Coronavirus Lockdown: Marcos Jr. Very Hesitant, Win War vs COVID-19, and More!

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

China has backed off its zero-COVID policy and now infections are spreading like wildfire. They have also reopened their borders allowing Chinese citizens to travel abroad. Many countries are now imposing restrictions on persons entering from China. But not the Philippines. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/12/29/2234064/doh-sees-no-need-yet-restrict-arrivals-china-covid-cases-surge

The Department of Health on Thursday said it is not yet time to impose tighter restrictions for travelers from China, which is seeing an explosion of COVID-19 cases following the lifting of strict rules there.

In a briefing, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the department is confident that existing health protocols and strengthened surveillance systems are adequate.

"The DOH doesn’t think that it’s required or it’s needed already that we close our borders or have regulations or restrictions specific only to China because of what’s happening in their country," Vergeire said in a briefing.

"We are in a much better position now compared to one or two years ago because most of our citizens are fully vaccinated already, and have learned the good behavior of practicing minimum public health standards," she added.

Vergeire issued the statement a day after Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said he was in favor of imposing COVID-19 measures—such as testing—on visitors from China.

A growing number of countries including the United States and Italy have announced curbs for Chinese visitors.

The health official said that such a policy should be discussed by the government’s inter-agency task force on COVID-19 response first.

"Right now, it is just for us to monitor and observe the situation. But [we will continue to impose] our strengthened surveillance, and of course that regulation that we require a negative antigen test coming from individuals from other countries who are not vaccinated," Vergeire said.

The Department of Tourism disagrees wit the DOH. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1710051/covid-19-tests-eyed-for-travelers-from-china

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has recommended the tightening of travel restrictions for people coming from China which is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on Wednesday floated the idea of requiring testing for travelers from China as a safety measure, saying that the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases would iron out the travel guidelines.

“I think we should be very cautious,” he said on the sidelines of an event in Pasay City. Recent reports show that COVID-19 cases in China have been spiking anew, with estimates reaching at least a million per day.

Bautista said they would also look at how other countries were responding to the situation, noting that “other Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries are also cautious in accepting Chinese visitors.”

Interestingly enough Marcos is not against placing restrictions on incoming Chinese. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191700

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he is open to having the Philippine government impose additional restrictions on travelers from China following a new surge of severe Covid-19 cases in the east Asian country.

Marcos, however, said the Department of Health (DOH) would first have to study the country's risk of a possible new wave of infections coming from China.

“As long as it’s based on science and we feel that there’s a need, we will do it. But again, it depends on what the true risk is to us,” he said in a video from the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

Closing the country’s borders to China will be the last resort, he said, adding that additional Covid-19 testing may suffice.

“Kung (If) it’s something that is manageable, then I’m sure we can find a way to not completely close our borders to China but to find a way, to have a procedure so that those coming from China who may been have exposed or who may have been infected will be tested and ‘yun lang naman ang ating inaalala (and that’s all we are concerned about),” he added.

It's another case of those in charge not being on the same page. But don't worry. They are monitoring the situation. 

President Marcos is off to China despite the surge in COVID cases. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/855770/marcos-to-push-through-with-china-state-visit-despite-covid-19-surge/story/

Despite soaring COVID-19 cases in China, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will still push through with his state visit in Beijing next week, an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

According to DFA Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Imperial, Marcos' trip to China is scheduled from January 3 to 5. The state visit is upon the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"Our relations with China is very important and we have received assurances from our Chinese host that all arrangements are being made to ensure the safety of the President and the delegation during the visit," Imperial said.

"A bubble arrangement has been agreed for the Philippine delegation to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus. There are some visits that we could not postpone," he added.

Imperial said every precaution is being undertaken to ensure that no member of the Philippine delegation will not get infected and will not bring back to the Philippines any variants of the virus.

With the administration wanting to appease on China it's no winder they are not eager to put restrictions on Chinese visitors. China has said doing so would be discriminatory which is exactly the point. Who wants sick people in the country spreading thier sickness? 

Four provinces in Caraga have exceeded a 100% vaccination rate for 12-17 year olds. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191696

Four Caraga Region provinces have attained more than 100 percent coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination rate among children aged 12 to 17.

Based on the Dec. 26 report of the Department of Health in the region (DOH-13) obtained by the Philippine News Agency showed that Agusan del Norte got a 132.86 percent vaccination rate with 42,584 children aged 12-17 fully vaccinated from the 32,052 targets.

Agusan del Sur, meanwhile, garnered 122.17 percent with 77,348 fully vaccinated kids out of 63,313 targets.

