The God Culture: Unlocking Hidden Truths With Zen Garcia

Timothy Jay Schwab who is the God Culture, as of this writing no concrete evidence for a God Culture team has surfaced, has given another interview with Zen Garcia. Let's see what Tim has to say to defend his false teachings. 

Unlocking Hidden Truths with The God Culture - Zen Garcia & Tim Schwab

The title alone is enough to indicate that everything about to follow is going to be pure bunk. There are no "hidden truths" when it comes to the Scriptures or the truth of Christianity. Jesus Christ has come and all things have been revealed. The mystery of the ages finds it revelation in Him. To say otherwise is to make Christ a liar who promised He would build His Church and the gates of hell would not overcome it and that He would send the Holy Spirit who would guide the Church into all truth. The title of this video is a rejection of the promises of Jesus Christ and of the guidance by the Holy Spirt of his Body the Church. 

We see this rejection in the main subject of this interview which is Tim's Levite Bible project. From the description:

Embark on a groundbreaking journey with author Zen Garcia and cohost Tim from The God Culture as we unveil the Levite Bible Series, a revolutionary exploration that challenges established paradigms and sheds light on the biblical treasures hidden in the sands of Qumran.

The gist of it is that modern Bibles are corrupt and Tim is going to restore the Bible based on the Dead Sea Scrolls. However Tim does not talk about that project specifically until the end of the video.

1:51:17 We have ten books published now in the last three years uh and we're just just getting started. We have got a lot more to test. We're testing all of the Dead Sea Scrolls, uh, we're not just taking them at face value just because, uh, the temple priests lived in Qumran and that's where Bible Cannon was kept because something could be thrown in so we need to test everyone but we are so the legitimacy of this when we do publish a Levite Bible because this what this is uh with all of these texts in one it it will be credible um and then we're going to move to eventually we'd love to tackle publishing a full Bible with all of these texts in proper chronological order uh with Hebrew yeah with Hebrew keywords in the margins and all of that it just it it so begs it we need it in this day and age because so many things in our King James uh and other versions the other versions are even worse uh they're just not accurate.

Note that Tim makes a distinction between "a Levite Bible" and "a full Bible." That likely means the Levite Bible will be only the Old Testament. This project is called the Levite Bible because the Levites, specifically those tasked with carrying the Ark of the Covenant, were the custodians of Bible Canon. 

49:55 So, how do you determine Bible Cannon? Who kept it? Who were the custodians of Bible Canon? Well, Moses determined that, uh, and he said that, you know, after he was done writing Torah he gave it to who? To the Levites, to the priests and which priests specifically?The priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant and that, you know, is where they placed it. Uh, they were the custodians of scriptures says the Bible.

Tim bases this claim on Deuteronomy 31.

Apocrypha Test: Part 2: Who Decided Bible Canon? History of the Bible.

It is a wildly ridiculous claim seeing as the point of the Book of the Law being placed inside the Ark of the Covenant was purely symbolic being placed alongside Aaron's rod and a piece of manna. It's not as if that were the only copy and the Levites would not be opening the Ark to take out the law and read. In fact God told the entire nation to write these statutes on their foreheads and right arms. 

Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Paul says quite plainly that the oracles of God were entrusted to the Jews meaning the entire nation of Israel and not just a subgroup of the Levites. 

Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God

This claim that only a subgroup of the Levites are the custodians of scripture is an integral part of Tim's system. This means the history of the Septuagint is really Pharisee propaganda since there were no members of this group on the translation team and none of the other tribes were responsible for translating Scripture. 

53:22 Now, the Septuagint though has this fake story that is made up uh actually way back in the first century uh it's from a letter, letter to, uh, Atrayus or something like that, uh, and basically it makes the claim that six of each of the 12 tribes of Israel were sent to Alexandria, to the occult Library of Alexandria, to work for them, to be employed by them, to translate the Hebrew Bible into Greek. Old Testament. Now, there's one big major massive problem with that. The tribe of Judah, the tribe of Ephraim, the tribes of Israel are not translators. They are not responsible for scripture. There's only one tribe that is the Levites. That's it. So, if the story were true and had any basis in reality, and it doesn't we've vetted it completely in a full video which you see on screen. Um can you see my screen Zen? 

Yes, uhuh.

Oh good so that'll share that's good. 

Oh, um Justin has been live streaming it but um yeah we he, he is live streaming it as well. 

Okay cool that's cool yeah that's just for the live stream folks but uh so if anybody isn't watching this you know on the live stream uh you could check it out there uh we we have the support. I'm about to show you some maps and so you'll see them uh on screen. So we, we exposed this as a fake Pharisee history uh this story is contrived it's made up it doesn't mean that the Septuagint is false no it's it's actually a pretty good Greek translation the Septuagint is fine.

