LP’s solons will desert Roxas after kickbacks

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A veteran politician and a successful contractor of government projects told me that those congressmen who did not only swear to high heaven their support to lethargic presidential wannabe Mar Roxas but even campaigned for him whenever he barnstorms in the provinces will desert him 45 days before the May 9, 2016 election.


Why? Because   the bidding of the projects awarded to the chosen and favourite contractors of these congressmen would be finished before that time as mandated by election law,” he told me.
As you know solons who are allied with the Aquino Administration move heaven and earth to look for hundreds of millions of pesos of projects at the Departments of Public Works & Highway, Social Welfare & Development, Education, Agrarian Reform, National Irrigation Administration, and others and then look for the intercession of Malacanang patrons like Roxas to funnel these to their districts.
With the projects budget already allocated at the Department of Budget & Management, their favourite contractors give them advance sum to be deducted to their kickbacks they call S.O.P from the 20 percent or more of say P100 million highway concreting projects so they can use the monies for their electioneering.
But with Roxas’ pathetic poll performance, these congressmen would just use him for the meantime and run to their popular presidential bet after they get their S.O.P so they can maintain their racket in the next administration.
Who said pork barrel was already abolished?

Economy

Compared the Ramos and Arroyo Administrations to the present Aquino Administration, which among them was the best in expanding the growth of our economy?
According to the December 7 Merrill Lynch’s report, President Benigno Aquino, Jr. was responsible for the 6.5 percent spike of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in his last five years against President Gloria Arroyo’s 4.8 percent growth GDP in the nine years in office and President Fidel V. Ramos’ 3.1 percent hike under his six years’ term.
But it doesn’t mean that Aquino was much better than Arroyo. The research penned by analysts Jojo Gonzales and Claudio Piron said.

Super Dry Beers and Grace Poe

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I was into my third San Miguel Super Dry beer and a plate of Cebu grilled chicken at the ChickBoy Restaurant in Robinson Mall  recently when a judge joined me on my table.
I asked him to get some beers so we can have an animated conversation that usually evolves on politics. He told me he would just avail of the free lunch I offered as he had a meeting with some folks an hour later.

We discussed whether presidential candidate Grace Poe is a natural born or cesarean born, er, naturalized citizen who was born Filipino after four petitioners filed a case for her disqualification at the Commission on Election.

As you know the cases filed by former Senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad, Government Service and Insurance System chief legal counsel Estrella Elamparo, De La Salle University political science professor Antonio Contreras, and former Dean Amado Valdez vary from her questionable citizenship to the number of years she resided in the Philippines after she married a Filipino - American citizen.

Here was what ensued with that encounter with my friend:

JUDGE: She cannot be a natural born citizen because Section 2 Article IV (Citizenship) says “Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship. Remember Mortz the operative words “without having to perform any act”,” he told me.

She could not be natural born and run for the presidency because she performed an act on the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003.

ME: But what about “Repatriation”? It is a performance but it is encouraged by Section 3 that says Philippine citizenship may be lost or reacquired in the manner provided by law.

***

I told him that “Repatriation” was defined in Bengzon v.HRET and Cruz  in May 7, 2001 by the Supreme Court.

The high court decided there if what was lost was natural citizenship for the applicant then that is what he or she  will reacquire.

 (NOTE: Bengzon versus Cruz, G.R No.142840,  was a land mark Supreme Court decision about a Pangasinanense who joined the U.S Marine in November 5, 1985, took an oath of allegiance to the United States, returned to Pangasinan and won a congressional seat against rival Antonio Bengzon III)

“As defined in the same Constitution, natural-born citizens “are those citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire of perfect his Philippine citizenship.” On the other hand, naturalized citizens are those who have become Filipino citizens through naturalization, generally under Commonwealth Act No. 473, otherwise known as the Revised Naturalization Law. (Teodoro) Cruz was not naturalized but repatriated. Repatriation may be had under various statues by those who lost their citizenship due to: (1)XXX; (2)XXX; (3) service in the Armed Forces of the United States at any other time; (4) marriage of a Filipino woman to an alien; and (5) XXX,” the Supreme Court said on that jurisprudence.

I cited too to my judge friend, who was eating his sizzling sisig, Republic Act 9225  or An Act Making the Citizenship of Philippines who Acquire Foreign Citizenship Permanent passed by Congress and signed into law by President Gloria M. Arroyo in April 2003.