Surigao del Norte got a 102.6 percent rate with 47,463 children, while Surigao del Sur with a 115.58 percent rate or 61,725 fully vaccinated children in the age group.

Dinagat Islands province, on the other hand, is more than a point away from attaining 100 percent with a 98.6 percent vaccination rate, or 10,819 from its 10,968 targets.

Butuan City also exceeded its target for the age group as it got a 121.1 percent vaccination rate.

“Caraga region has attained 116.25 vaccination rate for the said age bracket of children with 236,430 fully vaccinated from 274,852 targets,” DOH-13 said.

The report also indicated a 52.2 percent vaccination rate in the region for children aged 5 to 11, with 156,853 children fully vaccinated from the target of 300,245 as of Dec. 26.

However if the state of emergency is not extended the DOH says the vaccination program will not cease but they won't be able to purchase any more vaccines.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/12/30/2234290/doh-we-cant-buy-more-covid-vaccine-doses-unless-state-calamity-extended

"If the extension will not be approved, we can still continue with the COVID-19 vaccination program using existing doses considering their validity is hinged on their Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs). But, we cannot procure additional doses, including the bivalent vaccines," the DOH said.

"Also, it is expected that the number of vaccinators will decrease as other cadres such as pharmacists may no longer be tapped, and willingness to vaccinate may decrease as immunity from liability is not guaranteed," it added.

However Marcos is hesitant to extended the state of calamity because there is no state of calamity. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1710311/marcos-jr-very-hesitant-to-extend-pandemic-induced-state-of-calamity-in-ph

“I’m still very, very hesitant to continue the state of calamity, to extend it because again we are not in a state of calamity anymore. Technically speaking. And that is the wrong mindset to be approaching the new year with,” Marcos said in a video shared over his Instagram stories.

He noted that the government is currently exploring ways to continue granting benefits to healthcare workers in the Philippines sans the state of calamity.

The City of Iloilo echoes this sentiment by declaring they have won they war against COVID-19. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191714

The year 2022 has brought positive vibes to the city and province of Iloilo.

The city government put a premium on the restoration of Ilonggos’ sense of pride as its major accomplishment while winning the war against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) that jumpstarted several major programs, including the crafting of its development thrust were considered as among the major achievements for the provincial government in 2022.

“The sense of pride of being Ilonggo, you don’t get that anywhere. We were able to achieve that and that is something that cannot be translated into this project or that project,” said Mayor Jerry P. Treñas on Friday.

Meanwhile, Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said he is happy with the performance of the province in 2022 and thanked stakeholders for their support.

“This is the year where we transitioned from a pandemic-stricken province to the new normal. This is a recovery year and we are happy with the result of our fight against Covid-19,” he said.

Defensor added that this year, Ilonggos were given the chance to lead lives different from their routine during the pandemic.

Contrary to the fear mongering of the DOH the data shows there was no surge over the holidays. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191858

The daily average of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases decreased by 39 percent from Dec. 26, 2022 to Jan. 1, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

From 813 daily infections recorded from Dec. 19 to 25, 2022, the number went down to 494 in the recent week.

The latest case bulletin showed 3,458 new cases and 164 verified deaths.

Of the additional deaths, the DOH said 32 occurred from Dec. 19, 2022 to Jan. 1.

To date, the Philippines has 12,660 active Covid-19 infections.

Hospitalization for COVID is also down. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1711816/not-that-many-covid-19-patients-in-hospitals-over-the-holidays-doh

There were not a lot of COVID-19 patients in hospitals during the holidays, according to Department of Health (DOH) undersecretary Eric Tayag on Tuesday.

Tayag said that as per the direction of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, the DOH visited different hospitals to see their preparations for COVID-19 cases and firework injuries.

“We are happy because while there are patients in the hospitals, there were not that many COVID patients that hospital services for other ailments were not sacrificed,” said Tayag when asked about COVID-19 patients on Teleradyo.

Will 2022 be the last year the DOH issues worthless fear mongering proclamations about the spread of COVID due to Christmas and New Years celebrations?

Is Manny Pacquiao's Boxing Career Built on a Lie?

Could it be that the career of one of the greatest boxers in modern times and a national hero of the Philippines has all been built on a lie? It seems that is indeed the case. The reason being a corrupt referee.

https://sports.inquirer.net/487960/ref-admits-he-cheated-to-help-pacquiao-win

It has long been an open secret—fans joked about the obvious long count in the aftermath of a fight in 2000.

