Picture of the Week: Balancing Act

Some people risk their lives for noble causes.  This guy is risking his life for hog feed.

He drove off slowly on the shoulder of the road. Hopefully he made it safely. It's amazing how many people ride like this and do not wreck.

Retards in the Government 169

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

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/335183/ex-cop-shot-dead-in-panglao-bohol

A former policeman who was once assigned in Cebu City was shot dead while riding his bicycle along Purok 3 Valenzuela, Barangay Poblacion, Panglao, Bohol on Friday morning, August 21, 2020. 

Former Police Officer 3 Ramon Bolongaita sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of his body that led to his immediate death, according to Police Lieutenant Amelito Melloria, chief of the Panglao Police Station. 

Since Bolongaita had been ambushed while he was still assigned in Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) in 2015, Melloria said they will also look into that incident and find out if there is any connection between both shootings. 

Former PNP officer assassinated in the early morning while riding his bike. He survived a similar assassination attempt in 2015 while still a cop.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1325177/coa-p1-83m-meal-expenses-of-pcoo-bureau-lacked-documentation

The Commission on Audit (COA) has found that P1.83-million worth of meals served by the Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS) – an agency under the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) – during meetings are not covered by complete documentation. 

“A total of P2,356,188.46 was expended in CY 2019 for meals served during various meetings, of which P1,830,720.52 or 78 percent were not supported with documents that would show the meetings as official,” read COA’s annual audit report for 2019 that was released on Tuesday, August 18. 

COA said this is contrary to Section 4.6 of the Presidential Decree No. 1445, which states that “claims against government funds shall be supported with complete documentation,” and COA Circular No. 2012-001 that prescribes that all types of disbursements must be supported with sufficient and relevant documents to establish the validity of claims. 

“Thus, their legality and reasonableness could not be validated,” the commission added.

PCOO spent P1.83 million on for for meetings that were not properly documented.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113034

A barangay councilor who was tagged as a supporter of an Islamic State-inspired local terrorist group was killed while several bomb-making materials were recovered in separate raids in Polomolok town, South Cotabato, on Friday. 

Lt. Col. Alex Joe Orcjada, chief of the Polomolok municipal police station, said suspect Basit Piang Canapia was killed in a shootout with joint operatives past 5 a.m. in Purok 1, Barangay Rubber. 

Canapia, an incumbent councilor of Barangay Rubber, resisted arrest during a search operation at his home for possession of illegal drugs or violation of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Orcjada said. 

Orcjada said the suspect suddenly drew a handgun and opened fire, triggering a brief shootout with the operating team composed of elements from intelligence and operation units of the Police Regional Office-12, South Cotabato police, and the Army Special Forces. 

Canapia was fatally wounded in the encounter and declared dead upon arrival at the Polomolok municipal hospital, the police official said. 

“He was included in our drug watchlist and came out in our investigation as a supporter of the Nilong sub-group of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Hassan group,” Orcajada said in an interview. 

He said the group was engaged in drug trafficking and other criminal activities in Polomolok and the neighboring areas.

A barangay councilor who supported local terrorists which engaged in drug trafficking has been shot dead.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/335525/over-400-local-execs-linked-to-sap-anomalies-facing-raps-dilg

A total of 437 local officials and their civilian conspirators are now facing criminal complaints while 626 others  are under investigation by the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for alleged anomalies in the payouts of the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP). 

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday said that of the 437 individuals, 203 are elected public officials, including a municipal mayor, city or municipal councilors, barangay captains, barangay kagawads, Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons and SK councilors. 

Another 102 are barangay and city personnel, including barangay secretaries, treasurers, health workers, homeowners’ association officers, purok leaders, city or municipal social welfare and development officers, SAP enumerators and day care teachers. The remaining 132 are civilians.

Are these new complaints? Nothing new about corrupt officials though.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113136

A police officer assigned at the Bocaue Municipal Police Station was arrested for alleged involvement in robbery-extortion activities in Bulacan, the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday. 

Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group chief, Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee, said Master Sgt. David Gatchalian was arrested in front of his residence along Mendoza St., Barangay Lulomboy in Bocaue around 6:54 p.m. Saturday in an entrapment operation. 

“We have received information regarding the practice of the suspect to threaten known drug personalities and demand cash in exchange of protection for their illegal activities," Lee said in a statement.

