Monday, March 14, 2022

The God Culture: The First Book of Enoch: The Oldest Book In History Review, Part 1: Introduction

Timothy Jay Schwab of the God Culture has finally published one of his most anticipated books, The First Book of Enoch. Published on March 1, 2022 this book is one that Tim has been promising his audience for the past year. The comment section of his videos is full of viewers asking for such a commentary. Let's take a look at this book. 

The First Book of Enoch: The Oldest Book In History

Just like his previous edition of Jubilees this book is not an original translation but an amended translation from R. H. Charles. That means Tim has defaced the text by inserting Yahuah every time God or Lord appears. In this review I shall not consider the annotated text of Enoch itself but only Tim's introduction. As I have shown in past reviews of Tim's books and videos he is extremely ignorant, ill-informed, and uneducated about these ancient texts. He attributes things to them that are simply not true such as 2 Esdras being found among the scrolls at Qumran and Jubilees being in use in the Church until the 14th century. 

Foreward

In this section Tim lays bare his methodology in assessing this book. Enoch was written by Enoch because Jubilees says so and Jubilees is scripture. Jubilees was also written by Moses thus Moses gives witness to Enoch. Of course Jubilees does not agree with two books Moses did write, Genesis and Exodus, by adding all kinds of superfluous and contradictory material which proves Moses did not write Jubilees. But I have written about that elsewhere showing how Tim's analysis of Jubilees is shallow and dishonest.

Pages 11-12 are a long harangue against scholars. 

 How inept a scholar would have to be to think in such a ridiculous manner of scoffing.   

p. 11

It's almost like Tim is Dr. Seuss but terrible. I mean what is up with his atrocious grammar!? Once again the scholars who have spent their entire careers studying the Dead Sea Scrolls and the community at Qumran are:

...not honest men seeking the truth, they are liars not Bible scholars. 

p. 12

It's a wonder how Tim can say they are not Bible scholars when the Bible is the book they study. One may not like their conclusions but no matter how one slices it even a man like Bart Ehrman is a Bible scholar. Tim goes on to claim that Enoch's intended audience is we who are living in the last days. That means his book has no meaning at all for his contemporaries. So, why did they preserve it!??

Enoch composed this masterwork before the Flood to an audience he says is the End Times remnant. That is us today. He wrote this so in the Last Days especially, we would have this knowledge restored in the midst of a strong delusion in which we were warned and it has been in place for centuries. We are bombarded with a culture who hates Yahuah and will march against Yahusha in the end including many in the church. They will unite for that singular purpose, not in Him, and this has been growing for thousands of years. This is why we are called the Remnant and there are not over one billion believers on the Earth today but very few in number proportionately as predicted by Messiah and the Prophets including Enoch. The way of Yahuah is foreign to this world including scholarship and the church. They generally do not know the Elohim of the Bible, His Son nor His Word. This book will expose this many times. 

p. 12

Finally Tim says he will be creating maps from the ancient perspective of Enoch.

In this major work, we will not ignore Enoch's very obvious cosmology of the Earth including in most maps used, but we will embrace the ancient perspective in the shape of the Earth. Those who reject that will never understand this ancient text nor the Bible.

p. 14

That means the flat earth perspective. Thus Timothy Jay Schwab's rendering of Enoch's journey around the world looks like this:

p. 134-135

The Introduction begins on page 15 with a reprint of Tim's "Who lived in Qumran" section which also appears in Jubilees and 2 Esdras. There is no need to go over any of that. I have shown elsewhere how wrong Tim is about the Qumran community. What concerns us next is the "Torah Test" which begins on page 35.

This test is the same one Tim applied to Jubilees and 2 Esdras. There are four criteria which must be met. Three come from the Blue Letter Bible website and one Tim made up.

1. Prophetic Authorship

Tim's argument for the author of Enochian authorship of Enoch is the same as his argument for the Mosaic authorship of Jubilees. Namely, the text says so therefore it is true.

The First Book of Enoch ascribes its authorship to the Prophet Enoch, the seventh from Adam many times, even written in the first person, and documented before and up to the Flood. This is affirmed by Noah in his writing in which we have fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls, by Moses in the Book of Jubilees and by Jude which we will cover. 

We will cover the Book of Jubilees written by Moses as well as Jude both ascribe Enoch as the author of this First Book of Enoch. They not only identify him as author but quote it. We can find this throughout history in a historicity that is indisputable. 

 p. 36

In between those passages there is long harangue against R.H. Charles and James Vanderkamp (it's actually spelled Vanderkam) for suggesting there might be multiple authors. Did Tim forget that there is a whole section in Enoch attributed to Noah!? Tim launches into an emotional argument saying they are defaming the Temple Priests who kept the true canon at Qumran. What he does not do is give an argument that Enoch was written before the flood by Enoch. He simply states it as a fact based on the authority of Enoch, Moses, Noah, and Jude. It is circular  and depends on his paradigm that Jubilees is scripture and I do not grant him that. He has not shown Jubilees to be scripture at all though he thinks he has. In fact he has actually lied about its usage in the early church. The issue of Jude's citation is a different matter. He then says he will discuss this later. Why not do it now in this section? This brief section is totally worthless.

2. Witness of the Spirit: The Historical Process, Quoted as Doctrine in Scripture

This is a really long section broken into several smaller sections. Here Tim will show that Enoch has been in use since before the flood and long afterwards.

Before the Flood

This section relies on Jubilees being scripture. Jubilees says Enoch wrote before the flood and that it was by reading his parables that Noah learned of the coming flood approximately 200 years before it came.

However, Noah first learned of the Flood from reading Enoch’s book according to Noah.

The 500th year of Enoch would be about 1022 A.M. and that is very appropriate as Noah, almost 300 years old at that time, would have learned about the coming Flood that year not long after Adam died in 930 A.M. as a new era had begun. This is before Noah’s 3 sons are born from 1207-1212 A.M. in time to prepare and by that point, Noah is fully aware of the task at hand. Their ages would also fit the time in which they would be able to assist in building the ark. He builds the ark by 1307 A.M. and the Flood began 1308 A.M.