Newsflash to Tim but nobody takes the legend of the Septuagint literally. It is indeed a fantastical story and likely not true at all except in the kernel which is that Israelites translated the Torah into Greek for Ptolemy. He is giving us nothing new here except for his reasoning which is that those who translated it were not responsible for Scripture. How is the Septuagint a fine translation if, according to Tim, those who "are not translators they are not responsible for scripture" are the ones who translated it? Tim does not say. He rejects the history of the Septuagint but embraces the translation because he can use it for his nefarious purposes. 

Tim also claims that way out in the desert temple sacrifices were ongoing by the Qumran Community. 

1:07:45 So, they call it the Dead Sea Scrolls. The reality is it's the Bethabara Scrolls. They are found in Bethabara and this was a community where the temple priests lived and continued the temple rituals, the temple sacrifices, all of that continued in this community. Just read their writings and it's very clear they were all about the law they were all about Covenant. They were all about keeping the Commandments and teaching it.

Again Tim, the self-proclaimed expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls who claims he has done more research than anyone else especially scholars, is wrong. There were NO sacrifices taking place in Qumran. The community itself was the sacrifice. Sacrifices were spiritualized. In his introduction to the Complete Dead Sea Scrolls Geza Vermes writes the following:

The second issue has to do with the sect’s attitude towards the Temple and Temple sacrifice. While some Essenes, notwithstanding their vow of total fidelity to the Law of Moses, rejected the validity of the Sanctuary and refused to participate (temporarily) in its rites (cf. Philo, Omnis probus 75; Josephus, Antiquities XVIII, 19), they evaded the theological dilemma in which this stand might have placed them by contending that until the rededication of the Temple, the only true worship of God was to be offered in their establishment. The Council of the Community was to be the ‘Most Holy Dwelling for Aaron’ where, ‘without the flesh of holocausts and the fat of sacrifice‘, a ‘sweet fragrance’ was to be sent up to God, and where prayer was to serve ‘as an acceptable fragrance of righteousness’ (IQS VIII, 8-9; IX, 4-5). The Community itself was to be the sacrifice offered to God in atonement for Israel’s sins (IQS VIII, 4-5; 4Q265 fr. 7 ii).

The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls, Gaza Vermes, pg. 83

The Community Rule says:

In the Council of the Community there shall be twelve men and three Priests, perfectly versed in all that is revealed of the Law, whose works shall be truth, righteousness, justice, loving-kindness and humility. They shall preserve the faith in the Land with steadfastness and meekness and shall atone for sin by the practice of justice and by suffering the sorrows of affliction.

Vermes, pg. 108-109 

When these become members of the Community in Israel according to all these rules, they shall establish the spirit of holiness according to everlasting truth. They shall atone for guilty rebellion and for sins of unfaithfulness, that they may obtain loving-kindness for the Land without the flesh of holocausts and the fat of sacrifice. And prayer rightly offered shall be as an acceptable fragrance of righteousness, and perfection of way as a delectable free-will offering.

Vermes, pg 110

The second citation is more than plain that no animal scarifices were happening in the Qumran Community. 

How could Tim get this so wrong? It's because he is blinded by his own false paradigm. He has magnified the Qumran Community into something it is not. According to Tim they did not abscond to the wilderness merely because the temple was defiled but also to prepare the way for Christ. 

1:31:48 There's another Prophecy in the Community Rule, uh, and it says when these become members of the community in Israel according to all these rules they shall separate from the habitation of unjust men and shall go into the Wilderness to do what? What are they doing?They're fulfilling Isaiah uh 50 verse 3 or no 40 verse 3 okay so they shall go into the Wilderness to prepare there the way of him as it is written prepare in the wilderness the way of blah blah blah blah make straight in the desert a path for our Elohim.

The fulfillment of that prophecy falls squarely on the shoulders of John the Baptist. The Gospels are clear on that. It was not a community preparing the way for Jesus, it was his cousin John the Baptist. It is the voice of ONE calling not the voice of a community calling out. Again, he gets everything wrong because of his false notions about the Qumran Community. 

Tim takes it a step further and claims that Jesus was not baptized at the temple in Jerusalem because the real temple practice was taking place near the Dead Sea. 

1:42:38 Genesis 10 actually puts these together as a people group and they're the same people group that attacked the temple in 165 BC and took over the whole paradigm which is why, notice this, Yahusha did not launch his ministry at the temple. Now that's weird. Why, why wouldn't he have John the Baptist baptize him there? Why did he start his ministry in Bethabara? Because that is where the temple practice remained. That's where the canon was kept and that's what we have to follow through history.

Why exactly would Jesus need to be baptized in the temple? Tim does not say. Where exactly would John have baptized Jesus in the temple? Remember thousands of people were flocking to him in the wilderness. Where would he have gotten all that water? And what is meant by "launching his ministry?" Tim seems to think that entails baptism only but Jesus did not even begin to preach until after his 40 days of temptation in Capernaum which is not Bethabara!

