MILF-PNP SAF CLASH DESCRIBED AS SLAUGHTER

A SOURCE DESCRIBED WHAT HAPPENED LAST SUNDAY AT MAMASAPANO MAGUINDANAO WHERE MORE THAN 42 MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL ACTION FORCE OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE WERE SUMMARILY EXECUTED BY MEMBERS OF THE MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT (MILF) AS A "SLAUGHTER."

" It was like these cops were sent to the slaughterhouse. Why did I say that, Pat? It's because most of them sustain very close bullet wounds, mostly in the head, signifying execution killings. Is that what you call a mis-encounter?" says the source, a junior officer of the SAF.

Another source, this time a resident of Maguindanao who was a former rebel, now living in relative peace there, says they witnessed that the cops were already inside the camp when the clash happened.  The source says, when some of the cops stopped firing, they reportedly tried to surrender but most were still gunned down.

Those who were still breathing were shot close-range and even beheaded by some members of the MILF.

The cops went inside the camp with a presumption that they were considered "friendlies" by the MILF. What happened is, they were considered "enemies" by members of the MILF, who already entered into an agreement with government.

And that is also the reason why the AFP units from Datu Piang and even the town of Sharif Aguak weren't able to send augmentation forces because they were threatened by the MILF that they would be violating the peace agreement should they send those forces inside the MILF camp.

Likewise, a very high official of government says that there was coordination on the part of the PNP SAF yet was ignored and it was too late already when the AFP learned of this because the PNP SAF elements were already inside the camp and executing their mission.

Their mission, which apparently had the blessings of Malacanan, was to secure the arrests of two international terrorists--Zulkifli al hir or "Marwan" and Basit Usman, both wanted for a string of bombings in Asia. Marwan has a US$5 million bounty upon his head.

Philippine army armory fire linked to on-going guns deal probe in US?

Several fire fighters are still nursing their wounds shortly after being injured in the fire that struck the Philippine army armory yesterday. Military authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.

Witnesses say a powerful blast attended the fire which began at the explosives and ordnance (EOD) battalion building of the Army Support Command (Ascom) inside the Philippine Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

At least twenty five persons were injured. Fortunately, no one died.

Curiously, the fire happened at the time when the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the House of Representatives and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States are investigating the arms deal which involved several military officers and a US Filipino-American senator.

Senator Leland Yee is being probe for trying to smuggle guns from the Philippines to the United States. Reports say, several officers of the AFP are involved in alleged sale of weapons to insurgents. Yee tried and failed to buy those arms from his Fil-am contact, who happens to be an arms dealer.

The dealer confessed that he buys arms from the AFP and sells it to Muslim insurgents.

Now that the fire happened, will this affect the on-going probe?

Coup d'etat against President Aquino

So, there.


A bomb proof and bullet-proof van has been requested for the use of President Benigno S. Aquino III. Congress passed a resolution shortly after Aquino revealed a supposed plot against the administration. Aquino says a group of businessmen and retired military officers close to the previous dispensation has been actively recruiting active military personnel for a putsch against him.


The Armed Forces of the Philippines quickly squelched the rumor. The entire military organisation is solidly behind the president, says the AFP spokesperson. 


If, at all, a plot is indeed in the works, it will never be as bloody as the other coups in the past. It will probably be just another Oakwood, where the soldiers stayed inside hotels, rig the entire place and holed themselves up there to avoid legal complications.


If, at all, a plot indeed exists, it will all be just a video of a retired or an active military officer reading a statement before a video and spread among the enlisted personnel.


Or, if at all, a plot exists, it exists only in the minds of those who seriously think that they did a grievous error against Big Business interests.


Credit that to the open and very liberal policy of this government opening the entire bureaucracy for the interests of Big Business.


Credit that to the existing policy of selling assets of government to Big Business. Everything is up for sale, and if everything is for sale, then, expect groups to jockey themselves up and fight for them.


Credit this also to a very loose and very volatile political environment, and also the lack of a succession plan.


Just how weak democracy is in the country can be seen from the very cavalier way officials treat every single challenge or issue this government faces.


Do we need a stronger democracy for this administration to survive? This is what some people think within the palace.


