Coronavirus Lockdown: Hazard Pay, COVID-19 Cases Going Down, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

Limited face-to-face classes will be resuming soon and some teachers will be receiving hazard pay.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/806097/briones-teachers-teaching-in-ecq-areas-to-get-extra-hazard-pay/story/

Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Thursday promised that additional hazard pay will be given to teachers teaching in areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

This hazard pay is separate from the other benefits that educators receive, Briones said at a Palace briefing where she also reported on the pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes in the country in mid-November.

(Teachers should be informed that there is extra hazard pay if they are in areas under enhanced community quarantine, and if they are teaching there, they are entitled to additional COVID-19 hazard pay.)

For teachers in ECQ areas, Briones said they may receive P550 allowance daily.

They may receive another assistance -- if they got infected with coronavirus -- on top of their “special hardship allowance” that is offered only to teachers, Briones pointed out.

On Wednesday, the Department of Education announced that the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes is set to start on November 15.

Hazard pay to brave a virus with an over 95% survival rate. What heroes!

Don't forget the only way forward out of this pandemic is strict obedience to whatever the government commands for the public safety.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155900

President Rodrigo Duterte has enjoined Filipinos to cooperate with the government to keep them safe and protected against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a video message for the Radio-Television Malacañang’s (RTVM) “USWAG, Pinas! Special Edition,” Duterte reminded the public that they would only be safe, if population protection is achieved.

He encouraged them to join the government in its relentless fight against Covid-19 by getting vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“At this point, I’d like to invite our kababayans (fellow countrymen) to look at what your government is doing to get our nation closer to herd immunity,” Duterte said. “Let us remember that no one else is safe until everyone is safe. Let us continue working together towards a healthier and a more protected citizenry.”

What exactly the government doing? Imposing rotating lockdowns, imposing burdensome and unscientific measures like the wearing of face shields and face masks, and mass vaccination. What will happen once the government imposes mandatory vaccination? What will happen when one can neither shop nor work nor move unless one gets the vaccine? A vaccine that has waning immunity effects and which does not actually protect one fully.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156004

There are 642 coronavirus infections in over 20.3 million fully vaccinated individuals in the Philippines as of September 26, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday.

Of this number, 126 were infected less than 14 days after the last dose while 516 got the virus more than 14 days after full inoculation.

FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said from the 642, a total of 30 died who are mostly senior citizens with comorbidities.

At least 849 people, meanwhile, were infected before they got their next dose, of whom 92 died.

In total, the number of Covid-19 infections among the vaccinated, both full and partial, including those unverified, is 1,581 while the fatalities are at 128.

The FDA classifies a case as a "breakthrough infection" if the virus has been detected from a person more than 14 days after the completion of all recommended vaccine doses.

"The true breakthrough infections are the 516 because the virus was detected from a person more than 14 days after the completion of doses," Domingo said.

FDA Director-General Eric Domingo is lying. The true number of breakthrough infections is 1,581. Lowering the number to 516 is based on their arbitrary time limit. The fact is if you got a dose of the vaccine and then you got COVID, that is a breakthrough case. If these vaccines actually worked the real number of breakthrough cases would be zero.

65,000 people have had adverse effects after getting vaccinated.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/08/21/ph-logs-nearly-65k-reactions-to-covid-shots-most-mild

The Philippines has recorded nearly 65,000 adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccination, majority considered non-serious, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

This represents only 0.15 percent of the 43.9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country, FDA director general Eric Domingo said.

Of the total, 62,294 reactions were suspected to be non-serious events, according to Sept. 26 data of the FDA's adverse event following immunization (AEFI) reporting.

Meanwhile, some 2,597 or 0.0006 percent were suspected serious adverse reactions associated with COVID-19 vaccines, data further showed.

"This is within acceptable level and, in fact, mataas ang reporting rates ng ating AEFI sa ating community (we have high reporting rates of AEFI in our community). Sa WHO, kinilala tayo ang Pilipinas (The World Health Organization recognized the Philippines) as having the highest reporting rate ng AEFI dito sa (here in) Asia," he said.

