to 5pm.

Asahan po nila na meron pa rin skeletal workforce na may iwan po sa city hall.

Now, six Philippine municipalities are expected to endure dangerously.

Three high temperatures today, that's Friday.

State Weather Bureau Pagasa says the areas including Puerto Princesa City in Palawan and Cotabato City in Maguindanao will experience a heat index of between 42 to 51 degrees Celsius.

Under these circumstances, Pagasa warns heat exhaustion and heat cramps are likely while heat stroke is possible for those exposed for extended periods.

The months of March, April and May are usually the hottest for the Philippines.

But temperatures have been high.

But temperatures have been high.

But temperatures have been worse due to the prevailing El Nino phenomenon.

This has prompted labor groups to call for so-called heat breaks and schools to suspend in-person classes.

Some bad news for motorists.

Oil prices seen rising for a fourth straight time this week or next week.

The Philippine Energy Department expects gasoline to increase by up to 20 centavos, while diesel and kerosene may climb by as much as 1 peso next Tuesday.

The DOE still attributes the higher pump prices.

The DOE still attributes the higher pump prices.

To the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza.

The National Food Authority Council has approved a higher buying price for unhusked rice, locally known as palay, to stay competitive.

Under the new guidelines, dry palay can be bought from 23 to 30 pesos per kilo, while fresh palay will have a buying price of 17 to 23 pesos.

This is higher than the previous 19 to 23 pesos buyout.

This is higher than the previous 19 to 23 pesos buying kilo or per kilo buying price for both fresh and dried unhusked rice.

The move comes after NFA reported it has been struggling to procure palay this harvest season due to lower prices compared to private counterparts.

Aside from the approval of higher buying prices, the NFA Council also approved a program that will modernize their operations.

The Philippine National Economic and Development Authority calling for improvement.

of the Philippine Internet Infrastructure to ensure that all sectors benefit from fast-evolving AI technology.

Andrea Teguines has details.

From converting audio to text, summarizing a 100-page document, to analyzing huge amounts of data, all in just a few seconds and with just a single prompt.

These are just some of the ways artificial intelligence can be used by different industries in the Philippines,

as demonstrated in a workshop organized by USAID.

In partnership with the National Economic and Development Authority and the Philippine Competition Commission.

Filipino journalist and Niemann Fellow at Harvard University, J. Mark Tordesilla said,

AI-powered language models like ChatGPT can even be customized to fit a certain organization's purpose.

Just like how he made a custom GPT to help investigative journalists sift through complex audit reports.

You can customize custom GPTs for things like,

legal documents, or environmental reports, or even transcripts of hearings, or meetings, etc.

And it's up to any newsroom or any organization to figure out how to use the tool to put in the guardrails

to make sure that the AI isn't, you know, doing a general scan.

of the whole document, but that you're only using it to search for the exact information that you're trying to look for.

But like with any new technology, great power also comes with pitfalls, like issues concerning copyright and misinformation.

It's going to make the lives of us in the media much, much harder.

But I think it also gives an opportunity for everyone to be more,

more skeptical of everything they read or see on the internet.

And so it might be a time to try to get people back to using mainstream sources that they could trust.

For the Philippines' competition watchdog, algorithmic bias is another thing to watch out for as more companies adopt the use of AI.

For example, I don't want to mention any apps, but, you know, if you are, for example, if you're,

uh, browsing in the search engines, baka yung mga possible ng algorithms that would result to kind of a collusion between companies,

na nag-invest sa isang AI, for example, and the result of that will prefer, a preference to, for example, buy their products.

Kasi yun lang.

Kasi yun lang yung mauuna, again, doon sa mga advertisement.

According to the PCC, as of March 2024, ChatGPT already has 6.3 million users in the Philippines,

which boosts the need for policies to ensure the responsible use of AI.

Tor Desilia said, this initiative will require the participation of all stakeholders.

I don't think it's going to be effective if it's just the government telling everyone this needs to be done.

The different industries, for example,

in the media, uh, you need to have, uh, positions on, uh, what we can ask for when we talk to policymakers and regulators about these industries.

It's important to engage the technology companies, uh, to press them on what kind of guardrails they can put into their technologies.

Neda, meanwhile, pushed for better internet infrastructure.

in the country to make sure all sectors can benefit from AI technology.

Before we can talk about taking advantage and harnessing the benefits of all the technologies, uh, has to offer,

we have to make sure that the digital infrastructure is enabled.

