Insurgency: NPA Terrorists Registered With the SEC

The fourth anniversary of the Marawi siege was last week on May 23rd. For some the day was a reminder that the government has failed in its promises to rebuild the city.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/05/23/2100287/most-promises-remain-unfulfilled-govt-pressed-marawi-rebuilding-4-years-siege

A network of groups from Mindanao has pressed the government to fast-track the rebuilding of Marawi City, as it said many who were displaced by the Maute siege four years ago have yet to return home despite promises.  

The battle between state forces and the Islamic State-inspired group stretched for four months in 2017. In its wake were 370,000 forced out of their homes, and a cost of damage at P11.5 billion.  

In a joint statement, members of the Marawi Advocacy Accompaniment urged the Duterte administration to prioritize the return of internally displaced persons to their communities and compensate victims. 

"Four years after the siege, most of the promises...remain unfulfilled," MAA said in a May 22 statement. "President Rodrigo Duterte's promise saying that Marawi will rise as a prosperous city again remains invisible and cannot be felt on the ground." 

While buildings, roads and utilities have risen in the war-torn city, many residents have yet to secure building permits while others simply had no money, PCIJ also noted.  

Despite this, officials remain confident that work will be completed by December 2021, a date that Housing Secretary Eduardo del Rosario told senators in September last year.

While buildings are being rebuilt the real problem is that many Maranaos are still living in temporary shelters or with relatives.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/23/21/buildings-rise-4-years-after-marawi-siege-but-few-residents-are-allowed-to-go-back

Barangay Tolali has seen the most number of residents go back to their homes so far. It’s also the quickest to see some normalcy return. At least 113 families had moved back, according to data provided by the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) Field Office to the PCIJ. 

Rauf, an official of the barangay (village) and an influential radio broadcaster, said the actual numbers of returnees were higher. He boasted of helping about 200 families return to their homes in Tolali.  

The villages of Moncado Kadilingan and Tolali are located at Sectors 1 to 3 in the government master plan to rehabilitate Marawi. They’re at the northern edges of the former battle area – the staging area of the military push against the militants during the 2017 siege. 

It was also the starting point of the city’s rehabilitation. Residents here were among the first to secure permits to build or repair their homes and, once construction was finished, permits to occupy their homes.

The rest of the residents who lived closer to the banks of Lake Lanao (Sectors 4-9), where the final and fiercest battles took place, have yet to be allowed to begin construction on their properties.
City life used to revolve in these areas, where markets, mosques, schools, commercial centers, and slaughterhouses were located. Many if not most of these structures were flattened. Those that didn’t turn into rubble during the siege were later demolished because of structural damage.
Life for the returnees is not easy without a functioning city center, but Rauf said they have been able to manage. “We’re doing okay here. It’s not so bad,” he said.  

Buildings have since risen and roads have been paved inside the former battle area. Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra said work was 60% to 65% done as of May 22, 2021.  

Not all rehabilitation projects have started construction work, however. Several projects were still undergoing the procurement process, including a sewage treatment plant, bulk water supply, hospital, port facilities, the Maritime Group Building, and the Halal Slaughterhouse, among others. 

There have been claims of residents finding out after the siege that their lots were mortgaged by family members without their permission, for example. There are also different clans laying claims to overlapping lots.

Clearly there are major issues to be resolved in Marawi. Those who want to rebuild cannot because their papers are not in order. Some do not even own the land and the land has since been mortgaged out by relatives who do own it. Some projects such as the hospital and sewage treatment plant are still undergoing the procurement process. Yet the government is sure that the rehabilitation will be fully completed by December 2021. Or at least by the end of Duterte's term.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/05/24/21/duterte-marawi-seige-4th-anniversary

Malacañang on Monday expressed confidence that the war-torn southern city of Marawi would be "completely rebuilt" before President Rodrigo Duterte bows out of office next year. 

"We have a year, roughly a year bago po matapos ang termino ng Presidente. And I think the target can be met that Marawi will be completely rebuilt at the end of the term of the President," he said in a press briefing. 

(The President promised that Marawi would rise again within his term. We have roughly a year before the President's term ends.)

The President also promised he would jet ski to the sparkly islands and plant the Philippine flag but recently said anyone who actually believed him is stupid. Who can believe Duterte?

