US Losing the War?
By Erick San A. San Juan
The world has entered a new kind of war, a new phase that is far reaching even in the remote areas of the globe. The internet age has set the new arena for a global war,the global information war. And guess what, who admitted that they are losing this new war in the cyber space? Uncle Sam through his Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Sec. Clinton in her presentation before the US Congress, (can be seen on youtube.com of Russia Today) defending the 47 billion dollars budget for the State Department, declared that the US is losing in the global information war. She cited that CNN and BBC are cutting back while the television network of Russia, China, Iran and South America led by Venezuela, are the ones winning the info war. Based on the report of Russia Today, RT is getting almost 300 million views on you tube compared to CNN with only 3 million views.
This only shows that there is a clamor for more alternative media that will give fresh viewpoints on major issues and not be dependent on the American mainstream media. Given the fact that the US international broadcast department is getting a budget that is far bigger than RT, Iran’s press TV and Telesur combined, they are still losing the info war. What went wrong? Is the world fed up with the globalists constant feeding of lies and obvious bias towards deception?
Right after the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center tragedy, the US mainstream and all those who parroted its line, conveniently dragged the whole world into believing that the culprit was Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda group. They supported the railroaded 9/11 Commission investigation report in the process.
This big lie prompted the alternative media through the internet, to search for the truth and thus created lot of blogs, websites and videos exposing the deception. To date, there are around 156 million websites (including blog sites) in the internet.
The surge in the number of websites is already a proof that the information war has started in full scale. Even the social network sites are being used as showground for some advocacy groups endorsing different point of views about the latest issues around the world.
This is the beauty of the internet, as I always say, we can exchange information around the globe in seconds. Even our radio broadcast can now be heard worldwide through live streaming (http://dwss-am.mellow947.fm/ daily from 4:30 to 5 p.m.) and also our blog (www.ericksanjuan.blogspot.com) where we post our articles and several video/audio archives of our past radio programs.
Here at home, we cannot ignore the growing need for information coming from different point of views and reputable sources. That is why there are groups advocating the need for freedom of information where people can have access to important data that can affect the lives of every Filipino.
Soon there's a possibility of a law that will censor the internet and punish people using the cyber space as propaganda tool in their advocacy. If we are a truly a democratic country, we will allow such freedom and be thankful enough that there are people like us giving out information that are nowhere to be found on mainstream media and the likes.
We have to admit the shift to a multipolar kind of interaction among peoples of the world in order to neutralize some networks in carrying out their daily spins of deception.
Like what has been already said, “money alone will not provide worldwide media clout”.
This could be a reminder to government's, that no matter how expensive the PR agency that you will hire to polish an adminisltration’s image, the bottom line is still how you perform in your daily duties and obligations to the people. Those who understands the situation are tired of being taken for a ride every time. Now with the help of the internet, a growing number of patriotic and vigilant individuals can make that big difference.
We should learn how to read between the lines......
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sans South, Sans Sovereignty
Sans South, Sans Sovereignty
By Erick San Juan
The truth behind the saga on the anomalies in the Armed Forces of the Philippines seems to be nowhere in sight as some of the people allegedly involved are being attacked by hypertension and selective amnesia. As we all wait and see as to what could be the end to this storytelling-a-lie, the nine-month old administration of PNoy should be on the look out on what is developing in the south.
This writer never stopped reminding our people especially our government (through writing: www.ericksanjuan.blogspot.com and our daily radio show at DWSS 1494khz AM @ 4:30pm) that MinTSuPala – Mindanao, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Palawan, is where our riches are and should be protected from foreign interventions. If there's foreign interests, we should get what's due us.
The country’s past administrations’ mistakes in letting our military to be dependent on US support should be corrected as soon as possible. Or else, it would be too late for we will all be drawn into a war and possibly be a battleground for a regional conflict. And, all our resources will disappear in the process.
Let me cite some crucial events here: The global war on terror myth was launched through the 'Operation Enduring Freedom', the name applied to the Central Asian campaign in which the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF-P) was created here in the Philippines. The task force — without engaging in direct combat — has "advised and assisted" the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
This so called task force has been in our territory through a virtual military base stationed in Camp Navarro since 2002. Over the years, the JSOTF-P has conducted activities here in the guise as humanitarian purposes. That’s what they kept on saying since then.
Based on the research of Focus on the Global South in 2007 titled, "Unconventional Warfare: Are US Special Forces Engaged in an `Offensive' War in the Philippines?"
(http://www.focusweb.org/index.php/).
It said, it had "gathered pronouncements by US troops themselves who have gone on record to say that their mission in (Mindanao) is `unconventional warfare' – a US military term that encompasses combat operations."
"With the Philippine government not giving a definite exit date, and with US officials stating that this unit – composed of between 100 to 500 troops depending on the season – will stay on as long as they are allowed by the government, it is presumed that it will continue to be based in the Philippines for an indefinite period," the statement read.
"Beyond being involved in the war, Focus draws attention to this unit having effectively established a new kind of basing in the Philippines," it said.
Since the previous administration did allow the stay of this special task force, it went further with its additional task of helping the Coast Watch South. The Coast Watch South project’s aim is “To provide centralized maritime surveillance and response in the waters of the Southern Philippines in order to facilitate the movement of desirable people and goods and prevent the entry and exit of dangerous goods and other lawless elements.”
