Marcos on the Spratly, Vice Presidency

Q & A: Philippine Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. talks about the Philippines and Chinese claim on the islets and reefs in the West Philippines Sea and his probable run for the vice presidency with political columnist Mortz C. Ortigoza. Excerpts:

Senator Bong Bong Marcos (C) poses for posterity with
Veteran Scribe Ruben Rivera and Columnist Mortz
Ortigoza  (extreme right).

MORTZ: Sir, lately I was watching the Spratly and Scarborough Islets (in the West Philippines Sea) brouhahas there were 16 Pangasinan fishermen who wrote a complaint to the United Nations, then I saw your statement there that you were for the Bilateral Agreement with the Chinese.....
SENATOR BONGBONG MARCOS: No, no, no. I am for the Bilateral Talks with the Chinese..
MORTZ: Ya, Bilateral Talks with the Chinese...
MARCOS: Because, because for the first time in the entire situation the Chinese has agreed to talk in the framework of international law or the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) which is something that they never done before. Tapos noong nakaraan they talked about the 9 Dash Lines. Now they are willing to talk about under UN. That’s new. Hindi rin ni-rerecognized ng ating DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) hindi ata nalalaman kung gaano kalaking pagbabago ito. So we continued to do nothing except making our case in the jurisdiction ng UN.
MORTZ: The perception in the Philippines is the Chinese could not be trusted. One of the examples there is the Panatag Shoal’s hullabaloo where the BRP Pampanga left (in 2012 after it replaced the country’s frigate BRP Gregorio Del Pilar) with the Chinese as agreed. They, the Chinese ships, did not leave the place that’s why Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal now is controlled by the Chinese.

My critique on the film "Heneral Luna"

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Nakakita rin ako ng puwang sa busy schedule ko as media man na mapanood ngayong gabi iyong niha-hyped nilang “Heneral Luna” film sa Robinson-Calasiao. As a former Philippine History professor sa Manila and Dagupan City and combat buff columnist ito po ang masasabi ko:

DOWNSIDES OF THE FLICK

1) Grabe naman si DirectorJerrold Tarog, bakit naman ilang mahabang minute na nakatayo si Heneral Luna habang siya ay pinagbabaril ng Spanish M93 and Remington Spanish rifles and hacked by the treacherous soldiers of Kawit Company of President Emilio Aguinaldo. It started when the brash Luna chided some of the soldiers at the camp in Nueva Ecija that caused his unrealistic demised from the other soldiers who were hiding somewhere and assaulted him.
Akala ko nanonood ako ng super heroes film gaya ng Hancock ni Will Smith kasi noong nauubos na ang power niya (Hancock) kahit anong baril sa kanya nakatayo pa rin siya at pilit lumalapit sa kalaban. 
Iyong mga mahigit lima na bumaril kay Luna ang bala noong riffles nila parang Springfield long firearm whose bullet is liked those in Garand Rifle na nakikita ko noong bata pa ako sa Cotabato. Isang tama lang sa iyo nyan bubulagta ka na sa lupa. Okay lang sana kung kasali si Luna sa Jurumentados na Tausog Warriors noong American Colonization sa Jolo Sulo kung saan pinagtatali-an nila ang mga katawan at kamay nila para ang dugo na galing sa tama ng bala ay hindi dumaloy palabas. 
Sana ginawa ni Direk Jerrold na kahit pinagbabaril si Luna he was lying prone or supine on the ground to make the film more realistic.

2)  May isa akong nakita doon na ayaw sabihin ni Direk ang real story. Nakita ninyo ba doon ang kabit na maganda ni Luna (where the film insinuated that she was also the girlfriend of General Tomas Mascardo)?
Ang pangalan ng matalino at maalindog na dilag ay si Isidra na taga Tarlac. Isidra who?
Sa ibang media sources ang babae ay si Isidra Cojuangco, the grandmother of former President Cory Aquino and Peping Cojuangco. 
The story was Luna surreptitiously brought the monies, gold, and silver of the Philippine treasury at the house of Isidra in Tarlac. The American government in the Philippines was at a loss for the whereabouts of those hundreds of millions of pesos in the present denomination.
Sources said those Luna’s wealth created and bankrolled the Hacienda Luisita's estates of the Cojuangcos. 
Here’s the video of that story to those who are curious:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUbYuRxdavc

