Retards in the Government 296

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

  

 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/02/03/cop-nabbed-for-killing-colleague-in-davao-city/

The anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has arrested a police officer in Davao City for allegedly killing a colleague having an affair with his wife.

In a report on Friday, Feb. 3, Brig. Gen. Warren de Leon, chief of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), said the suspect, Corporal Derick Tanduyan, 31, assigned to the Police Regional Office 11 (Davao), was arrested inside their headquarters in Camp Sgt. Quintin M. Merecido in Buhangin District at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Tanduyan is wanted for murder by the Digos City Regional Trial Court Branch 18 with no bail recommended.

Based on initial investigation, Tanduyan shot dead Patrolman Harris Jhune Adayo on May 31, 2022.

It added that Adayo was known to have had a relationship with the suspect’s wife.

Pending investigation, Tanduyan was placed under the custody of the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Section (RPHAS) 11.

Tanduyan denied killing Adayo. The suspect said he would have escaped from the custody of the RPHAS if he was guilty.

The suspect will be taken to the Magsaysay Municipal Police Station in Davao del Sur for documentation and processing.

A cop has been arrested for killing his colleague who was having an affair with his wife. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/859548/bi-warden-facility-head-personnel-relieved-from-post-after-6-phones-found-in-japanese-detainee/story/

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has relieved from posts the head and other personnel of its warden facility after six cell phones were retrieved from a Japanese detainee suspected of being a mastermind of illegal activities in Japan, the agency’s spokesperson said Friday.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the responsibility lies with the head of the warden facility.

(If it’s this massive then definitely there must be something going on. So we replaced the head and all the people inside the facility with new employees.)

The BI has relieved several jail personnel over illegal cell phones. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1724898/ex-cop-companion-slain-in-naga-city-drug-bust

A former police officer and a drug suspect were killed during a buy-bust operation on Thursday in Naga City, Camarines Sur.

Albert Gumba, a former police officer and his cohort, Rey Delmiguez of Bula town sold at 11:15 p.m. two sachets of “shabu” (crystal meth) in Barangay San Isidro, according to Senior Master Sergeant Tobias Bongon, Naga City police spokesperson, in a report.

Bongon said both suspects drew their .45 firearms and fired at the undercover agent during the operation.

The undercover agent dodged the gunshots prompting his backup to return fire resulting in the death of the suspects, Bongon added.

An investigation said Gumba was assigned to the Lupi town police station but went AWOL (absent without leave) in 2016. He was a high-value drug suspect.

An ex-cop who was a high value target was gunned down during a raid. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/859806/bucor-files-plunder-raps-vs-bantag/story/

The Bureau of Corrections has filed multiple complaints, including plunder and malversation of public funds, against suspended BuCor chief Gerald Bantag.

Complainant BuCor acting chief Gregorio Catapang lodged the multiple complaints before the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice on Monday.

Aside from plunder and malversation of public funds through falsification of official documents, Bantag was also slapped with graft and corruption and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

It was stated in the six-page complaint that while Bantag was with the BuCor as director general, a P1 billion project for the construction of three prison facilities at Davao Prison and Penal Farm (Lot 1), Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa, Palawan (Lot 2) and Leyte Regional Prison (Lot 3) with an estimated cost of P300 million, each were bidded out in a public bidding on September 17, 2020.

"Respondent Bantag in conspiracy with, and with indispensable complicity of, the other herein respondents, has purposely and systematically orchestrated the diversion/misappropriation and/or consenting or permitting other persons, to take public funds, of the Bureau of Corrections," the complaint stated.

It added that Bantag's alleged sinister plan to "divert" or "misappropriate" public funds started when he had created a separate BuCor's Bidding and Award Committee (BAC) for the aforementioned three infrastructure projects.

Other respondents of the complaint include Correction Technical Superintendent Arnold Jacinto Guzman, Correction Inspector Ric Rocacurba, Correction Inspector Solomon Areniego, Correction Technical Officer 1 Jor-el De Jesus, Correction Technical Officer 2 Angelo Castillo, and Correction Technical Officer Alexis Catindig.

Charges of plunder and graft have finally been filed against suspended BuCor Chief Bantag and several other officials. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/487847/graft-falsification-charges-visayas-ombudsman-pursues-criminal-probe-on-caindec-dr-onez

After finding “enough basis to proceed with the criminal investigation,” the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas has ordered Victor Caindec, director of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7), and Dr. Emmarielle Aniga Oñez to answer the falsification and graft charges that were filed against them for the alleged issuance of “fake” student driver’s permits in Bohol province.

In an order dated Jan. 19, 2023, Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Dante Vargas directed Caindec and co-accused, Dr. Oñez, a medical doctor, to file their respective counter-affidavits and other controverting evidence.

The order that was signed by Euphemia Bacalso, Director or Preliminary Investigation, Administrative Adjudication and Prosecution Bureau-A of the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas, is giving Caindec and Oñez 10 days from the receipt of the order to submit their counter affidavits.

The Visayas Ombudsman’s order stemmed from the complaint that Dumaluan filed against Caindec and Oñez last Sept. 14, 2022.