And, uh, one of the main structural reforms that we have been pushing for, that Neda has been pushing for,

uh, with the support of the PCC, of course, is the Konektadong Pinoy Bill.

The Konektadong Pinoy Bill aims to...

modernize the Philippine telecommunication laws.

Number one, uh, it proposes to remove the franchise requirement for, um, telecom players.

So as you know it, madugo yung pagkuhan ng prangkisa sa Kongreso.

So it's a political process.

AI is projected to be a 1.8 trillion dollar industry by 2030.

Andrea Taguines, ABS-CBN News.

A cybersecurity analyst's call on the Philippine Congress to craft laws regulating artificial intelligence.

A cybersecurity analyst's call on the Philippine Congress to craft laws regulating artificial intelligence.

A cybersecurity analyst's call on the Philippine Congress to craft laws regulating artificial intelligence.

A cybersecurity analyst's call on the Philippine Congress to craft laws regulating artificial intelligence.

Art Samaniego says it will be prudent for lawmakers to create measures addressing the risks of AI,

since it would likely be used for disinformation campaigns during election season.

He warns AI technology will continue to improve, making it even harder to spot manipulated videos and images.

We don't have a comprehensive law that covers all these things.

So wala tayong batas dito. Ito yung, ito yung, uh, well,

danger.

Election is soon coming in the Philippines, so this could also be used for disinformation.

So a few months from now, the technology or the technique will be really improved.

So ito ngayon ang delikado sa atin.

A venture capitalist meanwhile urges governments to proceed cautiously with AI regulations

to foster greater opportunities without stifling innovation.

Nations have been actively pursuing the regulation of the new technology

due to its potential to surpass human intelligence,

which could result in unintended consequences.

In November last year, 25 countries, including the US, China, and those from the European Union,

agreed to collaborate on developing a unified approach to AI oversight.

There has been a lawsuit or regulatory lawsuit from Europe.

One of the countries says,

Find Google for indexing their content and turning it into AI.

It's hundreds of billion dollars worth of fines.

Europe has put forth very stringent regulations around AI from US-based countries.

Now the upside of this is it protects their culture.

The downside is it reduces the opportunity for innovation in their own cultures.

So countries' instincts are to regulate technically Silicon Valley and the Seattle area

where a lot of these technologies are coming from.

Yeah.

It means to be careful.

If they do this in the wrong way,

their entrepreneurs are not going to want to build the AI models that their country might.

They're just going to flee and come to the west coast of the United States,

which is happening in abundance.

World News Now.

Russian missiles and drones destroy a large electricity plant in Kyiv or near Kyiv

and hit power facilities in several regions of Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry says it hit fuel and energy facilities

in what it describes

as a massive retaliatory strike.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow was obliged to launch the strikes

in response to Ukrainian attacks in recent weeks on energy targets in Russia.

He adds Russia refrained from carrying out such attacks in winter out of humanitarian considerations.

Kyiv's appeal for urgent air defense supplies from the west have grown increasingly desperate

since Russia renewed its long-range aerial assaults on the Ukrainian energy system last month.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniye denies his sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike Wednesday

where fighters in the group's armed wing.

When asked whether their deaths would impact ceasefire talks,

Haniye says the interests of the Palestinian people are placed ahead of everything.

He adds Hamas is still seeking a deal,

but Israel has been evading a response to their demands.

The killing of Haniye's sons was coordinated,

by Israel's military and intelligence service,

without consulting top commanders or political leaders.

That action is seen to complicate efforts to free hostages still held in Gaza.

Israel bracing for possible retaliation for the killing of a senior general

and six other Iranian officers in an airstrike in Damascus on April 1st.

Israel's military spokesman says civilians were not being told to make any special preparations.

But adds Israel is highly prepared for a range of scenarios.

Most Israeli troops have been pulled out of Gaza

in preparation for an assault on the southern city of Rafah,

where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering.

But fighting continues in various areas of the enclave.

The US remains concerned about the risks of escalation in the Middle East

following threats made by Iran towards Israel.

The US State Department says Secretary Antony Blinken

has asked counterparts in Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia

to use their influence to stop Iran from attacking Israel.

We continue to be concerned about the risk of escalation in the Middle East,

something we have been working to mitigate and contain since the attacks of October 7th,

and specifically about the threats made in recent days by Iran

against the State of Israel and the Israeli people.

We have been engaged in a series of contacts,

not just at his level but at other levels too,

to talk to foreign counterparts to send this very clear message to Iran

that they should not escalate this conflict.

