Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Insurgency: An End Finally in Sight

Earlier this year the AFP set a deadline of December 31st, 2024 as the end of the communist insurgency. But is this possible? Is the end near for Asia's longest running communist insurgency? It's complicated. 


https://thediplomat.com/2024/10/is-an-end-to-asias-longest-running-communist-insurgency-finally-in-sight/

Throughout 2024, frequent armed clashes have continued between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The long-running conflict has endured despite the significant weakening of the NPA and recent efforts to establish a peacebuilding process that aims to bring an end to its insurgency.

At the end of November last year, a high-ranking delegation from Manila met with the CPP’s political wing, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), in Oslo, the first such talks to be held in six years. In a signed joint statement the two sides agreed to a “principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict” and to address the “deep rooted socioeconomic and political grievances” that have long fueled the insurgency.

While the talks were heralded as a breakthrough at the time, it soon became evident that significant obstacles to peace remained. Less than a year later, it appears that such concerns were well-warranted, as the violence has continued, and a pervasive atmosphere of mutual mistrust persists.

After a brief respite in the conflict following the signing of the joint statement, the NPA resumed attacks on government forces while the AFP continued its counter-insurgency campaign against the weakened yet resilient rebels. According to the most recent Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) Asia-Pacific dataset, there have been 128 armed clashes between the NPA and the AFP this year, which have killed 106 suspected NPA militants and 15 Filipino soldiers.

On September 11, four members of the NPA were killed in armed clashes with the AFP in Peñablanca town, Cagayan. The clashes were just the latest iteration of a conflict that has been waged over five decades across the Philippine archipelago and has cost the lives of an estimated 40,000  civilians, soldiers, and rebels. The rebellion is considered Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency and one of the world’s most enduring armed conflicts.

During a visit to a tactical command post following the recent clashes, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. congratulated the troops on the successful operation in Peñablanca and emphasized the AFP’s commitment to end the insurgency. He also said, “your dedication and courage are crucial as we transition to territorial defense operations.” Brawner’s remarks are worth noting as they directly relate to two key issues currently facing the Philippines.

First, the military is committed to continuing its counterinsurgency campaign of definitively defeating the NPA. Second, the AFP is seeking to shift its focus from internal security threats to territorial defense in response to the increased tensions with China in the South China Sea. The Oslo joint statement actually made specific reference to “the foreign threats facing the country,” and that both sides recognized “the need to unite as a nation” in order to resolve these and other challenges.

The ongoing commitment of the AFP to continuing its counterinsurgency campaign with the stated goal of “ending” the NPA is being carried out concurrently with the Marcos administration’s approach of advocating for a peacebuilding process. This process entails exploratory talks with the NDFP, amnesties for current and former NPA members, and government-funded development projects in regions the military designates as “rebel-free.” However, the implementation of these projects has so far been varied across different provinces.

According to Michael Hart, editorial and social media coordinator of the Pacific Review journal at the University of Warwick, the current approach can be viewed as a dual-track process. He describes the process as being one in which “the government engages in peace talks with the NDFP at the national level, while the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Philippine military continue to degrade the insurgency on the ground, as that would inevitably weaken the rebels’ negotiating position.”

While the security forces have remained openly skeptical of achieving a peaceful solution to the conflict, the CPP has not given them much reason to alleviate their misgivings. At the end of December last year less than a month after the signing of the Oslo agreement and on the CPP’s 55th anniversary, the CPP announced its third rectification movement, aimed at establishing more guerilla fronts and bases, and its intention to continue “basic or annihilative tactical offensives” against “isolated and detached units of the enemy.” It’s worth noting that the CPP statement was issued a day after an armed clash with the AFP on Christmas day that killed nine NPA fighters.

In response to the CPP’s statement, the National Security Council said it was “very perplexed and disappointed” and that the NPA was “determined to regroup and rebuild what remains of its forces, to continue its protracted war in hopes of achieving its end goal of overthrowing our democratic government.”

As counter-insurgency operations intensified, the CPP released another statement at the end of March that was even more escalatory than the previous one. In it, the CPP ordered the NPA to carry out an “all-out effort” to launch a new tactical offensive “to frustrate the brutal campaign of encirclement and suppression being waged by the U.S.-Marcos regime and shatter the reign of terror of the AFP in the countryside.”

By this point, the escalatory rhetoric from both sides was markedly different from the conciliatory tone of the Oslo joint statement. In July, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año stated that the NTF-ELCAC would “completely crush” the NPA by the end of Marcos’s presidential term. Similar declarations have been made by numerous previous administrations, without success.

After extended periods of little to no dialogue, the government recently announced it had re-engaged in exploratory talks with the NDFP. On September 2, Carlito Galvez Jr., the presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation, and unity, proclaimed that the government was “very optimistic” that a final peace agreement could be reached before the end of Marcos’s term.

At the same time, ongoing military advances have led more hawkish members of the military to believe that there is little point in negotiating with an enemy that has proven it cannot be trusted and is on the verge of defeat. By all accounts, the rebels are currently on the defensive and have been significantly weakened.

As of mid-August, the government estimated the number of NPA fighters at between 1,200 and 2,000, which it claims are operating across five weakened guerilla fronts. This is significantly down from the 89 NPA fronts that were active as recently as 2018 and the estimated 25,000 fighters that it fielded at the movement’s peak in the 1980s.

While the communist insurgency has mainly been pushed back into its traditional strongholds of Bicol, Samar, Negros, and parts of Mindanao, ongoing community support has made efforts to conduct further operations against the rebels an onerous task for the security forces. In many instances, heavy-handed counter-insurgency operations have produced greater resentment in local communities, particularly in some indigenous communities, which have in turn provided new recruits and vital community support for the NPA.

Although the NPA does appear to be in relative decline, with significantly reduced capabilities and territorial influence, its resilience and deep-rooted support in impoverished and remote communities have greatly complicated the AFP’s goal of decisively defeating the insurgency. While a ceasefire agreement seems like a logical first step in a possible peacebuilding process, mutual distrust, both sides’ prioritization of short-term military gains, and the rebels’ history of opportunistically using such agreements to rebuild and regroup make such an agreement seem currently unlikely.

