By: Victor Reyes
Malaya, Wednesday, 02 June 2010
MARINES commandant Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban yesterday
said there were attempts by local candidates in Sulu
to bribe at least three soldiers stationed in the
poll precincts during the May 10 elections but all
of them failed.
Sabban will fly to Sulu today to give medals to
the three soldiers for displaying professionalism
and dedication to their job.
Marines spokesman Capt. Alden Gwyn Amargo said
the soldiers are being honored "for gallantly
protecting the integrity of the election by
fervently refusing acts of bribery.
Amargo quoted Marine Battalion Landing Team 5
chief Lt. Col. Camilo Balutan as saying that
there were "numerous instances" where the
attempted bribery took place at the polling
precincts in Patikul town, Sulu.
"They offered huge amounts to the Marines in
exchange of leaving the precincts so that
the unused ballots might be filled up in
favor of their candidates. Apparently,
all security personnel who were detailed
in Kaumpang Elementary School were being
insinuated for monetary concessions," said Amargo.
Amargo said Pfc. Rhomel Divina was offered
P100,000 by a campaign leader for him to
leave the Maligay polling precinct as
there were lesser number of voters coming
in on the afternoon of May 10 "so he and
his cohorts could fill up the more than
three hundred remaining ballots for his candidate."
"Hindi mababayaran ng pera mo ang serbisyo ko,"
Amargo quoted Divina as telling the campaign
leader. "Put to shame, the campaign leader
left him alone, Divina continued securing
the area and courageously prevented impending
acts of cheating the elections," said Amargo.
At the Baunoh Bangkal precinct, Amargo said
another campaign leader approached S/Sgt.
William Magpili for the tampering of at
least 168 ballots. "Magpili turned down the
offer and made sure that the ballots were
secured," he said.
Amargo said similar awards will also be
given to other Marines deployed in other
precincts who refused any attempt
of bribery.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Navy ready for rainy season
By: Elena L Aben
Manila Bulletin, Sunday, 30 May 2010
The Philippine Navy said on Saturday that
it is ready to deploy its personnel and
equipment in flood-prone areas nationwide
as the rainy season approaches.
The Navy’s disaster preparedness was put
to test last May 26 when flashfloods hit
10 villages in Sultan Kudarat, affecting
35,000 people and causing damage to
24 hectares of farmland and a wide span
of the farm-to-market road in the town.
Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesman,
said that the Navy has pre-organized,
pre-planned, and pre-equipped rescue
teams integrated in all naval units to
reach out to needy citizens when calamities
and disasters occur.
“Gaining from its experience during the
onslaught of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng”
last year, the Navy has strengthened its
disaster response operations in four
areas- equipage, command and control, training,
and coordination,” said Arevalo.
At the 12th anniversary celebration earlier
this month, the Navy presented to
President Arroyo its newly procured
Disaster Response Operations (DRO) equipment,
which shows the Navy’s readiness and
preparedness when called for action.
The DRO equipment consist of the trailer,
rubber boat that has a 10-man capacity with
40 HP OBM, and other life-saving gear.
Also included is an improvised rubber boat
made of indigenous materials from plastic
drums and metal.
The boat, which the Navy described as
unsinkable, can load more than four times
compared to an ordinary rubber boat and
costs P60,000 unlike an ordinary rubber boat
that costs P600,000.
Manila Bulletin, Sunday, 30 May 2010
The Philippine Navy said on Saturday that
it is ready to deploy its personnel and
equipment in flood-prone areas nationwide
as the rainy season approaches.
The Navy’s disaster preparedness was put
to test last May 26 when flashfloods hit
10 villages in Sultan Kudarat, affecting
35,000 people and causing damage to
24 hectares of farmland and a wide span
of the farm-to-market road in the town.
Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesman,
said that the Navy has pre-organized,
pre-planned, and pre-equipped rescue
teams integrated in all naval units to
reach out to needy citizens when calamities
and disasters occur.
“Gaining from its experience during the
onslaught of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng”
last year, the Navy has strengthened its
disaster response operations in four
areas- equipage, command and control, training,
and coordination,” said Arevalo.
At the 12th anniversary celebration earlier
this month, the Navy presented to
President Arroyo its newly procured
Disaster Response Operations (DRO) equipment,
which shows the Navy’s readiness and
preparedness when called for action.
