Wednesday, May 10, 2023

The God Culture: Lequios and Lucoes Are Not the Same People Group

An important part of Timothy Jay Schwab's thesis that the Philippines is Ophir is the identification of the Lequios and Lucoes. Tim says they both refer to Illocanos. They are described as big, bearded white men which means they are Hebrews, members of the lost tribes. Let's take a look at what Tim has to say and then let's take a look through the first description of the Philippines by the Portuguese explorer Tome Pires.


Solomon's Treasure, pg. 162

We reviewed early in this chapter, Barbosa identified an affluent people called the Lequios and Magellan scratched out this name and identified them as Ophir and Tarshish equating these peoples. Antonio Pigafetta identifies their origin as Luzon Island Philippines not Taiwan, Japan nor Malaysia. In fact, Japan is recorded as having “no junks” and are not Lequios according to Tome Pires and the Lequios are identified by their junk ships by Pigafetta, Pinto, Barbosa and others. However, Antonio Pigafetta tells us where the Lequios originated.

[From Visayas] “Towards the North-west is the island of Lozonwhich is at two days’ distance; a large island, to which come to trade every year six or eight junks of the people called Lequii.” “...One of these junks carries as much cargo as our ships.” – Antonio Pigafetta, 1521

This clearly reads that the Lequios, who originate in Luzon, journey to Cebu regularly to trade in their six or more, large junk ships just as Pinto describes.

Solomon's Treasure, pgs. 162-163

This is totally wrong. Yes, Pigafetta is writing while in Cebu. But read carefully. He says Luzon is a large island TO WHICH the people called Lequii came to trade. He is not saying the Lequii came to Cebu from Luzon. He is saying that Northwest of Cebu is an island called Luzon to which the Lequii came to trade. Therefore the Lequii and Lucoes are not the same people.

Tim's next witness is Fernando Pinto, a Portuguese explorer who wrote down his travels in 1569.

“Written sometime between the years 1569 and 1578, the Travels was not published until 1614, some thirty-odd years after the author’s death. Although the book is known to have circulated in manuscript form long before the date of publication, the original manuscript copies are lost. The earliest reference to Pinto’s book appears in a letter written from Coimbra on 22 February 1569 by the Jesuit Father Cipriano Soares to Father Diogo Mirón, also a Jesuit, in Rome.”

Fernão Mendes Pinto. “The Travels of Mendes Pinto.” Translated by Rebecca Catz, p. 61 epub

Tim claims Pinto identified the Lequios as the Philippines.

Contemporary to Magellan, Ferdinand Pinto classified the Lequios and Chinese as the wealthiest in the Orient trading in gold and silver especially. He defines the Lequios Islands as an archipelago, not Taiwan, as well as a separate country. He also differentiates the Lequios as not Japan, China, Indonesia nor Malaysia but in between those. Pinto also travelled to the Lequios Islands from Malaysia headed North which he placed in the modern Philippines specifically on 9N20.  

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 163

The first citation from Pinto in the Solomon's Gold Sourcebook is as follows:

For this is certain, that either the power of the King of Achem is utterly to be ruined, or by it we shall be miserably expelled out of the countries we have conquered all along the southern coast, as Malaca, Bauda, Maluco, Sunda, Borneo, and Timor, and northwards China, Japan, and the Lequios as also many other parts and ports, where the Portugals are very much interessed by reason of the traffique which they daily use there, and where they reap more profit then in any other place that is yet discovered, beyond the Cape of Good Hope, the extent thereof being so great, that it contains along the coast above three thousand leagues, as may easily be seen by the cards and globes of the world, if so be their graduation be true.

Fernando Pinto, pg. 61-62

A close reading of the text shows that Tim is wrong. When did the Portugese ever have a claim in the Philippines? Never. The Portuguese never conquered the Philippines. The Spanish did, arriving in 1565 in Cebu. This cannot be a reference to the Philippines. The other citations from this book are of no consequence because they describe ships and give no geographic data. However Tim's claim that Pinto visited the Philippines and placed it at a a specific latitude and longitude warrants further analysis. His source for this is J.G. Cheock's book Phoenicians in the Lands of Gold.

Explorer and writer Ferdinand Mendes Pinto who travelled in service to the Portugese crown and in association with the Jesuit Missionaries, recounted in his journal, how he had been shipwrecked on the island of Lequois while passing through the Malay Archipelago. He described the Lequios as a land belonging to a large group of islands that had abundant resources of gold and silver. In his journal he had the audacity to give details on Lequois, putting it in the latitude of 9N20 on a meridian similar to that of Japan. Given these directions, Lequois would be at the very heart of the Philippines. The story of his shipwreck on Lequios was deemed so outrageous that it was omitted from his book when it was first published.

Phoenicians in the Lands of Gold, pg. 11

Of course this alleged omission gives Timothy Jay Schwab the chance to crow about conspiracy theories to snuff out any knowledge of the Philippines being the land of gold.

Shout out to local author in the Philippines. though we do not agree with Ms. Checok on a host of things such as China being Tarshish especially which has no Biblical root whatsoever, we appreciate her efforts. This book is worth reading for everyone. Notice, she goes on to frame this chapter was removed from Pinto's first printings. Why? Well, you can decide why anyone would wish to censor history in such a manner. We keep finding that as a theme as one would typically find with control paradigms. The same goes for many authors especially British on this topic who have muddied the waters for centuries with nonsense and they read the history and then ignore what it says just as many use the Bible unfortunately. However, when you remove the layer of smoke, the conclusion is not debatable but extremely obvious. 