It does also seem, however, that the rebels may not have the ability to rebuild and regroup to quite the same extent as during past ceasefires. Many top-ranking members of the CPP leadership have been killed in recent years, and the party’s founder Jose Maria Sison died in self-exile in the Netherlands in 2022. Georgi Engelbrecht, senior analyst for the Philippines at the International Crisis Group, told The Diplomat that recent setbacks and military pressure from the AFP had “further weakened the movement” and that “it would be difficult for the insurgency to revive itself.”

However, he also said that “you cannot kill an idea with bullets,” and that a definitive end to the conflict will require the government to “tackle the root causes” of the insurgency in socio-economically marginalized regions of the country. To do so, it will need to transition from some of the more cosmetic approaches of previous peacebuilding initiatives to more consultative and transformative policies. Such policies should be aimed at bringing real development to these remote regions while simultaneously promoting reconciliation with local communities. However, given the current weakened state of the insurgency, the government may have little incentive to pursue long-term peacebuilding initiatives of this kind.

For the time being it appears as though a potential path to peace for Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency will be long and fraught, with many challenges and setbacks along the way. It will ultimately require both sides to overcome the pervasive atmosphere of mutual mistrust before the final steps can be taken.

There is a lot of information to parse in that analysis. According to this analyst the AFP estimates there are between 2,000 and 1,200 NPA rebels left. That is a very significant number which is higher than what has been reported in the Philippine mainstream media. The Philippine MSM has reported the AFP estimating there are only 1,200 rebels left and they are without leadership unable to carry out tactical offensives. 

Yet this analysis says not only are tactical offensives being carried out but "heavy-handed counter-insurgency operations have produced greater resentment in local communities" "which have in turn provided new recruits and vital community support for the NPA." That is the opposite of the AFP's claim there are many communities have turned against the NPA and are snitching on them. At least it is a bold omission which is not giving the full picture of the fight against the insurgency. 

Basically the insurgency is not going to end this year. What would it mean for the insurgency to actually end when the AFP has admitted there will never be a zero-insurgent situation?

Is playing whack-a-mole the best the AFP can do? Bohol has been declared insurgent free yet the AFP has to be on alert lest there is a resurgence of the NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1235268

The 47th Infantry Battalion (47IB) of the Philippine Army based in Negros Oriental is relentlessly sustaining its operations in nearby Bohol province to prevent a resurgence of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Lt. Col. Magno Mapalad, 47IB commanding officer, told the Philippine News Agency on Thursday that they are committed to ensuring that the NPA – the armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines – could no longer recoup or conduct recruitment activities in Bohol.

“We are continuing our sustainment operations with the help and cooperation of the local governments and other stakeholders to maintain its current status of being insurgency-free,” Mapalad said in mixed English and Filipino.

He added that they are also strengthening their integrated territorial defense system after the remaining NPA members of the last guerilla front were neutralized early this year.

Although based in Negros Oriental province, the coverage area of the 47IB includes Bohol province.

Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) based in Jamindan town, Capiz province, during his visit to the 47IB headquarters in Mabinay town, Negros Oriental on Thursday morning, urged the troops to not let their guard down while pursuing efforts to put an end to the insurgency in the province.

Lt. Col. J-jay Javines, 3ID spokesperson, in an interview said that Sison’s visit to the 47IB and other Philippine Army units in Negros Island is to remind them that their efforts should be focused on accomplishing the mission of ending the local communist armed conflict this year.

“We need now to transition, preposition, and prepare for our territorial defense operations to end the local communist armed conflict by December 31st,” Javines said.

The 3ID commander gave awards, rewards, and recognition to 47IB troops, particularly in the battalion’s accomplishment in Bohol, which no longer has armed rebels and affected organizations, which he also wants to happen in other areas.

If there could possibly be a resurgence of the NPA in Bohol then not all elements of the NPA have been eliminated. 

Three more leaders of the leaderless NPA have been captured in Apayao. 


https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/9/troops-capture-3-npa-leaders-in-apayao

Authorities captured three high-ranking New People's Army leaders in Barangay Manag, Conner, Apayao, on October 8.

The 503rd Infantry Brigade received information from a concerned citizen about the presence of communist rebels in the area.

Soldiers backed by policemen patrolled the area and intercepted three individuals who were positively identified as key members of the Regional Guerilla Unit-Regional Operations Command of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) operating in Northern Luzon.

They were identified as alias Sam, commanding officer of the Regional Sentro de Grabidad (RSDG) of the ICRC; alias Tanya, political instructor; and alias Annie, organizer and head of education of the weakened guerilla front Kilusang Larangang Gerilya-Baggas.

Seized from them were two M16A1 rifles with ammunition, grenades, explosives, and personal belongings.

Major Gen. Gulliver L. Señires, commander of the 5th Infantry Division, commended operating units for a successful operation.

“The capture of these high-ranking NPA leaders is a significant step towards dismantling the remaining guerilla fronts in Northern Luzon. It demonstrates that the people are increasingly rejecting the NPA’s violent ideology and supporting the government’s efforts to achieve lasting peace and development in the region.”

He urged remaining NPA to return to the fold of the  government.

It's the old another "significant step towards dismantling" the NPA rhetoric. Yet the NPA persists. Maybe it will be true this time. 

Ex-rebels have been assisting the AFP in locating buried NPA weapons caches. They are a vital part of the AFP's counterinsurgency program. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1235118

More former rebels, members of their families, and friends have been joining the government’s anti-insurgency drive by disclosing the locations of firearms buried by the New People’s Army (NPA), the Philippine Army said Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Perfecto Peñaredondo, acting commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said there has been recent success in their campaign to fight insurgents with the information provided by NPA members and allies on the location of arms caches.

"This is a clear indication that the families of the NPA members and the community appreciate the efforts of the government and have decided to support the fight of ending the local communist armed conflict," Peñaredondo said in a statement.

On Oct. 5, a family member of alias ‘Agunos’, an NPA rebel killed in an armed encounter in February, revealed the locations of an arms cache containing three firearms in the upland Rizal village in Kananga, Leyte.