And in the years that followed, the joke lost its punch, flattened by the frequency of its retelling and the eventual incomparable career of one Manny Pacquiao.

Until the World Boxing Council (WBC) uploaded a video that featured renowned Filipino referee Carlos Padilla admitting he facilitated a rigged result in Pacquiao’s infamous fight against Australian Nadal Hussein.

“So, you know the opponent, Hussein, or whatever his name was. He is taller, younger, stronger and a dirty fighter, managed by Jeff Fenech. So in the [fourth round], Manny got knocked down, I thought he was going to get up, but his eyes were cross-eyed,” Padilla said in a video on the WBC’s YouTube channel that has since been taken down.

“I am Filipino, and everybody watching the fight is Filipino, so I prolonged the count. I know how to do it,” Padilla said after taking nearly twice as long to count to 10. “When he got up, I told him, ‘Hey, are you okay?’ Still prolonging the fight. ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Okay, fight!’”

It turns out this not a new revelation but an old inside...joke? Was the WBC unaware of what the fans new all along? Padilla admits he prolonged the count out of solidarity for being a Filipino. But he wasn't just a Filipino as we shall see. 

“[B]ecause Manny was not like Manny is now, he wasn’t trained by Freddie Roach yet, he holds on for his dear life, and [Hussein] throws him, and he went down again. I said to the opponent, ‘Hey, you don’t do this.’ You know, I was prolonging the fight. ‘You don’t do that. Okay, judges, [point] deduction.’”

To cap it off, Padilla also admitted forcing the outcome when he ruled a head butt as a punch, resulting in the 10-round TKO win for Pacquiao.

“[B]ecause he is shorter, he headbutted the other guy and there is a cut, but I declared it a punch. If there is a headbutt, you have to stop the fight and declare to the judges a point deduction, but I didn’t do that, meaning the fight could continue. [The cut] is not really big—but I never got the doctor to check it [because] I want to see it serious,” Padilla said.

Pacquiao could not be reached for comment.

So, Manny headbutted his opponent and the referee called it a punch!? How did the WBC ever let this ruling stand? 

Hussein, however, had a lot to say, particularly on how both fighters’ paths diverged after that bout.

“I can’t say Pacquiao’s career would never have been the same, but it would have been derailed, that’s for sure,” Hussein said.

After that, the Australian didn’t have much of a career, failing to win a world championship. He eventually settled for a career in sales.

Pacquiao’s career bloomed the following year when he was picked as a replacement fighter on two weeks’ notice to face Lehlo Ledwaba in the undercard of a fight scheduled at MGM Grand in Las Vegas that featured Oscar de la Hoya in the main event. Pacquiao hammered out a sixth-round stoppage in that fight for the International Boxing Federation junior featherweight to engineer one of the finest runs in boxing history.

Hussein said his camp smelled something fishy early on and accused the organizers of using a loophole to slide Padilla into the referee’s position.

“With the referee, the terms were there was going to be an Australian judge, a Filipino judge and a Korean judge. Then they said the referee was going to be American. But … [Padilla] was an American-Filipino. So because he was an American citizen, they had their loophole.

“He was a Filipino all along. But it wasn’t supposed to be an issue because he was based in America. But we didn’t know anything about it until the last minute, to be honest.”

Ah, the perks of dual citizenship! Padilla was not supposed to referee but only snuck in because he is also an American which created a loophole. 

It would certainly be wrong to pin the blame on Manny Pacquiao when the decision here is solely the responsibility of Padilla. 

https://news.yahoo.com/manny-pacquiao-breaks-silence-referee-173956934.html

Speaking to ABS-CBN’s "TV Patrol," Pacquiao denied being involved in any way with Padilla's decision-making. 

“I did not cheat. We were just probably favored because of home court [advantage],” the former Philippine senator told TV Patrol. “As a boxer, I just did what I needed to do. I’m a boxer. I only do my job inside the ring. That is his problem, not mine.”

The WBC has not yet released a formal statement but has formed a panel to review Padilla's remarks. His daughter claims his statements have been misinterpreted. 

https://www.philstar.com/sports/2022/12/01/2227820/daughter-filipino-referee-says-pacquiao-cheating-statement-misconstrued-misinterpreted

The daughter of now controversial referee Carlos Padilla has called the statements where his father admitted helping Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao win a fight in 2000 as "misconstrued" and "misinterpreted".

In a letter addressed to the "boxing community of the world", Suzy Padilla Tuano came to defense of the 88-year-old referee who was shoved into the center of attention after a recent interview during his induction to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.

