How the Finger of God Helps Ukraine Beats the Russians

  By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I was glued to the viewpoints in YouTube of retired general Frederick Benjamin "Ben" Hodges, III -  who served as commanding general, United States Army Europe -  about the psychological and strategical values of the recent counter attacks to the Russian soldiers by the Ukrainian army in the port city Kherson. It is located at the southern part of the besieged country.

 The city serves as the administrative center of Kherson Oblast located in the Black Sea and in the Dnieper River. Kherson is the home of a major ship-building industry and is a regional economic center. In 2021, it had an estimated population of 283,649. 

United States made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) 

Hodges thesis was titled: The War in Ukraine with Lt. General Ben Hodges.

The General – who is the current Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis - said the strikes of the Ukrainians against the Ivans have the following values:

·         Kherson is the first and only capital of an Oblast province that was captured by the Russians;

·          Tens of thousands of Russian troops that are on the right side of the Dnipro River have been trapped;

·         The three bridges in the Dnipro River have been destroyed by the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) guided multiple launch rocket system (GMLRS) rockets of the accurate hitting United States made  M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) because of their relentless bombardments in July and August. Moscow cannot send reinforcement, water, and ammunition to these beleaguered soldiers;

·         The 25, 000 to 35,000 Russians (15% of their entire invasion force) have been snagged and trapped in the right of the River after the Ukrainian battalions from Kharkiv cut them behind – ala the famed Inchon landing of Douglas McArthur.

With the Russians – parts of those thousands who left Kharkiv to rescue Kherson - in the left side of the Dnipro River absconding to their motherland by leaving their heavy military equipment, the Ukrainians could be 240 kilometers from Kherson to the Russian's naval base and port city’s Sevastopol of Crimea.

AUTHOR (extreme right) who sports a huge tactical helmet and Kevlar vest used by the crew of HIMARS during the Balikatan (military exercise) of the Americans and the Filipinos in Clark Air Base, Pampanga. He is in this photo with the members of the United States Marines who man the GPS guided rocket system manufactured by Lockheed Martin as seen on the background.

Just like the man-portable air-defense system’s FIM-92 Stinger, tactical air-to-surface anti-radiation’s AGM-88 HARM missiles, and advanced anti-tank weapon system and the fire and forget U.S made Javelin and British and Sweden manufactured N-LAW shoulder carried rockets that flushed out the Russian soldiers on their failed invasion of capital city’s Kyiev in February to April 2022 that cost them 22, 000 dead and 460 tanks and over 2,000 other armoured vehicles destroyed (Oryx), the surgical hitting HIMARS – dubbed by military experts as “The “C” forming Fore Finger God”   have been another game changer in President Volodymyr O. Zelensky's successful counterattacks not only in Kherson but in Kharkiv and the city of Izium early and middle of this month. The capture of Izium was a major tactical setback to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the city is a major logistical railway hub of the Russian's military juggernaut as it connects to the Russian's city of Belgorod Oblast.

The head of Russia's administration in Kharkiv told residents to evacuate the province and flee to Russia to "save lives," TASS reported. Witnesses described traffic jams of cars with people leaving Russian-held territory.

What will be the implication to Moscow and Putin if the dozens of HIMARs come near Crimea – invaded and annexed by Russia in February 27, 2014? What will the implication of this Finger of God as the Ukrainian combatants inch to Donbas and Luhansk?

Just like what the accurate GPS navigating rocket of the HIMARs – that can fire its six rockets in a pod  every 14 seconds – at a range of 92 kilometers, the Russian soldiers will be deprived again of their gas and ammunition because their depots can be accurately blasted to smithereens by these long range Lockheed Martin's manufactured rockets.

“How can the guided rockets of HIMARS hit the Chinese warships if one of this is posted at one of the islets of the Philippines at the South China Sea?” I asked one of the camouflage clad U.S Marines who manned one of them being displayed at Clark Air Base in April 2016 during the Balikatan (military exercise) among the Yanks and the Filipinos.
“They would be GPS guided,” he retorted as he set the huge  fatigue’s Kevlar helmet and the pocketfuls' bulletproof vest intended for the operator of the HIMARS on my head and body for our photo-op (SEE OUR PHOTO SOMEWHERE IN THIS BLOG).

“Is the price of this monster (Himars) $5.1 million apiece?” I posed.

“Naah, its $6 million apiece now”.
“Philippine government should buy some these so we can sink those ships of the Chinks,”I added.