Troops from the 93rd Infantry Battalion under the 802nd Infantry Brigade recovered an M16 assault rifle, caliber.30 M1 garand, KG-9 pistol, five magazines, and 41 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition allegedly owned by the recently dismantled platoon 2 of the island committee Levox under the NPA Eastern Visayas regional party committee.

On Oct. 3, acting on a tip-off from a former rebel, soldiers facilitated the surrender of two active NPA remnants and recovered a significant cache of weapons and ammunition in Eastern Samar.

Soldiers from the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion received information from alias ‘Apolonio’, a former Yunit Militia member of the NPA who identified two active NPA members hiding in Abejao village in Salcedo, Eastern Samar.

‘Apolonio’ disclosed the location of Lilio Betasolo Jacobe, alias Baoy, vice squad leader of NPA’s Apoy Platoon Squad 2, and Enorio Afable Aquilla, alias Rokles, a member of the same squad. Both rebels surrendered in Abejao village in Salcedo town.

These individuals were involved in a clash with government forces on July 25 this year, in Osmeña village, General MacArthur town in Eastern Samar, where their leader, Joel Guarino, alias ‘Duran’, was killed.

Following their surrender, they revealed the locations of hidden arms caches in the villages of Osmeña and Laurel in the same town.

The operation resulted in the recovery of two M16 rifles, two M14 rifles, one M1903 caliber .30 Springfield rifle, and one AK-47 rifle.

Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade, said the success of this operation is credited to their efforts in the conduct of comprehensive debriefings with former rebels and implementing the Friends Rescued Engagement through Their Families program.

The program optimizes the local government’s efforts to link and convince the remaining NPA members through the active participation of the rebels’ families to work for the peaceful surrender of their loved ones and take advantage of benefits through the Enhanced Local Integration Program.

Some ex-rebels are receiving large cash rewards for revealing the locations of buried weapon caches. 


https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1234985

A former member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) and her spouse received PHP2.3 million from the government on Monday as remuneration for information that led to the seizure of 31 high powered firearms.

Alias "Sayap" was rewarded for providing information that led to the seizure of 31 high powered firearms in Barangay Gueday, Besao, Mountain Province.

The remuneration is under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Of the total firearms, 29 were monetized while two have pending valuations. Each were valued between PHP50,000 and PHP80,000.

In a press briefing at the capitol, Kalinga Governor and ECLIP Chairperson James Edduba handed over the financial package to “Sayap," a rebel for 35 years.

“He voluntarily surrendered and later provided the information to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Many of the firearms recovered were machine guns,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Romualdo Raymund Landingin, commander of the AFP 503rd Infantry Brigade, said in the same press conference that at least 50 more NPA members in Kalinga are interested in surrendering. 

“They are, however concerned of the legal cases and security, which are reasons that are holding them back,” he said.

Landingin stressed that returning rebels will receive security and assistance under the Firearm Remuneration and Demilitarization Program.

DILG-Cordillera Assistant Director Ruperto Maribay Jr. said the successful negotiation took nearly a year to finalize.

He said the former rebel will receive additional benefits under the ECLIP program like education assistance for his three children in college, housing assistance and livelihood package. 

It's comforting to know how taxpayer money is being put to good use. 

Monday, October 14, 2024

Phillippine Political Spit Swapping

In the Philippines swapping isn't just for pleasure. It is a way of doing politics. Families and friends team up to grab as much power as they can. In one election cycle they run for certain posts then when their term limits are up they switch positions. 

Here are two examples. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1235058

The Nava couple led the slate of the National Unity Party (NUP) in Guimaras in filing their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 midterm elections on Tuesday.

Governor JC Rahman Nava will run for representative of the Lone District of Guimaras, swapping posts with his wife, Rep. Ma. Lucille Nava, who will seek a gubernatorial post.

In a press conference, Governor Nava said their candidates came from various parties but with the alliances at the national level, they decided to run under the NUP.

He added that their governance will be guided by their “Kabataan” FIRST agenda, which is focused on the youth.

FIRST stands for focused trade and investments, tourism and employment; integrated infrastructure development; responsive healthcare and social services; sustainable economy; and trusted bureaucracy.

“When I am in Congress, we can work hand-in-hand again to realize these initiatives,” he added.

In the meantime, Rep. Nava said they will only have one direction toward the developmental goals they have set before.

“Everything is aligned, coordinated, supported and with the consensus of all officials,” she said.

JC Rahman Nava was a governor between 1998-2007 and a member of the House between 2007-2016. He was elected to his current governorship in 2022. His brother Felipe held the same position between 2007-2013. His wife Lucille followed him to the House in 2016 and has been there ever since.

Now that her term is ending the couple will swap positions. Apparently JC Rahman wants back in the House where he will have more power and earn more money. He says there is a consensus among all officials and that this arrangement will assist with the developmental goals they have set. Who are these officials? Does this mean there is no opposition to either of these candidates? In effect this is a conspiracy for the Nava family to remain in power in Guimaras. Sure there are platitudes about development but we all know how that goes. There is hardly any change in the day-to-day life of the average Filipino while families like the Nava's rake in the big bucks.

Bacolod City is also being subject to the swapping whims of local politicians. 


https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1235059

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya here switched posts, running for congressman and mayor, respectively, under Team Asenso Bacolod in the May 2025 elections.

Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran is challenging Gasataya for the mayoral post as both are set to finish their three terms after the elections next year.

I thank Mayor Albee and the Team Asenso for the trust they have given me. It’s not that Mayor Albee is going to leave us; it’s only that when you’re in a team, you have to play different roles with one common objective. That is, do everything that we can to make Bacolod a super city,” Gasataya said during a press conference at SMX Convention Center after filing their certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections on Tuesday.

Benitez’s move is expected to pave the way for his return to the House of Representatives after serving as congressman of the neighboring Third District of Negros Occidental from 2010 to 2019. 

“At this stage, I will make sure that all the legislations and congressional acts that I’ll be doing are aligned with ensuring the acceleration of the mission to make Bacolod a super city,” Benitez said.