A few weeks ago the Anti-Terrorism Council designated practically all the top leadership of the CPP-NPA as terrorists.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/5/13/Anti-Terrorism-Council-terrorist-list.html

The Anti-Terrorism Council has formally tagged as "terrorists" 29 individuals, including the founder and alleged leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The resolution was signed by Executive Secretary ATC Chairperson Salvador Medialdea and ATC Vice Chairperson Hermogenes Esperon on April 20 and published in a newspaper on Thursday.

The executive council has designated CPP founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison and his wife Julieta Sison as terrorists. It also included National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultants Benito Tiamzon, Wilma Tiamzon, Rafael Baylosis, Vicente Ladlad, and 13 other alleged members of CPP's central committee.

It said the 19 personalities violated Sections 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

"Based on verified and validated information, the ATC found probable cause, as defined in the Anti-Terrorism Act, warranting the designation of the following central committee members of the CPP... for planning, preparing, facilitating, conspiring, and inciting the commission of terrorism and recruitment to and membership in a terrorist organization or a group organized for the purpose of engaging in terrorism" the resolution said.

ATC said the assets of listed individuals shall be subject to the authority of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which can freeze their accounts without delay.

Joma, of course, brushed off this designation saying he is not scared of being put on such a list. But there is something odd about Joma and all the rest being designated terrorists and facing having their bank accounts frozen while actual NPA fighters and supporters who surrender are not designated terrorists and are actually given money from the government. Take these NPA fighters for instance.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141985

One soldier was wounded after a 10-minute firefight between government troops and New People's Army (NPA) rebels Sunday morning in Barangay Badas, Mati City, Davao Oriental.

Based on the report of the 10th Infantry Division (10ID), the Alpha Company of the 66th Infantry Battalion (66IB) was on board a military truck from Barangay Taguibo and headed to Banaybanay town when about 10 NPA Guerrilla Front 18 rebels ambushed them near Punta Tagawisan.

Lamosao said the 66IB immediately deployed more troops to hunt down the communist terrorist group.

Now, barring that the AFP does not catch up with these terrorists and obliterate them, they could surrender, avail of the E-CLIP program, and never face any sanctions for this act of terrorism. There is even one Rebel Returnee association which is registered with the SEC.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141434

The Kalinga Rebel Returnees Association (KRRA), which was recently registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), sees the government standing side by side with them for a much better life in this province.

Marcelino Ibaña, chairman of the KRRA, said Monday they are confident that after years of seeking help, their situation will be better compared in the past under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and thru the whole of nation approach that is embodied in Executive Order (EO) 70 that aims to end the local communist armed conflict (ELCAC).

KRRA has about 1,500 members.

He said their group was able to get recognition and was registered as an organization in government offices like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), as well as the provincial government, giving them a legal personality eligible to receive government aid.

“The government cannot give to an organization which has incomplete documents. The governor of Kalinga and the Sanggunian (Panlalawigan) saw the papers of KRRA and they approved us,” he said. 

“With the help of the province, we have our papers now. We understand now how the government works and with our papers, we can already access assistance for our members who are former rebels, who returned to the fold of the law for a peaceful life,” Ibaña said in the Ilocano dialect.

Ibaña said their members have already received various trainings from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

They have also approached the Department of Agriculture (DA) for livelihood assistance in the form of farm equipment, among others.

Ibaña said DA-Cordillera regional director Cameron Odsey has committed to help them but said it will not be fully given yet considering the limited resources which have to be spread out to all other requests.

“We requested for livelihood, cows, carabaos, tractor for the field to help our members who have nothing after coming from the mountains,” Ibaña said.

He said they informally created their group in 2014 but did not receive government aid. It was only in 2021 when they received their SEC document after its filing in 2019.

That is a pretty crazy story. Rebels, terrorists actually, put down their arms and form a group which is registered with the SEC so they can avail of all kinds of government freebies. From shooting at the AFP to taking government largesse and without a single consequence for any of the 1,500 members. Out of those 1,500 how many AFP and PNP personnel did they kill collectively?

But there is more irony ahead. Hold on to your butts!

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140800

The New People’s Army (NPA), and officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), collectively referred to as a Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) may be compelled to indemnify victims of their human rights abuses and atrocities in the number of billions, a spokesman for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said on Wednesday.