According to reports, Coast Watch South entails sustained maritime surveillance and maritime patrols involving ships and planes on known routes being used by terrorist groups in going in and out of the country.
Areas covered by the Coast Watch South are the long shorelines and vast sea-lanes of Davao, Sarangani, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
This effort is presently being undertaken under the Fleet-Marine concept with direct participation of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Marines as well as the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
Also (like the VFA) with the US Pacific Command, this US funded project plus the assistance from the Australian government, will guard the southern backdoor used by alleged international terrorist groups. Specifically, they are going to assist us in putting up radar stations in the Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi archipelago and the eastern part of Mindanao.
What was omitted here are Palawan and the Balabac island which are both strategically located. Balabac island is in the same geographic region in the Sulu Seas and that the island is astride the Palawan Passage to the South China Sea where China has various listening posts in the Spratly islands chain and the Paracel islands.
That is why the military operations in Balabac are meant to be a prelude to the ramping of a jointly-run military installation or listening post with the US in the Sulu Sea and guarding the gateway to the South China Sea in the Palawan Passage. (from luwaran.net)
The efforts taken by the Arroyo government that implemented Coast Watch South with full support of the Pentagon, with Australian and British government on the side, the vast wealth in MinTSuPala is very much secured…. by our “foreign friends”. This is the real reason behind this US-funded program.
Coast Watch South is reportedly guarding our wealth and rest assured that they are doing their best.
C’mon, wake up Pinoy! And PNoy(President Noy)! Are we going to allow another chubibo(circus)? We never learned from our VFA experience. Remember, without the MinTSuPala, there is no sovereignty for the rest of the archipelago. Beware: Balkanization is still on.
By Erick San Juan
The truth behind the saga on the anomalies in the Armed Forces of the Philippines seems to be nowhere in sight as some of the people allegedly involved are being attacked by hypertension and selective amnesia. As we all wait and see as to what could be the end to this storytelling-a-lie, the nine-month old administration of PNoy should be on the look out on what is developing in the south.
This writer never stopped reminding our people especially our government (through writing: www.ericksanjuan.blogspot.com and our daily radio show at DWSS 1494khz AM @ 4:30pm) that MinTSuPala – Mindanao, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Palawan, is where our riches are and should be protected from foreign interventions. If there's foreign interests, we should get what's due us.
The country’s past administrations’ mistakes in letting our military to be dependent on US support should be corrected as soon as possible. Or else, it would be too late for we will all be drawn into a war and possibly be a battleground for a regional conflict. And, all our resources will disappear in the process.
Let me cite some crucial events here: The global war on terror myth was launched through the 'Operation Enduring Freedom', the name applied to the Central Asian campaign in which the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF-P) was created here in the Philippines. The task force — without engaging in direct combat — has "advised and assisted" the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
This so called task force has been in our territory through a virtual military base stationed in Camp Navarro since 2002. Over the years, the JSOTF-P has conducted activities here in the guise as humanitarian purposes. That’s what they kept on saying since then.
Based on the research of Focus on the Global South in 2007 titled, "Unconventional Warfare: Are US Special Forces Engaged in an `Offensive' War in the Philippines?"
(http://www.focusweb.org/index.php/).
It said, it had "gathered pronouncements by US troops themselves who have gone on record to say that their mission in (Mindanao) is `unconventional warfare' – a US military term that encompasses combat operations."
"With the Philippine government not giving a definite exit date, and with US officials stating that this unit – composed of between 100 to 500 troops depending on the season – will stay on as long as they are allowed by the government, it is presumed that it will continue to be based in the Philippines for an indefinite period," the statement read.
"Beyond being involved in the war, Focus draws attention to this unit having effectively established a new kind of basing in the Philippines," it said.
Since the previous administration did allow the stay of this special task force, it went further with its additional task of helping the Coast Watch South. The Coast Watch South project’s aim is “To provide centralized maritime surveillance and response in the waters of the Southern Philippines in order to facilitate the movement of desirable people and goods and prevent the entry and exit of dangerous goods and other lawless elements.”
According to reports, Coast Watch South entails sustained maritime surveillance and maritime patrols involving ships and planes on known routes being used by terrorist groups in going in and out of the country.
Areas covered by the Coast Watch South are the long shorelines and vast sea-lanes of Davao, Sarangani, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
This effort is presently being undertaken under the Fleet-Marine concept with direct participation of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Marines as well as the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
Also (like the VFA) with the US Pacific Command, this US funded project plus the assistance from the Australian government, will guard the southern backdoor used by alleged international terrorist groups. Specifically, they are going to assist us in putting up radar stations in the Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi archipelago and the eastern part of Mindanao.
What was omitted here are Palawan and the Balabac island which are both strategically located. Balabac island is in the same geographic region in the Sulu Seas and that the island is astride the Palawan Passage to the South China Sea where China has various listening posts in the Spratly islands chain and the Paracel islands.
That is why the military operations in Balabac are meant to be a prelude to the ramping of a jointly-run military installation or listening post with the US in the Sulu Sea and guarding the gateway to the South China Sea in the Palawan Passage. (from luwaran.net)
The efforts taken by the Arroyo government that implemented Coast Watch South with full support of the Pentagon, with Australian and British government on the side, the vast wealth in MinTSuPala is very much secured…. by our “foreign friends”. This is the real reason behind this US-funded program.