Benitez will have a rematch against former mayor Evelio Leonardia, who is also running for congressman, after losing his reelection bid to the incumbent mayor in the 2022 elections. 

Greg Gasataya began his political career in 2001 as a councilor. In 2013 he was elected as Vice Mayor and served as acting Mayor between 2015-2016. Since then he has been a member of the House. Now that Gasataya's term is ending he is running for Mayor while his party mate, the current mayor, is running for Gasataya's seat in the House. 

Benitez began his political career in 2010 winning a seat in the House for the fourth district of Negros Occidental. His term ended in 2019. After changing his address from Victorias to Bacolod in 2021 he ran for Mayor of Bacolod in 2022. He is also an American having been born in Palo Alto, California. 

Benetiz's son Javi is currently mayor of Victorias and is also in the running for a seat in the House. His mother had some illuminating words.

Third District Congressional Bet Javier Miguel "Javi" Benitez was accompanied by his mother Nikki Lopez-Benitez with all the mayors under the district showed their support for him and trooped to the Comelec Provincial Office.

"We will continue the Benitez's legacy. I will quote the late President Ramon Magsaysay, those who have less in life should have more in law, and that's what we'll push for in the legislative position.

What's all this "We" stuff? She's not running for office. She won't be pushing for any legislation. But the fact is when one member of the family is in office all members of the family are in office. The family legacy is of the utmost importance to these people. 

So you see all the political merry-go-round happening just in these two situations. House members can only serve three consecutive three-year terms while Senators can only hold two six-year terms. After sitting out a term they are free to run again. These term limits are what enable the constant switching in the Philippine government. It's the same old faces coming back around again. It's the same old Philippines subject to their whims. 

Saturday, October 12, 2024

The God Culture: 100 Lies About The Philippines: Lie #26: The Butuan Ivory Seal Has Hebrew Writing

Welcome back to 100 Lies The God Culture teaches about the Philippines. Today's lie concerns the Butuan Ivory Seal. This artifact was found in 1970 and dates back to 1,000 AD. Tim says the scholarly interpretation of the seal is wrong and that the writing on it is actually Hebrew. More than that he claims the seal is concrete evidence the Lost Tribes of Israel arrived in the Philippines. 



Tim concludes his interpretation of the Butuan Ivory Seal saying:


Lost Tribes Series Part 2F: Decoding the Butuan Ivory Seal - Evidence

19:24 These letters are about as clear as it gets. They are Hebrew. So, what does all of this mean? Again, read right to left: "The Rechabites who live in tents in the land of creation as the Zadok priests where the scattered tribes are yoked at the ends of the earth." Wow dude! This is awesome and concrete evidence, we believe, that the Lost Tribes arrived in the Philippines.

Despite Tim's conviction that the Butuan Ivory Seal has Hebrew writing and is concrete evidence the Lost Tribes of Israel arrived in the Philippines he does not mention this tidbit in his book The Search for King Solomon's Treasure. There is only a single picture of the seal on page 157.

The Search for King Solomon's Treasure, pg. 157

It is important to note that in this video Tim admits he is not a linguist. 

5:06 We are not linguists nor do we care to be but you will find no linguist is necessary in this case because come along with us and we'll interpret this together.

For someone who uses linguistics to prove that there are Hebrew place names in the Philippines Tim is quite proud and satisfied to not actually be a linguist. In effect Tim is admitting he has no idea what he is talking about. Why would there be Hebrew carved into an ivory seal in the Philippines dating back to 1,000 AD? For Tim it's because he believes that members of the Lost Tribes of Israel made their way to the Philippines. That is the fact he starts with and then he interprets everything in light of that false paradigm.

The fact is this seal has already been examined and interpreted by actual linguists. Tim rejects their interpretations full stop. 

0:35 Are we crazy? Can we actually claim to have deciphered the writing on the Butan Ivory Seal as we do in the intro? Well, we do indeed with all confidence because all of these years we believe the professors and scholars have been using the wrong language. They don't know any better. It's okay but you and I do.

According to the National Museum of the Philippines Dutch linguist Antoon Postma the script on the seal is stylised Kawi and translates as But-ban which is the same as Butuan.   

This week we are featuring the Butuan Ivory Seal, which is dated A.D. 10th-13th c. (Age of Contact and Trade), measuring 6 cm long and 4 cm diameter.

The Butuan Ivory Seal was recovered by pothunters in a prehistoric shell midden site in Ambangan, Libertad, Butuan City in the 1970s. It was eventually donated to the National Museum.  

According to Dr. Antoon Postma, the inscription is an ancient Javanese or stylized Kawi script referring to “But-ban”. A Dutch Scholar in ancient Indonesian scripts, Johannes Gijsbertus de Casparis, decoded it as “But-wan”. These words refer to Butuan, the present name of the site where it was found.

The ivory seal as well as other archaeological materials recovered in Ambangan archaeological sites are proof that Butuan was an important trading center whose official seal marked the source of commodities it produced and exported. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1247343325289983&set=the-nm-continues-the-celebration-of-buwan-ng-wika-through-its-collectionthis-wee

It is a rather straightforward interpretation. But Tim rejects it by asking the following question.

20:10 Notice the letter sounds are BT. Could be Butuan, maybe. Perhaps. But why would it need to say Butuan anyway? That's a rush to judgment scholars are trying to stretch out of it unsuccessfully. None of them have proven that it says that for reason.

Well, why does the seal have to say "The Rechabites who live in tents in the land of creation as the Zadok priests where the scattered tribes are yoked at the ends of the earth?" What practical use is having that on the seal? The museum tells us the seal says Butuan because "Butuan was an important trading center whose official seal marked the source of the commodities it produced and exported." 

Aside from translating the Butuan Ivory Seal Antoon Postma also deciphered the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42633308

It is interesting that Tim rejects Postma's interpretation of the Butuan Ivory Seal but accepts his interpretation of the Laguna Copperplate.   He even includes it in his book. 


The Search for King Solomon's Gold, pg. 156

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription, one of the oldest historical records in the history of the Philippines, demonstrates early connections between the early inhabitants of Luzon and Java in Indonesia by the 10th century as well as proving a literate people executing an extensive legal agreement inscribed on a sheet of copper, an abundant native resource. Natives in loin clothes do not draft such significant legal agreements on copper. 