Dumaluan accused Caindec and Oñez of allegedly conniving in the issuance of “falsified” medical certificates that were issued even in the absence of physical examinations of the applicants.

Graft and falsification charges are going to be pursued against a a doctor and the director of LTO-7 for handing out fake student permits.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1726373/qcpd-arrests-mastermind-gunman-behind-shooting-of-ombudsman-employee

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) arrested the suspected gunman and the mastermind behind the shooting of an employee of the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB).

Based on a QCPD police report obtained from the National Capital Region Police Office, the gunman, identified as Marlon Nery, was arrested at his residence along Susano Road in Barangay San Agustin, Novaliches Quezon City at around 9:20 a.m on Monday.

The alleged mastermind, identified as Dexter Cruz, was then arrested the same day at 7:50 p.m.

Cruz, said the QCPD, is also an employee of the OMB.

The mastermind behind the attempted murder of an ombudsman employee is an ombudsman employee.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194334

Mayor Irene Montilla of Isabela, Negros Occidental said on Friday she is awaiting the results of the investigation on the town's acting treasurer who lost millions of local government funds to an alleged robbery.

"We are still waiting for the full investigation of the Philippine National Police and the province. We don't know yet what really happened and what are the findings," she told reporters.

Montilla said she has requested the Department of Finance's Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) the termination of the services of Nenette Escarda, 60, due to loss of trust and confidence.

"They found a replacement and we are waiting for the arrival of the one who will replace her," the mayor said.

The BLGF has direct supervision over the treasury offices of the local government units.

Montilla said that based on the audit, the losses were about PHP2.6 million in cash and PHP3.8 million in checks.

These were allegedly stolen in the residence of Escarda at Las Palmas Subdivision, Barangay Taculing in this city on Jan. 21, based on her statement before the Bacolod City Police Office Station 6.

The mayor said that Escarda is neither allowed nor has been given the authority to bring home any municipal property or deposit the town's money to the bank as she issued an order last November, assigning somebody else to do the task because of Escarda's "constant absences".

Montilla said the lost funds included collections from business taxes, real property taxes and community tax certificates, among others.

A town treasurer is being investigated for losing millions in fund which she took to her home despite not being allowed to do so. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/02/08/sandigan-convicts-ex-cebu-town-treasurer/

Former municipal treasurer Esperato A. Del Socorro of Ronda town in Cebu has been convicted by the Sandiganbayan of graft and malversation of public funds involving P2.06 million in 2009.

Del Socorro was sentenced to jail terms ranging from six to 10 years each for graft and malversation. He was perpetually disqualified to hold public office and ordered to refund P2.06 million to the Bureau of Treasury.

The criminal charges against former Ronda mayor Esteban R. Sia had been dismissed on account of his death.

In 2009, Sia and Del Socorro were accused of “conniving and confederating together, and mutually helping each other with deliberate intent” in their refusal to liquidate or return P2,063,422.72 in public funds.

The prosecution said that Sia received the amount as cash advances which were not allowed under Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 97-002.

Del Socorro feigned ignorance of Sia’s unliquidated cash advances, and told the Sandiganbayan during the trial that keeping tabs on them was not part of his job description.

But the court disagreed. “The malefactors’ overt acts were actionable because it showed gross negligence amounting to bad faith,” it said.

Del Socorro also defended himself by presenting letters from Sia that showed how the latter “threatened” him.

The court ruled: “After having marshaled the facts and circumstances, this Court has reached a moral certainty as to the accused’s guilt. Correlatively, the constitutional presumption of innocence has been overthrown by the strength of the prosecution’s evidence proving the crimes, as well as the conspiracy attendant thereto, beyond reasonable doubt.”

A former town treasurer has been convicted of graft and malversation of funds. 

Coronavirus Lockdown: Litany of Gratitude, COVID-19 Waste Disposal Facility, and More!

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

It seems the Philippines will finally have a new DOH Secretary soon. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/01/31/23/vergeire-willing-to-be-doh-secretary

The officer-in-charge of the Philippine health department declared she is now willing and ready to become health secretary.

Maria Rosario Vergeire said she can step up to the role at a time when COVID-19 remains a threat to global health. 

She has been the acting chief for more than half a year which makes her the obvious choice. 

Marcos has not and likely will not extend the state of calamity but he has still ordered health workers to receive their extra pay. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1724009/bongbong-marcos-orders-health-workers-allowance-continued-despite-lifting-of-state-of-calamity

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ordered that the allowance of health workers be continued despite the lifting of the state of calamity.

Marcos said that the distribution of health workers’ allowance should not be affected by the lifting of the state of calamity in view of the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the country.

(The distribution should be continuous. We studied my concern that the compensation of health workers’ allowance will be stopped once the state of calamity. But we found that this will not be affected.)

Marcos also mentioned the COVID infection situation in the country, saying he discussed with health officials the procurement of vaccines.

The COVAX facility, co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), shipped to the Philippines almost 1.3 million doses of the vaccine, according to the President.

