Insurgency: Stay Out of Elections

Election season is here and that means the NPA will be more active with their extortion activities. Thankfully Duterte has warned them to back off.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155605

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday issued a stern warning to political warlords and the New People's Army to stay out of the May 2022 elections and he would not think twice about using the police and military to ensure orderly polls.

“I will not allow fraud, tapos yung mga tigas tigas. May mga ano diyan lalo na yung matagal na sa politika. Political warlords na may mga armas (and those acting tough. Especially those who have long been in politicals, political warlords with arms),” he said in a late night public address.

He made the remark as armed personnel prepares to prevent communist terrorists from collecting "permit-to-campaign" fees from politicians.

“Pati kayong mga NPA huwag kayo sumali…Huwag kayo makialam dito sa elections (Also NPA, stay out of this. Do not interfere with elections),” he added.

Duterte, meanwhile, reiterated that he wanted to give Filipinos “clean” elections before he steps down as president.

“Gusto ko na bago ako umalis, makatikim man lang ang Pilipino ng malinis na election (Before I step down, I want FIilipinos to experience a clean election),” he said.

He also appealed to would-be candidates, especially in Mindanao, to keep the conduct of polls peaceful.  

“I am appealing to the leaders, sa lahat ng tribo (all tribes)…I said if you do not follow a peaceful path in the elections, papuntahan ko kayo ng Army pati pulis. Disarmahan lahat ng tao at kulungin ka. Ako na ang bahala magsagot kung bakit ka kinulong basta mag terorismo kayo (I will order the Army and police there. I’ll have them disarmed and detain you. I will answer to the reason why you are detained if you are involved in terrorism),” he added.

Despite Duterte's stern remarks its a given that there will be violence and extortion this election season. One cannot help but think of past elections where the government claims they have a list of all the candidates paying NPA extortion fees. 

https://www.dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-349-government-execs-pay-CPP-NPA-extortion-money-permit-to-campaign/NC-2019-1060

"We now have a watchlist, we know you. So if you are supporting communist rebels, in any way, you ascertain yourself as a supporter of terrorism and an enemy of the state, you establish yourself as an accomplice to their cause," he says.

“We cannot win the war against terrorism if these local officials continue funding the very source of terrorism in the first place," he adds.

The DILG Secretary says that of the 349 officials, there are 11 provincial governors; five vice governors; 10 provincial board members; 55 mayors; 21 vice mayors and 41 councilors.

Also in the list are 126 barangay captains, 50 barangay councilors, and eight other barangay officials.

What happened to these people? How many are up for reelection next year? Without the answer to those questions the PNP announcing they will be cracking down on NPA election extortion is a joke.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155743

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Wednesday has ordered all units to spare no effort in stopping extortion activities by the New People's Army (NPA) during the election season.

Eleazar's order came after President Rodrigo Duterte warned communist rebels and political warlords to stay out of the national and local elections next year and that the NPA must be prevented from collecting "permit-to-campaign" fees from politicians.

"(I would also like to remind candidates not to give in to these illegal activities of communist rebels. Let us do everything to ensure that next year's elections will be clean and orderly)," Eleazar said in a statement.

He also assured the public that the PNP would be vigilant against communist terrorists and other local threat groups before, during, and even after the elections.

Eleazar, meanwhile, lauded the police and the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who conducted a joint operation that led to the confiscation of war materials in Sorsogon on Tuesday.

“I commend our police and military personnel in Bicol region for the successful operation in Sorsogon that resulted in the confiscation of war materials from the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front) as part of our intensified campaign not only to end communist insurgency but also in ensuring the peaceful conduct of elections in May next year,” Eleazar said.

I would like to remind the police that they have a list of names and they should go after those people if they are sincere in fighting NPA meddling in the elections. The operation ins Sorsogon is rather interesting. The PNP recovered a cache of weapons but can you guess why locals reported the NPA to the authorities?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1498245/govt-troops-seize-npa-arms-cache

Indiscriminate firing by the New People’s Army (NPA) caused irate Sorsogon locals to tip off government forces about the communist rebels’ weapons cache, including land mines.

Army personnel and Bicol police officers found on Tuesday at Barangay San Bartolome in Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon, an M16 rifle; antipersonnel mines; three sacks containing 212 magazines for M16 rifles; some 5,000 rounds of 5.56-mm ammunition; and 34 blasting caps.