Undersecretary Severo Catura, Executive Director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS), said under existing local and international laws, particularly the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), parties that are found guilty of such abuses and atrocities committed in a situation of internal armed conflict may be compelled by the courts to indemnify their victims.

Catura said it is high time that the CTGs be held accountable for their “spate of willful killings, their destruction of government and private property, their use of children as combatants, their internal purges, and their wanton disregard for human rights”.

“Already, the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) has submitted a list of CPP-NPA atrocities and the same shall be judiciously acted upon,” Catura said. "And we shall likewise refer the matter to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that has ably guided our Armed Forces in the strict observance of IHL in their line of duty.”

You can't talk about holding the CPP-NPA accountable for their crimes and then give away millions in cash, housing, and job training to those who surrender and treat them like nothing ever happened. That is madness, and yet that is exactly what is happening here.

The DND and AFP and all those in charge think the new anti-terrorism law will put an end to the insurgency. But right now this law is being challenged in the Supreme Court and it would appear that the SC has serious reservations about it.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1438431/sc-asks-govt-to-answer-terror-law-questions

Is rebellion now considered a terror act? Does adhering to communism and fundamentalist Islamism make one a terrorist? How does a person who has been declared terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) contest the designation if it was done without due process?

These are just some of the questions that the Supreme Court had ordered the government to answer as it moved to conclude its scrutiny of Republic Act No. 11479, or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

In a notice to the parties, the high tribunal directed the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the 37 groups challenging the anti-terror law to sum up their respective positions by submitting their final memoranda within a non-extendible period of 30 days.

“Are all advocacies related to communism and fundamentalist Islamism considered by [Esperon] and ATC to be forms of terrorism?” read one of the justices’ questions.

“Is mere belief in the merits of a communist socioeconomic system or in fundamentalist interpretations of Islam considered a terrorist act?” they asked.

They were also interested if Esperon would have the similar opinion on individuals “whose beliefs in capitalism or in Christianity may not be considered moderate.”

“How can the state assure that it will not come after dissidents or adherents of minority religious beliefs when membership by itself is a ground for prosecution under the [law]?” they added.

The 15-member tribunal asked the OSG to expound on the present state of terrorism in the country, the definition of terrorism under the new law, the role of the military in its implementation, and the authority of ATC in classifying groups and individuals as terrorists.

The OSG earlier admitted that the terror law did not specifically define actions that could be deemed as terrorist acts—a legal loophole—which the petitioners claimed would only lead to human rights abuses.

The high court likewise directed Esperon to back up his statement that the Philippines ranked 10th in the Global Terrorism Index and to explain if such classification “singled out” the effectiveness of an anti-terror law.

Moreover, it instructed the OSG to cite specific incidents that necessitated the repeal of the Human Security Act, which the magistrates described as “solely punitive.”

This line of questioning appears to show that the SC is not inclined to accept the anti-terror law as being constitutional. For one thing the OSG admitted that the law does not define terrorism! That is a pretty big admission from the government and opens the door to all manner of abuse. It's also interesting that the OSG has been asked to "cite specific incidents that necessitated the repeal of the Human Security Act." That is rather important as those advocating for the anti-terror law all claimed the HSA was broken and needed updating. Hopefully they wrap it up soon and the nation can get a verdict one way or the other.

Burning Electrical Wires

I was out for an afternoon run when the sky darkened and I knew I had to return home quickly before the downpour began. On the way back I saw smoke emanating from the sugarcane fields ahead and I figured they were simply burning the fields as is normally done after a harvest. But the closer I got I could tell something was off.

For one thing the smoke was thick and black much unlike the smoke of a burning sugarcane field which is thin and gray. For another thing the smoke was concentrated in one area. It was obvious someone was burning something they should not be burning. When I finally got a look at the burn pile I was shocked beyond belief.

They were burning a jumble of electrical cords! 

There was a man sitting in a truck and a guy who seemed to be about 14 or 15 tending the fire. I asked him why he was burning electrical cords. He said because he was poor and his family did not have money to pay for his tuition. I asked if someone paid him to burn these cords. He said no. That did not make any sense so I pressed for more information but to no avail.

He also apologized profusely and killed the fire by tossing water on it. 

