JI's presence being monitored

By Alexis Romero

Philippine Star, Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Marines stand on the deck of the BRP Emilio Liwanag during the 113th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Navy yesterday. The refurbished gunboat will be deployed to Zamboanga to boost internal security operations. Photo By JONJON VICENCIO MANILA, Philippines - Security forces are closely monitoring the movements of three members of terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and are bracing for possible military action against them. Marine Brig. Gen. Romeo Tanalgo, commander of the Sulu-based 2nd Marine brigade, said they have managed to restrict the movements of the terrorists. “We are closely monitoring the activities of the three JI members for possible military action,” Tanalgo said on the sidelines of the 113th anniversary of the Navy in Manila. He said one of the JI members believed to be in the south is Marwan, whose real name is Zulkifli Bin Hir. Marwan, reportedly a member of the JI’s central command, has a $5 million bounty for his capture. Tanalgo did not identify the two other JI members believed to be operating in Mindanao. He said they are continuously stepping up their anti-terror operations to thwart the plans of lawless groups. Meanwhile, the Navy sent off yesterday its newly refurbished ship BRP Emilio Liwanag to boost its internal security operations. The ship, which was provided by the South Korean Navy in 2006, will be deployed to Zamboanga and other critical areas, Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said. It is expected to provide support to Marine forces deployed in the south, in line with the so-called Fleet Marine concept. This concept seeks to enhance the interoperability among Navy troops. Pama said the deployment would intensify the drive against the Abu Sayyaf and other security threats in the country. “It would be all-inclusive. It is for the ISO (internal security operations). If positioned in the south, this (ship) would support the Fleet Marine concept,” he said. The military has vowed to remain vigilant despite the death of Osama bin Laden, the founder of international terror group al-Qaeda, which has links to JI and the Abu Sayyaf.  Bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 US attack, was slain by US Navy Seals in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Some sectors have raised concerns that bin Laden’s death could prod his supporters to launch retaliatory attacks. Military officials, however, have given assurance that they are ready to repel such atrocities. Earlier reports said Saif al-Adel, a former Egyptian military officer, will serve as interim leader of the al-Qaeda until bin Laden’s successor has been named. Al-Adel is reportedly connected with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the group tagged in the killing of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Philippine defense officials are unfazed by the new al-Qaeda leader as they vowed to enhance intelligence gathering to ensure that the Philippines would remain safe.

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‘War room’ redesigned for new battle

By Robert Gonzaga, Yolando Sotelo

Philippine Daily Inquirer (Northern Luzon), Wednesday, May 25, 2011

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – THE NAVAL Forces conference room is called a “war room” by personnel of the Philippine Navy station at Poro Point in San Fernando City in La Union. After all, it is where high level meetings and videoconferencing among top Navy officials are held, including perhaps those on threats to the country’s sovereignty.

But on Saturday morning last week, the room was full of children and their parents who joined another kind of battle—the one against the loss of love for reading among many children.

The weapons? Books given away to the participants, along with other gifts such as caps, notebooks and book markers by supporters of the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Read-Along Session.

And the rules of engagement? Interactive reading by celebrity readers who hoped to instill the love for the written word in the children’s minds and hearts.

Lt. Rodney Cudal, head of the civil military operations at the naval station, and Ensign Edmund Aguila ensured that the program in La Union, one of the eight remotes sites where the session from the Navy headquarters in Manila was beamed through video teleconferencing system, went on smoothly.

Thirty-five children, aged 5 to 15, joined the session. Twenty-seven of them are children of Navy personnel at Poro Point.

The mood at the room was subdued before the session started, as if the children were wondering what the occasion was. The older ones fiddled with mobile phones, or whispered to each other.

Eager anticipation

But the mood changed into eager anticipation when the video feed from Manila was shown on the wall. Cheers and laughter followed as the children tried to follow the steps of “Achochechak,” a song and dance number meant to warm up the children for the session. The ice breaker was led by Alitaptap storytellers Rich Rodriguez and Percy Gapas.

It was all quiet again when the first story, “Si Pilandok at ang Kaharian ng Dagat,” was read by Lt. Maria Angelica Sisican of the Office of the Chief of Naval Staff.

All eyes were on the video wall that showed the book’s colorful pages, even as they listened to Sisican.

Hanna Borja, 12, one of the participants, was chosen to answer a question posed by Sisican, earning her a bag of goodies and books.

The children and their parents burst into cheers when celebrity reader, actor Dingdong Dantes, was seen onscreen. But only his voice was heard when the session started because the video feed flashed the pages of the book, “Lost at Sea,” which he read. The children, however, were all ears.

Dantes, a Navy reservist, read Raechelle Castellon’s story of a girl whose father, a seafarer, was thought to have been lost at sea. When the father was reunited with his daughter, the girl discovered his kindness and generosity.

The story touched the participants’ hearts because most of them are children of Navy men and women who are periodically sent on assignments at sea.

The visuals for the third story, “Si Hipon at si Biya,” written by Carla Pacis, were blurred due to a technical glitch, but the children enjoyed the story just the same.