Coast Watch South is reportedly guarding our wealth and rest assured that they are doing their best.
C’mon, wake up Pinoy! And PNoy(President Noy)! Are we going to allow another chubibo(circus)? We never learned from our VFA experience. Remember, without the MinTSuPala, there is no sovereignty for the rest of the archipelago. Beware: Balkanization is still on.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Healing the Nation, Lets Get Our Act Together!
Healing the Nation, Lets Get Our Act Together!
By Erick San Juan
The hope of many Filipinos that the EDSA 1 People Power anniversary celebration by the present administration could be an opportunity but has turned out to be a dividing force again. Instead of setting an example of how a true leader and a statesman should act, the two juniors of the past presidents failed at that and engaged in a word war instead.
Our country just can’t afford to be caught up in the middle of this petty and childish show of disunity in the midst of so many problems here and abroad. Because of the blunders recently committed by several people in the government, so many of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) had suffered the consequences..
We can’t blame our modern day heroes for the obvious reason that it is becoming a trend. For the past decades, the government is no longer functioning as it should be, it can neither give decent jobs to our citizens. Our OFWs are always at the losing end especially when diplomatic ties between the Philippines and other countries are in jeopardy.
If not for this reason, like what is happening now in the Middle Eastern countries and in North Africa, a lot of our OFWs are caught in the middle of violent unrest. These events should serve as a wake up call to our government officials who seem caught sleeping in their posts. OFWs are complaining for delayed help and assistance in saving them from
possible danger and threat. There seems to be no contingency plan at all. If there is any, how come that there were so many complaints from the families of the OFWs? What's happening now is your word against mine. But who will the people believe?
PNoy’s administration is being put to test again here. The perception is, this government is in the "service" for eight months now biut it still groping for ways to solve such
problems? We are talking of so many lives here in danger. These are the people working hard abroad to earn money to keep our economy afloat. And yet, they are the ones being neglected when they need the government’s assistance. What happened to the OWWA funds?
Instead of engaging in rhetoric and too many praise releases, our country’s leaders should unite the Filipinos and act as one to help in facing the difficulties ahead. We are living in these very exciting times. It is no joke at all as of how events are unfolding right before our eyes.
For whoever is orchestrating these scenarios, the whole world is being drag to regional and global conflicts not of our liking. They already started in the oil-rich regions through regime change. But we haven’t seen nothing yet. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. Whether we like it or not, we have to get our acts together and brace ourselves for a possible confluence of events.
As of this writing, China is still trying to contain the growing clamor towards unrest in what they call "Jasmine Revolution",an oplan or name borrowed from the Tunisian revolt that set off the Middle East turmoil.. Activists, possibly from outside China, have called on the citizenry in China to express their displeasure at the country’s lack of reforms and officials’ corruption. The scenario being instigated was to silently meet in front of department stores or other public areas to make a build up of critical mass for a national resistance that can bring change.
God forbid, if the globalists are orchestrating the same method of destabilization here in our region, Philippines will be caught unprepared. That is why we are asking every Filipino to commit in helping unite this country. Enough of those political bickerings and focus on nonsense issues. We have to move towards a common goal of saving this nation to survive this impending crisis. We have to heal old wounds and move forward to unification. Unless we do these things fast, we will all end up disunited and
face a mutually assured destruction.
We will not stop with our advocacy to unite for the common good as what we always say in our daily radio show (now in our new home DWSS 1494khz AM band @ http://dwss-am.mellow947.fm 4:30 pm).
We must all be vigilant and pray harder that we can overcome
all these. God save our country!
By Erick San Juan
The hope of many Filipinos that the EDSA 1 People Power anniversary celebration by the present administration could be an opportunity but has turned out to be a dividing force again. Instead of setting an example of how a true leader and a statesman should act, the two juniors of the past presidents failed at that and engaged in a word war instead.
Our country just can’t afford to be caught up in the middle of this petty and childish show of disunity in the midst of so many problems here and abroad. Because of the blunders recently committed by several people in the government, so many of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) had suffered the consequences..
We can’t blame our modern day heroes for the obvious reason that it is becoming a trend. For the past decades, the government is no longer functioning as it should be, it can neither give decent jobs to our citizens. Our OFWs are always at the losing end especially when diplomatic ties between the Philippines and other countries are in jeopardy.
If not for this reason, like what is happening now in the Middle Eastern countries and in North Africa, a lot of our OFWs are caught in the middle of violent unrest. These events should serve as a wake up call to our government officials who seem caught sleeping in their posts. OFWs are complaining for delayed help and assistance in saving them from
possible danger and threat. There seems to be no contingency plan at all. If there is any, how come that there were so many complaints from the families of the OFWs? What's happening now is your word against mine. But who will the people believe?
PNoy’s administration is being put to test again here. The perception is, this government is in the "service" for eight months now biut it still groping for ways to solve such
problems? We are talking of so many lives here in danger. These are the people working hard abroad to earn money to keep our economy afloat. And yet, they are the ones being neglected when they need the government’s assistance. What happened to the OWWA funds?
