Lessons SAF could learn from the U.S Navy SEAL

 By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

The Mamasapano, Maguindano operation by the Special Action Force (SAF) was an almost botched raid. Its saving grace, thanks to the U.S Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), CIA's mole in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, drone, and night vision goggles, was the finding, killing, and photo taking of Malaysian bomb maker, Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, and cutting off one of his right fingers for DNA processing by the Americans. 

United States' Elite Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) 

Photo Credit: www. earthlyissues.com

Marwan, considered as consummate master bomber, has a $5 million (P235 million) bounty from the U.S State Department.

Likewise, the strategy employed in the Mamasapano (geez, I used to jog in the 1980s at the nearby Awang, Dinaig Airport with my military father) slaughters of the 44 British Army SAS (Special Air Service) inspired Filipinos elite SAF members could not be likened to the SEAL’s feat in Abbottabad, Pakistan where No. 1 Islamist terrorist Osama Bin Ladin perished in the double tapped bullets of the SEAL’s Heckler & Koch 416 assault rifle.

The U.S commando there were borne by two stealth UH-60 Black Hawks and two CH-47 Chinooks from  Jalalabad, Afghanistan to Pakistan while the 300 SAF traveled surreptitiously by foot through their sturdy boots to the target area.

The only stealth operation in the Philippines that until now remains unexposed was when the 1996 multi-billion pesos funds for the  AFP Modernization Act under Republic Act 7898  were pocketed by government officials during that time.

The monies used to purchase a squadron of F-16 Falcon's multi-role fighter jets, modern helicopters probably like the non-stealth UH-60 Black Hawks, frigates, tanks, others were lost after a huge chunk of the lands in Fort Bonifacio was sold by the government to the present owners of the burgeoning and bustling Global City in Taguig City. If you disagree what those scoundrels on the Bonifacio’s deal had done was stealth, then we can settle that it was a “steal” , son of a gun, in chutzpah.

PMAyers call PD Biay: “Military” rites to 2 dead commandos

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Just like what the U.S military have been doing to their fallen comrades, members of the Philippine Military Academy in the Philippine National Police call Police Provincial Director of Pangasinan to hold a hero's welcome and a dignified police burial rite to two members of the elite members of the Special Action Force who died last January 25 in Maguindanao province.

The 44 caskets of the Philippines' commandos who perished in an encounter
with Muslim rebels in Mindanao are carried by pall bearers.

Senior Superintendent Eric Noble, chief comptroller at the police regional office in San Fernando City, La Union, said just like what former Pangasinan Police Provincial Director (PPD) Senior Supt. Marlou Chan had done to the remains of SAF’s PO2 Christopher Hernaez  in San Quintin, Pangasinan, he wishes Senior Supt. Rey Biay, Pangasinan PPD, to emulate just like what the Americans have been honoring their heroes who died in combat.

Hernandez perished in September, 2012 fighting the Moro National Liberation Front in Zamboanga City.
(You can accessed that story at http://wwwmortzcortigoza.blogspot.com/2013/09/psinan-witness-safs-heros-burial.html )

Noble also said Police Regional Office's Region 1 Director Chief Supt. Roman Felix, a SAF and a pilot, intimated to him the two dead commandos should be given a police welcome and funeral.

Felix, Chan, Biay, and Noble are all graduates of the Philippine Military Academy.

A military or police entombment may feature guards of honour, the firing of volley shots as a salute, drumming, hallowed tune taps, and other military elements, with a flag draping over the coffin.

“Town halls in the municipalities of the duo should have their flag hoisted in half mast. Provincial and municipal officials should attend the rites so we can show our respect to the protectors of our freedom and way of life,” Noble, a police national awardee, said.

Profile bares Macanlalay’s political pedigree

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – The political pedigree of the young mayor here not only comes from his being a two-term mayor but during his stints as class officers in secondary and tertiary education and his membership in the town council.