So only .15% of those vaccinated have had an adverser reaction and this is within acceptable levels. But 1.4% of those infected with the virus have died, this is only .03% of the population, and the DOH goes berserk calling it a pandemic. Think about how insane that is.

Remember when people were talking about a COVID baby boom? It seemed logical at the time. Keep everyone locked down at home and procreation would likely follow. But that is not what happened. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156192

The Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) projected an increased birth rate when the Covid-19 pandemic started as more families stayed home and access to family planning methods is limited.

Instead, there was a significant drop in the number of births in 2020, with just 1,516,042 million registered -- the lowest since 1986, which recorded 1,493,995 births.

Based on a preliminary report of the Philippine Statistics Authority as of June 2021, the total is also lower than 2019’s 1.675 million.

The country likewisse saw the lowest number of marriages in the last 20 years in 2020, as 240,183 couples wed last year, or 44 percent fewer than the 431,972 who tied the knot in 2019.

Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio Perez III attributed the birthrate decline to the combined impacts of fewer marriages, women delaying pregnancies during the pandemic, and the increase in women using modern family planning methods.

“What we feared at the onset of the pandemic did not happen,” Perez said in a news release on Sunday. “From the PSA numbers, it is clear Filipino women are deciding to delay having children, and families are deferring, or avoiding, to have more kids, as they were made well-aware of the possible hardships and inconveniences in securing medical, as well as family planning services, since the pandemic has severely impeded health care systems.”

The country’s fertility rate is currently at 2.5 births per woman, from a high of 6 in the 1960s.

Perez sees the situation normalizing post-pandemic when fertility and the steadily dipping number of marriages will see a possible rebound, similar to what occurred after World War II.

“Filipinos will eventually learn to live with Covid-19. As such, we may see increased births after the era of Covid, with family planning helping couples avoid unplanned pregnancies, unlike in the late 1940s and 1950s when there was no family planning program,” he said.

As for the dip in marriages, Perez opined that Filipinos may have become more “informal” in their relationships.

Not only are births down but so is the marriage rate. But not to fear Filipinos certainly won't be going extinct anytime soon.

With the pandemic and lockdowns now in its second year many communities are once again closing cemeteries for Undas. But Cebu City has a different plan in mind. Instead of closing the cemeteries to all they are considering opening them but only to the vaccinated.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156371

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) here is mulling the opening of local cemeteries only to individuals who have been vaccinated against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) during the "Undas" or All Souls' and All Saints' Day observance.

Councilor Joel Garganera, EOC head, said the city is open to adopting the idea of the Roman Catholic Church but such proposal is subject to Acting Mayor Michael Rama’s approval.

He said Rama will issue consolidated guidelines for the observance of this year's Undas in the city through an executive order.

“As I said, it’s an idea of the church… We don’t have to be afraid if the city will venture into this idea as long as we are safe against the Covid-19,” Garganera told reporters.

He said Rama will meet with stakeholders to discuss the proposal of the Archdiocese of Cebu to open the cemeteries only for the vaccinated residents.

The councilor did not specify, however, if the vaccinated include those who have just received the first dose or only those who are considered fully inoculated after getting their second dose.

Funny that this idea came from the Church and not from the city council. But then again the government's way has been to shut it all down from the beginning. Those lockdowns will have long lasting damage on the economy.

https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/10/11/2133395/philippines-pandemic-scars-seen-turning-foreign-investors

Economic scars left by the coronavirus pandemic would make the Philippines among the least attractive destinations for foreign direct investments in Asia Pacific over the next decade, according to a new report released Monday.

Out of 14 Asia Pacific economies tracked by UK-based Oxford Economics, the Philippines ranked 13th in terms of ability to attract FDIs, which come in the form of investments from multinational companies opening up shop here and boosting local employment.

This is because pandemic scars run deep in the country. Oxford Economics gave the Philippines an “overall scarring” score of -0.4, matching the score of Taiwan which emerged as the least appealing Asia-Pacific economy for FDIs over the next 10 years.