Instead of engaging in rhetoric and too many praise releases, our country’s leaders should unite the Filipinos and act as one to help in facing the difficulties ahead. We are living in these very exciting times. It is no joke at all as of how events are unfolding right before our eyes.
For whoever is orchestrating these scenarios, the whole world is being drag to regional and global conflicts not of our liking. They already started in the oil-rich regions through regime change. But we haven’t seen nothing yet. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. Whether we like it or not, we have to get our acts together and brace ourselves for a possible confluence of events.
As of this writing, China is still trying to contain the growing clamor towards unrest in what they call "Jasmine Revolution",an oplan or name borrowed from the Tunisian revolt that set off the Middle East turmoil.. Activists, possibly from outside China, have called on the citizenry in China to express their displeasure at the country’s lack of reforms and officials’ corruption. The scenario being instigated was to silently meet in front of department stores or other public areas to make a build up of critical mass for a national resistance that can bring change.
God forbid, if the globalists are orchestrating the same method of destabilization here in our region, Philippines will be caught unprepared. That is why we are asking every Filipino to commit in helping unite this country. Enough of those political bickerings and focus on nonsense issues. We have to move towards a common goal of saving this nation to survive this impending crisis. We have to heal old wounds and move forward to unification. Unless we do these things fast, we will all end up disunited and
face a mutually assured destruction.
We will not stop with our advocacy to unite for the common good as what we always say in our daily radio show (now in our new home DWSS 1494khz AM band @ http://dwss-am.mellow947.fm 4:30 pm).
We must all be vigilant and pray harder that we can overcome
all these. God save our country!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
When Public Accountability Matters
When Public Accountability Matters
By Erick San Juan
When there’s smoke, there’s fire, so goes the saying. I am referring here of the issue raised by Senator Miriam Santiago that “China may ask a number of things, which include an agreement on their stand on the Spratly Islands, the termination of the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement, or a joint program between the Chinese and the Philippine armed forces.” She added that international relations do not just involve wooing another country.
This matter should be taken into consideration in the light of how geostrategy works in dealing with controversial issues like the contested areas in the South China Sea.
But sad to say, another blunder has led to this comment regarding Spratley Islands. To quote : But what if China does not grant the request? Anxious to please the President, DFA sources said Philippine Ambassador to China, Francisco Benedicto indicated in a meeting with Chinese officials that the Philippines is willing to drop the Spratleys in exchange for the freedom of the Filipino drug mules.
A source said it was disaster. Benedicto has been recalled. Malacanang is on the lookout for a new ambassador to China. (Source : http://www.ellentordesillas.com/ )
Truly a disaster. How could anyone give such a tactless comment to such crucial issue? This blunder from a government official, if the said account is true, is a big no no in diplomatic relations especially matters concerning national interest and security for that matter.
This administration has been committing several mistakes lately and the rest of the nation can’t help but to speculate that indeed there’s no one minding the store. And we can’t blame the citizenry for the eventualities. These blunders can drag the whole nation into a mutually assured destruction in the process.
Another point raised by Anti-crime advocate Teresita Ang-See is that the country should have tolerated the execution of 3 Filipinos on death row, out of respect to the laws of China. Because the drug mules (and their families at that) knew that they were dealing with drug syndicates. Ms. Ang-See served as an interpreter for the Chinese authorities
who investigated the cases.
In these cases, our government should act fast and execute the people here who helped them leave the airport. As what Ms. Ang-See reported, that all 3 admitted during the case proceedings that they did not pass through the x-ray machines at the airport.
The above mentioned situations clearly indicate the need for public official’s accountability, from the highest to the lowest positions in government. Unless this administration do something about this, future mistakes might be too great that we will all be sorry soon.
Now that everything has been said and done, PNoy and all the Filipinos here and abroad, are held hostage (as how Ang-See put it) by the mistakes of the few irresponsible people.
Wake up, PNoy! Some people around you should not deceive the country by praise releases, that we are doing well in our diplomatic relations. We are not! The glaring truth is all over the media, here and abroad. The perceived solutions are pure rhetoric and its creating more problems.
Our diplomatic relations with Bejing and Washington must be handled by qualified diplomats and who understand very well the undercurrents that goes with it. There is no room for mistakes here, we had too much already.
This is not like a walk in the park, remember Mr. President, “kapag nalubak ka, buong bansa damay!”
By Erick San Juan
When there’s smoke, there’s fire, so goes the saying. I am referring here of the issue raised by Senator Miriam Santiago that “China may ask a number of things, which include an agreement on their stand on the Spratly Islands, the termination of the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement, or a joint program between the Chinese and the Philippine armed forces.” She added that international relations do not just involve wooing another country.
This matter should be taken into consideration in the light of how geostrategy works in dealing with controversial issues like the contested areas in the South China Sea.
But sad to say, another blunder has led to this comment regarding Spratley Islands. To quote : But what if China does not grant the request? Anxious to please the President, DFA sources said Philippine Ambassador to China, Francisco Benedicto indicated in a meeting with Chinese officials that the Philippines is willing to drop the Spratleys in exchange for the freedom of the Filipino drug mules.