According to the biography of Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay with his father Roy – then the mayor of Calasiao - blessings, he ran and won as a town councilor in 2007 and help skippered the town to its burgeoning status. He was elected as Board of Director from the 3rd Congressional District for the National Movement of Young Legislators.

“In 2010, as his father was ending his last three terms as hizzoner, Macanlaly and his father buckled up, ran, and both won with a resounding results the mayoralty and vice mayoralty races of the town after the people here clamored for continuity of progress bought by their collaboration.

 He was only 28 when he won that poll making him the youngest chief executive of the town’s history, if not the whole 48 towns and cities Pangasinan, to win a mayoral contest,” the profile reads at this town’s website.

No stranger to charity work in 2009, the young mayor spearheaded a massive relief mission after his constituents reeled in one of the most devastating cyclones Pepeng that submerged many villages injured some limbs, snapped out some lives, and destroyed properties. He repacked and distributed goods to the less fortunate to soothe their misery.

Espino Condoles on Massacred 64 PNP Members

PHOTO CREDIT; RAPPLER

In behalf of the people of Pangasinan, I vehemently denounce in the strongest terms possible the insane, inhuman and bestial killing of at least 43 members of the Philippine National Police - Special Action Force in an encounter with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and other lawless elements in Maguindanao Province last Sunday, January 25.

As the governor of this province and former police officer, my heart bleeds for the families of our dear brothers and comrades in this horrific, tragic incident.

In this regard, allow me to express the full support of the Provincial Government of Pangasinan, the Pangasinan Police Force, the Pangasinan PNP Retirees and all our provincemates, to the peace efforts exerted by the Philippine government through the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) headed by Secretary Mar Roxas.

I enjoin my provincemates to offer a special prayer for the repose of the souls of the casualties, fast recovery of the wounded, and safety of the unsung heroes among the uniformed men and women who are assigned in Mindanao to ensure peace and order.

PCSO’s Peryahan to Sue NBI Operatives in Laoac Raid

Warning to Future Law Enforcement Agencies' Arbitrary Arrest

LAOAC – The spokesman of the GlobalTech Online Corporation (GlobalTech) said their lawyers in Manila will file criminal and administrative charges at the Ombudsman against the operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation who arrested recently nine of its collectors here.

A sale's supervisor of PCSO's Peryahan Games in Binmaley,
Pangasinan waits the result of the winning numbers from her
 Point of Sale's device at the drawing center in Laoac,
 Pangasinan. Draws of Peryahan are three times a
day from 11 Am, 4 Pm, and 9 Pm. The games mechanics pi-
piggybacked on Jueteng and Meridian Jai-Alai.

Edward Aguilar said the charges of GlobalTech, the franchisee of the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office’s Peryahan Games (PR), would serve as a lesson for the NBI and police to be circumspect in arresting other collectors of PR not only in Pangasinan but to the 12 provinces in the country where GlobalTech has its betting kiosks.

Aguilar mentioned the NBI operatives as Special Agent Allan Tubi, Special Investigator (SI) IV Jose Rommel Ramirez, SI III Nelson Moreno, SI III Edgardo Kawada, SI III Ferdinand Manuel, AGT II Joseph Eufemio Martinez.

PR, because of its transparent mode of drawing bets, has been threatening revenues from the operators of the illegal numbered game jueteng and Meridian Jai-Alai.

Last January 14 NBI operatives swooped in this town and arrested 12 agents of Peryahan Games.

But Aguilar disowned the three of the arrested saying they were false witnesses used allegedly by the NBI to incriminate the PR.

The cases against the nine arrested namely Eduardo T. Egros, Alan A. Barcena, Diosdado B. Reyes, Elpidio V. Pastor, Ricardo R. Robeniol, Miguel R. Nerona, Calixto D. Costales, Danilo T. Longayan, and Benjamin D. Peru have been dismissed last January 19  by Provincial Prosecutor Abraham L. Ramos II in Urdaneta City.

Receipt of the day's result from the Point of Sale's
gadget.