“This adds further weight to our forecast that the extent of economic scarring caused by the pandemic will be especially large in the Philippines,” the think tank said.

The Philippines also scored poorly in political and business climate with a rating of -0.8 due to its protectionist Constitution that limits foreign investments and persistent difficulties in opening up a business in the country.

Perhaps the economically crippling lockdowns and regulations will soon ease. If you have not noticed the amount of infected people across the country continues to drop.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/11/21/doh-drop-in-covid-cases-in-ph-not-artificial

COVID cases in the country are decreasing, the Department of Health said Monday, adding that the decline in infections is not "artificial."

"We have already confirmed that na nakikita natin na bumababa talaga 'yung mga kaso (we are seeing that cases are decreasing) based from not just the number of cases but also the number of admission in our hospitals and the positivity rate," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told Teleradyo.

The country's COVID-19 tally stood at 2,666,562 infections, with 12,159 fresh cases reported Sunday.

According to the agency's COVID-19 tracker as of Oct. 9, the bed occupancy rate in the country was at 56.5 percent or 23,073 out of 40,830 beds were occupied. However, the ICU utilization rate was 70.48 percent or 3,137 out of 4,451 ICU beds were filled.

For the past week, the country has been recording less than 11,000 coronavirus cases but the DOH had observed that testing output also fell in many regions.

The OCTA projects the rate of infections at 400 to 600 per day by December. But who knows? In the meantime a state of emergency remains until September 2022.

Hi, My name is...17

There sure are a lot of characters in the Philippines. Let's meet a few. Some of them are dead.

Hi, my name is Jomar Herrera. Like many Filipinos I was out one night having a drinking with my friends. But unlike many Filipinos I happened to have a grenade in my possession. I tossed it in the air like a mango and was just having a good time. I must have been have too good of a time because somehow I accidentally pulled the pin. Fire in the hole!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1487024/man-dies-in-grenade-blast-during-drinking-spree-in-ilocos-norte

A man in Currimao town, Ilocos Norte province died after a grenade exploded during a drinking spree on Sunday, Sept. 12, police said.

Investigators identified the fatality as Jomar Herrera, 30, who accidentally removed the grenade’s safety pin.

Herrera was drinking with another man, Rico Santos, when the explosion occurred. It was not immediately known why the victims had a grenade in their possession.

Hi, my name is Milandro Maslang. My brother-in-law was arguing with my sister and I went over to calm him down. Instead he shoved me away. How could I let him disrespect me like that? So, I shot him three times. I did not intend to wound my sister but you know stuff happens. At least my brother-in-law is dead.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1487649/man-slain-wife-wounded-in-family-feud-in-kalinga-town

A man died while his wife got wounded during a family fight in Tanudan town, Kalinga province, the police said Monday.

Investigators said Milandro Maslang shot dead Sunday his brother-in-law, Joey Gobyang, 20, who was arguing with the former’s sister Carmen Maslang, 33, at their house in Barangay Upper Lubo.

Milandro reportedly tried to pacify the couple, but Gobyang shoved him, prompting the suspect to shoot the victim three times.

Carmen was wounded in the process and remained unconscious in a hospital, police said.

The suspect, who surrendered to responding police, yielded his .45-caliber pistol, ammunition, and magazine.

Hi, my name is Exuperio Catubay. I may be a senior citizen but at 67 I am not an old man. My wife and son died years ago and ever since I have been living alone with my nephews. I was out buying medicine for my many aliments when, on crossing the street, I was hit by a dump truck. The driver said he did not see me. My nephews aren't sure what to do. They are waiting for my brother to arrive and decide whether to file charges against the driver or to negotiate a settlement. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/400896/senior-citizen-crosses-street-in-talisay-gets-run-over-by-dump-truck-dies

Exuperio Catubay, 67, died after he fell down directly in front of the tires of the dump truck when he was hit by the left side of the truck as he was crossing the street at past 9 a.m. today, said Police Corporal Jerel Bulandres of the Talisay Police Traffic Office, in a phone interview.

Bulandres said that Catubay’s identity was known after they recovered a senior citizen’s ID of Catubay in his pocket, said Bulandres. 