The DRO equipment consist of the trailer,
rubber boat that has a 10-man capacity with
40 HP OBM, and other life-saving gear.
Also included is an improvised rubber boat
made of indigenous materials from plastic
drums and metal.
The boat, which the Navy described as
unsinkable, can load more than four times
compared to an ordinary rubber boat and
costs P60,000 unlike an ordinary rubber boat
that costs P600,000.
At 112 years, Philippine Navy is one of oldest
By Elena L Aben
Manila Bulletin, Sunday, 23 May 2010
At 112, the Philippine Navy (PN) is one of the
oldest in Asia, and at one point during the ‘60s,
it was the envy of the region.
Other developing nations in Southeast Asia that
were then beginning to form their own navies even
took guidance from the Philippines where maritime
defense in concerned.
However, five decades later, the Philippine Navy
is now considered the weakest in Asia — owing to a
series of internal conflicts and political crises
that resulted in a turn back in the country’s naval
defense development. Add to this the fact that the
government had been spending less — compared to its
Asian neighbors — for its military forces.
With the Philippines being an archipelagic nation
with a maritime domain that spans some 37,652
kilometers or 10.6 percent of the total 356,000
kilometers of the world’s coastline, the need for a
strong navy has always been emphasized.
In an interview, Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy
spokesman, said the Navy undoubtedly faces an
especially challenging gargantuan task with most
of its ships, as no less than former Navy
Flag Officer-in-Command, Vice Adm. Ferdinand Golez
admits, are even older than him and most of the
naval fleet’s officers.
“That has long been an open secret. To the pundits,
external aggression is remote at this time,”
said Arevalo, adding, “If the Philippines wants to
regain the respect of its neighbors and restore
pride in the hearts of its people, a strong navy
is imperative.”
Navy officials openly admit that the PN, at present,
has obsolete equipment, some of which are already
50 to 60-years-old.
One of its ships, in fact, has seen action during
World War II and the Vietnam War. Another ship
being used by the naval fleet was commissioned in
1943 in the United States, where its sister ship
is now displayed in a museum.
Yet, despite its weakness in terms of naval
capability due to obsolete, inefficient and
ageing equipment, some of which have already
reached or are reaching the end of their lifespan,
the Philippine Navy still manages to serve the
nation well and even deliver tremendous
accomplishments.
Among the remarkable achievements posted by
Fleet-Marine units in Basilan and Sulu was
the neutralization of several leaders of
the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG),
including Khadaffi Janjalani, Abu Sabaya,
and recently Albader Parad.
To this, no less than outgoing President
Arroyo remarked that the Navy’s accomplishments
makes her proud to have become its
commander-in-chief.
Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez, acting
Flag Officer-in-Command,
vowed to continue the Navy’s initiatives,
particularly those set by his predecessor,
Vice Adm. Ferdinand Golez who retired from
active military service last May 15.
Manila Bulletin, Sunday, 23 May 2010
At 112, the Philippine Navy (PN) is one of the
oldest in Asia, and at one point during the ‘60s,
it was the envy of the region.
Other developing nations in Southeast Asia that
were then beginning to form their own navies even
took guidance from the Philippines where maritime
defense in concerned.
However, five decades later, the Philippine Navy
is now considered the weakest in Asia — owing to a
series of internal conflicts and political crises
that resulted in a turn back in the country’s naval
defense development. Add to this the fact that the
government had been spending less — compared to its
Asian neighbors — for its military forces.
With the Philippines being an archipelagic nation
with a maritime domain that spans some 37,652
kilometers or 10.6 percent of the total 356,000
kilometers of the world’s coastline, the need for a
strong navy has always been emphasized.
In an interview, Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy
spokesman, said the Navy undoubtedly faces an
especially challenging gargantuan task with most
of its ships, as no less than former Navy
Flag Officer-in-Command, Vice Adm. Ferdinand Golez
admits, are even older than him and most of the
naval fleet’s officers.
“That has long been an open secret. To the pundits,
external aggression is remote at this time,”
said Arevalo, adding, “If the Philippines wants to
regain the respect of its neighbors and restore
pride in the hearts of its people, a strong navy
is imperative.”
Navy officials openly admit that the PN, at present,
has obsolete equipment, some of which are already
50 to 60-years-old.
One of its ships, in fact, has seen action during
World War II and the Vietnam War. Another ship
being used by the naval fleet was commissioned in
1943 in the United States, where its sister ship
is now displayed in a museum.