Solomon's Treasure Sourcebook, pg. 160

Well, it turns out this section about Pinto's shipwreck on Lequois was not omitted from the first printing of this book. The original 1663 English translation can be viewed here. For brevity's sake I am going to summarize what happens in Pinto's account of being shipwrecked among the Lequois.

First of all the story follows the healing of the King of Bungo's son. The King of Bungo was a Japanese Feudal Lord who had converted to Catholicism. Pinto then sails to a port in China.

I besought the King of Bungo to give me leave to go back, which he readily granted me, and with much acknowledgement of the curing of his Son he willed a Funce to be made ready for me, furnished with all things necessary, wherein commanded a man of quality, that was attended by twenty of the Kings ser∣vants, with whom I departed one Saturday morning from the City of Fucheo, and the Friday following about Sun-set I arrived at Tanixumaa, where I found my two Comrades, who received me with much joy. Here we continued fifteen days longer, till such time as the Junck was quite ready, and then we set Sail for Liampoo, which is a Sea-port of the Kingdom of China, whereof I have spoken at large heretofore, and where at that time the Portugals tra∣ded. Having continued our voyage with a prosperous wind, it pleased God that we arrived safe at our desired Port, where it is not to be believed how much we were welcome by the Inhabitants of the place.

Pinto, pg. 179

Liampoo is also known as Ningbo and is translated as Ning-po by Rebecca Catz. Pinto leaves Ningbo, China, and is promptly overcome by a storm and shipwrecked. He was absolutely not going north through the Malay Archipelago as Cheock and Timothy Jay Schwab claim. He was headed east out of the Chinese port with the intent of going south.

Thus by the means of this unreasonable desire of gain nine Juncks, which were then in the Port, were in fifteen days ready to set Sail, though to say the truth they were all in such disorder, and so unprovided, that some amongst them had no other Pilots then the Masters themselves, who had but little understanding in Navigation. In this bad order they departed all in company together one Sunday morning, not withstanding that they had the wind, the season, the sea, and all things else contrary, not suffer∣ing themselves to be guided by reason, or the consideration of the dangers which they are subject unto that commit themselves to this Element; For they were so obstinate and so blinded as they would not represent any inconvenience to themselves, and I my self was so infortunate, that I went along with them in one of their Vessels. In this manner they sailed all that same day as it were groping between the Islands and the firm Land, but about midnight there arose in the dark so mighty a Storm, accompanied with such horrible rain, that suffering themselves to be carried at the mercy of the wind, they ran upon the Sands of Gotom, whereof the nine Juncks two only, as it were by miracle, were saved, so that the other seven were lost out of which not so much as one man escaped. This loss was thought to amount unto above three hundred thousand Crowns in commodities, besides the greater, which was of six hundred persons that left their lives there, whereof there were an hundred and forty Portugals, all rich men, and of quality. As for the other two Juncks in one of the which by good hap I was, joyning in comfort together, they followed the course they had begun, until such time as they arrived at the Island of the Lequios;

Pinto, pg. 179-180

He describes the land and says the people rode on horseback. Where is there any account of Filipinos being horsemen?

Now as soon as it was day we perceived by the sight of the Island of fire, and of the Mountain of Taydacano, that the Land where we were was the great Lequio....

...until at last we were espyed by a boy that was keeping of cattel, who as soon as he had dis∣covered us, ran to the next Village, which was some quarter of a league off, for to give notice of it to the inhabitants there; who presently thereupon with the sound of Drums and Cornets assembled all their Neighbours round about them, so that within three or four hours they were a Company of about two hundred men, whereof there were fourteen on horsback.

pg. 180

In her translation of this text Rebecca Catz has this note for Island of fire:

“Fire Island: Cortesão says that Fire Island appears for the first time on Lopo Homem’s map of 1554 and that it corresponds to Nakano-shima or Suwanose-shima, two islands with active volcanoes. The former is described in Webster’s Geographical Dictionary (1966) as a volcanic island 3,215 feet high, Tokara Island, in north Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Suwanose-Shima is not listed. See Cortesão, Suma Oriental, 128–29 n. 2.” 

Fernão Mendes Pinto. “The Travels of Mendes Pinto," Translated by Rebecca Catz, pg. 2,323 epub

Pinto and his companions are tied up and taken to the town of Pungor. They are next taken to a town called Gundexilau and left to rot in a dungeon full of water and leeches. The next day they are brought back to Pungor and given a trial before a judge. They are accused of being pirates but they insist they are merchants. They are not believed and are left to rot in prison for two months. The king then sends a spy pretending to be a merchant to visit Pinto and his men to ask them how they ended up in Lequios. They repeat the same story and the spy reports back to the king. However a Chinese pirate arrives and testifies against Pinto and his men that they are indeed pirates who pose as merchants in order to conquer a country. The king believes the pirate and sentences Pinto and his men to death. 

By providence the man set to deliver this decree and make sure it was carried out lodged with his sister who was a widow. Staying with her was the wife and children of one of the prisoners. When she heard the decree she fainted and then scratched her face so hard that it bled. News of this got around to the women who wrote a letter to the Queen demanding that as an act of charity the foreigners be released. Through a further series of events including a prophetic dream Pinto and his men are released. Following that story is a description of Lequios for the express purpose of inspiring the Portuguese to conquer the island. 

