Author: Ellen

Mamasapano tragedy will be a factor in 2016 elections

Published by Ellen on February 24, 2015

Aquino meeting with families of SAF44. Feb. 18, 2015.

Don’t expect the truth about the Jan. 25 Mamasapano tragedy to come from President Aquino.

He had one whole month to tell the Filipino people about his role in the debacle that claimed the lives of 44 members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and six civilians including an eight-year old girl who was hit in the crossfire.

He had three televised address on the armed operation that turned into a massacre – Jan. 28, three days after the tragedy; Jan. 30 necrological service at Camp Bagong Diwa, and Feb. 6 to announce his acceptance of the resignation of suspended Police Chief Alan Purisima.

Sarah

Published by Ellen on February 19, 2015

The tragedy in Mamasapano, Maguindanao claimed the lives of 44 of the country’s elite policemen, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and some civilians.

One of those who died was an eight-year old girl named Sarah.

I learned about Sarah from Hussein Macarambon’s heart-rending post in Facebook:

“ At a forum organized by advocates of peace for Mindanao, the room started to get filled with a terrible feeling of sadness. Stories evoked tears when people who have followed the Mamasapano incident, on the ground or from afar, attempted to describe the pain and grief felt by many, especially the bereaved families of the 67 casualties- families of the 44 SAF troops, of the 5 civilians, and of the 18 MILF combatants.

“One of them lost the youngest victim, an eight-year old girl called Sarah. Her family was roused from sleep by the sound of bullets that had hit them. They survived. Sarah did not.

Continue readingSarah

Senators asked the wrong question

Published by Ellen on February 15, 2015

Sen. Grace Poe chairs hearing on Mamasapano carnage.

It was President Aquino who informed Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang and the rest of the presidential party in Zamboanga on the Mamasapano debacle on Jan. 25, a source close to Malacañang said.

That’s why in the hearings in the Senate and the House of Representatives the three and Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of Western Mindanao Command said they didn’t inform Aquino of the dawn carnage that left 44 members of the Special Action Force dead when they were with him throughout the day.

Values that tie PH and Iran

Published by Ellen on February 12, 2015

US-centric Filipinos may not be aware that the Philippines and Iran share a lot of common experiences-from rising from devastating natural calamities to political upheavals.

Left photo:The 1979 Iranian revolution. Right: The 1986 Philippine People Power revolution

Foremost is the harnessing of people power against an extravagant and tyrannical regimes.

Many Filipinos like to think that we “invented” People Power with the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos on Feb. 25, 1986 and inspired other countries in Eastern Europe, and much later Arab countries, to go out in the streets and overthrow tyrants.

But the Iranians did it seven years earlier than the EDSA People Power. On Feb. 11,1979 angry Iranians, mostly students, drove out the United States- supported Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.

SAF44 stirred public interest on BBL

Published by Ellen on February 10, 2015

Norwegian William Hovlan, operations chief of the International Monitoring Team,

There was something amusing in the narration of Mamasapano Mayor Tahirodin Benzar A. Ampatuan that reflects a trait common to many Filipinos.

Mayor Ampatuan (yes, the Ampatuans of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre are still very much a force to reckon with in Maguindanao) said that at about 1:30 in the afternoon of Jan. 25, members of the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) arrived to stop the battle between the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police on one side and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters on the other side.

The fighting had been raging since dawn. The SAF were on their way out of the area after they accomplished killing one of their targets, Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir alias ”Marwan”, high in the terrorists list of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. Marwan had a $5 million price of his head.
Their other target, Basit Usman, a bomb expert was able to escape.