He also said that they found out that Catubay was only living with his nephews in Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, and he had been alone since his wife and son had reportedly passed on. 

Bulandres said that they were waiting also for Catubay’s brother, who lives in Samboan town in southern Cebu, to visit the police station and decide on whether to file a complaint or negotiate a settlement with the driver of the dump truck. 

Benjie Escorial, 55, the driver of the dump truck, was held at the Talisay Traffic Police pending the filing of charges. 

Initial investigation showed that Catubay had just came from the drug store and was crossing the street when he was ran over by the truck. 

Escorial told police investigators that he did notice the senior citizen cross the street.

Hi, my name is Reynaldo Managan. Me and my girlfriend and her 12-year old daughter all live together. Everything was going ok until one evening while I was watching online videos on my TV the  internet cut out all of a sudden. I looked around and saw that the internet was unplugged. I yelled at the my girlfriend's daughter thinking it was she who had unplugged it. That brought over my girlfriend who started arguing with me. I couldn't take it so I pulled out my gun and shot her daughter.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1489546/man-shoots-12-year-old-girl-for-interrupted-tv-watching-in-cavite

A 12-year-old girl in Imus City, Cavite is now in a hospital after she was shot by a man whose online television watching was interrupted on Friday night.

A police report said suspect Reynaldo Managan, 55, was watching online on a television inside a house in Barangay Alapan 1-B when the internet connection was cut at around 7 p.m.

Police said the suspect then went out of his room to check the internet connection and found that the internet cable was unplugged.

According to police, the suspect then scolded the girl who is related to his live-in partner and accused her of unplugging the cable. The commotion was then seen by the suspect’s partner, triggering an argument.

Police said that in the heat of the argument, Managan allegedly vented his anger on the girl, drew out a gun and shot her. The suspect then fled after the shooting.

Hi, my name is Rancy Alfonso. I am a former priest with the Philippine Independent (Aglipayan) Church from which I resigned in 2007. That was 15 years ago. In the meantime I have been busy selling drugs. Not anymore though. The cops busted me with shabu. My partner got away though.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1489733/ex-aglipayan-church-priest-nabbed-in-malolos-city-buy-bust

A former priest of the Aglipayan church was arrested in an anti-illegal drug buy-bust operation in this city on Friday, September 17, a belated report from the city police said Sunday.

Police Leuitenant Oliver Valdez, head of the Drug Enforcement Unit of Malolos City police, said Rancy Alfonso, 58, was arrested after selling shabu (crystal meth) to a police poseur buyer at about 10 p.m. in his house in Barangay (village) Bagna.

Alfonso had resigned from Philippine Independent (Aglipayan) Church in 2007, Valdez said. However, it was not immediately known if the priest resigned from the church due to involvement with illegal drugs.

Police Chief Master Sergeant Jayson Salvador, team leader in the buy-bust operation, said they recovered six small plastic sachets of shabu from Alfonso and his cohort identified as Rolando Mateo. Mateo, however, managed to escape.

Alfonso is charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Hi, our names are Rafael, Junrey, Jundal, Joy, and Carl. We were out driving or motorcycles feeling the wind on our faces since we weren't wearing helmets or any other protective gear when our three motorcycles crashed. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/401188/three-motorcycles-collide-in-bonbon-1-boy-dead-4-other-minors-injured

Five minors, 4 boys and a girl, whose ages range from 12 to 17, were involved in a deadly three-motorcycle collision in a mountain barangay in Cebu City on Sunday, Sept. 19.

The three-motorcycle collision in Sitio Camarin, Barangay Bonbon in Cebu City at past 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19, caused the death of one of the motorcycle drivers, a 17-year-old boy, whom police identified as Rafael.

Police Staff Sergeant Jacinto Arnado Jr., investigator of the Mabolo Police Station, said that two other boys Junrey 17, and Jundel, 16, were admitted at a hospital in the city for treatment of their injuries in the crash.

Joy, 15, who drove one of the motorcycles, and 12-year-old Carl, who was the backrider of Rafael, were slightly hurt in the crash.