Matthew 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 

14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 

15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 

16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

It is amazing how this man who has been in the ministry for 30 years continually gets EVERYTHING wrong! 

The truth is at no time in his ministry does Jesus ever call the temple priests impostors or the temple ceremonies corrupt or instruct people to go into the wilderness in order to participate in true temple worship. In fact he tells people he heals to go offer the proper sacrifices at the temple. 

Luke 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 

13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him

14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Lest Tim cavil that this verse does not say go to the temple I ask where else were they going to show themselves to a priest and offer up a sacrifice?  Not into the wilderness of the Qumran Community who were not sacrificing that's for sure. 

One final thing to note in this interview is that Tim says point blank Jesus did not finish his work on the cross. 

33:12 There's only one day of judgment and that's when all souls are judged. All of them. Billions. Uh, Messiah's greatest work is to come. Uh, the cross was wonderful and very significant no doubt but he did not complete his work on the cross and no scripture actually says he does. That comes out of our pulpits but actually his greatest works are to come.

What a lot of nonsense. Jesus himself said IT IS FINISHED.

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost

God incarnated as a man, kept and fulfilled the law, and defeated sin, hell, death, and the devil. There is nothing more for him to do. To say the last judgement has not come therefore "he did not complete his work on the cross" is unbiblical and blasphemous. 

This interview is a lot of the same stuff Tim says elsewhere but compacted into two hours. It's really not much of an interview though as Zen rarely interrupts Tim to ask pertinent questions or put him on the spot by asking anything challenging. But then again Zen Garcia is mostly ideologically aligned with Tim so why would he do that? 

Let's conclude by taking a look at some of the comments. First up is this doozy:

@RestoringReality: Tim is soo proud of being soo wrong about soo many things that I had to drop his channel because I just couldn't stomach the arrogance and insults any longer.

Funny that Tim had no response to this commenter.

However, he did have a response for the next one. 

@fartnoisesloud: Tim’s channel is clear that he loves to ban people, threaten to ban people, accuse everyone of being illiterate and also like to ban people. Other than that he’s quite charming

@TheGodCulture: Your fart noises are far more offensive than a YouTube Channel that actually moderates it's comments which is called responsible. Their giving you a warning so you understand when you are banned. You however, are not a real commenter nor viewer. You are an illiterate, because you prove you can't read, who deserves far worse including prison for your law breaking offense, TGC addresses this exact kind of stupid many Tims because you are exactly that. 

Tim deleted this comment but did leave a reply to the person claiming he was "ranting about us flat earthers."

@sarafenton9288  You are a liar. Anyone who has actually watched TGC, knows we do not rant against Flat Earthers. They are welcome in our format and anyone watching our Restoring Creation Series knows we do not teach a ball earth cosmology. Of course, let us not pretend we do not know this fake account is another by the same illiterate blogger who is too poor to pay attention. So obvious.

Ah, there it is! Tim assumes both of these accounts, @fartnoisesloud and @sarafenton9288, are mine. He added the following comment a few days later. 

@timlandegent3536 Indeed, we love, or is it like, to ban people with a username "fart noises loud." Clearly a fallacious agitator and not a serious commenter on anything vomiting on screen to attempt to place stumbling blocks in the way of viewers. Understand this is the same guy or group who came in under different usernames they make up such as the one above, now removed, which created the username the day before his comment as if we do not all know what that is. This name is a joke to ever be taken seriously. A clear liar. They do it on our book reviews even illegally and in fraud, on our channel regularly and even write the dumbest blogs one could ever read telling you a sentence doesn't say what it clearly says for those who can read of course, a map they don't know how to read doesn't point to what a child can recognize, a book with 1,000 scriptures doesn't have enough Biblical evidence, the land with the most gold in all of history somehow does not have enough gold, and one of our favorites is their admission they read only the eBook of our first book and they accused Amazon, who prints the book, of poor quality that pages fell out when it was delivered except it was an eBook, duh!, etc.They simply don't care how stupid they look as they are anonymous and paid to agitate in any way they can. Losers. Yah Bless.

As I have pointed out before Tim is very, very paranoid about this blog. I don't have a myriad of sock accounts and the comment I posted on this interview was never posted which means I have been banned from that channel from the get-go probably on Tim's advice to Zen. But it is good to see I am not the only one who recognizes Tim is an incredibly rude liar. 

This next comment is probably typical of how many of Tim's viewers think about criticism of The God Culture.

