Retards in the Government 275

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

  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1182696

The Sandiganbayan has sentenced two former officials of the Philippine Aerospace Development Corp. (PADC) in connection with the loss of an aircraft part which was later sold by a private firm back to the government in 2008 .

 

In a 70-page decision dated Aug. 26 and written by Associate Justice Georgina Hidalgo, the anti-graft court found former PADC president and managing director Danilo Crisologo and senior vice president for marketing Roberto Manlavi guilty of malversation and graft sentencing them to up to 12 years imprisonment.

 

The court also ordered Crisologo and Manlavi to pay PHP111,754 representing the value of the aircraft part.

 

The third accused, PADC consultant storekeeper Louise Cabahug, remains at large.

 

A private individual, Generoso Quialatan, president of Wingtip Parts Corp. (WPC), died while the case was pending before the court.

 

Cabahug was in charge of the PADC storeroom where the part called aircraft fuel pressure indicator (AFPI) was stored and which was taken out and later sold by WPC to the Philippine Navy.

Two PADC officials have been convicted of malversation in regards to an aircraft part that was stolen and eventually resold to the government. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/02/sandigan-affirms-conviction-of-ex-cashierof-alcala-water-district-in-pangasinan/

The Sandiganbayan has affirmed its decision that convicted the former cashier of the Alcala Water District (AWD) in Pangasinan, imposed a stiffer fine, and ordered the payment of civil liability for malversation of public funds.

Affirmed was the conviction of Darwin C. Viloria whose motion for reconsideration was denied by the anti-graft court’s sixth division in a resolution written by Division Chairperson Sarah Jane T. Fernandez with the concurrence of Associate Justices Karl B. Miranda and Kevin Narce B. Vivero.

The regional trial court (RTC) found Viloria guilty of malversation when he converted to his personal use P163,436.53 in AWD funds from 2000 to 2006. He was sentenced to a jail term ranging from four to seven years and was ordered to a pay a fine of P55,886.10.

Viloria appealed the RTC’s decision with the Sandiganbayan. He claimed the RTC “gravely erred” in finding him guilty despite lack of proper formal demand and prima facie evidence of missing funds.

The Sandiganbayan turned down his appeal. “The Court finds no reversible error in the RTC’s Decision dated Aug. 10, 2018. However, the fine imposed by the RTC must be modified, and accused-appellant’s civil liability must be determined,” the court ruled.

As cashier, the anti-graft court said Viloria had custody and control of the said funds from 2000 to 2006. He “put the subject funds to his personal use because he failed to provide a justifiable explanation for the missing funds,” the court said.

The total malversed amount was P221,935.98, but P66,696.85 was already restituted by other AWD employees. Viloria wrote a promissory note saying he will pay back the remaining P155,239.13, so the court said that is the amount he should pay the AWD as his civil liability.

The Sandiganbayan has upheld the conviction of the former cashier for the  Alcala Water District (AWD) in Pangasinan for malversation of public funds and even increased the penalty due. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/03/pnp-starts-retraining-of-police-investigators-to-improve-25-conviction-rate-in-criminal-cases/

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will subject all its investigators into retraining in a bid to improve its crime solution efficiency. 

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. said a total of 4,326 police investigators have already graduated from recapitulation program for case handling last year.

Currently, he said the retraining of some 16,000 investigators and evidence custodians is underway. 

“We recognize the challenges in the investigation of criminal cases but we will continue seeking ways to enhance the competency of police personnel in probing crimes and safeguarding evidence,” said Azurin.

“This retraining program is a reinforcement to better capacitate our personnel and to boost their morale despite the extensive requirements in filing cases in the judiciary,” he added.

Justice Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla and Interior Sec. Benhur Abalos have been meeting to improve both the investigative and operational capabilities of the PNP.

In a press briefing in July, Remulla disclosed that the conviction rate of criminal cases in the country is below 25 percent and that already include successful plea bargaining agreements.

“This means we are not really getting a passing rate. this is not a standard that we can live with. We have to change this drastically. So we are really looking at how we can improve the justice system so that we can minimize criminality,” said Remulla.

The PNP is retraining all its investigators because of the abysmal conviction rate due to mishandling of evidence and incompetence among other reasons. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1182868

A Quezon City Police Distict (QCPD) officer involved in an alarm and scandal incident in Marikina City surrendered on Saturday night.

Cpl. Felipe Pauig of the District Tactical Motorized Unit voluntarily gave up his service firearm at Camp Karingal and is now under restrictive custody, Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, QCPD Director, told reporters on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Pauig was tagged in an indiscriminate firing incident in Barangay Tumana, where he resides, on Thursday night.

Investigation showed that after a drinking binge at about 10:30 p.m., Pauig and his friends, Jail Officer 1 Dolfino Gatan of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and security guard Jestony Pauig, took turns firing Gatan's gun along Kangkong Street.

Nobody was reported hurt in the firing that was caught by security cameras.

The Marikina Police Station likewise filed a case for violation of Article 155 (Alarm and Scandals) of the Revised Penal Code while the QCPD has initiated a pre-charge evaluation to determine Pauig’s administrative liability.

A cop has been arrested for indiscriminate firing after going on a drinking binge with friends who work fo the BJMP.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/04/village-dad-tending-store-in-quezon-gunned-down/

A 55-year-old barangay councilor was shot dead while manning his store on Saturday, Sept. 3, in Barangay Ajos in this town.

Police identified the victim as Ramil Advincula, councilor of Barangay Ajos.

Investigation said Advincula was inside his store at 6:50 p.m. when an unidentified man appeared and pretended to buy bottled water and soft drinks.

The suspect drew a gun and shot the victim thrice, killing him on the spot. The gunman fled onboard a motorcycle towards Mulanay, this province.

Advincula’s daughter reported the incident to the police. Local police have conducted a dragnet operation and follow-up investigation to determine the killer’s motive and identity.

A barangay councilor has been assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1658542/ex-army-soldier-busted-in-camsur-drug-sting

Anti-narcotics operatives arrested an ex-Army soldier and his cohort who allegedly yielded more than P3 million worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) during a buy-bust operation in Calabanga, Camarines Sur on Sunday (Sept. 4) night.