Just by reading 8 chapters later, Noah affirms he learned of the coming Flood in the First Book of Enoch specifically from the Book of Parables and later that day Michael spoke to him as well.

p. 38-39

Tim's proof that Enoch was in use before the flood is because the Book of Enoch says so! That is fallacious circular reasoning. The story of Noah in Enoch does not line up with the story in Genesis at all. In Genesis 6 we are told that God informed Noah of the coming flood when he was more than 500 years old. 

Not until verses 13 and 14 does God speak to Noah about the Ark and coming Flood. Then in verses 17 and 18, God said, “and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you” (Genesis 6:18). Notice that Noah had sons who already had wives. Noah didn’t have his first son of record until he was 500 years old, and the Flood came 100 years later (Genesis 7:6). Allowing 25–30 years for the sons to grow up and get married, we’re left with perhaps 70 years to build the Ark. 

In Genesis God tells Noah to build an ark but in Enoch God tells Noah angels are building the ark.

Enoch 67:2-3 And now the angels are making a wooden (building), and when they have completed that task I will place My hand upon it and preserve it, and there shall come forth from it the seed of life, and a change shall set in so that the earth will not remain without inhabitant.

Tim's commentary on this passage contradicts its plain words.

Noah had the assistance of the angels. Perhaps they built the frame but we know Noah and his sons built the ark as well.

p. 170

Does Tim actually believe what Enoch plainly says? 

After the Flood; Time of Abraham

These two sections rely on the testimony of Jubilees which is no testimony as Jubilees is not scripture written by Moses.

Time of Moses

In this section Tim claims Deuteronomy 33:2 is a quotation of Enoch 1:3-4. However, Deuteronomy is talking about the giving of the law while Enoch is declaring the judgment of God on the earth. The passages are different and do not even remotely concern the same subject.

He then compares Genesis 6:1-2 with Enoch 6:1-2.

Genesis 6:1-2 

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw: the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

1 Enoch 6:1-2

And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters, And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: ‘Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.’

These passages are indeed very similar. It is likely that whoever wrote Enoch was quoting from Genesis. Tim has it all backwards. He certainly has not offered any proof that Enoch wrote Enoch.

Time of Moses' Jubilees

This section shows all the times the author of Jubilees cites Enoch. Because Tim claims Jubilees was written by Moses this shows that Enoch is both scripture and was written by Enoch. Again it is more circular reasoning requiring a belief that Jubilees is scripture. It is not scripture and contradicts both the Old and New Testaments therefore Jubilees is not a reliable witness.

Prophet Isaiah

Here Tim claims Isaiah 66:1 is quoting Enoch 84:2 when he writes, "The heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool." But given the late date of Enoch it is most certainly the other way around. The author of Enoch was citing Isaiah. Again Tim has not offered any real proof that Enoch the seventh from Adam wrote his titular book. 

The next sections include:

Prophets Daniel and Ezekiel

Prophet Ezra's Book of 2nd Esdras

Dead Sea Scrolls

These sections all serve to prove that these prophets and the Dead Sea community cited Enoch as scripture. For the Dead Sea scrolls that is a no-brainer. As for 2nd Esdras that is likely since that book was written after the fall of Jerusalem and Enoch had not yet been lost. As for Daniel and Ezekiel it could be that the author of Enoch cited from them. 

Tim next relates a story about a supposedly lost complete Aramaic translation of 1 Enoch. Allegedly it was sold to a collector but a microfilm exists somewhere. Tim claims if this is true it is nefarious and proof that the book is being willingly suppressed.

We are told in the Qumran Scrolls only fragments of the First Book of Enoch were found. In fact, the only surviving complete copy was found in Ethiopia. Any scholar who has an issue with Yahuah preserving this text in the Ge’ez language is not following the Bible which never says Yahuah will preserve specifically in the original Hebrew language. That is just not there nor do they apply that in modern Canon texts necessarily so it is inconsistent and not a true measure. They make it up adding to the Word and apply it as a litmus test to discount obvious scripture because they do not wish to accept it. They ignore an awful lot and it sets a paradigm of stupid.

However, in the case of the First Book of Enoch, what appears a complete manuscript in Aramaic is reported to have been found in Qumran by the Chief Editor even. It was sold off to a private collector in secret with no information available to the public. Some even attempt to deny this yet this was the Chief Editor not some busy body spreading rumors. If true, this appears nefarious. Former Chief Editor of the Dead Sea Scrolls, John Strugnell, granted two interviews to Biblical Archaeology Review where he claimed he witnessed a complete copy of the Book of Enoch from Cave 11. In a follow up interview, he also claimed he saw it on microfilm as well. This has not been made available to the public. Why?

If in fact, this book was recorded on microfilm, that is wonderful except where is it? Why is this not public? If a private collector has it, who is that and more so, where is the information? This is not some antique or rare book, it is scripture and if true, how dare anyone allow that to be stolen away from the public eye. The good news is we have enough which survives to understand the First Book of Enoch in the Ethiopic Ge’ez supported by the other, though incomplete, Qumran scrolls we have. Whether one dates these fragments to 300-150 B.C. is of no consequence as they are copies and such dating is not actually based on science and ignores the scribal tradition no scholar would apply in discussing Genesis thus a false paradigm.

p. 50-51

What does it matter if there is an Aramaic text of Enoch hidden away in a collector's cabinet when Tim says the book was fully preserved in Ge'ez? Does he think there might be some important textual variations that would shine light on the Ethiopic? If so he is acting like one of those Bible scholars he so continually maligns. Well, it turns out he does think that an Aramaic copy found in the caves of Qumran would show proof that the parables of Enoch, that would be chapters 37-71, are genuine.

The Supposed "Missing Section" of First Enoch

These chapters were not found at Qumran and are also absent from the Greek translation. That means they were added at a later date. Tim says such kind of thinking is that of an "intellectual toddler." His solution is that the Book of Parables was known at Qumran because they are referenced in Jubilees and 2 Esdras and both of those books were found at Qumran.