@alx42013 Tim is phenomenal and just by all the fake backlash and stupid fraudulent remarks and false things you see on Google and YouTube,that are trying to soil his name ,his biblical facts,awesome research and deep studies and remarkable work, proves that Satan and the wicked woke powers that be, they're trying to silence him and soil or delegitimize the word of God and his Unbreakable research and studies . For me... that just totally legitimizes and cements him as one of the number one teachers deciphers and smart researchers of this era, and I will continue to support,learn and back his work and promote and show all my friends and family all his awesome discoveries and points of scripture

Following this person's logic, being met with opposition means someone is actually in the right, one would have to conclude that the Pharisees were right and Jesus was wrong and that every false prophet who had his critics, from Joseph Smith to William Branham, was actually on the side of truth. That is, of course, quite ridiculous. Being opposed does not mean one is in the right. 

There is simply no winning with these people. How can anyone hope to make them see Tim's lies when they are thoroughly steeped in ignorance? Given how uncritical his audience is it is no wonder that Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has a channel that continues to grow. 

Insurgency: Reds' Leadership Vacuum

The AFP says the NPA is leaderless yet another top NPA leader has died fighting the AFP.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216496

A high-ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) died in a clash between soldiers and rebels in an upland village of Borongan City in Eastern Samar on Saturday.

The Philippine Army identified the slain as Martin Colima (alias Moki), secretary of the sub-regional committee (SRC) Sesame of the NPA’s Eastern Visayas regional party committee.

The military said in a statement late Saturday that Colima died during a gun battle between soldiers and a band of 10 rebels around noon on Saturday in the vicinity of remote Barangay San Gabriel.

Lt. Col. Allan Tria, commander of the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion, said troops were in the village in response to repeated reports of civilians regarding the presence of the NPA in the area, conducting extortion activities and finding chances to attack members of the Citizens Armed Force Geographical Unit and former rebels.

“Details of their locations, movements, and activities revealed by the civilians provided our patrolling troops a chance to track their location, which resulted in an encounter that killed Colima. Our soldiers also recovered one caliber. 45 pistol and seven backpacks in the encounter site,” Tria said.

Colima, according to the military, is the mastermind and one of the perpetrators of the ambush incident along a major highway in Libuton village, Borongan City on Dec. 13, 2019.

A policeman and three civilians were killed while 12 other civilians, including three minors, were wounded.

Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade, is saddened by the death of “another fellow Filipino” and urged Colima’s family and relatives to give him a decent burial.

“With the death of the top NPA leader in our area of responsibility, it is very imminent that their fighters under SRC Sesame will lose direction, be demoralized, and be incapable of protracted fighting for a lost cause and incorrect communist ideology,” Vestuir said.

Naturally the death of this hit-ranking NPA leader means their is a vacuum of leadership and the demise of the rebellion is imminent. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216520

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday said the death of ranking New People's Army (NPA) official Martin Colima during a clash with government troops in Borongan City, Eastern Samar will further highlight the growing leadership crisis in the insurgency movement.

"The death of communist terrorist group (CTG) leader Martin Colima in an encounter in Borongan City, Eastern Samar on January 6 exacerbates the leadership vacuum in the CTG," AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.

Colima, also known as "Moki", is reportedly the Secretary of the Sub-Regional Committee Sesame of the NPA's Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

The NPA leader was killed following an encounter with soldiers at the remote area of Barangay San Gabriel, Borongan City.

"This (Colima's death) also further erodes their capability to plan and execute atrocities in the province and sends a strong signal to their members to surrender," Trinidad said.

Meanwhile, AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said the neutralization of ranking NPA leaders like Colima signals the end of the NPA.

"It is leading to that," he added.

Torres said the NTF-ELCAC, through the cohesive leadership of President R. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the NPA scourge in the country will be totally eliminated.

He also expressed hope strongly that all the weakened guerrilla fronts will be dismantled within this year.

The AFP always proclaims the death of the NPA after the death of every top leader claiming they can no longer plan and execute tactics because they have no leaders. Then they kill another leader during a clash and repeat the same message. Funny that the NTF-ELCAC is hoping all guerrilla fronts will be dismantled by the end of the year but it's also typical. The death of the NPA by year's end has been predicted every year for decades. 

Likewise the death of the Islamic insurgency has been touted as of late but analysis of the situation says there could be a revival. 

https://thediplomat.com/2023/12/the-islamic-states-high-stakes-war-in-the-philippines

Pro-Islamic State groups have weathered months of counterterrorism operations across the southern Philippines that have killed top leaders and seemingly hollowed out their ranks. Yet the attacks continue.

On December 3, the bombing of a Catholic Mass in Marawi City, which killed four and injured dozens, was claimed by the Islamic State as the work of its East Asia province. In the days since the attack, local pro-Islamic State groups have claimed responsibility for incidents across the Bangsamoro autonomous region (BARMM).

These are not the death spasms of pro-Islamic State groups in the Philippines but a last-ditch effort to collapse the Bangsamoro peace process before the region’s first elections in 2025. If war returns to Mindanao, it will have dire consequences for Manila’s plans to re-posture its armed forces for territorial defense and what contributions it makes to recently beefed-up security agreements with the United States, Japan, and Australia.

