Insurgency: Joma's Death 'End of an Era'

The death of Joma Sison of heart failure in The Netherlands is the single most important event regarding the insurgency to happen this year. Will his death mark the end of the insurgency once and for all? Let's take a look at what is being said about this momentous occasion. 

For former President Duterte Joma's death marks the end of an era. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191139

Former President Rodrigo Duterte said the passing of Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), marks the end of an era for communist insurgency.

“His death certainly marks the end of an era, and it is my hope that with it, the end of insurgencies in the Philippines and the revolutionary movement that he has founded as well,” Duterte said in a Facebook post on Monday.

On Dec. 17, the CPP announced that Sison, 83, died after a two-week confinement in a hospital in the Netherlands.

Duterte said Sison is known for his radical ideas that affected the course of the country’s history and birthed a movement New People’s Army (NPA), that carries on up to this day.

“While Mr. Sison and I have had many disagreements – especially in the ways in which he chose to pursue and effect change in the country – I would like to believe that, at the end of the day, we shared the same dream of creating a better future for every Filipino,” he said.

The former president also urged the Filipinos to carry on the work of building a more harmonious and united country for the present and future generations.

“My sincerest condolences to his family and I pray that the Lord Almighty grants him and our country peace,” Duterte said.

Don't forget that JOoma was Duterte's mentor and said in 2016 that he represented the best chance at peace between the governemt and the CPP-NPA.

The DND claims with Joma's death the greatest stumbling block to peace is gone. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1706196/dnd-on-joma-sisons-death-greatest-stumbling-block-to-ph-peace-is-gone

The death of exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison marks the end of the “greatest stumbling block to peace” in the country, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Saturday.

“The greatest stumbling block of peace for the Philippines is gone; let us now give peace a chance,” the DND said.

The DND added that Sison’s death is symbolic of the “crumbling hierarchy” of the Philippine communist movement.

“The death of Jose Maria Sison is but a symbol of the crumbling hierarchy of the CPP-NPA-NDF, which he founded to violently put himself in power,” the DND added in a statement, referring to the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed wing the New People’s Army (NPA) and its political arm the National Democratic Front (NDF).

The DND however lamented that with his death, Sison was not brought to justice and to answer for his alleged crimes.

“His death deprived the Filipino people of the opportunity to bring this fugitive to justice under our country’s laws,” they said.

The Office of the Presidential Advisor on Peace expressed the same sentiments as the DND hoping that Joma's death means the end of the insurgency. OPAPRU chief Carlito Galvez Jr. also agrees with Duterte that the death of Joma is the end of an era. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191002

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) on Sunday said it is hopeful that the death of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison will put an end to the local communist insurgency which has largely stalled development in the countryside.

"With the death of Mr. Sison, it is our hope that it will also put an end to the local communist armed conflict that claimed the lives of so many Filipinos and pushed back development in the countryside," OPAPRU chief Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement Sunday.

He also noted that the passing of Sison marks “the end of an era in the nation's history.”

"It was a period largely defined by armed hostilities, which to this day, is still being felt by Filipinos, especially those whose lives were affected by the communist movement," Galvez added.

The CPP says despite the death of Joma the revolution will continue.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1706285/cpp-founders-death-not-the-end-of-rebellion

The death of Jose Maria “Joma” Sison is not the end of the revolutionary movement, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said on Saturday in response to the military’s claim that the vacuum left by its late founder would deplete the half-century-old Maoist insurgency.

“Of course, the passing of Ka Joma is a great loss for the Party and revolutionary movement,” Marco Valbuena, the CPP chief information officer, said in a statement.“But like the children taught, guided and trained by their Great Father, the Philippine revolutionaries can stand on their own feet,” he said.

Valbuena was reacting to a post on Facebook by the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines stating that the CPP, its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), and political arm, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), would be “greatly weakened resulting from the death of their founder.”

“Due to their leadership vacuum, a leadership crisis within the underground organization of the CPP will significantly affect the whole communist movement,” according to the post.

While there may be a leadership vacuum at the moment the PNP says they have eyes on 3 -5 people who could take Joma's place.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1707472/pnp-looking-into-3-to-5-names-that-may-replace-cpp-leader-sison

Will the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) find a new leader to replace Joma Sison?

The Philippine National Police (PNP) intelligence has indicated the CPP is looking into three to five individuals that may replace deceased Sison as its new leader, an official said Wednesday.

PNP spokesman Police Col. Redrico Maranan said the agency is still studying the names and cannot yet divulge their personalities.

(If I am not mistaken, we are looking at three to five individuals, but I am not at liberty to tell you those names because we are still studying them.)

The AFP says there is no one worthy to succeed Sison. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/18/afp-no-one-else-fit-to-head-cpp/

For the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), there is nobody close to Sison’s caliber that is qualified to lead the CPP.

“No one of his quality,” replied Col. Medel Aguilar, acting AFP spokesperson, when asked by the Manila Bulletin on Sunday, Dec. 18, if the military is monitoring Sison’s possible successor.

“If they want, I offer myself so the government can save all their recruits and move them away from harm,” he quipped.

When news of Sison’s death reached the military, Aguilar said that the CPP “needs to have a good teacher and guiding light who will lead its members away from violence and destruction.”

