Insurgency: Be One With the Government

After the divesting twin blasts in Jolo the AFP Chief noted that the new anti-terror law and Proclamation 55 which placed the entire Philippines under a state of emergency are enough to fight terrorism. Now he says the AFP is looking to craft a memorandum to take full advantage of that proclamation.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/753944/gapay-afp-crafting-memorandum-order-geared-towards-a-more-comprehensive-proclamation-55/story/

The military is crafting a revised memorandum order, which aims to enforce a more comprehensive Presidential Proclamation No. 55 in the southern portion of the country, Armed Forces chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay said on Wednesday. 

Under the said proclamation, Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under a state of national emergency due to lawless violence. 

"Right now, we are crafting a revised memorandum order to implement Presidential Proclamation 55. In this time, it will be geared towards a more comprehensive and holistic approach in dealing with terrorism, not only in Mindanao but in the entire country," Gapay said. 

Gapay said this would be submitted to the Office of the President. This would include the roles and support of local government units and other government agencies and sectors in fighting terrorism.

What this memorandum for implementation will entail remains to be seen but on has to ask, "What took so long?" Why wait four years to even attempt to utilize this proclamation to its fullest? If Proclamation 55 is enough to fight terrorism then why has it been practically neglected?

The new anti-terroism law still lacks implementing rules but the Senate says the Jolo suicide bombings fall under its purview.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1328129/senators-say-terror-law-applicable-to-jolo-blasts

“The [law] is already effective so it can already be applied for the purpose of filing cases against the coconspirators and other living participants in the recent Jolo bombings,” Lacson said in a text message.  

He, however, said the absence of implementation rules could have affected efforts to prevent the bombings, which killed 17 people and injured 75 others. 

“What was probably missed by the law enforcement authorities was the opportunity to preempt or prevent the bombings,” he said. 

The implementation rules could have guided the actions of the authorities in conducting electronic surveillance and helped them arrest the conspirators at the planning, preparation, recruitment or training stages prior to the actual bombing attacks, he said.

This is ludicrous. The law could have helped prevent the attacks by allowing electronic surveillance? Does Lacons forget that the perpetrators were under surveillance but the army unit on their tail was summarily executed by the PNP in Jolo? And who cares about charges being filed? What is wanted is Mundi Swadjaan dead or in custody at least. The only way to do that is grunt work in the jungle. The anti-terroism law is useless when it comes to actually catching terrorists.

Duterte has assured the AFP that they have his full support.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1329156/duterte-assures-military-of-full-support-vs-terrorism-following-jolo-blasts

(As a Filipino, I will give you every support you need to complete your mission here in Jolo. I commit myself to work with you, my dear troops, to ensure that these terrorists will have no future in this country.)

Has there ever been a time when the AFP was not fully supported by the current administration whoever they may have been? The problem is not lack of support from the Palace or lack of money or supplies. The problem is the AFP who have conducted this 50 year war rather poorly. From making overly generous predictions about the terrorists being irrelevant to actually clearing areas of terrorists but then leaving them to be guarded over by LGUs to not properly acting on intel the AFP has consistently messed up time and time again.

All the modern weapons in the world will not help the AFP if their tactics allow the enemy to continue to flourish.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/02/20/afp-chief-wants-separate-procurement-system-for-military

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay on Wednesday urged lawmakers to create a new separate defense procurement act to solve the slow roll-out of the military's modernization program. 

Unlike other agencies, the military needs to buy "secret weapons" that cannot simply be published on the government's procurement website, Gapay told the Commission on Appointments. 

"We want a separate defense procurement act so it would be faster than [RA] 9184" or the Government Procurement Reform Act," he said, when asked how he plans to solve the years-long delay in the implementation of the AFP's modernization program. 

"These are secrets of the trade... If we publish these on PhilGEPS (Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System), burn down na agad secret weapons natin, our defense capability," he said.

Secret weapons? Like what? I guess that's a secret! The real secret weapon seems to be money. Provide enough money to bribe terrorists to surrender and eventually the insurgency will be no more.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114016

A member of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) in Agusan del Norte said Tuesday they would like more surrenderers from the ranks of the communist New People's Army (NPA) through the economic programs under its Poverty Reduction, Livelihood, and Employment Cluster (PRLEC).

Surrenderers receive cash and housing and training. It's a real boon for them. The AFP is banking on surrenderers to influence others to do the same.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114434

A top official of the Philippine Army in Agusan del Sur lauded the courage of former members of underground mass organizations of the New People’s Army (NPA) for abandoning the communist rebel movement. 

In a statement Friday (Sept. 4), Lt. Col. Romel A, Goce, commanding officer of the Army's 26th Infantry Battalion, reiterated that the insurgency problem in Agusan del Sur is everyone's concern. 

"Insurgency is not the sole responsibility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) but it is a shared concern and responsibility of all government agencies and members of the society,” Goce said. 