A stronger democracy is just another way of saying, a stronger hold in government by lessening democratic space. For democracy to protect itself, it should try to subvert its very nature by limiting the space where people move. 


If, at all, a coup do exists, it exists in the very minds of people within government who want to hold more power to control circumstances and make everything favorable.

HEIDI MENDOZA--STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!

To those who love this beautiful country, even though you're married, consider this: THIS IS NOW THE TIME TO CLEANSE THIS NATION FROM ALL FILTH.


Heidi Mendoza's revelations should wake us all up. Mendoza is your average Filipino. She has just realized how crooked and how twisted the minds of these generals are---these generals are not the true servants of the People, nay, they even conspired to rob their fellow soldiers of their monies.


Fact is, those monies were our monies. 


What these revelations tell us? That despite twenty five years under a liberal bourgeois democracy, nothing has changed. Fact is, graft and corruption worsened. 


Those who know of other corruption cases involving not just Generals, but department secretaries and even presidents, please stand up. 


Stand up for your kids, who'll lose their patrimony and their monies because they have been stolen by others.


Stand up for your grand kids. These monsters in uniform, and thieves in barongs are stealing our monies without regard for us and our kids. 


Stand up for this country, this lovely and beautiful Pearl of the Orient which is now being raped and pillage by devils and demons in barungs and amerikanas. 


Stand up for what is right. 


Stand up despite your condition. Stand up for the Cause of Right. Stand up because this is your responsibility to God, Country and your family.


Rise up, o Patriots of the New Generation, rise up! This is the moment to regain the lost glory of the Motherland!

Rear Admiral Angue's Paranoia and the Unrest in the Military

It seems that members of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1978 are feeling the heat. A source within the class has now refused to share with me details on what really happened with their classmate, Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue.

Angue, a two star general, was placed as head of the National Capital Regional Command, a post for a 3-star general. To correct this, the AFP leadership ordered him to vacate his post and head the Western Mindanao Naval Forces, a position fit for a 2-star general like Angue.

Because of this, Angue felt slighted and thought that the action was a demotion. Angue expected to be promoted to 3-star rank. The Defense department and the AFP leadership did not promote him. Since he was not promoted to a higher rank, the leadership decided to place him in a post fit for his rank.

So, you ask me, what's so wrong with that? Nothing, except maybe Angue felt harangued by other military officers close to Defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin. Angue wanted the public to believe that he is a professional soldier now being ganged up by politicians in soldiers' uniforms. He is probably feeling the heat, since their class lost one valuable backer in the person of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Angue's paranoia has failed him. Angue pictured something sinister and issued veiled threats of a possible unrest or coup d'etat. He also described the promotion system right now being instituted in the AFP as a "pointer system" instead of a merit based one.

The "pointer system", according to Angue, is based on someone's closeness with the powers-that -be. If you're close to the center of power, you'll be "pointed" to the next post.

What is so new about Angue's paranoia? Nothing, except that he and his fellow classmates are now not the beneficiaries of this "pointer system." Maybe Angue is not used to being left outside the circle of power and desires to once again, enjoy the trappings of power which their class enjoyed during the time of former president Arroyo.

And Angue, mind you, has a conspiracy theory of his own---the political actions made by some generals during the May 10, 2010 elections. Angue said that some generals supported several politicians during the last elections. Is this new? Obviously not. Remember that during the 2004 elections, several of Angue's classmates supported former president Gloria Arroyo and were even involved in that controversy, now popularly known as Hello Garci.

So now, is Angue a professional soldier par excellence? No. Angue is like a spoiled brat denied of his candy. He probably thinks that we are still living under the Arroyo administration, a weak and illegitimate government that is always victimized by several pressure groups, including the military. Angue is so used to instituting strong arm tactics, that he now finds it extremely difficult to pressue the new administration to "toe his line" instead of him, toeing the official line. That even puts his entire record in question.

Yet, imagine the humiliation Angue got from his Commander in Chief. Yesterday, President Aquino berated Angue and told him to shut his mouth and obey his orders. A soldier who does not obey his orders can be cited with insubordination.

Angue has two options---fight it out with the current system by showing his true merit and grit, or resign his post and opt for early retirement. As a veteran, he can now indulge in his favorite pastime which is politics.