"My father is an 88 year old man who is just that — old and aging. Despite the fact that he has been living in the United States for decades, English remains his 2nd language," the letter read.

"Communications can be misconstrued and well intentioned words can be misinterpreted. The present situation is one such glaring example of what might actually have been said, (no pun intended), and what may have been taken out of context," she continued.

"My father is a decent and honorable man. He dedicated his life to boxing and boxers and cared for them and their well being, regardless of nationality or circumstance," she said.

"He refereed numerous historic fights with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Hagler, Leonard, Hearns, and many more fighters for the entirety of his career. He has since retired and has been out of the spotlight for as long as I can remember. Oh, but he loves to talk and entertain because like any other human, he still yearns to feel relevant. I invite everyone to ask about Carlos Padilla among his peers: promoters, fighters, referees, or anyone from his era and hopefully, you will learn about my father's true character," she continued.

"He does not need controversies at this very late stage in his life."

It's hard to see how anything Carlos Padilla said has been taken out of context. Watch the interview for yourself.

The talk about the Manny Pacquiao fight begins at 17:36.

Insurgency: Gasping For Breath, Without Direction

This first post of the new year about the insurgency will be a look back on the past year.  Of course the most important event to have happened was the death of CPP founder and head Joma Sison in the Netherlands. The AFP says this has left the CPP with "no sense or purpose or direction."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191460

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is suffering from a breakdown in communication between its units due to the neutralization of its ranking leaders as it struggles to "gasp for breath", the spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Monday.

In a statement, Col. Medel Agular said the death of CPP's chair Jose Maria Sison in the Netherlands has also left the underground movement, which observes its 54th founding anniversary Dec. 26, with "no sense of purpose and direction".

"There is a breakdown in the communication lines between the CPP Central Committee and its subordinate organs and armed group (NPA). This is primarily due to the neutralization of many of the CPP top leaders: Julius Giron; Menandro Villanueva; Jorge Madlos; etc, the silence and long absence of their supposed Chairman now, Benito Tiamzon, and the loss of their mass bases and mass organizations," Aguilar said.

The CPP is left with only 23 guerrilla fronts, only five of which are able to implement party programs and the 18 are "weak and gasping for breath", Aguilar said.

"This gives the military the opportunity to focus its superior capability against the five while the civil government needs only to implement programs that will address the source of peoples’ discontent to render the UGM’s AOM (agitate, organize and mobilize) activities inutile," he said.

Sison, who died last Dec. 16, established the CPP in 1968.

"To keep the organization afloat, the CPP through a digital person known as 'Marco Valbuena' can only come up with press releases and statements to convey the party’s directive and message to its lower organs and armed group, including its threat of tactical offensives," Aguilar said.

If the CPP-NPA is now facing disintegration and is directionless they are still not toothless. This week they engaged the AFP in a firefight in Bohol.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1709981/npa-rebels-military-troops-clash-in-bohol

A gunfight ensued between suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and government troopers in Bohol province in San Isidro town on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

Soldiers clashed with at least 10 “remnants” of NPA’s Bohol Party Committee, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor, according to a report from the 47th “Katapatan” Infantry Battalion (IB).

San Isidro, 32 km from the capital city of Tagbilaran, has at least 9,000 residents.

In a statement, the 47th IB said residents of Sitio Bajong, Barangay Baunos, San Isidro informed soldiers about the presence of communist rebels who were allegedly extorting money from them.

The troops responded, resulting in an encounter at around10 a.m. The firefight lasted for about 10 minutes.

No fatalities were reported.

Recovered in the encounter site were different ammunition, tents, food packs, personal belongings, and subversive documents.

Meanwhile in Negros Occidental they burned sugarcane trucks.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1709974/npa-admits-burning-5-sugarcane-trucks-in-negros-oriental

The New People’s Army (NPA) claimed responsibility for the burning of five sugarcane trucks in Toboso town, Negros Occidental on Monday, December 26.

In a statement on Tuesday, December 27, Cecil Estrella, spokesperson of the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command (RJCP) – Northern Negros Guerilla Front of the NPA, said a unit of the group burned the sugarcane trucks owned by Teotimo Ballesteros on the 54th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines last Dec 26.

“The punitive action is the second incident against class enemy Ballesteros. On December 14, the NPA set fire to two cane trucks in Barangay Tabun-ac in the same town,” the statement read.

Ballesteros’ sugar lands, it said, are within the guerrilla zones.

The NPA alleged that the landowner disregarded his farm workers’ repeated calls for wage increases and benefits.