UPSIDES OF THE FLICK

1) Bilib ako sa cinematic effects ni Direk, siguro nanunood siya ng combat movies ng Hollywood at nakuha niyang gulatin ang mga manonood. Example, noong nag popped- out ang ulo ng Philippine soldier sa trench na kung saan tinamaan at sumabog ang ulo niya sa bala ng kanyon ( now ko lang nalaman na may sharp shooter na kanyonero na pala) na naging dahilan na nabasa ng dugo ang mga mukha at uniporming rayadillo ng mga kasamahan niya, iyan ika ko ang influenced sa pelikulang “ Saving Private Ryan” ni Steven Spielberg at “Full Metal Jacket” ni Stanley Kubrick kung saan bumubulwak ang dugo at lumilipad ang laman ng tao sa ere.
Pampasarap o embellishment sa film iyang mga motion na iyan.
Noong pagbabarilin ng mga bayolenting Amerkano ang mga bata at ang mga walang kalaban labang mamayan, sabi ko impluwensiya ito, anak ng bakang dalaga, ng violence  style ni Oliver Stone sa “Platoon”.

2) Expected na papatayin ang mga tulad ni Luna kasi naging threat siya kay Aguinaldo. Gusto niyang ipilit ang gusto niya kahit pang political desisyon na ng gobyerno. E heneral siya hindi siya executive or elected official na kung saan sinusunod nila ang pasya ng presidente o commander- in- chief kahit giyera na noon. Example, noong pag aarestuhin niya ang dalawang cabinet members Felipe Buencamino and Pedro Paterno because they quarreled sa cabinet meeting in the presence of President Aguinaldo. That was an affront to the president. When he arrested General Mascardo for insubordination in Pampanga and questioned Aguinaldo the following days why he released Mascardo, he was challenging the authority of the president. When he was heard by soldiers that he would even arrest Aguinaldo and his plan to overthrow the president, he dug already his grave because he made himself a threat at the power-that-be.

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)

Marcos eyes VP post despite polls result

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY - Despite trailing behind Senator Francis Escudero in the latest survey for the vice presidency, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. was unperturbed by his status and says running for a higher office has risk.

Senator Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos, Jr. answers
questions field by media men in Dagupan City
last Sunday.

“Every campaign is risky. You run for the Barangay Captain is a risk. Yes, it is risky.So I don’t know it even senatorial is risky. Lahat naman walang tiyak di naman tiyak,” he stressed at a plush restaurant here last Sunday.

When asked that he better run for reelection for the senate where he was at the Top 5 than taking his chance for the vice presidency as based on the September 2 to 5 Social Weather Station’s polls.

The third quarter +3 -3 Margin- of- Error national SWS says that for the vice presidency 27% chose Senator Grace Poe, 20% Sen. Escudero, 9% Davao City Rodrigo Duterte, 7% Senator Bongbong Marcos, 7% Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada,  5% Senator Alan Peter Cayetano,  5% Senator Loren Legarda, 4% Batangas Governor Vilma Santos,  4% Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, 3%  former Senator Panfilo Lacson,  3% Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Leni Robredo,  2% Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and  0.9% former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, Jr.

Grace Poe should up her PR versus Roxas et al

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

A world class one kilometre cemented highway contracted by the Department of Public Works & Highway cost the government P20 million.
“Iyang pag bubungkal pa ng patag sa bukid ang contractor, P20 million ang running price niyan ngayon,” a brass at the DPWH told me.

Presidential wannabes in the Philippine's May 9, 2016 presidential election.
From left Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe, and Local
Government Secretary Mar Roxas.(PHOTO CREDIT: getrealPhilippines.

com)

Noong tinanung ko kung magkano ang more or less 5 kilometers new De Venecia Highway sa Dagupan City noong pinundohan ni former 5-Time Speaker Jose de Venecia ang diversion road na iyon noong 2004, the brass told me pumalo ng P400 million ang construction at pa-semento.
“Sobrang mahal naman, bale P80 million bawat kilometro ang pagawa ng 5 kilometers na kalsada!”sambulat ko.
He said it was not that expensive since the highway is first class that until now they still paint it to spruce it up.

“Saka noong ginawa iyan nasa fish pen area iyan. Kaya madaming semento, bato, buhangin binuhos diyan para maging kalsada. May dalawang tulay pa diyan bukod doon sa P900 million na bridge na ang funding ay nanggaling pa sa JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)”.
***

Social Weather Station released its latest September 2 and 3 polls on the presidential, vice presidential and senatorial wannabes.