Army 22nd Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Nelson Mico said the tip from locals showed “their utter disgust with the nuisance caused by communist rebels.”

For 903rd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Aldwine Almase, the seizure of the arms cache thwarted atrocities the NPA rebels would have committed.

"Indiscriminate firing" is why the locals tipped off the government to this cache. Not because they disagree with the NPA ideology or because of anything patriotic but because they were making too much noise. How ironic a reason in a land which is filled with noise and which most people tolerate.

This is not the first time an arms cache has been found in Sorsogon. Last year caches were found on July 16th and June 27th. Likely there are more caches to be found in that province. One place where no caches will be found is in Dingalan.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155627

The town of Dingalan, which used to be known as a hotbed of insurgency, has been declared free from rebel presence and atrocities.

Dingalan is the second local government unit in this province declared insurgency-free.

San Luis was first declared as an area with stable internal peace and security in August.

The documents supporting the declaration were signed on Monday by Mayor Shierwin Taay at the Dingalan Municipal Hall, together with Vice Mayor Edgardo Galvez and members of the Sangguniang Bayan, and handed over to Col. Joseph Norwin Pasamonte, commander of the 703rd Infantry (Agila) Brigade of the Philippine Army.

Taay thanked the Philippine Army, which he said are committed to its mandate of helping his townmates and the province achieve peace and prosperity.

He said development will always depend on the attainment of peace as a result of the whole-of-nation approach of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We, in the local government unit of Dingalan, strengthen our partnership with the Philippine Army in doing social services such as the Serbisyo Caravan. Our soldiers are more consistent in doing services in the Caravan,” Taay said in an interview on Tuesday.

Pasamonte recalled that the insurgency problem in Dingalan started in 1993.

“There is a big difference between the services then and now because you can see how Dingalan transformed. They no longer accept the leftist group which is the only reason why the town was not peaceful and free,” he said in another interview.

Infrastructures, providing goods and services, and cooperation of the people ended the influence of leftist groups, Pasamonte said.

The revolution started in 1969 but did not make it to Dingalan until 1993. Then 28 years later it all ended because of infrastructure and the providing of goods and services. It certainly did not because of peace talks. As for Duterte, he says he is glad that the peace talks have been terminated under his watch.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155950

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he is “glad” that the peace talks between his administration and the Communist Party of the Philippines - National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) were terminated.

Duterte made the remarks during the inauguration of the Bicol International Airport in Daraga, Albay, as he once again slammed the arrogance of the communist movement’s armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

“Hindi ako bilib sa tapang-tapangan nila (I’m not amused by their arrogance),” Duterte said. “Ewan ko kung ano ang nakuha nila (I don’t know what they get [or]) what gain they earned by killing people.”

Duterte said he could not give the communist guerillas another chance to resume the peace negotiations with the government, because they continue their killing spree.

He said the NPA insurgents’ continued attacks against government troops and civilians enraged him.

“Galit ako sa kanila (I am mad at them). To continue the killing and continue the ferocity of the hate, ewan ko kung ano ang gusto nitong mga ito (I don’t know what they want). But I’m not happy with them. I’m glad that we suspended the talk,” Duterte said.

Duterte said the communist group’s political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF), has to wait for his successor to renegotiate the stalled peace talks with the government.

“Maybe the next president can do it but hindi ko kaya (I could not do it),” he said.

Keep in mind that this is a man, who as Mayor of Davao, was deeply in bed with the communists. He told farmers to pay the NPA extortion tax, delivered a sack of money to the NPA after hurricane Pablo in 2012, and thanked the NPA for electing him President. Surely he knows what they want. He is friends with them after all. Perhaps the next President will have a better chance with peace talks. But likely not.

Filipino Corporations Receive Millions in Free Advertising From Small Business Owners

 I saw this sign in the grass and wondered what it was doing there. 

Then I turned my head and saw this:

This business replaced their informative and colorful sign with a vulgar advertisement for margarine which is not even spelled correctly. The name of the shop is Dos Mia's Panaderia not Do's Mia's Panaderia. And they aren't even getting paid for it. I was told that whoever made this sign gave it to this panaderia free of charge. Thats good for who exactly? Not the panaderia which already had a sign showcasing their products but for Star Margarine who now gets free advertising 24 hours a day.