In the Philippine Army (PA), the monitoring of the line of succession in the CPP is ongoing but Col. Xerxes Trinidad, Army spokesperson, said it will be “very difficult” for the communist party to find a new leader.

“We are still monitoring the developments on the ground. The CPP has its organizational structure and process on how they fill in the vacuum in their leadership. It would be very difficult for the CPP to establish its new leader given the successive neutralization of their core leaders down to their armed components,” Trinidad said in a separate interview.

But outside the confines of Camp Aguinaldo, rumors were aplenty as to the next leader of the CPP.

Names were floated such as Julieta de Lima Sison, wife of Joma; Luis Jalandoni, once a chief negotiator of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) during the peace talks; and even alleged communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, although the military earlier announced that there were indicators the couple died during an encounter with troops in Catbalogan City, Samar last August 22.

“Right now, we, at the AFP, do not see any problem that might arise after Joma died. In fact, their members and supporters are continuously declining and returning to the folds of the law. Even their combatants and members of their mass base and underground mass organizations are losing ground,” Aguilar said in a radio interview over dzBB.

Funny that the PNP and AFP do not seem to be on the same page on this issue. 

It is not clear yet where Joma's final resting place will be but one IP leader says burying him in the Philippines would be an insult.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191385

Burying the remains of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison in the country would be a "big insult" to the victims of New People's Army's (NPA) atrocities, a leader of the indigenous peoples (IPs) in Surigao del Sur province said.

This was according to Datu Rico Maca, the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of San Miguel town, following proposal of Sison’s supporters to bring home his ashes in the country.

“I strongly disagree with their proposal to bring the remains of Sison into the country. It’s an insult to the families of the victims of New People’s Army (NPA) executions and killings,” Maca said in an interview Friday.

Marco Valbuena, CPP public information officer, said in a media interview on Dec. 17 that Sison’s remains or ashes should be returned to the country “in accordance to his wishes as a Filipino."

Sison had been on self-exile since 1987 in The Netherlands until his death last Dec. 16.

“I strongly disagree with their proposal to bring the remains of Sison in the country. It’s an insult to the families of the victims of NPA executions and killings,” Maca said in a phone interview on Friday.

As CPP-NPA leader, Maca said Sison was responsible for IP members who were "mercilessly executed by the NPA rebels in the past years."

Burying Joma Sison in the Philippines would certainly entail a lot of problems. Where would he be buried? How would the government prevent his grave from becoming a shrine? 

An odd take on the death of Sison came from Senator Jinggoy Estrada. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1706881/with-joma-dead-govt-can-intensify-efforts-vs-communism-estrada

The death of Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), gives the government a chance to intensify its efforts to end the communist armed struggle, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said in a statement issued on Monday.

Estrada noted that Sison’s death would not be the end of the CPP and the New People’s Army, but it could still weaken them.

“The government must take this opportunity to intensify the collaboration of different agencies, stakeholders, local government units, and even the general public in crushing the communist idea that drives the armed struggle,” Estrada said.

“It is the responsibility of each of us to safeguard the future of future generations and ensure that we achieve the elusive lasting peace,” he added in Filipino.

Estrada also pointed out that “efforts to establish a communist state have been nil” as communist numbers continue to decline.

Is this guy even paying attention? The AFP has been very vocal that the NPA has dramatically weakened due to their intensified efforts which include the work of the NTF-ELCAC as well as LGUs. It's like he is just spouting off to say something, anything. 

Joma Sison is dead but the insurgency is far from over. Remember the Makabayan Bloc has been tagged as a communist front, the NICA says there are 300,000 to 400,000 known communists who have infiltrated the government, and the government is still very concerned about recruitment efforts by the CPP-NPA. The death of Joma Sison is certainly a milestone in the 54 year long insurgency but the fight is far from over if the statistics of the government are to be believed. 

PNP Wants Complaint Against Abusive Cop Dropped “In the Spirit of Christmas”

The PNP claims to be serious about going after rogue cops. But in the case of Police Corporal Marvin Castro in Manila the PNP seem to no care about his misbehavior. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/854980/manila-cop-in-hot-water-over-confrontation-with-ust-judo-juniors-team-members/story/

A policeman in Manila is in hot water for allegedly bringing out his service firearm during a confrontation with members of the UST Judo Juniors Team, according to Darlene Cay's report on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

The report said six jubilant members of the team aged 12 to 17 years old were walking along a street in Sampaloc, Manila around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday following a victory in a competition when they were approached by the policeman for being noisy.

(We thought at first that he would just congratulate us, but he was aggressive.)

The policeman allegedly brought out a handcuff and invited the team to board a police mobile. When they students refused, the policeman allegedly brought out his service firearm.

(He held his gun. He said he did that because I was looking at his gun. That's unlikely.)

Another member of the team said they panicked because they did not know what to do.

(We really did not know what to do. Of course we are just kids. Who would want someone to bring out a gun in front of you.)

The students, who were still wearing their uniforms and medals, then contacted their coach.

The policeman, identified as Police Corporal Marvin Castro, apologized to the students and their parents and coaches when they faced each other at the barangay hall.