Goce issued the statement following the surrender of 46 members of the Magkahiusang Masa Farmers Organization (MAMAFAO)--an underground mass organization under the NPA's control--as well as 200 "mass base supporters" who yielded en masse in Barangay Maasin, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, on Sept. 1. 

“Let us work together to end insurgency threats posed by the left-leaning organizations for lasting peace and development,” Goce said. 

The pledge of support of the former NPA mass supporters, he said, will amplify the efforts of different stakeholders in addressing the socio-economic issues exploited by the NPA to influence "the minds of ordinary civilians, especially in remote areas and villages".

Defeating the insurgency is a shared concern and responsibility of the entire community. That includes terrorists like the MNLF.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114401

A ranking military official on Friday expressed appreciation for the contribution of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in sustaining peace in the Zamboanga Peninsula. 

Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan, 1st Infantry Division assistant commander, issued the statement after an MNLF official agreed to collaborate with state security forces to sustain the peace. 

“We are fortunate, that we have a president (who) understands the situation here in Mindanao. We all hoped that all his peace programs (would) be attained before his term ends,” Gaerlan said. 

Abubakar Taulani, co-chairman of the MNLF’s State Revolutionary Committee, has agreed to collaborate with security forces on the ground to sustain the prosperity and development of Western Mindanao. 

Gaerlan also assured support for any peace-building efforts of the MNLF in their community. 

The MNLF on Thursday completed a 20-day reorientation seminar for its defense force in Barangay Napulan, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.

Why would the AFP collaborate with a terrorist group like the MNLF? Why not collaborate with the NPA to sustain the peace? It would makes as much sense as collaborating with the MNLF.

Aside bribing terrorists to surrender money is also used to build roads and other infrastructure way out in the middle of nowhere because that will deter people from joining the NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113913

The Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) is implementing a PHP20-million road project in Dumingag town as part of its peace initiatives. 

Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Victor Yu, the PTF-ELCAC chairperson, said in a statement Monday that the 3-kilometer road project is being implemented in the hinterlands Barangays Dilud and Saad in the municipality of Dumingag. 

According to PTF-ELCAC, the barangays of Saad and Dilud used to serve as safe havens for the communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels but have recently been declared as "cleared" following a series of peace engagements through the Army's Community Support Program (CSP) and Retooled CSP (RCSP). 

Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, commander of the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion, underscored the importance of the road project for Barangay Saad residents in terms of basic services delivery. 

"I know that many of the residents are victims of the wrong ideology and propaganda of the CPP-NPA,” Herrera said. “That is why your government officials, hand in hand with your soldiers, are earnestly doing our task to address this communist armed problem in accordance with the main priority of Executive Order 70 to end the communists and communism itself.” 

EO 70, issued by President Rodrigo Duterte in late 2018, aims to institutionalize the "whole-of-nation" approach in addressing the communist insurgency in the countryside.

“Nowadays, it’s the right time for us to be one with the government. President Duterte launched this ELCAC project in order for us to invite our fellow Filipinos who are still suffering from the wrong ideology of the CPP-NPA-NDF, and help them surrender and receive the benefits of ECLIP, and also give them cash assistance to help them in beginning their new life,” Yu said.

"It's the right time for us to be one with the government?" Shouldn't the government be one with the people since the constitution says the government derives its legitimacy and power from the people?

The God Culture: Revelation 12 Series, Part 1: Filipinos and Negroes and Kurds, Oh My!

"The elusive prophecies of Revelation have been an enigma to most for several centuries at least. It seems the more we get closer to modern times the more information we have lost regarding the understanding of biblical geography and prophecy. Many times we prove this many times over on this channel and so do others but are those days changing. Are the modern Dark Ages ending? Are we in the days of increasing knowledge as predicted by Daniel or, better, is all evil being exposed with the light of truth in our lifetime? We believe we are entering those days and we believe it is time to know how to interpret Revelation12."

So says Timothy Jay Schwab of the God Culture as he begins his interpretation of Revelation 12. Be warned! It is probably the most unique and imaginative exegesis of Revelation you will ever hear. According to Tim this chapter highlights the major role played by the Philippines and Filipinos in the end times. If you have not read this chapter blow the dust off your Bible and open it up or click this link.

There are seven videos in this series each exploring a different aspect of the symbology in Revelation 12. Those symbols include a woman, a man child, a land, and a dragon. Because it is such a long series I will necessarily have to divide this review into several parts. There will be three in total.

Revelation 12: Is Astrology To Be Used To Interpret Prophecy. Solomon's Gold Series 13A

The first video is less about Revelation 12 and more about Tim's epistemic and interpretive methods. It also serves as a rebuttal to the prophecy concerning September 23rd, 2017. How are we to interpret Revelation 12? Through astrology? No. Through the Bible of course. Scripture interprets scripture.

If Tim had only laid down that principle and said no more then there would be nothing else to comment on about this video. However Tim says many other things which further lay bare the interpretive methods he will be employing in the ensuing videos.