Failure to bring a lasting peace to the Bangsamoro region will trigger a cascading effect that will leave the Philippines torn between simultaneous domestic and foreign threats. 

The Islamic State East Asia (ISEA) is really an array of loosely connected groups, generally distinguished by geographic and ethnolinguistic differences, scattered across the Bangsamoro region. It’s been a tough year for them. 

Despite these hardships, pro-Islamic State groups have sustained their operations buoyed by the knowledge that an historic opportunity lies before them. 

ISEA is engaged in a high stakes struggle to derail the Bangsamoro peace process. Two recent trends are particularly worrying. First, the uptick in violent incidents linked to pro-Islamic State groups since the Marawi City bombing suggests that ISEA’s factions may be coordinating in a bid to distract and destabilize the security response. 

Second, a local pro-Islamic State media unit, only recently emerged, has become a hub for propaganda efforts. After the Marawi attack, it released a photo series, including of the improvised explosive device that was detonated at MSU, and claimed that “Ansar khilafah Philippines Mujihadeen” were responsible. The media group has since released photos showing battles between Dawlah Islamiyah and MILF forces, “shura council” messages from Ansar al-Khilafah Philippines, a video showing the beheading of an accused spy, and a photo series on life inside the Dawlah group.

Given the hits ISEA has suffered to its leadership, resources, and general ranks over the last year, it may seem absurd that it is attempting a resurgence. However, in the ruthless calculations of guerrilla warfare, the heavy losses sustained in recent months are entirely acceptable, indeed welcomed, if strategic objectives are being met and a steady stream of recruits are refilling the ranks. 

The Islamic State understands that its East Asia province has a unique opportunity to be a major spoiler of local, national, and regional stability. On December 7, the Islamic State devoted the editorial of its weekly an-Naba to the Marawi City bombing, offering historical context for the attack, and calling on Muslims to support by immigrating and waging jihad. The article implored its readers to appreciate what is on the line: “Strategically, the Philippines is not just an island located in the far east of the world; rather, it is an area of the global conflict that is still drawing closer day after day between the tyrants of China and America.” It goes on to declare that, “the presence of the mujahideen there is… a foothold for Muslims to confront the projects of the tyrants.”

Why does this kind of analysis always originate from outside observers and never from the AFP or the local media? Is no one paying attention? Why did no media report on the “Ansar khilafah Philippines Mujihadeen” after the bombing in December? 

In the midst of AFP declarations of victory the specter of ISIS grows and the NPA continues to wreak havoc. 

https://visayandailystar.com/army-slams-npa-for-northern-negros-killing-spree/

The Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion denounced remnants of the New People’s Army for their killing spree in northern Negros, where they shamelessly bragged of the taking of lives of innocent civilians in the past several months.

In separate statements, the NPA Roselyn Jean Pelle Command recently owned up to the killing of Juvinie Sarona and Eduardo Continedo Baynosa in Toboso, Negros Occidental.

Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, 79IB commander, said “this audacious admission, devoid of any remorse, lays bare their ruthless nature and alarming disregard to human life.”

The CPP-NPA-NDF, Calaoagan added, has demonstrated the extent of their ruthlessness, not just towards those they label as “enemies,” but even towards their own members.

The CPP-NPA often justify their actions by labeling their victims as criminals, traitors, or assets of the military. However, these allegations are often baseless and serve only as a cover up to mask the brutality of their actions, he further said.

How the NPA is able to commit such atrocities absent any leadership has not been explained. 

The NTF-ELCAC is urging the remains rebels to surrender and start new lives at the beginning of this new year. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216257

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday called on all remaining New People's Army (NPA) rebels to surrender and start new lives for the new year.

"The peace process will not deter the NTF-ELCAC from implementing its mandated tasks to liberate all communities affected by local communist armed conflict," it added in a post on its Facebook page.

It also urged these rebels to immediately renounce violence, lay down their arms and surrender peacefully to become law-abiding citizens who can do their part in nation building.

The NTF-ELCAC said it will further intensify efforts in bringing the government closer to the "geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas" by bringing in the Barangay Development Program, Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, and sustainable livelihood projects to former rebels who peacefully surrendered, among others.

"The NTF-ELCAC will also continue to innovate our approaches to Local Peace Engagement in the pursuit of genuine peace in the localities," it added.

When it comes to local peace initiatives the Army has reiterated that local barangay officials play a crucial part in the fight against the insurgency. Failure to do so could mean a resurgence of NPA activity. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/9/army-cites-role-of-barangay-officials-in-anti-insurgency-campaign

The Philippine Army reminded barangay officials of their vital role in the government’s sustainment effort which it said is the hardest part of fighting insurgency in the country.