(They were not listening to me. I was asking them to stop but they would not stop.)

Castro said he felt threatened by the team.

When the parents brought the issue to the police station, a parent said they were urged to just drop the complaint in the spirit of Christmas.

(They asked us to drop the complaint in the spirit of Christmas. They asked us to just talk to Castro because they said he is a good cop. But what if something happened to our children? What about the psychological effect on them?)

The Manila Police District (MPD) is already looking into the incident.

According to MPD director Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon, Castro felt "imminent danger" in the presence of the students.

(We he confronted them, the students moved as if they were about to attack him, which prompted him to hold his gun, according to our station commander. He just made sure that he would be on self-defense. As long as he did not point the gun at somebody, then it shows that he had no intention of firing it.)

Castro has been barred from doing rounds in the area while the investigation is ongoing. He was also asked to surrender his service firearm.

Officer Castro confronted a group of students, threatened to arrest them, and even pulled out his service weapon. The parents of the students brought a complaint to the local police station but instead of reprimanding Officer Castro the parents were implored to drop the complaint "in the spirit of Christmas" because he is a good cop!

Does that sound like the PNP are serious about getting all the rotten eggs and rogue cops off the force? Maybe at heart Castro is a good cop. Maybe he just got flustered and misinterpreted the intent of the students who were celebrating a victory for their judo team. Or maybe this cops has a history of going off the rails and power tripping. Either way for the PNP to suggest these parents dismiss the complaint  against a misbehaving officer "in the spirit of Christmas" just shows they are not serious in getting rid of abusive rogue cops. 

The God Culture: The Real History of Christmas?

Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture has released a series of videos about the history of Christmas. These videos serve as a great way to examine the methods he employs in his other videos and books. I have written somewhat about these methods in various articles noting that at times Tim does not even read sources but has copy/pasted things he found on the internet without verifying thier veracity. In this article I want to focus on Tim's method of researching history which entails conflating the present with the past and totally ignoring historical sources.

The first video in this series is about the history of the Christmas tree. 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, Wherever Did You Come From? Is Christmas in the Bible?

One does not even have to watch this video to know exactly what Tim will say because it's right on the title card. Christmas trees originate way back to the time of Jeremiah and he condemns them in chapter 10 of his prophetic book. 

9:28 Oh, it's an idol by definition indeed but it is no mystery as to what it is. It is what we now call the Christmas tree in exact practice. We even showed you the videos to see, you know, this all laidout. It's a perfect match already in practice 600 years before Christ or Messiah came in the Flesh. And this practice was co-opted centuries later as supposedly originating with him? That's ridiculous.

11:46 Any so-called scholar that says that this passage is not about the Christmas tree is no Bible scholar and proves themselves illiterate. They cannot even read and comprehend.

12:38 The Catholic Church who changes the Bible on many things, thus a cursed organization according to scripture, that's what it says many times go read it, deflects on this because what they did is they brought back this ancient occult practice and they are too inept to read that Jeremiah directly rebukes them.

All of that is simply a lie. Christmas trees originated in Germany during the time of the Protestant Reformation. If the Catholic Church brought back the practice of Christmas trees then why did the Vatican not have one until 1982! That is a fact of history that Tim does not discuss at all because it does not jibe with his anti-ecclesiastical stance. Tim continually does everything he can to defame the Church which is the Body of Christ. 

The second video purports to be The Real History of Christmas. 

The Real History of Christmas. Is Christmas in the Bible?

Interesting. Is Tim going to talk about the Feast of the Epiphany and how the Feast of the Nativity did not become separate until much later? Is he going to talk about the decrees of Emperors and the Church on how to solemnize Christmas Day? Is he going to talk about the differences between the Eastern and Western Churches and why they celebrate Christmas weeks apart from one another? Will he be discussing why December 25th was actually thought to be the birth day of Jesus Christ? 

Of course not! Tim's modus is to conflate modern practices and claim that is exactly how the Feast of the Nativity was celebrated in the past. In fact he makes some downright ridiculous claims about the origin of Christmas sweaters, the twelve days of Christmas, and even Santa and the elves. 

11:08 It was an occasion for visits to friends and the presentation of gifts. Ah! Sounding familiar? Of course it is because this is the origin of Christmas.

12:55 Both of these are about gift giving and these became the manuals for this Pagan occult practice. Uh, these would morph into uh what would be called the 12 books of epigrams. Yep or origin of the 12 Days of Christmas. Indeed. There you go.

16:10 Instead of the toga colorful dinner cloths, you know like Christmas sweaters perhaps, were permitted in public as was the pilius a felt cap normally worn...wait, wait, wait, you mean like the elves wear? Like like Santa wears? Huuuuh! Especially the elves though because see they are the slaves. Hmm how about that? There you go. The origin of elves, the slaves. Nothing new under the sun folks 

31:17 They rebranded the most Pagan occult day of the year as the birth of Messiah. That's basically what they did.

36:13 They were willing to have those pagan holidays metamorphosed into Christian ones.  

The third video in this series is a wholly ridiculous spiel about how Santa Claus is really Satan. He is also a Nicolaitan which is a group mentioned in Revelation.