Another PNP officer busted for extortion.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1326687/albay-village-chief-nabbed-for-allegedly-harboring-crime-group-member

A village chief who was arrested by police on Monday in Libon town in Albay province is facing charges for obstruction of justice for allegedly welcoming members of a notorious crime gang into his home, a report said Tuesday. 

Arrested was Arturo Madronero, 55, the incumbent chief of Barangay Molosbolos, Police Captain Dexter Panganiban, Albay police spokesperson, said. 

The suspect is facing obstruction of justice complaint after he allegedly allowed members of the Concepcion Criminal Group to stay in his residence after an attack against policemen who were about to serve a warrant of arrest to several of their members seeking refuge in Barangay Molosbolos last June.

A barangay councilor is charged with harboring criminals in his own home after they attacked policemen who were attempting to arrest members of their group.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1326868/ex-barangay-exec-son-face-raps-for-violation-of-qc-quarantine-rules

A former barangay official in Quezon City and his son, who is infected with COVID-19, will face criminal complaints because they allegedly violated the community quarantine health protocols, the local government said Tuesday. 

Quezon City Barangay Community Relations Department head Ricky Corpuz said the former barangay kagawad or councilman, whose name was withheld, interacted with neighbors despite being a suspected virus carrier. 

(We just found out that this man did not follow rules because he went outside of his home and even interacted with his neighbors even as results of his and his son’s swab test are yet released.) 

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the son tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, after having a drinking session with a COVID-19-infected individual. This, she noted, prompted the local government to enforce a total lockdown of the former barangay kagawad’s family home. 

“The family has been ordered to undergo quarantine while waiting for the result of their swab tests, but he failed to comply,” Belmonte said in a statement.

Ex-barangay official charged with not following quarantine protocols.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/25/20/vico-sotto-after-12-year-complaint-slippery-tiles-at-pasig-market-being-replaced

Authorities in Pasig City have begun replacing floor tiles at a wet market, which have been the subject of resident complaints for 12 years, Mayor Vico Sotto said Tuesday.  

The tile replacement at the Pasig Mega Market started at the meat section, Sotto said on his Facebook and Twitter pages.  

"After 12 years!! Nasimulan nang palitan ang nirereklamo niyong madulas na tiles sa palengke," he said.  

(The replacement for the slippery tiles at the market has started.)

The Manila City government is so inutile and worthless that it took 12 years for them to finally act on the complaints about the floor tiles at Pasig Mega Market.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1327039/ex-cop-son-killed-in-leyte-town-gun-attack

A retired policeman and his son were killed by still unidentified assailants as they alighted from a bus in front of the cathedral in Palo town, Leyte province early on Tuesday (Aug. 25). 

Pio Peñaflor and his son, Alphy, residents of Mag-aso village in Jaro town, also in Leyte, suffered multiple gunshot wounds. 

According to the Eastern Visayas police, the two had disembarked from a bus around 7:20 a.m. when the perpetrators on board a sports utility vehicle fired at them using still unknown calibers of firearms.

Another retired PNP officer assassinated. Why does this happen so often?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1326912/senate-panel-report-philhealth-exec-getting-a-lap-dance-during-birthday-bash

A PhilHealth regional office turned into a “nightclub”? 

But this was how a Senate report described one of the many “shenanigans” among errant officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). 

In an online interview with reporters on Tuesday, Senator Richard Gordon presented the Senate blue ribbon committee report containing the findings of its 2019 investigation into the alleged fraud and corruption within the state-run health insurer. 

According to the report, a PhilHealth regional vice president supposedly received a “gift” from his staff members during a surprise birthday party. And this gift was a female sexy dancer. 

Gordon presented a video snip showing PhilHealth Regional Vice President for Region 4-B Paolo Johann Perez, sitting on an office chair and surrounded by his colleagues, while a scantily clad woman danced in front of him. 

“On his birthday, Perez received a gift, an enormous box, in his office. A girl, dressed in nothing but her underwear, danced and gyrated provocatively in front of Perez,” the committee report read. 

“Perez enjoyed the performance and was seen smiling in the video. He did not prevent the incident, or report and issue any reprimand to the employees who brought the girl,” he added. 

Perez is among the members Gordon had tagged as part of the “real mafia” operating in PhilHealth.

What happened to a card signed by everyone in the office and some cake and other snacks during lunchtime?