This is a scenario happening all throughout the country. Every little road side stand, every independently owned restaurant or shop operating out of a storefront or a hut has been bequeathed a free sign for their business which is actually free advertising for some large corporation. Corporations who avail of this free advertising include Globe, Smart, Coca-Cola, and San Miguel. 

What does Coca-Cola or Globe have to do with a carwash and why do they have so many signs!??

San Miguel is the largest Philippine company with hundreds of billions of pesos in revenue every year. P725 billion in 2020 alone! Yet they obtain free advertising from these unsuspecting business owners by gifting them free signs. You will see store signs advertising Red Horse, Tanduay Rum, various Pure Foods products, and Star Margarine all of which are produced by companies owned by the San Miguel Corporation. 

Why are they doing this? They can afford to buy the advertising. Why not at least pay these people a few thousand pesos to host their advertisements? It appears rather unethical to me but those I have spoken with don't seem to care. Perhaps they do not understand the ramifications of what is happening here. San Miguel and other corporations are milking millions in free advertising from these unsuspecting shop owners and are laughing all the way to the bank. It's pure exploitation.

Retards in the Government 227

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155291

Anti-drug operatives arrested a contractual government employee who was tagged as a high-value target drug pusher in a buy-bust in a village in Koronadal City on Thursday.

Katryn Gaye Abad, spokesperson of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 12 (Soccsksargen), said in a report on Friday that suspect Jamil Manara Desamito, 40, was nabbed around 11:35 a.m. after selling two large sachets of suspected shabu to an undercover agent.

She said the recovered illegal drugs, which were confirmed in laboratory analysis, weighed 12 grams and were valued at PHP81,600.

The operation was led by agents from PDEA South Cotabato Provincial Office and backed by South Cotabato and Koronadal City police’s drug enforcement operatives.

Abad said the entrapment on Aguinaldo Street in Barangay Sta. Cruz came after a month of intensive surveillance on the illegal activities of the suspect, who worked as a driver in a regional line agency based in Koronadal City.

Abad did not disclose the suspect’s other work-related details based on a request from the agency’s regional head.

“He was already arrested before for the same offense but continued with his illegal activities,” she told PNA in a phone interview on Friday.

A contractual government employee was busted for drug use. He was previously arrested for the same offense. This begs the question of how this man got a job working for the government as a contractual employee. Were there no background checks?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155487

A former barangay captain listed as the most wanted person of Zambales was arrested by authorities in a manhunt operation on Sunday. 

In a police report on Monday, Col. Romano V. Cardiño, acting provincial director of the Zambales Police Provincial Office, identified the suspect as Angel Cabbab, 74, a former village chair and resident of Barangay Lucero, San Marcelino, Zambales. 

Cardiño said the suspect was arrested by joint elements of San Marcelino Municipal Police Station, Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, 305th Maneuver Company and Criminal Investigation and Detection Team-Zambales. 

The arrest was carried out by virtue of a warrant for the crime of rape issued by Judge Gemma Theresa B. Hilario-Logronio of Branch 73, Olongapo City on Feb. 7, 2019, with no bail recommended. 

Cardiño said Cabbab is the primary suspect in the rape of a three-year-old girl on Dec. 12, 2018. 

He was then the chairman of Barangay Lucero, San Marcelino, Zambales and went in hiding after the crime.

A former Barangay captain is accused of raping a three-year old girl.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1497193/police-protocols-not-followed-in-many-drug-war-cases-under-doj-review

The DOJ said it will endorse to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 52 cases to determine the criminal liability of some 154 police officers involved in the death of 52 drug.

(From what we saw, many of these cases must be carefully reviewed because it appears that there were processes or what we call police protocols that were not followed.)

What a shocker. This is what many people having been saying for the past 5 years now.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Philippines Just Became the Worst Place to be in COVID, Tomato Dumping, and More!

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

Bloomberg profiled 53 countries in a COVID-19 resilience index. The Philippines came in at the bottom, 52. The response from the Palace was quite unexpected. Instead of dismissing the survey they accepted the results but blamed rich countries for hoarding vaccines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155073

“We take note of Bloomberg’s latest Covid-19 Resilience Ranking report,” Roque said in a press statement. “We are not surprised that the Philippines, together with other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam are at the bottom of the list while countries which topped the list are developed countries such as Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, Finland and Denmark.”

Roque acknowledged that Covid-19 vaccines are vital in the Philippines’ fight against the dreaded disease.