Or, as several people say, Angue has another option---do a Trillianes and go to a hotel and announced a coup. By that, Angue's eyes will definitely be opened and his mouth shut forever. And that probably will cure his paranoia.

The New Pinoy Soldier

There is no doubt about it---the Filipino soldier is a professional one. Despite the numerous scandals within the military establishment, and these are very serious ones linked to fund misuse and lack of uniforms and resources, the soldier remains loyal to the Constitution and the Filipino People.

The question that always come to mind is this--will the Filipino soldier still remain loyal to the chain of command despite very clear signs that the very authority that he is expected to follow is the very same one sabotaging the very democracy he is supposed to protect?

The loyalty of the Filipino soldier rest on the true power of this Nation--the Filipino People. This rings loud and clear in the Constitution, the truest expression of the People's Will. When civilian authority bamboozle this revered document, mock it and destroy it just to suit personal whims and political caprices, will the soldier be a gentleman and fight those who mock, destroy and despise the very Constitution that he has sworn to protect?

Yes. The Pinoy soldier is bound by his obedience to institutions, not personages. He is duty-bound to protect the institutions of democracy, not those who run it.

The Pinoy soldier is responsible for the protection of the pillars of democracy by which everything stands firm. The Pinoy soldier is a creature of democracy, the very reason he exists is simply to protect the institutions of governance from being destroyed by those elected or appointed as custodians of public service.

When civilian elites fight among themselves, the Pinoy soldier is expected to stay by the Constitution and the institutions it has created. When the very same Constitution is being slowly corrupted by those responsible for its custody, the Pinoy soldier is responsible for keeping the peace.

When democracy is threatened by the intense in-fighting between and among civilian elites, the Pinoy soldier is expected to preserve democracy by governing the institutions by which democracy stands firm.

Golf Putsch

A handful of active military generals and some businessmen have revived their Camp Aguinaldo golfing sessions. Not that they don't have anything to do. Fact is, these people are so rich, they have time to waste for some nice rounds in the fairways of this military camp.

And they are not talking about those hot and sizzling billboards of Angel Locsin along C-5 and that in Balintawak. They are talking about the future of this country.

A source, one of those privy to these golf sessions, revealed to this writer that these generals are planning to install a military government. Yes, a quasi-dictatorship. They already have their plans laid out but the question that remains to them is very, very simple---when and how to counter-act the expected public outrage that this action of theirs will result to.

These men are fond of the Lady by the murky waters of the Pasig. She serves as a willing bimbo, a foil, to mask their acts.  They have benefitted immensely through their friendship with the Lady. They owe their stars to Madame. And they're extremely confident of success since they have an ideologue backing them up.

This ideologue commands a vast army of intellectuals who are convinced that the next government should strictly be a Council of hand-picked civilians and military men. They cannot accept the fact that their poster girl will now retire in a barrio called Lubao. Without their poster girl, the real powers and shakers will be revealed. They will lose their foil. Plus of course, her husband seemed content in his role as a backroom operator of willing puppets hungry for power and of course, money.

And why are they interested of running this country of 90 million Filipinos? Simple. This administration has laid out so many projects, costing billions of dollars. This is the pot. This is what they are after. And with the prospects of a vast field of oil in Sulu and Palawan, they cannot allow others to benefit from this huge booty. Plus, of course, the prospect of billions worth of dollars more coming from foreign investors.

This country has a huge economic prospect but a very weak government. The weakness of this government is being exploited by the uber rich down to the janitor. There is no strong hegemon that keeps the peace. They see themselves as that Power.

What will they do in the next couple of weeks?

First, they will intensify the war in Mindanao. Yesterday, the AFP already said that within 60 days they will do all they can to annihilate the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). While the war simmers in Sulu and Basilan, these will effectively hide the REAL ACTION IN MINDANAO, which is the government spending spree amounting to 10 BILLION PESOS. Obviously, media will shift their attention. Instead of talking about this anomaly, they will cover war.

Second, bombings and assassinations will also intensify in various parts of the country. And lastly, they will then pay some media professionals to counter-act their enemies.

Net---we have an intra-elite war in the offing. Brace yourselves my friends,this is quite messy, and possibly, bloody.