Coronavirus Lockdown: CCTV Cameras, Sense of Nationalism, and More!

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

What's the best way to keep yourself free of COVID-19? Treat everyone as potentially infected!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1324492/treat-everyone-you-meet-as-carriers-physicians-urge

Now that Metro Manila and other areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases are easing back to a general community quarantine (GCQ), a doctor has this advice: Act as if people you meet outside of your home are positive for the coronavirus and just make sure your risk of exposure is kept to a minimum. 

“Maybe that’s what we need to do now because the numbers [of infection] are really as such that all our face-to-face encounters are possibly going to be with positive people,’’ said Dr. Anna Lim-Ong, chief of Infectious and Tropical Disease of the Pediatrics Department at the University of the Philippines.

With this advice it is apparent that COVID-19 has won. At least paranoia has won. And there is god reason to be paranoid. The government is watching you!

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/752286/cctv-cameras-speaker-system-has-barangay-watching-scolding-residents-amid-quarantine/story/

According to JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, over 100 CCTV cameras are used by barangay officials to monitor residents’ adherence to social distancing measures as well as the mandatory wearing of face masks. 

Local authorities also installed a public announcement system to communicate with residents from the control room of the CCTVs.

The government is watching you from afar and if they see you slip up they can shout at you from the hidden safety of their control room. Is here anything more straight out of 1984 than hearing a disembodied voice shouting at you to put o your face mask and keep your distance? 

The government has barred healthcare workers from leaving the country for better jobs during the pandemic, Now they are churning out propaganda to make them content with that decision.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112898

Malacañang on Thursday appealed to nurses’ sense of nationalism to convince them to stay while the country is facing a state of public health emergency amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. 

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this statement after Filipino Nurses United sought for the lifting of the deployment ban on healthcare workers as many of them remain unemployed. 

Roque said the government is already providing healthcare workers additional benefits such as risk allowance, PHP15,000 for those who get infected with Covid-19, life insurance, free accommodation and transportation, and free and frequent testing. 

He emphasized that once the Bayanihan 2 legislation is passed, healthcare workers in the private sector would also get salaries and benefits as competitive as those in the public sector. 

“Sa tingin ko po,sa panahon ng pandemiya, mananaig naman po ang nasyonalismo sa puso at damdamin ng ating mga nurses (I think at a time of pandemic, nationalism will prevail in the hearts and feelings of our nurses),” Roque said. 

He also reminded healthcare workers to consider their family members they will be leaving behind if they were persistent in working abroad. 

“Kahit mangibang bansa ang ating mga health workers, maiiwan silang mga mahal sa buhay dito at sana maisip din ng mga health professionals na wala namang mag-a-attend sa mga pamilya dito kapag kailangan ng mga health workers (Even if our health workers go abroad, they’ll leave their loved ones here. I hope they also consider that nobody would attend to their families here),” he said. 

DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire echoed Roque, saying the country needs as many medical front-liners as it could get. 

“Nakikiusap po kami sa aming mga healthcare workers na sana yung nationalism natin ay manaig sa panahon ngayon na meron tayong pandemya (We appeal to our healthcare workers hoping that their sense of nationalism will prevail at a time of pandemic),” she said.

Perhaps the government should use an appeal to nationalism to stop the OFW program altogether to prevent the brain drain. Many people depend on their OFW relatives for financial support. Despite the appeal only 25 nurses signed up for the program.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/22/2036971/only-25-nurses-applied-doh-emergency-hiring-program

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III yesterday reiterated the call for nurses affected by the deployment ban to help in attending to COVID-19 patients on the local front, saying only 25 of them have signed up. 

In a press briefing, Duque noted that while some 1,000 nurses were stopped from leaving the country to work abroad, only 25 applied for the DOH’s emergency hiring program for health human resources (HHR). 

“I am appealing to our nurses. I appeal to the sense of nationalism, to the sense of patriotism of every healthcare worker, we are still in war. We are in World War C and we need to work together to win,” Duque said.

ABS-CBN reported that Duque did not say "World War C" but "World War Z" referring to the Brad Pitt zombie movie. Will more nurses heed the call?

It's not just humans who have been affected by the pandemic.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112942

For Josephine and her daughter Jenica Victoria, the sad plight of animals in these trying times include the uncertainty on where to find food and the displacement caused by restrictions and lockdowns amid the pandemic. 