The supposed missing Second Section titled the Parables of Enoch are comprised of Chapters 37-71. They are not missing in the first century B.C. as the Parables of Enoch from the Second Section are quoted and preserved in date by 2nd Esdras 6 times even. 2nd Esdras is also quoted in the Dead Sea Scrolls in about 100 B.C. thus the connection is not difficult to assess. These are not scholars but scoffers bellowing ridicule in ignorance. In 2nd Esdras 6:49-32, the Prophet Ezra takes First Enoch 60:7-9 and expands on it even. That is a Parable in First Enoch from the supposed missing section about Leviathan and Behemoth being quoted in 100 B.C, or so at the very latest. Also, 2nd Esdras 7:32-33 cites | Enoch 51:1 and 3, 2 Esdras 7:37 quotes 1 Enoch 62:1 and 60:6, and 2nd Esdras 7:36 derives from 1 Enoch 48:9-10 and 27:3 even according to R.H. Charles/introduction) in 1912. There has never been a point to this criticism yet many believe they should ignore these 40 plus Chapters of scripture documented in use in the first century B.C. because illiterate scoffers are only capable of textual criticism or scoffing without follow through in research. This is called gross negligence and any scholar who has maintained this position is no scholar and hates Yahusha.

Finally, when the Book of Jubilees 7:38 also affirms Noah reading from the First Book of Enoch affirming these two fragments; 7:39 affirms Noah keeping the Law of Enoch from this same writing; 10:17 confirms Enoch’s office of Prophet and Scribe including Enoch’s written testimony of the ages all the way to the Day of Judgment; and 21:10-11 documents where even Abraham read the First Book of Enoch as did his fathers which would include Noah and Enoch who tell us that included the Book of Parables precisely even, then, there is no point here. There is no missing section from First Enoch period.

p. 52-53

2 Esdras does not date before 70 AD and was never found at Qumran. That Tim continues to insist that it was reveals how adamant he remains in his ignorance. His proof from Jubilees is likewise inadequate. Yes, Jubilees says Noah read from the writings of Enoch but Jubilees does not cite from the Parable section. That is a very long section of 34 chapters. For instance Jubilees makes no reference to Noah learning of the flood 200 years before the event from reading Enoch. Nor does Jubilees tells us that angels built the ark as Enoch 67:2-3 says. Why would that be if Jubilees is supposed to be a witness to 1 Enoch? 

Before moving on the most controversial section of these parables is 56:5.

And in those days the angels shall return And hurl themselves to the east upon the Parthians and Medes:

It is the mention of the Parthians and Medes by name that has caused many to date this section much later than the rest of Enoch. Incidentally Tim has no notes on this verse in his commentary.

pg. 156

Tim's analysis of the dating of the Book of Parables is shallow and it seems he has not grasped what the issues are.

The New Testament

Everything in these next three sections concerns the testimony of the Church and because Timothy considers the Church to be the Synagogue of Satan it should really be trashed. Why does he care about the testimony of the Synagogue of Satan? He cannot even appeal to the New Testament because the Church chose which books and which texts of those books to accept. With his criteria for what makes scripture, that a book must have been found at Qumran because those schismatics kept the true canon, Timothy Jay Schwab has no epistemic right to the New Testament. 

This is a very lengthy section where Tim shows every place in the New Testament where Enoch was quoted. It is rather common knowledge that Jude cites Enoch by name. He is the only New Testament author to do so. That is not to say that other authors do not cite Enoch but it is to say they never refer to him directly by name.

This is a direct quote from the written First Book of Enoch. The notion that Jude was a sucker who fell for a fraud created 200 years earlier is stupidity not to mention Messiah and the rest of the Apostles who quote First Enoch. He is quoting the ancient scroll of Enoch from the first chapter of Enoch even pretty closely and credits it as such. Jude knew the Temple Priests at Qumran/Bethabara did not manufacture scripture under false pretenses and he uses this passage and others as scripture. Why do we allow inept modern scholars to accuse Jude of being a fool and the true Levite Temple Priests as being frauds? They were not, Pharisees are. This is not a quote from any other book but the First Book of Enoch period and certainly not the opposite.

p. 55

He then goes through a host of scriptures, citing only the English translations, to show us that the New Testament is imbued with the thought of 1 Enoch. Sadly, his puerile invective against scholars and any thing he finds disagreeable ruins what is otherwise a very interesting and I dare say compelling section of his introduction. If the New Testament references a book surely it is Sacred Scripture, right?

Quoted by "Early Church Fathers"

This entire list is obviously taken from R.H. Charles' footnotes and has not been translated or made intelligible in any way.

p. 68

If Tim cared about his readers at all he would have cited the authors and the works in modern language and not just leave it looking like that. Take a look at Irenaeus. What work is being cited and which passages are being referred to? I know it's Against Heresies but which books and sections? There is no way Tim has read any of these Early Church Fathers. It would be interesting to actually take a look at a few of these references but Tim simply posts this list and moves on. After this list he writes the following two odd paragraphs.

When one reviews the objections of so-called “early church fathers” of the false church, it is no surprise they did not like First Enoch especially when the tide turned to change the Bible and they went along. These were a cursed lot as you do not change what the true Temple Priests already kept as Bible Canon. They do not like Yahuah and did not actually serve Him which is obvious in their church foundation. Certainly, one can read of Origen’s (200 A.D.) or Augustine’s (400 A.D.) hatred of the book. They did not prefer the truth but the lies of their false church who demonstrated a preference for occult roots instead which they would replace. Enoch exposes them. A false church who abandoned the practice of the Apostles and persecuted the true ekklesias in Turkey is the wrong measure to assess what is inspired scripture. They are not even an inspired church nor entire system. They are the men (Jude 1:4) warned crept in unawares before launching into several quotes from the First Book of Enoch.

Thus, it is useless to then follow this false church to see what it did or did not change in scripture. The point is they dared to change it and never had authority. They are illegitimate and their changes void. Even with that said, they still continued to use First Enoch until at least 380 A.D. with latter references still proving they knew the Temple practice of keeping Enoch as scripture which they abandon not Messiah nor any Apostle. They are caught and exposed as they are guilty of continuing the Pharisee Bible over the Temple Priests further proving they are not the ekklesia of Messiah. They don’t know Him, especially not His ways and they do not represent Him thus they do not get an opinion.

p. 69-70

First of all Augustine did not hate the Book of Enoch. He thought it was a genuine production of the Biblical patriarch.