In Zambales, over 100 participants, mostly Aeta children and children of personnel of the Naval Education and Training Command in San Antonio town joined the session.

Lt. Cmdr. Delbert Siasoyco, public affairs officer of the San Antonio naval station, took up hosting duties with Inquirer correspondent Robert Gonzaga and guided the children through the program.

newsinfo.inquirer.net

Former finance sec, private sector move to save the PH navy

By Donna Z Pazzibugan

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Tuesday, May 24, 2011

MANILA, Philippines—Prominent figures in politics, business and civil society, led by former Finance Secretary Jesus Estanislao, have taken up the cudgels for the Philippine Navy by leading a fund-raising and support drive.

They have taken it upon themselves to organize a foundation that seeks to marshal support and resources from the private sector to support the Navy’s modernization and capability-building programs.

They would serve as the founding board of trustees of the “Support Your Navy Foundation”, which was formally launched Tuesday during the Navy’s 113rd anniversary rites.

The multi-sectoral group, however, has served as board of advisers to the Navy since last year.

“We accepted the invitation of the Flag Officer in Command (Vice Admiral Alexander Pama) to serve as board of advisers to save the Navy because we wanted to bring down the many walls keeping the various sectors of society apart,” Estanislao told Navy officers and personnel during the anniversary program.

“We decided to take the lead … We want to say that our Philippine Navy can not do it alone. Our Navy needs the support of all sectors,” added Estanislao, who is chairman of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia.

In his own speech, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin did not mince words as he described the Navy’s state as “truly deplorable” since it has no modern ships and vessels, and hardly any aircraft. The Navy is still using 65-year-old warships from World War II.

“We have thus solicited the support of our stakeholders through the representation of the members of the Navy board of advisers, like-minded professionals who believe in the advocacies of the Navy,” Pama said during the anniversary.

He said the board of advisers has “voluntarily champion(ed) such well-meaning cause through their wise counsel and sound advice on the Navy’s strategic concerns.”

Estanislao said the Support your Navy Foundation would serve as a “major bridge” between the Navy and the private sector to achieve the Navy Sail Plan goal of becoming a “strong and credible Navy” by 2020.

“We believe that together we can become a great maritime nation. We hope we can contribute to a strong Navy,” he said.

The other members of the foundation’s board of trustees are former senator Leticia Shahani; Development Bank of the Philippines president Francisco Del Rosario; Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos; National Economic and Development Authority Deputy Director General Margarita Songco; newspaper columnist Jarius Bondoc, former defense undersecretary and Asia Pacific Security Forum president Rodel Cruz; retired vice admiral Eduardo Santos; Asian Architects co-managing partner Miguel Guerrero; University of the Philippines professor Aileen Baviera; lawyer Antonio Oposa; and Doris Magsaysay-Ho of the Magsaysay Group of Companies.

Pama and Capt. Augustus Iglesia who is director of the Naval Resource Management Office, will serve as ex-officio trustees.

Capt. Giovanni Bacordo, director of the Center for Naval Leadership and Excellence, said the foundation would help fund Navy programs since seventy per cent of their budget goes to personnel salaries, while the rest goes to maintenance and operating expenses so there is hardly left for capital outlay.

“Through this foundation, we will no longer be one hundred per cent dependent on the GAA (General Appropriations Act) for the things we need,” he said.

Bacordo said donations to be raised by the foundation may include equipment upgrades, scholarships for Navy personnel, housing facilities and other morale and welfare programs.

He said the foundation would be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in June or July.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay said through the foundation, well-meaning private groups and individuals could actively participate in the Navy’s programs.

newsinfo.inquirer.net

DND chief graces PHL Navy’s 113th anniversary rites

By PNA and Southern California News Agency/ Asian

The Southern California Pinoy News, Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin graced the 113th founding anniversary on Tuesday of the Philippine Navy (PN) at the PN headquarters along Roxas Boulevard in Malate, Manila.

The celebration had the theme, “A Vital Partner for Peace, Security and Development of our Maritime Nation.”

Highlight of the event was the launching of the “Support your PN Foundation,” send-off ceremony for gunboats BRP Manuel Gomez (PG388), BRP Emilio Liwanag (PG118), and supply ship BRP Dagupan City (LC551) and Static Equipment Display and Demonstration.

The two gunboats and the supply ships are for anti-terror security operations in the Sulu Sea next week.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay said the gunboats are deployed under the Fleet-Marine concept, the Navy’s program devoted to fighting terror in several areas of Western Mindanao.

“They are bringing in supplies and logistics to our units in Western Mindanao. Included in their mission is the conduct of maritime security patrols,” Tonsay said.

Commander Kenneth Tingabngab of the Navy’s Modernization Office said the two gunboats were acquired from South Korea and were upgraded in Navotas City.

He said the Philippine government paid only US$ 100 for the repair of each ship as these were practically donated by South Korea as a goodwill measure.

The 110-foot tall patrol mediums were manufactured in the 1980s and primarily for patrolling and interdiction.

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