He, however, said the Philippines is a “classic case” of poor nations with lack of vaccine supplies because of rich countries’ supposed hoarding of the “life-saving” jabs.

“Vaccines are key towards defeating Covid -19. Unfortunately, as President Rodrigo Roa Duterte articulated in the United Nations (UN), ‘rich countries hoard life-saving vaccines, while poor nations wait for trickles.’ The Philippines is a classic case in point, where inoculation is highly dependent on the availability and stability of vaccine supplies,” Roque said.

In classic fashion Roque ignores some very important details. The most important being that the government has received millions of doses of vaccines and has imposed rotating, economically crippling lockdowns. The most recent one in Manila destroyed thousands of more jobs.

https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/09/30/2130793/fresh-lockdowns-destroy-more-jobs-august

Fresh restrictions imposed in August to curb the spread of hyper-contagious Delta variant threw more people into unemployment during the month.

There were 3.88 million people who were either unemployed or out of business in the Philippines in August, up from 3.07 million in July, results of a survey of 10,919 households by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed Thursday.

That translated to a jobless rate of 8.1% in August, up from 6.9% in July. For economic officials, the higher unemployment figure was “expected” due to the brief return to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) last month to arrest a renewed surge in infections.

Even Bloomberg issued a rebuttal to Roque's assertion that the Philippines' low ranking being due to vaccine hoarding.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-29/why-the-philippines-just-became-the-worst-place-to-be-in-covid

The Philippines’ drop to No. 53 reflects the challenges it’s facing from the onslaught of the delta variant, which has hit Southeast Asia particularly hard amid difficulties containing the more contagious strain and slow vaccination rollouts. The region, which recently had the worst outbreak in the world, populates the September Ranking’s lowest rungs, with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam all in the bottom five.  

The Philippines faces a perfect storm in that it’s grappling with the more ferocious delta variant at the same time as it works with an inadequate testing regime and sees disruptions to its economy and people’s livelihoods as the pandemic continues to rage.  

The country scores low on all four of our metrics related to reopening, and with a vaccine coverage rate of 20% -- among the lowest of those ranked -- the Philippines is engaged in one of the most stringent lockdowns of the 53. Its Flight Capacity, which measures how far air travel has gotten back to normal, is 74% below 2019 levels and the Philippines’ borders remain sealed to visitors.  

On Covid containment, the Philippines underperforms too. While its cases per capita over the past month are a fifth of what vaccine frontrunner Israel has seen, the Philippines had the second-worst positive test rate in the Ranking, at 27% -- only better than Mexico. The metric indicates the government is only testing the sickest patients for Covid and that there’s likely high levels of undetected infection in the community.  

Meanwhile, the outbreak has extracted large economic and social costs, as shown in metrics related to quality of life. Community mobility remains 29% below a pre-pandemic benchmark, and the economy is forecast to grow 4.5% this year, less than estimated before delta’s spread. The Philippines also has weaker healthcare infrastructure compared to other ranked places, and a lower Human Development Index score to cushion the virus hit.  

The most significant impediment to the Philippines’ response has been its limited access to vaccines. The country has used a disparate range of shots to try and ramp up the rollout:   

The Philippines’ handling of the pandemic was also hampered by a 1991 law that made city, town and village leaders responsible for the health system. Without uniform guidance, village-level health teams often follow rules set by mayors or chieftains, resulting in a fragmented response to Covid.  

Lingering lockdowns to quell the persistently high infections pushed the Philippines’ economy back into contraction in the second quarter from the previous three months. 

While Bloomberg does say that the limited access to vaccines is the "most significant impediment to the Philippines' response" it also does not hesitate to mention the crippling lockdowns which are just as significant for the bad economy.

But even though the Philippines has limited access to vaccines that is not stopping the country from harming the economy by limiting the access of unvaccinated persons.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/09/30/ban-on-unvaccinated-not-a-glut-behind-tomato-dumping/

FARMERS in Northern Luzon dumped about 6,000 kilograms of tomatoes not because of oversupply but because of non-arrival of buyers, who were barred from entering the area due to “no vaccination, no entry” policies enforced by local government units (LGUs) in certain checkpoints.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) explained that the reason behind the unsold tomatoes of a farmer named Enza Aguinao of Tubeng, Ap-apid in Tinoc, Ifugao was the stringent implementation of no vaccination, no entry policy in various checkpoints by LGUs.