“The only peace talks the revolutionary forces in northern Negros promote is the one that addresses the wage and land issues…the peace talks should be at a national scale that tackles the root cause of armed conflict – genuine land reform to address landlessness, national industrialization to address unsecured jobs, among others,” it said.

The NPA is still very capable of causing havoc. Calling them directionless with no real leadership and at the point of disintegration is great propaganda but does not reflect the reality on the ground.

As for propaganda there was quite a lot of that in the last week of 2022. Most notably the number of reported surrenders. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191506

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191482

Ten Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) rebels have surrendered and yielded firearms to the military and police in central Negros Island from Dec. 20 to 22, a report from the Philippine Army's 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB) said.

Capt. Dorcesimo Cuyag Jr., civil-military operations officer of the 62IB based in Isabela town, Negros Occidental province, said the 10 rebels were turned over to the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) of Guihulngan City during a ceremony Monday.

The CPP is commemorating its 54th founding anniversary today, Dec. 26.

"The timing is a blow to the CPP. They have no reason to celebrate because their people have already surrendered. It is us who should celebrate this victory," Cuyag told the Philippine News Agency.

Timing is certainly everything. Trotting out alleged CPP-NPA surrednerees on the founding anniversary of the CPP is a huge propaganda win. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1709680/55-npa-members-surrender-on-cpps-54th-anniversary

At least 55 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered as the local communist movement marked the 54th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Monday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

The CPP was founded by Jose Maria Sison who died 10 days earlier while in exiled in the Netherlands.  Military officials believe Sison’s death dealt a huge blow to the communist movement.

In a statement, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the 55 NPA members were presented during a simple ceremony at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan in Taguig City.

With Azurin during the program was NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo and officials from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and Joint Task Force-NCR.

“These series of surrenders of the former communist rebels resulted from the relentless campaign of our police and military forces against terrorism in support of Executive Order No. 70 to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC),” Azurin said.

Of course there were anti-CPP rallies on the same day. 100 ex-rebels rallied against the CPP in Aurora. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191536

At least a hundred former members and supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in this province have withdrawn their support from the communist terrorist organization and pledged allegiance to the national government.

In a peace rally conducted in front of the municipal government of San Luis on Monday, the former rebels and supporters expressed their collective sentiments against the atrocities, lies and deceptions being committed by the communist terrorist organization.

"Ka Adim", a former vice commanding officer of the NPA in this province, said on Tuesday that their group held the peace rally to demonstrate their strong stand against the terrorist acts of the communist organization.

“We do not want the future and lives of the youth be destroyed and we want to maintain the true path towards peace,” he said in an interview.

Ka Adim is also the overall president of six people’s organizations that joined the peace rally, namely IPs Association, Solo Parents Association, Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Camalatan Nonong Sr., Nagkakaisang Mamamayan sa Dicaluyongan Association, Masaganang Perlas ng Silanganan ng Aurora Province Association and Sambayanan Association.

"Ka Eric", a member of the Nagkakaisang Mamamayan sa Dicaluyongan Association, said his group fully supports the peace and nation-building efforts of the government.

A rally by former rebels was also held in Bukidnon. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1949446/davao/local-news/ex-rebels-hold-peace-rally-on-cpps-anniversary

FORMER rebels conducted a peace rally in line with the 54th Founding Anniversary of the Communist Peoples Party (CPP) on December 26, 2022.

10th Infantry Division (10ID) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Capt. Mark Anthony Tito in a text message sent to SunStar Davao on December 26, 2022, said this peace rally was headed by former rebels Arian Jane Ramos, also known as Marikit, together with 16 former rebels at Poblacion, Quezon, Bukidnon.

Aside from the peace rally, Tito said they have also intensified security measures in their areas of responsibility.

“Our troops are still on the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) and our recently cleared areas, conducting Focused Military Operations (FMO), CMO (Civil Military Operations), Intelligence Operations, and other lines of operations to prevent any hostile plans of the CTG (Communist Terrorist Group),”.

This rally was almost certainly sponsored by the AFP. It would not be surprising if the really in Aurora was also directed by the AFP. It's good propaganda and serves to encourage the reamaining NPA fighters to surrender. More surrenders could lead to localized peace talks. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191609

The new chief of the Philippine Army in Negros Occidental has expressed support for localized peace negotiations with members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA).

Col. Michael Samson, acting commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (Ibde), said on Wednesday through local engagements, those willing to leave the armed revolution will have the opportunity to surrender without misgivings after being fed by propaganda that they will be harmed by government forces.