Each day, they prepare animal food and venture out to drop off meals for more or less 30 cats and dogs at various places in Poblacion Pulilan to Plaridel Highway in Bulacan. 

They used to feed stray cats and dogs near the roads, gas stations, and in some closed establishments. 

Despite the risks of the dreaded disease, they patiently come out and hike for hours daily to make sure that stray animals are provided with food. 

In an interview, Jenica told PNA that during months of doing helping stray cats and dogs, she said they cannot help but get attached to the animals. 

They committed to feed the cats and dogs until the community quarantine is lifted. 

"Nakita naman namin ang sitwasyon po nila nun panahon ng ECQ na struggle na nga sila makahanap ng pagkain lalo pang mas naging mahirap lalo wala talaga silang source dahil sarado lahat (We saw their situation during the enhanced community quarantine when they struggled to find food. It became even more difficult when establishments were closed and they lack any source of food)," she said. 

Jenica and her mother did not complain about the bad weather just to help the animals in the middle of the crisis. 

At first, they were called out by authorities for not staying at home amid the restrictions. 

It pushed them to secure an agricultural certification, a permit allowing them to do stray feeding.

Good thing these stray animals are being taken care of rather than being left to die. Who doesn't want more stray dogs and cats roaming the streets?

Duque says the pandemic is a "blessing in disguise."

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/22/20/blessing-in-disguise-pandemic-should-push-uhc-implementation-says-duque

The coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 180,000 people in the Philippines, rendered millions jobless and with no signs of slowing down, can be considered a "blessing in disguise" for highlighting the need to speed up the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday. 

Duque admitted that the pandemic has exposed "weaknesses" in the country's health care system, which the government is addressing as COVID-19 cases continued to increase. 

"This can also be some kind of parang blessing in disguise. Serendipitous kasi parang na-accelerate itong UHC because of the COVID-19," he told an online forum with medical front liners. 

"It's a catalyst, although COVID-19 did expose the fissures, the cracks, the weakness of our Philippine health system."

Actually the weaknesses of the Philippine health system, and especially PhilHealth which has been tasked to implement UHC, has been known for some time now. UHC was signed into law last year and yet the DOH has been seeking ever since to delay its implementation for various reasons.

Church services are allowed to be held in Manila but only 10 people at a time.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1325437/church-capacity-still-limited-to-10-under-gcq

The government decided to continue limiting attendance to church activities in Metro Manila to 10 people during the general community quarantine (GCQ), Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Friday. 

Guevarra also said the IATF heeded the request of Metro Manila mayors who wanted a stricter GCQ to include keeping church attendance at 10 people maximum. 

“We just have to continue living our lives with the COVID-19 virus as an unwanted part of it. We just have to deal with it and continue to protect ourselves,” he said.

I am not sure if this has led to an increase in the amount of services being held each day.

The number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise and blame continues to be poured on the public or ignoring safety protocols and on the government for not being prepared. The Philippine Red Cross blames the mess on the DOH.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/24/2037458/prc-doh-blame-virus-spread

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has attributed the spread of COVID-19 in communities and households to the Department of Health (DOH)’s belated release of results to patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus. 

The PRC volunteered last week to help the government release results to positive patients as it cited its records that showed at least one-third of over 15,700 confirmed cases since July 30 have not yet been informed of their status as confirmed patients, which might have caused the spread of the virus in communities. 

In the latest development, however, the organization said it would start releasing positive results to patients who had themselves tested for COVID-19 in its facilities after getting the nod from the DOH. 

“We welcome the DOH authorization, given the urgency of the situation, where more positive COVID cases are recorded in our country. They may have been dangerously increasing community transmission of the disease. We have devised a mechanism for releasing positive results to the individuals concerned without compromising the necessary protocols,” Gordon said in a statement yesterday.

The PRC says the DOH has not been realizing results of COVID-19 tests in a timely manner which has caused the virus to spread further because people are unaware they are infected.

Some Filipinos who have lost jobs during the pandemic have taken to selling their kidney's via Facebook to make ends meet.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/healthandwellness/752514/displaced-filipino-workers-turn-to-selling-own-kidneys-to-survive-amid-pandemic/story/

Some displaced Filipino workers have turned to selling their own kidneys online just to get, by amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 

In a “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” episode, “Gardo,” not his real name, shared that his license as a security guard expired and he was just about to look for another job when the lockdown was implemented in the Philippines. 