The secret of Ukraine victories against the Ivans is to quote what Oscar Johnson – a researcher of the Swedish Defense University, said:

“This is Ukraine cleverly spotty on the Russian lines with bad opportunities for redeployment coupled with new longer range capabilities (smart rockets like HIMARS) that can impact on Russian forces”.

(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

The Lethal, Costly Weapons of a Cobra

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.

Crim. Case vs. Mamasapano Actors Should be Dismissed

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

The Special Action Force (SAF) criminally sued the actors of the film’s Mamasapano. They were charged with Illegal Use of Uniform or Insignia which has an imprisonment term of arresto mayor or one month and one day to six months’ jail time.

Its producer lawyer Ferdinand Topacio – who sued former President Noynoy Aquino, et al. on the botched SAF raid in Mamasapano in Maguindano - wondered that despite the flick's entity asked permission from the former SAF’s commanding officer Brig. Gen. Amando Clifton Empiso his successor still charged actors Paolo Gumabao, Rico Barrera and others.

BELEAGUERED ACTORS Paolo Gumabao, Rico Barrera, and Aljur Abrenica. Photo Credit: Bandera

If the prosecutor (called in the past as “fiscal) who handles the case is worth his salt, this case should go in the dustbin.

A criminal case provided in Section 179 of the Revised Penal Code is inferior to the actors’ constitutional rights of freedom of expression enshrined in Section 3 of the Philippines Constitution “no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press”.

Even annotator Luis B. Reyes of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines cited that “The provision (Section 179) is not applicable to the using and wearing of such insignia, badge or emblem of rank in playhouse or theater or in moving picture films” when he cited the similar special law provided by Republic Act 493.

It says: Prohibits the unauthorized use of titles and wearing of insignia, badge or emblem or rank of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Constabulary (now the Philippine National Police).

Even the complainant charged the actors of not requesting his acquiescence or of the PNP, the wordings of the law did not say the defendants must ask for.

Other social media commenters acrimoniously said that the defendant failed to ask the imprimatur of the cops.

Ubi lex non distinguit, nec nos distinguere debemus (Where the law does not distinguish, nor the interpreter must distinguish) as what a Latin maxim says.

Even R.A 9167 (An Act Creating the Film Development Council of the Philippines) supports these beleaguered actors. It says on its Section 1’s clause:

Pursuant to the constitutional guarantee on freedom of expression, the State shall promote and support the development and growth of the local film industry as a medium or the upliftment aesthetics, cultural and social values or the better understanding and appreciation of the Filipino identity (Section 1).

It’s a different story however if the complainant and the defendant collude to file this ridiculous nonsense case if what in their minds are for the gullible moviegoers to talk about the flick and rush to buy tickets for the celluloid screen.

As what they said in tinsel town: Bad publicity is good publicity.

 Oscar Wilde collaborates this with his quote: The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.

And this yokel op-ed writer is already a victim of this agenda as he discusses this brouhaha in these countless paragraphs’ column, hahaha!

(Send comments totomortz@yahoo.com)

Scoundrels at the DENR, the Lands They Sold

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Binmaley Mayor Pete Merrera blamed the collusion of soldiers and officials of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources by allowing illegal settlers to occupy parts of the 19, 1479 hectares’ military reservation of Camp Andres Malong in this part of Pangasinan.

“Kasabwat iyong mga sundalo kasabwat mga taga DENR kasi ang releasing ay DENR,” Merrera told this newspaper that the certificates of right (CoR) have been distributed by the knaves at the DENR for countless of years for buyers who willingly shell-out millions of pesos for a certain parcel of land there.

 Camp Andres Malong Military Reservation in Binmaley, Pangasinan. Photo is internet grabbed

“Milyon milyon diyan. P5,000 to P10,000 per square meter,” he said about the price of every parcel per square meter (psm) paid by the vendees to these miscreants.

On August 7 this year, 2^nd District Congressman Mark O. Cojuangco requested with expediency the DENR for a cease and desist order of the senseless construction of human structures in the Binmaley’s Baywalk, the portion of military Camp Andres Malong, and along the stretches of Lingayen Gulf pending determination of the legality of their status.

Cojuangco’s letter was addressed to Forester Frank Vincent D. Danglose of the Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) of the DENR based in Dagupan City.   

During the administration of Merrera’s mayor-father, he said the shorelines and the areas of the military reservation were squatters-free.

The military camp is under the supervision of 104th Community Defense Center.

An associate of the mayor – who asked for conditioned of anonymity – told this writer that some incumbent and former officials of this town owned a land there.

The newly elected Merrera cited the names of those possessors he said he did not know personally. 