I was sure they would dump the charred wires in the field but when I returned a few hours later there was nothing but a pile of ash.

The guy in the truck never said a word to me as I talked to his son. I presume that is their relationship, unless he was the one paying the guy to burn the cords.

Anyway, this incident was very bizarre and I was completely disgusted. This is not just burning leaves or garbage at your house. These two people drove off to what they thought was a secluded area, it is not, and illegally and foolishly burned a huge mass of electrical wires. And it's really not about the law. No one in the Philippines cares about the law anyway. These people would not have been fined or jailed even if the PNP had witnessed their crime. The point is the ethics of it. You just don't do this. You do not burn electrical wires out in a sugar cane field. If you don't understand that then you are a lost cause. Allow me to present to you the shopping cart test of civilization which works on the same principles.

Can you pass this test?

Retards in the Government 208

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

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=tl&tl=en&u=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/21/21/barangay-kagawad-patay-sa-pamamaril-sa-davao-de-oro

A barangay councilor in Maco town, Davao de Oro died after he was shot by 7 armed men Thursday afternoon. 

The victim was identified as Oliver Bataluna Ripdos, 42, of Purok 1, Barangay Sangab of the said town. 

According to the victim's wife, they were on their way home to have lunch from their farm, when a man and other armed men suddenly shot the victim. 

The victim sustained four blows to the back of the body which resulted in his death. 

According to the police the perpetrators were members of the NPA and their motive remains unknown. But it's another LGU official shot dead.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140960

The Supreme Court (SC) has warned a judge in Davao for texting parties in a pending case before his sala.

In a six-page resolution recently published online by the SC, the court's second division found Davao del Sur Regional Trial Court Branch 15 Judge Mario Duaves guilty of violating the New Code of Judicial Conduct.

Following the recommendation of the Office of Court Administrator (OCA), Duaves “is hereby reprimanded and sternly warned that a repetition of the same or similar act shall be dealt with more severely."

The judge admitted he exchanged text messages with the parties, who have pending property dispute cases.

The SC has time and again underscored the need to show not only the fact of propriety but the appearance of propriety itself.

“The standard of morality and decency required is exacting, so much so that a judge should avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all his activities," the tribunal said.

A judge has been texting parties involved in an estate dispute. He denies the accusation but surely the accuser has proof? The judgement of the Supreme Court about avoiding impropriety and the appearance of impropriety is a lesson every single member of the Philippine government should learn.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141045

A complaint has been filed against a party-list lawmaker who continues to cling onto his post as president of a local electric cooperative.

In a 15-page sworn complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman, the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms Inc. (Nasecore), represented by its executive director, Rafael Acebedo, accused Rep. Presley de Jesus of the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (Philreca) party-list, of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) for continuing to hold another office while already a member of Congress.

The complaint, filed on May 10, 2021, alleged that de Jesus has not relinquished his position as Isabela-I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Iselco-I) president of the Board of Directors.

The group is asking the Ombudsman to hold de Jesus criminally and administratively liable for “grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, grave abuse of authority, prejudicial to the best interest of public service” as well as seeking his preventive suspension while the proceedings are ongoing.

De Jesus won in the 2019 elections as Philreca’s first nominee and took his oath of office on May 23, 2019.

In Congress, he is the vice chair of the Committee on Energy and is a member of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Energy.

Under the Constitution, no senator or member of the House of Representatives may hold any other office or employment in the government, including government-owned and controlled corporations, without forfeiting his seat.

It seems this Congressman is holding on to a job that he should have relinquished in 2019 when he won his seat.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141280

A police officer was nabbed for extortion in Agusan del Norte on Monday.

In a report, Brig. Gen. Thomas Frias, chief of the Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG), identified the suspect as Staff Sgt. Ronelo Tering-tering, who is assigned to the Provincial Highway Patrol Team (PHPT) in Cabadbaran City.

He was arrested during an entrapment operation by joint elements of PNP IMEG- Mindanao Field Unit (MFU), Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), and the local police.

Frias said the suspect demanded PHP10,000 from a complainant in exchange for the release of a mini dump truck impounded at the PHPT office. 