Arnado said that all those minors involved in the crash were not wearing helmets or any protective gear.

Investigation showed that Joy, who was on an errand at past 1 p.m. that day, was cruising along the road in Sitio Camarin on her motorcycle when she noticed Rafael with Carl on their motorcycle driving at high speed behind her.

When she saw how fast they were driving, Joy said that she stopped her motorcycle to let them pass.

She said that she and Rafael were heading in the same direction away from the city proper of Cebu City.

But as Rafael’s motorcycle overtook her or passed her, Rafael’s motorcycle swerved to the left and encroached on the opposite lane where another motorcycle, driven by Junrey with Jundel as his backrider, was traveling.

Rafael’s sudden swerve to the left caused him to collide head on with Junrey’s motorcycle.

The impact of the collision caused the drivers and their backriders to be thrown from their motorcycles to the pavement. 

Aside from that, the impact also caused Rafael’s motorcycle to hit Joy’s motorcycle causing her to fall down from her motorcycle.

Arnado said being minors, the three motorcycle drivers, had no driver’s licenses and they should not have been allowed to drive at all.

With this, Arnado reminded parents, especially those living in mountain barangays, to not allow their minor children or children without any driver’s license not to drive motorcycles.

He said that if you would not have a driver’s license then it would mostly likely be that you would not know how to drive safely or defensively because you would most likely not know traffic rules.

(Parents should not allow their minor children, who have no SP [student driver permit] or driver’s license to drive their motorcycle.)

(We should avoid allowing them to drive even if you live in the mountain barangay especially if accidents have happened there. We should prevent them from driving because these children are prone to accidents because they do not know the traffic laws.)

He said in four years of serving as a traffic policeman, he had not encountered an accident such as this.

Hi, my name is Jessie Battaler. Being that it is the "ber" months I have been so excited about the upcoming holidays. Especially New Years. I love getting drunk and firing my gun in the air to celebrate the change from one year to the next. But this year I got a little carried away and decided to celebrate just a few months early. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1492990/drunk-celebrating-new-year-three-months-earlier-hurts-passerby-in-quezon-shooting-spree

A drunk man, who was allegedly celebrating the New Year early, accidentally shot and wounded a passerby in Catanauan town in Quezon province early Sunday.

Catanauan police reported that the suspect, identified as Jessie Battaler, was indiscriminately firing his gun in the air while shouting “Happy New Year” in Barangay Quatro around 3 a.m.

Battaler consequently hit passerby Cedric Ressurreccion on his right arm. He was brought to a local hospital for treatment.

The suspect fled after the shooting incident.

Hi, my name is Ian Paul Markham. I am from the United Kingdom but have been living in the Philippines long enough to become Cebu Province's most wanted criminal. What did they want me for you ask? Rape.

https://www.biliranisland.com/blogs/2021/09/26/most-wanted-person-in-cebu-province-arrested-in-biliran/

A British national who is the reportedly the No. 1 Most Wanted Person in Cebu Province was arrested by a joint forces of police from Cebu Provincial Police Office and the local police here about 2:40 in the afternoon on Friday (Sept 24) at Sitio Balik-balik, Brgy. PS Eamiguel, Naval, Biliran.

Naval Chief of Police Major Michael John Astorga identified the accused as Ian Paul Markham, 67, British national, married and temporarily residing at Sitio Balik-balik, Brgy. PS Eamiguel, Naval, Biliran.

The accused was arrested by virtue of a Warrant of Arrest issued by Hon. Ruben F. Altubar, Presiding Judge, RTC, 7th Judicial Region, Branch 29, Toledo City, dated Feb 3, 2020 for the Crime committed of Rape (4 counts) in relation to 7610, docketed under CC No – TCS-15661, TCS-15662, TCS-15663 and TCS-15664.

Insurgency: Stay Out of Elections

Election season is here and that means the NPA will be more active with their extortion activities. Thankfully Duterte has warned them to back off.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155605

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday issued a stern warning to political warlords and the New People's Army to stay out of the May 2022 elections and he would not think twice about using the police and military to ensure orderly polls.