In the presidential it showed voters' preference for Poe at 47%, up by 5 percentage points from 42% in June.
Among the three declared presidential candidates, Roxas posted the highest jump in voters' preference – 39% in September from 21% in June, an 18-percentage point increase.
Voters' preference for Binay was statistically unchanged at 35%, from 34% in June.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who had announced that he would not seek the presidency, was fourth with 16%, from 20% in June.

The survey had 1,200 respondents scientifically distributed in the entire country. 300 respondents for the four areas Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Margin of Error (MoE) for the country was +3 -3 while  each of the four areas had +6-6 MoE.  To the uniiniated, +3 or -3 means a percent or hundred thousands of votes of this could be a led or a deficit of Roxas’ 39% to Binay’s 35%. We can say that Binay can be nearing a statistical tie thus the word “plus” with Roxas or Roxas dusted off Binay with millions of votes because of the word “minus” in the +3 or -3 MoE.

How Dagupan cops became No.1 in Ph

By  Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – What is the difference between the police station here and those in Metro Manila Manila and highly urbanized cities in Davao and Cebu?

EFFICIENT. The smart and snappy Dagupan City’s police who chalked up their station to land as the Best Police Station 2015 in the Philippines based on their year 2014’s efficient performance. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

The police station here bagged this year’s Best Police Station in the country after it solved a sensational crime, according to its Chief of Police (CoP) Superintendent Christopher Abrahano .

He said their award came after he and his men identified the personalities behind the Martilyo Gang (MG) that robbed in May 2014 the BHF Jewelry Gemline here.

In noon of that day ten robbers wielding short and high powered fire arms threatened to death employees of BHF and ransacked the gem shop. Unknown to them one of the three guards were unaccounted because he was at the second floor. As a result he shot and killed with his shot gun  one of the nine marauders who scampered away in their five motorcycles. But when police men plugged all the choke points here they could not find them as they left the motor bikes and Armalite assault rifles at their escape path and rode two Sports and Asian Utility Vehicles to abscond.

 48 hours after the heist, Abrahano identified Jomel Tamlayan, Bernard Hakim and Ephraim John Evangelista who were members of the Ga'ga' robbery holdup gang operating in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, Visayas and Mindanao Islands.

He said they were positively identified by witnesses through the rogues’ gallery presented by the National Capital Region Police Office and through the effort of the Provincial Intelligence Branch of Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPO).

“In less than 48 hours, we were able to establish the identity of the group with the identification of the three suspects. We consider this as a breakthrough in our investigation. And we are still on the go until all the suspects are identified,” Abrahano said.

Abrahano added that cases of robbery in band, attempted homicide and direct assault have been filed by the police at the office of the prosecutor hoping that warrant of arrest would be issued against them.

The Philippine National Police has a policy that identification and filling of case on the culprits even if they are not yet apprehended made the case as solved already.

Dagupan City's Chief of Police Supt. Christopher Abrahano and newshens. 

Blakdyak kakasuhan si VP Binay

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANILA ZOO, Manila – Ang comedy actor at singer na si Blakdyak ay nag iskandalo dito at nag labas ng sama ng loob sa mga reporters matapos niyang mabalitaan na hindi na siya ang gaganap na Vice President Jejomar Binay sa isang high budget film na tinutulak  ng huli.

"Kakasuhan ko siya ng breach of contract!," ani nito.

The handsome mestizo Alden Richards  (right) that Vice President
 Jojo Binay  (left) said he will hire as himself in the film he is funding.

Si Blakdyak, Joey Amoto sa tunay na buhay, ay nanlumo noong mabalitaan niyang kukunin ng controversial na Vice President si Alden Richards na ka loved team ni Maine Mendoza  alias Yaya Dubs ng GMA 7s Eat Bulaga.

“Bakit naman ganoon si Vice President? Sinabihan pa niya na huwag na akong tatanggap ng ibang projects at concerts sa probinsiya, sa mga lamayan at libingan dahil mag sisimula na ang shooting ng “Susulungin ko ang Dilim” sa katapusan nitong buwan,” maluhang luhang sinabi ni Black Jack dito sa Manila Zoo noong nakasalubong niya ang mga reporters na kukuha sana ng balita sa may sakit na hippopotamus dito.