We cannot deny that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, left some divine writings, for this is asserted by the Apostle Jude in his canonical epistle. But it is not without reason that these writings have no place in that canon of Scripture which was preserved in the temple of the Hebrew people by the diligence of successive priests; for their antiquity brought them under suspicion, and it was impossible to ascertain whether these were his genuine writings, and they were not brought forward as genuine by the persons who were found to have carefully preserved the canonical books by a successive transmission.

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120115.htm

Tim has not read Augustine and has no idea what he is talking about.

Second of all, why bother to cite the Early Church as a witness if it is useless because they are a false and illegitimate church? Tim's method really makes no sense.

Simply because a book was cited in the Old or New Testament does not make it scripture. If that is the measure of canonicity then what shall we do with all the other books NOT cited at all but which form the canon?

The third is that citations in the New Testament cannot serve as a definitive yardstick for canonicity, since it contains none from certain books whose canonicity was disputed even among the Jews (Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs), two from the book of Wisdom (2, 13 in Matthew 27, 43 and 7, 26 in Hebrews 1, 3), and an explicit citation from the indisputably apocryphal Book of Enoch. (Jude, 14-15)

https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2017/01/the-apocrypha-and-liturgy.html

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewhado Church

In this section Tim says the Ethiopian eunuch Philip converted in Acts 8 brought back the traditions of the New Testament church. This includes the use of 1 Enoch as scripture.

Remember, in Acts 8:25-40, essentially the Treasurer of the nation of Ethiopia met Philip. He was already reading Isaiah without understanding it. Philip explained to this man the story of Messiah and the man accepted Yahusha that day. He would return to his country knowing the traditions at least in part of the ekklesia of Messiah. It is there we find the continuation of the First Book of Enoch as Bible Canon.

Somehow, and no one truly documents how, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church included the First Book of Enoch and The Book of Jubilees in it’s Bible Canon around 300 A.D. until today. One must wonder if the true origin of this decision might really be that Treasurer that day who learned some from Philip and likely many others before leaving to return to his country with a message in which he would have amassed a following. 

p. 70-71

How would the Ethiopian eunuch know any of the traditions of the church when his meeting with Philip was a one-off while he was on his way home? Let's not forget that the Ethiopian Church was founded in the 4th century.

Though no written history truly appears to identify this firmly, we believe they continued that tradition especially regarding First Enoch and Jubilees directly from the Apostles and exiled Temple Priests not from any other church and certainly not from Pharisees who practice differently. Around 300 A.D., the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church was established and chose to continue these two books as Bible Canon which does not match any other Bible Canons really except that of the Apostles and Temple Priests in regards to these two books. We are not addressing their entire Canon. We know this because we find the Apostles quoting Jubilees and Enoch as inspired scripture many times. This continues in their Bible to this day.

p. 71

Let's also not forget that the Ethiopian Church also considers tradition to be the Word of God.

The Holy Scriptures are one of the two great foundations of the faith and here is what our church holds and teaches concerning it. The word of God is not contained in the Bible alone, it is to be found in tradition as well. The Sacred Scriptures are the written word of God who is the author of the Old and New Testaments containing nothing but perfect truth in faith and morals. But God’s word is not contained only in them, there is an unwritten word of God also, which we call apostolic tradition. We receive the one and other with equal veneration.

This and a host of other doctrines such as the Trinity puts the Ethiopian church firmly in the Synagogue of Satan according to Tim. So, why does he even bother with their witness? He is not consistent at all.

3. Acceptance

This, of course, means that the Church has accepted the book. But has the Church accepted 1 Enoch as scripture? The answer is an unequivocal "No." Contrary to what Tim claimed above Origen did not "hate" the book of Enoch. But he is a witness that the book was not accepted in the Church as divine as early as the 200's.

...for he does not appear to have read the passages in question, nor to have been aware that the books which bear the name Enoch do not at all circulate in the Churches as divine...

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04165.htm

This is the premier Bible textual scholar before Jerome and a man whose teachings influenced many telling us that Enoch was not considered scripture in the Church in his day. That is a very important testimony which should not be discounted.

While Enoch is an important book for understanding 2nd Temple Judaism as well the apocalyptic tradition in much of the early Church the fact is the Church rejected it. Why? According to Tim the answer, which he never proves and is not provable, is that the book was willingly suppressed by those in power because they wished to conceal the truths it contains. 

The fact is we must listen to what Jesus says:

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

We cannot deny that the Church has been led all this time by the guiding of the Holy Spirit. This includes deciding the contents of the canon. Paul tells us the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth. If we deny that then we have no foundation to believe anything. We are then left all alone as atomistic individuals who must determine what is and what is not truth. But God has given us the Church, His body here on earth. God speaks and acts through her alone.

Tim's insistence that we need Enoch to properly understand the Bible and the times we live in is completely faithless and atheistic. Such a stance is to reject that God has preserved his word through the Church for the past 2,000 years.

4. In Agreement with the whole of Scripture

Enoch is a fantastical book. There are a lot of weird things happening in there. From Angels teaching men how to build civilization to mountains which are ever burning with fire or made of gemstones to Enoch being taken into heaven and seeing the literal edge of the earth. Yes, thats right. Enoch teaches a flat earth.
As demonstrated in Part 2 of this Torah Test, the First Book of Enoch agrees with the whole tone and tenor of the Old and New Testaments serving as the foundational basis in several parts we have identified. In this publishing, we will address the recent movement of those who believe in a Flat Earth as Enoch most certainly did write from such perspective but anyone saying the rest of scripture is not, is clueless and cannot read. We have seen several such dunderhead responses claiming that a circle is sphere or ball when very clearly Bible writers knew the difference and when they use circle they mean a 2-dimensional shape not a ball. Those scholars are simply not honest.

p. 72

There you have it. Timothy Jay Schwab is a flat-earther 100%. Here is another of the many flat earth maps to be found in this book.

p. 128

The Philippines is northeast of the Indian Ocean! 