Another PNP officer arrested for extortion. PNA later deleted this story and rewrote it entirely. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1435659/coa-flags-housing-agency-over-unused-funds

The Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC) failed to utilize the P10.36 million it received from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 2016 for the shelter needs of families whose houses were damaged by Tropical Storm Sendong, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

The COA said the nonutilization of the fund resulted in the failure to address the immediate needs for decent housing of families affected by Sendong.

Under the memorandum of agreement between the DSWD and the SHFC on Oct. 5, 2015, P10.36 million would be given to the latter for the shelter assistance of 148 informal settler families displaced by Sendong in Cagayan de Oro City in 2011.

The SHFC told COA that only P7.7 million was used for the housing financial assistance to 110 families affected by Sendong. The remaining P2.6 million would be refunded to DSWD.

The SHFC failed to utilize all the fund allocated to provide housing for those affected by tropical storm Sending in 2016. This failed to address the needs of the people. Additionally it is only now at the proding of the COA that they will be sending a refund to the DSWD.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141342

Authorities arrested on Monday the task force quarry head of Tarlac City in an entrapment operation, three days after a private citizen reported his alleged extortion activities to the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).

After receiving the complaint, ARTA together with Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Tarlac and Tarlac City Police Station set up the joint entrapment operation that led to the arrest of Pedro Soliman II at the Tarlac City Hall at around 1 p.m.

Investigation showed that a private citizen sought help from ARTA on May 21.

Soliman asked the complainant to pay PHP240,000 in exchange for her quarry clearance.

The complainant asked if she can pay in three installments of PHP80,000 each. Soliman agreed and instructed her to make the initial payment on May 24.

After the victim handed the money, the suspect was immediately arrested by the combined elements of ARTA, CIDG-Tarlac and Tarlac CPS.

Another LGU official arrested for extortion. Money in exchange for a permit.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/788872/barangay-captain-shot-dead-in-davao-city/story/

A Davao City barangay captain was gunned down by a still unidentified assailant in his house on Tuesday evening. 

An initial report from the Davao Police identified the victim as Roderico Llubit, Barangay Captain of Barangay 9-A Davao City. 

Police said the victim was feeding his cat on the first floor of his house at Muslim Village in Barangay 9-A when the suspect entered the residence and shot Llubit twice in his face. 

The shooter fled in an unknown direction. 

"Motive of the incident is yet to be determined," read the police report, adding that investigation was ongoing. 

A barangay captain was killed in his home by an unknown assailant for an unknown reason as he was feeding his cat.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141494

A former police officer who is wanted for a drug case was arrested in Malabon City, the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Thomas Frias, chief of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), identified the suspect as Regie Alilano, who was arrested on McArthur Highway corner Potrero St. shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Alilano, a former police corporal assigned at the Eastern Police District (EPD), has a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 67 for violation of Section 15, Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

He was dismissed from the service after testing positive for illegal drugs during a random drug test administered to EPD personnel in January this year.

Former cop dismissed for drugs is now busted for drugs.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Selling of Jab Slots, Admin Bets Will Win in 2022, and More!

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

The current administration has repeatedly wagged their fingers at the "opposition" warning them to not politicize COVID-19. It turns out they are hypocrites in this regard.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/18/admin-bets-will-win-in-2022-due-to-well-managed-pandemic-response-says-roque/

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Tuesday, May 18, claimed that the administration bets for the May 2022 polls will win because of the way the government has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During his virtual press briefing, the Palace official praised the government’s pandemic response. 

“(I am not saying that the candidates of the administration will win because of the pandemic, but they will win because of our response to the pandemic),” he said. 

“(That includes how we managed the COVID-19 cases and the successful vaccine rollout. I hope that is clear),” Roque added.

That is rather boastful seeing as how the Philippine government has failed in its response to the pandemic with heavy handed lockdowns. The Philippines has the longest running lockdown in the world. The vaccine rollout has not exactly been successful either. In order to get vaccine numbers up Duterte has directed the DOH to not tell people what brand they will be getting until just before they stick them.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1434259/palace-duterte-ordered-not-to-disclose-vaccine-brand-in-jab-sites

It was President Rodrigo Duterte who ordered to no longer announce the vaccine brands to be administered in sites, Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the President made the order after he saw how people overcrowded vaccination sites that give the US-made Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

(The President ordered that [directive] after he saw the lack of social distancing in sites where the Pfizer vaccine were given.)