First of all he makes the claim that any perception of the constellations as being particular designs are a subjective connecting of the dots. They could be anything, even a television antenna.

9:42 Basically someone decided to connect the dots kind of like when we were children and yet well anyway you know in the night sky to form figures. But who did this and what figures did they draw and is there a connection between these supposed star patterns and yahuah god's interpretation of the sky or are we all basing our interpretation of Bible prophecy in modern times on a false system in the first place? 

For instance let's look at the constellation Virgo here is an illustration on a deck of constellation playing cards of Virgo so let's connect the dots on the right. Do they actually look like they form the figure of an angel? Perhaps can we look at it any other way kind of like when we look up at the clouds and the husband sees a girl but the wife sees a peanut. is it really much different for instance could it be a crab or I got it this is a prophecy in the sky of the rabbit ears TV antenna! Of course that’s silly and yes we do mean to mock because you can connect these dots thousands and millions and trillions of ways. In fact this is just cherry picking some of the stars within the constellation's star field.  You could probably form just about anything you want but, see, those who formed these patterns oh this is what they wanted. So the whole thing is subjective because it's a religion not a science.

Tim's claim that the designs of the constellations are subjective hooey "because it's a religion not a science" is very important to remember. I will be returning to this as I examine the claims made in other videos.

He then goes on to discuss an artifact which he claims is Babylonian and related to the Zoroastrian religion.

21:02 Here is a Babylonian cylinder seal dated approximately 6,000 years ago. No, we do not believe the date but ancient nevertheless from ancient Sumeria or Sumer Babylon. Whether the dating is 5500 years or 4,500 years or whatever it’s really old and precedes the days of Abraham and that's what is important as a marker here. These are basically Zoroastrian Magi who are astrologers yes astrology is part of their doctrine and yes they do look oddly familiar to rabbis don't they? Hmm. Not going to cover that in this video. 

We have zoomed in on the portion above the head of the astrologer. Does this look familiar to you? Are we looking at the origin of theories of the likes of Copernicus, Galileo etc thousands of years before they existed? How did they know 6,000 years ago or whatever that the Sun was center of the solar system with planets revolving around it and they even knew they were spheres balls? Hmm. Babylonian history does not generally support this as an empire-wide belief by the way so this is an elite secret society represented in this seal. This is their secret knowledge not that of the Babylonian people.

What a gross and ignorant misinterpretation of this seal. First of all it is Sumerian and not Babylonian. Secondly Zoroaster did not appear on the scene until around 600 BC which is over a thousand years after Abraham so his timeframe is off by a huge margin. Thirdly he bizarrely connects this seal with Copernicus and Galilieo and their heliocentrism calling it the secret knowledge of an elite secret society. Nothing he says about this seal is correct except that it is very old.

It would seem from the fact that Tim uses this seal coupled with his claim in other videos that Cain likely built Tenochtitlan that he is using Zechariah Sitchin as a source for his "research."  Zechariah Sitchin is wrong in all of his fantastic conclusions just like Tim yet he employs Sitchin's interpretation of the seal. It could be just a coincidence but perhaps not. A far more correct interpretation of this seal which incorporates all the images, not just the stars, plus the cuneiform inscriptions can be found here:

http://www.sitchiniswrong.com/VA243seal.pdf

For five minutes Tim disparages heliocentrism claiming that the Bible teaches and the ancients taught a flat-earth yet he has the nerve to say that he is not advocating the flat-earth!

25:18 The Bible is clear that the ancients believed in basically a flat round disc with a dome ceiling the firmament set on pillars with four corners. Even now even science and history agree with that as the ancient cosmological belief system of the writers of the Bible and most of the world in fact all the way up until around say the 15, 1600s or so. However the most ancient of cults after the flood the, Babylonians, this secret society on the cylinder seal who were judged by Yahuwah God at the Tower of Babel, according to this cylinder seal already believed in heliocentrism, you know the Sun is the center of the solar system and sphere planets orbiting, thousands of years before modern science embraced this religious belief as fact. 

Now we are not weighing in on the Flat Earth debate. We are not a Flat Earth channel. Not one of our topics. But in ancient times that was the lay of the land as far as the ancients knew and don't let anyone tell you different. Our desire here is to be biblically correct and that is what matters and when you don't understand that fact then many times it's very easy to misinterpret the Bible. We're not saying which is correct but we are correcting history which is being misrepresented by some scholars even some from Hebrew University

How disingenuous. The Bible teaches a flat-earth, Tim wants to be biblically correct, yet Tim is not saying the earth is flat. Could he be more deceptive? If Tim wants to be biblically correct and the bible teaches a flat earth then he obviously believes in a flat earth. I have dealt with this issue elsewhere and proven that Timothy Jay Schwab is indeed a flat earther.