For Tim agreement with the whole of scripture means that Enoch agrees in tone and tenor with the Old and New Testaments. Don't let a contradiction like Noah being told about the flood 200 years before Genesis has it or the angels building the ark put you off. That's just small potatoes to Tim. "Even the Gospels have minor details to iron out," he says. Yeah try reconciling all the crucifixion and resurrection stories! (That is not to say I am not a believer but it is to acknowledge that Tim has no idea what he is talking about.)

That is the whole of the introduction. It's pretty bad. There are a host of bad arguments and straight up lies in what Tim has to say about Enoch. That Enoch says Enoch wrote the book is no proof he did. Likewise his appeals to Jubilees fall short because Jubilees is not an ancient book. Its substantial disagreement with Genesis in many places including the timeline is proof positive that Moses is not its author thus it is not a reliable witness to Enoch.

Tim's appeal to the Early Church especially with him saying a few paragraphs later that their testimony does not matter should cancel out any appeals to the Church. Likewise his appeal to the New Testament for the canonicity of Enoch is also wrongheaded because it is the Church which compiled those books. Tim has no New Testament. His only canon, as he admits, is what is found at Qumran and he has no sound epistemic basis for that claim either. 

What was discovered in and around Qumran cannot be affirmed to be a complete library of what was actually stored there, for the residents made no list of what they stored, and we do not know if one day another cave will be discovered with many more ancient manuscripts. Therefore, a certain amount of caution is necessary before making strong statements about the contents of the Qumran library. And because of this uncertainty, it is wise to soften conclusions about what was not found there.

Lee Martin McDonald, The Biblical Canon, pg. 131

The next part of this review will take a look at Tim's apparatus for Enoch. There are colorful maps and charts aplenty as well as many notes. Since this is a blog about the Philippines I will especially examine the references to this nation in Tim's book. Believe it or not the Philippines plays a huge role in 1 Enoch.

Friday, March 11, 2022

Retards in the Government 249

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

  



https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/428166/12-mandaue-city-hall-employees-test-positive-for-illegal-drugs
At least 12 employees in Mandaue City Hall were confirmed positive for illegal drug use, results of a surprise drug test conducted last January showed.

Damaso Tumulak, head of the Human Resource Management Office, said 10 employees were from the Department of General Services (DGS) while the two others were from the Mandaue City Environment and Natural Resources Office (MCENRO). He said of the 12 positive city hall employees, 11 are job order employees and one was a regular employee.

Results of the confirmatory tests would take about a month before it will be received by the city government.

The results of those who tested positive for illegal drugs during the initial screening will still be subjected to a confirmatory test.

12 employees of Mandaue City Hall have tested positive for drugs.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1169020

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered the filing of murder and planting of evidence charges against three police officers tagged in the death of a Spanish national in Siargao Island two years ago.

In a statement Friday, the DOJ said the Office of the Prosecutor General, in a resolution dated February 9, charged Capt. Wise Vicente Panuelos, Staff Sgt. Ronel Pazo, and Staff Sgt. Nido Boy Cortes with murder and planting of evidence for the death of Spaniard Diego Lafuente.

“The information for murder and planting of evidence will be filed at the Regional Trial Court, 13th Judicial Region, Surigao del Norte,” Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said.

The Spanish Embassy in Manila has pursued Lafuente's case with DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra last October asking the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the case.

3 cops have been charged with murder and planting evidence over the shooting of a Spanish national who was a drug suspect.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1169053

A municipal official in one of the towns in Basilan has been shot and wounded in Lamitan City, the police reported Friday.

Maj. Nurhaib Bungkac, Lamitan police chief, identified the victim as Anwar Halik, 48, the municipal administrator of Tuburan, Basilan.

Bungkac said the incident occurred around 7 p.m. Thursday in Sitio Nawasa, Barangay Maganda, Lamitan City.

He said Halik was closing his store when a gunman repeatedly shot the town official.

Halik was rushed and admitted to the Lamitan District Hospital for treatment.

 A town official was shot by an unknown man for unknown reasons.


https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1922705/bacolod/local-news/dismissed-cop-shot-dead-in-bacolod-city
TWO unidentified gunmen shot dead a former policeman while driving his motorcycle in front of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos along Lizares Extension in Barangay 40, Bacolod City past 10 p.m. Thursday, March 3, 2022.

Major Leo Estopa, commander of Police Station 6, said Ryan Lumogdang, 41, of Barangay Estefania in the city succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.

Estopa said they are eyeing personal grudges as possible motives in the killing of the victim.

He said they are also coordinating with the family of the victim to determine if he had received threats before he was gunned down.

Estopa added the investigators will also check the security camera in the area to identify the perpetrators.

Lumogdang, a former Police Officer 1, was assigned at Bacolod City Police Stations 1, 2, 4 and City Anti-Illegal Special Operations Task Group before he was dismissed in 2017 after he tested positive for illegal substances during a random drug test.

 A former cop who was dismissed for using drugs was killed by unknown men for unknown reasons.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1169137
A former Camarines Sur mayor was sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment by the Sandiganbayan in connection with irregularities in the lease of portions of the town's municipal public market eight years ago.

For violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, former Baao mayor Melquiades Gaite was also perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

The 47-page decision penned March 4 and uploaded recently said Gaite gave unwarranted benefit and advantage to a private firm, Lamvert Consolidated Complex Development Corp. Inc. (LCC), by entering into a 25-year lease contract for portions of the Baao Public Market.

The lessee, under a municipal ordinance, was required to pay a deposit of PHP1.719 million for the 1,704-square-meter lease to be spent exclusively for the development of the market and its facilities.

The Commission on Audit however said no such deposit was made.

"While the prosecution was unable to establish that the Municipality of Baao, Camarines Sur suffered any damage or injury as a result of the 25-year lease contract, it sufficiently showed that the LCC enjoyed unwarranted benefit as a result of the gross inexcusable negligence of the accused," the court said.
A former mayor has received a ten year prison sentence for an anomalous leasing deal. 
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1169174

Former Davao City information officer Jefry Tupas filed cyber libel charges against vice presidential aspirant Walden Bello at the Hall of Justice here on Monday.