“There appears no concrete evidence that tends to show that the above named respondents conspired with Larry Alvarado, Robert Garon, and Rowel Cunanan when the three collected bets from alias Jay the poseour designated by the NBI Manila during the entrapment operation. It is a hornbook doctrine that “conspiracy must be proved as indubitably as the crime itself through clear and convincing evidence and not merely by conjecture,”one of the excerpts of the resolution of Prosecutor Ramos.

Before their cases have been dismissed they have to languish for six days at the NBI detention cell in Manila as they waited for their motion for preliminary investigation at the prosecutor’s office in Urdaneta City.

“Why would they arrest our agents they do not possess papelitos or lastillas (strip papers)? Aguilar posed.

He said Larry Alvarado, Robert Garon and Rowel Cunanan were allegedly a bait of the NBI.

“The placing of bet was consummated by handing over the money bet (Php 20.000 to the kubradors (later identified to be Alvarado, Garon, and Cunanan) which were all marked with the letters “NCR” at the upper right side of the front portion of each bill. Thereafter, the bets were then written in the “papelitos” held by the kubradors. Most of them told “Jay (NBI “asset”)” that he will just be advised of the outcome of the draw,” according to the NBI’s joint affidavit.

PN NORTHERN LUZON COMMANDER PAYS COURTESY CALL ON FERNANDEZ.

PN NORTHERN LUZON COMMANDER PAYS COURTESY CALL ON  FERNANDEZ. Commodore Severino Vicente T. David (left) AFP, Commander, Naval Forces Northern Luzon of the Philippine Navy, pays a courtesy call on Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (right) who is also the chairman of the Region 1 Peace and Order Council on January 20 during the scheduled barangay consultation at Barangay Salapingao and discussed with her  on how the navy can help the city in its disaster preparedness and in protecting the river against illegal fishing. With David (not in photo) are newly-installed head of the Naval Reserve Center in Northern Luzon Commander Edwin T. Ello, Civil Military Operations Officer-Northern Luzon Naval Forces Commander Levi C. Carane, and Commander Norman R. Biola PN (Reserve). (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

DAGUPAN CONFERRED SEAL OF CHILD-FRIENDLY LOCAL GOVERNANCE

DAGUPAN CITY – This city has been conferred with the 2014 Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) for its commitment in promoting child rights to survival, development, protection and participation, towards a Child-Friendly Philippines: A Caring and Protective Society For, By, and With the Children.

Signed by Corazon Juliano-Soliman, CWC chairperson and Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); and Secretary Mar A. Roxas of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the city received the seal on January 19.

“With or without an award, I am happy that our efforts have earned the attention of the council in protecting the rights of our children in the city especially with our anti-bullying campaign and our health and education program for the children as well,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez disclosed that this year the city will have its own Bahay Pag-Asa which will serve all Children in Crisis (CIC) and a Women Center for mothers.

“And this year, we will focus on giving total protection to the victims of rape and child molestation. That is why, we have been going around visiting the different public schools in the city and make an appeal to the teachers who serve as second parents of the children to be sensitive and to be able to understand the feelings of every child,” Fernandez said.

Pangasinan tourism affected by false report last year

DAGUPAN CITY – Pangasinan's tourism industry took a beating in February last year, following a false report on an alleged “flesh-eating disease” spreading in certain places in the province.

The report said two persons were suffering from a “mysterious” disease that is eating the flesh of its victims.

The hoax story went viral on social media which actually led to the hashtag #PrayForPangasinan. People were terrified and panic spread among locals all the way to Pangasinenses abroad.

This prompted the provincial government to act swiftly on the matter and conducted an investigation which belied the report on the false disease.

It turned out that the two cases of flesh-eating disease reported by ABS-CBN’s late night news program “Bandila” was actually caused by leprosy while the second one was a case of psoriasis.

Bandila has released its official statement and apology for their "mysterious flesh-eating disease" report on Pangasinan which caused unintended mass hysteria to viewers especially in Pangasinan.