He then continues to discuss the constellations and what the Bible has to say about them. It should be pointed out that when Tim talks about using the Bible he does not mean what most everyone else means which is the Old Testament and the New Testament and perhaps the apocrypha. No. He means the Dead Sea Scrolls plus the New Testament.  If a book is in the OT but was not found at Qumran it is not scripture.  That is why he rejects Esther. Likewise if a book is not in the OT but was found at Qumran it is scripture. That is why he accepts Jubilees and Enoch as scripture. He does not only accept these books but he interprets the rest of the OT and NT through their pages. He has a few videos on this topic which I have already reviewed.

His discussion about the constellations in the Bible brings him to Job 38 where the Pleiades, Orion, Arcturus, and Mazzaroth are all mentioned. Tim says these are not actually constellations but imprisoned fallen watcher angels.

42:55 Job is not a reference to constellations by Yuhuah god when you read the entire passage. It is a reminder to Job of Yahuah God's strength and might from Yahuah himself in answer to Job's supplication. He is pointing out the watchers whom he imprisoned easily and challenges Job can any man free them Job knew the answer was no one could.

Tim comes to this conclusion by ignoring the entire context of Job 38 and a convoluted application of the book of Enoch. The context of this chapter is God rebuking Job asking him if he can control the activities of the heavens and the earth. This includes rain, snow, hail, the seas, the morning, and the course of the stars. The literal stars! Why would God break the context of his speech and start talking about wicked angels? It makes no sense. And it contradicts what Tim said earlier about constellation shapes being wholly subjective. Now these constellations are fallen watcher angels whom God imprisoned.

In the midst of his discussion about Job Tim says the following concerning the phrase "Sweet influences of the Pleiades" in Job 38:31

36:50 Someone's been toying around justifying astrology inserting Kabbalah and Babylonian doctrine into the word that's what's happening here.

Tim claims the Bible has been corrupted with Kabbalah and Babylonian doctrine. Someone has inserted lies into the text. God has not preserved his word after all. If that's true then what is the point of continuing to use the Bible? Tim has just confessed it is not a reliable text. He might as well abandon it.

Before ending this video Tim informs us that the following videos will be a revelation from the Holy Spirit which will blow our minds.

60:10 And the end of this video or this next video is going to unveil yet another revelation that blows our mind because we find the Philippines in Revelation 12 and we'll show we’ll show you. You need to see this. Let's read the rest of the chapter though and we'll give you our fresh interpretation as we believe the Holy Spirit has revealed. We admit we have never heard anything like this before but see if you agree and it makes sense and that it matches Scripture.

Tim ends this video by telling us that his interpretation of Revelation 12 is not something that springs from his own head but is a revelation from the Holy Spirit. But then he says "see if you agree and it makes sense." Asking people to test his revelation from the Holy Spirit as he does many times in the following videos negates any possibility that Tim has had an actual revelation from the Holy Spirit. Such a revelation should be accepted on its own authority. Isaiah, John the Baptist, Jesus, Moses, they all spake with authority and not with the wishy-washiness which Tim speaks. 

Oddly enough Tim will say later that he cannot prove his interpretation of Revelation 12 the same way he could prove his claims in his Solomon's Gold and Lost Tribes videos because it is prophecy and not geography. If his teaching is a revelation from the Holy Spirit then that is complete nonsense. Any genuine revelation from the Holy Spirit should not need qualifications or Tim's feeble attempts at proof.

We see Tim's foundation for interpreting Revelation 12 rests upon the same techniques as in his other videos. Misinterpreting history and artifacts, ignoring the context of the scriptures, relying on false scriptures, bizarre allegations of conspiracies to cover up truth, and unfounded connections between things. This is what Tim is going to build on. And he wants us to trust him? Of course not! That's why he says test if what he is saying is true or not.

In the second video of this series Tim reveals the identity of the woman in Revelation 12.

Revelation 12: Who Is The Woman? Solomon's Gold Series 13B

She is Israel. That interpretation is rather benign except one has to remember that when Tim talks about Israel he means Filipinos, Negroes, and Kurds. Those people groups form the lost tribes and constitute true Israel.

Filipinos and Negroes and Kurds, Oh my!

Another thing to keep in mind is that Tim says everything in this passage is "physical." There is no allegory here. The woman is a real woman. The man child is a real man child. The land is a real land and etc. The man child is also not Jesus because he is born in heaven while Jesus was born on earth.

29:51 Yahushua was born on earth and lived on earth for about thirty-nine years. No, not the Freemasonic magic number of 33 which does not fit scripture. We prove that in “When was Jesus born” and yes we can know the day, month, and year because Luke specifically identifies it and he is not wrong. 

Actually Luke says in chapter 3 that Jesus was 30 years old when he started his ministry and from the events in the Gospels we get a three year ministry. Ergo Christ died when he was thirty-three no matter what year he was born. We will be returning to Freemasonry later in part 2.