A source said it was disaster. Benedicto has been recalled. Malacanang is on the lookout for a new ambassador to China. (Source : http://www.ellentordesillas.com/ )
Truly a disaster. How could anyone give such a tactless comment to such crucial issue? This blunder from a government official, if the said account is true, is a big no no in diplomatic relations especially matters concerning national interest and security for that matter.
This administration has been committing several mistakes lately and the rest of the nation can’t help but to speculate that indeed there’s no one minding the store. And we can’t blame the citizenry for the eventualities. These blunders can drag the whole nation into a mutually assured destruction in the process.
Another point raised by Anti-crime advocate Teresita Ang-See is that the country should have tolerated the execution of 3 Filipinos on death row, out of respect to the laws of China. Because the drug mules (and their families at that) knew that they were dealing with drug syndicates. Ms. Ang-See served as an interpreter for the Chinese authorities
who investigated the cases.
In these cases, our government should act fast and execute the people here who helped them leave the airport. As what Ms. Ang-See reported, that all 3 admitted during the case proceedings that they did not pass through the x-ray machines at the airport.
The above mentioned situations clearly indicate the need for public official’s accountability, from the highest to the lowest positions in government. Unless this administration do something about this, future mistakes might be too great that we will all be sorry soon.
Now that everything has been said and done, PNoy and all the Filipinos here and abroad, are held hostage (as how Ang-See put it) by the mistakes of the few irresponsible people.
Wake up, PNoy! Some people around you should not deceive the country by praise releases, that we are doing well in our diplomatic relations. We are not! The glaring truth is all over the media, here and abroad. The perceived solutions are pure rhetoric and its creating more problems.
Our diplomatic relations with Bejing and Washington must be handled by qualified diplomats and who understand very well the undercurrents that goes with it. There is no room for mistakes here, we had too much already.
This is not like a walk in the park, remember Mr. President, “kapag nalubak ka, buong bansa damay!”
Monday, February 21, 2011
What is Behind the New Peace Talks?
What is Behind the New Peace Talks?
By Erick San Juan
The first formal peace negotiation between the Government of
the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under the
present administration was held last February 9 – 10 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It is the 20th formal exploratory talks and the first informal talks
was held last January 13, 2011.
The planned exploratory talks pushed through amidst the MILF
infighting and possibly another breakaway group in the offing through the leadership
of Ameril Umbra Kato. It was earlier cited that Kato is out to form a separate
military which he called Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
The alleged formation of a new armed group by Umbra Kato to
continue the struggle for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao
is somehow designed to disrupt the ongoing formal talks. Such infighting among
the MILF commanders should be taken seriously if the purpose of the government
is to resolve the age-old insurgency in the south.
Any development that the government will implement in Mindanao
would be in vain if groups like that of Kato’s will prevail. Remember that in
2008 Kato is one of the two MILF senior commanders who launched deadly attacks
across mostly Christian communities in Mindanao. The
said attacks happened after the Supreme Court released its decision that the
MOA-AD Bangsamoro Juridical Entity was unconstitutional. The attacks left
nearly 400 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, and a possibility of a
repeat of such incident is not far-fetched.
We could sense some underlying agenda here when the MILF
announced that they cut down the number of villages it wants to be included in
its proposed autonomous Bangsamoro territory in Mindanao
to 7 to 9 percent of its original
historical claim. Then the government through GRP chief negotiator Marvic Leonen somehow in defense
of the said proposal, said that “it does not seek independence or secession
from the Republic of the Philippines”
after he got back from Kuala Lumpur.
It could be perceived as pure rhetorics again in order to
justify another possible MOA-AD BJE in the offing. The rest of us should be
wary as to what is not being talked about here in the open and I smell
something fishy here.
As of this writing, there are clamors from different NGOs
and the Palace, to postpone the August 2011 election in the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and pushing to
synchronize it with the national and local elections in 2013.
Under the bill drafted by Malacañang, the next regular
elections for the regional governor, vice governor, members of the regional
legislative assembly of the ARMM shall be held on the second Monday of May
2013. They will have a three- year term.
It also stated that the incumbent elective officials of the
ARMM shall hold office only until Sep. 30, 2011 when the President appoints officers-in-charge, who will
be in post until the next officials are elected.
Is this move to postpone the ARMM election has something to
do with the MILF’s agenda in the peace talks? There is still so much time given
here until 2013 and ample time to carry out whatever plans they have in mind. The
fear of some Filipinos of a possible balkanization of Mindanao
is not farfetched. Speculations are free as long as there is no transparency.
PNoy’s administration should live up to its promise of
transparency and most of all accountability. These are badly needed when the
sovereignty as one nation united is being threatened again by greedy
individuals.
Be strong and steadfast, Mr. President or this country will end
up disunited and only a few will benefit in the process.
By Erick San Juan
The first formal peace negotiation between the Government of
the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under the
present administration was held last February 9 – 10 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It is the 20th formal exploratory talks and the first informal talks
was held last January 13, 2011.
The planned exploratory talks pushed through amidst the MILF
infighting and possibly another breakaway group in the offing through the leadership
of Ameril Umbra Kato. It was earlier cited that Kato is out to form a separate
military which he called Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
The alleged formation of a new armed group by Umbra Kato to
continue the struggle for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao
is somehow designed to disrupt the ongoing formal talks. Such infighting among
the MILF commanders should be taken seriously if the purpose of the government
is to resolve the age-old insurgency in the south.