“I will not allow fraud, tapos yung mga tigas tigas. May mga ano diyan lalo na yung matagal na sa politika. Political warlords na may mga armas (and those acting tough. Especially those who have long been in politicals, political warlords with arms),” he said in a late night public address.

He made the remark as armed personnel prepares to prevent communist terrorists from collecting "permit-to-campaign" fees from politicians.

“Pati kayong mga NPA huwag kayo sumali…Huwag kayo makialam dito sa elections (Also NPA, stay out of this. Do not interfere with elections),” he added.

Duterte, meanwhile, reiterated that he wanted to give Filipinos “clean” elections before he steps down as president.

“Gusto ko na bago ako umalis, makatikim man lang ang Pilipino ng malinis na election (Before I step down, I want FIilipinos to experience a clean election),” he said.

He also appealed to would-be candidates, especially in Mindanao, to keep the conduct of polls peaceful.  

“I am appealing to the leaders, sa lahat ng tribo (all tribes)…I said if you do not follow a peaceful path in the elections, papuntahan ko kayo ng Army pati pulis. Disarmahan lahat ng tao at kulungin ka. Ako na ang bahala magsagot kung bakit ka kinulong basta mag terorismo kayo (I will order the Army and police there. I’ll have them disarmed and detain you. I will answer to the reason why you are detained if you are involved in terrorism),” he added.

Despite Duterte's stern remarks its a given that there will be violence and extortion this election season. One cannot help but think of past elections where the government claims they have a list of all the candidates paying NPA extortion fees. 

https://www.dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-349-government-execs-pay-CPP-NPA-extortion-money-permit-to-campaign/NC-2019-1060

"We now have a watchlist, we know you. So if you are supporting communist rebels, in any way, you ascertain yourself as a supporter of terrorism and an enemy of the state, you establish yourself as an accomplice to their cause," he says.

“We cannot win the war against terrorism if these local officials continue funding the very source of terrorism in the first place," he adds.

The DILG Secretary says that of the 349 officials, there are 11 provincial governors; five vice governors; 10 provincial board members; 55 mayors; 21 vice mayors and 41 councilors.

Also in the list are 126 barangay captains, 50 barangay councilors, and eight other barangay officials.

What happened to these people? How many are up for reelection next year? Without the answer to those questions the PNP announcing they will be cracking down on NPA election extortion is a joke.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155743

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Wednesday has ordered all units to spare no effort in stopping extortion activities by the New People's Army (NPA) during the election season.

Eleazar's order came after President Rodrigo Duterte warned communist rebels and political warlords to stay out of the national and local elections next year and that the NPA must be prevented from collecting "permit-to-campaign" fees from politicians.

"(I would also like to remind candidates not to give in to these illegal activities of communist rebels. Let us do everything to ensure that next year's elections will be clean and orderly)," Eleazar said in a statement.

He also assured the public that the PNP would be vigilant against communist terrorists and other local threat groups before, during, and even after the elections.

Eleazar, meanwhile, lauded the police and the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who conducted a joint operation that led to the confiscation of war materials in Sorsogon on Tuesday.

“I commend our police and military personnel in Bicol region for the successful operation in Sorsogon that resulted in the confiscation of war materials from the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front) as part of our intensified campaign not only to end communist insurgency but also in ensuring the peaceful conduct of elections in May next year,” Eleazar said.

I would like to remind the police that they have a list of names and they should go after those people if they are sincere in fighting NPA meddling in the elections. The operation ins Sorsogon is rather interesting. The PNP recovered a cache of weapons but can you guess why locals reported the NPA to the authorities?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1498245/govt-troops-seize-npa-arms-cache

Indiscriminate firing by the New People’s Army (NPA) caused irate Sorsogon locals to tip off government forces about the communist rebels’ weapons cache, including land mines.

Army personnel and Bicol police officers found on Tuesday at Barangay San Bartolome in Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon, an M16 rifle; antipersonnel mines; three sacks containing 212 magazines for M16 rifles; some 5,000 rounds of 5.56-mm ammunition; and 34 blasting caps.