30:14 So this child is born and stays in heaven. He is physically a physical child or really children which we will prove out and the woman also and the dragon are real characters not euphemisms. The woman physically fled into the wilderness and was physically fed there and physically attacked by Satan with a physical tsunami a physical event which the earth opens up in swallows physically protecting the travailing woman. Protecting the tribes of Israel in the land prepared for them by Yahuah. Another physical land. It’s all there in this passage and it's not allegory in essence.

Except Tim interprets everything allegorically. The woman is actually the entire nation of Israel composed of Filipinos, Negroes, and Kurds and not a singular female human! The man child is really the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7 and 14. That means the woman is also 144,000 women who give birth to 144,000 children in the throne room of God! All of that will be explained in the next post.

At this place here I should take the time to point out that because Tim identifies Israel as being only literal bloodline descendants of Jacob he runs into a lot of problems. His foundation is false. The church is Israel and vice-versa. Stephen even calls the wandering nation of Israel the church in the wilderness.

Acts 7:37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 

38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

Paul tells us in Galatians that it is Christ who is the true seed of Abraham and all the promises are fulfilled in him.  Seed as of one and not as of many writes Paul. Thus the church inherits all the promises made to Abraham because they are in Christ and are thus the true Israel.

The Christian Tradition vol 1, Jaroslav Pelikan

The church, therefore, was the inheritor of the promises and prerogatives of the Jews. "Just as Christ is Israel and Jacob, so we who have been quarried out from the bowels of Christ are the true Israelitic race," the "third Israel” spoken of in Isaiah. Likewise, the church was now "the synagogue of God," "those who believe in" Christ having become "one soul, and one synagogue, and one church." Not the old Israel, but the church had the right to call Abraham its father, to style itself "the chosen people," and to look forward to inheriting the promised land. No title for the church in early Christianity is more comprehensive than the term "the people of God," which originally meant "the new Israel" but gradually lost this connotation as the Christian claim to be the only true people of God no longer had to be substantiated. 

Tim does not believe any of that. For all his saying that gentiles can be grafted into Israel Tim is adamant that they remain separate entities.

39:05 So who are the two olive trees? Well they are the tribes of Israel the twelve tribes that's one olive tree and the second olive tree is the ekklesia of Messiah.

Two Witnesses of Revelation Explained. This Will Rock Your World. Ophir, Sheba, Tarshish

One tree is Israel and one tree is the Church. That is wholly anti-biblical which teaches that there is one body of Christ.  God only has one people, not two.

Like all of Tim's videos there is a lot going on and there is no way to cover it all. The main thing that needs to be understood from this video is that the woman is the nation of Israel aka the lost tribes which is composed solely of Filipinos, Negroes, and Kurds. This interpretation contradicts Tim's assertion that there is no allegory in this passage. The woman is an allegory for an entire nation and not a singular woman. Next we will look at the identity of the man-child whom she births in heaven.

If you are wondering how all this connects to the Philippines just wait. You'll see in the next post.

DENR Dumps Massive Load of Litter on the Shores of Manila Bay

Does anyone in the Philippine government actually care about fixing the degraded state of the nation's environment? Apparently not. Last year Duterte disbanded the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission calling the river uncleanable and the project a waste of time.  Most of their powers were transferred to the DENR. 

In their bid to clean up Manila Bay the DENR has recently decided the best course of action to take is  dumping litter all over its shores. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/09/03/2039869/white-sanding-along-manila-bay-will-not-make-it-cleaner-denr-reminded

Piles of white sand are being dumped along the shore of Manila Bay, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said, in a bid to transform the bay—known for its stunning sunset views and garbage-strewn, murky waters—into something similar to popular tourist destination Boracay. 

"Here in Manila, we know that there are many who are poor. We will bring the white sand closer to them so it is like they are in Boracay even if they are just on Roxas Boulevard. That is what we aim to achieve here," Antiporda said in Filipino in an interview on radio DZBB. 

But the move to fill the 500-meter stretch with white sand—actually crushed dolomite boulders, according to Antiporda—did not sit well with environmental groups, who said the dumping could cause more harm to Manila Bay. 

Fishers group PAMALAKAYA called the project “completely absurd and highfaluting.” 

“[This is] artificial rehabilitation focusing on aesthetic appearance rather than addressing the environmental degradation problems [of Manila Bay],” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA national chairperson, said in a statement. 

“Filling of white sand would less likely contribute to the rehabilitation and restoration of degrading Manila Bay,” he added.

Is Undersecretary Benny Antiporda joking? Is that a joke? They want to bring the white sands of Boracay to the poor people in Manila? And they're going to do this by dumping hundred of tons of crushed dolomite along the shore of Manila Bay to the tune of P397.9 million and at the risk of destabilizing the habitat of the bay as well as the area where the rock was mined? The DENR, the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, is going to clean up Manila Bay by destroying the Philippines' natural resources?

Oh wait the DENR has already decided, without any evidence, that there won't be any detrimental impact on the environment because it's rehabilitation project and not a construction project!