Any development that the government will implement in Mindanao
would be in vain if groups like that of Kato’s will prevail. Remember that in
2008 Kato is one of the two MILF senior commanders who launched deadly attacks
across mostly Christian communities in Mindanao. The
said attacks happened after the Supreme Court released its decision that the
MOA-AD Bangsamoro Juridical Entity was unconstitutional. The attacks left
nearly 400 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, and a possibility of a
repeat of such incident is not far-fetched.
We could sense some underlying agenda here when the MILF
announced that they cut down the number of villages it wants to be included in
its proposed autonomous Bangsamoro territory in Mindanao
to 7 to 9 percent of its original
historical claim. Then the government through GRP chief negotiator Marvic Leonen somehow in defense
of the said proposal, said that “it does not seek independence or secession
from the Republic of the Philippines”
after he got back from Kuala Lumpur.
It could be perceived as pure rhetorics again in order to
justify another possible MOA-AD BJE in the offing. The rest of us should be
wary as to what is not being talked about here in the open and I smell
something fishy here.
As of this writing, there are clamors from different NGOs
and the Palace, to postpone the August 2011 election in the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and pushing to
synchronize it with the national and local elections in 2013.
Under the bill drafted by Malacañang, the next regular
elections for the regional governor, vice governor, members of the regional
legislative assembly of the ARMM shall be held on the second Monday of May
2013. They will have a three- year term.
It also stated that the incumbent elective officials of the
ARMM shall hold office only until Sep. 30, 2011 when the President appoints officers-in-charge, who will
be in post until the next officials are elected.
Is this move to postpone the ARMM election has something to
do with the MILF’s agenda in the peace talks? There is still so much time given
here until 2013 and ample time to carry out whatever plans they have in mind. The
fear of some Filipinos of a possible balkanization of Mindanao
is not farfetched. Speculations are free as long as there is no transparency.
PNoy’s administration should live up to its promise of
transparency and most of all accountability. These are badly needed when the
sovereignty as one nation united is being threatened again by greedy
individuals.
Be strong and steadfast, Mr. President or this country will end
up disunited and only a few will benefit in the process.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Blunder Strikes Again
Blunder Strikes Again by Erick San Juan
The administration of President Benigno Aquino III is being put to test again when it comes to foreign policy and diplomacy, and so is the rest of the nation. The Filipino people are again divided on their views of the recent event, the deportation of the 14 Taiwanese nationals suspected of fraud to China for crimes against Chinese nationals.
As what most ordinary Filipinos said through the internet, this could be strike three for PNoy’s administration. First, the Manila bus hostage crisis followed by the controversial boycott by our country of the Nobel peace prize awarding. The said events call for the expertise of professionals in the field of foreign policy.
I recall the fear of some critics at the start of PNoy’s governance, that the people around him (including PNoy himself) are not capable of handling situations like this and might end up creating more problems in the process.
The modern global diplomacy coupled with the fast high technology means of communication had to be dealt with caution amongst leaders of the world. Diplomats and government functionaries should see the connection between the weight of public opinion and effective international policy-making. In the situations I mentioned, public opinion was too loud to be discredited, like what happened with Hongkongers and now with the Taiwanese people. The Aquino government should stop releasing statements that might put the country in jeopardy, especially those coming from his cabinet officials.
The undercurrents in this recent episode in Philippines foreign policy is too deep that this administration’s move had to be taken with great caution. Although we uphold the reason of the government that we have to protect our national interests, still there are a lot of factors to be considered especially our overseas Filipino workers (OFW) working there.
As of this writing, an emissary will be sent to Taiwan (with unofficial capacity) and this move will somehow settle the doubts clouding the issue at hand and will explain further the said deportation to China by our government.
And for the part of Taiwan, its government has called for the immediate forging of a mutual legal assistance agreement with the Philippines to shield its nationals against unlawful arrests and deportations to third countries.
In a statement sent to the Daily Tribune by the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (Teco), Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Manila explained that such legal bilateral mechanism would allow the Philippines and Taiwan to assist each other in the investigative, prosecutorial and judicial processes related to criminal matters involving their respective nationals.
“To prevent such undesirable consequences from happening again in the future, an agreement on mutual judicial assistance between Taiwan and the Philippines should be concluded as soon as possible,” the Teco statement said. (Daily Tribune 2/14/2011)
These move signifies that governments can always find ways to solve such problems. Compromises between power centers could remain a matter of calculating interests in the hope of avoiding conflicts and for maintaining peace in this region.
For the sake of this country’s survival through the remittances of our OFWs, the government should do its homework so as not to repeat the same mistake.
There are now several flashpoints in the region like the ongoing clash between the Thai and the Cambodian troops but ours could worsen if our government will not be wary. There's a false flag operation which could lead to attacks especially in Mindanao where our GRP panel insists in dealing with the MILF whose leadership is questioned by the faction of Ameril Umbra Kato. Kumander Kato created his own militia named BIFF-Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, after the the failure of the MOA-AD (memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain).