"If we erase their apprehensions, we can hold a dialogue, and eventually make a settlement. We can talk out the local issues that can be addressed by the local government units and government agencies, then it's better," he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

"Let's talk about it, but I encourage it to be done locally. The previous national peace talks failed because they blindly follow the teachings or directives of the CPP's Central Committee," he added.

Samson said they will respond with military action to those who insist on fighting the government through terror and violence.

"If they will continue to do that, we will be forced to make their lives miserable. If it's the only way to force them to abandon the armed struggle," he added.

Will 2023 finally see the end of the insurgency? The official tally of remaining NPA fighters stands at 2,112.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/12/27/2233464/only-2112-npa-fighters-left-afp

Because of sustained military operations coupled with the whole-of-nation approach of bringing development to far-flung areas and offering benefits to surrenderees, the military believes that the New People’s Army (NPA) now has only 2,112 fighters left.

After 54 years of existence, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the communist rebel group, considered as a local terrorist organization, has suffered significant strategic losses as it lost a great number of guerrilla units, leaders and members.

The military, releasing figures yesterday, said the NPA has been reduced to 2,112 members with 1,876 firearms, from 89 to 22 guerrilla fronts with 17 already classified as weakened.

The military said NPA leaders neutralized by government forces include Helenita Pardales, secretary of the Eastern Visayas regional party committee; Ericson Acosta, top NPA leader of Komite Rehiyon-Cebu-Bohol, Negros, Siquijor; Rogelio Sapon Gerondio Jr., secretary of sub-regional committee 3 in Agusan del Norte; and Gina Belsa Granada, secretary of defunct guerrilla front in Zamboanga del Norte.

The AFP also claimed that from as high as P4.2 billion in 2017, the NPA was allegedly only able to extort P8.5 million in 2022.

Compare the stats in this article with the first one above. PNA says there are 23 fronts left with 18 weakened while Philstar claims there are 22 fronts with 17 weakened. Can the AFP get its numbers right? 2,112 is a very specific number based on what exactly? Was someone listening to Rush when they came up with these figures? Let's see how those numbers change over the course of 2023. 

Picture of the Week: Pork N' Chix Grill & Cafe

There's a new restaurant in town. Grill and cafe anyway.

Say that name out loud a few times!

Retards in the Government 290

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

  

 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/23/sandigan-affirms-conviction-of-ex-mayor-3-others/

The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the conviction of former Mayor Laurencia S. Edma of San Fernando town in Bukidnon and three other persons in the irregular purchase of heavy equipment for P14 million in 2004.

Affirmed was Edma’s conviction in one graft charge and three falsification charges. Former municipal accountant Felipa A. Catanus was convicted of one graft charge, while state auditor Carlito S. Matias was convicted of three falsification charges. Private individual and Mindanao Philippine Sunday Journal proprietor Bernardita G. Basay was found guilty of two counts of falsification.

They were charged and convicted in the purchase of a brand-new soil compactor from Monark Equipment Corporation through direct contracting instead of public bidding, which was a violation of the Government Procurement Act.

Despite their claim that the purchased heavy equipment in question was delivered in good condition which belied the existence of any irregularity in the procurement, their motion to reconsider their conviction was denied by the anti-graft court.

The court ruled that there was no merit in their motion and reiterated that the prosecution was able to overturn the presumption of good faith and regularity of performance of official functions.

“The accused public officials of San Fernando deliberately resorted to the alternative mode of direct contracting, in disregard of the general requirement to hold public or competitive bidding of the heavy equipment in question,” the court’s resolution stated.

“The non-compliance with conducting public bidding thus produced a snowball effect, which accumulated further violations of law,” the court stressed.

The convictions of a former mayor and three others over irregular purchase of heavy equipment has been upheld by the Sandiganbayan. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1708885/quezon-village-chief-faces-raps-for-indiscriminate-gun-firing-on-christmas-eve

Police are looking for a village chief in San Antonio town in Quezon province who escaped on Christmas Eve after firing a gun multiple times.

Quezon police reported on Sunday, Dec. 25, that a group was celebrating their Christmas party around 4:30 p.m. at the covered court in Barangay Balat Atis when the wife of chief Jose Ferdinand Castillo arrived and informed them that her husband was summoning them.

Rose Yen Carreon and seven other members of the group proceeded to the house of Castillo.

When the group was having a conversation with Catalina Castillo, the wife of the barangay chief, the village official fired his handgun several times as he shouted invectives and ordered his wife to drive the group away.

The police are conducting more investigation as formal complaints of alarms and scandal through illegal discharge of firearms are being prepared against Castillo.