The project to give Manila Bay a makeover by pouring “white sand” on its shoreline does not have to go through the process of preparing an environmental impact study and obtaining a compliance certificate, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said. 

Projects in the country that may affect the environment need to go through the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) process and get an environmental compliance certificate (ECC), environmental lawyer Gloria Estenzo-Ramos said as a response to the move of the DENR to fill Manila Bay’s naturally dark shoreline with “white sand” as part of the government’s program to rehabilitate the degraded waterway. 

But DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said the “beach nourishment” project is not covered by the country’s EIS system. 

“It is a rehabilitation project, not a construction project. It’s only a beach nourishment [project] in which we’re beautifying it,” Antiporda told Philstar.com in a phone interview.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/03/2040084/no-environmental-impact-study-needed-manila-beach-nourishment-denr

Unbelievable!

Retards in the Government 170

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

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1328119/village-chief-probed-for-sex-during-zoom-meeting

The village chief of Fatima Dos, identified only as “Estil” by the DILG, was caught having sex with his treasurer during a video conference with other village officials regarding their COVID-19 response.

Village chief to be probed after probing his treasurer during a Zoom conference.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113685

Police and military authorities have launched a manhunt against two men who shot dead a village councilman in Pikit, North Cotabato on Thursday. 

Captain Mautin Pangandigan, Pikit town police chief, identified the slain village councilman as Hayrollah Bateg, 33, of Barangay Balakakan in Pikit town. 

The victim succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival in the hospital. 

Pangandigan said Bateg was driving his motorbike along the national highway in Barangay Dalingaoen when shot from behind by one of two motorcycle-riding attackers around noon. 

“The killers appeared to have tailed Bateg as he was traveling from Barangay Balakakan passing by Barangay Dalingaoen and shot him from behind,” Pangandigan said. 

Police investigators are initially eyeing personal grudge or “rido” (family feud) as a possible motive behind the attack. Found at the crime scene were empty shells for .45-caliber pistol. Witnesses said the gunmen fled toward the direction of Barangay Balakakan after the murder.

Another village councilor assassinated.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113538

Sultan Kudarat Governor Suharto Mangudadatu has ordered a 45-day preventive suspension against Mayor Azel V. Mangudadatu of President Quirino town while the administrative charges against her remain pending before the provincial legislative body.
Mangudadatu's Administrative Order No. 40 dated Aug 25 was based on Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Resolution No. 214 approved on Aug. 10, recommending to the office of the governor the 45-day suspension of Mayor Mangudadatu pending resolution of the administrative charges against her. 

However, the mayor has filed a motion for reconsideration seeking to quash the suspension. 

“My client (Azel Mangudadatu) stays as mayor, she is on top of the situation in her town,” the mayor's legal counsel, Israelito Torreon, said in a phone interview Thursday. 

The SP resolution emanated from administrative charges filed by Pres. Quirino Vice Mayor Katrina Sandigan and Councilor Florante Tongco against Mangudadatu for misconduct in office, dereliction of duty, and abuse of authority. 

The governor, for his part, explained that the suspension should not be seen as a punishment on the mayor, who is the wife of his first cousin, former Rep. Freddie Mangudadatu. 

"It must be understood that the preventive suspension is not a penalty but a mere preliminary step in an administrative case," Gov. Mangudadatu said in the order.

Small town mayor has been preventively suspended by the governor because of administrative charges filed against her

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/753457/paws-files-animal-cruelty-complaint-vs-manila-city-pound-officials/story/

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) filed an animal cruelty complaint against officials of the Manila City Pound for allegedly cramming 60 cats into a 2 x3 foot cage and subjecting the animals to starvation and dehydration. 

In a Facebook post, PAWS further claimed that sick and injured cats and dogs in the pound were not provided veterinary treatment, including one severely disfigured dog missing the right half of its face. 

"The number of diseased, dying, and dead animals the Complainants observed within the facility, as well as social media reports showing the empty cages of the Manila Pound shortly after the imposition of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) indicated that the animals were not euthanized but were left to die from neglect and disease 'perhaps to spare the City of the expense of having to euthanize them,'" the animal welfare group said. 

The respondents will face charges of violation of the Animal Welfare Act or RA 8485 (as amended by RA 10136) as well as charges of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, as punished by the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RRACCS). 

PAWS Executive Director Anna Cabrera said they appealed to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno to help their group uphold the Animal Welfare Act.

Officials running the Manila City Pound charged with animal cruelty.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/336388/rama-complaints-over-chicken-are-political

Cebu City Councilor Eduardo Rama Jr. is once again facing a complaint over alleged selling of donated chickens to the public — a month after he faced the City Council to explain that he was innocent and that the allegations against him were untrue. 

A certain Jonel Saceda, a resident of Barangay Labangon, filed a complaint of malversation of public property against the councilor and Rona Lapiña, and accused them of selling the chickens. 