The DA added that this was according to Ifugao provincial agriculturist Dr. Domingo Mariano, as affirmed by Diego Madino, a stall owner at the Nueva Vizcaya Agriculture Terminal (NVAT). Madino said that about 6 metric tons (MT) of tomatoes were dumped in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya due to lack of buyers.

What did they expect when so little of the population has been vaccinated? They are only just now allowing the general population to receive the vaccination. This is an unbelievable and avoidable waste.

Those who are vaccinated will not only be able to access all the tomatoes they need but they will also be eligible for P3 million in prizes,

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/04/21/p3-m-worth-of-prizes-up-for-grabs-for-those-vaccinated-vs-covid

The Philippine government on Monday said a total of P3 million in cash prizes will be raffled among Filipinos who are vaccinated against COVID-19. 

The prizes include P1 million for the grand draw in December.

The announcement of the raffle promo at an event at SM City Clark in Pampanga said 100 winners will be picked during the monthly draw that begins this month. The prize for the monthly winners was not disclosed.

Partially vaccinated people are entitled to one raffle entry, and will get 2 more entries once they complete their vaccination.

Those who receive single-dose vaccines will get 3 raffle entries.

Senior citizens are entitled to double the number of raffle entries.

The raffle promo is sponsored by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and the Department of Health, according to the announcement.

Different kinds of incentives for those who get COVID-19 shots have been offered in other localities in the country, and in many parts of the world amid vaccine hesitancy among some members of the population.

Senior citizens will get six entires to win P1 million and other prizes. The Philippine government is no stranger to bribing the citizenry. That is how they hope to defeat the NPA.

The film industry in the Philippines has been hit hard by the pandemic with significantly less films being produced and reviewed by the MTRCB.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/805201/mtrcb-reports-significant-drop-in-film-reviews-in-2021/story/

The Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB) on Thursday reported a "significant drop" in the number of films it has reviewed so far — only 35 in the first eight months of 2021.

According to MTRCB registration officer Atty. Ann Marie Nemenzo, the average number of films being reviewed by the board per year is about 200 to 300.

“You will see the statistics on the film review [as of August 2021] and you will notice that there is a significant drop in the number of films that we reviewed for this year. Since January, it’s only a total of 35 films,” Nemenzo told the Senate in a budget briefing.

Movie theaters have yet to open in many areas in the Philippines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which also put on hold many movie-making activities not just in the country but globally. 

Aside from reviewed films, Nemenzo also said there is also a significant decrease in film trailers with 39 in total since the start of 2021.

Meanwhile, there are 64,625 television programs and 248 non-video publicity materials that were so far reviewed by the MTRCB.

Nemenzo also reported that they were able to reach 100% of their target number of reviewed materials with 115,320 videos that were reviewed and 

Well. at least they met their target goal which is more than  can be said for the DOH and their vaccination program. But now that election season is gearing up can we expect the government to finally do their jobs?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155696

Booster shots, evaluation of current local government units’ (LGU) policies, and vaccination during election season are part of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19’s recalibrated national vaccination program for the remaining months of 2021 and until next year.

NTF chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday night presented the government's key considerations in recalibrating the inoculation plan during President Rodrigo Duterte’s Talk to People aired late Monday.

Among the immediate goals are a "better Christmas and safe election period" and gradual resumption of face-to-face classes, Galvez said.

The key phases of the recalibrated strategies include securing the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of the different Covid-19 vaccines; assessment on the current vaccine rollout of some cities experiencing inflection point; reevaluation of LGUs’ handling capacities; review of sustainable vaccination program in the fourth quarter of 2021; crafting vaccine security roadmap amid the presence of Covid-19 variants and reformulated booster shots; review of the vaccine portfolios; and vaccination strategies during the May 2022 national and local elections.

"(Our most desired outcome here is to have a safe, equitable, and cost-effective vaccination program for the pediatric population, usage of booster shots, and inoculation of the general population by the fourth quarter this year)," Galvez said.

Galvez said the government will continue to adopt the "focus and expand" vaccination strategy in high-risk or critical areas.

"We are negotiating with four to five manufacturers to sign non-binding term sheets to lock-in the allocations of 90 million doses starting first quarter [of 2022]," Galvez said.

The Department of Finance, he added, is already preparing for multilateral funding worth PHP45 billion, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The Philippines is set to complete the estimated 160 million doses of secured Covid-19 vaccines by the end of the year.