Such number of doses is sufficient for the country for now, Marcos said as he pointed to the declining number of infections in the Philippines based on recent records.

(The number of cases are decreasing and even the hospitalization rate. We are looking out for that.)

(It’s not like in 2021 that we should be urgent in procuring vaccines because the risk is becoming lesser so we should adjust to the scientific assessment of the COVID-19 situation.)

The Department of Health (DOH) has reported that new COVID-19 cases continue to decline in the country.

Marcos also indicated that the nation would not be so urgent in procuring more vaccines. Without the state of emergency it would not be so easy to procure them now. There is still an ongoing investigation into how much was actually made for vaccines during the past two years during the emergency when no oversight was required. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1723698/hontiveros-to-doh-waive-ndas-reveal-cost-of-covid-19-vaccines

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday called on the Department of Health (DOH) to end the “unnecessary secrecy” surrounding the pricing of government-purchased COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday.

Hontiveros encouraged the DOH to waive its non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with vaccine producers and suppliers, simply calling them “useless and have outlived their purpose since the issue of ‘price competition’ is now over.”

“It is now simply a violation of the public’s right to know how our money was spent. NDAs should no longer stand in the way of accountability and transparency,” she said in a statement.

She said the waste of at least 44 million vaccines should be reason enough to reveal their true cost.

(The cost of the vaccines should not be treated as a state secret because public funds were used to purchase it. These NDAs paralyze the COA from fulfilling its mandate of judging whether the billions of money we spent during the height of the pandemic were worth it.)

She renewed her call to release all the information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine procurement of the government, firmly urging the private sector not to hide behind the NDA provisions of government contracts and undermine the constitution.

(There is no reason for this to be done behind closed doors. We deserve to know how every centavo was spent, especially during a recession. Whoever needs to be held accountable must be held accountable. Don’t hide behind the NDA.)

While the DOH has turned over initial documents to COA for its audit, Hontiveros pointed out that they only submitted loan agreements with the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and those with limited permissions from some vaccine manufacturers such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

“What about the agreements with other vaccine manufacturers like Sinovac? The former administration bought bulks of vaccines from Sinovac for its national vaccination program. How can the COA conduct a complete audit if companies keep hiding behind the NDA clause of the contracts?” she pressed.

She warned about this setting an “alarming” precedent for companies evading transparency as it transacts with the government.

“If another pandemic comes, this may happen again and may possibly be abused,” Hontiveros added.

Hontiveros is right and likely the sheer cost and waste brought on by the pandemic will never be fully known.

Three years after the pandemic began one city is finally getting a COVID-19 waste disposal facility. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194090

This city has received a coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) waste storage and disposal facility from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), an official said Wednesday.

Mayor Jose Paolo Evangelista said the facility, worth PHP6.5 million, was turned over Tuesday afternoon to the local government by DENR-Soccsksargen (Region 12) officials led by Engr. Kristeen Kreem Villanueva, DENR-12 chief of the Chemical Hazardous Waste Materials Section – Environmental Management Bureau.

“It is a preliminary disinfection and storage facility for collected Covid-19 related wastes for this city,” Evangelists said in a statement.

The facility is a 20-footer container van that can haul 4.5 metric tons of Covid-19 waste materials.

It also has 63 yellow bins with rollers; 3,150 pieces of yellow trash bags to seal infectious wastes mounted with wood platforms and steel framing for support.

Villanueva said the storage facility is designed to properly handle and control the disposal of infectious wastes and materials that could transmit illnesses.

Evangelista assured to properly utilize the facility to achieve its objective for public safety, including all frontliners from hospitals and medical facilities here.

With the pandemic over this would seem to be a waste but any investment in proper medical waste disposal is a good thing.

The Roman Catholic Church has issued a litany of gratitude for recovery from the pandemic which is to be recited until February 22. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194254

Catholic priests have been asked to recite a prayer for more than 10 days as the country slowly recovers from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

In a statement Thursday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued the “Litany of Gratitude after the Covid Pandemic,” to be prayed from Feb. 11 to Feb. 22 (Ash Wednesday).

The prayer will replace the Oratio Imperata Against Covid-19, an obligatory prayer issued by the CBCP during the height of the pandemic.

CBCP secretary general Msgr. Bernardo Pantin said the prayer was approved during the 125th Plenary Assembly on Jan. 30.

It will be prayed in all weekday and Sunday Masses.

The full litany can be read at this link. Of course there is a thanks be to God said but the fact of the matter is there never was a real pandemic with millions dying from a highly contagious virus. The whole thing was fake and the response by governments around the world was unscientific, unsound, and destroyed lives more than helping them. 

More events suspended by the pandemic are coming back.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194341

The faithful are expected to attend the first physical “Walk for Life” in Manila after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Raymond Daniel Cruz, Jr., president of the event's organizer Council of the Laity of the Philippines (CLP), said the activity is set on Feb. 18 from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

The walk will start at the Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City going to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) grandstand here, where a program and Mass will be held.

“Our spirit of upholding life has never wavered even during the pandemic,” he said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website on Friday.