Despite the DOH reassuring the public that they will be told on-site which vaccine they will receive others note that this move will only destroy public confidence in the vaccines.

https://interaksyon.philstar.com/politics-issues/2021/05/20/192217/doctors-oppose-vaccine-brand-agnostic-policy/

The local medical community on Twitter, however, opposed this new policy, saying that this promotes vaccine distrust instead. 

Physician Gideon Lasco stressed how “informed consent” to patients is important in medicine. 

“I am shocked that the DOH wants Filipinos to sign up for vaccination not knowing which brand they’ll get. If we are to build vaccine confidence and empower the people, they need more information, not less,” Lasco said. 

Dr. Gene Nisperos likewise noted that the lack of transparency will make the public more hesitant to receive the vaccination. 

“Dear DOH at IATF, naniniwala talaga kayo na mas magpapabakuna ang mga tao kapag hindi nila alam ang ibabakuna sa kanila?! Yun ngang alam ng tao yung ibabakuna sa kanila eh hirap kayo manghikayat, yun pa kayang hindi nila alam?” Nisperos wrote. 

YouTuber Doc Adam also echoed that the public has the right to know.

“This is just so wrong and will just cause even more vaccine hesitancy. Everyone has a right to know which vaccine ang makukuha nila,” he said.

The DOH has responded to this by saying that the right to know has not been taken away as people will be told on-site which vaccine they will be receiving and will have to sign an informed consent letter. But that is splitting hairs as the real issue is that people should know long beforehand so they can either sign up or not sign up.

There is talk about Robredo and Duterte doing an ad for the vaccines but the Palace says Robredo must clarify her position on Chinese made vaccines before that happens.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/21/21/duterte-robredo-covid-vaccine-infomercial

Vice President Leni Robredo must clarify her stand on COVID-19 vaccines developed by China, Malacañang said on Friday, in relation to a suggestion that she and President Rodrigo Duterte appear in an infomercial to boost public confidence in the jabs. 

Sen. Joel Villanueva on Thursday suggested that Robredo and Duterte work together on a public service announcement to encourage the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19 

(First of all, let us clarify if the Vice President will accept all vaccines because she had earlier declaration in which she seemed to disapprove of Chinese vaccines, and that issue was politicized. It was as if the WPS issue was exchanged for vaccines. Let us clarify VP Robredo's stand first.) 

Robredo is "open" to cooperate with the Palace to encourage more people to get vaccinated, said her spokesman Barry Gutierrez. 

(If Malacañang cannot set aside politicking even in this simple matter, that's on them. VP Leni has long been taking action, and she is always ready to help. If they are ready, too, she is just there.) 

If they did an infomercial would it be exclusively about the Chinese made vaccines? It seems it is the Palace who is politicizing this potential collaboration which once again proves them to be hypocrites.

It appears that some unscrupulous people are selling vaccination slots.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1435071/govt-to-probe-lgu-linked-online-selling-of-jab-slots

Authorities are investigating reports of clandestine online selling of COVID-19 vaccination slots by people who were reported to have connections with local government units (LGUs).

Entrepreneur Nina Dizon Cabrera shared with the Inquirer her exchange with a person offering to sell vaccination slots from San Juan and Mandaluyong local governments.

Each slot’s price depends on the vaccine brand: for the China-made Sinovac, P6,000 to P8,000 for two doses; US-developed Pfizer vaccine and British Swedish AstraZeneca fetch higher at P10,000 to P12,000 per slot.

The fee comes with a vaccination schedule and booklet.

Martin (not his real name) from Las Piñas said his college classmate offered to sell vaccination slots in Mandaluyong.

When he asked if there would be an issue since he is not a resident of that city and not among the priority groups to be vaccinated, his seller answered that it was an “under-the-table” deal, and he could do it because of “privilege.”

Price for two doses of Pfizer is pegged from P12,500 for those he was acquainted with, and up to P15,000 for those he did not know personally.

Both Cabrera’s and Martin’s sellers claim they were connected to people in their local governments.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only issued emergency use authorization (EUA) to seven COVID-19 vaccines, including the four brands currently being used—Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Sputnik V.

“The granting of the EUA is not a marketing authorization or a Certificate of Product Registration, hence this cannot be used to market the vaccine commercially,” the FDA said.