"To reiterate, the delivery of 100 million doses before the end of October 2021, and the delivery of 140 to 160 million doses before the end of the year," he said.

The NTF plans to administer at least 100 million doses before 2022.

"And then we are targeting to give, to vaccinate all the targeted population before the start of the election period in February 2022," he said.

It's a very ambitious plan. They should have started working on it last year.

Picture of the Week: Transporting A Stationary Bike on a Motorcycle

In the Philippines the motorcycle is a multipurpose vehicle. It is used to transport whole families as well as deliver packages and other large objects. It is not uncommon to see a back rider holding tightly on to a gas tank. Honestly, nothing is shocking once you have been in this country long enough. But that is not to say one cannot be shocked. Here is a picture of a backrider carrying a stationery exercise bicycle!

It's a bit blurry since I took the picture with a bad camera and through the plastic window on a jeepney. But it's pretty clear what is going on here. Why not hire a tricycle to transport this exercise bike? What sense does it make to hold this unwieldily thing your lap? Absolute stupidity!

Insurgency: UP-DND Accord

For the past two weeks we have seen universities banning books to fight the CPP-NPA. In one case the PNP and the AFP walked into the library and pulled out whatever it deemed to be subversive literature. It would seem they did this without any prior announcement. That is an important detail because right now the government wants to reinstate the UP-DND accord which would mean that the PNP and AFP cannot show up to campus unannounced. Some see this as a bad idea claiming it will allow CPP-NPA recruitment to thrive.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1154968

Concerned civil society organizations protested outside the Senate building on Tuesday to denounce a bill that will reinstate the University of the Philippines – Department of National Defense (UP – DND) accord.

The groups said Senate Bill No. 2002 will make UP a haven for communist terrorist groups (CTGs) as it grants minimal intrusion into the state university that could pave the way for recruitment of students.

Except during emergency cases or hot pursuit, the bill mentioned that no law enforcement agencies and members of the police and military shall enter UP-Diliman premises and other regional campuses.

If the request for assistance is granted, only uniformed personnel will be allowed in, except when the situation specifies otherwise.

Passing the bill would further strengthen CTGs and destroy the future of the Filipino youth, he added.

“(We all know that the CPP-NPA is a criminal organization and no longer has principles unlike before. It has been declared a terrorist organization by other countries. What we don’t understand why we still allow them to thrive),” Goitia said in an interview.

No UP student, faculty or employee can be put under custodial investigation without permission from university officials under the accord.

Senators Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Risa Hontiveros, Miguel Zubiri, and Sonny Angara co-authored the bill that seeks to amend Republic Act 9500, or the University of the Philippines Charter.

In January this year, the DND terminated the 1989 UP-DND Accord.

Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the agreement signed by former president Fidel Ramos and then UP president, the late Jose Abueva, was abrogated so the DND could perform its mandate to protect students from CTG recruitment.

The DND said clandestine recruitment takes place inside UP campuses nationwide, using the UP-DND accord as a shield.

The gist is that without the PNP and AFP being able to patrol UP campuses the CPP-NPA will continue with its CLANDESTINE recruitment. But if it's clandestine how are they supposed to stop it? Under the accord, which is now abrogated, no student, faculty member, or employee of the UP "can be put under custodial investigation without permission from university officials."  That's a very important provision because it was the abduction and subsequent torture of a student which prompted the signing of the accord back in 1989.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/772322/how-the-dnd-up-agreement-came-in-1989/story/

Reyes said the agreement, signed on June 30, 1989, provided the guidelines on the conduct of police and military operations so that the incident, involving one Donato Continente, would not happen again. 

According to UP Professor Danilo Arao, the agreement was signed 14 days after Continente, then a staff of the Philippine Collegian, was abducted and later on tortured and forced to confess to the murder of American soldier Col. James Rowe.

In explaining the termination of the deal, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the agreement has become "obsolete," claiming that UP through the years has become "the breeding ground of intransigent individuals and groups whose extremist beliefs have inveigled students to join their ranks to fight against the government." 

According to Lorenzana, who is a retired military general, the agreement was signed in 1989 as "a gesture of courtesy accorded to UP upon the University’s request."

DND Secretary Lorenzana sure is a real piece of work. He says that the accord has become obsolete and that it was only signed as "a gesture of courtesy." I suppose it's kind of like saying, "Oops, sorry we kidnapped a student and then tortured him into confessing to a murder." 