And in what language is the Laguna Copperplate Inscription? Kawi!

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42633308

The very same script on the Butuan Ivory Seal. 

 5:20 We've read a book a while ago and have picked it back up again recently from one of our viewers it's called Philippines, I Thee Wed which is a beautiful way to describe the relationship between the Lost Tribes and the ekklesia the bride of Messiah as scripture references many times over and we have found a former name in fact of the Philippines this is gonna blow you away that is actually Hebrew as well and we will share this soon not in this video but one of the upcoming ones and you're gonna love it because it ties to all of this as well the book makes outrageous claims that Philippines might actually be Ophir maybe even the Garden of Eden and the location of the Lost Tribes hmm can you imagine that?

This book does not give an interpretation of the writing on the seal. That stems wholly from Tim's imagination. But the idea that the seal has any Hebrew is something Tim lifted directly from this book. 
Philippines, I Thee Wed, pg. 60

It is simply not true that the Butuan Ivory Seal has Hebrew writing on it. It is in Kawi the same as the Laguna Copperplate inscription. Both have been translated by Antoon Postma who, unlike Tim, was an actual linguist. The fact that Tim is unaware that Antoon Postma deciphered both the Laguna Copperplate Inscription and the Butuan Ivory Seal using the same language is more evidence of his poor research skills.  The claim that the Butuan Ivory Seal has Hebrew writing on it is just one more lie Timothy Jay Schwab teaches about the Philippines. 

Friday, October 11, 2024

Retards in the Government 386

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

 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/598420/mandaue-mayor-dismissed-from-office-for-grave-misconduct-ombud

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has been found guilty of grave misconduct and is meted the penalty of dismissal from the office by Office of the Ombudsman.

The complaint is anchored on the alleged act of Cortes for allowing the continuous operation from 2020 to 2022 of SUPREA Phils. Development Corp, a batching plant of concrete mix cement located in Sitio San Jose 1, Circumferential Road, Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City.

This despite the alleged lack of the required business permit, sanitary permit and clearance.

In a Facebook post, suspended Mayor Jonas Cortes, said that the Ombudsman’s case and decision came as no surprise. Cortes also accused his opponent as the one behind the decision.

(We really know that our opponent has used their connections and power at their disposal. But let me assure you just as we have faced challenges before, we will not back down.)

Cortes said that they would exhaust all legal remedies to appeal the decision. 

(Because it is not just me, it is about the trust you have placed in me, and I will defend that trust with all that I have. Mandaue has always remained as one city who rise together and I know deep in heart that we will overcome this storm successfully.)

(I plead to you to continue to fight with me and support me while we stand on solid ground because justice and truth is on our side. Together we will move forward no matter what.)

The Office of the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss Mayor Cortes from office came as he was serving his one year suspension for allegedly appointing an unqualified officer-in-charge at the City Social Welfare and Services.

His suspension started last August 2024.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman decision against Cortes, which was dated September 12, 2024, said that with the mayor allowing the continued operation of SUPREA Phils., its operation allegedly posed health risk and disturbances to those who lived close to the plant.

However, the decision said that Cortes allegedly refused to issue a cease and desist order against SUPREA Phils. and allowed the batching plan to continue to operate.

The Ombudsman said that as a mayor, the regulation and monitoring of the operations of SUPREA involved the very functions that respondents ought to discharge by virtue of his office. 

“He has a duty to act, but he deliberately chose not to act,” said the Ombudsman in the decision.

Cortes only allegedly issued the so-called mission order for the Mandaue City Environment and Natural Resources Office on March 11, to conduct an inspection of the activities of SUPREA.

“While it may be true that the team continued with its surveilance in 2022, this only concerned environmemtal factors. At the outset, the surveillance is not the action required when the irregularity involved the absence of permits and clearances,” the decision read.

The Ombudsman added that the conduct of inspection, imposition of penalties, and implementation of mitigating and preventive measures are not sufficient to address the plight of the affected residents of Barangay Labogon.

“Such misconduct is clearly demonstarted when respondent allowed its operation in 2020 until 2022 without a business permit and the required sanitary permit and environmental clearance and refused to immediately act on the reccommendations of the MCENRO as early as 2020,” it added.

The Ombudsman noted that while SUPREA was issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate on April 26, 2019, the requirements of permits and clearances could not be dispensed with as stated by the DENR Regional Director William P. Cuñado in his letter addressed to SUPREA. 

“This certificate does not create any right nor be used as an authorization to implement the project. Hence, you are hereby to secure the necessary permits,” part of the letter of Cuñado said.

The plant should have to secure a notice to proceed prior to project implementation of which it would require all the necessary permits from government agencies.

Lastly, the Ombudsman added that Cortes had been found guilty of Grave Misconduct and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service in the case of Monsanto vs Cortes, OMB-V-A-SEPT-23-0221.

In the said case, the penalty imposed was mitigated from dismissal from service to supension from the service for one year. 

“In view of the outcome of the said administrative case, the office is now constrained to impose against Cortes the maximum penalty of Dismissal from the Service,” said Ombudsman in its decision.

The Ombudsman also said that in the event that the penalty of dismissal could no longer be enforced due to respondent’s separation from the service, the same should be converted into a fine equivalent to respondent’s salary for one year.

According to the decision of the Ombudsman, this can be payable to the Office of the Ombudsman, and may be deductible from respondent’s accrued leave credits or any receivables from his office. 

It shall be understood that the accessory penalties attached to the principal penalty of dismissal shall continue to be imposed.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has been found guilty of grave misconduct and is meted the penalty of dismissal from the office by Office of the Ombudsman.

Preventively suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has been permanently disqualified from holding any government position after the Office of the Ombudsman found him guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct.

In an order dated September 9, 2024, and obtained by media on Thursday, October 3, the Ombudsman ruled that Rama’s acts of nepotism, specifically the hiring of his wife’s two brothers as casual employees in City Hall, violated multiple provisions of the Civil Service rules.