Col. Roderico Roy, chief of the Camarines Sur police, said in a report that Alvin Bonifacio, 33, and Jomel Abeca, 23, sold a sachet of shabu to an undercover agent in Barangay Sta. Cruz Ratay at 11:50 p.m.

Bonifacio was a former member of the Philippine Army and was identified as a high-value target for illegal drugs.

During the body search, authorities recovered three knot-tied plastic bags of shabu weighing 500 grams worth an estimated P3.4 million, and another two sachets of shabu.

A former solider has been arrested on drug charges.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1659634/2-ex-nabcor-execs-in-pork-scam-get-up-to-40-years

The Sandiganbayan has convicted two former officials of the now abolished National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) and a private individual for two counts of malversation and two counts of graft involving congressional pork barrel in 2008.

They were sentenced to 24 to 40 years of imprisonment. The congressman earlier implicated in the cases, and whose role was cited in the decision, died in 2018. In an 86-page decision dated Sept. 2, the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division said former Nabcor human resources manager Encarnita-Cristina Munsod, former Nabcor general services head Romulo Relevo and private respondent Margie Tajon-Luz, then president of the GabayMasa Development Foundation Inc., were guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Aside from the prison sentence, the antigraft court ordered Munsod, Relevo and Luz to reimburse a total of P4.85 million, at 6 percent annual interest.

They were found guilty of conspiring in the embezzlement of funds from the discretionary Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of the late Rep. Teodulo Coquilla of the lone district of Eastern Samar.

Munsod, Relevo and Luz were also banned for life from holding any public office and all their retirement benefits were forfeited.

The antigraft court said the prosecution was able to prove that Munsod, Relevo and Luz had conspired with Coquilla in committing graft and malversation of public funds.

Two Nabcor officials have been convicted of embezzling PDAF money.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183108

Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested a retired police officer implicated in a "ghost pension scam" in Rizal province.

In a statement Wednesday, PNP deputy chief for administration, Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo, identified the suspect as retired Senior Police Officer 4 Romeo Arela, 65, who was arrested by members of the PNP Retirement and Benefits Administration Service (PRBS) in coordination with the personnel of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in his residence in Barangay San Jose in Antipolo City on Monday afternoon.

Malayo said the suspect has a standing warrant of arrest dated Nov. 12, 2018, issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 95 for malversation of public funds and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

"Retired SPO4 Arela was criminally and administratively charged for defrauding the government of millions of pesos through the 'ghost pension scam' in the PNP,” Malayo said.

Malayo said a fact-finding investigation also recommended the filing of another 11 counts of violation of Section 3 (e) of RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) against the retired police officer before a Quezon City court.

The scam involves fake names being entered into the PNP's pension database and is allegedly perpetrated by unscrupulous individuals and groups.

The late former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo earlier said the police force has lost over PHP1 billion to ghost pensioners in a span of five years from 2006 to 2011.

In 2020, the PNP under then chief Archie Gamboa ordered a crackdown on over 1,000 unqualified pensioners who are "fraudulently stealing" from its pension fund.

A retired police officer has been arrested for his involvement in a ghost pension scam which has defrauded the PNP of billions of pesos.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/844029/doj-murder-raps-filed-vs-30-cops-in-bloody-sunday-killings/story/

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said murder complaints have been filed against 30 police officers and personnel allegedly linked to the March 2021 "Bloody Sunday" incident.

The incident refers to the police operation to serve search warrants in Batangas that led to the deaths of several activists.

“For those involved in Bloody Sunday, as per the EO 35 team, there were murder cases filed with the Office of the Prosecutor against 30 PNP officers and personnel,” said Justice Undersecretary Brigido Dulay told the House appropriations committee during a budget hearing.

Dulay was responding to ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro's inquiry regarding updates on the investigation into the Bloody Sunday incident.

Murder raps have been field against 30 cops who participated in the Bloody Sunday raids which killed several activists. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1660547/2-army-personnel-held-in-davao-city-for-firearms-violations

Law enforcers in this city have arrested two Army personnel for alleged firearms law violations.

Members of the Task Force Davao and the Toril Police Station manning the Sirawan checkpoint in the city’s boundary with Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, arrested on Wednesday Private First Class Mohammad Kitig, 26.

He was assigned to the Civil Military Operations Unit of the 6th Infantry Division based in Datu Odin Sinsuat town, Maguindanao.

Found in Kitig, who was driving a vehicle on his way to the city, were six high-powered rifles, a .45-caliber pistol, assorted ammunition, and personal belongings.

A police report said the soldier brought the firearms “without carrying legal documents.”

Kidtig was brought to the police station as a criminal complaint for violating the Comprehensive Firearm and Ammunition Regulation Act was still being prepared against him.

On Tuesday, Captain Ahmad Matawag, 36, of the 10th Infantry Division based in Mawab town, Davao de Oro, was arrested for selling an M16 assault rifle to a government agent posing as a gun buyer.

The agent turned out to be a part of a team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Army Intelligence Unit going after loose firearms.

Two soldiers have been arrested on firearms violations.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/08/22/5-teachers-face-formal-charges-over-alleged-sexual-harassment

The Department of Education has filed administrative charges against 5 of the 7 high school teachers accused of sexual harassment in Bacoor, Cavite, its spokesperson said Thursday.

DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa said the teachers were charged with grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of the agency's child protection policy.

The department is unable to issue charges against the 2 remaining teachers due to lack of evidence, Poa said. He reiterated his appeal for students to come forward if they experienced sexual harassment or abuse in their schools.

"We are encouraging victims of alleged sexual harassment to come out so they can give their affidavit, statement or evidence so we can file formal charges, not just against the 7 teachers but also against others who supposedly commit sexual harassments," he said in a press briefing.

Due to the charges, the teachers were placed under a 90-day preventive suspension, said Poa.

The accused teachers will be asked "to choose between a proceeding by position paper only or by trial," he explained.