Castillo, who left after the incident, remains at large, said the report.

A village chief is facing charges for firing his gun in the air on Christmas Eve. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/26/cop-fatally-shoots-wife-at-police-station-in-cebu-on-christmas-day/

A police officer fatally shot his wife inside a police station in the City of Naga, southern Cebu on Christmas Day.

Lt. Col. Junnel Caadlawon, chief of the City of Naga police, identified the victim as Heronia Mata, a 39-year-old teacher.

Heronia showed up at the police station to file a complaint against her husband, Staff Sgt. Fernando Mata, 35.

Police said Heronia was inside the Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) processing her complaint when Fernando barged in at 2:40 p.m. and repeatedly shot his wife with his service firearm.

Fernando did not resist arrest. His service firearm was found on top of a table inside the office.

The victim died on the way to the hospital.

Caadlawon said the couple had an argument in their home in Barangay Tuyan, City of Naga before the victim went to the police station to file a complaint against Fernando.

Heronia had previously filed a complaint against her husband after she was allegedly beaten several times. No charges were filed against the suspect after their differences were settled.

A charge for parricide will be filed against the suspect, Caadlawon said.

A cop who beat his wife but was never charged has been charged with her murder. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1709460/cop-arrested-for-illegal-firearm-discharge-in-batangas

A police officer was arrested for indiscriminately firing his service firearm in Rosario, Batangas on Monday.

The Batangas police reported on Tuesday that Police Staff Master Sergeant Ronald Pamis, 36, assigned at Camp Crame’s Health Services Department, was nabbed by local police officers after residents of Barangay Bulihan complained of his alleged indiscriminate firing at around 8:30 p.m.

The responding police officer seized his loaded .9mm caliber pistol.

Pamis was placed under police custody and will be face an appropriate formal complaint.

A cop has been busted for indiscriminately charging his firearm. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1709691/sc-p83-m-philhealth-execs-benefits-illegal-irregular

The Supreme Court has affirmed a Commission on Audit (COA) ruling that disallowed the granting by Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) of P83.06 million in educational assistance and birthday gift benefits to its officials and employees in 2014, calling these “illegal and irregular.”

In a 21-page decision dated Sept. 27 that was made public only recently, the high tribunal dismissed PhilHealth’s petition, which challenged COA’s ruling issued in 2018 and affirmed in 2019.It also found the payees and officers who approved or certified the grant of the benefits liable for the disbursements and said they must refund the “corresponding amounts received in error.”

Citing a recent case involving PhilHealth and COA, the high court had categorically declared that the disbursements of various PhilHealth benefits, including the educational assistance allowance and birthday gift, lacked legal basis.

The beneficiaries were officials and employees in the PhilHealth head office, as well as those in the National Capital Region and Rizal regional offices. The COA, in its ruling, called PhilHealth’s arguments devoid of merit. The state health insurer had reiterated its fiscal autonomy as a government financial institution, saying the board had fixed its own compensation system while the benefits were a product of negotiations between management and employees.

But the high court reiterated its rejection of PhilHealth’s fiscal autonomy as justification for the payment of additional allowances and benefits as it cited several other previous disallowance cases against the agency. “However, it is already settled that PhilHealth does not have absolute discretion in determining the compensation of its officials,” it said in its ruling, citing a 2016 jurisprudence.

“That PhilHealth’s fiscal autonomy had been purportedly confirmed by the Chief Executive and the OGCC (Office of the Government Corporate Counsel), as PhilHealth argues, cannot undermine the consistent and unequivocal court pronouncements,” it added.

The high tribunal said that “at this point, there should no longer be any question that PhilHealth is not exempted from the application of the Salary Standardization Law.”

“Its power to fix personnel compensation is limited and must necessarily yield to the state policy of ‘equal pay for equal work.’ Thus, any disbursement of allowances and other forms of employee compensation must conform with prevailing rules and regulations issued by the President of the Philippines and/or the [Department of Budget and Management],” it added.

The disbursement of funds by PhilHealth in the guise of birthday gifts and educational assistance has been ruled illegal and irregular by the Supreme Court. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1709782/pampanga-barangay-captain-shot-dead

A barangay captain was shot dead by a lone gunman in this city on Tuesday night .

Barangay Sto. Rosario captain Jesus Liang was walking across the newly renovated public market when the male gunman approached and shot him in the head at around 8:30 p.m. before fleeing on foot toward V. Tiomico St., Lieutenant Colonel Preston Bagangan, city police chief, said in a phone interview on Wednesday.