“We have even become more deeply aware of the sacredness of life and continuously pray and work immensely to preserve and keep it safe,” Cruz added.

At the same time, CLP or Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas is inviting the laypeople and church organizations to join the event and “celebrate life.”

“In our modern society, the varying issues in life are urgent and we need to constantly express to everyone our uncompromising stand on the importance and sacredness of life,” he said.

The event was first held in 2017 and was staged virtually in 2021 and 2022 due to pandemic restrictions.

How do you stage a walk virtually?

Baguio has shut down all its isolation facilities because they have been empty for weeks.

 https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194332

The local government has decided to stopped the operation of all city-managed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) isolation facilities as these have remained empty for the past few weeks now.

Aileen Refuerzo, chief city information officer, on Friday said the Baguio City Community Isolation Unit (BCCIU) at the Sto. Nino Hospital ended its operation starting Feb. 1.

She said the cessation of operations of the BCCIU was decided after the facility did not receive new admissions for Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks.

The BCCIU is an isolation facility that houses more than 300 beds and used to be the old hospital that was closed down by the owners in early 2000.

As early as the last quarter of 2022, the city government also started winding down operations at small facilities catering to Covid-19 patients. It also went on to close the triage facility at the Baguio Convention Center compound.

Refuerzo said the closure was based on the recommendation of the City’s Health Services Office (CHSO) which provides the manpower and manages the Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs).

With the closure of the city government-managed facilities, he said barangays have been ordered to assure that they have a ready facility for their residents who will be needing TTMF services or cannot isolate at home.

The city government has also started to distribute to the barangays and the different government agencies the beds and beddings used at its isolation units.

City health officer Rowena Galpo, in an earlier statement, said their office is willing to provide the technical assistance needed in setting up barangay isolation units.

If the city does not need isolation units why would the barangays?  

The DOH has been urged to procure bivalent vaccines but finance secretary Diokno says there are too many unused vaccines to make such a purchase. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/02/04/2242453/with-70-million-unused-vaccines-no-rush-get-bivalents

The head of the economic team of the Marcos administration maintained that there is no urgency in procuring bivalent COVID vaccines as the country still has available some 70 million doses.

During the forum hosted by the Makati Business Club yesterday, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno emphasized that the country has enough vaccines at the moment, noting that fewer and fewer Filipinos are actually taking the jabs.

The jabs available, however, are the first-generation vaccines. The bivalents are specifically designed against the Omicron and its subvariants.

“We confronted that issue and the fact right now is that there are 70 million unused vaccines, 70 million. We vaccinate on average just 10,000 daily. Only 10,000 are willing to be vaccinated,” Diokno said, in reaction to the query of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines on the ability to import bivalent COVID vaccines. However, this possibility limited following the inclination of President Marcos to no longer extend the state of public health emergency in the country due to COVID.

“There’s no urgency [to procure] to my mind,” Diokno said, arguing that the COVAX Facility will provide some 1.2 million doses of bivalent vaccines that will come in next month.

At the current rate of daily vaccination, it would take over three months to consume the doses to be delivered by COVAX.

“As COVAX said, as soon as you finish up the 1.2 million [doses], we will give you more,” Diokno said. “Apparently, the rest of the world does not want to be vaccinated [anymore]. That’s the situation right now. There’s a resistance.”

He maintained that the government already incurred $2 billion in loans for the vaccines. Of that amount, some $800 million remains untapped.

If only 10,000 people are getting vaccinated per day it seems unlikely they will use all that excess tock before it expires. 

What better way to help pandemic hit businesses than a Valentine's Day fair? 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194562

Over 30 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would showcase their respective products at the annual “MayniLove” fair which formally opened to the public on Monday evening.

Speaking at the fair's opening, Mayor Honey Lacuna encouraged her constituents as well as the people from neighboring cities to visit and support the small businesses to be able to rise again from the effects of the pandemic.

“I invite all Manileños to support this project, we will be able to help our small entrepreneurs or those who are starting to recover from the effects of the pandemic,” she said.

Lacuna said the people can bring their families and friends to the fair in celebration of Valentine's Day at the Mehan Garden from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The fair which runs until Feb. 17 was organized by the city through the Bureau of Permits and the city's economic development and investment promotions office. Admission to the venue is free.

Of course this fair won't help any of the business destroyed by the devastating economic structures imposed by the Duterte administration. 

The God Culture: Valid, Credible Archaeology That the Philippines is Ophir, The Garden of Eden, etc.?

Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture has issued a direct response to a video I made about him titled The God Culture Admits There is No Archeological Evidence for Their Claims About the Philippines. That video was based on two interviews Tim did with Zen Garcia and Jon Pounders. Tim was asked by both of them for archeological evidence for his claims and he was unable to offer any. In this rebuttal video Tim tells us exactly what kind of archaeology we are to look for in order to locate Ophir, the land of gold.

Philippines Valid, Credible Archeology: Isle of Gold and Garden of Eden. Solomon's Gold Series 16H

Tim begins this video by stating I falsely claimed he said there was no archaeology to prove his claims about the Philippines being Ophir. 