Russia also calling on all countries in the Middle East

to show restraint and prevent the region from slipping into chaos.

The FBI concerned about the possibility of an organized attack in the US

following the March 22 deadly concert hall attack in Russia.

Moscow killed at least 144 people,

the deadliest in Russia in 20 years.

The Islamic State militant group claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Now on Thursday, FBI Director Christopher Wray

sought the persuasion of the House, sought to persuade the House lawmakers

to boost funding for the Bureau amid security concerns.

This is a time when we need your support the most.

We need all the tools, all the people, and all the resources required

to tackle these threats and to keep Americans safe.

Increasingly concerning is the potential for a coordinated attack

here in the homeland akin to the ISIS-K attack

we saw at the Russia concert hall just a couple weeks ago.

We also need funding to counter the threat from the People's Republic of China,

a government sparing no expense in its quest to hack, lie, cheat,

and steal its way to the top as a global superpower

and to undermine our democracy and our economic success.

American football star and actor O.J. Simpson,

who was acquitted in 1995 of murdering his former wife,

has died at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer.

Simpson was one of the best and most popular athletes of the late 60s and 70s.

He parlayed his football stardom

into a career as a sportscaster, advertising pitchman, and Hollywood actor.

But things took a turn after Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman

were found fatally stabbed outside her Los Angeles home in June of 1994.

Considered the prime suspect, Simpson was cleared by a Los Angeles jury

in what U.S. media called a trial of the century.

But he was found responsible for her death in a civil lawsuit,

and later imprisoned for armed robbery and kidnapping.

And it's kind of tragic and sad for such a talented guy.

And he was a lovely guy when he was at SC and previous to that.

So whatever happened with the drugs and the relationship

and the trial and everything else,

it's just kind of a sad, tragic end to his life.

Which could have been so much more.

Not missed. Not gonna miss him.

I don't have any personal animus.

And I just think, I don't have any hatred toward him.

But I think he murdered his wife and he got away with it.

In Peru, cases and deaths from the dengue epidemic there

have more than tripled so far this year.

According to government data, the number of deaths from dengue rose to 117

in April compared to just 33 in the same period last year.

Suspected cases have also swelled to 135,000.

The government has declared a health emergency unlocking economic measures

to strengthen the strategy against the epidemic.

Switching gears now, here's a tale that's straight out of a movie.

Now three men who were stranded on a remote Micronesian island

for over a week have been rescued.

The three set off on Easter Sunday for Micronesia.

But they encountered problems with their boat

and got stranded on the Western Pacific Island.

Their niece reported them missing,

launching a coordinated rescue effort involving the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy.

They were found thanks to a help sign which they spelled out on the beach using palm leaves.

There's another twist to the story though.

Turns out one of the rescuers is a relative of one of the castaways.

Now how's that for an unexpected family reunion?

And before we go, NASA is now preparing to return men to the moon after half a century.

And soon they could be joined by four-legged robots

who are undergoing training to walk on the lunar surface.

Take a look.

This is Spirit, a robot that is being trained to walk on the moon.

Scientists are testing it in the rugged terrain of Oregon's Mount Hood,

in preparation for future missions in space.

The research is part of the LASI project,

which stands for Legged Autonomous Surface Science in Analog Environments.

Cognitive scientist Christina Wilson.

Moving forward to missions that are going to occur on our moon,

we're going to have humans and robots really for the first time

on planetary missions working side by side.

And so what the LASI project is doing is really looking for,

looking forward to that time and considering

how should humans and robots collaborate for exploration of planets,

particularly where should they go to collect data.

The idea is to teach Spirit how to cope with difficult and changing terrains

in the same way humans do,

such as walking from hard or rocky surfaces to soft ground like snow or sand.

With every step that the dog robot takes,

it's able to sense kind of mechanical resistance with its leg,

kind of similar to the way that when we walk on uneven surfaces as humans.

And what's very cool is that scientists are interested in that data

because it tells us things about how planetary surface formed

and how it moves and how it might move in the future.

The LASI team is comprised of experts from NASA, Texas A&M University,

Georgia Institute of Technology, Oregon State University,

Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.

The group has a two-year, $2 million grant

to help NASA put teams of robots working together on the Moon.

And that will do it for today. Thanks a lot for joining us.

I'm Stanley Palisada.

If you want to revisit today's episode,

you can play back this newscast on the YouTube channel of ABS-CBN.

And here on AMT 24-7 on Facebook.

Keep safe everyone as you keep it here on the news channel.