With no source of income for five months now, “Gardo” has been deep in debt and considered selling off his own kidney to survive. 

“Macoy,” not his real name, who worked at a horse racing field, also lost his job. 

“Macoy” then decided to sell his kidneys online. He found a Facebook group where members could sell their kidneys. 

Once they agree on a transaction, the two parties would discuss privately on Messenger and share their real names, details of the sale, and sometimes photos of the patients. 

According to “Macoy,” a person could sell his kidney for P350,000 up to P450,000. 

(I’d use it to start a small busines. I know it’s illegal, but I’m going to take that risk. I’m not afraid to sell my kidney even if there’s a pandemic, because my family really needs the money),” Macoy said. 

“Lisa,” Macoy’s buyer, revealed that her father had Stage 5 chronic kidney disease. He’d been going through 10 months of dialysis and needed a kidney transplant, which costs around Php 1.5 million-2 million. 

Out of desperation, Lisa posted her plea for help in a Facebook group. She shared that almost immediately, people messaged her that they were willing to sell their kidney.

This story is very troubling. Selling your kidney is very dangerous. Why is Facebook allowing these groups to exist?

The COVID-19 pandemic is not going away soon even if a vaccine does show up.  The WHO estimates it will last two years

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1326569/covid-19-deaths-top-3000-govt-urges-behavior-change

As the Philippines reached the grim milestone of more than 3,000 COVID-19 deaths on Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) reiterated that the public should learn to live with the new coronavirus, especially as the World Health Organization (WHO) had estimated the pandemic to last at least two years. 

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire pointed out that observance of the minimum health standards was necessary given that experts around the world had yet to see signs of the infection slowing down. 

“What is important when it comes to this is behavior change. Hopefully, as the months pass, people would change their behavior and practice the new normal, wherein one always wears a mask, washes his hands, observes physical distancing and stays at home if there is nothing important to do outside,” Vergeire said. 

Currently, the Philippines’ case fatality rate is at 1.55 percent. Nearly all recorded cases are also mild or asymptomatic. 

“Hopefully, we would be able to maintain that our health system is not overwhelmed and our case fatality rate is low. We can only do that by doing the minimum health standards. Even if it has to take two years for us to do that as long as we are all safe,” she said.

With a fatality rate of 1.55% and most cases being mild or asymptotic it seems like we will survive this pandemic just fine.

Meralco Meters

This is the picture accompanying an article on the front page of the Inquirer about Meralco suspending disconnections for nonpayment of bills.

What a mess! What a gloriously insane mess!  One guy with apparently no safety line and no ladders in sight is precariously balancing on a thick rope of hot electrical power lines servicing the meters! Surrounding him are three phalanxes of meters jutting out from the side of each pole which begs the question, "How are these meters read?" Does it take a guy like this one risking his life?

Why is this even allowed?  How can anyone look at this situation and think it is normal and good? Perhaps Meralco should disconnect all power until they can clean up this unsightly and dangerous mess.

Insurgency: Eliminating The Enemy For The Win

While the war against the Islamic and communist insurgency continues the AFP admits COVID-19 has affected their drive to end it.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112640

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has affected the ability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) to implement the "whole-of-the- nation-approach" in ending local armed conflicts in the countryside. 

Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, AFP chief-of-staff, disclosed Tuesday here, pointing out that “10 to 15 percent of our budget” was realigned to support the national government’s response in addressing the pandemic. 

Gapay led the installation of Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Sr., as the new commander of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom). 

Vinluan, who is the 12th Westmincom chief, replaced Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, who was appointed as the 62nd commander of the Philippine Army. 

Gapay said the realigned budget would have been for the socio-economic programs of the AFP in addressing local armed conflicts brought by the communist insurgency. 

Instead, he said the allocation is being used to buy personnel protective types of equipment, relief goods, and the social amelioration program (SAP) for poor families affected by the health crisis.

Gapay does not specify which programs the realigned funds would have gone to but its probably roads and water sanitation. Surrenderees are still getting their cash.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112990

Some 15 former Yunit Militia members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Negros Occidental received a total of PHP225,000 or PHP15,000 each in immediate assistance from the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP). 

The recipients included 14 who surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion based in northern Negros and one with the 62IB in central Negros.