In this manner we departed from Pungor the capital City of the Island of Lequios, of which I will here make a brief relation, to the end that if it shall one day please God to inspire the Portugal Nation, principally for the exaltation and increase of the Catholick faith, and next for the great benefit that may redound thereof, to undertake the Conquest of this Island, they may know where first to begin, as also the commodities of it, and the easiness of this Conquest. We must understand then that this Island of Lequios, scituated in nine and twenty degrees, is two hundred leagues in circuit, threescore in length, and thirty in bredth.

Pinto, pg. 188

The latitude of Lequios is 29 degrees, not 9 degrees. That places it well north of the Philippines. J.G. Cheock and Timothy Jay Schwab get this completely wrong. 9N and 20E does not mark the Philippines. It marks a place off the West coast of Africa. The Philippines is at 124 longitude. This error appears to trace back to Abraham Tabilog's 2004 work Pilipinas Ay Nasa Biblia 2004. Searching on Google for "Furthermore, Pinto even goes as far as to give the exact latitude of the main Lequios island. He states that is was situated at 9N20reveals it has spread without being checked for its accuracy. Tim also did not bother to verify this statement and now this lie is in a book touted as being a monumental and undisputable case that the Philippines is Ophir among other things.

Let's move on to Tome Pires. In his book Suma Oriental he mentions both the Lequios and the Lucoes. That alone should tell us that these groups are not the same. 

The Lequeos are called Guores-they are known by either of these names. Lequios is the chief one. The king is a heathen and all the people too. He is a tributary vassal of the king of the Chinese. His island is large and has many people; they have small ships of their own type; they have three or four junks which are continuously buying in China, and they have no more. They trade in China and Malacca, and sometimes in company with the Chinese, sometimes on their own. In China they trade in the port of Foqem which is in the land of China near Canton—a day and a night's sail away. The Malays say to the people of Malacca that there is no difference between Portuguese and Llequjos, except that the Portuguese buy women, which the Lequos do not. 

The Lequjos have only wheat in their country, and rice and wines after their fashion, meat, and fish in great abundance. They are great draftsmen and armourers. They make gilt coffers, very rich and well-made fans, swords, many arms of all kinds after their fashion. Just as we in our kingdoms speak of Milan, so do the Chinese and all the other races speak of the Lequjos. They are very truthful men. They do not buy slaves, nor would they sell one of their own men for the whole world, and they would die over this. 

The Lequjos are idolators; if they are sailing and find themselves in danger, they say that if they escape they buy a beautiful maiden to be sacrificed and behead her on the prow of the junk, and other things like these. They are white men, well dressed, better than the Chinese, more dignified. They sail to China and take the merchandise that goes from Malacca to China, and go to Japan, which is an island seven or eight days' sail distant, and take the gold and copper in the said island in exchange for their merchandise. The Legion are men who sell their merchandise freely for credit, and if they are lied to when they collect payment, they collect it sword in hand.

The chief is gold, copper, and arms of all kinds, coffers, boxes (caxonjas) with gold leaf veneer, fans, wheat, and their things are well made. They bring a great deal of gold. They are truthful men—more so than the Chinese—and feared. They bring a great store of paper and silk in colours; they bring musk, porce-lain, damask; they bring onions and many vegetables. They take the same merchandise as the Chinese take. They leave here in [blank], and one, two or three junks come to Malacca every year, and they take a great deal of Bengal clothing. 

Among the Lequjos Malacca wine is greatly esteemed. They load large quantities of one kind which is like brandy, with which the Malays make themselves [so drunk as to run] amuck. The Lequjos bring swords worth thirty cruzados each, and many of these. 

Pires, pg, 128-131

That is everything Pires has to say about the Lequios. Was Luzon ever a tributary of China? Was there one king of the Ilocanos? Of course not. Here is what Pires has to say about the Lucoes.

The Lucoes are about ten days' sail beyond Borneo. They are nearly all heathen; they have no king, but they are ruled by groups of elders. They are a robust people, little thought of in Malacca. They have two or three junks, at the most. They take the merchandise to Borneo and from there they come to Malacca.

The Borneans go to the lands of the Lucoes to buy gold, and foodstuffs as well, and the gold which they bring to Malacca is from the Lucoes and from the surrounding islands which are countless; and they all have more or less trade with one another. And the gold of these islands where they trade is of a low quality —indeed very low quality. 

The Lucoes have in their country plenty of foodstuffs, and wax and honey; and they take the same merchandise from here as the Borneans take. They are almost one people; and in Malacca there is no division between them. They never used to be in Malacca as they are now; but the Tamaqua whom the Governor of India appointed here was already beginning to gather many of them together, and they were already building many houses and shops. They are a useful people; they are hard-working. 

Of this family there are now the sons of the Tumunguo and his wife in Malacca, as well as his mother-in-law, and Curia Raja and Tuam Brajy who married the Tumunguo's wife. In Minjam there must be five hundred Lucoes, some of them important men and good merchants, who want to come to Malacca, and the people of Mjjm will not grant them permission, because now they have gone over to the side of the former king of Malacca, not very openly. The people of Mjmjam are Malays.
Pires, pg. 133-134

The Lucoes do not have a king while the Lequios do. They also have gold of a very low quality. They also only have two or three junks. How much more clearer could it be that Pires differentiates these peoples? They are not the same. By a forced etymology Tim insists they are the same.