This after Bello accused Tupas in an online press conference last week of being a drug dealer, claimed the latter was caught “snorting PHP1.5 million worth of drugs."

In an affidavit, Tupas said Bello has committed the crime of cyber libel under Section (c) (4) of Republic Act 10175 or the “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012” in relation to Articles 353 and 355 of the Revised Penal Code.

“Today, I filed a cyber libel case against Mr. Walden Bello for the baseless, below-the-belt, hurtful, disparaging, damaging things he has said about me and against me during his recent online press conference,” she said.

She also clarified that she has never been arrested at any beach party nor have been charged with, much less convicted of any drug-related case.

A former employee of Davao City has been accused of being a drug dealer by a VP candidate. 
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1562205/bfar-director-4-others-face-graft-complaint-over-fishing-vessel-monitoring-system-project

A complaint for graft has been filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Eduardo Gongona and four others in connection with the P2.09 billion contract awarded to a British company to equip fishing vessels with Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) transceivers.

The complaint was filed by lawyer James Mier Victoriano against Gongona and Department of Agriculture (DA)-BFAR bids and awards committee chairpersons Demosthenes Escoto and Hansel Didulo, and Chief Executive Officer Simon Tucker and Chief Financial Officer Richard Hurd of SRT Marine Systems Solutions Ltd.

Victoriano asked the Office of the Ombudsman to charge the respondents for violations of Sections 3(e), 3(g), and 3(j) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the  Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; Sections 30, 34, 65(c), and 65(d) of RA No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act; and Section 23.6 of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA No. 9184.

In his complaint, Victoriano noted that the initial invitation to bid in 2017 for the Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System Project Phase II stated that the project was to be funded by the French Republic and through a loan agreement. He said the initial invitation to bid had an Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) of P1.6 billion.

According to Victoriano, the loan agreement required that the bidder must be either a French national or possess a joint venture agreement with a French national, and that the goods must be of French origin.

“Despite the requirement, SRT participated in the bid and was declared by DA-BFAR to be eligible and eventually won the bid. In fact, upon assessment by the French government, through its embassy, it found that SRT was not eligible owing to it being a British company,” he said.

Victoriano said it is clear that DA-BFAR did not comply with the conditions provided in the initial invitation to bid and would have continued with the award if not for the disapproval by the French government.

Because of the disapproval by the French Republic, BFAR then sought the approval of the National Economic Development Authority to cancel the loan agreement and proceed with the procurement for the project using local funding.

The BFAR Director and four others face graft charges over improper bidding and awarding of a contract to fit vessels with tracking monitors.


Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” has formally filed a perjury case against seven barangay captains who earlier filed a case of Malversation of Public Funds and Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against the mayor, before the City Prosecutor’s Office.


Respondents of the case include Association of Barangay Council (ABC) President and Bankal Barangay Captain Eduardo Cuizon, Gun-ob Barangay Captain Eleonor Fontanoza, Looc Barangay Captain Regina Ybañez, Tungasan Barangay Captain Triponia Abayan, Subabasbas Barangay Captain Joselito Tibon, Canjulao Barangay Captain Reynaldo Tampus, and Maribago Barangay Captain Rosalino Abing.

Chan describes the case filed by the barangay captains in the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas as malicious and fabricated.

To recall, the seven barangay captains filed the case of Malversation of Public Funds and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against the mayor, due to alleged questionable purchases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related items which amounted to more than P47 million.

Lawyer Jorge Esparagoza, Chan’s lawyer, also questioned the timing of the filing of the case by the barangay captains.

“Why now that they filed this complaint? Four months before the election. They could have filed this within 2020 or 2021. But they did this deliberately and willfully as political manipulation and maneuver for purposes of the election. And that’s why we want to file this complaint to protect and vindicate the legal rights and interests of the mayor and to prove to the people of Lapu-Lapu City that these people are lying,” Esparagoza said.

Aside from this, Chan said that they are also planning to file charges of Oral Defamation and Cyber Libel against the seven barangay captains.
In retaliation for being charged with misusing funds the Mayor of Lapu-Lpau has filed perjury charges against his accusers. This despite his case not being resolved with an acquittal.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/03/09/2166059/1sambayan-convenor-calleja-reports-harassment-extortion-try

A convenor of opposition coalition 1Sambayan said Wednesday that he has been receiving threats for over a year, including a recent attempt to extort P5 million from him, in exchange for keeping manipulated suggestive photos from the public.

Lawyer Howard Calleja told a news conference that he received on Sunday messages to his official Facebook page from two accounts demanding that he deliver P5 million at a gas station in Parañaque City by Wednesday or else they will leak lewd imagery of him.

In another message, a Facebook user using the name Andy Walker sent manipulated photos of Calleja with model Deniece Cornejo and actress Cristine Reyes and a nude photo of the lawyer. Cornejo was a former client of Calleja, while Reyes is one of his clients.

"The pictures as he has shown or the statements that he has said to me, talking with my wife, are all fake and all fabrications and photoshops or what my friend in the IT [sector] said a 'deep fake',” Calleja said.

Prior to this, Calleja said he had received threatening letters and text messages.

One of these letters, sent during the holidays, threatened to give pictures of him to "Mocha [and] Bong Go."

(Atty. Howee, stop being too showy and boastful. Drop the nuisance case. Let the people decide. You’re too elitist and allied with the Reds.)

A text message from an unknown number, meanwhile, asked if Calleja’s wife and children are still safe, with a warning to keep safe and to always look behind his back. 

Another text message from the same number said that they know where he lives and the car he drives, again warning to stay safe when heading out or something might surprise him.

Calleja declined to specifically name who he thinks are behind these threats, but said the messages he received contain hints as to who they might be.

A lawyer who is responsible for the 1Sambayan political collation and who filed disqualification cases against Marcos reveals he has been receiving many threats and harassment over the past year.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1169387

The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed a Negros Occidental court stenographer for forging her superior’s signature in a falsified court paper issued in exchange for PHP10,000 from a litigant.

In its 14-page per curiam decision published online on March 4, the SC found Bago City, Negros Occidental regional trial court stenographer Evelyn G. Montoyo guilty of two counts of prejudicial conduct, serious dishonesty, and acts of graft, three years away from reaching the compulsory retirement age of 65.