0:55 Isn't there archeology that proves the Philippines is ophir? Well, we certainly have seen some somewhere, gee, I don't know, uh, well, we've seen it in Solomon's Gold Series. Oh how about that. Yet again we were falsely accused of saying something in an interview that while we didn't say.

Now it is perfectly true that in neither of the interviews he gave did Tim say the exact words, "There is no archeology to prove my claims." But neither did he offer archaeological proof for his claims when asked by the hosts to provide it. Tim is also on record in his book The Search for King Solomon's Treasure, and in this new video as we shall see, claiming there is no archaeology in the Philippines to prove it is Ophir. 

The Search for King Solomon's Treasure pgs. 128-129

Many seek this architecture in demand to prove this narrative and they are stuck in a false paradigm. There is none to be expected nor has any other nation on earth produced such nor will they.

Ancient Ophir is never described as having temples at all whether alone ones of gold, it is never recored to have great infrastructure in any sense just a mega-abundance of resources. The humble lifestyle of the Filipino even fits the oath of a Rechabite as Farrisol said.

What is meant by archaeology? A number of things including but not limited to artifacts such as inscriptions, pottery, and ruins. 

Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology

However, it appears that Tim is hyper-focused on the ruins of cities both in his book and in this video.

2:50 Well, this is the real question that numerous academics and scholars just dismiss, uh, this because well they require, and this is typical in such disciplines, they require us to find a city with a street sign that says Ophir of course and if you don't you can't prove it so fear right? I mean talk about ignorance.

What's ignorant is everything about what Tim says. Who exactly is looking for a city with a street sign that says "Ophir?" Sure, that's hyperbole on Tim's part, hopefully, but there is more to archaeology than the ruins of ancient cities. Tim is purposely limiting himself here knowing full well there are no ruins of ancient cites in the Philippines on the level of Angkor Wat, Chichen Itza, Persepolis, or Nineveh. 

According to Tim this kind of evidence, the ruins of ancient cities, is not to be found in the Philippines or anywhere else Ophir might be because the Bible, when describing Ophir, never mentions cities or architecture. 

7:12 How many times does any biblical or historical reference ever define Ophir as having great architecture or any architecture for that matter at all? Is architecture even a note or a side note in any of these narratives? Yes, that is what they mean when they say archeology typically by the way. They want ancient civilizations. They ignore the archeology of gold but just want civilizations of who? Of Cain. The answer is zilch, nada. Here they are on screen all of the references that say there's great architecture in Ophir and the Garden of Eden 

This is a strawman argument. There is actually NO description of the land of Ophir or its inhabitants whatsoever! Does that mean there are no people in Ophir? Following Tim's logic that would be the case. The Bible does not even call Ophir, or any land for that matter, the land of gold.  All we get is a list of resources brought back from Ophir and these same resources can be found in India as even Tim admits.

The only other coherent claim as far as resources are concerned is India yet it’s own history says it had a source of ancient gold and silver, isles to the East thus none of these make any sense except the Philippines. 

 Every resource of Solomon tests as native to the Philippines and all other claims fail in this chapter except India whose claim already failed the test of it’s own history. 

Solomon's Treasure, pgs. 110 and 115

Is Tim unaware that India is said to be loaded with gold? Herodotus in book 3 sections 102-105 relates how the Indians would gather the gold in their country. India's source of gold was itself. Even Josephus says Ophir is part of India.

4. Moreover the King built many ships in the Egyptian bay of the Red Sea; in a certain place called Ezion-geber. It is now called Berenice; and is not far from the city Eloth. This countrey belonged formerly to the Jews; and became useful for shipping, from the donations of Hiram King of Tyre. For he sent a sufficient number of men thither for pilots, and such as were skilfull in navigation: to whom Solomon gave this command, that they should go along with his own stewards to the land that was of old called Ophir, but now the Aurea Chersonesus: which belongs to India: to fetch him gold. And when they had gathered four hundred talents together, they returned to the King again.

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/ant-8.html

According to Timothy Jay Schwab the only true measure, for finding Ophir, the land of gold, is...gold!

6:21 I mean think about it if you had never heard of this and someone asked you how do you find the land of gold would not your first answer be gold itself first in history in archeology etc.? Well of course it would.

27:30 The question for the land of gold is who has the most gold in the ground now.

38:09 But we don't need this. We don't need it to show on mining gold reports for production. The report that matters is untapped gold in the ground now.

41:32 I mean you don't get more valid than Antonio Pigafetta, uh, and he's really he's the only eyewitness uh to what the Philippines was when the Spanish came. Uh, he came with Magellan and he was his historian and he wrote this stuff so, uh, this is fact folks. In the island belonging to the king who came to the ship, this is the king of Butuan, there are mines of gold which they find in pieces as big as a walnut or an egg, a chicken's egg, a nugget of gold that's pretty big by seeking in the ground. That's not talking about massive equipment to mine gold deep which the Philippines didn't have and shouldn't have yet it was the land of gold. How is that? Because the gold was far easier to get to it was sitting on the ground it was close to the surface and it was in the shallows of the streams and rivers. Seeking in the ground does not require massive mining equipment so to look for it is rather ridiculous is it not? These are alluvial deposits that is the key here and this is huge valid credible archeology. What?  