In South Cotobato a new halfway-house for former rebels was opened.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112765

The provincial government of South Cotabato unveiled Tuesday a PHP5 million halfway house for returning New People’s Army (NPA) rebels. 

Rudy Jimenea, head executive assistant of South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., said Wednesday the facility is now fully operational and ready to accept rebel surrenderers. 

Jimenea said the halfway house, which was built through a grant from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), will mainly serve as processing center for former rebels as part of the local government’s initiative under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP). 

A provincial government briefer said the two-story halfway house, which is situated within the provincial Animal Production and Processing Center compound in Barangay Tinongcop, Tantangan town, has dormitory rooms, training room, office and several other amenities.

Despite the realigned budget E-CLIP is still providing benefits to NPA surrenderees. And despite COVID-19 the AFP says military ops will continue against the insurgency.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112713

The military's Southern Luzon Command (SolCom) chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., on Monday said military operations against communist terrorists and their allies in his area-of-jurisdiction will continue until all of them are forced to surrender. 

"We will continue to dislocate the NPA Regional Operations Command and its maneuver elements until all of them are forced to surrender, as many havdone already," he said in a statement forwarded to the Philippine News Agency.

The AFP will continue to fight the NPA "until all of them are forced to surrender??" How about until they are all dead!? Or until they are all neutralized? Whatever happened to "The only good communist is a dead communist?"

While the local government was handing out cash to NPA surrenderees the AFP was taking the cache of active NPA members.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112789

Civilian tip-offs led to the discovery of a hideout of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) here, resulting in the recovery of high-powered firearms, ammunition, and food supplies. 

In a statement Wednesday, the Army's 23rd Infantry Battalion said that information provided by villagers led to the discovery of the NPA hideout in a forested area of Sitio Lamusig, Barangay Tungao here on Tuesday. 

1Lt. Roel T. Maglalang, 23IB civil-military operations officer, said a combined police and military team scoured the area and discovered the 50-square meter hideout that can accommodate around 10 persons where ammunition and food supplies were stored. 

“The operation was in response to reports by concerned civilians in the area on the activities of the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) and the location of a hideout,” Maglalang said. 

Recovered at the hideout were an AK47 magazine, an M16 magazine, 22 rounds of AK47 7.62mm ammunition, 71 rounds of M16 5.56mm ammunition, four empty cartons of AK47 ammunition, a four-meter electrical wire, and food supplies.

In Eastern Samar concerned locals alerted the AFP to the NPA's landmine planting activities.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112602

“Local residents reported to us that they have been disturbed by NPA’s (New People's Army) plan to plant IEDs since there had been many incidents in the province wherein innocent civilians were killed just like what happened in Borongan City," Alvior said. 

Several IEDs planted by the NPA targeting front-liners during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis were also recovered by government troops in Samar Island, according to Alvior.

On Sunday, troops of the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion had a five-minute clash with about 20 armed rebels planting an IED in Cagtabon village, Dolores town. 

The encounter resulted in the death of NPA fighter Dino Dabila, 25, a resident of Cagtabon village. 

Joint police and army troops recovered his body at the encounter site. Two soldiers were wounded in the clash. 

In a statement, Brig. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade has expressed sympathy to the family of the slain NPA member as they hold the terror group accountable for his death. 

"The death of another Filipino is a waste of life. We condemn the NPA for luring people into their fake revolution and planting bombs that indiscriminately kill or injure even civilians," Ligayo said.

Fake revolution? These people are serious. That's why they plant landmines and kill people. Since the man was a part of the group why wouldn't they condemn him too? All groups are made up of individuals. Is the NPA rebel who killed the cop the NPA abducted to blame or is the NPA to blame?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112617

Various quarters have condemned the killing of Police Staff Sgt. Restie Dandan, a member of Sison Municipal Police Station in  Surigao del Norte. 

The body of Dandan was found around 7 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 18) in Sitio Napo, Barangay Matin-ao in Mainit, Surigao del Norte. 

Dandan was kidnapped by armed men believed to be members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) last July 31 in Barangay San Isidro, Sison town. 

“We condemn the senseless killing of PSSgt. Dandan. We believe that this was done by the communist NPAs,” Sison Mayor Karissa Fetalvero-Paronia told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday. 

Paronia said she fetched Dandan’s wife Elenita Tuesday morning and brought her to the area where the policeman's body was dumped. 