5 teachers have been charged with sexual harassment.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/06/400-central-luzon-cops-dismissed-from-service-since-2016/

About 400 police personnel in Central Luzon have been dismissed from service since 2016 in line with the Philippine National Police’s intensified internal cleansing program.

Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) Acting Regional Director Brigadier General Cesar Pasiwen said that the latest data show a total of 937 cops were involved in cases ranging from grave neglect of duty, mostly absence without leave (AWOL), grave misconduct, serious irregularities while some members of the police force were meted with disciplinary sanctions for administrative offenses and involvement in irregularities.

Of the 937 cops involved in various cases, 400 were dismissed from service while the others involved in less serious offenses were meted with penalties.

Around 56 were demoted, 376 were suspended, two faced forfeiture of salary, 23 were reprimanded, 208 were restricted while privileges were withheld for 286 personnel.

400 out of 937 cops from central Luzon have been dismissed since 2016 for various offenses. The rest were given various penalties.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Special Week of Vaccinations, Learning to Live with COVID-19, and More!

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

Last week Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama issued an EO declaring face mask wearing in public non-obligatory. Now the DILG says that EO is on hold.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/09/01/2206650/cebu-citys-rule-optional-masking-on-hold-dilg

The Department of the Interior and Local Government said Thursday that Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has agreed to put an order relaxing the requrement on wearing face masks on hold.

"Mayor Mike agreed to temporarily put this executive order on hold by virtue of my commitment to bring the matter to the IATF for deliberation," DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said in a statement.

Abalos also asked other local executives to defer the implementation of similar policies until the matter is discussed by the IATF.

This was after Rama signed an executive order making the wearing of face masks a voluntary act in most places in Cebu City, except in hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities despite the ongoing health crisis.

The Department of Health also opposed the policy shift, saying it is not yet time to ditch the use of face masks even as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to decline.

The agency’s officer-in-charge, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, also stressed Thursday the need for a “one nation approach” as the country battles the pandemic.

“Wearing a mask is just a small sacrifice to protect ourselves. When we protect ourselves, we can also protect our family members,” Vergeire said in Filipino.

But the DILG chief said he will suggest to the IATF to make Cebu City the pilot implementer of the measure declaring the use of face masks non-obligatory.

Abalos said “the city has always been first in espousing non-masking policies outdoors for the ease and benefits of its people amid the pandemic.”

While the hold is only temporary until the IATF gives their opinion DILG Secretary Abalos says he will recommend Cebu City as a pilot implementer of making face masks non-obligatory.

The DOH is still focused on their vaccination program. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/09/02/2206794/doh-planning-conduct-special-week-vaccinations

The Department of Health (DOH) has bared its plan to conduct a special week of vaccination drive by the end of the month in line with the efforts to ramp up the country’s immunity against COVID-19.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire admitted that the PinasLakas vaccination program, at this time, is “way below” its target of giving anti-COVID booster shots for at least 23 million Filipinos by the 100th day of the Marcos administration on Oct. 8.

Although the details of the special week are still being ironed out, she said this would step up the initial gains of the government’s PinasLakas.

“This is just one of the strategies we will be adopting so we can expand vaccination efforts in the country’s different regions,” Vergeire said at a recent press briefing. “We might not be able to reach the original target but at least we now aim to achieve half of it so that we can raise the wall of immunity in the country.”

For the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI), the DOH might be able to increase the numbers of recipients in the vaccination drive if it conducts a “house-to-house” campaign.

“What we are suggesting is if there are not that many showing up in the government’s targeted vaccination sites, maybe health care workers can go directly to the people and have the latter vaccinated inside their homes,” said Dr. Jose de Grano, PHAPI president.

“I think we should start it already. The people have been waiting for them but maybe because others only suffer from mild symptoms (of COVID-19), they don’t worry much,” De Grano added in a text message. 

On Wednesday, the DOH recorded 1,558 new COVID-19 infections – the lowest daily tally since July 12 when 1,363 cases were recorded.

Imagine getting a knock on your door, or a shout because after all this is the Philippines, and it's a government employee who wants to inject you with an experimental drug! That's worse than when the Jehovah's Witnesses come proselytizing. 

Despite people dying after being vaccinated the DOH says there is no casual connection.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/02/22/doh-not-all-fatal-covid-19-vaccine-outcome-related-to-jab

Reports of fatal outcome following COVID-19 vaccination are not all causally related to the jab, the Department of Health said Friday.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire made this remark in response to a question about deaths supposedly associated to the inoculation.

According to a report from the Food and Drug Administration, there were 2,573 fatal events recorded after COVID-19 vaccination as of July 25. 

The drug regulator noted "reports of fatal outcome does not necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the events."

"So, ibig sabihin hindi po lahat ng namamatay dahil sa pagkakabakuna ay dahil dito sa COVID-19 vaccine," Vergeire said in a press briefing. "Not all of this are causally related dito sa pagbabakuna natin."

As of Aug. 6, the country has administered more than 159 million doses of COVID-19 shots, she said. Of the figure, some 0.07 percent reported adverse reaction while 0.006 percent were severe adverse reaction.

"Again, lahat po ng nire-report natin na fatal outcomes dito po sa ating website does not necessarily mean that the vaccines caused the deaths of these individuals," Vergeire stressed.

In FDA's "Reports of Suspected Adverse Reaction to COVID-19 Vaccines," the drug regulator said "underlying conditions or pre-existing medical conditions causing fatal events are usually coincidental on the use of the vaccine".

Of the fatal cases, 1,470 or 57.13 percent belonged to age group 60 years and above; 702 or 27.28 percent from 40-59; 332 or 12.90 percent from 18-39; 39 or 1.52 percent from 12-17; 12 or 0.47 percent from 5-11; and 18 or 0.70 percent were not identified to what age group they are classified.

"Most of these events occurred in persons with multiple existing comorbidities. These include cardiovascular diseases, ischemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and infections including pneumonia. There were cases of confirmed COVID-19 infections leading to severe cases with fatal outcomes," the report reads.

To say not all fatalities occurring after vaccination are related to the vaccine is to admit some of them are. It's also enlightening to read that many of these deaths occurred in people with comorbidities. That is a factor many news reports omit. 