Yes this is archeology of gold by the king of Butuan who handed it to Magellan. There you go. As a gift. That's what this is. So yes there is valid archeology of the right kind of archeology in the Philippines indeed.

There you have it. What should we be looking for when it comes to finding Ophir? According to Timothy Jay Schwab the ONLY valid archaeology of the right kind to find the land of Ophir is to look for the amount of gold currently sitting under the ground. Is he so bereft of sense as to not realize he is talking about GEOLOGY and not archaeology? How exactly does the amount of gold currently sitting UNDER THE GROUND indicate that said land is Ophir? Tim never says.

The Bible records TONS of gold being brought to Jerusalem from Ophir. That indicates there would not be much left in the ground. The fact that there is so much gold currently untapped in the Philippines ought to give Tim pause. So should the fact that Pigafetta records natives told him that they did not have the iron to dig out the gold!

They showed me certain valleys, making signs that there was more gold there than hairs on the head, but that as they had not iron to dig it out, it required great labour to acquire it, and which they did not choose to undergo

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_First_Voyage_Round_the_World/Pigafetta%27s_Account_of_Magellan%27s_Voyage

If they did not have the iron to dig out the gold in 1521 why should we think they had that technology during the time of Solomon? Tim's solution is that they did not and all the gold brought back from the Philippines to Israel was found by panning streams and picking it up off the ground! Alluvial deposits are what Tim claims is key and is the only valid archaeology. 

These are alluvial deposits that is the key here and this is huge valid credible archeology. 

Are we really to believe that BILLIONS of dollars, TONS of gold, was panned from rivers or picked up from the ground and not MINED from within the earth? It is not believable in the slightest. Where are the ancient gold mines in the Philippines? Tim cannot produce them. Nor can he point to any history of gold mining in the Philippines which would produce the vast quantities brought back from Ophir because, as he so conveniently notes, alluvial mining does not leave an archeological trace!

21:12 Should we really have to explain this to academia and scholars? I mean evidently we do but we shouldn't have to. Think. A technique requiring little capital investment in equipment and no specialist technology but unfortunately leaving, what's that word, NO not even a little, none, discernible archaeological signature so why are you looking for something that can't even be there? Wow. We all know what none means right?

There you have it! According to TIM there is NO ARCHEOLOGICAL evidence that ancient Filipinos were mining gold, let alone shipping it to Israel, and thus NO ARCHEOLOGICAL evidence for his claims that the Philippines is Ophir. His only archeological proof offers no archeological proof! Outstanding. 

It's not as if there isn't an abundance of archeological evidence which tells us about the ancient Philippines. Tim simply chooses to ignore it all and points only to gold because no archeological find will back up his claims. Are we really to believe that there was an ancient Hebrew civilization in the Philippines and no remains were left behind? Are we really to believe that the Biblical kingdom of Sheba was in the Philippines and there is not a trace of it to be found? Are we really supposed to believe that the Philippines engaged in trade with Greece and Israel for a thousand years by sailing around Africa and not a single witness to that trade route remains? According to Tim we are and that is utter folly. More than that it is madness and stupidity.  What physical evidence exists that proves there was any great kingdom in the Philippines which united all these islands be it Ophir or Tarshish? There is none. Tim can produce NONE except to say "look at the gold." 

That is not archaeology that is GEOLOGY!!  The difference is vast. Geology is all about rocks and minerals. Archaeology is all about the remains of civilizations. It is archaeology and not geology that is wanting in Tim's scheme. Therefore Timothy Jay Schwab is admitting that there is no archeological evidence the Philippines is Ophir when he points to gold under the ground as valid and credible archaeology to back up his claims.

Insurgency: NTF-ELCAC Calls NPA Surrenderees "Friends Rescued"

Increasingly the fight against the insurgency is focused on the Central Visayas. The new commander of the  Army's 303rd Infantry Brigade has vowed to sustain the gains made on Negros Island.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194056

The new commander of the Philippine Army's 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) has vowed to sustain the gains in the anti-insurgency campaign in Negros Island as he called on those still in the armed struggle to surrender.

“My first standing order is to sustain the gains in our operations, which should be intelligence-driven along with civil-military operations and focused military operations,” Col. Orlando Edralin told reporters after assuming his post in rites held at Camp Gerona in Murcia town, Negros Occidental province on Tuesday.

He said these are very important to ensure that the troops will not violate human rights and will follow the rule of the law.

“We don’t want war. We really want to invite the remaining communist-terrorist group members in our area to surrender,” he added.

The NTF-ELCAC also wants more rebels to surrender. They call it "rescuing."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1193866

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is determined to rescue more communist insurgents and give them the opportunity to rejoin their families and live peaceful and useful lives again.

This is the task force's goal for this year which was raised during the meeting of its 12 national clusters on Jan. 27.