Army 22nd Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Nelson Mico said the tip from locals showed “their utter disgust with the nuisance caused by communist rebels.”

For 903rd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Aldwine Almase, the seizure of the arms cache thwarted atrocities the NPA rebels would have committed.

"Indiscriminate firing" is why the locals tipped off the government to this cache. Not because they disagree with the NPA ideology or because of anything patriotic but because they were making too much noise. How ironic a reason in a land which is filled with noise and which most people tolerate.

This is not the first time an arms cache has been found in Sorsogon. Last year caches were found on July 16th and June 27th. Likely there are more caches to be found in that province. One place where no caches will be found is in Dingalan.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155627

The town of Dingalan, which used to be known as a hotbed of insurgency, has been declared free from rebel presence and atrocities.

Dingalan is the second local government unit in this province declared insurgency-free.

San Luis was first declared as an area with stable internal peace and security in August.

The documents supporting the declaration were signed on Monday by Mayor Shierwin Taay at the Dingalan Municipal Hall, together with Vice Mayor Edgardo Galvez and members of the Sangguniang Bayan, and handed over to Col. Joseph Norwin Pasamonte, commander of the 703rd Infantry (Agila) Brigade of the Philippine Army.

Taay thanked the Philippine Army, which he said are committed to its mandate of helping his townmates and the province achieve peace and prosperity.

He said development will always depend on the attainment of peace as a result of the whole-of-nation approach of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We, in the local government unit of Dingalan, strengthen our partnership with the Philippine Army in doing social services such as the Serbisyo Caravan. Our soldiers are more consistent in doing services in the Caravan,” Taay said in an interview on Tuesday.

Pasamonte recalled that the insurgency problem in Dingalan started in 1993.

“There is a big difference between the services then and now because you can see how Dingalan transformed. They no longer accept the leftist group which is the only reason why the town was not peaceful and free,” he said in another interview.

Infrastructures, providing goods and services, and cooperation of the people ended the influence of leftist groups, Pasamonte said.

The revolution started in 1969 but did not make it to Dingalan until 1993. Then 28 years later it all ended because of infrastructure and the providing of goods and services. It certainly did not because of peace talks. As for Duterte, he says he is glad that the peace talks have been terminated under his watch.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155950

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he is “glad” that the peace talks between his administration and the Communist Party of the Philippines - National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) were terminated.

Duterte made the remarks during the inauguration of the Bicol International Airport in Daraga, Albay, as he once again slammed the arrogance of the communist movement’s armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

“Hindi ako bilib sa tapang-tapangan nila (I’m not amused by their arrogance),” Duterte said. “Ewan ko kung ano ang nakuha nila (I don’t know what they get [or]) what gain they earned by killing people.”

Duterte said he could not give the communist guerillas another chance to resume the peace negotiations with the government, because they continue their killing spree.

He said the NPA insurgents’ continued attacks against government troops and civilians enraged him.

“Galit ako sa kanila (I am mad at them). To continue the killing and continue the ferocity of the hate, ewan ko kung ano ang gusto nitong mga ito (I don’t know what they want). But I’m not happy with them. I’m glad that we suspended the talk,” Duterte said.

Duterte said the communist group’s political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF), has to wait for his successor to renegotiate the stalled peace talks with the government.

“Maybe the next president can do it but hindi ko kaya (I could not do it),” he said.

Keep in mind that this is a man, who as Mayor of Davao, was deeply in bed with the communists. He told farmers to pay the NPA extortion tax, delivered a sack of money to the NPA after hurricane Pablo in 2012, and thanked the NPA for electing him President. Surely he knows what they want. He is friends with them after all. Perhaps the next President will have a better chance with peace talks. But likely not.

Filipino Corporations Receive Millions in Free Advertising From Small Business Owners

 I saw this sign in the grass and wondered what it was doing there. 