The PGH says COVID hospital beds are filling up. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/843788/pgh-covid-19-wards-becoming-full-former-ntf-adviser/story/

The COVID-19 ward of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) is becoming full, a former adviser of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said Monday. 

In a public briefing, Dr. Ted Herbosa, a former NTF adviser and incumbent professor of emergency medicine and trauma surgery at UP-PGH, said that an average of five to six individuals test positive for COVID-19 in the hospital while their emergency patients reach 80 to 90 per day.

[Our COVID-19 wards are also becoming full because we reduced the number of beds there when the COVID-19 cases decreased. But it’s starting to become full. So initially, there were sometimes one or two beds left.]

Despite this, he said that most of the COVID-19 cases are not serious, especially those vaccinated.

[But our cases are not really that serious, especially those vaccinated. If they are vaccinated, they will have mild symptoms and they can go home immediately from the hospital.]

COVID-19 beds are filling because they reduced the number of beds! That is one neat trick. 

Despite the deceit of the PGH the DOH says the COVID-19 situation is actually improving. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/03/22/ph-covid-19-situation-improving-says-analyst

The Philippines is seeing an "improvement" in its COVID-19 situation with the continued decline of reported COVID-19 cases, an analyst said Friday.

ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido said the daily number of reported COVID-19 cases in the past week did not exceed the 4,000 level, and the latest positivity rate is already down to 12.4 percent, compared to at least 18 percent several weeks ago .

"There is really an improvement in the numbers," Guido said.

"What we are seeing now is that the trend is really going down... so we are reaching the level of 1,000 plus new cases again."

Based on the Department of Health's weekly COVID-19 update released on Friday, Mindanao was already showing signs of plateauing, the Visayas remained on a plateau, while the rest of the areas continuously showed a slow downtrend.

Severe and critical cases, meanwhile, remained on a plateau, with less than 1,000 cases.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, however, clarified that the numbers are not yet stable as she urged the public to remain cautious.

"Right now we see that the number of our cases is not that stable, although it is down but there is still transmission happening in every community," Vergeire said.

"It can also be seen that there are still people who get serious and die from our disease."

While COVID-19 cases are decreasing, Guido said the number of daily reported deaths remained high the past several days, which reached over 50.

"This is not really the time for us to have a false sense of security because trends change very quickly," he said. "From good to bad, that happens very quickly."

The situation is improving but we cant have a false sense of security because people are still dying. And just what are the stats on those who have died? How many were vaccinated and how many have comorbibdities?

Despite these happy scare tactics (it's going good but be cautious) Filipinos are learning to live with the virus.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/04/experts-observe-pinoys-learning-to-live-with-covid-19/

Filipinos are learning to live with Covid-19.

This is the observation of Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and OCTA Research fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco as vaccination rates “hardly moved” in the past month.

Austriaco believes that it would be incorrect to dismiss low booster rates as mere complacency.

Based on data from the National Covid-19 Vaccination Dashboard, vaccination rates hardly moved in the past month, with only 18.1 million booster vaccinations administered despite the 71.5 million people who are eligible for it.

“The Filipino people appear to have moved beyond vaccines,” he said, adding that people are now weighing how much risk is acceptable to them.

“They see people around them with mild illness, and they appear to have concluded that the cost of getting a booster is greater than the risk of getting sick with mild Omicron Covid-19,” Austriaco said.

Concepcion, on the other hand, observed that the preferred use of antigen testing may also be contributing to the underreporting of cases.

“I believe more people are infected but most are not reporting the cases anymore since antigen testing is what is used more often,” he said.

He said that this may also be contributing to low booster uptake because those who are being infected do not bother to take boosters anymore.

“Omicron will act as a booster for those who get it,” Austriaco said, adding that he believes natural infection is significantly better than the Omicron booster that is being rolled out in the United States because there is significant data that shows that natural immunity is more robust than vaccine immunity.

Filipinos have moved beyond vaccines and testing. That is a better theory than the one form the DOH that everyone is being complacent and incautious. 

There is so much coronavirus news to report that I won't get it all in this one article. The lady who skipped quarantine to go party last year has been sentenced in the fastest trial ever in the Philippines. She pled guilty. A medical doctor wrote an editor to the letter opining that masks should never come off. There might have been a breach in contract tracing data which is what has led to the recent phone scams where the scammer knows the victim's name.

However the week ends with big news as the IATF has recommend lifting mandatory face masks outdoors.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/844038/iatf-recommends-optional-face-mask-use-outdoors-says-palace/story/

The Inter-Agency Task Force of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has recommended the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces by year-end amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang said Wednesday.

In a hybrid press briefing, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the IATF’s recommendation is to make optional the wearing of face mask in open spaces or non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation, provided that the COVID-19 booster uptake in the country improves.

(IATF's recommendation is to liberalize our mask wearing mandate and make mask wearing outdoors voluntary across the country.)

Cruz-Angeles stressed that this is not yet a policy, but the pilot testing of the optional face mask use will be conducted towards the end of the year.

(The lifting of the mandatory mask mandate will be piloted towards the last quarter of 2022, provided there is an improvement in the COVID booster vaccination coverage.)

Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire confirmed such a suggestion by the IATF, saying that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has already “verbally approved” it.

"There is a verbal approval from the President when they talk to Secretary Benhur from DILG," she said, referring to the Secretary Benhur Abalos of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

It is not clear if this is really the recommendation of the IATF or if it was commanded by Marcos. Either way the same day this news was broadcast the totally opposite was recommended by an infectious disease expert working with the DOH.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1659551/expert-not-yet-time-to-ease-health-rules

A member of the government’s vaccine expert panel on Tuesday warned that the relaxation of minimum public health protocols, such as the mandatory wearing of face masks, was “very dangerous” as it could lead to fewer people taking their booster shots and the more vulnerable getting hospitalized due to severe COVID-19.

Speaking during the televised Laging Handa public briefing, Dr. Rontgene Solante, an infectious diseases expert, cited Cebu City’s policy of making the wearing of face masks outdoors optional.