The ruling includes his dismissal from service, cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, except accrued leave credits, and permanent disqualification from government reemployment.

Although the order is still not final and executory and is open for appeal, Rama said he has yet to receive an official copy of the Ombudsman’s order. When asked for comment, he declined, citing the absence of any formal notification.

The decision stemmed from a complaint filed in January 2023 by Jonel Saceda, also known as “Inday Josa Chiongbian Osmeña,” who accused Michael Rama of appointing his brothers-in-law, Elmer and Gomer Mandanat, to positions under the Office of the Mayor and the Cebu City Medical Center.

Both brothers, siblings of Rama’s second wife, Marilou Gimenez Mandanat-Rama, were employed as casual employees between January 2022 and December 2022.

The Ombudsman stated that these appointments were “prohibited nepotistic appointments” under existing civil service regulations.

Nepotism rules, which apply to both career and non-career service, prohibit the appointment of relatives within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity, a relationship that includes the mayor’s in-laws.

In the ruling, the Ombudsman emphasized that the penalty for such offenses not only includes dismissal but also perpetual disqualification from holding any government office in the future.

If dismissal cannot be enforced due to Michael Rama’s separation from service, the penalty will be converted into a fine equivalent to his one-year salary.

The Ombudsman’s ruling came as a bitter turn of events for Partido Barug Team Rama, led by the suspended Michael Rama, who filed their Certificates of Candidacy (COC) today for the upcoming elections.

Preventively suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has been permanently disqualified from holding any government position after the Office of the Ombudsman found him guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct.

Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Vigor D. Mendoza II has ordered the relief of the agency’s district office head in Bustos, Bulacan following a successful anti-fixing operation last week.

Sacked was Carlito Calingo, who was collared by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation along with an alleged fixer during an entrapment operation on Sept. 24 at the LTO Bustos District Office.

“Mr. Calingo was relieved from his post effective October 1,” said Mendoza, adding that he will be replaced by his deputy, Rachel Farin. 

The NBI agents conducted the entrapment after receiving reports of the operation of fixers in Bustos.

As soon as the alleged fixer was arrested after receiving the money, Calingo was also invited for questioning.

Calingo was later charged by the NBI.

Mendoza said he has been warning LTO personnel to refrain from conniving with and tolerating the operation of fixers in their respective areas since he assumed the top post of the LTO in July 2023.

Aside from Calingo, Mendoza disclosed that two more district office chiefs are under investigation in connection with the aggressive operation against fixers.

“Once we establish sufficient pieces of evidence against him, we will not hesitate to file the necessary charges against them,” Mendoza.

Land Transportation Office chief Vigor D. Mendoza II has ordered the relief of the agency’s district office head in Bustos, Bulacan following a successful anti-fixing operation last week.

The Office of the Ombudsman suspended Palompon, Leyte Mayor Ramon Oñate for one year without pay after the Ombudsman found him guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and simple neglect of duty.

This was based on the 25-page decision, dated September 25, 2024, signed and approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

Henry Encarnacion filed the complaint against the mayor on October 23, 2023.

In a statement, Oñate described the decision as a political harassment under the guise of “lawful” order.

“The decision dated September 10, 2024 which was approved on September 24, 2024 in OMB-C-A-NOV-23-0114 with the 1st endorsement  last September 26, 2024 is nothing but a mere stash of political harassment. It should be noted that during the clarificatory hearing last May 27, 2024 via Zoom platform, the complainant failed to attend the said hearing,” Oñate said in a statement.

He added that there was no objective clarificatory deliberation conducted over the complaint.

The complaint stemmed after the complainant alleged that the mayor abused his position to favor DBSN Farms Agriventure Corporation, a poultry business owned by Oñate and his family.

DBSN Farms allegedly operates partially inside and in the immediate boundary of a protected area, the Palompon Watershed and Forest Reserve.

Aside from Oñate, also included in the case as a respondent were Isagani Arboleda Jaena, and Raoul Toting Bacalla, Terence Seco Osmeña.

In the decision, only the mayor was administratively charged with grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The complainant alleged that Oñate converted a Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) lot under Republic Act No. 6657, or the Comprehensive Land Reform Act, without the required conversion order by the Department of Agrarian Reform.

DBSN thereafter erected on this lot, the poultry buildings used in its ongoing chicken breeder farm operations.

Furthermore, the mayor allegedly failed to act on numerous complaints regarding the foul order at his DBSN dressing plant in Albuera, Leyte.

The Office of the Ombudsman suspended Palompon, Leyte Mayor Ramon Oñate for one year without pay after the Ombudsman found him guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and simple neglect of duty.

A provincial board member of Bulacan and his driver were shot and killed by a lone gunman as their vehicle was stuck in traffic in Barangay Ligas here on Thursday night.

Police reports said Board Member Ramilito Capistrano was on his way home after attending a provincial board session at the capitol when the gunman fired at the vehicle’s windshield at 6:30 p.m. The 56-year-old Capistrano, who was in the front passenger seat of his Mitsubishi Montero, served as barangay chair of Caingin in San Rafael town and sat in the provincial board as federation president of the Bulacan Association of Barangay Captains.

Capistrano and his driver, Shedrick Suarez, 27, died instantly from multiple bullet wounds.

In a statement on Friday, Police Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, Central Luzon regional police director, said he had ordered the creation of a special investigation task group to lead the probe of Capistrano’s murder.

“We are thoroughly exploring all angles to determine possible motives. Every available resource will be utilized to get to the bottom of this tragic event, and we are currently gathering evidence that will lead to the identification of the perpetrators,” Maranan said.

Investigators said over 20 of the more than 30 bullet holes were found on the passenger side of Capistrano’s vehicle. Crime scene investigators recovered several 9mm shell casings at the site.

Two staff members accompanying Capistrano managed to escape by jumping out of the vehicle, police said.

Maranan assured the public and the victims’ families of a “swift resolution” of the case.

“While all cases are treated with utmost importance, this particular incident will be given top priority due to the involvement of a local official,” he said.

Police Maj. Norweda Usman, Bulacan police information officer, said their information showed that Capistrano was not running for any elective post in the 2025 elections.