Power Crisis in the Philippines

Our country is encountering a power crisis, not just because our dams are starting to dry up, but the elites and the counter-elites of this tiny Republic are maneuvering for power. Again, a struggle for dominance is in the offing, participated by Big Business, military and political elites.

And the group who will be more trusting than the other will lose this power struggle.

The simmering heat brought by this struggle is confined in the halls of the palace and in some hotel room somewhere in Manila and in Hongkong. And like what happens to things either artificially or naturally heated, it will cause boils and will eventually burst at the seams.

Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has promised before magistrates and foreign governments that she will keep her word and allow this elections to push thru. And she did. Arroyo signed the papers allowing the automation of this elections and Smartmatic-TIM already delivered their end of the bargain. More than 80,000 optimal reading machines were delivered, albeit, late for a few weeks. Nonetheless, they delivered.

Arroyo herself went to the poll body and filed her COC, another indication that she meant well. Arroyo ordered the military and the police to go after armed groups and even asked the DOJ to file murder charges against her foremost supporter in Mindanao. For the past few weeks, Arroyo did everything in her power to compromise, even at the point of weakening her hold on to political power.

What her detractors worry, and this is not a simple matter, is Mrs. Arroyo continues to show contempt against calls for her not to appoint a new AFP chief and a New Supreme Court justice. Groups did their jobs, using the media to communicate their opposition to Arroyo and even went as far as daring her to exercise delicadeza.

As what Singaporeans say, no can do.

Mrs. Arroyo appointed Lt. General Delfin Bangit as head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Bangit, as we all know, is a very close associate of Mrs. Arroyo. He served Arroyo well as the country's head of the PSG and the intelligence service of the military. His phenomenal rise to power is a classic case in the military promotional system.

Bangit's promotion affected Generals Rodolfo Maclang and Vice admiral Virgilio Marayag's, as well as Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) commander, Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez and Vice Admiral Leonardo Calderon, PMA Superintendent, are members of PMA class 76, two years Bangit’s senior.


Aside from PMA Class 76, Bangit also bypassed a number of senior officers belonging to PMA Class 77.

It is expected that Mrs. Arroyo will also turn down calls for her not to appoint the replacement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno. Seemed that Mrs. Arroyo will appoint Justice Corona, her former Chief of Staff when she was still vice president, to the top SC post.

Really, its expected for someone like Mrs. Arroyo to secure both posts due to their sensitivity.

If you control the law and the armed forces, you practically control the entire State. Which, to my mind, is something very natural for a President to do.

What is so disturbing and so unnatural to all of these is simply the timing. The President will be leaving her post of 9 years in May 2010. There is this thing called "integrity" of the elections.

Bangit is a highly decorated and professional officer and he deserves it. Same goes to other members of PMA class 1978.

Yet, many believe that their quick ascension to power was actually brought by political patronage rather than professional accomplishments.

How will this administration confidently say before the public that they are pushing for clean elections when the very enforcer of the law once was accused of complicity in electoral fraud? You really don't appoint someone with a highly doubtful character to hold a very sensitive post at this transitional juncture in the nation's history. Everybody knows that the success or failure of this electoral exercise will either make or break the entire Republic. Everyone knows how the public feels about this elections, that more than 76% of the People will militate against their government if this elections fail especially in the credibility department.

It would have been better if Mrs. Arroyo extended Ibrado's and Puno's terms and just allow the next president to appoint people who enjoy his confidence.

Will Ibrado render the same loyalty to the next president? And will Corona be as impartial as his predecessor when it comes to graft cases filed against the Arroyos shortly after this administration?

Can it be that this administration knows that this elections will fail and it wants to maintain a hold of power in the event of an uprising due to a tainted and dishonest polls?

Or, as some say, this maneuverings were meant to assure the poll victory of the administration bet who remains to be very loyal to the sitting one?

It seemed that this administration is preparing for a hold-over capacity, given the very high probability of a non-proclamation of winners in the national posts.

A very high government official told a group of importers and businessmen that the prospect of a "no-proc" remains since these machines are vulnerable either to software red hat attacks or physical sabotage.

In a "no-proc" scenario, it may very well lead to a " power vacuum", which, as Enrile says, can only be resolved by the intervention of military elites. A military elite who favors a hold over of power by the Arroyo administration is the end of all these which will definitely be opposed by counter-elites and the People. Obviously, this counters what the US wants in the Philippines, since it is clearly the policy of the Obama administration to ensure a clean, honest and non-violent elections.