One suspect has surrendered but he denies the charges. The FDA's response is rather odd. Instead of outright condemning this action they note that the vaccines are not authorized but only approved for emergency use which means they cannot be sold. That may be something people are not aware of. There is no approved COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines. They also do not prevent infection of COVID-19.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141070

"(Our appeal to the public is to take what's available because all the vaccines we have here have EUA and they have) very good ang resulta(results) in terms of preventing severe Covid and preventing you from dying from Covid," Dr. Karl Henson of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Inc. said during the Laging Handa briefing.

How many times can it be said? The vaccine does not prevent infection. It only mitigates the effects of being infected. That is why allowing fully vaccinated foreign tourists into the nation is laughable. They can still carry the virus.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/196463/ph-prepares-to-welcome-fully-vaccinated-foreign-travelers

Foreign travelers fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will soon be allowed entry into the Philippines.

A small working group with the heads of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as chair and vice chair, respectively, has been organized by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to study the matter and formulate protocols, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Friday.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said she had requested the IATF to consider establishing a “green lane” that would expedite the entry of foreigners fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Setting up such a special lane for fully inoculated foreign travelers may just do the trick for the Philippines’ pandemic-hit tourism industry, Puyat said in a statement issued on Friday.

“The green lane will pave the way for the reopening of our tourist destinations to leisure travelers who are now fully vaccinated,” Puyat said, adding:

“It will give the jobs back to many of our tourism workers and gradually revive the tourism industry under safe conditions.”

The comment section for this article is great becausae many commenters see the problem here. Why would any foreigners wish to come here when they would be subjected to all manner of nonsense including mandatory face masks, face shields, social distancing, and other protocols? Not to mention they would still likely have to quarantine for 7 days upon arrival just in case since the vaccine does not actually immunize anyone and even the vaccinated can carry the virus.

Iloilo City has seen a rise in cases and has reverted to MECQ until the end of May. Depiste this they cannot expand their hospital bed capacity because PhilHealth has failed to reimburse their claims.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/24/21/iloilo-city-hospitals-full-cant-expand-bed-capacity-due-to-philhealth-debt-mayor

Hospitals in Iloilo City are full and state insurer PhilHealth has yet to reimburse their claims, Mayor Jerry Treñas said Monday after the metro was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases. 

The mayor said he was set to meet with PhilHealth president and CEO Dante Gierran on Tuesday. He added that he has met with the state insurer and hospitals for 3 times already. 

Medical facilities cannot expand their COVID-19 bed capacity as their personnel are also infected, Treñas said.

(Our problem right now is our hospitals are full and PhilHealth owes them a lot. They can't add more rooms because of 2 reasons: one because of PhilHealth.)

"Another reason is I think two or three of our hospitals, ang mga medical personnel nila infected na rin (their medical personnel are also infected)."

Like other municipalities Iloilo continues to vaccinate its citizens in order to fight the virus. Now local researchers are launching a real world study into the effects of the virus on the public.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/25/21/philippines-to-launch-p100-m-study-on-effects-of-covid-19-vaccines-on-filipinos

The Philippines is set to undertake a P100-million study on the effects of COVID-19 vaccines on Filipinos, an official from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Tuesday. 

The research seeks to answer questions on the vaccines' effects as determined by ethnicity and how long their efficacy would last on Filipinos, DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said in an online press conference. 

(While the Department of Health is vaccinating people, we will select participants we will follow for a year or so and see what happens to them.) 

"We expect that every quarter there will be milestones. Every quarter puwede kaming magreport (We can release reports every quarter)," she said. 

The study is expected to begin in June with 1,000 participants, but the number may change depending on the research design that would be approved.

They are going to determine "how long their efficacy would last on Filipinos" and "see what happens to them." This is the kind of stuff that is supposed to be done during the trial period. What more evidence do we need that this whole vaccine rollout is an experiment? Remember the vaccines are only approved for emergency use and are not authorized to fight the vaccine.