“I’m not in favor of lifting or making wearing of face mask outdoors optional because of the low population with booster shots in the general public. And secondly, COVID-19 is still here, we still have community transmission, and this measure [in Cebu City] is very dangerous,” he said.

Dr. Rontgene Solante is a member of the DOH's technical advisory group and she says living the face mask mandate would be dangerous. The point is the IATF and the DOH are simply not in tandem. There are too many experts out there giving contradictory opinions.

The God Culture: Soul and Spirit: Where Do We Go When We Die Part 3

Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture's series about the afterlife is pretty massive and cannot really be distilled into a few articles but I shall do my best. The last article dismissed three of the videos in his series as totally irrelevant. In this article I want to look at his definition of soul and spirit. Spoiler alert: they are the same. But are they really? 

Tim is very straightforward about the nature of man. Man is composed of body and spirit only.

What Is The Soul? Where Do We Go? Part 6 Answers In 2nd Esdras 23F 

10:11 We are not triune beings in either sense. We are made of really a body and a spirit which is the soul in many scriptures equated and we're going to show you so don't worry. The two are interchanged and we'll show you.

20:34 So, the spirit and soul cannot be separated into a definition of a triune being nor can they be separated in any way. They are the same in representation, see? The soul as an essence, well, that's direct new age occult, uh, basically, uh, it, it, I mean it could be better than that because it's the breath of life, okay? You could, you know, you could go there but even the word as an essence, I mean that's it just sounds so new agey it's just weird to look at that in the middle of a definition here. 

What an incredibly stupid statement. Tim has no idea what accidents and essences are. They have nothing to do with the new age or the occult. This is incredibly dumb. 

What is the soul? It is our life force.

22:40 Our soul is our being, our life force, our spirit, indeed.

Tim's main argument is that the term translated soul and spirit is general and means a multitude of things. Therefore you cannot pin down any one definition. While that is not necessarily false the fact is that simply because the word translated heart, soul, mind, spirit, and understanding can mean a wide variety of things does not mean the that they are all the same and interchangeable. It's really odd that Tim, in this video only covers ONE GREEK WORD which is G5990, psyche.

Actually it's not odd because Tim's modus operandi is to throw a lot at his listeners to make it seem as if he has covered everything when in fact he has barely scratched the surface and twisted the information he is using. There are three other words he did not cover, dianoia, nous, and cardia. They are translated mind, understanding, and heart respectively. Matthew 22:37 would then read as follows:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy KARDIA, and with all thy PSYCHE, and with all thy DIANOIA.

Why does Jesus use three different words if they all mean the same thing? It would be as silly as saying, "I am going for a drive in my car, horseless carriage, and automobile." You only need one word. 

As important as getting the definition of words correct is, I don't want to quibble over that here and I will not be ferreting out Greek definitions. There are two ways to show what Tim is saying is absolutely wrong and that the spirt/mind/heart is not the same thing as the soul.

The first way to show that Tim is wrong is by analyzing what he says in video 9 about spiritual death. Tim vehemently disagrees with the standard interpretation of God threatening death upon eating from the tree of knowledge to mean that Adam died spiritually. One cannot die spiritually except on the day of judgement says Tim. 

What Is Hell? Is It Real? Part 9 Answers In 2nd Esdras 23I

13:27 Your spirit can't die because you sin. Now, you can eternally set your position that you will be in hell, that you will die, yes, but that's not what the Bible does here. It's not playing these word games of dumb scholars that just don't get it. It doesn't do it. So, spirits don't die not unless they are consumed with eternal fire period. That is the only measure in scripture for so-called spiritual death. We do not die spiritually when we sin. Our spirits can't die. It can set it up sure but the Bible doesn't do that there and that is not what Yahuah is saying to Adam. They have rephrased Yahuah's words changing the Bible. It is a lie.

There are problems with that interpretation. First of all the Bible does say Adam would die in "the day" he ate from the tree."  

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

But it is only in Jubilees that we read an interpretation about dying in the day you eat from the tree.  Any story that comes from Jubilees is apocryphal nonsense that is rightfully ignored. That book is not and never will be scripture.  But even so Jubilees says this:

4:29 And at the close of the nineteenth jubilee, in the seventh week in the sixth year thereof, Adam died, and all his sons buried him in the land of his creation, and he was the first to be buried in the earth. 

30  And he lacked seventy years of one thousand years; for one thousand years are as one day in the testimony of the heavens and therefore was it written concerning the tree of knowledge: 'On the day that ye eat thereof ye shall die.' For this reason he did not complete the years of this day; for he died during it.

Are we really supposed to believe that when God said you will die the day you eat from the tree he really meant you will die within a thousand years? What kind of threat or punishment is that? How does it apply to the rest of humanity who fell in Adam and are subject to the same penalty? The punishment happened then and there. Adam died. He became spiritually dead and separated from communion with God and so are we.

Secondly, the Bible says we are all spiritually dead in numerous passages. I will only list a few.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Obviously our soul is not dead as in lifeless. We are alive. But as the Bible says, we are dead in our sins while we live until Jesus Christ quickens us by the Holy Spirit. What exactly about us is dead? What did Jesus mean when he said let the dead bury their dead?

Matthew 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

How can someone dead do anything? Because Jesus means they are spiritually dead and are walking after the things of this world rather than seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The spirt and mind are not the same as the soul. Tim says the soul is the life force. Everyone has a soul, a life force. 

If the soul is our life force and there is no unique spirit or mind then all men would be the same. A force is not personal. A force is an impersonal power like combustion which powers an engine which makes a car go. Not all cars and engines are the same. But combustion is a principle which never changes. In the case of humanity the life is in the blood.

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

The word translated life is the Hebrew word nepes which is translated elsewhere as soul. Obviously our blood is not our soul. But there is power in our blood which gives us life. There is a life force inside us that makes our heart beat, that powers our autonomic nervous system. Is the force that regulates our body the same as our mind, will, and emotions. Obviously not! Yet in Tim's system it would have to be because man is only body and soul.