Saceda is the second city resident, who filed a complaint against Rama. The first one were a group of Sambag I residents, who claimed to have been sold donated chickens and has written a letter to Mayor Edgardo Labella asking for an investigation on the matter.

A Cebu city councilor is charged with selling chickens to the public which were donated to the city.  He denies the charges of course.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/753620/coa-flags-osg-over-p1-16-m-undocumented-travel-expenses-in-2019/story/

The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for its undocumented travel expenses amounting to P1.16 million in 2019. 

In its 2019 Annual Audit Report on OSG, state auditors said the P1.16-million expenses covered local and foreign travel which were either unliquidated or not supported by required documents — a violation of COA Circular No. 2012-001 and Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1445. 

COA Circular 2012-001 states that expenses for local travel should be justified with certificate of appearance/attendance, as well as certification by the head of agency as to the absolute necessity of the expenses corresponding bills or receipts. 

Likewise, the same COA circular also provides that expenses incurred for official travel which exceeded the prescribed rate per day cannot be justified by a certification or affidavit of loss and that such is not considered as an appropriate replacement for the required hotel/lodging bills and receipts. 

“Audit of the liquidation reports of the 17 officers and employees granted with cash advances for local and foreign travels in 2019 totaling P1,169,121.61 showed that liquidation reports were not properly documented in violation of the above COA Circular and PD 1445,” state auditors said.

P1.6 million in undocumented travel expenses for the OSG in 2019.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113844

The Police Regional Office in Soccsksargen (PRO-12) has launched an investigation into the reported protocol violations committed by a police official assigned in one of its support units who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). 

Brig. Gen. Michael John Dubria, PRO-12 director, told reporters here on Saturday afternoon that the concerned official did not undergo proper quarantine despite being considered as suspect Covid-19 case due to a recent travel in Metro Manila. 

He said the latter, who holds the rank of major and assigned in a provincial field unit of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-12, was subjected to the required reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing last Aug. 20. 

But he said the police official, who was confirmed positive of the disease on Aug. 27, had reported for duty and even attended a seminar at the regional headquarters in Barangay Tambler here last Aug. 24. 

“This is against protocol. He should have stayed home or in quarantine since his test result was still pending then,” Dubria said.

PNP officer with the rank of major ignored quarantine protocols and did not isolate himself until receiving his test result.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1329504/duterte-wants-boc-chief-to-kill-shape-up-as-drugs-still-flowing-in-ph-through-customs

President Rodrigo Duterte wants Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero to “kill” those involved in illegal drugs, which he says continues to flow into the country through the corruption-hit agency. 

“I told him straight: Drugs are still flowing inside the country through [the Bureau of] Customs. I wanted to say to him earlier: You asked for guns, didn’t you? I said: I approved the purchase of firearms and until now you have not killed even one. I told him: Shape up,” Duterte, speaking partly in Filipino, said in a taped speech aired Monday night. 

He also warned Guerrero against trusting people who had been in the Bureau of Customs for a long time. 

“It is [like when you are] new, when you are a babe in the forest, and you begin to rely on people who whisper: ‘Sir, we will help you in this.’ And when they gain your confidence, you become to rely on what they say until you believe that they are doing the right thing,” he said. 

“So I told him: Drugs are still coming in. What I want is for you to kill. After all, I will back you up so you won’t go to prison. When it involves drugs, kill. That’s the deal,” he said.

Sound logic. They asked for guns, Duterte gave them, so why hasn't anyone been killed yet?  Better drop some bodies and don't worry about prison because Duterte will back you up. Very Presidential.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114015

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año on Tuesday ordered the relief of all firefighters of the local Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) station from their posts for allegedly breaking quarantine protocols in the conduct of a despedida (farewell party) of an outgoing fire marshal in Batangas City. 

“The BFP has also issued a show cause order against all the BFP personnel involved in the alleged mass gathering in violation of IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) guidelines. The BFP IAS (Internal Affairs Service) and Regional Office 4A (Calabarzon) have also been directed to conduct a thorough investigation and submit its findings immediately to the DILG,” DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a media statement. 

Malaya added that BFP chief Jose Embang Jr. has withdrawn the new assignment of Fire Chief Insp. Elaine Evangelista as chief of the Biñan Fire Station in Laguna. 

"The DILG will not tolerate any violation of IATF guidelines among its uniformed personnel and will impose the appropriate penalties on all erring individuals if warranted by the evidence gathered and presented," he added. 

Reports showed the party for Evangelista, outgoing Batangas City Fire Marshal, was held on August 21 in a hotel and restaurant in the area. 

Photos of the event which surfaced online showed personnel of the Batangas City Fire Station were seen partying without wearing face masks and practicing safe physical distancing.

Local BFP personnel are fired en masse for holding a farewell party for a fire marshall and violating quarantine protocols. Hopefully there will be no fires in the meantime.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113969

Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) arrested the teacher, whose identity was withheld pending follow-up operations after she allegedly handed over a sachet of suspected shabu to an undercover agent at 8 p.m. in Barangay Bagua Mother here. 