Villar intends to spend 15 billion pesos for guns and bullets

For offending the military top brass when he led Nacionalista party candidates in a virtual campaign sortie inside Camp Aguinaldo, presidential bet Senator Manny Villar promises to give 15 billion pesos to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should he win in this year's elections.

So, there. This early, Villar is starting to politicize members of the country's armed forces, dangling them a meaty 15 billion pesos, just to win this elections.

And who will be the next sector to be courted and promised billions by the wealthiest presidential candidate in Philippine history?

Will it be the urban poor? I hope so.

We have 25 million urban poor families, whose needs are ASAP, more than the military who needs more arms and ammunition. Which sector will Villar prioritize when he becomes president? Seems that this early, Villar's priorities are as warped as his television commercials.

Will it be the farmers and the fishermen who are now being affected by global warming and inadequate government support? I hope so.

More than guns and bullets that Villar wants to give the military, that 15 billion pesos carrot which he dangled before the top brass should have been promised to the rural sector which is now suffering from extreme poverty? Fifteen billion pesos-es are more than enough to modernize our agricultural sector and enable us to leap to the 21st century.

Will it be the workers who continue to suffer from low wages and oppressive situations? I darn hope he will.

Fifteen billion pesos are more than enough to create more jobs for the jobless, stable wages for the employed and spur growth to less urban or less developed areas.

This is the first time that Manny Villar cited a figure to give a certain sector if he wins the elections. And evidently, Villar was forced to do so.

Will the urban poor, the farmers and the fishermen do something very drastic before Villar ultimately give or promise to give them a certain amount like what he did with the military?

I hope it will not amount to that.

Update on Oplan August Moon

Malacanang and the Civil Relations service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines just denied the purported self-coup called Oplan August Moon. The palace spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said that there's no such plan. While AFP Spokesman Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. also denied it.

Of course, they'll deny it but in Philippine society, chismis or what we call malicious or loose talk is more often than not, partially true.

Oplan August Moon, as some sources say, intends to shorten the term of AFP Chief of Staff General Victor Ibrado. The plan reportedly involves black ops teams whose mission is to "create a scenario of destabilization". This scenario involves alleged bombings, assasinations and rise of criminal activity within July onto August 6. Malacanang and the AFP will blame the Jemaah Islamiyah for these things.

August 6, as sources say, is the start of the campaign against Ibrado to culminate either in a forceful seizure of power to install a "revolutionary government" headed by Mrs. Arroyo or force a resignation of Ibrado come the first week of October 2009. Malacanang will blame Ibrado for an alleged failure to instill discipline among the ranks. One option, says these sources, is for the self-coup to fail and they'll point to Ibrado as the one who headed it. That will surely force the C-S to resign. When that happens, Lt. General Delfin Bangit will succeed him to the C-S post.

Ibrado, as some of these people say, will suffer the same fate as that of General Danny Lim.

These plotters, as sources say, intend to justify their move using the failure of the poll automation as an ideological platform. In truth, what this group intends is to prolong the term of Mrs. Arroyo's regime through martial rule. They will use this issue to justify their action.

Likewise, there is truth to talks that some ideologues in Malacanang are thinking about this option in view of the fact that Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. just lost 47 Congressmen, mostly from Lakas, in the charter change fight. These Congressmen, as some insiders within the Lower House say, will withdraw their signatures from House Resolution 1109.

The plan reportedly by the palace to use Senator Lito Lapid to attend a session in Congress seems credible. Lapid reportedly will attend a session shortly after the SONA to try and express the support of the Senate. His presence will be used by cha-cha adherents to justify the convening of Congress. However, there's a problem. They now lack the required number of Congressmen to support HR 1109.

So, some sources say, palace hawks and ideologues are shifting gears---from the legal to the criminal. And they would surely fail, says Senator Ping Lacson. They will be courting death.

A coup needs the support of junior military officers. The key here is for junior officers to withdraw their support, as some sources suggest, from the chain of command. Military officers have the right not to act upon an illegal order. This is the only way for this self-coup to fail, and fail miserably.