What makes each man different is his unique spirit or mind or heart. It is clear that spirit, soul, mind, and heart are not the same thing which is why there are different words for them. In fact the Bible tells us that we were once dead in our sins and fulfilling the lusts of the body and the mind.

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The word in this verse translated mind is dianoia and not psyche which shows they are not the same thing. It's a shame that Tim did not discuss the meaning of dianoia and only focused on psyche. But it is only a Youtube video after all.  Maybe he will write a book on the subject?

Another word Tim did not discuss in his video is the Hebrew word translated heart or mind.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3820/kjv/wlc/0-1/

This word, leb, translates as heart, mind, or understanding as in the following verses:

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Exodus 7:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

From the context we can see that heart does not mean breath of life or nepes which is the only Hebrew word Tim analyzes. Going through the usage it is painfully obvious that nepes is not at all the same as leb. Leb always means something immaterial. Nepes can mean the immaterial soul but it can also mean the entire person.

Genesis 14:21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

Exodus 16:16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

The fact is Timothy Jay Schwab has not proven a single thing except that the words psyche and nepes can mean many things. But so what? Looking at the context of how these words are used shows that man does have a spirt as well as a soul and a body. The soul is what gives us life and the spirit is who we are. It is what makes us unique. It is our mind and heart. It is a lot of things. Can one harden the soul? Is the life force of man deceitful as Jeremiah says? No. That is the spirit. 

Tim's analysis of these two Greek and Hebrew words for soul is very poor. It's as bad as the first two videos where, instead of giving any context, he simply points to the word sleep and says, "See? It plainly says we go to sleep when we die." 

The second way to show Timothy Jay Schwab is completely wrong in denying that man has a spirit which is distinct from a soul is to look at the nature of Jesus Christ or Christology.

To really understand man we must first understand that we are created in the image of God and that God, in the Person of Jesus Christ who is the Son, took on human flesh. Properly understanding the incarnation is essential to understanding ourselves. Jesus, the divine Second Person of the Trinity, united Himself to human flesh, and had a human soul and a human mind. 

We must understand that while Christ is not a human Person but a Divine Person, that does not mean it is the divinity that empowers the body without a soul. That is akin to the heresy known as Apollinarianism which denies that Jesus had a rational human mind.

A Christological theory, according to which Christ had a human body and a human sensitive soul, but no human rational mind, the Divine Logos taking the place of this last.

https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01615b.htm

According to Apollinaris Jesus had a body and soul but the Person of Christ, the Logos, took the place of the rational mind. 

Looking at this from the dichotomy that is Tim's perspective means that Apollinaris would have taught that Jesus did not have a human soul. Instead he would have taught the Jesus had a human body but the soul, the life force, was the Logos. Kind of like God using a body as a puppet. In both schemes Jesus would not have been fully human. Every man has a soul. Every man has a rational mind or spirit. The mind is not the soul.

The Church teaches in no uncertain terms that Jesus Christ was fully man without sin. That means he had a body, soul, and mind. There is a principle taught by Gregory of Nazianzus.

If anyone has put his trust in Him as a Man without a human mind, he is really bereft of mind, and quite unworthy of salvation. For that which He has not assumed He has not healed; but that which is united to His Godhead is also saved. If only half Adam fell, then that which Christ assumes and saves may be half also; but if the whole of his nature fell, it must be united to the whole nature of Him that was begotten, and so be saved as a whole. Let them not, then, begrudge us our complete salvation, or clothe the Saviour only with bones and nerves and the portraiture of humanity. 

https://earlychurchtexts.com/public/gregoryofnaz_critique_of_apolliniarianism.htm

Now, I know Tim won't give a fig for what the "Synagogue of Satan" has to say unless it aids his defcient worldview but Christology is very important. It is not enough to say Jesus is God. Many heretics have said the same thing. The church spent 700 years formulating its Christology against those heretics. Jesus Christ is the Logos who became man. He united Himself to a human body, soul, and mind or spirit all while retaining his divine nature and personhood. Jesus is not a human person he is a divine person with a human nature and a divine nature. This is why we can say God was born of Mary and God died on the cross.

This was just a brief analysis and rebuttal of Tim's doctrine of the soul and spirit. As we have seen Tim's discussion of the issue is as shallow as ever. He only discussed TWO WORDS in the whole Bible which can be translated a number of ways. He did not bother to discuss all the other words which can be translated mind, spirit, or heart or analyze the contexts in which they are used. If he did he would have to come to the conclusion that man is a tripartite being made of body, soul, and spirit/mind. Did the Pharaoh harden his soul? Of course not.

Insurgency: Outlaw CPP-NPA and Front Organizations

In last week's look at the insurgency I ended with the fact that the CHED Chairman's sister was arrested for being a high ranking member of the NPA. I asked the following question:

How long until he is red-tagged by the authorities? 

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2022/08/insurgency-crush-insurgency-within.html 

Turns out not long at all!

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1182522

Senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday said it may be time to require a full disclosure of relatives of government employees who, in one way or another, are connected with terrorist groups or criminal syndicates.

In his privilege speech on Tuesday, Tolentino said amendments must be introduced to the filing of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) to expand queries on relatives and family relations.

“I think it is right that when one enters the government to perhaps declare that you have a relative who is a member of a terrorist organization or criminal syndicate up to the fourth degree of consanguinity,” he said.

The senator's speech was in reaction to the involvement with communists of an elder sister of Prospero de Vera III, chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Adora Faye de Vera was arrested by the police in Teacher’s Village East, Quezon City on August 24.

She is wanted for multiple murder (with the use of explosives) and multiple frustrated murder charges filed at the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court Branch 22. She also has a separate criminal case for rebellion.

“I have not seen her and I have not spoken to her for more than 25 years since she decided to rejoin the underground movement. I do not share her views nor support her actions,” the CHED chief said, but added she wished her sister is safe and in good condition while in detention.

The sister, according to Tolentino, is accused of masterminding the killing of military and police personnel in the Visayas and is a ranking officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA).

“In the other branches of the government, appointed or elected, there are still some in power who have siblings connected with the CPP-NPA or a kidnap-for-ransom gang, Abu Sayyaf Group or any terrorist organization,” Tolentino said.