Gov. Daniel Fernando, Vice Gov. Alexis Castro and the provincial board condemned the attack.

Fernando assured the families of Capistrano and Suarez that the provincial government would take all necessary steps to speed up the investigation and deliver justice for the victims.

A provincial board member of Bulacan and his driver were shot and killed by a lone gunman as their vehicle was stuck in traffic in Barangay Ligas here on Thursday night.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1990034/high-school-principal-jailed-amid-sex-charges

The Department of Education on Friday said it is looking into the charges against a public school principal who was arrested for alleged acts of lasciviousness on four junior high-school students.

The office of the schools division superintendent in Metro Manila, in a statement, identified Bonifacio Caculitan Jr. as the school head of Pugad Lawin High School accused of molesting Grade 10 students.

Carleen Sedilla, the schools division superintendent, said Caculitan was arrested on the morning of Sept. 29 and is jailed at a Quezon City police station for lascivious conduct, a violation under Section 5(b) of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

“On the same day, the schools division office has also submitted the intake sheet and requested an authority to investigate for the administrative aspect of the case,” she said.

Caculitan remains in detention while waiting for his bail to be processed, Sedilla said.

The case had also been reported to the city social welfare office for the conduct of psychosocial assistance to the students, she said. Counseling sessions would also be provided to the parents and other students.

A high school principal has been arrested for molesting students. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1989723/tariff-execs-face-graft-case-over-rice-import-tax-implementation

A farmers’ group has brought another round of charges against officials of the Tariff Commission (TC), this time accusing them of graft for retaining in 2019 a low and outdated tariff rate even after a new law had imposed an increase on rice imports exceeding the government-set quota.

In its 37-page complaint filed in the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday, the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), led by Raul Montemayor, said that TC Chair Marilou Mendoza and Commissioners Ernesto Albano and Marissa Paderon “chose to ignore and violate the law” when they did not comply with Republic Act (RA) No. 11203 in setting the out-quota tariff rates for rice shipments.

The law, which amended RA 8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, sets the out-quota tariffs starting 2019 at 180 percent.

Out-quota duties refer to the higher rate of customs duty levied on an imported agricultural product over its minimum access volume or the quantity that may be imported with a lower tariff that the Philippines committed to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to facilitate trade between countries.

The rates could even be raised if the “calculated tariff equivalent,” which provides cushion to any impact brought by average price gaps in local and international markets, is higher.

Based on a document issued by the WTO in October 2019, the Philippine government had set a maximum of 198 percent as the tariff on rice imports coming from states that are not part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Thus, the complaint noted that the “unilateral” adjustment by the TC back to the old 50-percent tariff rate cost the government up to P1.87 billion in potential revenues from March 2019 until May 2021 had the correct rice import duty been imposed.

The “improper” acts of the TC officials to grant drastically reduced duties to private importers, it noted, “caused substantial injury to the government in the form of noncollection and loss of the differential tariff between the higher 180 percent, and subsequently, 198 percent” provided in RA 11203 and the 50 percent actually imposed by the agency.

“Effectively therefore, the respondents illegally gave these rice importers a special privilege not expressly provided by law, while depriving rice farmers of the funds clearly intended for them by law,” read the complaint.

The group also pointed out that such a move was a “gross dereliction of duty” and was “highly anomalous” as it robbed rice farmers of protection from “unlimited, improperly tariffed and cheap rice imports.”

Aside from violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the TC officials were accused of committing administrative offenses over the erroneous tariff rates.

FFF asked state prosecutors to file the appropriate charges against the TC officials based on Section 1 of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Administrative Order No. 17.

A farmers’ group has brought another round of charges against officials of the Tariff Commission (TC), this time accusing them of graft for retaining in 2019 a low and outdated tariff rate even after a new law had imposed an increase on rice imports exceeding the government-set quota.

Motorcycle-riding gunmen shot and killed the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office Station 2 commander in Barangay Balua, Cagayan de Oro on Saturday night, October 5. 

The Police Regional Office-10 (Northern Mindanao) identified the victim as Capt. Abdulcahar Armama.

PRO-10 chief Police Brig. Gen. Jaysen de Guzman, PRO-10 chief, condemned the murder of Armama.

“The Police Regional Office-10 strongly condemns the senseless killing of Police Capt. Abdulcahar Bacarat Aramama, the station commander of Police Station 2 (Cogon) of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office,” De Guzman said.

“Such an act of violence against those who dedicate their lives to serving and protecting the community is abhorrent and unacceptable,” he added.

“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family, friends, and colleagues of Police Capt. Armama during this painful and tragic time. We assure them that we will do all necessary actions to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators.”

De Guzman urged the public to come forward with any information that can aid in their investigation. “We must stand united in rejecting violence and ensuring that justice is served."

Armama was shot in the head by two gunmen and was taken to a hospital in Cagayan de Oro where he was declared dead.

Investigators recovered two empty .45 caliber shells in the crime scene.

The remains of Armama, who belonged to the Philippine National Police Academy Masidlak Class of 2017, have been transported to his hometown in Lanao del Norte.

Armama’s family has asked Cagayan de Oro Mayor Rolando Uy, the Department of Interior and Local Government, and the National Bureau of Investigation to thoroughly investigate his murder.

His family said he was the “best father to his children, a responsible husband, a loving son, one of a kind, generous, thoughtful, gentleman” and passionately against illegal drugs.

“He fearlessly led the charge against drug syndicates, putting his life on the line to make our city a safer place. His courage and dedication have earned him the respect and admiration of our entire community.” 

Uy ordered the COCPO led by Police Col. Salvador Radam to swiftly resolve the killing.

Police are conducting follow-up investigation and hot-pursuit operation against the suspects.

A PNP Chief has been assassinated.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1990310/retired-cop-survives-gun-attack-in-rizal

A retired policeman was shot multiple times by an unknown gunman but survived in Taytay, Rizal on Saturday, October 5.

The Police Region 4A said that while Eugenio Miranda was jogging in Barangay (village) San Juan around 8:05 a.m., a man aboard a motorcycle suddenly appeared and repeatedly shot him with a handgun while his back-rider acted as a lookout.