“The teacher and her husband were considered high-value targets and have been placed under surveillance for about a month before Monday night’s operation,” said Juvenal Azurin, PDEA-BARMM director. 

Azurin said the suspect yielded some six grams of shabu with a street value of PHP40,000 and the marked money.

A teacher has been arrested for selling drugs.  Both she and her husband were considered high-value targets.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1329736/man-nabbed-after-attacking-occidental-mindoro-gov-with-knives

A man was arrested after attacking Occidental Mindoro Governor Eduardo Gadiano with knives inside the official’s office in the provincial capitol in Mamburao town, Tuesday. 

Gadiano identified the perpetrator as Adriane Gatdula, a resident of the province, although the governor said he was still clueless about the motive. 

The incident happened around 10 am as Gadiano was attending to several concerns in his office.

He said there were a lot of people in his office when Gatdula stepped in and suddenly threw by “spinning” a knife at him. 

The governor was able to dodge the knife, but the suspect drew out two more knives and attempted to stab him, Gadiano said. 

“I blocked him with a chair. Then with another (government personnel), we pushed him back until he was cornered in the (office) bathroom,” he said. 

Security personnel then arrived and whisked the official away to safety. 

Gadiano believed the attacker “meant to kill me,” but said he had not heard of any threat to his life before the incident.

An attempted assassination of Occidental Mindoro Governor Eduardo Gadiano.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/753826/pnp-yet-to-receive-p1b-worth-of-purchased-vehicles-weapons/story/

At least P1 billion worth of the vehicles and weapons purchased by the Philippine National Police (PNP) four years ago remain undelivered to this day, the Commission on Audit (COA) said. 

In its annual audit report on PNP, state auditors discovered that of the P1.3 billion worth of funds that the PNP transferred to Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) in 2016 for the purchase of mobility, firearms and other equipment, only P311 million worth of equipment were delivered. 

“This leaves P1.036 billion [of equipment] still undelivered for more than three years.  The low delivery rate of 23.08% and undelivered equipment defeats the intention to which the PNP have engaged the services of PITC, that is, to facilitate the procurement process,” COA said. 

“The remaining balance of P1,036,548,528.00 or 76.92 % which pertained to undelivered items such as utility trucks, automatic grenade launcher, light personnel carrier, etc. remained outstanding for more than three years, contrary to the objective mentioned in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Procurement law,” COA added. 

State auditors then recommended that the PNP headquarters require the Directorate for Logistics to demand the immediate delivery of all remaining equipment.

After four years only P311 million of P1.3 billion of equipment ordered by the PNP has been delivered.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1330152/nbi-files-raps-vs-20-immigration-personnel-in-pastillas-modus

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed a complaint against 20 personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) allegedly involved in the illegal airport escort service known as the “pastillas” racket catering mostly to Chinese nationals. 

“Yes, at the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday,” NBI spokesperson Nick Suarez told INQUIRER.net in a text message on Wednesday when asked to confirm if a complaint has been filed against BI personnel tagged in the illegal scheme.

This scheme was uncovered back in February but only now have charges been filed against these personnel.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114241

Sixteen cops assigned at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and an employee tested positive for illegal drug use, NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas said on Thursday. 

He said the random drug testing has been done to weed out drug-using police officers within their ranks.

16 PNP officers tested positive for drug use.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/03/2039718/duterte-cascolan-rid-pnp-corruption

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said yesterday Duterte also wants Cascolan, who has only two months to serve as PNP chief, to ensure that the police would always uphold the rule of law. 

“To the PNP chief, of course, number one is to maintain… uphold integrity of the rule of law as far as the PNP is concerned,” Roque said. 

“Number two, rid its ranks of corruption because that’s the reason why the President doubled the salary of the armed forces and military. And number three what is closest to his heart, sustain the gains of the drug war,” Roque said.

New PNP chief, same old mission. No way will he accomplish it in a mere two months.  

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1330673/new-philhealth-chief-vows-to-stop-irregularities-in-2-years

Newly-appointed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) chief Dante Gierran on Thursday expressed confidence that he will be able to address and resolve the alleged irregularities surrounding the state insurer in two years. 

In a televised briefing, Gierran noted that he has the support of President Rodrigo Duterte along with his former colleagues in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in solving the PhilHealth mess. 

“Sigurado yan, kakayanin. Kakayanin ko talaga yan,” Gierran said when asked if he will be able to address the problem before the President ends his term in 2022. 

(That’s for sure, I will try my best.) 

“Firstly, I have the full support of the President no less. I have the support of Senator Bong Go. I have the support of my former colleagues at the National Bureau of Investigation which is one of the units that comprise the task force currently investigating the corruption within PhilHealth,” he went on.

He won't put an end to 25 years of endemic corruption by June 2022.  But it such an assurances sounds good.