Major Gen. Michele Anayron Jr., commander of the 403rd Brigade, said there is a possibility that the number of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels will increase if the local government, barangay, and government agencies are unable to sustain the areas that have been cleared by the military of communist influence.

“Because they (referring to the NPA) did not stop in recruiting, they did not stop in recovering the area,” Anayron said in a press conference at the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao on Monday, January 8, where the Area Police Command-Eastern Mindanao presented six firearms and 38 magazines they recovered in Barangay San Rafael, Talakag, Bukidnon, on January 6.

Anayron made the remark following questions they received about the number of NPA members in a certain area provided by the military which accordingly might not translate to the communist rebels’ actual strength.

A situation was cited by the 403rd Brigade commander where the NPA’s strength in the eastern part of Misamis Oriental province had ten to 12 members from 2005 to 2007 but they ballooned to over 100 in 2010 because addressing the root cause of insurgency in the areas was not sustained.

Finally someone has asked the question if AFP estimates reflect "the communist rebels’ actual strength." The answer to that, as I have shown many times, is always no. They are guessing and those guesses fluctuate sometimes wildly. It is better to assume their strength rather than their weakness. 

Cebu City to Round up Stray Dogs for Sinulog

Stray dogs are a huge problem in the Philippines. It seems the problem is so out of hand that nothing can be done. However, that is not the case as shown by the City of Cebu.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/550542/stray-dogs-to-be-impounded-for-safety-during-fiesta-senor-sinulog-festival

Stray dogs in Cebu City are being impounded by the Cebu City Veterinary Department for safety of both dogs and attendees during the Fiesta Señor and Sinulog Festival 2024.

Doctor Jessica Maribojoc, the head of the Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries, mentioned that dogs without owners and deemed as nuisances in the community will be removed, as the safety of both dogs and the community is crucial during the celebration of the Fiesta Señor and Sinulog Festival.

"On our part with the government, those that we took, based on the report or based on the request, are the ones to take and then I mentioned that it is possible that he (dog) is a stray. Whether it is in our ordinance that 12 meters away from the owners or there are no owners, we can get it," Maribojoc said in an interview on Frinday, January 12.

Cebu City is rounding up dogs for Sinulog in the name of safety. They say "the safety of both dogs and the community is crucial" during the upcoming celebration. But what about the rest of the year? Is not the safety of dogs and the community crucial al year round? Why does the city allow these dogs to roam?

Even though the city is rounding up dogs for some of them it will be far from safe. 

Dogs that are impounded and not claimed within two weeks may be considered for euthanasia if they become sick.

For context, euthanasia is the practice of ending the life of a patient to alleviate their suffering.

However, dogs that remain unclaimed in the pound for more than two weeks but remain healthy have a “possibility” of becoming candidates for adoption.

Two weeks and then death for some of these dogs. Sad but at least it shows the problem of stray dogs can be dealt with. In fact it is the city's duty to take care of this problem.

Maribojoc said this is a request from several barangays and also their duty as an indirect part of the Sinulog cluster.

Less stray dogs means less garbage all over the place, less rabies cases, less bites, and a safer community. Why wait until a festival and allow the problem to compound exponentially?

This story proves the Philippine government has the power to make the nation safe. What it lacks is the will to do so. 

Retards in the Government 346

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

 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216465

The Department of the Interior and Local Government - Central Visayas (DILG-7) suspended a city councilor of this Negros Oriental capital for nine months allegedly over a graft complaint involving a construction project at Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) - Bais City campus.

DILG-7 legal officer Michael Bandal and Director Farah Diba Gentuya served the suspension order Friday on Councilor Joe Kenneth Arbas.

Bandal said Arbas received the order while confined at a local hospital.

The suspension without pay will take effect immediately, Bandal said.

He added that they are not privy to the facts of the case against Arbas, except that they have been directed by the Office of the Ombudsman to serve the suspension order upon receipt of a copy of the graft complaint filed by one Michael Daniel.

Arbas countered the complaint was not related to his job as a councilor, but involved a construction project at the NORSU - Bais City campus which he is a part.

The case, he added, was the same case filed before the Bais City prosecutor’s office which had already been dismissed. 

The suspension as cited in the Ombudsman ruling is “conduct prejudicial to the public interest”, Bandal said.

A councilor has been suspended over a graft complaint. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1884849/maguindanao-del-sur-governor-suspends-town-mayor

Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu has ordered the 60-day preventive suspension of Datu Salibo Mayor Solaiman Sandigan after an administrative case had been filed against him.

The suspension took effect on Dec. 28 as contained in Administrative Order No. 23-001 series of 2023, according to provincial administrator Cyrus Torreña.

He said Mangudadatu issued the suspension order while the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is hearing the administrative case against Sandigan who allegedly appointed a new member of the Sangguniang Bayan after a regular member was killed in an attack last year.