Some attempt an etymology of the Liu Kiu in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan yet Lequios are not Japanese, these are not Southeast of China and never found there but in the Philippines which boasts a much more direct etymology and several. It is no surprise that the Lequios, Lequii or Lucoes equate to Iloconos of Ilocos. However, this term leads us to more aspects we would like to explore a bit.

Collecion General de Documentos Relativos a las Islas Filipinas, Document #98 mentions the Lequios were “big, bearded, and white men.” They traded “gold and silver.” 

This appears to throw a wrench into this entire narrative in history perhaps. How could Filipinos be big, bearded, white men? That is not a description of the Japanese either. This is an ancient residual reference to Solomon’s navy of which the Spanish have all but wiped so much history that would likely confirm this even further. However, we have enough to prove this thoroughly and that will suffice.

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 163

He offers no linguistic analysis to show that Lequios = Lucoes = Ilocconos. It springs from his head fully formed and he expects us to believe it with no proof. And what about the "big, bearded, white men?" Such a description is never given in the document to which Tim is referring. Here is a translation of that section which is at the end of the document. 

In front of this said China and its lands are many islands to the sea and beyond these islands is a very large land that They say that it is terra firme, other islands where three or four junks of white people, who are very large and very rich, came to Malac every year. They bring a lot of gold in rods and silver and silk and a lot of very good wheat and very beautiful porcelain and other merchandise and they carry a lot of pepper and all the other things that the Chinese sayings carry to those who are called lequios, those from Malac say that they are better people than older merchants and richer and more dressed and honored than the Chinese whose people until now We have no news because they never came to Malac after the Portuguese went there.

Not a word about beards. The Spanish word barba does not show up in the text. Why is that? According to Chinese sources it's because the Lequios plucked out their beards. They also are described as having deep eyes and long noses. Filipinos do not have long noses. They are also said to observe no hierarchy which is unlike Philippine society which is ruled by elders.
"The country of Liuqiu is situated amidst islands in the sea, in a location that should be east of Jian'an County, to which one may arrive with five days' travel by water. The land has many caves. Its king's clan name is Huansi, and his given name is Keladou; it is not known how many generations have passed since he and his have come to possess the country. The people of that land call him Kelaoyang, and for his wife, [they] say Duobatu. His place of residence they call Boluotan Grotto, with threefold moats and fences; the perimeter has flowing water, trees and briars as barriers. As for the domicile of the king, it is sixteen rooms large, and engraved with carvings of birds and beasts. There are many Doulou trees, which resemble the orange but with foliage that is dense. The country has four or five chiefs, who unite several villages under their rule; the villages have [their own] little kings."

"The people have deep eyes and long noses, seeming to be rather akin to the Hu, and also having petty cleverness. There is no observance of hierarchy of ruler and minister nor the rite of prostrating oneself with one's palms pressed together. Fathers and children sleep together in the same bed. The men pluck out their whiskers and beards, and any place on their bodies where they happen to have hair, they will also remove it. The adult women use ink to tattoo their hands in the design of insects and serpents. As for marriage, they use wine, delicacies, pearls and shells to arrange a betrothal; if a man and a woman have found pleasure in each other, then they get married."
This designation of the country of Liuqiu is where the word Lequios originates. It is a place amidst islands to the east of China. That would be the Ryukyu Islands. It should be noted that they do not consider themselves to be Japanese. Therefore Tim's contention that the Ryukyu Islands cannot be Lequois because Lequois is not Japan is false.
Their usual ethnic name derives from the Chinese name for the islands, "Liuqiu" (also spelled as Loo Choo, Lew Chew, Luchu, and more),which in the Japanese language is pronounced "Ryuukyuu". In the Okinawan language, its pronounced "Ruuchuu". These terms are rarely used, and are politicized markers of a distinct culture.
Once more, Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture is wrong. He is wrong etymologically, geographically, and historically. The Lequois and the Lucoes are not the same peoples. We see he has done a poor amount of research even sinking so low as to copy/paste from J.G. Cheock without verifying what she wrote. Pinto's work was not censored when it was first published but did include a description of Lequios and a location at Latitude 29 North. Pinto was also not sailing north through the Malay Archipelago when he shipwrecked on Lequios.

The laziness concerning the J.G. Cheock citation is exacerbated because Tim acknowledges that Cheock is making a reference to Rebbeca Catz's translation of Pinto. However though Cheock lists her as a reference she does not actually cite Catz. The reference is placed at the end of this sentence:
In his journal he had the audacity to give details on Lequois, putting it in the latitude of 9N20 on a meridian similar to that of Japan.
Thus making it appear as if Rebecca Catz's translation says anything about Pinto locating Lequois at the latitude of 9N20. As I have shown above that is patently false. It appears Cheock did not read Catz's translation. She does not even list a page number!

Catz's English translation from 1989 is not out of print and is easy to obtain. It contains the alleged missing section of Pinto's journal. While that section is missing in the English translation printed in 1897 it is not missing in the original 1663 edition. If Tim had read Catz's introduction to Pinto he would have learned very important facts about the history of the publication of this book. But Tim did not even bother to consult Catz's translation. That is unforgivably lazy and typical of his so-called research.