Former Health Secretary Enrique Ona also clarified that “there is no reported case of 'flesh-eating' skin disease in the country yet. Absolutely no reason for the public to panic.”

Despite this controversy, Pangasinan remains a top tourism destination in the region and one of the great spiritual destinations for millions of pilgrims being the home of the Our Lady of Manaoag.

On October 13 last year, Pope Francis has given the title “minor basilica” to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag.

The newly-declared Minor Basilica houses the image of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, which according to most Catholics is “miraculous.”

NBI, Cops Raid PCSO's Games in P'sinan

YOLANDA SOTELO

Philippine Daily Inquirer

DAGUPAN CITY—Attempts by the Philippine Charity Sweeptakes Office’s (PCSO) Peryahan Games to conquer bet-rich Pangasinan province have been spoiled by police raids on the game’s draw center in Laoac town.

PCSO's Peryahan Games' betting kiosk in Binmaley, Pangasinan.
The kiosk opened last January 24. Other towns that junked and
replaced Meridian Jai Alai - played like jueteng - with Peryahan
Games - are Malasiqui, San Jacinto, Mapandan, Laoac, and others.

Edward Aguilar, spokesperson of Global Tech Mobile Online Corp., which owns the Peryahan Games franchise here, said the draw center had been raided three times since it opened on Dec. 20 last year.

Two days after the draw center opened, Aguilar said, the police raided it and detained six sales agents at the local police station. The agents were released after questioning, he said.

The Peryahan Games is a state-run numbers game that resembles the illegal “jueteng.” It is being pilot-tested in Pangasinan, the 13th province to host the game.

On Dec. 23, a team from the regional and provincial police, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group again raided the center and took the same agents to the police station and the NBI headquarters in Manila for questioning before they were released, he said.

Cayetano urges youth to fight for free college education

INB law just the beginning

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano  (2nd from right) gave P200,000  last January 24 to four transport
 organizations  in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan for his Presyo, Trabaho, Kita (PTK) – an anti -5/6 or
 usury program for the groups to invest to better their stocks. From 5th and 6th of the photo 
are the city's mayor Amadeo Gregorio E. Perez IV, Tagig City Mayor Lanny Cayetano - the 
senator's wife, and leaders of the transport groups. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA.

"The ultimate goal is have free tertiary education for all. But for now, funding the entire college dreams of qualified students under the Iskolar ng Bayan (INB) Act is the next big step."

Students of Pangasinan State University-Bayambang campus thank Senator Alan Peter Cayetano for explaining the mechanics and benefits of the Iskolar ng Bayan law that he authored.

Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano called on the youth to use all available legal means to pressure the national government to allocate funds in the coming years to bridge the gap in the recently enacted INB law, which unfortunately covers only the first year of tertiary education.

"While the INB is a giant leap in our history, the battle does not stop there. I encourage our students to use all means, especially the social media, to send a powerful message to the government: end corruption and pour more funds to education," Cayetano said.

Majority Floor Leader Senator Cayetano in a tête-à-tête with Mayor
Bobom Perez infront of the old city hall in Urdaneta City.

He also called on his colleagues in Congress who took part in seeing the measure through until it became law to consider expanding its coverage to include the succeeding years of a scholar's college life.

Blame the Catholic Church too for our Poverty

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

During the visit of Pope Francis at the Quirino Grandstand, a child and a beggar Glyzelle Palomar posed a dramatic query to the Pope for the whole nation to hear: “Many children get involved in drugs and prostitution. Why does God allows these things to happen to us? The children are not guilty of anything.”

Pope Francis embraces girl after she asks: 'Why does God allow children to become prostitutes?'

She sobbed, cried, and then embraced the Pope.

Filipinos, who loved to watch soap operas on TV shed tears!

Francis, who was treated like God by the overwhelmed Filipinos, could not answer the question that was probably coach to the child by the Filipino priests who spice the “stunt” with posterity and dramas.

My answer to the posed of Palomar: “Because the narrow minded Catholic Church's high priests hinder any government programs on birth control thus the runaway rabbit liked population explosion that breeds more social problems like poverty, drugs, and prostitution!"