Jolly Old St. Nicolaitan? Old Nick = Satan? Is Christmas in the Bible?

This video is loaded through and through with the word concept fallacy. No one is meaning Satan when they are referring to Santa Claus. Santa is not Satan, he is not the devil in disguise, and he is certainly not a Nicolaitan. But Tim gets there by St. Nick, nick meaning the devil, and nick as in Ncolaitian. It's a wholly worthless video that is good enough for The God Culture's unthinking followers who do not care to verify the nonsense Tim says but which is void of any actual history about the identity of Santa Claus. 

It's as stupid as if I connected Tim's name and the word tempter because Tim and Tem-pter sound similar. And who is the tempter? Why Satan of course. That means Tim is Satan. The word concept fallacy is literally Timothy Jay Schwab's historical method.

The problem with these videos is that, despite the titles, Tim does not dive into history at all. He cites from no early church witnesses about the Feast of the Nativity and how it was celebrated. Instead he criticizes modern day practices as if that is how the Church has always celebrated Christmas. The fact is the modern day Christmas season and the way it is celebrated is largely a creation of Coca-Cola and the poem The Night Before Christmas.

Were the Church Fathers erecting Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, feasting, watching sports, and singing carols about elves and Santa Claus? Of course not but one would not know that by listening to Timothy Jay Schwab. 

Tim's thesis in a nutshell is December 25th is Saturnalia, Christmas was celebrated on December 25th to Christianize that pagan holiday, therefore Christmas is Saturnalia and is bad. But not one time does he prove this. Not one time does he cite a single document showing that Christmas is celebrated on that date for that express purpose. He is also ignorant that the Eastern Church does not and never has celebrated Christmas on December 25th. That fact alone shoots down his thesis.

Here is Augustine in Book 4 of On the Trinity showing what a fool Tim is.

For He is believed to have been conceived on the 25th of March, upon which day also He suffered; so the womb of the Virgin, in which He was conceived, where no one of mortals was begotten, corresponds to the new grave in which He was buried, wherein was never man laid, neither before nor since. But He was born, according to tradition, upon December the 25th.

https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/130104.htm

Encyclopedia Britanica even takes Tim's sloppy thesis to task

One of the difficulties with this view is that it suggests a nonchalant willingness on the part of the Christian church to appropriate a pagan festival when the early church was so intent on distinguishing itself categorically from pagan beliefs and practices.

A second view suggests that December 25 became the date of Jesus’ birth by a priori reasoning that identified the spring equinox as the date of the creation of the world and the fourth day of creation, when the light was created, as the day of Jesus’ conception (i.e., March 25). December 25, nine months later, then became the date of Jesus’ birth. For a long time the celebration of Jesus’ birth was observed in conjunction with his baptism, celebrated January 6.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas

According to Tim on Christmas Day the Church Fathers were watching football and drinking beer and having a riotous time like the pagans whose holiday they co-opted. Not so according to the Code of Theodosius which forbids all such celebrations during the Feast of the Nativity.

 The Theodosian Code and Novels, and the Sirmondian Constitutions, Clyde Pharr, pg. 433

On the following occasions all amusements of the theaters and the circuses shall be denied throughout all cities to the people thereof, and the minds of Christians and of the faithful shall be wholly occupied in the worship of God : namely, on the Lord's day, which is the first day of the whole week, on the Natal Day and Epiphany of Christ, and on the day of Easter and of Pentecost

It is not my purpose here to give a full treatment of the REAL Real History of Christmas. For that I point you to a book Timothy Jay Schwab has previously cited yet has never read, The Antiquities of the Christian Church by Joseph Bingham.

https://archive.org/details/originesecclesi02bing/page/1140/mode/2up

The section of his two-volume work about the festivals and holy days of the early church is unparalleled. He goes right to the sources and shows exactly what the early church taught and practiced in regards to Christmas, the sabbath, the Lord's Day, Easter, and other holy days. It is not at all like what Timothy Jay Schwab claims. But nothing ever is what Tim claims it to be as he is constantly misinterpreting and twisting hi sources to fit his erroneous worldview. 

Retards in the Government 289

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

  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1190910

Operatives of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) anti-scalawag unit have arrested two police officers in Makati City for extorting money from a resident whom they accused of involvement in the theft of automated teller machine (ATM) cards.

Citing a report from the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), the PNP Public Information Office identified the police officers as Pat. Mark Dann Advincula, 32, and Pat. Mark Joseph Segador, 31, both assigned at Sub-Station 6, Makati City Police Station.

The report said joint elements of the IMEG, District Intelligence Division of the Southern Police District (SPD) and Poblacion Substation of Makati City Police Station conducted an entrapment operation at A. Mabini St. Poblacion, Makati City at around 4:30 a.m. Friday.

The complainants identified as Angelica Dacer and Dante Ruanto, both residents of Don Fabian, Quezon City, filed a complaint against Advincula, who was identified through his cellular phone number, which was also the number declared on his PNP personal data sheet, and two unidentified cohorts.

They both alleged that the suspects were extorting money from them.

Investigations showed that on Dec. 8, at about 8:25 p.m. Dacer met a foreigner and befriended her, to which they exchanged numbers.