What are we to make of all this? Well, it's just par for the course for Timothy Jay Schwab. Along with two hours of preparation the night before it took me about four hours to type this up which includes finding and verifying all the proper sources. Tim wrote a whole book over a course of months based on years of research and he did not even bother to verify what Pinto actually wrote. He did not take the time to seek out a first edition of Pinto's work or the current English translation by Rebecca Catz. He did not bother to check the etymology of the word Ryukyu. He did not bother to compare the accounts of Lequois and Lucoes given by Pires. It's poor research on display. It is also another part of his unassailable case demolished and shown to be utter rubbish.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Insurgency: Clashes

The AFP is fond of saying that the NPA is leaderless and incapable of carrying out operations. Yet this week there have been several clashed between the NPA and the troops. First there were clashes in Cagayan and Kalinga.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1765156/3-alleged-npa-rebels-slain-in-cagayan-kalinga-clashes

Government troops killed three alleged members of the communist New People’s Army in separate encounters in Cagayan and Kalinga provinces, the military said on Friday, May 5.

Army Major Rigor Pamittan, 5th Infantry Division spokesperson and division public affairs chief, said two of the rebels were killed on Wednesday in a firefight with Army soldiers in Cagayan.

One of the fatalities was identified only as “Morga,” a former student of a public university in Metro Manila.

Pamittan said the suspected communist rebels belonged to the NPA’s Isabela Provincial Committee and Cagayan Valley Regional Committee.

In Kalinga, an alleged member of the Larangang Guerilla Baggas, Ilocos Cordillera Regional Committee, was killed and an M-16 Armalite rifle was recovered at the clash site.

Government troops also recovered guns, ammunition, and war materiel from the clash sites the day after.

There was also a clash between the NPA and the AFP in Negros. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200777

A New People’s Army (NPA) fighter died while two soldiers and a civilian were wounded in renewed clashes between communist rebels and troops of the Philippine Army at the hinterlands of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday afternoon.

The encounter, which transpired in Sitio Paloypoy at 4:55 p.m., displaced about 65 families in Barangay Buenavista, who sought shelter in the covered court of neighboring Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City.

Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said on Thursday that soldiers of the 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB) engaged about 15 communist rebels in a 20-minute firefight.

The unidentified male fatality, whose body was brought to the La Funeraria Soledad in Himamaylan, is the latest casualty in the series of encounters in central and southern Negros since last month.

In a radio interview, Lt. Col. Van Donald Almonte, commander of 94IB, said the two soldiers, who are being treated at a hospital, are in stable condition.

The resident who was hit by a stray bullet was also brought by the troops to a hospital, he added.

Almonte said his men recovered a high-powered firearm, ammunition for various firearms, personal belongings, and subversive documents.

There was also a clash in Butuan which resulted in the seizure of fire arms. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200772
Government troops have seized three high-powered firearms following an encounter with New People’s Army (NPA) insurgents in Barangay Bugsukan here, the Army’s 29th Infantry Battalion (IB) reported Thursday.

In a statement, the 29IB said the gun battle transpired Wednesday after concerned residents informed the military of the NPA's presence in the area, saying the rebels were extorting foodstuffs and supplies.

“The residents complained of fear as the rebels subjected them to harassment and intimidation,” the 29IB said.

Troopers sent to the area encountered in the periphery of Sitio Tubuhan at least 10 armed NPA rebels, led by a certain Arnel Banguis.

The rebels, operating under the weakened Guerrilla Front 21 of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee, engaged with the 29IB troops in a 40-minute clash, the 29IB said.

After the rebels withdrew from their position, soldiers recovered from the site two AK-47 rifles, an M16 rifle, assorted ammunition, magazines, foodstuff, personal belongings, and subversive documents.

“We launched the combat operation in swift response to the information given by the concerned residents in the area,” said Lt. Col. Cresencio Gargar, the 29IB commander.

The AFP has been lauded for a successful operation in N. Samar which resulted in the death of 7 NPA fighters.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200537

The Northern Samar provincial government has lauded the Philippine Army for its successful operation that left seven New People’s Army (NPA) combatants killed on the outskirts of Bobon, Northern Samar on Sunday.

Governor Edwin Ongchuan, chair of the provincial task force to end local communist armed conflict, said in a statement Tuesday the victory is proof of the government’s commitment to pursue peace in the province.

“Our government troops deserve our highest recognition for successfully defending our people from communists who continued in their harassment and extortion activities. While we believe peace can be achieved through the whole-of-nation approach, combating with stubborn communist terrorist group forces is only possible through a strong Philippine Army, which they have effectively delivered,” Ongchuan said.

On April 30, at least seven NPA members were killed during an encounter with soldiers in upland Santander village in Bobon town.

Troops from the Army’s 803rd Infantry Brigade had an armed encounter with 40 rebels following a tip from residents of sightings of armed men on the outskirts of their village.

The armed rebels belong to the subregional guerrilla unit and remnants of the dismantled front committee-2, subregional committee emporium of the NPA Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee led by Mario Sevillano.

Sevillano is a notorious rebel leader who perpetrated numerous atrocities in Northern Samar province.

Soldiers called for close air and artillery support from the Philippine Air Force since the NPA lair was heavily fortified and surrounded by prohibited anti-personnel mines.

Some of the rebels they encountered were remnants of a dismantled front? Seems like they aren't actually dismantled. Either way they are still capable of deadly and dangerous operations contrary to what the AFP has been saying. Elsewhere in N. Samar the AFP recovered an arms cache.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200638

An arms cache reportedly owned and buried by members of the New People’s Army was discovered Tuesday in the upland Magsaysay village in Mapanas, Northern Samar.