Pope Francis and the ignorant priests who are partly to blame in our penury should have seen this one. We have the same population with contraceptives conscious Thailand in the 1970s, now progressive Thailand got 60 million people; we got more than a hundred million starving Filipinos where many are willing to sell their bodies to the moneyed just to meet both ends.

To further appreciate how a smaller populated country enjoys the economic spoils we can compare how Thailand and the Philippines fare in year 2013 on their Per Capita Income (PCI) /Gross Domestic of Product (GDP/PCI). To the jeepney drivers and carpenters who now read this article, GDP/PCI means total income of a country divided by its present population. 

Thailand’s GDP/PCI was U.S $5,779 or its Philippine peso equivalent of P260, 055 a year. Philippines’ GDP/PCI was U.S $2,765 or Philippine peso equivalent of P124,425 a year.

 Oh, I just learned that GDP if implemented in the Pope crazy Philippines is no  longer Gross Domestic Product, naughty economists called it Gutom Diyan ang Pilipino (GDP)  te-heh my broadside on the Catholic Church’s policy on birth control.

The Catholic fanatics and faithful in the Philippines are also to be blamed to our hardship. Many of them unabashedly and ignorantly swallowed hook, line and sinker the sermons, threats, and bogeyman of the Catholic’s "Ayatollahs" that using contraceptives would them facing in judgment day a penalty of a huge stone strapped on their body before God throws them to the boiling acid fire of hell. The clerics do not know that we are living already in hell, just like what child Palomar experienced, because of their out- of- reality teachings on how to control birth.

***

 I was browsing the other day the book “Take it Back: Our Party, Our Country, Our Future” authored by James Carville and Paul Begala two marquee political strategists of the Democrat Party in the United States.  The authors distinguished two kinds of exploiting the strengths and weaknesses of their PR clients and their clients' opponents.

Carville, who has managed more political campaigns than anyone in history , and  Begala, who was chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign which carried 33 States and made Bill Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in 16 years, said that candidates should know how to  attack.

Pangasinan Fruit Growers seek World Bank Aid

LIGAYEN – The mango industry in Pangasinan is getting a big boost following the selection of the United Pangasinan Tropical Fruits Multi-Purpose Cooperative as a proponent group to implement a business enterprise to be funded under a loan grant from the World Bank.

            The World Bank assisted project which is in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, the local government units and the agri-fishery sector and stakeholders, is a six-year (2013-2019) program aimed to establish the government platform for a modern climate-smart and market oriented agri-fishery sector that seeks to improve the income and food security of the rural poor in the province.

            In a consultative meeting held at the Capitol Resort Hotel on January 21, four mango and fruit growers have signified their intention to participate as proponent group for the implementation of the rural entrepreneurship identification and prioritization under the Provincial Community Investment Plan with the support of DA-Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).

            Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Benita M. Pizarro said the province has identified six major products that can be recommended to avail of the loan grant which include goat, peanut, onion, tilapia and bangus aside from the mango which was initially recommended for the program being among the lead products which Pangasinan takes pride of.

            The United Pangasinan Tropical Fruits MPC is now in the preparation of the various requirements that will be needed for the approval of its loan grant from the World Bank.

            The cooperative members also underwent some workshop among themselves and representatives from the provincial government and the agriculture department to thresh out the needs in order for them to meet the standards being called for.

            Provincial Agriculturist Dalisay Moya said the MPC will pursue its entrepreneurial endeavor that will deal with the production and marketing of its product.

            Christian Dumaguing, Business Development Specialist of the Regional Coordinating Office, said the consultative meeting is considered as a pre-implementation procedure or the first stage to determine the proponent group which will partner with the business enterprise component of PRDP.

            The other proponent groups present include the Sta. Barbara Sweet Carabao Mango Association MPC, Alcala Mango Growers MPC, and San Carlos City Mango Growers and Contractors Association Inc. with different stakeholders and representatives from the various departments of the provincial government.