The arrival of the USS Blue Ridge, the mother ship of the 7th Fleet, make some of our politicians jitter and become suspicious. Pundits believe that aircraft carriers will not deployed unnecessarily if there's no turbulence in the region. When the late president, Ferdinand Marcos was ousted, the 7th Fleet was nearby. Before the ouster of Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, there was a concentration of naval capacity in the middle east region, all in the immediate proximity to Egypt and the middle east theater especially the Red Sea (www.zerohedge.com).
The ongoing investigation of corrupt practices in the government and the military could also trigger chaos especially if the corruptors and their hired PR people will be successful in stopping the investigations in respect "kuno" of Gen. Angelo Reyes "sacrifice" by killing himself.
Let's be watchful and vigilant for a possible confluence of events.
The administration of President Benigno Aquino III is being put to test again when it comes to foreign policy and diplomacy, and so is the rest of the nation. The Filipino people are again divided on their views of the recent event, the deportation of the 14 Taiwanese nationals suspected of fraud to China for crimes against Chinese nationals.
As what most ordinary Filipinos said through the internet, this could be strike three for PNoy’s administration. First, the Manila bus hostage crisis followed by the controversial boycott by our country of the Nobel peace prize awarding. The said events call for the expertise of professionals in the field of foreign policy.
I recall the fear of some critics at the start of PNoy’s governance, that the people around him (including PNoy himself) are not capable of handling situations like this and might end up creating more problems in the process.
The modern global diplomacy coupled with the fast high technology means of communication had to be dealt with caution amongst leaders of the world. Diplomats and government functionaries should see the connection between the weight of public opinion and effective international policy-making. In the situations I mentioned, public opinion was too loud to be discredited, like what happened with Hongkongers and now with the Taiwanese people. The Aquino government should stop releasing statements that might put the country in jeopardy, especially those coming from his cabinet officials.
The undercurrents in this recent episode in Philippines foreign policy is too deep that this administration’s move had to be taken with great caution. Although we uphold the reason of the government that we have to protect our national interests, still there are a lot of factors to be considered especially our overseas Filipino workers (OFW) working there.
As of this writing, an emissary will be sent to Taiwan (with unofficial capacity) and this move will somehow settle the doubts clouding the issue at hand and will explain further the said deportation to China by our government.
And for the part of Taiwan, its government has called for the immediate forging of a mutual legal assistance agreement with the Philippines to shield its nationals against unlawful arrests and deportations to third countries.
In a statement sent to the Daily Tribune by the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (Teco), Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Manila explained that such legal bilateral mechanism would allow the Philippines and Taiwan to assist each other in the investigative, prosecutorial and judicial processes related to criminal matters involving their respective nationals.
“To prevent such undesirable consequences from happening again in the future, an agreement on mutual judicial assistance between Taiwan and the Philippines should be concluded as soon as possible,” the Teco statement said. (Daily Tribune 2/14/2011)
These move signifies that governments can always find ways to solve such problems. Compromises between power centers could remain a matter of calculating interests in the hope of avoiding conflicts and for maintaining peace in this region.
For the sake of this country’s survival through the remittances of our OFWs, the government should do its homework so as not to repeat the same mistake.
There are now several flashpoints in the region like the ongoing clash between the Thai and the Cambodian troops but ours could worsen if our government will not be wary. There's a false flag operation which could lead to attacks especially in Mindanao where our GRP panel insists in dealing with the MILF whose leadership is questioned by the faction of Ameril Umbra Kato. Kumander Kato created his own militia named BIFF-Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, after the the failure of the MOA-AD (memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain).
The arrival of the USS Blue Ridge, the mother ship of the 7th Fleet, make some of our politicians jitter and become suspicious. Pundits believe that aircraft carriers will not deployed unnecessarily if there's no turbulence in the region. When the late president, Ferdinand Marcos was ousted, the 7th Fleet was nearby. Before the ouster of Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, there was a concentration of naval capacity in the middle east region, all in the immediate proximity to Egypt and the middle east theater especially the Red Sea (www.zerohedge.com).
The ongoing investigation of corrupt practices in the government and the military could also trigger chaos especially if the corruptors and their hired PR people will be successful in stopping the investigations in respect "kuno" of Gen. Angelo Reyes "sacrifice" by killing himself.
Let's be watchful and vigilant for a possible confluence of events.
Monday, February 7, 2011
State-Sponsored Terrorists Created Corruption
State-Sponsored Terrorists Created Corruption
By Erick A. San Juan
It was seven years and six months when the Magdalo group occupied Oakwood and aired their grievances against the corruption in the military and in the government. With the events unfolding, one can still hear the words of the Magdalo saying :
“A number of soldiers have died, and even more are going to die in a war that they do not plan to end. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been caught helpless in the crossfire. They do not want the war to end so that it will continue to be a milking cow of greedy and treacherous officials in the AFP and in the government.”
“We have experienced the true situation of our soldiers. We have shared hardships and sacrifices in the face of an armed conflict, but the support we need against the jaws of death have been pocketed by a few leaders looking out only for their selfish interests.”
One year after the Magdalo officers said this, Gen. Carlos Garcia, the AFP comptroller, and other high-ranking officers were found to have diverted to their personal funds money that should have replaced the worn-out boots of soldiers.
It is indeed a vindication for these soldiers who fought long and hard in the field of corruption against an administration then, tainted with so many controversial scandals.