Acting on tips from villagers, troops from the Army’s 74th Infantry Battalion found the buried six anti-personnel mines, a homemade shotgun, and an AK47 rifle with a magazine loaded with ammunition.

“The discovery of the arms cache especially the anti-personnel mines is proof that the communist terrorist group is still blatantly violating the Law of Armed Conflict and the International Humanitarian Law,” the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division said in a statement on Wednesday.

The use of anti-personnel mines has long been banned since the 1997 Ottawa Convention, an understanding among nations against the use of mines as weapons in warfare because it can cause superfluous injury and has psychological effects on the victims.

The military said that banned explosives have also been used by rebels to fortify their lairs in the mountains of Northern Samar.

So the NPA is still very active despite the AFP's assertions to the contrary. 

The PNP is doing their part to end the insurgency. PRO-13 nabbed 256 rebels in the first quarter of 2023. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/5/pro-13-nets-256-npa-rebels-in-first-quarter

The Police Regional Office-13 reported on Friday, May 5, that the counter-insurgency campaign and peace and development program in the Caraga region are gaining headway with the arrest and surrender of 256 New People’s Army rebels  from January 1 to March 31 this year.

PRO-13 Director Police Brig. Gen. Pablo G. Labra II, citing records from the PRO-13 Regional Operations Division (ROD), said
63 of them were apprehended in manhunt operations for various crimes.

Among those nabbed were high-ranking officials of the Guerrilla Front Committee 4-B of the Northcentral Mindanao Regional Command considered as regional Top 1 most wanted person (MWP), regional Top 2 MWP, and regional Top 3 MWP, for multiple attempted murders.

Labra said 193 others surrendered and the PRO-13 helped them avail of benefits under the government’s Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

Police recovered 113 firearms and 73 explosive devices from the arrested rebels and surrenderers.

According to Labra, these accomplishments weakened the Guerrilla Front 19 (WGF19) Sub-Regional Committee Southland of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee, which was once notorious for recruiting indigenous people and minors in Caraga.

Labra said the campaign to end the armed struggle in the Caraga is gaining ground because of these achievements.

“We are already strategically winning in our counter-insurgency campaign and our peace and development program,” Labra said.

“The collapse of CTG creates a window for us to proclaim that our collective efforts against terrorism become successful in Caraga region,” he added.

The PNP claims they have won a strategic victory. That may or may not be true. What is true is that the NPA remains a deadly threat. 

Monday, May 8, 2023

National Government Refuses to Build A Fire Station in Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur

It is beyond dispute that the Philippine government is corrupt and ineffective but sometimes it takes a special case to demonstrate its astounding ineptitude. Case in point is the town of Lakewood in Zamboanga del Sur which has been requesting a fire truck for the past 35 years to no avail.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1765790/zamboanga-del-sur-town-mayor-repeats-35-year-request-for-fire-truck

Saying it has been a standing request in the last 35 years, Mayor Domingo Mirrar of Lakewood in this province on Saturday asked Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos that his town be allocated a firetruck.

Mirrar made the request during the launch here of the Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) Bayanihan ng Mamamayan, the anti-drug campaign of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“It has long been our people’s dream that Lakewood will have its own fire station and firetruck. It has been our dream for a long time. Every time we experience a fire, we are reminded that this town, of all the towns in Zamboanga del Sur, doesn’t have this service,” Mirrar said.

Lakewood has a population of 21,559 people, according to the 2020 census. It is one of the 26 towns of Zamboanga del Sur.

“Now with this El Nino, we fear of forest fire, slash and burn farming that can affect our barangays, so I made this personal and open appeal to the Secretary, so he will know the real situation in our town,” Mirrar said.

He told the Inquirer that he first made this request in 1988, upon winning as mayor for the first time. Now, Mirrar is in his 8th term as the town’s chief executive.

“We never stopped appealing to DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Governmen] and to the province, but nothing happened,” Mirrar said, noting that if there would be a fire in the town, they have to wait for firefighters from Pagadian City, some 50 kilometers away.

If we have fire trucks in the town, he explained, “we can respond immediately and not wait more than an hour for a response from nearby towns, by that time, everything may already be razed down.”

Abalos advised Mirrar to work with the Bureau of Fire Protection in the region.

“There has to be a property where to build the fire station, and we will ensure that this will be a priority infrastructure in Lakewood,” Abalos vowed.

Abalos also instructed the BFP regional director to visit Lakewood to look into Mirrar’s request.

That is pretty pathetic. This is the kind of infrastructure building that should be on going. How many other towns are without a fire brigade? It's not as if the fire brigade would be idle all day if there are no fires. Who has been conducting building inspections for fire safety for the past 35 years and more? A fire station is a necessity for any municipality. 

The DILG Secretary told the Mayor to coordinate with the Bureau of Fire Protection but has he done this already? There must be more to the story than a blank refusal of the national government to provide proper fire protection to the residents for 35 years. Of course with the Philippine government being as corrupt as it is the story could be just that simple. 

Friday, May 5, 2023

Retards in the Government 308

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

A village watchman and another person were killed in separate hacking incidents on Thursday in the Bicol region.

Lieutenant Colonel Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Bicol police spokesperson, said in a report that while on a drinking spree, William Bumalay, 57, was hacked and stabbed around 5:30 p.m. by the suspect identified as Ronnie Peda, 40, in Barangay Basiad.