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa supported Tolentino's proposal not to pressure government officials but for the law enforcement groups to know how to manage information.

"Like for example, a Cabinet member is given the highest level of security clearance. But then again, ‘pag malaman ng security community na may kapatid pala ito na nasa kabila (if the security community finds out that the Cabinet member has a sibling on the other side), then they know how to treat [the person]," Dela Rosa said in his manifestation of support.

Dela Rosa, who headed the Philippine National Police during the Duterte administration, said a government official may also "unknowingly" share top secret information to a relative belonging to a terror group and which can be used against the government.

He said he knows of a high-ranking officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines whose sibling is an NPA member.

"It's beyond his control. Pero (But) at least, alam ng security community na meron siyang (the security community knows that he has a) brother na nasa kabila (on the other side)," he said.

Dela Rosa was referring to Brig. Gen. Jim Zumel, who was a superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy during the Marcos Sr. administration, while his journalist brother, Tony, was the first chair of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and later became its senior adviser.

Tony died in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2001 and Jim in 2019 shortly after coming home from the United States.

There are two things to notice here. Number one despite Prospero de Vera disavowing his sister's activities this man is being connected to those activities because of his blood relation. Second of all who does the vetting process for these people? Are we to believe that the NBI or the CA or whoever is tasked with investigating political appointees have no idea what the relatives of appointees are up to? That is appalling and just goes to show how inept the government really is. 

It reminds of the fact that even the NICA, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, says there are 300,000 to 400,000 known and named CPP-NPA-NDF members or allies working for the government!

“We know who they are, that they are even party members, supporters of the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines]. But pinapaalam din natin sa kanila na alam natin. Alam nila na alam namin, alam ng security forces, alam ng gobyerno kung sino sila at binabantayan natin sila (We have informed them that we know. They know that we know, the security forces know, the government knows them, and we are watching them),” Monteagudo said.

As per NICA’s latest estimate, there are about 300,000 to 400,000 who are allies of different CPP-NPA-NDF front organizations.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2021/02/insurgency-military-should-learn-from.html  

If these people pose a threat then stop watching and remove them from office! The intelligence apparatus of the Philippines is so fraught with holes it is incredible. From having prior knowledge of the Marawi siege and doing nothing to prevent it to not properly vetting political appointees the holes are big and because no one wants to investigate and fix the problem they have no doubt gotten bigger over the years. 

The AFP and Department of Education has signed an agreement to prevent CPP-NPA infiltration in schools. This is an initiative VP Sara Duterte says she welcomes.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1182616

The Department of Education (DepEd)-Schools Division Office (SDO) of Aurora and the Army’s 91st Infantry Battalion (91IB) have teamed up for an information awareness campaign against the recruitment and infiltration of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army among students in the province.

The target of the campaign are the students in Grades 9, 10, and senior high schools.

The memorandum of agreement was signed Tuesday at the SDO-Aurora in Barangay Bacong, San Luis town between Schools Division Superintendent of Aurora Dr. Catalina Paez and 91IB commander Lt. Col. Julito Recto Jr., and witnessed by DepEd–Aurora and 91IB officials.

Paez said on Wednesday the DepEd family is fortunate for having a partnership with the Philippine Army.

“There is a saying that it takes a village to take a child. Our department is looking for partners who will provide and help us. We are continuing to negotiate with our partners with a good heart that will help our youth and the community. Every centavo, time and efforts that our partners gave are important to our department,” she said in an interview.

Under the partnership, the DepEd will support the efforts of the 91IB in lawfully reaching out to students who shall receive education from the DepEd about ending local communist armed conflict.

The DepEd will allow the youth information awareness campaign in the vicinity of pre-identified schools provided that the plan of instruction (POI), consisting of the subject/topic of the education campaigns, the medium/methodology of instruction, duration of instruction, shall have been evaluated and approved by the regional task force.

Meanwhile, the 91IB will commit to implementing a youth information awareness campaign, giving due consideration to gender-sensitive, child-friendly, and safe environments in the schools.

The 91IB will also maintain coordinative linkage with the DepEd by providing the department and the head of the school with information on where the program shall be held, with the proposal of the program and the plan of instruction before its conduct.

“Our objective is to communicate with the students on matters about the local communist armed conflict through the implementation of the program youth information awareness campaign wherein it is part of the DepEd’s vision of producing Filipinos who passionately love their country and whose values and competencies enable them to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation,” Recto said.

That is a whole lot of nothing. How exactly is the CPP-NPA infiltrating grade 9, 10, and 11 students? They don't say. How will such infiltration be stopped? Through a youth information awareness campaign? That is very broad. As should be well known by now the AFP has red tagged all the alleged CPP fronts so they should come out and say they will be teaching students to stay away from those groups but they don't even say that. 

In fact one member of the House wants to revive the subversion law and make membership in the CPP-NPA-NDF or one of their front organizations a criminal offense. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1182724

A party-list lawmaker on Thursday filed a measure proposing to outlaw the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and all other organizations supporting them in their recruitment, operations, and financial transactions.

Duterte Youth Party-List Representative Drixie Mae Cardema filed House Bill 4324, which seeks to declare the CPP-NPA-NDF and all organizations supporting them as "illegal" and "outlawed".

"For the defense of our Republic and protection of the Filipino youth from being recruited as terrorist fighters, it is imperative that we provide this strong legal measure to support our government, our government troops, and the millions of peace-loving Filipinos in securing our society from the said terrorist activities," Cardema said.

The bill states that anyone who becomes or remains a member of the CPP-NPA-NDF or any organization supporting them shall be punished by the penalty of prision mayor and shall be disqualified permanently from holding any public office, appointive or elective, and his/her real and personal properties shall be confiscated.

In case of a second conviction, the principal penalty shall be reclusion temporal, and in all subsequent convictions, the penalty of reclusion perpetua shall be imposed.