After the shooting, the assailant, who was wearing black clothes and helmet, boarded the motorcycle again and escaped.

The victim was taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.

The report did not provide added information on the victim except that he is a retired police officer.

An investigation is ongoing to establish the identity of the gunman and the motive behind the incident.

A manhunt was also being conducted to find the suspects.

A retired cop has survived an attempted assassination. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1235025

The commander and five other officers of a police station in Cebu province were relieved of their posts over the alleged mauling of a criminology student.

The relieved personnel are assigned to the Marigondon Police Station in Lapu-Lapu City, according to Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo during a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City Tuesday.

Aside from the commander, also relieved were the chief clerk, a desk officer, an investigator and two other officers.

"The case is under probe as we speak and the victim is being asked for a statement for the filing of proper charges. The victim who was confined at a hospital named at least two police officers who maltreated him," Fajardo said.

According to a post by the victim’s family, the victim and the owner of the house, where he is working as a caretaker, went to the police station to report a robbery involving three suspects, a bicycle and a chainsaw.

However, the victim was allegedly accused by the police to have stolen the items and made to kneel as police officers beat him up.

He was released after it was proven that he was innocent of the charges and taken to a hospital for treatment of the injuries he sustained from the mauling.

In a related development, Fajardo said a colonel assigned to the Police Regional Officer-12 (Soccskargen) was placed under restrictive custody at the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit in Camp Crame after he was accused of sexually harassing a female officer.

“RIAS (Regional Internal Affairs Service) 12 already took cognizance of this case, and according to the regional director, to dissuade any notion that there might be a whitewash, I understand a team from the NHQ (National Headquarters) would come to Region 12 to conduct a parallel investigation and talk to the victim," she said.

She said the police colonel may face charges for sexual harassment under Republic Act 7877 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment law, an existing civil service policy and the National Police Commission rules.

The commander and five other officers of a police station in Cebu province were relieved of their posts over the alleged mauling of a criminology student. Also a PNP colonel has ben arrested for sexual harassment.


https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1235080

A village watchman was killed and six others were injured during a violent commotion near the municipal hall of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, on Tuesday morning, the final day for filing certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 local elections.

Lt. Col. Reggie Albellera, chief of the Shariff Aguak municipal police, confirmed that Bara Bauinda, a member of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT), died after being struck by stray bullets as rival political supporters exchanged gunfire around 11 a.m.

“The altercation erupted just outside the municipal hall grounds where the COC filing was taking place,” Albellera told a local radio station on Wednesday.

Among the six injured was Cpl. Montassir Eskak, a police officer with the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company. The rest were supporters from both camps.

Albellera said the trouble started when the town's Commission on Elections (Comelec) office rejected the documents of a vice mayoral candidate due to incomplete requirements.

“The candidate only presented a certificate of nomination but did not have his COC,” Albellera said, adding that when police escorted him out of the hall, they discovered that the individual had outstanding warrants for murder.

The rejection enraged the candidate’s supporters, who clashed with rival supporters, hurling stones and exchanging gunfire. They also damaged passing vehicles, forcing a temporary closure of the highway in front of the town hall, police said.

The candidate later filed his COC at the Comelec regional office in Cotabato City.

The situation calmed after about an hour when the crowd dispersed, and the highway was reopened.

Mayor Akmad Ampatuan condemned the violence and called on police and military forces to enhance security around the town hall to prevent further incidents.

A village watchman was killed and six others were injured during a violent commotion near the municipal hall of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, on Tuesday morning, the final day for filing certificates of candidacy for the 2025 local elections.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/9/porac-town-mayor-9-other-officials-suspended-over-raided-pogo-facility

The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has ordered the preventive suspension for six months of the mayor of Porac town in Pampanga, his vice mayor, eight Sangguniang Bayan members, and a licensing officer in connection with the operation of the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in the municipality.

In an order issued by Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires last Oct. 7, suspended were Mayor Jaime V. Capil, Vice Mayor Francis Laurence C. Tamayo, Sangguniang Bayan Members Rohner L. Buan, Rafael M. Canlapan, Adrian R. Carreon, Regin B. Clarete, Essel Joy C. David, Hilario D. Dimalanta, Michelle B. Santos, and John Nuevy L. Venzon, and town Licensing Officer Emerald Vital.

Their suspension was issued based on an administrative complaint for gross neglect of duty filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) after the raid of Lucky South 99, a POGO in Porac town.

In his order, Martires said: “They are hereby preventively suspended during the pendency of this case until its termination, but not to exceed the total period of six months, without pay.”

“In case of delay in the disposition of this case due to fault, negligence or any cause attributable to the respondents, the period of delay shall not be counted in computing the period of suspension,” the order stated. 

“In accordance with Section 27, paragraph (1), RA 6770 (the Ombudsman Law), this order is immediately executory. Notwithstanding any motion, appeal or petition that may be filed by respondents seeking relief from this order, unless otherwise ordered by this Office or by any court of competent jurisdiction, the implementation of this order shall not be interrupted within the period prescribe,” it added.

The OMB said the DILG pointed out that the  “inaction and willful non-compliance of their duties… paved the way for the continuous operation of Lucky South 99 despite the issuance of Mayor's Business Permit for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023 despite lack of prior regulatory requirements; expiration of Lucky South 99’s license obtained from the state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PagCor); Porac Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) issuing a certification that Lucky South 99 has no business permit for the year 2024; lack of Letter of No Objection (LONO) for Lucky South 99 to operate as POGO; and letters of the Philippine National Police reporting suspected criminal activities within Lucky South 99's premises.”

It also said the complaint stated that the town officials “failed to exercise legislative oversight for the welfare of Porac LGU (local government unit) and its inhabitants by failing to enact an ordinance or resolution intended to prevent and suppress the commission of criminal activities within Lucky South 99's premises.”

In its complaint, the DILG pleaded for the preventive suspension of the town officials.

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension for six months of the mayor of Porac town in Pampanga, his vice mayor, eight Sangguniang Bayan members, and a licensing officer in connection with the operation of the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in the municipality.