"(National Security Adviser) Secretary (Eduardo) Año issued his ways forward guidance and direction in strengthening the National Task Force’s whole-of-nation mechanisms and convergence efforts to ensure the realization of the aspiration and directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to finally achieve lasting and inclusive peace and development for all," the NTF-ELCAC said in a statement issued Sunday night.

Plans and programs presented during the meeting highlighted the NTF-ELCAC's "resolve to rescue more rebels and provide them with holistic support so they may rejoin their loved ones in the communities and contribute to the betterment of society."

These are also geared to "further strengthen the resilience of the Filipino people from the communist terrorist group’s malevolent influence and continuing attempts to cause terror and chaos in our land."

Año also expressed his confidence in the NTF-ELCAC's roadmap.

The national clusters also pledged their unwavering commitment towards the full reconciliation and reintegration of each "friend rescued" (FR) and bringing development to all four corners of the country, especially the far-flung barangays.

FR refers to surrendered members of the New People's Army and other allies of the communist movement.

If each NPA member who have surrendered is a "friend rescued" does that mean those who are actively fighting against the AFP are "friends in need of rescuing?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194145

Classes are suspended in all elementary and secondary schools in 11 remote barangays of this town until Feb. 3 due to ongoing hot pursuit operations of government forces against New People's Army (NPA) rebels.

Memorandum Circular No. 2023-03A issued by Mayor Romulo Edaño on Wednesday canceled classes in all elementary and secondary schools in the villages of Butanguiad, Casay, Don Juan Vercelos, Huyon-huyon, Inabuan, Mabunga, Nasalaan, Pagsangahan, Pugon, Silongin and Sto. Niño from Feb. 1-3.

Edaño, in his memorandum, said "this is to ensure the safety of residents after the rebel group had an encounter with the combined military and police forces, who conducted a hot pursuit operation in the said areas last Sunday."

Last Jan. 27, an encounter ensued between military and rebel groups in the adjacent town of San Andres where a soldier was hurt and three NPA rebels were killed.

In a report, the Police Regional Office 4A identified the fatalities as members of the Platon Reymark, Sub-Regional Military Area 4B of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front.

The insurgents fled to different directions and the 11 barangays in San Francisco covered by the memorandum are included in the military’s areas of pursuit operations.

To mitigate the fear gripping the residents, the local government ordered the class suspension.

"This is what we decided to do to maintain the safety of the students and the citizens of the barangays based on the report and recommendation that the Philippine Army gave us regarding the ongoing encounter between the military and the rebels," Edaño said in a phone interview.

The Visayas Command Chief has condemned the killings of innocent civilians by NPA or friends in need of rescuing. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194093

An Army official on Wednesday urged members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army not to terrorize innocent civilians as he condemned the series of killings allegedly perpetrated by rebels in Negros Island over the past week.

“The CPP-NPA has once again displayed their murderous nature to terrorize and instill fear (in) the peace-loving communities in the region. These cold-blooded murders are manifestations of their complete disregard (for) the lives of our people just to advance their terroristic goal,” Lt. General Benedict Arevalo, chief of the Visayas Command (Viscom), said.

Arevalo said CPP-NPA, through its rebel units, has claimed responsibility for five deaths last month.

Leonardo Panaligan Command-New People’s Army (LPC-NPA) Central Negros Guerrilla Front had reportedly admitted behind the killing of councilman Cerilo Balasabas, 48, of Barangay Guba in the town of Vallehermoso in Negros Oriental on Jan. 14 for allegedly spying for the government.

A certain “JB Regalado” who claimed to be LPC-NPA spokesperson, said they murdered Balasabas when he acted as an intelligence asset of the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB).

Accordingly, Balasabas was instrumental in the residents’ decision to withdraw their support to the communist movement but the rebels accused him of threatening and red-tagging people to force them to surrender to the government.

A 29-year-old civilian, Raffy Estorco, of Barangay Macagahay in Moises Padilla town in Negros Occidental, was shot dead by unidentified men on Jan. 19 while driving a motorcycle for his alleged work with the military.

The NPA’s Armando Sumayang Command also admitted responsibility for the death of a civilian identified as Silas Granada who was killed on Jan. 28 in Sitio Tugas, Barangay Pinggot, Ilog, Negros Occidental.

The other victims were Ramel Europa, who was gunned down at Sitio Sambag, Barangay Manghanoy, La Castellana in Negros Occidental on Jan. 23; Regie “Gang Gang” dela Cruz was killed on Jan. 25 at Sitio Maiti, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental.

Arevalo assured the families of the victims that “the perpetrators of these horrible acts will be held accountable”.

“We will further intensify our efforts to achieve justice for our people and put an end to the CPP-NPA’s menace in the region,” he said.

At least two of those men seem to be military assets and not "innocent civilians." The fact that the NPA is out killing people opposed to them sounds like they have not lost their edge. The same Visayas Command Chief has ordered troops to intensify their anti-insurgency efforts. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194200

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Visayas Command (Viscom) chief has ordered government forces to step up their operations this year against the communist insurgency in Negros amid positive gains.