Yano retires to become Ambassador

Why the sudden haste for AFP Chief of Staff Alex Yano to abandon the AFP Top post on May 1? Yano is retiring one month early to give way to new AFP Chief of Staff Ibrado. As I said in my previous post, Ibrado is just a bogey to allow Mrs. Arroyo's hatchet man, Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit to assume the top command in the May 2010. Ibrado will also retire one month early, on February 2010 to allow Bangit to assume full control of the military during the 2010 elections.

Why Bangit as AFP Chief of Staff in 2010? Two reasons: First, to take an active part in the administration victory in 2010 and two, to assume top command in the event of a declaration of a State of Emergency or worst, martial rule should a failure of elections happen.

Bangit is this administration's final option for a term extension.

As we speak, Yano is preparing for his "graceful" exit from the military to an ambassadorial post in Brunei Darussalam. Yano will be joining the growing ranks of ex-military men in the bureaucracy.

Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro said that Yano will be a fitting member of the diplomatic corps and will serve as a crucial cog of the government panel in negotiations with Brunei Darussalam.

What Teodoro is NOT saying is this---Yano opted to retire early to save face. After Teodoro's announcement of Ibrado's appointment, Yano became a "lame duck". Projects and plans are not submitted to Yano's office anymore. Poor Yano. The professional soldier has been politicized.

Coup-Me and Nograles use of back door tactics

While most of us huddle in our tambayans, speculating on what really happened to Trina Etong, a group of politicians are busy trying to invent ways on how to circumvent the Constitution and for what? Speaker Prospero Nograles' group is trying to "test the waters" so to speak so that his proposal to allow foreign ownership of Philippine lands pass Congressional scrutiny. Nograles wants to include a proviso in his proposal by delimiting the coverage of the change in the charter "by just this one---change in the economic provisions". And he wants his theory tested by allowing his detractors to file a Constitutional question before the Supreme Court, confident that, in the end, it would be the "kampihan" (camaraderie) that would prevail instead of plain and simple, katarungan (justice).

It is an elementary principle in Constitutional Law that any change in the charter shall only be done in either a Constitutional convention or a Constituent Assembly. Changes cannot be piecemeal and deemed enacted by legislative or executive fiat. It must undergo a process whereby all members of Congress (both the Senate and the Lower House, voting separately) are involved. As contemplated by the Constitutionalists, the House will gather its votes and decide, while at the same time, the Senate votes as a collegial body. If the measure passes in the House but is rejected by the Senate, then, it not deemed enacted. Rather, it would be brought back to the House and the same procedure happens again.

It would be easier if Congress allows a Constitutional Convention, which, by the lack of time, is impossible to happen if the desire is simply to extend the term of Mrs. Arroyo.

Nograles just wants to use the back door in order to complete his mission for the Arroyos. He knows that his neck is on the line on this one and he does'nt want to disappoint his benefactor, Mike and his son, Mikey Arroyo. It's quite obvious though that he'll fail since majority of the LAKAS-CMD and some members of the KAMPI disagree with efforts to amend the charter at this time. In fact, LAKAS-CMD spokesman Juan Miguel Zubiri and even Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio have been telling Nograles and his cohorts to abandon charter change and concentrate on fortifying the administration block to prevent an expected Opposition win in 2010.

With so little time left, Nograles has no other option but to force the issue down our very throats. He'll proceed by testing the waters and armed with 187 votes, he'll try to ram his ridiculous suggestion and then, throw the ball to the Supreme Court. That's a shrewed way of telling Malacanang that he's like Pontius Pilate, washing his filthy hands and distancing himself from the unpopular decision.

And Nograles and his ilk might simply succeed in their tug of war. Otherwise, if all stops are lifted, Arroyo's devilish clan, especially those hawks in the palace, might simply proceed with their Plan B, which is subject the entire country under martial law thru a "God Save the Dirty Queen."

A "God Save the Queen" scenario is not entirely far-fetched given that Mrs. Arroyo already got the complete loyalty of the AFP generals and even the police. The fact that PMA Class 1978, the class who gave Mrs. Arroyo her honorary class membership has now ascended the highest echelons of power and is poised to dominate both the AFP and the PNP this year and the next shows opportunity. This opportunity is not to be wasted by Mrs. Arroyo, no, because what's involved here is basically either a life of continuous glory or a fate worst than death.