The 64-year-old mayor was arrested last October after he was linked to the murder of Datu Salibo councilor Demson Silongan last April. But Sandigan was granted temporary liberty by the Cotabato City regional trial court.

Under the Local Government Code, the power to appoint a new member of the municipal council to fill a vacant seat rests with the provincial governor.

A local mayor has been suspended after an administrative case was filed against him. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/01/07/2324019/taguig-road-rage-bi-officer-attacks-cabbie

A Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer was arrested on Friday for reportedly punching a taxi driver in a road rage incident in Taguig.

Abumelhaq Linog, 41, was caught on closed-circuit television footage attacking taxi driver Celso delos Santos, 53, in front of a mall in Bonifacio Global City at around 5 p.m.

According to the Southern Police District (SPD), Linog and Delos Santos were driving along McKinley Parkway when the taxi driver allegedly cut into the lane of Delos Santos, who was driving a sport utility vehicle.

Linog had to quickly step on the brakes, causing his wife – who was in the front passenger seat – to nearly hit the dashboard, the SPD reported.

The BI officer got out of his vehicle and confronted Delos Santos.

Mall guards had tried to intervene, but Linog threw a container of juice at Delos Santos’ face, while Linog’s wife threw a bottle of water at the taxi driver, ABS-CBN reported.

Delos Santos said in Filipino that the suspect “must have thought I would attack his wife, so he punched me.”

The taxi driver claimed that Linog tried to force him to settle the case, but he still plans to file charges, according to ABS-CBN.

“We work for a living. They think they are rich. They have money, but not that much,” Delos Santos said in Filipino.

Linog faces charges of physical injury.

A BI officer has been caught on camera punching a taxi driver in a fit of road rage.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/01/06/2323897/cop-cohort-yields-p4-m-worth-shabu-cotabato-city-sting

Anti-narcotics agents confiscated P4 million worth of shabu from a policeman and an accomplice, entrapped along a busy thoroughfare here on Friday night.

Staff Sgt. Mujeeb Bitayo Sepi and his companion, Farida Alim Alfonso, both yielded peacefully when they sensed that they had sold P4 million worth of shabu to non-uniformed agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and police personnel in a tradeoff along Quezon Avenue here.

In separate initial reports on Saturday, Gil Cesario Castro, director of PDEA-BARMM, and Bangsamoro police director Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza said that they are both thankful to tipsters who reported the duo’s drug trafficking activities, enabling personnel of the agency and policemen to plot the sting that led to their arrest.

Sepi, who belongs to the municipal police force in nearby Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, and Alfonso are now locked in the detention facility of PDEA-BARMM here.

Castro said they are to be prosecuted for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 using the shabu seized from them as evidence.

A cop and his companion have been busted for selling drugs. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216555

A former village councilman in Talisay City’s coastal village was arrested during a buy-bust operation after yielding PHP1.3 million worth of suspected shabu Sunday night.

Romeo Santillan, 44, a former councilman of Tangke, Talisay City, was arrested in neighboring village of San Roque, while transacting with a police officer who posed as a buyer, said Lt. Francis Russue, Cebu Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) officer.

Santillan yielded 200 grams of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia.

“His name emerged based on information we gathered. We placed the suspect under surveillance and we confirmed his illegal drug operation,” Russue told reporters here on Monday. 

A former councilor has been busted for drugs. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/01/09/2324404/ex-afp-member-faces-raps-socmed-report

A retired military man is facing cybercrime charges for using an image of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. in his vlog about an alleged ouster plot against President Marcos that went viral.

PNP public information office chief Col. Jean Fajardo said at a press briefing yesterday in Camp Crame that Acorda had already filed a complaint with the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office against vlogger Johnny Lacsamana Macanas Sr. for dissemination of false information using a photo of the PNP chief in a viral vlog regarding an alleged destabilization plot by disgruntled military officers and personnel.

Fajardo said the vlogger is a retired AFP member, but it was not immediately clear what his rank in the military was.

“We expect that the prosecutor’s office will send summons to the accused to give him time to respond to the complaint,” Fajardo said in Filipino.

She said the complaint against Macanas is for violation of Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act 10591, in connection with Section 6 of the Cybercrime Law. She said an investigation is still ongoing to determine other possible case against Macanas.

“Misusing social media to spread false information for personal or political gain is unacceptable,” Fajardo said in Filipino.

A retired AFP soldier is facing cybercrime charges for spreading disinformation on his vlog. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1886191/ex-cop-nabbed-in-drug-buy-bust-operation-in-cauayan-city

A 34-year-old dismissed police officer was arrested early Tuesday after allegedly selling “shabu” (crystal meth) to an undercover agent in this city, authorities said.

The suspect was identified as Rodolfo Duazo Jr., who went absent without official leave and was dismissed from service in 2020, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Nebalasca Jr., Cauayan City police chief.