She was ordered dismissed immediately from the service with the forfeiture of all benefits and perpetual disqualification from a government position.

In exchange for the fee, Montoyo made it appear that a petition for cancellation of encumbrance was filed by a complainant and that evidence was submitted. To complete the process, she falsified a court order supposedly granting the petition for cancellation of encumbrance.

The spurious March 2012 order and a certificate of finality were submitted to the Negros Occidental Register of Deeds where the fake court papers were later traced back to the said court.

A court employee has been fired and stripped of retirement benefits because she forged documents.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1566041/village-councilor-suspect-dead-7-others-hurt-in-isabela-shooting

A village councilor and his attacker were killed while seven others were wounded in a shooting incident in Isabela province, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday.

In a report, the PNP identified the barangay councilor as Gerly Telan and the injured as barangay chief Briscio Gammari, Isidro Mamauag, Michael Mansibang, Vicenta Guiquing, Jose Mamauag, Sofrino Crisologo, and Allen Cauan.

Initial investigation revealed that all victims were in the middle of dancing in Dalena, San Pablo, Isabela on Tuesday, March 8, when the suspect suddenly appeared on the dance floor and shot the victims.

All were brought for treatment to the nearest hospital where Telan was declared dead on arrival, according to the PNP. The assailant, who is still unidentified as of posting, was also declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

A village councilor was filed and seven others were wounded when a man suddenly appeared at a dance and started firing. The shooter also died.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/429116/2-private-individuals-file-corruption-charges-vs-lapu-barangay-officials
Two private citizens from Barangays Bankal and Maribago file separate graft and corruption complaints against their respective barangay officials for alleged questionable purchases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related items in 2020 and 2021.

Celestino Pangatungan Jr., a senior citizen and a resident of Barangay Bankal, and Ruben Pangatungan, a family driver and a resident of Barangay Maribago, have filed the case before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

Respondents of the case are Punong Barangay Eduardo Cuizon; Bid and Awards Committee (BAC) Chairman Regino Cuizon; BAC members Cleofas Quijano, Manuel Cuizon and Mario Inot; and Barangay Treasurer Crisanta Inot for Barangay Bankal.

For Barangay Maribago, the respondents are Punong Barangay Rosalino Abing; BAC Chairman Alemoden Pangatungan; BAC members Reynaldo Ompad, Anecita Paquibot, Jennes Maglasang, Eddie Daño, Arvin Fiel Abing; and Barangay Treasurer Melody Paquibot.

Lawyer Sean Obenza, the lawyer of the complainants, said the case involved the purchase of Vitamin C for Barangay Bankal and glass cubicles and COVID-related accessories for Barangay Maribago.

Obenza questioned the winning bidder, Rhice Trading, for the purchase of Vitamin C worth p285,000, after its nature of business involves only office and school supplies.

“The two other canvassed entities, Ace Pharmacy and RE Pharmaceuticals were clearly engaged in the supply of medicines and Vitamin Cs but respondents chose to award the same to a trading company who supplies office and school supplies,” Obenza said.

Meanwhile, the complainant alleged that the purchase of glass cubicles and COVID-related accessories worth P293,080 for barangay Maribago didn’t go through a bidding process.
Graft charges have been filed against several barangay councilors over questions COVID-related purchases.

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Coronavirus Lockdown: Vaccination Not Required, Vaccination "Vital", and More!

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

With the new normal taking shape vaccination is not required for children attending in-person classes. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/02/22/vax-not-required-for-kids-in-physical-classes-deped

The Department of Education (DepEd) is not requiring students attending in-person classes to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Secretary Leonor Briones said Wednesday.

Briones said her agency could not make vaccination mandatory because parents are the ones who decide if their children would get inoculated against the respiratory illness.

(Vaccination is not required for in-person classes. It is voluntary because the ones that would decide that are the parents. But of course, we would encourage vaccination.)

Briones noted children also have a stronger immunity against COVID-19.

Of the more than 15,000 students that joined the pilot phase of in-person classes last November to December, no one tested positive for the virus, she said.

But Briones reiterated that vaccination is mandatory for teaching and nonteaching personnel attending in-person classes.

An unvaccinated personnel can continue working from their home or must submit a COVID-19 test before reporting to the workplace, she said.

In higher education, COVID-19 vaccination is required for students and school personnel attending in-person classes.

This is a stunning reversal and flip-flop. On February 14th the DepEd said vaccination is vital for classes to resume.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1554700/pediatric-vaccination-vital-to-the-reintroduction-of-in-person-classes-deped

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a statement the vaccination drive for children aged five to 11 is “vital to the gradual reintroduction of face-to-face classes and the general welfare of Filipino learners.”

“We are passionately committed to this program of vaccination, especially for the children, since we believe that the future of our learners is related to well-being, mental health, and physical health,” said Briones.

“We cannot achieve and move to new forms and ways of teaching unless our children are healthy,” she added.

Turns out it was not so vital after all. And all it took to reverse that decision was a lowering of status to level one. Does that not show how frivolous all these health protocols are?

In an interesting turn of events coronary heart disease incidence increased during the pandemic.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168960

Deaths due to coronary heart disease have increased by 28 percent for the first ten months of 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020, a health expert said Thursday.

In a televised public briefing, Philippine Heart Association president Dr. Gilbert Vilela defined the upturn as "alarming" and "frightening".

Vilela, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), said from January to October 2021, deaths due to coronary heart disease went up by 28 percent as compared to the same period in 2020, the onset of the pandemic. 

(This happened during the pandemic, so, this means the pandemic has an effect on) cardiovascular disease,” he said.

Latest data from the PSA showed that coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death among Filipinos, comprising more than 17.9 percent of the total fatalities.

Vilela said people are scared to go to the hospital for check-ups and do not buy medicines, simply enduring the symptoms, and so cardiovascular disease cases increased.

The pandemic also caused anxiety and mental stress to many.

These, Vilela said, created a massive systemic inflammation of the vascular system which causes obstruction in the nerves.