The only way for Mrs. Arroyo to lose that opportunity is by being deprived of that opportunity. Obviously, the ascendancy of this class should be deterred, prevented and/or hindered at all costs by the New Patriots of the New Generation. Mrs. Arroyo and her ilk should be stopped at all costs; otherwise, the Nation faces the prospect of another ten years under the ignominious rule of the devil enfant.

Red Cross Hostages Watch 1

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) just got information that the Abu Sayyaf Group has just abandoned their Indanan camp, split into four groups and is still holding the hostages. Reports say that Andreas Notter has either been wounded or killed during a firefight. An alleged Singaporean terrorist is helping the terrorists, serving as their "interpreter", according to DILG Secretary Ronnie Puno.

AFP Task Force spokeman Edgard Arevalo said that the leadership is still looking for "signs of life", following conflicting reports that one of the three hostages has either been killed or wounded during the flight of the terror group from Indanan to a still unknown location.

There are, however, various reports from the ground confirming that, indeed, one or all of the hostages have already been killed by the group.

This is most distressing and shows the apparent disregard of the government on the lives of the hostages.

Yet, it is most appalling that the Abu Sayyaf Group just chose to sacrifice the lives of these innocent souls for the sake of self-preservation. Reports, yet unvalidated, say that the hostages were shot point-blank when the group was abandoning their camp and assuming defensive positions somewhere.

The death of the hostages serve as a reminder of the brutality of this group in pursuit of an ideal totally violative of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Noble Qu'ran.

Yet, this is an even more glaring example of how this government bungle such a delicate matter of international concern. That simple gentleman's agreement between Senator Richard Gordon and ASG sub-commander Al Bader Parad should have been followed strictly by a testosterone-filled and war-freaked military who just broke the chain of command by not pulling out troops in those identified areas.

What the ASG is just trying to communicate is simply allow some "breathing room" for backroom negotiations to start. Yet, the military's desire to assault them has proved to be the hardest thing for this government to do.

Hope still flickers. Since these reports remain "unvalidated" New Philippine Revolution urges all the faithful, both Muslims and the People of the Book to pray for the safety of these innocents.

Innocent souls, like these Three Red Cross hostages, should not be made a party to this conflict. The war of Bangsamoro liberation is a local matter. The purity of the struggle under the Banner of Islam is now tainted by the souls of these innocents whose only desire is to dedicate their lives for the sake of the poor, the orphans and the widows in their affliction.

If our brother Muslims there in the mountains of Sulu think that, by getting these hostages, they are following the tenets of what Allah SWT said, let me remind them of this:

" Say (O Muhammad, PBUH) " Shall We Tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?

Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds."

(Surah 18:103-104, Noble Qu'ran)

For good deeds to be accepted, it must follow two basic conditions: First, while doing these deeds, it must be for the glory of Allah SWT not to show-off or to gain praise or fame; second, a deed must be performed in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. Aishah said that the Messenger (PBUH) said, ` If somebody innovates something which is not present in our religion, then, that thing will be rejected' (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3 , Hadith no. 861).

Is it a good deed to waste the lives of innocents, tell me, my brothers? The killing of innocents during a time of war is an innovation. Such thing will not be accepted.

The glory of fighting is when you fight the real enemies, not perceived ones. Fight those who oppress the Muslim Ummah; those who make lives miserable to the Bangsamoro. Fight those who bear arms to see the destruction of Islam, not those whose deeds are for the service of the poor, the orphans and the widows in their affliction.

Where's the Marines?

Today, 27 soldiers who reportedly participated in the failed February 2006 coup were arraigned. They were charged, among others, of violating the Articles of War when they instigated an uprising. Some of these soldiers are members of the elite Philippine Marines.

This day, two members of the Philippine Marines were arrested after a failed kidnapping of a Chinese businessman in Southern Metro Manila. These Marines were caught red-handed when they were receiving the ransom money from an undercover cop.

Also, some members of the group Magdalo were sworn into office as drug intelligence agents. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency head and former AFP Chief of Staff Dionisio Santiago said that these idealistic officers are the new force that would smash these drug syndicates to smithereens. Drug syndicates, he says, are now fearful of these officers because they'll fight it out with these scums.