Si Binay ay nag aambisyong tumakbo sa pagka pangulo ng Pilipinas sa May 9, 2016 election.

 Noong Martes sinabi ni Vice President sa isang emergency press conference na gusto niya si Richards na gumanap sa pelikula niyang ibibigay na libre sa Nobyembre sa mga sinehan  sa buong Pilipinas.

"Kaya ko nabanggit kasi sikat na sikat, e," ani ni Binay.

Noong biniro si Binay ng isang reporter ng Turo Ini Tabloid na malayo siya kay Alden sa kulay at tangkad, biglang binalibag ni Vice President ang mikropono sa reporter ng malaswang  tabloid at sinigawan siya na: “"Sa sine naman wala namang imposible. Hindi ba, itinutugma naman kung ano ang pangangailangan."

Sinabi pa ni Binay sa chief of staff niya na huwag bigyan ang mga media ng sobre na may lamang tag P5000 pag nagtanung sila ng masama at may malisya sa kanya.

Ang langu sa alak na si Blakdyak matapos magwala sa isang motel sa Quezon City.

Japan, South Korea asensado kahit di marunong mag Inglis

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Naaliw akong basahin ang isang artikulo ng PhilStar.com kung saan nakipag buno ang mga guro  na maka wikang Filipino at maka Inglis sa Pambansang Kumperensiyang Pang¬wika ng Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino-Ikalawang Serye na ginanap sa Bayview Hotel, Manila kung ano ang dapat bigyan ng mas mahigit na pansin sa pagtuturo: Filipino ba o Inglis?

Sa  website ng Department of Education naka saad doon na ang Mother Tongue ang ituturo para mapa-igting ang “fluency” ng mga Grades 1 to 4, tapos ang Filipino at Inglis naman ang ituturo “as language of instruction” sa mga Grades 4 to 6 sa elementarya.

Sa hais-skul naman, ani ng DepEd, ang Filipino at Inglis ay “primary instruction” sa Junior High School at Senior High School.

Sabi ng mga maka Inglis, mahirap gamitin ang Filipino sa hais-skul kasi may mga paksa na gaya ng Science at Mathematics na kulang ang Filipino na termino sa mga gamit nito.

Ang mga maka Filipino naman ay nakipagtalo na bakit daw ang Japan, South Korea, Germany, at iba pang bansa na hindi naman sila marunong mag Inglis maganda naman ang mga buhay nila.

Ang Inglis, ayon sa isang participant, ay armas lang ng mga Pilipino pag sila ay nagtrabaho na domestic helpers at iba pang blue collar jobs sa ibang bansa.

 “Idinagdag pa ng isang guro, hindi batayan ng pag-unlad ang pagiging mahusay sa salitang ingles dahil pinatunayan na ito ng South Korea, Japan at iba pang bansa na mas minahal ang kanilang sariling wika kaysa maging magaling sa pagsasalita ng ingles. Aniya, naging maunlad ang kani-kanilang mga bansa kahit hindi sila magaling sa salitang Ingles kaya malinaw na hindi ang pagiging magaling sa Ingles ang magi¬ging batayan ng pag-unlad ng isang bansa," ani ng PhilStar.com.

Nilinaw din sa seminar na iyon ni Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KFW) chairman Jose Laderas Santos, hindi lamang sa buwan ng wika dapat ipakita ng taumbayan ang pagmamahal sa sariling wikang Filipino kundi sa araw-araw.

Siniguro din ni Chairman Santos ng KWF na handang tumulong ang komisyon sa DepEd sa pagsasalin sa Filipino ng module na gagamitin sa pagtuturo sa lahat ng asignatura sa pagpapatupad ng K to 12 system.

Ang Pananaw ko

Kahanga hanga ang alab ng damdamin ng mga maka Filipino pero sa akin mali ang argumentasyon nila.

Maganda ang buhay ng mga tao sa South Korea, Japan, at Germany hindi dahil sila ay hindi marunong mag Inglis kung hindi magaling ang bansa nilang gumawa ng trabaho para sa kanila.

Ang mga bansang ito ay industrialized countries kung saan gumagawa sila nga mga sasakyan, armas, computers, appliances, at iba pang mga gadgets para ibenta nila sa ibang bansa.