The following day, she received a message from a different cellular number that invited her to Makati City Police Station where they alleged that there was a complaint by a foreigner about a missing ATM card and money worth PHP130,000.

When she decided to meet the texter somewhere in Makati City, she was accosted by the two police officers onboard a white vehicle with “Pulis” marking without an attached blinker and brought her to sub-station 6 in Makati CPS and confiscated her iPhone.

The two police officers also went to their house in Quezon City and confiscated Ruanto’s iPhone and then they were taken to the Barangay Poblacion and was indicated that they should pay an amount of PHP50,000 in exchange for their two iPhones.

Reportedly, no criminal case was filed against Dacer and Ruanto.

The suspects yielded the PHP1,000 marked money used in the operation, 49 pieces of PHP1,000 bill, two PNP ID cards of the suspects, two motorcycle keys; a Canik pistol with serial number BG 26990; and another Canik pistol, BG 19990 with an inserted magazine.

The report said the arrested policemen and pieces of evidence were taken to the IMEG headquarters for documentation and filing of appropriate charges.

Two cops have been busted for extortion.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/480672/policeman-who-was-into-illegal-gambling-caught-robbing-gasoline-station-in-bohol

An active police officer was arrested after he allegedly robbed a gasoline station in Barangay Poblacion in Trinidad town in Bohol Province on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. 

Police Colonel Lorenzo Alfeche Batuan, police director of Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), identified the suspect as Police Staff Sergeant Conchito Payac, 33, an active desk officer of the Dauis Police Station. 

Payac is a resident of Barangay Aguining, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia in Bohol province. 

“We assure the public that police officer Payac will face the consequences of his actions — both criminal and administrative cases,” Batuan said. 

Complaints of robbery with intimidation and violence against persons, and administrative case are readied against Payac.

In an online interview, Batuan said that the suspect was engaged in illegal gambling, particularly in cockfighting, which perhaps had affected him financially and led him to engage in this crime. 

"He is into illegal gambling. He has fighting cocks. There is a possibility that he could not sustain his needs financially," Batuan said.

Batuan said that Payac was also tagged as responsible in two separate robberies in municipalities of Alicia and Duero in Bohol province on Dec. 1 and 7 respectively, where gasoline stations in those towns were robbed.

The suspect reportedly operates on his own. 

A policeman has been arrested for robbery. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191028

A total of 279 erring police officers have been dismissed from the service since President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assumed office, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday.

Citing latest data, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the figure is among the 1,211 PNP personnel meted with various sanctions from July 1 to Dec. 7, 2022.

The number also includes 79 who were demoted, 427 suspended and 381 personnel who were sanctioned with various penalties such as forfeiture of salary, reprimand, restriction, and withholding of privileges.

“The PNP will never tolerate any irregularity and breach of discipline in the police service. We will always be steadfast in our thrust to discipline our personnel while we value each and everyone’s welfare while serving the Filipino people,” Azurin said.

The PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) has taken an aggressive stance in handling and investigating police personnel who were slapped with administrative charges.

Working hand in hand with the IAS is the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group, whose functions include receiving complaints and information against erring personnel and conducting relevant information-gathering activities, detecting and conducting intelligence buildup on the involvement of PNP personnel in illegal activities, acts of graft and corruption, and other crimes for the conduct of prompt countermeasures, and initiating law enforcement operations against rogue cops.

A total of 279 cops have been dismissed in the past six months. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/854900/doj-to-file-charges-vs-3-cops-over-missing-e-sabong-agent/story/

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday announced that it will file charges against three members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in connection with the disappearance of an e-sabong agent in 2021.

According to the DOJ, the information against Police Staff Sergeant Daryl Panghangaan, Patrolman Roy Navarete, and Patrolman Rigel Brosas for robbery and kidnapping will be filed at the San Pablo City Regional Trial Court.

This stemmed from the alleged abduction of e-sabong agent Ricardo Lasco from his home in Barangay San Lucas, San Pablo City on August 30, 2021.

“During the preliminary investigation, the Investigating panel finds probable cause against respondents Paghangaan, Navarete, and Brosas for robbery and kidnapping of Lasco,” the DOJ said in a briefer.

“These respondents were identified by the complainants,” it added.

Paghangaan, Navarete, and Brosas, along with others, allegedly arrested Lasco in relation to the crime of large-scale estafa filed against him.

His relatives said the PNP members initially introduced themselves as operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation.

They said they also took several valuables from them.

Three PNP officers have been charged in connection with a missing e-sabong agent.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191084

A police sergeant was arrested Sunday for firing his gun indiscriminately in Mangatarem town.

Chief Master Sergeant Raul Cayabyab, a resident of Barangay Olo Cafabrosan, Mangatarem, is now facing criminal and administrative charges for firing his gun multiple times at the JK Resort in nearby Barangay Caviernesan.

Mangatarem Police recovered 42 pieces of fired cartridge cases at the scene; and a nine-millimeter Glock generation 4 gun was seized from Cayabyab.