Bumalay died instantly due to multiple wounds.

The initial investigation showed that the police were considering personal grudge as a possible motive for the killing, Calubaquib said.

A village watchman has been slain in a hacking incident. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/1/sandigan-affirms-conviction-of-ex-cebu-town-treasurer

The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the conviction of the former treasurer of Ronda town in Cebu as it also denied his motion for the inhibition of the justices who rendered the decision.

Affirmed was the guilty verdict imposed on Esperato A. Del Socorro in a decision handed down last Feb. 7.

Del Socorro was sentenced to six to 10 years imprisonment for his graft conviction with perpetual disqualification from holding public office. For his malversation conviction, he was sentenced to six to 10 years imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of P2,063,422.72. The anti-graft court also held him civilly liable for the amount of P2,063,422.72, which he should refund to the Bureau of Treasury.

In his motion for reconsideration, Del Socorro cited "reversible error" and prayed for his acquittal.  He also pleaded that “the Honorable Presiding Justices of the instant case" should "voluntarily inhibit themselves from acting upon the motion because of manifest bias and partiality."

But the Sandiganbayan’s sixth division ruled that it would be an "exercise in futility" should it grant the motion to inhibit with motion for reconsideration.

It stressed that there is no compelling reason or cause for them to voluntarily inhibit because of "unconscious bias."

"In fine, the prized ideal of 'the cold neutrality of an impartial judge' implicit in the due process guarantee had been met," the court said.

It also said that since Del Socorro's motion for reconsideration merely contained "warmed over arguments previously put forward and found to be unmeritorious, it would be an exercise in futility for the court to reiterate itself.”

The Sandiganbyan has upheld the conviction of a formrer town treasurer for graft. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/868647/manila-policeman-hits-traffic-enforcer-gets-arrested-by-navotas-cops/story/

A member of the Manila Police District was arrested by authorities in Navotas City after he allegedly hit a traffic enforcer who apprehended him.

According to Jun Veneracion's report on "24 Oras", the video of the Manila policeman being arrested by Navotas cops led by Navotas chief of police Police Col. Allan Umipig has already gone viral.

Police MSgt. Ramon Guina reportedly tried to flee after he was apprehended by Navotas traffic enforcer Mark Luzuriaga.

Guina was reportedly driving a tricycle without a franchise.

The chase ended with Guina reportedly punching Luzuriaga.

Guina was then arrested by Navotas policemen.

"'The leadership of the Manila Police District we do not tolerate our rank and file in the event that they make a mistake," said MPD spokesperson Police Major Philipp Ines.

A cop has been arrested for punching a traffic enforcer. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/05/03/2263348/2-police-generals-2-colonels-recommended-drug-raps

Four ranking police officials have been recommended to be removed from the Philippine National Police (PNP) due to alleged involvement in illegal drug activities.

A five-member advisory panel headed by former PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. recommended the acceptance of the courtesy resignations of the third-level officials, including two one-star generals and two colonels.

The four were among the 953 third-level officers evaluated by the panel after they submitted their courtesy resignations.

The panel cleared 917 of them, while it endorsed the suspension of President Marcos’ disposition on the 32 officers.

The STAR opted not to reveal the names of the officials as the National Police Commission (Napolcom) has yet to resolve the administrative cases filed against them.

Marcos, being the country’s Chief Executive, will have the final say on the matter.

The four had one thing in common: they were once assigned at the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG).

The panel endorsed the filing of administrative charges against the officials before the Napolcom for violation of the PNP’s rules and regulations against illegal drugs.

Drug charges have been recommended against four high ranking PNP officers who were sonce part of the PDEG.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/3/raps-files-vs-mayor-2-others-in-cebu-for-alleged-failure-to-stop-construction-of-illegal-structures

Charges have been filed against the mayor and two other officials of Badian town, Cebu province after they allegedly failed to stop the illegal construction of structures in one of the coastal barangays in the municipality.
 
Charged before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas on Tuesday, May 2, were Badian Mayor Carmencita Lumain, Engr. Vicente Jojie Nillas, head of the town’s Office of the Building Official, and Manolito Recopelacion, chief of the Municipal Environmental and Natural Resources Office.

The charges were filed by Gilbert Yap, president of the Redwood Heritage Landholdings Corp., who asked the anti-graft court to investigate the three officials for “grave misconduct; inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of officials duties; refusal to perform official duty; conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and Article 208 of the Revised Penal Code for prosecution of offenses; and negligence and tolerance.”

According to Yap’s legal counsel, Van Roe Asoque, the filing of charges stemmed from Lumain, Nillas, and Recopelacion’s alleged failure to enforce the order stopping the construction of illegal structures in Barangay Lambug.
 
In his complaint-affidavit, Yap said he bought a property in Lambug from one Cresencia Felomino and the sale was finalized after the Deed of Absolute Sale was executed and annotated in October 2021.
 
After the completion of the sale, Yap said he was surprised when the fence in the property that he bought was destroyed by some individuals.
 
Yap identified those behind the destruction of some property and illegally occupied the area as Rafael Chan, Cita Chan, Marcia Martelino, Ven Martelino, Nieva Martelino, Julian Sy, Maria Carmela Sy, and Lucio Rebajo, among others.
 
Security guards from the Eross Security Force Agency were deployed in the area to prohibit anyone from entering the property, Yap said.
 