What this present administration must be wary of is this - They do not want the war to end so that it will continue to be a milking cow of greedy and treacherous officials in the AFP and in the government.” If this is the case, it is but logical to ask, who started such war? If it is for the alleged benefit of some few corrupt officials, every administration in the past has tolerated such wrongdoing. Added to that, is the presence of the US troops ever since, may it be against the secessionist, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, etc. that made the matter worst!
Those who uphold the presence of the US troops in the south via the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) should stop parroting the line that they are helping in the fight against the lawless elements through training and military modernization through “grants” or whatever they want to call it. In effect, with the opening of the Pandora’s box, releasing the hidden hundreds of millions of pesos being pocketed by some corrupt military and government officials, it is now time to seriously consider the fate of this “agreement”.
Uncle Sam’s global war on terror justifies every reason that there is really a threat from the terrorists in our territory and actually benefiting the need for more funds to implement the so called war in the process. Just like in the global context, the superpower wanted this outside enemy in order to justify its preemptive war against sovereign nations. Who wants to kill the goose that lays the golden egg anyway?
This writer will not get tired of reminding people especially those in the Palace that the alleged benefits that we are getting from the VFA are just full of BS and now it’s becoming a war for the convenience and enrichment of the few while the poor soldiers on the ground are the ones suffering. Is it that hard to comprehend? The mortal sins of these few grafters were pocketing the money of the United Nations and the Abu Sayyaf's. This is a no-no to the globalists.
If this administration is sincere for the reason they were put into power, now is the time to make a firm stand or all of us will suffer soon.
The deaths of our best soldiers and a lot of civilians for several years now are enough reasons to put an end to this endless clash that had put a lot of cash into the pockets of the greedy.
I have to remind our leaders on how the globalists operate. They will tolerate greed and corruption but when the day of reckoning comes, they will dump these leaders, dictators or officials like a hot potato like what they did to Marcos,etc. The current ousted leaders in the middle east like Ben Ali of Tunisia and soon Egypt President Hosni Mubarak, an ever loyal ally of the Americans are good example of these crisis by design. Let's watch how the cookie crumbles in North Africa and the Middle East.
By Erick A. San Juan
It was seven years and six months when the Magdalo group occupied Oakwood and aired their grievances against the corruption in the military and in the government. With the events unfolding, one can still hear the words of the Magdalo saying :
“A number of soldiers have died, and even more are going to die in a war that they do not plan to end. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been caught helpless in the crossfire. They do not want the war to end so that it will continue to be a milking cow of greedy and treacherous officials in the AFP and in the government.”
“We have experienced the true situation of our soldiers. We have shared hardships and sacrifices in the face of an armed conflict, but the support we need against the jaws of death have been pocketed by a few leaders looking out only for their selfish interests.”
One year after the Magdalo officers said this, Gen. Carlos Garcia, the AFP comptroller, and other high-ranking officers were found to have diverted to their personal funds money that should have replaced the worn-out boots of soldiers.
It is indeed a vindication for these soldiers who fought long and hard in the field of corruption against an administration then, tainted with so many controversial scandals.
What this present administration must be wary of is this - They do not want the war to end so that it will continue to be a milking cow of greedy and treacherous officials in the AFP and in the government.” If this is the case, it is but logical to ask, who started such war? If it is for the alleged benefit of some few corrupt officials, every administration in the past has tolerated such wrongdoing. Added to that, is the presence of the US troops ever since, may it be against the secessionist, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, etc. that made the matter worst!
Those who uphold the presence of the US troops in the south via the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) should stop parroting the line that they are helping in the fight against the lawless elements through training and military modernization through “grants” or whatever they want to call it. In effect, with the opening of the Pandora’s box, releasing the hidden hundreds of millions of pesos being pocketed by some corrupt military and government officials, it is now time to seriously consider the fate of this “agreement”.
Uncle Sam’s global war on terror justifies every reason that there is really a threat from the terrorists in our territory and actually benefiting the need for more funds to implement the so called war in the process. Just like in the global context, the superpower wanted this outside enemy in order to justify its preemptive war against sovereign nations. Who wants to kill the goose that lays the golden egg anyway?
This writer will not get tired of reminding people especially those in the Palace that the alleged benefits that we are getting from the VFA are just full of BS and now it’s becoming a war for the convenience and enrichment of the few while the poor soldiers on the ground are the ones suffering. Is it that hard to comprehend? The mortal sins of these few grafters were pocketing the money of the United Nations and the Abu Sayyaf's. This is a no-no to the globalists.
If this administration is sincere for the reason they were put into power, now is the time to make a firm stand or all of us will suffer soon.
The deaths of our best soldiers and a lot of civilians for several years now are enough reasons to put an end to this endless clash that had put a lot of cash into the pockets of the greedy.
I have to remind our leaders on how the globalists operate. They will tolerate greed and corruption but when the day of reckoning comes, they will dump these leaders, dictators or officials like a hot potato like what they did to Marcos,etc. The current ousted leaders in the middle east like Ben Ali of Tunisia and soon Egypt President Hosni Mubarak, an ever loyal ally of the Americans are good example of these crisis by design. Let's watch how the cookie crumbles in North Africa and the Middle East.
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