Philippine navy arrests six suspected Chinese poachers

Monster and Critics, Friday, march 25, 2011

Manila - The Philippine navy arrested six Chinese nationals suspected of poaching off a western province, a regional military commander said Friday.

Patrolling navy personnel caught the suspects Thursday off Balabac town in Palawan province, 600 kilometres south-west of Manila.

Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban said the navy seized the suspects' speedboat, which was loaded with an undetermined number of sea turtles and fishing paraphernalia.

Sabban said the suspects were detained at Balabac police station pending the filing of illegal fishing charges against them.

monsterandcritics.com

Navy cites Filipinos in sailing tilt

By Elena L Aben

The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online, Thursday, March 24, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — The Navy takes pride in the feat of its four personnel who are members of the Philippine sailing team which recently garnered the championship crown in the recent Subic-Boracay Race that also saw teams from the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong, a Navy spokesman said last Tuesday.

Capt. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said First Class Petty Officer (PO1) Rico V. Albeso, Seaman First Class (SN) Joel Mejarito, 3rd Class Petty Officer (PO3) Ridgely Balladares and Third Class Petty Officer (PO3) Rommel Chavez sailed to victory in the IRC Cruiser/Racer Class and IRC Racing Class, respectively in the February 19-21, 2011 races.

Bacordo said Albeso and Mejarito belonged to the IRC Cruiser/Racer Class joining six other individuals in this category, while Balladares and Chavez joined 12 others in their Racing Class category.

The four are assigned with the Philippine Fleet in Sangley Point, Cavite City.

Except for Mejarito, the rest are veteran sailors who have competed in races both here and abroad. The four are the only AFP personnel in the Philippine Sailing team.

Bacordo said the four were also members of the Philippine team that topped the 1st Australian Nationals in Albany in 2010. Following this race, the team placed 2nd in the World Mirror Championship, also in Australia.

"The Subic-Boracay Race is one of the “exposure” races before the Philippine Team competes for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Palembang, Indonesia in November this year," said Bacordo.

The Navy spokesman added that the “exposure” races put the team in high gear as they aim for gold medal in the SEA Games. The Philippine team’s lone gold medal came during the 1991 SEA Games in Manila. Albeso was already part of the winning team.

"Next stop for the four and the Philippine team is the Commodore’s Cup in Subic in April. The sailing team is also slated to compete in Singapore in June, Hong Kong in August, and Japan in October," said Bacordo.

The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

AFP chief, 20 pa aprub sa CA

By C.Martin/N.Aclan

Hataw, Thursday, March 24, 2011

KINOMPIRMA na ng panel ng Commission on Appointments ang appointments ni Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Eduardo Oban at 20 iba pang opisyal.

Walang tumutol na mga miyembro ng CA’s committee on national defense nang irekomenda para sa plenary action ang nominasyon kay Oban para maging heneral.

Bukod kay Oban, ang 20 military officials na inaprubahan ng komite ay sina Marlon Cosue, Colonel (Medical Corps); Cheston Valencerina, Colonel (Corps of Professors); Nestor Losbanes, Read Admiral (Armed Forces of the Philippines); Arnel Dorado, Colonel (Philippine Army); Ernesto Aradanas, Brigadier General (AFP); Ramil Roberto Enriquez, Captain (Philippine Navy); Nelson Dancel, Colonel (Medical Corps); Fernando Gomez, Colonel (Philippine Navy-Marines); Hilario Vicente Lagnada, Colonel (Philippine Navy); Marjorie Filoteo, Colonel (Veterinary Corps); Wilfredo Ona, Brigadier General (AFP); Antonino Gascon Jr., Commodore (AFP); Alexander Pama, Vice Admiral (AFP); Roberto Morales, Major General (AFP); Nicanor Dolojan, Brigadier General (AFP); Eduardo Lacanienta, Brigadier General (AFP); Ramon Tan, Colonel (Medical Corps); Edwin Leo Torrelavega, Colonel (Medical Corps); Angelita Larin, Colonel (Medical Corps); at Fred Payawan, Brigadier General (AFP).

Military's Bayanihan has new head

By Donna Pazzibugan

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has a new chief for civil military operations, three months into the implementation of a new counter-insurgency plan, Bayanihan, which gives equal importance to community projects in "winning the peace."

Navy Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez, assumed office as deputy chief of staff for civil military operations (J7) on Friday, the AFP announced over the weekend.

Rodriguez replaced Army Brig. Gen. Nonato Peralta Jr. who was named Philippine Military Academy (PMA) superintendent following the retirement of Vice Adm. Leonardo Calderon on March 11.

A member of PMA Class 1980, Rodriguez was commander of the Fleet-Marine ready Force, before being appointed J7.

"CMO (civil military operations) is where my heart belongs,"he said during the turnover ceremonies.

He described Peralta as his mentor with whom he worked in the commemoration of the Battle of Sibuyan.

Rodriguez said the Filipino tradition of bayanihan or community spirit "is what civil military operations is about."

Rodriguez had served as assistant chief of staff for CMO for the AFP Western Command (Wescom) and chief of the evaluation and research branch of the Office of the Secretary of the AFP joint staff.