It's funny how Lorenzana talks as if the DND knows just which groups with extremist beliefs are inveighling students into joining their ranks but he also says they are doing this clandestinely. It's either one or the other. If they know which groups are linked to the CPP-NPA then they should show their proof and then shut them down. 

One point of contention about the abrogation of the UP-DND accord is that it will stifle academic freedom. Former Executive VP for the UP says that is wrong.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1154959

For former executive vice president of the University of the Philippines (UP) System, Dr. Ted Herbosa, House Bill 10171 institutionalizing the 1989 UP-Department of National Defense (DND) Accord does not protect academic freedom.

Herbosa said UP's academic freedom is already guaranteed by Republic Act 9500 also known as "The University of the Philippines Charter of 2008".

"Actually,  it (academic freedom) is already incorporated in the UP Charter. So may batas na nagpapalawig nitong academic freedom (So there is already a law calling for the strengthening of academic freedom)," Herbosa said during Monday's episode of "Tagged! Debunking Lies by Telling the Truth".

House Bill 10171 does not ensure academic freedom protects the lawless elements present in any of the UP campuses.

"(What is it securing? It is securing the lawless elements present in a campus)," said Herbosa, who is also a special adviser to the National Task Force Against Covid-19.

He added that academic freedom is vested in the institution and not the people in it.

"(Institutions have academic freedom. All universities, all institutions of higher learning in the Philippines have academic freedom. They all have the right or freedom to discuss different thoughts like communism, socialism, capitalism, federalism, they can discuss that in the classroom setting)," he added.

Herbosa said many of the congressmen voted for the House bill as they are not really aware of the real meaning of academic freedom.

As former executive vice president of the UP System, Herbosa said he is aware of other things than communist recruitment going on the campuses.

"(But our problem when the (UP-DND Accord) was still existing, incidents of illegal gamblings, illegal drugs climbed in the residential areas of UP Diliman. There was also illegal cockfighting, it was not halted, there were also instances of pushers entering and selling illegal drugs, these were not stopped)," he added.

These are the bad effects of the UP-DND Accord and Herbosa said he is in agreement with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who called for its abrogation last year, 32 years after it was signed on January 30, 1989.

Academic freedom is "vested in the institution and not the people in it?" Does this guy not know that PEOPLE make up the institution? Therefore academic freedom is invested in the people. RA 9500 did not even become law until 2008. Did the UP not have academic freedom until then? 

If the UP-DND accord allowed cockfighting, illegal drugs, and other crimes to flourish that is on the UP police. They do have their own security and police force. If they cannot enforce the laws of the university that is on them. 

But let's take a look at the actual text of the 1989 UP-DND accord and see what it has to say about academic freedom.

https://issuu.com/philippinecollegian/docs/1989-agreement-of-up-and-dnd-on-mil

HAVING IN MIND the relationship between U.P. and its students, faculty and employees, as well as the academic freedom and institutional autonomy of U.P. in the governance of its affairs, and its responsibility to maintain proper behavior and conduct among the members of the U.P. Community; 

That is the second paragraph on page1! So, while this accord may not GRANT the UP academic freedom the recognition of that freedom undergirds its reasoning. In fact this next provision expands upon this opening salvo.

4. Members of the AFP, or the PC-INP, er the CAFGU shall not interfere with peaceful protest actions by U.P. constituents within U.P. premises. U.P. officials shalL be deemed responsible for the behavior of their students, faculty and employees in such activities. 

This provision is from page 3. It sticks out from the others because most of the document is about regulating the presence of PNP and AFP forces on campus. This provision says explicitly that they are not to interfere with protests and that UP officials are responsible for the students' behavior during any protests. 

I think we all know how much the PNP and AFP "tolerate" protests on campus. They don't like them!

https://www.rappler.com/nation/cebu-police-deny-excessive-force-breaking-up-dnd-accord-protest-dispersal

Central Visayas police denied accusations that it used excessive force when it dispersed anti-terror bill protesters and that it violated an agreement that banned the military and police from entering the University of the Philippines. 

Police in anti-riot gear were seen on video manhandling protesters who were maintaining social distancing and assembling in front of the University of the Philippines gate on Gorordo Avenue here at around 10 am on Friday, June 5. (READ: Cops arrest 8 at anti-terrorism bill protest in Cebu City) 

However, the police, who were in riot gear and carrying long firearms, claimed that it was the unarmed protesters who “assaulted” them. 