/ADV

Hired guns killed, arrested in Lucao former body guards of Indian trader

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The suspected hired killers who recently have an armed encounter in Barangay Lucao here with the police used to be body guards of  slain controversial  big time Filipino/Indian money lender Rajah Mirchandani.

SUSPECTED TRIGGER MAN Arthur Ablao posed for a mug shot at the
Dagupan City's Police Station. He was arrested after his group tangled into an
 armed encounter with another rival group runs by the Padilla Gang. Confiscated
from him was an M-16 Armalite rifle and .45 caliber pistol.

According to Superintendent Christopher Abrahano, chief of police here, the groups of Eduard Velasco Diaz and Rudy Padilla, Jr. used to be the body guards and gofer of Michandi who was slain in a gruesome ambushed in Barangay Bolosan here in August  last year.

The spot reports of the Philippine National Police said that Diaz died in an armed encounter with the former.

But before the killing of Diaz, his group had a fire fight earlier with the group of Rudy Padilla, Sr. 68, Rudy Padilla Jr., 33, and Reynante V. Soriano, 37, at a fishpond in Sitio Tocok, Barangay Lucao here when the Padillas and Soriano were harvesting their bangus fingerlings.

One of the Padillas according to the report exchanged fire with them by using his license 9 mm pistol that resulted for the withdrawal of the latter.

The incident ensued at 12:45 Pm of January 20.

Recovered on the crime sites were 24 spent shells for caliber 5.56 and three live bullets for the same gun,  and three spent shells for caliber 9mm, and one spent shell for caliber .45.

As the Diaz group absconded, they were seen by pursuing policemen assigned at the nearby Centrum Gasoline Station in the same barangay. Although the two escaped after they crisscrosses the houses and shanties there, Arthur Ablao was found hiding and lying in a bathroom by covering himself with blanket.

During police interrogation, Ablao incriminated Edward Diaz, Ricky Diaz Velasco, Jimmy Arellano Anona and a John Doe – the driver of a tricycle - as part of the conspiracy to murder the Padillas.

3 Cornered Mayoralty Race in Lingayen

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – A former mayoral candidate of this capital town said it could be a three- cornered mayoralty derby here in the 2016 polls.

Castaneda

Joe Ferrer, a former councilor and 2010 mayoralty bet, said that it is not true that it would be a four cornered clash in the next election but a three cornered probable fight as he told those who endorsed him here that he is not interested for the top post.

Pasiliao

Ferrer said he dismissed the requests of those who prodded him despite his burgeoning private contracting business that could bankroll his chance in 2016.

Verzosa

Political kibitzers have been discussing these days about the candidacies of this town mayor Josefina “Iday” Castaneda, Vice Mayor Nepthalie D. Pasiliao, and former Police Provincial Director Mariano Luis “Sonny” Verzosa, and Ferrer.

A source, who asked anonymity, said that Governor Amado T. Espino is divided whom to support between Pasiliao and Verzosa – his political consultant at the Capitol here.

But other political observers opined he has a moist eye on Pasiliao as he has enough financial chests to wage an electoral war against Castaneda.

Castaneda is supported by gubernatorial aspirant Mark Cojuangco and Abono Party-list Rosendo So – the province's acknowledged king maker.

But Ferrer dismissed the observation, he said Pasiliao would remain as re-elective vice mayoral candidate if his god father former mayor Nolan Evangelista throws his hat in the melee.

“Mahahati ang boto nila”.

Another source said with the political landscape here still fluid, Verzosa and Councilor Judy de Leon Vargas could be found running for the vice mayoralty here.

Ferrer, an ally of Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil (2^nd District, Pangasinan), said that Vargas would seek reelection for the councilorship instead of the number two post as she is groomed to run for the Philippine Councilors League-Pangasinan.

Meanwhile, a source who asked not to be named from the camp of Congressman Bataoil said that all their staff from the village consultants up to their congressional office here are apolitical comes the May 2016 election.