Their surnames are Mejia, Banaciada, Herrera, Lucero, Vinluan to name a few.

“Akalain mo ang acquired property nila diyan sa may kasundaluhan may 570, 1,1080, 16, 170 square meters,” he said about the threatened military reservation.

Merrera disclosed that some of them have even an approved “titles” dated in 1996 and 1997.

The military reservation and the stretches of the shoreline of the Lingayen Gulf are public domain owned by the government.

Foreshore lease law of the Philippines does not allow a builder to construct a permanent structure anywhere within 30 meters from the high tide mark of the sea water.

The tax declarations from the Bureau of Internal Revenue waved by these possessors in the military reservation and the shoreline to the public do not hold water as they are not land titles.

(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)

Q&A: China Cannot be an Aggressor Forever - FVR

 

Northern Watch's political columnist Mortz C . Ortigoza sat again recently with former President Fidel V. Ramos, a West Pointer, in Dagupan City to discuss the growing belligerence of Mainland China in the West Philippines Sea and the state of the Philippine’s armed forces vis-à-vis the incessant Chinese's intrusions in the territorial waters of the Philippines, Excerpts:

 Op-Ed Political Writer Mortz C. Ortigoza (right, photo) interviews former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos.

' MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA (MCO): Mr. President, some quarters said armed conflict between the United States and Mainland China is inevitable. But the U.S has $1.164 trillion of debt with China, notwithstanding the latter as the U.S’s biggest trade partner. Do you think war is indeed inevitable?

FIDEL V. RAMOS (FVR): You know I hope you read my Sunday columns in the Bulletin. I’ve been writing about , No. 1: “Who is Scared of Scarborough? Or Panatag Shoal which is 124 miles only from Masinloc, Zambales, 550 Miles away from Hainan, Islands – the southernmost place of China, thereby we have some advantage already. No. 2: If we sacrifice our trade using the 200 miles EEZ or Exclusive Economic Zone provided for long by the UN (United Nations) Convention of the Laws of the Sea, UNCLOS tagilid diyan si China (that will be China’s dilemma).

MCO: But China was nonchalant on this EEZ thing. She keeps violating our territorial water?

FVR: In my view she cannot be an aggressor forever because there are also other nations like ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) which has 600 million people. Kasama ang Philippines diyan (the Philippines is included there). They are also rising like China and democratic and observe and respect the right convention and covenant especially the rule of human rights and equal opportunity. Meaning (they) keep the sea lanes of peaceful commerce, aviation and people’s interaction open and hindered by decrees. This is how the 21st Century and no country, and no people within the country can just dictate like that because the people everywhere will not allow it. Look at what is happening in the Middle East and in North Africa.

MCO: Are you in favor the Philippines buttresses her armed forces like buying T-50 Golden Eagle and F-16 Falcon supersonic multi-role jets from Korea Aerospace Industries and U.S based Lockheed Company ?

FVR: You know the best way of acquiring modern equipment was what we did back in the 1990s with Cory (President Aquino) up to 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994 during my time. It was not outright purchased; it was co-production and counter trade. This was how we bought jets, trainer planes from Alenia Aermacchihe S-211, one squadron 24 of them But one half of them were paid in hard cash. The other half were completed by bartering by ordering shoes, woven fashion wear, leather goods, and lingerie fashion materials made in the Philippines but Italy wants to brand them with their (products).

MCO: How about Co-Production?

FVR: Plus co-production. If we talked about co-production it does not have to do with flying the planes and jets. The non-avionic parts or the parts that do not do have to do with flying the plane, firing the guns, providing the radar like the seats, the canopy, the upholstery, the glass. It must be made in the Philippines. And yes we have so many retired air force people, and aviation personnel who can do all of these dirty works. We did that in 1991-92-93.

MCO: During your time Mr. President, were planes’ crashes common that snapped out the lives of our air force pilots?

FVR: Saka noong panahon namin maniwala ka, the quality of the (planes) of the air force then was very high (Believe you me, during my time the quality of the planes of the air force planes were very high). Walang namamatay na cabinet members kahit na sumakay sila sa Philippine Air force Force. Pati ang presidente hindi nag-a-arkila ng private planes bukod sa foreign trips by using Philippine Airlines. Iyong Philippine Air force gamit namin sa local sorties (No cabinet members were reported dead who rode in an air force plane in my time. Even the president of the land did not lease private planes except when he went abroad by availing Philippine Airlines. The air force planes were used in local sorties only).

+3

88ZJ Rosario Ortigoza, Roberto J. Alba Jr. and 86 others

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