(Those who have heart disease may have heart attack. Those who don’t have heart disease, may acquire it),” he said.

Anxiety and mental stress create behaviors which are unfriendly to cardiovascular health.

“For example (they often eat unhealthy food – like comfort food. Have you heard, comfort food that are vegetables like fresh lumpia? They’re comfort food), deep fried, maalat and so on – it definitely adds to the problem,” Vilela said.

Wow! Who would have thought scaring people to death and forcing them to stay inside over a virus that has a 99% survival rate would have any deleterious effects on people's health? Not to mention many hospitals were full and not accepting patients in some cases. 

Confusion remains when it comes to health protocols. One government advisor wants boosters shots to be mandatory under alert level one.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/04/22/adviser-seeks-mandatory-booster-cards-in-establishments

A government adviser on Friday proposed that areas under the loosest quarantine level should mandate proof of COVID-19 booster shots in establishments, in a move seen to "encourage" those who have yet to receive it. 

In a televised briefing, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said the public should get their booster doses as the country's economy recovers from the pandemic. 

"Pero out there who are hesitant, I think we should encourage them by mandating that booster vaccine cards upon entry in the areas of Alert Level 1, those areas who have finished already in primary doses," said Concepcion. 

Metro Manila and 38 other areas this week deescalated to Alert Level 1, also considered as the shift to the "new normal." 

But the DOH is recommending against mandatory booster shots.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/05/22/doh-not-yet-time-to-require-covid-19-boosters
The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said there was no need to mandate COVID-19 booster shots for now, adding there were other ways to campaign for the country's vaccination drive.

This came after Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion suggested that COVID-19 booster cards be made mandatory at establishments in areas under the loosest Alert Level 1 or in areas where administering the primary series had finished.

Metro Manila and 38 other areas this week deescalated to the lowest of a 5-tier COVID-19 alert system, also considered as the shift to the "new normal," to revive the pandemic-battered economy.

"We understand where... [Concepcion's] perspective he wants full protection but for now, what we will do is we will provide information and plead with the business sector," Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in a televised briefing.

"What we will do is strengthen advocacy... [Government agencies] and our partners in the private sectors will increase communication and advocacy to increase the uptake of booster."

It seems everyone has different ideas on how the new normal should work. Booster shots are not mandatory and being vaccinated is not a requirement to ride public transportation but one will be required to show proof of vaccination to enter certain establishments.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/03/22/covid-vaccine-cards-required-in-closed-crowded-areas-dilg
COVID-19 vaccination cards are still required in establishments that are classified as closed, crowded, or close-contact (3Cs) in areas under Alert Level 1, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Thursday.

The public is urged to bring their vaccination cards wherever they may go even if it's no longer required for mass transportation as businesses may require it, according to DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.

"So that we can sort of sort this confusion, let’s follow the advise of the DTI that the vaccination card is not required at the entrance of the mall, but at the exact 3C establishment at the mall," he told ANC's Headstart,

"Technically you don’t need to present the vaccination card when you enter the malls...However there are some malls that require vaccination cards right at the entrance, I don't see anything wrong about it."

There is too much confusion about what is needed to go about one's business. They should strive for uniformity.

Vaccine supplies in Iloilo are about to expire because no one wants to be injected with them. 

https://www.panaynews.net/in-iloilo-city-slow-moving-covid-19-vaccines-are-expiring/

In this city, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines Sinovac and AstraZeneca are “slow moving” – they are less preferred by the public, thus their utilization is low, according to the city government.

The result?

A total of 466 vials or 932 doses of Sinovac vaccines from the Department of Health (DOH) expired on Jan. 1, 2022.

The said doses’ shelf life was three months from the date of manufacture — Oct. 12, 2021, as indicated in the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“May mga slow-moving vaccines like AstraZeneca and Sinovac kay may other preference ang mga tawo,” according to Joren Sartorio of the city government’s General Services Office (GSO) that is in-charge of the Logistics Cluster for pandemic response.

Aside from Sinovac of China and AstraZeneca of the United Kingdom, the city government has also made available to the public Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines of the United States.

Pfizer and Moderna appear to be popular with people here.

The 932 doses of Sinovac are currently “under quarantine”, said Sartorio.

“Set aside na sya, indi na sya magamit. Kadtuan sang DOH para ma-implement ang guidelines for disposal of expired vaccines,” he said.

Meanwhile, 5,894 vials or 58,940 doses of both city government-procured and donated AztraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are nearing expiration.

Why would anyone use Sinovac when it is not very effective? Granted none of the vaccines prevent infection or transmission but Sinovac even more so.

As of March 3rd the number of areas under granular lockdown in Metro Manila were 19.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1562792/health-protocol-violations-in-lockdown-areas-up-under-alert-level-1-ncrpo

The number of COVID-19 health protocol violations in areas under granular lockdowns in Metro Manila have increased with the imposition of Alert Level 1, the National Capital Police Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Thursday.

In a statement, the NCRPO said that despite the downgrading of the COVID-19 alert status of Metro Manila to the more relaxed Alert Level 1 on March 1, areas that are under granular lockdowns have increased from 15 to 19.

The NCRPO also noted that violations of minimum public health standards have also increased from 3,713 to 4,209.

With the increase in health protocol violations, the NCRPO is asking the public to cooperate with police officers to make sure that COVID-19 cases will not increase.

Despite these health protocol violations the fact is cases have not increased at all since many areas were place under alert level 1.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/09/22/ph-sees-no-rise-in-covid-19-cases-after-curbs-eased

The Department of Health has yet to see an increase in COVID-19 cases nearly 2 weeks after Metro Manila and 38 other areas were deescalated to the lowest alert level, its spokesperson said Wednesday.

Government "strictly monitors" the public's mobility with constant reminders for them to follow minimum health standards, according to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

"At present, we have not seen any increase in COVID-19 cases since we have implemented Alert Level 1 in several areas in the country," she said in a statement.

"The government strictly monitors the mobility of the public with incessant reminders on adherence to minimum public health standards as well as the national vaccination drive for those eligible to get inoculated."

If there has been on increase in cases despite health protocol violations then perhaps it does not matter if those protocols are followed at all.