This bill is similar to and likely is the same bill Cardema filed in December 2020. That would be House Bill 8231.

https://hrep-website.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/legisdocs/basic_18/HB08231.pdf

Neither bill 8231 or 4324 define which groups are front groups or support groups of the CPP-NPA-NDF. Such an omission is crucial as it is an admission that despite labeling the Makabayan Bloc a front group when it comes down to it they are not sure enough to put it into law. Without that definition this bill is dangerous and would transform innocent people into criminals. 

Human rights workers are routinely accused of being CPP fronts. This week one activist claims he was abducted and forced to admit being a Communist. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1655780/activist-forced-to-admit-hes-a-rebel-says-group

In a statement, CPA said Stephen Tauli, 63, was taken by five men on Aug. 20 and was detained for hours in Tabuk City before he was released a day later.

“We equally expect resolute investigation by the local authorities and the PNP (Philippine National Police) to ascertain truth and accountability on this latest violation against a staunch advocate of IP (indigenous people) and human rights,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement.

Tauli’s abduction happened weeks after CPA petitioned the Court of Appeals to grant them a writ of amparo to protect its members from threats posed by Red-tagging allegedly committed by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), other law enforcement agencies, and the government intelligence community.

According to CPA, social media posts portrayed their members as “communist terrorists,” which made them easy targets of aggression by elements of the police in the entire region.In the group’s petition for a writ of amparo, CPA counsel Francesca Macli-ing-Claver said these online posts were “repeated, or repackaged with [the same] content, and reposted” within the network of policemen and the military.

Tauli, who is not party to the petition, was buying provisions at a small grocery in Tabuk near the CPA office in the Kalinga provincial capital when five masked men dragged him into a van at 6:45 p.m., according to CPA’s account.

The group said Tauli, brother of former United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues chair Victoria Tauli Corpuz, was beaten up, handcuffed and blindfolded while he was pressing his abductors to reveal their identities or their ranks, believing they were policemen or soldiers.

According to CPA, Tauli later “pleaded that [his abductors] should use legal means by filing a case through the courts, and [had demanded that they] bring him to the police station or military camp instead of bringing him to an unknown location.”Tauli’s abductors responded by talking about the NTF-Elcac “and its objective of stopping the insurgency problem in the country,” CPA said.

It added: “They interrogated him about his work … [and] wanted him to confirm the identities of [individuals] tied to the CPP-NPA (the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed revolutionary wing, the New People’s Army).”

Tauli was reportedly transferred to another vehicle and taken to a secluded house two hours later.

After further interrogation, CPA said the masked men allegedly forced Tauli to “sign a sworn statement admitting the supposed position he was alleged to be holding in the CPP-NPA leadership,” which he was made to read while being recorded.

Tauli was released on the night of Aug. 21 and was found dazed and in shock by CPA members who had been searching for him.

If it was government officials who abducted this man that is appalling. It is appalling either way. It would not be surprising if it were AFP or PNP agents who abducted Tauli seeing as the government has been doing its level best to pin his sister as a being a rebel.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-rights-un-idUSKCN1GM0HO

The Philippine justice ministry last month filed a petition in a Manila court seeking the declaration of more than 600 alleged communist guerrillas as “terrorists”, according to the document seen by Reuters.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the U.N. special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, was listed as a member of the Maoist rebel group. She has denied the allegations.

“The charges are entirely baseless and malicious,” Tauli-Corpuz told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.

“The government sees this as an opportunity to pursue people they don’t like. I am worried for my safety and the safety of others on the list, including several rights activists.”

Hounding innocent people is not the way to win the fight against the insurgency. But that seems to be the path the Philippines has chosen.

Senator Loren Legarda says peace talks should resume. 

https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/news/loren-legarda-defends-cpp-ndf-ideologies-a00203-20220831

Legarda, likewise, expressed concern over the attacks on ideologies that deviate from the mainstream. These comments come during an epidemic of "red-tagging" and the banning of "subversive" books in the country.

"Believing in an ideology which may be different from the majority, in layman's term believing in philosophies that may left-center so to speak, does not make anyone subversive...  I hope that the peace talks can be revived so that we...  can work together towards peace, equity, and authentic, real reforms in the countryside," she said.

Legarda then declared: ''All I can say is that having celebrated National Heroes' Day yesterday, there are many heroes in our midst whom we see and who we do not see and know. Even heroes who may be associated with the CPP. I declare that I have worked with the NDF, and I am not ashamed of it.''

She also explained that there isn't any law or pronouncement from the government that has stated that the "CPP or similar organizations, movements, beliefs, associations" are enemies of the state. "If we see and study what they actually believe and want, it is social justice," she emphasized.

The four-time senator added: "I would not pass judgement and label certain organizations whose beliefs may be different from the general majority... When we look at it, we bear similar objectives, visions, dreams for our people.''

Legarda has been a long-time advocate of peace talks. In 1999, Legarda helped facilitate the safe releases of late General Victor Obillo, then Captain Eduardo Montealto, and then Sergeant Alpio Lozada, among others, who were then held captive by rebel groups.

CPP members can be heroes? Legarda has gotten a lot of flack for these statements but it should never be forgotten that Duterte said the same things while he was Mayor of Davao.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/704460/duterte-defends-allowing-heros-burial-for-slain-npa-leader

Anti-communist leader Pastor Alcover even wrote on his Facebook page that Duterte should be condemned.

“Parago is dead. Death is permanent. But to me when the person is dead it is all even,” Duterte retorted.

He said while Parago was a communist leader, he should be respected for his ideology.

“After all, that guy is not an ugly guy. He was not a robber. He did not sell drugs. He was there dreaming of a different setup for the Philippines. That is all his sin,” the feisty mayor said.

Duterte said there was nothing wrong in his talks with the NPA either because as a mayor, one of his jobs is to ensure the city was peaceful and free from communist-led violence.

“I cannot seal my door. I need a window to talk to the CPP-NPA,” he said.

Duterte also openly admitted that he was not against the NPA and its ideology of social equality.

“I am not against you. I will not fight against you. We have the same view of the government and politics,” he said.

Duterte said he had "the same view of government and politics" as the NPA and was never condemned by the nation for saying that. Those condemning Legarda are probably so ignorant that they don't even know Duterte uttered such treason.