A cop has been arrested for indiscriminately firing his gun. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/854980/manila-cop-in-hot-water-over-confrontation-with-ust-judo-juniors-team-members/story/

A policeman in Manila is in hot water for allegedly bringing out his service firearm during a confrontation with members of the UST Judo Juniors Team, according to Darlene Cay's report on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

The report said six jubilant members of the team aged 12 to 17 years old were walking along a street in Sampaloc, Manila around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday following a victory in a competition when they were approached by the policeman for being noisy.

(We thought at first that he would just congratulate us, but he was aggressive.)

The policeman allegedly brought out a handcuff and invited the team to board a police mobile. When they students refused, the policeman allegedly brought out his service firearm.

(He held his gun. He said he did that because I was looking at his gun. That's unlikely.)

Another member of the team said they panicked because they did not know what to do.

(We really did not know what to do. Of course we are just kids. Who would want someone to bring out a gun in front of you.)

The students, who were still wearing their uniforms and medals, then contacted their coach.

The policeman, identified as Police Corporal Marvin Castro, apologized to the students and their parents and coaches when they faced each other at the barangay hall.

(They were not listening to me. I was asking them to stop but they would not stop.)

Castro said he felt threatened by the team.

When the parents brought the issue to the police station, a parent said they were urged to just drop the complaint in the spirit of Christmas.

(They asked us to drop the complaint in the spirit of Christmas. They asked us to just talk to Castro because they said he is a good cop. But what if something happened to our children? What about the psychological effect on them?)

The Manila Police District (MPD) is already looking into the incident.

According to MPD director Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon, Castro felt "imminent danger" in the presence of the students.

(We he confronted them, the students moved as if they were about to attack him, which prompted him to hold his gun, according to our station commander. He just made sure that he would be on self-defense. As long as he did not point the gun at somebody, then it shows that he had no intention of firing it.)

Castro has been barred from doing rounds in the area while the investigation is ongoing. He was also asked to surrender his service firearm.

A PNP officer is facing complaints over harassing students. The PNP urged them to drop the matter "in the spirit of Christmas."

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/20/conviction-of-ex-nabcor-officials-affirmed/

The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the conviction for graft and malversation of two former officials of the now-defunct National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR).

Affirmed was the guilty verdict handed down on the cases of former Administrative and Human Resources Manager Encarnita Cristina Munsod, who was also the vice chairperson of the then bids and awards committee (BAC), and former General Services Unit head Romulo M. Relevo.

Their motions to reconsider the decision handed down last Sept. 2 was denied by the anti-graft court.

The cases against them arose from the misuse in 2008 of the P4.85 million priority development assistance fund (PDAF) of the late Eastern Samar Rep. Teodulo “Doloy” M. Coquillla whose case had been dismissed on account of his death.

In convicting Munsod and Relevo, the anti-graft court said their actions caused the illegal transfer of the PDAF from NABCOR to Gabaymasa Development Foundation, Inc. which submitted falsified acceptance and delivery reports, disbursement reports, project proposals, and other important documents.

The conviction of to NABCOR officials in conjunction with the PDAF scandal has been upheld. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/22/retired-municipal-administrator-in-leyte-gunned-down/

A retired municipal administrator of San Isidro, Leyte was killed in an ambush on the national highway in Barangay Libongao, Kananga, Leyte, on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Police identified the victim as Juanita Balmoria Veloso, 77, a resident of Barangay Linao, San Isidro, and sister of San Isidro Mayor Remedio Veloso.

Initial investigation disclosed that the victim, together with driver Edmil Bacay and companion Leleena Veloso, were on board a white Sports Utility Vehicle towards San Isidro from Ormoc City.

Upon reaching Barangay Libongao, men armed with high-powered firearms on board a gray Nissan Navarra pickup truck with license plates ABN-7103 fired several times at the victims’ vehicle.

Juanita, who was sitting at the back of the driver, was hit, while Bacay and Leleena were unharmed.

Leleena ran towards a grassy portion of the road to seek cover while the suspects fled towards the direction of Capoocan, Leyte.

Juanita was declared dead on arrival in a hospital by the attending physician.

A retired municipal administrator has been assassinated. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1705847/ex-cop-shot-dead-in-calamba-city

A former policeman was shot dead Thursday by an unidentified assailant in Calamba City, Laguna province.

Leo James Agpalo, an officer of a security agency, was traveling around 6:15 p.m. aboard his motorcycle along a service road in Barangay Mayapa when the assailant appeared and repeatedly shot him, the police Region 4A said in a report Friday.

Investigators said the killer fled after the shooting and left his target dead.

Police were conducting further investigations to establish the motive behind the murder and identify the killer.

An ex-cop was assassinated by an unknown man for an unknown reason. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1706495/marine-sergeant-dies-in-cotabato-city-gun-attack

An off duty Marine sergeant was killed in a daring daylight gun attack here Sunday, police said.

Major John Vincent Bravo, Cotabato City police station 1 chief, said Marine Sgt. Rodolfo Magno, who is based in Buldon, Maguindanao, was sitting inside his Toyota Vios parked along Moreno Drive, Barangay Rosary Heights 2, waiting for his wife buying some vegetables from a roadside store when two men riding pillion on motorbike arrived.

One of them pulled a caliber .45 pistol and shot Magno three times before fleeing toward Notre Dame Avenue.

Magno died from two bullet wounds on his head and body.