Liang, 63, was on his third and last term.

Bagangan said a team has been dispatched to gather footage from security cameras in the area while an investigation is underway.

A barnagay captain has been assassinated. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/12/29/2234053/school-principal-killed-pigcawayan-ambush

Unidentified attackers killed a public school principal in an ambush in Pigcawayan town in Cotabato province.

Police Maj. Andres Sumugat, Pigcawayan municipal police chief, told reporters Thursday that Regina Cortez, 46, died on the spot from bullet wounds.

Cortez was riding a motorcycle on her way home when she was shot by gunmen positioned along a stretch of the highway in Crossing Tubon area.

Her attackers escaped on a motorcycle. 

Probers from the Pigcawayan Municipal Police Station are still trying to determine who killed Cortez and why.

A school principal has been assassinated. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1709971/negros-oriental-solon-bares-assassination-plot-against-him-family-members

A congressman in Negros Oriental on Tuesday claimed he received an information that three active scout rangers were sent to the province to assassinate him and two other members of his family.

Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. of Negros Oriental’s third district said the targets include him; his brother and former Negros Oriental Gov. Henry Teves; and his son and former Board Member Kurt Matthew Teves.

Teves said he recorded a video message on his Facebook page to inform President Marcos, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Secretary Roman Felix of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs that he received an “A1 information” of the assassination plot.

Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, Army 3rd Infantry Division commander, said he had not received any information on Teves’ claims but will look into the matter.

Teves, in his video, said he was informed that the three scout rangers are in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, and their target are members of the Teves camp.

Their targets are likely the Teveses and their political allies, he said.

The information Teves received was that the three scout rangers received P250,000 each in down payment and “they were promised P40 million for the three heads.”

Teves also alleged that 50 M-16 rifles purchased by his political opponents were brought to Negros Oriental from Negros Occidental.

“They have also recruited a lot of people from the hinterlands,” he said.

Teves asked why the Army and police have not arrested the people behind the bringing in of the firearms and the conduct of the recruitment activities.

He said policemen reportedly escorted the transport of the firearms.

Teves also said his brother, Henry, was followed to a restaurant at Bonifacio Global City by five persons with Army cut hair.

The five men surrounded the area where his brother was and it was a good thing his men noticed their presence and he was able to escape.

A Congressman claims he has received word that there is an assassination plot against him and his family involving the military and the police as well as his political rivals. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191655

The Supreme Court has suspended a former provincial governor from the practice of law for one year for interfering in the service of a warrant against a former barangay chairman on drug charges.

In a resolution published online Dec. 19, the high tribunal has ordered the suspension from the practice of law of former Siquijor governor Orlando A. Fua Jr. for interfering in the arrest of his childhood friend, James Largo, the former barangay captain of Tigbawan, Lazi town, who was included in the watch list of top drug personalities of the province.

The administrative complaint against Fua was filed by then chief of the Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Branch (PIIB) of Siquijor Police Provincial Office, Reynaldo Valmoria, in connection with the implementation in 2010 of a search warrant issued by the Larena, Siquijor regional trial court (RTC Branch 46) against Largo.

According to the complaint, while the warrant was being served at Largo’s residence on Nov. 24, 2010, then governor Fua arrived and obstructed with the service of the warrant.

Fua, the complaint said, “shielded the suspect from arrest by vigorously trying to prevent and restrain the raiding team from taking him (Largo) into custody, insisting that the suspect should be left behind.

He was also accused of making unsavory remarks against some members of the arresting team.

Fua, for his part, claimed that he went to the house of his friend after he received a text message.

In 2013, the Ombudsman found Fua guilty of grave misconduct and ordered his dismissal from the service, and in 2017, the Sandiganbayan promulgated a decision finding Fua guilty of obstruction of justice and sentenced him to a fine of PHP6,000 and perpetual disqualification from holding any public office.

The SC noted that court records have shown that the search was implemented properly and in compliance with the rules.

“Interference in a legitimate police procedure was certainly not part of his duties as a provincial governor. Nor was it appropriate for him to act as a private lawyer to Largo since he was the incumbent provincial governor at that time,” said the SC as it found the lawyer guilty of having violated the lawyer’s oath and the code of professional responsibility.

Aside from the one-year suspension from the practice of law, the SC also “sternly warned” that a repetition of the same offense or similar acts will be dealt with more severely. 

A former governor has been banned from practicing law because he violated the lawyers oath and the code of professional responsibility when, while as governor, he interfered with the arrest of a barangay captain who was his friend.