Justice Carpio explains Itu Aba issue in the PH suit vs China

Published by Ellen on February 8, 2015

Last year, Itu Aba (also known as Taiping or Ligaw), the biggest feature in the Spratly group of islands being disputed by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, figured in a controversy involving the appointment of the Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza to the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Justice Lourdes Sereno opposed the appointment of Jardeleza to the High Court accusing him of treason when he omitted Itu Aba in the Memorial or memorandum filed before the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal in connection with the case filed by the Philippine questioning the legality of China’s nine-dashed line map which overreaches into the territory of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

Itu Aba is occupied by Taiwan, once part of China but now considers itself a sovereign state as Republic of China. The Philippines adopts a One-China policy which considers Taiwan a province of China.

Nagdurugo ang puso ni Aquino sa pagbitaw kay Purisima

Published by Ellen on February 7, 2015

Aquino announces he accepted resignation of suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima last Friday, Feb. 6.

Noong Biyernes ng gabi, lumabas si Pangulong Aquino (mga isang linggo din siyang hindi nakikita at naririnig mula nang pumunta siya sa lamay ng 44 na miyembro ng Special Action Force sa Camp Bagong Diwa) at nagsalita sa telebisyon tungkol sa trahedya sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao noong Enero 25.

Pangalawang pagsalita niya ito tungkol sa trahedya na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa natutukoy ng opisyal kung sino tala ang may responsibilidad. Ngunit sa unit-unting lumalabas na balita, kahit mag-kakaiba nagkakaroon ng ideya ang publiko kung sino-sino ang may pananagutan.

Maliban kay Pangulong Aquino mismo, bilang commander-in-chief at nag-amin na alam niya ang tungkol sa operasyon at ang hepe ng SAF na si Chief Director Getulio Napeñas, may kinalaman din and suspendido na hepe ng Philippine National Police na si Alan Purisima.

Let him finish his term

Published by Ellen on February 6, 2015

Militant group renews call for Aquino to step down.

I hold President Aquino accountable for the death of 44 Special Action Force commandos but I don’t want him forced to shorten his term which is due to end on June 30 next year.

I’m not joining calls for him to resign. I’m against a coup de’etat.

I want him to finish his mandate which the Filipino electorate bestowed on him when they elected him five years ago.

But he should shape up and take seriously his responsibilities as President.

He owes it to the Filipino people even to those who didn’t vote for him.

Celebrities show conscience and heart for the 44 SAF heroes

Published by Ellen on February 3, 2015

apl.de.ap leads a rousing tribute to the 44 SAF heroes.

Wearing black arm bands emblazoned with “44”, apl.de.ap of the international hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas and one of the judges of The Voice PH, led the performance of one the group’s hits, “Where is the Love?” in last Sunday’s episode of the singing competition.

The lyrics were sharply apt: “Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism/But we still got terrorists here livin’….

“Madness is what you demonstrate/And that’s exactly how anger works and operates/…
“Father, Father, Father help us/Send some guidance from above/’Cause people got me, got me questionin’/Where is the love (Love)…

“Makin’ wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends/Not respectin’ each other, deny thy brother/
A war is goin’ on but the reason’s undercover…

“The truth is kept secret, it’s swept under the rug/If you never know truth then you never know love/
Where’s the love, y’all, come on (I don’t know)”

PBA star Arwind Santos condoles with family of SAF fan

Published by Ellen on February 1, 2015

Police Inspector Joey Sacristan Gamutan, 33, of the elite Special Action Force, was a fan of the San Miguel Beermen.

He won a bet in the championship game for 2015 Philippine Cup title between the San Miguel Beermen and Alaska Aces last Jan. 21. He was so happy he told his wife, Merilyn, that he will treat her and their five-year old daughter Megan (they have a one year old child) at Jollibee when he comes home after the very important operation he is part of is accomplished.

It would be a triple celebration aside from his favorite PBA team’s victory: Jan. 26 is the birthday of Megan and Jan. 24 is their 6th wedding anniversary.

Joey never made it for the celebration he promised Merilyn and Megan.

On Jan. 25, he was part of the select group who went into Tukanalipao village in Mamasapano, Maguindanao to capture Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias ”Marwan” and Basit Usman, a bomb-making expert, high up in the terrorists list of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.