“Some of the policemen were shoved,” Brigadier General Albert Ferro, Central Visayas police chief, said in a press conference on Friday. “They were pushed.”

Ferro said this was the reason the cops apprehended the protesters. 

"The first time they were asked, our ground commander talked to them. They were asked to disperse. They didn't want to disperse," Ferro said. He said that the ground commanders had already "warned" the protesters to dispserse. "What should we do with them? Just allow them to rally?" he added.

It seems they should not have been on campus in the first place! Did they think showing up in riot gear would be a peaceful gesture? 

There are two bills making their way through the legislature to restore the UP-DND accord. One is House Bill 10171 which seeks to institutionalize the 1989 accord by amending RA 9500 to include it. The other is Senate Bill 2002 which also seeks to institutionalize the 1198 UP DND accord by amending RA 9500. Both bills are practically the same but the Senate version has a few introductory paragraphs that are worthy of note.

The University of the Philippines (UP) has been one of our country’s bulwarks of free expression and activism. However, this status has long been threatened by the state efforts to minimize the unique role and participation of the University in social change. 

The most recent attack on the University’s autonomy was made on January 18, 2021 when the Department of National Defense (DND) unilaterally terminated the 1989 UP-DND Accords, a document that guaranteed minimal state intrusion in the country’s premier university. The 1989 Accords was an offshoot of the 1982 Soto-Enrile Accord, which was an agreement that barred military forces fronr entering U.P. campuses all over the country. 

The UP-DND accord is not a “Do not enter” sign that bars law enforcement from entering the campus. It is not a wall which obstructs justice or deters the solution or prevention of crime. It is unfortunate that its abrogation is being invoked for the wrong reasons. Implying that it has enabled thinking that is critical to the government is a gross misreading of UP’s role as vanguard of independent thought. 

There is no monopoly of ideology in UP. It remains a big tent that shelters all ideas that can be pursued nonviolently. It is not a rebel recruitment station. On the contrary, it hosts many DDS whose are free to compete in the marketplace of ideas. It remains a citadel of excellence where the skills to serve the people are taught. This academic brilliance can only shine under a climate of freedom. 

Let us nurture our youth’s passion for political and social causes; and prevent any attempt to take away these long-cherished values. It is our hope that this proposed measure will continue to foster these traditions of the country’s premier state university. 

http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/3429231092!.pdf

Even if these bills pass the legislative process Duterte will not be signing them into law.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/lorenzana-says-up-dnd-accord-will-not-return-under-duterte-administration

The University of the Philippines (UP)-Department of National Defense (DND) Accord, which the government unilaterally abrogated earlier in 2021, will not be restored under the Duterte administration, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a Rappler Talk interview on Wednesday, August 4. 

Lorenzana said the decision was made after "much scrutiny and study" of defense officials. 

(After much scrutiny and study, we at the defense department concluded that it doesn’t have to be revived because the functions of the AFP before, when the PC-INP was still under it, was transferred to the PNP or DILG. The defense department no longer covers that.) 

Lorenzana explained that the accord only covers the Philippine Constabulary, and not the entire military and police. However, the accord, which was signed on June 30, 1989 by then-UP president Jose Abueva and then-defense chief Fidel V. Ramos provided the guidelines on both military and police operations inside UP campuses.  

The defense chief said that since the PNP is under the DILG, UP should talk to that department instead. 

“As far as we are concerned, the agreement is moot and academic. And dapat makipag-usap ‘yung UP doon na sa DILG (the UP should talk to the DILG),” Lorenzana said.  

Lorenzana also revealed that the military's intelligence operations will continue inside UP campuses. 

(The active intelligence inside the campus will continue because the country is open for intelligence. There’s no exclusive place where intelligence cannot operate.)

If the reason for abrogating the accord is because the constabulary no longer exists then that raises a host of questions such as why did the DND not consult the UP about that fact?  Why not amend the accord with updated language? It's because the DND does not want it in effect. They want to be able to patrol campus at will. But with military intelligence officers operating clandestinely on campus why does the DND need the open presence of the PNP and AFP? And why does CPP-NPA recruitment still continue? It would appear whoever is doing intel on the UP campus is not doing a good job.