Yet, despite its weakness in terms of naval
capability due to obsolete, inefficient and
ageing equipment, some of which have already
reached or are reaching the end of their lifespan,
the Philippine Navy still manages to serve the
nation well and even deliver tremendous
accomplishments.
Among the remarkable achievements posted by
Fleet-Marine units in Basilan and Sulu was
the neutralization of several leaders of
the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG),
including Khadaffi Janjalani, Abu Sabaya,
and recently Albader Parad.
To this, no less than outgoing President
Arroyo remarked that the Navy’s accomplishments
makes her proud to have become its
commander-in-chief.
Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez, acting
Flag Officer-in-Command,
vowed to continue the Navy’s initiatives,
particularly those set by his predecessor,
Vice Adm. Ferdinand Golez who retired from
active military service last May 15.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Gonzales, pinasalamatan ang AFP sa tagumpay ng halalan
By: Fer Taboy
BALITA MIYERKULES, MAYO 19, 2010
Pinasalamatan ni Defense
Secretary Norberto Gonzales ang
Armed Forces of the Philippines
sa kanilang mahusay na trabaho
sa nakaraang lokal at pambansang
halalan.
Sinabi ni Gonzales na matapat na
nagampanan ng AFP ang tungkuling
bantayan ang seguridad at integridad
ng kauna-unahang automated polls ng
bansa noong Mayo 10.
Sa kanyang talumpati sa Change
Of Command ceremony ng Philippine
Navy sa Naval Station Jose V.Andrada
Nitong 'Sabado, ipinagmalaki ng
Defense Secretary ang malaking
nagawa ng kababaihan at kalalakihan
ng AFP para sa demokrasya.
"I don't know if the nation will
see this in the future. But this much I
will say as your Secretary of National
Defense, that the Armed Forces of the
Philippines have done the best that this
nation deserve when it comes to this
particular aspect of our democracy.
You have made the last election worthy
of our democracy," ani Gonzales.
"As a citizen of this nation, I would
say thank you to the Armed Forces of
the Philippines."
Nagpahayag rin siya ng
Kalungkutan sa mga pulis at sundalong
nagbuwis ng buhay para protektahan
ang halalan.
"You are today the most important
pillar in our society. Keep remembering
that. And we will keep reminding our
people of the importance of our Armed
Forces in nation building," aniya.
"Most important, we in the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
should recognize that we are actually
the symbol of love of country ..•That
in our uniform rests the symbol that
is the most important sentiment that
will bind our people, tha I will give
strength to the desire of our people
to have a dream and to fulfill those
dreams in the future," sabi pa Defense
chief.
BALITA MIYERKULES, MAYO 19, 2010
Pinasalamatan ni Defense
Secretary Norberto Gonzales ang
Armed Forces of the Philippines
sa kanilang mahusay na trabaho
sa nakaraang lokal at pambansang
halalan.
Sinabi ni Gonzales na matapat na
nagampanan ng AFP ang tungkuling
bantayan ang seguridad at integridad
ng kauna-unahang automated polls ng
bansa noong Mayo 10.
Sa kanyang talumpati sa Change
Of Command ceremony ng Philippine
Navy sa Naval Station Jose V.Andrada
Nitong 'Sabado, ipinagmalaki ng
Defense Secretary ang malaking
nagawa ng kababaihan at kalalakihan
ng AFP para sa demokrasya.
"I don't know if the nation will
see this in the future. But this much I
will say as your Secretary of National
Defense, that the Armed Forces of the
Philippines have done the best that this
nation deserve when it comes to this
particular aspect of our democracy.
You have made the last election worthy
of our democracy," ani Gonzales.
"As a citizen of this nation, I would
say thank you to the Armed Forces of
the Philippines."
Nagpahayag rin siya ng
Kalungkutan sa mga pulis at sundalong
nagbuwis ng buhay para protektahan
ang halalan.
"You are today the most important
pillar in our society. Keep remembering
that. And we will keep reminding our
people of the importance of our Armed
Forces in nation building," aniya.
"Most important, we in the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
should recognize that we are actually
the symbol of love of country ..•That
in our uniform rests the symbol that
is the most important sentiment that
will bind our people, tha I will give
strength to the desire of our people
to have a dream and to fulfill those
dreams in the future," sabi pa Defense
chief.
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