I'm citing these news reports because I want to highlight what has happened so far in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Despite government propaganda that the AFP is strong, united and of "high morale", these news brings sadness to me. I am not a member of the AFP nor the PNP, but I do sympathize with a lot of them since I think they're the most neglected, the poorest and the most abused sector in Pinoy society.

Why the most neglected? Look at the ordinary Marine and compare him with his Asian counterparts. He does't have an armor. He's using a rusty M-16 and he lacks the necessary equipment to protect himself against the powerful arms of his enemies. He does not even have a decent shoe nor a helmet to protect his head from bullets.

He rides a first generation Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) or a hand-me down tank that kills its occupants when attacked. He also flies on Hueys (which I had the (mis) fortune of riding above Maguindanao during Erap's time), derisively referred to as "flying coffins". And worst, the creme of the creme uses 2nd generation jets that can't sustain an hour of fighting against jets of other Asian countries.

He's the poorest because his salary can't really keep a family of three alive. He depends on his loan association which can't even provide the monies he needs for his family to survive. The soldier is like a government teacher, except that a soldier can't sell stuff during recess.

He's the most abused. When a former general such as retired General Jovito Palparan needs help, he can summon active men to the field and takeover any mining firm. He's used in elections to safeguard votes. He's also used to coerce voters to vote against their will and was even seen to have influenced a national election through the use of force and fraud. Worst, the lowly soldier is even used as "decoration" or as "personal bodyguards" by landlords, aristocrats and corrupt government officials.

Such is the fate of the Philippine soldier. When some of them act to change the system, they're arrested and jailed.

What had happened to the illustrious and battle-hardened Philippine marines? Before, this force used to be regarded highly by the people. Now, some of them have turned into bandits, kidnappers and petty criminals. What happened? Before, they're the most idealistic, the corps with the highest morale? Now, they're the most underpaid, the most abused, the poorest and the most demoralized outfit of the AFP. Why? What caused this slide into ignominy?

39 Years of Revolutionary Struggle

Tomorrow, December 26, the Communist Party of the Philippines will be celebrating its 39th anniversary. CPP Chairman Armando Liwanag said that the revolutionary movement, the longest insurgency in the world, next to the Shining Path, continues to gain strength. The AFP issued a statement which said that the CPP-NPA-NDF has lost considerable troop strength from a high of 7,000 to a little above the 6,000. This, the AFP says, owes to the current administration's continued armed campaign to decimate the CPP-NPA-NDF by 2010.

Bold words, bad actions.

Obviously, the AFP cannot really kill the CPP-NPA-NDF. First, the AFP continues to have a very low trust rating with the people due to allegations of human rights violations. Second, the AFP is suffering setbacks after setbacks in the battlefield. The Marines, the creme de la creme of the armed establishment suffers from low morale. The corps suffers from battle fatigue and morale due to continued defeats against the Muslim mujaheddins in Sulu, Basilan and some parts of Mindanao. And third, in other theaters of war in the Philippine archipelago, the Army has suffered numerous deaths due to ambuscades and attacks on its camps.

The Reality

The reality is, the CPP-NPA-NDF will continue to exist even beyond Arroyo. For as long as the AFP remains under the weak leadership of an illegitimate leader, there will be major defeats in the field. Soldiers will die by the hundreds and more by the wayside. This is because the CPP-NPA-NDF and other insurgent groups continue to innovate. Note the message by Joma:

Sison said the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the CPP, is "gaining strength and advancing."

"It is increasing its platoon-size and company-size offensives and is looking forward to the building of mobile and more effective regional centers of gravity and to the development of relatively stable base areas on the basis of the guerrilla fronts," Sison said in a statement. (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 25 December 2007)

Note this statement--the CPP-NPA-NDF is building mobile and more effective regional centers of gravity--meaning it is shifting from a regularized, standardized army setup to a more attuned guerilla setup. What it means is that the CPP-NPA-NDF will try to do some insurrectionary activities which punctuate its actions during the Marcos dictatorship. Expect more assassinations, bombings and other urban insurrectionary actions against the Establishment. This is indicative or an indirect admission that the revolutionary struggle should involve more urban attacks than being concentrated in the countrysides.

More about security issues for 2008 for the Philippines in my next blog.