Seized from Duazo were a pack of alleged shabu worth P10,000, a 22-caliber handgun, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

Duazo has been under police surveillance since late last year.

He is facing charges of violating Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).

A cop dismissed for going AWOL has been busted for drugs. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216560

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has started a probe into one of its junior officers for alleged reckless driving in a viral video at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) during the first week of January.

In a statement on Monday, PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, ordered the investigation after the Coast Guard Intelligence Force received a letter from the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

The letter identified PCG Ensign Alain Anthony Agpalo as the rider of a Suzuki motorcycle that illegally entered SLEX and refused to stop when flagged down by enforcers.

“We assure the public that we will cooperate with the LTO investigation. We will also conduct a parallel investigation and sanction CG Ensign Agpalo based on the evidence,” Gavan said.

The LTO summoned Agpalo and was ordered to appear before their office on Monday and submit a written explanation as to why he should not be administratively charged for disregarding traffic signs and reckless driving, and why his driver’s license should not be suspended or revoked.

“Here in the Philippine Coast Guard, we do not tolerate officers or personnel violating existing laws and regulations implemented by other agencies. They must face the consequences of their actions,” he said.

Ensign-ranked PCG officers are considered junior officers who have served for one to five years.

Agpalo completed his Coast Guard training in October 2019, after which he formally took oath as an official member of the PCG.

In a deleted video posted by Agpalo himself on the X Vlogs Facebook page, he entered SLEX despite knowing that his Suzuki Raider 150cc motorcycle was prohibited from the tollway due to the minimum 400cc displacement requirement for motorcycles.

He was also seen driving over 140 kilometers per hour (kph) despite the 100 kph speed limit at SLEX. 

A PCG officer is being probed for reckless driving. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216629

An education official escaped a murder attempt, but his wife was slightly injured when gunmen opened fire on his parked vehicle at 4:45 p.m. in Barangay Kalawag 2 here Monday.

Lt. Col. Richelu Alucilja, town police chief, said Eric Balancio, 51, education program supervisor of the Sultan Kudarat schools division office, had just alighted from his car (MAQ 3509) and entered the cooperative office when the motorcycle-riding attackers arrived and opened fire.

His wife, Norilyn, 51, who was inside the car, sustained minor injuries from glass debris.

Alucilja said the attackers immediately fled.

Police are determining if the attack was work-related or a case of personal grudge.

A DepEd official has survived an assassination attempt. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/08/24/ombudsman-oks-graft-charges-vs-ex-comelec-commissioner-guanzon

The Office of the Ombudsman has found probable cause to indict former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon for two counts of violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

 

The Ombudsman Resolution, a copy of which ABS-CBN obtained from Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, who is one of the complainants, alleged that Guanzon prematurely disclosed confidential information during two interviews.

 

Guanzon was the Presiding Commissioner of COMELEC’s First Division that handled the disqualification cases against then Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

On January 27, 2022 she granted an interview with GMA News’ Sandra Aguinaldo where she said she had voted to disqualify Marcos Jr. from the elections.

 

On January 28, 2022 she told Rappler’s Paterno Esmaquel II the name of the ponente in charge of writing the Resolution, and discussed her separate opinion.

 

COMELEC Commissioner Aimee Ferolino was the ponente.

 

“Respondent’s contention that the information disclosed by her is not considered a confidential information fails to convince,” the Ombudsman Resolution read.

 

Based on COMELEC Resolution No. 10685 entitled “In the Matter of People’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Manual,” the Ombudsman said “all information acquired by respondent in the exercise of her quasi-judicial powers are considered confidential information.” 

The Resolution also cited the Supreme Court’s prohibition on the disclosure of a ponente’s identity and internal deliberations, which supposedly applies to other branches of government such as COMELEC.

“With respondent’s improper disclosure of confidential information, this Office finds probable cause to indict her for violation of Section 3 (k) of Republic Act No. 3019,” the Resolution further stated.

The former COMELEC commissioner has been indicted for graft for disclosing confidential information. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1886064/fwd-bbm-on-cops-with-drug-charges

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said that his administration has charged 177 police officers in Metro Manila with drug-related offenses in 2023.

These charges include the planting of evidence and the use of excessive force, said Marcos in a video message on Facebook.

“Alam naman natin na kung minsan, nadadala ang ating mga opisyal at syempre hindi natin maaaring pabayaan yan. Kaya ang nangyari ay 177 police officers have been charged with drug-related offenses, including the planting of evidence, unlawful arrests, and excessive violence, dito palang sa NCR (National Capital Region),” said Marcos.

(We know that sometimes, officials get carried away, and of course, we cannot tolerate that. That is why 177 police officers have drug-related offenses, including the planting of evidence, unlawful arrests, and excessive violence, just here in the NCR.)

Marcos said that the fight against illegal drugs will not slow down.

177 cops in the NCR alone have been charged with drug offenses in 2023.