“She cried upon seeing the lifeless body of her husband. She could not understand why the abductors need to kill him. The NPAs did not regard that Dandan is also a family man, with three children whose future now turns uncertain with his death,” Paronia said. 

“The family of SSgt. Dandan suffered for more than two weeks after his abduction. Now, their sufferings will linger as his abductors mercilessly killed him,” Paronia said.

If the man who killed this cop was killed in battle with the AFP would Brig. Gen. Camilo Ligayo or any other top AFP brass expresses condolences to his family and say, "The death of another Filipino is a waste of life," while holding the "terror group accountable for his death?" 

The death of one NPA member might not amount to much as the group presses on with their "fake revolution." In the meantime NPA members continue to surrender which the AFP attributes to their near disintegration in Bukidnon.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112600

The chief of the Army's 88th Infantry Battalion (88IB) said Tuesday the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Bukidnon province is on the verge of "disintegrating", given the sustained number of guerilla surrenderers in the past few years. 

Lt. Col. Franklin Fabic issued the prediction after he welcomed 12 NPA surrenderers at the 88IB headquarters here last August 14. 

“For those who choose to remain as threats (to) our peaceful communities, we will not hesitate to exhaust all our capabilities to hunt and destroy you with all our might for the protection of peace-loving citizens of Southern Bukidnon,” Fabic said in a statement Tuesday. 

He said the 12 surrenderers were under the NPA's Guerilla Front-Malayag operating in Cabanglasan town that was involved in several skirmishes with government forces early this month. 

The unit, Fabic said, suffered "losses and debacles" in recent months, forcing its members to abandon the rebel movement. 

One of the surrenderers, identified only as Rolen, said they were compelled to yield after experiencing "hunger and misery." 

"We were also scared when our comrade died in an encounter and we might have the same fate. I don’t want to die, I want to do better things together with my child and my family," Rolen said in the vernacular.

Hungry, miserable, and afraid to die. That is certainly no way to live and now they can avail of the E-CLIP program's many benefits.

Meanwhile a new infantry chief was installed in Sulu.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112731

The Philippine Army (PA) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Brig. Gen. William Gonzales as the new commander of the Sulu-based 11th Infantry Division, replacing Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan who has been appointed as head of the Western Mindanao Command. 

Col. Ramon Zagala, the PA spokesperson, said the change-of-command ceremonies for Gonzales took place at Camp General Navarro, Zamboanga City. 

Army commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito E. Sobejana presided over the ceremonies and urged all officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian employees of the 11th Infantry Division to support their new commander and continue to fulfill their duties. 

"Sa ating pagtugon na tapusin ang terorismo sa lalong madaling panahon, mas paigtingin pa ninyo ang kakayahang hanapin, ipitin, at ubusin ang kalaban, at ipagpatuloy ang panalo (In our goal to end terrorism at the quickest possible time, please exert more efforts in locating, cornering and eliminating the enemy for the win)," Sobejana said.

"Eliminating the enemy for the win." That is much better than fighting them until "all of them are forced to surrender." After all the enemy is bent on eliminating the AFP.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1326267/soldiers-civilians-hurt-in-sulu-blast

Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the first explosion occurred at 11:54 a.m. inside Paradise Food Shop beside the Syntax computer shop on Serrantes St., Barangay Walled City in Jolo, where a military truck was parked. 

An hour later, at 12:57 p.m., another powerful explosion occurred at the Goteckleng Building, only a hundred meters away from the site of the first blast. 

“(We) lost four soldiers, 17 others (are) wounded,” Vinluan said. “There are civilians but we don’t have the data yet because our men are still assessing the area,” he told the Inquirer. 

Vinluan said his ground commanders recovered a burned motorcycle in the area. “Only one can make this kind of attack, Mundi Sawadjaan, the bomber of the Abu Sayyaf,” he said. 

He has directed his men to hunt Sawadjaan and to cordon the place and secure the places where the blasts took place, he said. 

“Right now, all we can say is, (what caused the explosion is) an improvised explosive device. We will have details later,” Vinluan said.

Mundi Sawadjaan is the man four AFP intel operatives were hunting when they were viciously gunned down by PNP officers in Jolo back in June.  But perhaps that was all a part of the plan. Perhaps those PNP officers were working under orders from Sawadjaan or someone else in the ASG.  That investigation remains ongoing.