Then I turned my head and saw this:

This business replaced their informative and colorful sign with a vulgar advertisement for margarine which is not even spelled correctly. The name of the shop is Dos Mia's Panaderia not Do's Mia's Panaderia. And they aren't even getting paid for it. I was told that whoever made this sign gave it to this panaderia free of charge. Thats good for who exactly? Not the panaderia which already had a sign showcasing their products but for Star Margarine who now gets free advertising 24 hours a day.

This is a scenario happening all throughout the country. Every little road side stand, every independently owned restaurant or shop operating out of a storefront or a hut has been bequeathed a free sign for their business which is actually free advertising for some large corporation. Corporations who avail of this free advertising include Globe, Smart, Coca-Cola, and San Miguel. 

What does Coca-Cola or Globe have to do with a carwash and why do they have so many signs!??

San Miguel is the largest Philippine company with hundreds of billions of pesos in revenue every year. P725 billion in 2020 alone! Yet they obtain free advertising from these unsuspecting business owners by gifting them free signs. You will see store signs advertising Red Horse, Tanduay Rum, various Pure Foods products, and Star Margarine all of which are produced by companies owned by the San Miguel Corporation. 

Why are they doing this? They can afford to buy the advertising. Why not at least pay these people a few thousand pesos to host their advertisements? It appears rather unethical to me but those I have spoken with don't seem to care. Perhaps they do not understand the ramifications of what is happening here. San Miguel and other corporations are milking millions in free advertising from these unsuspecting shop owners and are laughing all the way to the bank. It's pure exploitation.

Retards in the Government 227

It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155291

Anti-drug operatives arrested a contractual government employee who was tagged as a high-value target drug pusher in a buy-bust in a village in Koronadal City on Thursday.

Katryn Gaye Abad, spokesperson of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 12 (Soccsksargen), said in a report on Friday that suspect Jamil Manara Desamito, 40, was nabbed around 11:35 a.m. after selling two large sachets of suspected shabu to an undercover agent.

She said the recovered illegal drugs, which were confirmed in laboratory analysis, weighed 12 grams and were valued at PHP81,600.

The operation was led by agents from PDEA South Cotabato Provincial Office and backed by South Cotabato and Koronadal City police’s drug enforcement operatives.

Abad said the entrapment on Aguinaldo Street in Barangay Sta. Cruz came after a month of intensive surveillance on the illegal activities of the suspect, who worked as a driver in a regional line agency based in Koronadal City.

Abad did not disclose the suspect’s other work-related details based on a request from the agency’s regional head.

“He was already arrested before for the same offense but continued with his illegal activities,” she told PNA in a phone interview on Friday.

A contractual government employee was busted for drug use. He was previously arrested for the same offense. This begs the question of how this man got a job working for the government as a contractual employee. Were there no background checks?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155487

A former barangay captain listed as the most wanted person of Zambales was arrested by authorities in a manhunt operation on Sunday. 

In a police report on Monday, Col. Romano V. Cardiño, acting provincial director of the Zambales Police Provincial Office, identified the suspect as Angel Cabbab, 74, a former village chair and resident of Barangay Lucero, San Marcelino, Zambales. 

Cardiño said the suspect was arrested by joint elements of San Marcelino Municipal Police Station, Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, 305th Maneuver Company and Criminal Investigation and Detection Team-Zambales. 

The arrest was carried out by virtue of a warrant for the crime of rape issued by Judge Gemma Theresa B. Hilario-Logronio of Branch 73, Olongapo City on Feb. 7, 2019, with no bail recommended. 

Cardiño said Cabbab is the primary suspect in the rape of a three-year-old girl on Dec. 12, 2018. 

He was then the chairman of Barangay Lucero, San Marcelino, Zambales and went in hiding after the crime.

A former Barangay captain is accused of raping a three-year old girl.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1497193/police-protocols-not-followed-in-many-drug-war-cases-under-doj-review

The DOJ said it will endorse to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 52 cases to determine the criminal liability of some 154 police officers involved in the death of 52 drug.

(From what we saw, many of these cases must be carefully reviewed because it appears that there were processes or what we call police protocols that were not followed.)

What a shocker. This is what many people having been saying for the past 5 years now.