An off-duty Marine has been assassinated for unknown reasons.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Science-Based, Response Changes, and More!

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

Negros Occidental is getting some help to boost their vaccination rate. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1190835

The Negros Occidental provincial government gained the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in its continued efforts to increase coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination among Negrenses.

Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, Thursday said both the UNICEF and the USAID have been deploying social mobilizers in localities with low vaccination rates.

“There are still many unvaccinated individuals but more so, we are lagging behind in our booster doses, (particularly) the second boosters. Our development partners are now helping us for demand generation,” Tumimbang said.

Tumimbang said the UNICEF, with its partner non-government organization, Relief International, have assigned social mobilizers to areas in the cities of Sipalay and Kabankalan and the municipality of Cauayan in the south and in San Carlos City in the north.

He added that USAID’s ReachHealth project has sent similar personnel in the towns of Toboso and Calatrava, also in the north.

“They are the ones creating demand (for vaccines). They convince people to get vaccinated. They focus more on those groups that are still hesitant. Those that their stand can still be reversed. They are giving us good results even just gradually,” Tumimbang said.

He also said that UNICEF has expressed willingness to continue their social mobilization efforts in Negros Occidental up to June next year.

USAID and UNICEF are "creating demand" for vaccines by going out to the far flung villages and convincing people to get the experimental COVID jab. But will they convince them to get the full round including boosters.

Simbang Gabi is starting and face mask usage is a must for some churches. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/854638/face-mask-social-distancing-still-a-must-in-some-churches-during-simbang-gabi/story/

With the start of the anticipated Simbang Gabi on Thursday, December 15, 2022, most churches are already at full capacity. However, mass-goers are still required to follow health and safety protocols such as social distancing and wearing facemasks.

Mariz Umali reported on "24 Oras" that some churches, such as the Manila Cathedral and Quiapo Church, expect more people to attend mass this year compared to last year.

Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Philippine National Police Air Unit (PNP-Au) carried out strict security measures in various churches in Metro Manila.

“We also monitor the security coverage for Simbang Gabi.,” said NCRPO spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Dexter Versola.

 

One thing the pandemic did was expose the weakness of the Philippines health system. To that end the House has finally passed a bill to create a Center for Disease Control. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1190604

A Philippine Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) will soon be created as the bill proposing the new agency was approved on final reading at the House of Representatives.

During Monday's plenary session, a total of 255 lawmakers voted to approve House Bill 6522 creating the CDC, which shall be an agency directly under the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH).

The bill is included in the list of priority legislation mentioned by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his first State of the Nation Address.

The CDC shall be vested with technical authority on forecasting, analysis, strategy, formulation and standards development for the prevention and control of all diseases of public health importance and health security events, whether domestic or international in origin.

The CDC shall coordinate with global CDCs and act as the national focal point of the Philippines for international health regulation (IHR) concerns.

The proposed agency shall implement disease surveillance and field epidemiology activities; perform data collection and analytics; recommend actions for public health threats to appropriate national government bodies; lead public health and risk communications; and strengthen public health laboratories, among others.

The bill also mandates the establishment of the following component centers: Center for Health Statistics (CHS), Center for Epidemiology and Surveillance (CES), Center for Health Evidence (CHE) and Center for Health Laboratories (CHL).

If enacted into law, the President, during public health emergencies, may direct the operations of any privately-owned establishment including, among others, hospitals and medical and health facilities, passenger vessels and other private enterprises, to perform functions and provide support services for public health emergency response.

As laudable and even necessary a CDC may be it will ultimately be another cause of corruption as every bureaucracy in this nation is. 

9 in 10 Pinoys are apparently not paying attention to how the government is handling the waning pandemic and approve of their actions.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1190991

Most Filipinos appreciate the Marcos administration's handling of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), according to the result of the OCTA Research's latest Tugon ng Masa poll.

The survey conducted from Oct. 23 to 27 found that 92 percent of adult Filipinos approve of the government's response to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.

The latest approval score was higher by 10 percent from the 83 percent in March 2022 under the Duterte administration.

Around 49 percent of the respondents said they "truly approve" while 43 percent said they "somewhat approve" of the Marcos administration's Covid-19 response efforts.

Only two percent expressed disapproval while five percent were ambivalent.

How could any sane person approve of how the Marcos administration is handling the COVID-19 situation when he refuses to appoint a DOH secretary? Not to mention that the pandemic is basically over at this point.

The DOH is pushing for importing new bivalent vaccines. Senator Bong Go says they need to make sure no vaccines will be wasted. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/19/bong-go-to-doh-ensure-jabs-wont-be-wasted-in-plans-to-acquire-bivalent-vaccines/

The Department of Health (DOH) should make sure no vaccines would go to waste despite its plan to acquire bivalent COVID-19 vaccines.

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, made the appeal as he expressed concerns over the effectiveness of the vaccines. 

“These bivalent vaccines, first study carefully if it is effective for us now,” Go said in a recent interview in San Nicolas, Batangas.

“There are still vaccines here that have not even been used up, others are already expiring, so I’m sure our health officials know better what to do now. If it is appropriate to buy, will it be necessary?,” Go pointed out.