Yap said he has filed charges for grave coercion and malicious mischief against these individuals.

He  said several structures were then built in the property which violated Republic Act 7586 (National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992) and Presidential Decree 1067 (Water Code of the Philippines).
 
In his letter to the mayor, Yap said the construction of structures violated the 40-easement rule.
 
Yap said Lumain issued a cease-and-desist order on Aug. 19, 2022 ordering Ven Martelino and Benjamin Martelino to stop the construction of structures in the area.
 
It was also found out during the investigation of the Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Office that the construction of the structures had no necessary permits, Yap said
 
However, despite the cease-and-desist order issued by Lumain, construction in the property continued, Yap said.
 
Yap said he repeatedly asked Lumain and Nillas to enforce the order but to no avail. This prompted Yap to sue Lumain, Nillas, and Recopelacion before the Ombudsman.
 
Yap said he believed that the three officials committed grave misconduct when they did not allegedly enforce the order to stop the construction.

Charges have been filed against the mayor and two other officials of Badian town, Cebu province after they allegedly failed to stop the illegal construction of structures in one of the coastal barangays in the municipality.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200696

Four erring cops were dismissed from service as part of the internal cleansing within the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region (PRO-13).

In a statement Wednesday, PRO-13 director Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II said the four were part of the 15 police personnel who were penalized.
 
“We won’t allow a few bad apples among our ranks to spoil the image of our entire organization eclipsing the good deeds being done daily by the majority of police personnel,” Labra said.
 
Cops involved in crimes and illegal activities, he added, will be sanctioned accordingly following their constitutional right to due process.
 
Based on the PRO-13 Discipline, Law, and Order Section (DLOS) records, at least 38 police personnel are facing administrative cases, 34 of which were filed since Labra assumed his post as PRO-13 chief last year.

Fifteen of the 38 were penalized as of May 3, of which four were ordered dismissed from service, five were suspended, two were forfeited of their salary, and four were reprimanded.

Those dismissed from service were proven guilty of grave neglect of duty and grave misconduct, Labra said. 

Four cops have been dismissed from PRO-13 for undisclosed reasons. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/4/jealous-cop-fatally-shoots-woman-in-tacloban

A 44-year-old police officer gunned down a 30-year-old teacher due to alleged jealousy on Wednesday afternoon, May 3, in Barangay 43, Quarry District here.

Police identified the victim as Jessica Durana, 30, a resident of Barangay  42, this city.

Durana’s mother told police that she and her daughter were walking toward  the pathway in Barangay 43 when the suspect, Police Senior Master Sgt. Van Gregory Benitez, 44, assigned to the Tacloban City Police Office, suddenly appeared from behind and stood in front of them.

Benitez pointed a short firearm and fired several shots at the victim while uttering the word "Sorry, Jessica."

The suspect casually walked away to the exit of the pathway in Barangay 44 and disappeared.

Responding policemen found the victim lying on the pavement in the middle of the pathway with multiple bullet wounds in the body.

The victim's body was taken to the  Tacloban City Hospital after crime scene processing and was officially declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Police have launched a thorough investigation and hot pursuit operation against the suspect.

A cop enraged by jealousy has shot dead a teacher. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1764703/bacolod-exec-sacked-over-alleged-irregularities-in-govt-fuel-use

A city government official was dismissed from service for allegedly availing himself of gasoline from the city for an unserviceable bulldozer nine times in October 2022.

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez found Ramel Palalon, head of the city’s Department of Public Services (DPS), liable for nine counts of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty upon the recommendation of the City Legal Officer (CLO).

DPS driver Darwin Cardones was also found guilty of the same offenses, and was ordered suspended for six months.

CLO Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. on Tuesday, May 2, said Cardones was found to have signed the trip tickets of the bulldozer that he did not use.

“The driver was made to sign the trip tickets by his boss,” Ting said.

Cardones, he said, filed a motion for reconsideration for a lesser penalty so his suspension had not been enforced yet.

Palalon claimed that the gasoline was used for a bulldozer of IPM-Construction and Development Corp., the garbage hauler of Bacolod City, for road clearing operations, the investigation by the CLO showed.

However, an inquiry by the CLO showed that IPM did not use the city government gasoline for its bulldozer.

Palalon’ dismissal from service, which was implemented on April 27, may be appealed before the Civil Service Commission.

Ting said Palalon could no longer be allowed to work in the city government.

A Bacolod City government official has been let go for stealing gasoline. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200747

A male immigration officer will face an administrative case for supposedly facilitating the departure of a couple who are reportedly victims of trafficking in Myanmar, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Thursday.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, in a statement, said the officer has been removed from his post for his involvement in the case of the couple who worked as love scammers and arrived home on April 25 after escaping their employers.

Tansingco warned immigration personnel not to be involved in illegal cross-border activities.

"If you are innocent, I will defend you. But if I find out that you are involved, you will know the consequence of your action. I don't care who your backer is," he said.

According to the victims, they experienced physical abuse, threats, and starvation as consequences for not reaching their quota.

Both claimed that they were recruited via social media by a certain Maxesa and left the country in October 2022 purportedly for a four-day vacation in Singapore.

The two noted that from Singapore, they flew to Bangkok and were transported by armed men to Mae Sot City to eventually take a boat ride to Myanmar. After their successful escape, they sought assistance from the Philippine Embassy in Thailand.

A BI officer is being investigated for human trafficking.