Inmate Directed PNP-PDEA Operation From Inside His Cell Says NBI

Remember that PDEA-PNP misencounter back in February where both agencies end up firing at each other in public near a mall during what was supposed to be a regular buy-bust operation? Well, the NBI now has an answer as to why this happened. It wasn't the fault of either the PDEA or PNP but the fault of a sneaky drug lord who was directing the whole operation from inside his prison cell.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1436189/occidental-mindoro-inmate-dictated-tempo-of-drug-transaction-that-led-to-pnp-pdea-clash-nbi

An inmate at the Sablayan Penal Colony in Occidental Mindoro, right from inside his cell, “dictated the tempo” of the drug transaction that led to the deadly shootout between police officers and anti-drug operatives in Quezon City last Feb. 14, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Two police officers, a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operative, and an informant were killed in the shootout between agents of the PDEA Special Enforcement Service (SES) and the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) of the Quezon City Police District.

Police maintained that they were conducting a legitimate buy-bust operation. They tapped Jonaire Decena, who was later revealed to be a detainee, as a poseur buyer, transacting with a certain James Tan.

Calls, video chats, and online messages between them were presented during the hearing.

According to Bacani, the Philippine National Police (PNP) submitted to the NBI a copy of the video call conversation between Decena and Tan. The NBI traced the call to the Sablayan Penal Colony.

It was an inmate there named Melvin Magallon, also known as Pawpaw, who first talked with Decena.

“But the picture in the cellphone of Mama Jo [that is, Jonaire Decena] was not that of Pawpaw,” Bacani told the committee in Filipino.

Bacani said James Tan was only used as a cover, but it was Magallon who was “dictating the tempo” of the transaction.

“It appears that he [Tan] was put there, but the one dictating the tempo is Pawpaw or Magallon,” the NBI official said.

In reaction, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the committee chair, pointed out that this was the reason why he was persistent in pushing for the reimposition of the death penalty — in order to stop drug dealers from operating even behind bars.

“If we had the death penalty, this Pawpaw who is imprisoned in Sablayan, would have been executed. Then there would have been no misencounter between PDEA and the PNP,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino

“We are being fooled by drug lords in prison. That’s why I appeal to my colleagues to reimpose the death penalty on high-level drug traffickers,” he added.

The gist of this tale is that a prisoner in Mindoro was running and directing a PNP-PDEA operation by using a fall guy. They even made video calls to each other. How was a prisoner allowed to make video calls when phones are not allowed inside prisons? Who cares!

Former PNP Chief and now Senator Bato sure does not care. Instead of rightly blaming corrupt BuCor officers and inept policemen he actually belittles the PNP by saying, "We are being fooled by drug lords in prison." Amazing. Is the PNP really so stupid as to be taken in by drug lords in prison? According to Bato they are. Who is running the show? It's like Con Air where the prisoners are actually dictating what is happening.

But it's not enough for Bato to belittle the PNP. He goes on to say, "If we had the death penalty, this Pawpaw who is imprisoned in Sablayan, would have been executed. Then there would have been no misencounter between PDEA and the PNP." He actually makes this instance of miscommunication between the PNP and PDEA, as well as obviously corrupt BuCor officials, into a case for the death penalty. That is a pure deflection from the issue of the incompetence and corruption of all agencies involved.

Instead of advocating getting rid of corrupt officials and making sure the PNP and PDEA are coordinating with one another regarding operations Bato's solution is to "Kill 'em all." And no wonder coming from the man who first directed Duterte's bloody war on drugs and said when a 3 year old during a drug bust, "Shit happens."

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/07/08/1933018/bato-sorry-shit-happens-remark-says-it-again-anyway

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police, clarified that he made the wrong choice of words when he commented on the death of a three-year-old girl in a drug bust operation.

Last week, the neophyte senator said "shit happens" when asked about the demise of the girl, which drew criticism from rights groups.

"I will recall my word. Instead of 'shit' let us change it to 'unfortunate incident' (happens)," Dela Rosa told ANC' "Headstart" Monday.

What a sleight of hand from ol' Bato. He takes back the word "shit" and substitutes "unfortunate incident" without changing the meaning of his sentiment. It just looks better.  And that is what the PNP is all about when it comes to cleaning up corruption, looking good as opposed to being good. 

Will there be an investigation into exactly how Pawpaw was able to get a cellphone to make video calls and direct a PNP operation? Will there be real change within the BuCor, an agency Bato once headed and promised to clean up, or will there just be the status quo? I think we all know the answer.