“Can we convince our countrymen to be injected with it? Not one should be wasted. But the life and health of every Filipino is more important to me. It’s better that we’re ahead so that we won’t be surprised… It’s better that we’re protected from the disease,” he underscored.

DOH Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire had earlier told senators in a Senate hearing that bivalent vaccines are expected to be available in the country by the first quarter of 2023. 

Even the Alliance of Health Workers is urging the DOH to use the remaining jabs by administering a 2nd booster shot.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/20/22/govt-urged-use-remaining-jabs-before-procuring-bivalent-vaccines

A health workers group is urging the Department of Health to use up its remaining stores of COVID-19 vaccines before procuring bivalent vaccines to the Philippines.

Alliance of Health Workers president Robert Mendoza warned that procuring COVID vaccines is "becoming a business" as the government continues to procure more jabs despite existing stock and high vaccine wastage.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said the Philippines may have lost P22 billion after 44 million of its COVID-19 vaccines went to waste due mainly to short shelf life.

"It's like becoming a business...Let's not waste our money. Maybe the bivalent vaccines are no longer needed because the current vaccines are effective," Mendoza said in a TeleRadyo interview.

"Consume that first before buying bivalent vaccines," he added.

Mendoza also confirmed that nearly 600,000 of some 1.1 million health workers in the country have yet to receive a 2nd COVID-19 vaccine booster.

He said many health workers are confident with the protection given by 2 COVID-19 vaccine doses plus a booster shot since many health workers are no longer getting sick.

"Maybe the 2 vaccines they received are enough," he said.

Mendoza also backed a proposal to distribute booster shots to the general population particularly senior citizens and those with co-morbidities.

"Even if you build a house, it should be used properly. It's a shame if it can't be used," he said.

While some health workers may not want a 2nd booster shot they are being made available to a limited part of the population.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1707159/open-second-booster-dose-administration-to-general-public-doh-says-decisions-based-on-science

Decisions of the Department of Health (DOH) are based on science, Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Tuesday when asked why the administration of second booster shots against COVID-19 is still not open for the general public.

Vergeire explained that evidence showed that the second booster dose is effective for vulnerable individuals such as the elderly and persons with comorbidities.

(When we are making decisions and policies in the Department of Health, this is based on evidence. It’s based on science.)

(The current evidence for second boosters shows that it is effective for the elderly, those with comorbidities, the vulnerable sector. So up to now, we are offering the second booster shots only for these groups.)

If the agency could, they would provide the vaccines to everyone to avoid vaccine wastage, said Vergeire. However, she reiterated that their decisions are science-based.

Despite the limited second booster shot administration, the health official assured the public that review of evidence is ongoing.

(Our fellow Filipinos do not need to worry because we continue to review evidence.)

The elderly and those with comorbidites are the two most at risk group for COVID in the first place. Otherwise it's a hardly a deadly virus.

It's only been six months since Marcos took office but that is long enough to analyze his administration's response to the pandemic. So, how are they doing? 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1707088/from-duterte-to-marcos-covid-stays-but-response-changes

The new administration led by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was given six months to prepare and kickstart its COVID-19 response plan before 2022 ended.

As the Marcos administration took over, it inherited a slew of health-related problems from the previous administration, including the task of managing those beyond the administration’s control, mainly COVID.

Before Marcos, the government under then-President Rodrigo Duterte had been criticized for his pronouncements and threats against those who would refuse to comply with his pandemic policies—curfews, lockdowns, and vaccination against SARS Cov2, the virus that causes COVID.

Then President Duterte’s COVID response was made controversial by some of his statements against the unvaccinated.

The Department of Health (DOH), particularly then-Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, also had its share of controversies during the pandemic.

In a bid to address pandemic-related issues left behind by the Duterte administration, Marcos vowed to fix the previous administration’s flaws and shortcomings in the government’s response to COVID-19.

“There were shortcomings in the COVID-19 response. We will fix them, out in the open, no more secrets in public health,” Marcos said at his inaugural speech last June 30.

However, as the year ends, while the Marcos administration has imposed a few pandemic-related policies, it has also fallen short of addressing some key challenges and issues needed to manage COVID.

Aside from keeping his promise not to impose lockdowns in the country this year, Marcos has issued an executive order allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks indoors and outdoors—despite threats and cases of emerging COVID-19 variants and sub-variants.

According to health reform advocate and former special adviser to the National Task Force on COVID-19 Dr. Tony Leachon, Marcos’ decision to ease the use of face masks in the country is an “economic decision.”

When asked what score he would give the Marcos administration for its COVID-19 pandemic response this year, Leachon said he would give it a seven out of ten or 70 percent—higher than the 60 percent score he gave the Duterte administration.

“The [pandemic response during] Duterte administration, with due respect with them, had alleged anomaly,” Leachon explained, citing controversial deals between the DOH and  Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. for overpriced PPE and other COVID items investigated by the Senate last year and the wastage of P31.3 million worth of vaccines.

“[I gave] 70 percent for the Marcos administration because it has not been a full year yet. However, it already had problems such as the lack of a secretary of health, even though his main problem is health,” Leachon explained.

The lack of a health secretary remains a huge problem and it will remain a huge problem every day there is no dedicated DOH Secretary.