“We are actually gaining much ground (and) we have weakened the guerrilla fronts here,” Lt. Col. Benedict Arevalo, Viscom commander, said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday afternoon.

Arevalo noted a decline in violent incidents initiated by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) “and our campaign is practically on the upbeat”.

Army commanders in Negros have previously said the NPA’s South East Front has already been dismantled while another guerrilla front in Central Negros has dwindled in numbers.

The Viscom chief, who concurrently heads the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Jamindan, Capiz, said he had directed the different units to step up their operations to further weaken and neutralize the NPA forces and prevent them from “re-infiltrating the different barangays”.

Central Negros still has the biggest challenge in the counter-insurgency campaign, Arevalo said, adding that he has already directed his troops not to be complacent in going after the remnants of the guerrilla fronts.

Meanwhile, the directive to intensify the anti-insurgency operations is not just in Negros but in the entire Visayas region, focusing on Samar Island, he said.

He reiterated his call to the remaining NPA members to voluntarily surrender and live a peaceful lives with their families as their armed struggle is no match to the government’s sustained operations.

On Samar island the AFP overran an NPA lair essentials catching them with their pants down. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194247

The Philippine Army has recovered high-powered firearms and explosives after a clash with suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in an upland village in Calbayog City, Samar on Wednesday.

Acting spokesperson of the Philippine Army's 43rd Infantry Battalion (IB), Lt. Roxane Valenciano, said troopers attacked a band of 20 rebels at the boundary of Cangomaod and Cagmanipis villages, Tinambacan District in Calbayog City, Samar at past 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

"The rebels were caught unprepared, and they scampered in different directions during the encounter. We are sure some of them were injured since there are many blood stains in the clash site," she said in a phone interview Thursday.

Recovered from the NPA lair were an M16A rifle, an M653 rifle, two improvised hand grenades, two anti-personnel mines, detonator switches, five backpacks, a bandolier with three magazines of M14 rifle, and personal belongings.

"Our troops found the location of the NPA hideout through the information of alias Webb, a finance officer and member of the executive committee of the NPA Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) who surrendered to 43rd IB on January 26," Valenciano added.

The rebels belong to the merged group of NPA front committee 2, sub-regional guerrilla unit, sub-regional committee emporium, and EVPRC, headed by Alex Capales alias Mantiw.

The NPA combatants, according to alias Webb, have been hiding near coconut plantations since they extort food from coconut farmers.

Commander of the Army's 43rd IB, Lt. Col. Manuel Degay Jr., has called on the remaining NPA members to surrender with the intensified focused military operations in Samar Island.

The rebels belong to the four remaining NPA guerrilla fronts in Eastern Visayas with a concentration in the mountains within the boundaries of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Samar provinces, according to the military.

Last year the AFP practically declared Mindanao free from all NPA influence with only scattered remnant. This year the fight has moved north. Will the AFP be able to flush out the remaining fronts in the Eastern and Central Visayas? Perhaps if they take them seriously enough to realize they remain an active force to be dealt with. 

Action Movie "Plane" Insults the Philippine Government and Military

The movie Plane starring Gerald Butler is very much in the mold of Die Hard with one good guy versus a whole bunch of bad guys. There are some differences of course. 

The premise is rather simple: after being struck by lightning a plane crash lands and the crew and passengers must survive. The twist is that the plane lands on the island of Jolo which, according to the movie, is run by separatists and outlaws.  Now, we know that means Abu Sayyaf but the group is never named. We do learn that this group kidnapped missionaries for ransom and then killed them when the ransom was not paid. 

That is the modus operandi of Abu Sayyaf except they behead hostages rather than shoot them. 

When the corporate bigwigs at Trailblazer, the airline who owns the plane, find out that the plane was able to crash land safely the CEO says they should contact the Philippine government and they will send in local authorities with search and rescue. But the man he has brought into handle the situation says it's not so simple because there is no authority on Jolo Island and the military won't even go there because they've "got their asses kicked so many times." Instead he sends in his own paramilitary squad.

It's amazing this movie has not been called out as a complete insult to the Philippines and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and banned by the government as happened with Uncharted for showing a one second clip of China's 9-dash line on a map. One reviewer did have this to say:

Aside from showing a turbulent peace and order situation in the southern Philippines to the international audience, the film practically accused the Philippine government of not only poor emergency responsiveness, but outright cowardice for allegedly refusing to engage with the rebels at all because they kept losing. To further prove the mistrust, the airline actually had to hire American mercenaries to conduct the rescue operation! 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/15/23/review-gerard-butler-battles-jolo-rebels-in-plane

Is this reviewer completely unaware that the Philippine government actually does have "poor emergency responsiveness." Stereotypes exist for a reason. 

Imagine if the Department of Tourism created this movie. After the plane crash landed it would be immediately surrounded by smiling and happy Filipinos waiting to help out. The authorities would show up not with guns blazing but with hugs and smiles and everything would turn out just fine. Of course that would be fiction but so is the movie which has NO ONE noticing this plane crash except one opportunistic guy and Jolo rebels speaking Tagolog instead of Tasuig!