If we read Section 3 or the Retention of Philippine Citizenship, the Act said that any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, natural born citizenship by reason of their naturalization as citizens of a foreign country are hereby deemed to have re-acquired Philippine citizenship upon taking the following oath of allegiance to the Republic:

“XXXXX”

Natural –born citizens of the Philippines who, after the effect of this Act, become citizens of a foreign country shall retain their Philippine citizenship upon taking the aforesaid oath”.
One of the logics of the members of the Constitutional Commission that hammered the Philippine Constitution was that dual citizenship of the woman because of her marriage to her foreign husband was beyond her control as it is the law of the land of the alien husband.

Republic Act 9225  talks about “Repatriation” that was used  by the high court in giving back the natural born citizenship of former Teddy Cruz, the friend of my media friend Harold Barcelona.
It gives too to the citizenship of  any Filipino who lost it.

So what was the fuss about Grace Poe not a natural born citizen of the Philippines and thus barred for the race to the presidency?
Bengzon vs. Cruz and Republic Act 9225 back her up for her natural citizenship that she availed with her three kids in 2006.

“But she lacks the ten year residency if we count it from 2006?” probably some critics posed here as they are reading this article.

Q & A: Hit men’s boss

My interview with the hit men’s boss could be likened to the flick “Leon: The Professional”. The only difference with the hired gun movie was the hit men’s boss was not Italian killers’ God Father  "Uncle" Tony (Danny Aiello)but a retired police officer somewhere in a town in Luzon while the hit men were not Leon (Jean Reno) and Mathilda (Natalie Portman) but policemen and civilians' sicarios (gunmen). Brace yourself as you read the narration how people with shady characters were mercilessly killed so that other would be criminals would not emulate them. Here is the interview you seldom read on newspapers and magazines. Excerpts.

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA: How did you order the killing of a notorious criminal?

SICARIOS. A motorcycle killer riding in tandem
 left his bike and treacherously pumped a bullet
at the back of the head of his victim.

ANSWER: There was this notorious akyat bahay (burglar) in a village. He was fingered every time there was robbery that ensued. Usually I learned his and other culprits’ shenanigans from my police precinct commander.

We would talk how to eliminate the habitual-delinquent. My commander would ask me my verdict: “Sir, engkuentro o sparrow?

Q: How did you eliminate him?

A: We resorted to “sparrow”. The hit man would be selected ala-round robin; I got two civilians and few policemen who are killers who have killed people in the past. I chose the one who did not kill somebody for a while.  Some of them badgered me that they do the billing since they have an itch in doing it. Killing among the hard core is liked an addiction their bodies craved.

Q: What happen to the burglar?

A: My men stabbed him one night. Killing by using a knife needs two to three killers. That’s why you can see a cadaver with multiple stabbed wounds on different parts of his body. Aside from it, it was a signature of our plot, we see to it that the target did not survive. There were cases in the past that a killer would plunged for several times a knife to the victim but still the latter ran away and survived the attempt.

That’s why whenever they strike it’s like an ambush when they mercilessly stabbed simultaneously and in the flurry the victim to make sure he died instantly.

Interviewer points to a victim of killers who were motorcycle riding in tandem in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.
Interviewer and fellow media man were in the former car when ahead of them a hit man caught up with a motorized tricycle driver  and peppered him with lethal shots from a Colt .45 U.S made pistol.
The 45 is the standard weapon uses by hired killers in the Philippines. 

Q: Why you resort to stabbing and not shooting?

A: Because stabbing is the politically correct, it can be suspected to be perpetrated by robbery, grudge, or whatever. Shooting could prejudice my tour record in my post.

Q: I heard from one of your men you ordered the killing of a notorious swindler. How was it done?

A: There this incident when a notorious swindler, an effeminate, in another province hid from those he duped there and resided and ran a restaurant in my area. A high police official who had an earful of complaints on the nefarious activities of this man asked me to silence him.

After some casing (police jargon for “back ground investigation"), my men, four of them composed by two civilians and two cops, implement the mission. I told them to stab the suspect.

Q: What happen to that swindler and restaurant owner you ordered killed?

A: When my men arrived they hesitated first because there was a policeman from the other station having his dinner there. The black jacket he wore exposed his police patrol uniform inside. But my men would not back out. Two of them guarded the policeman while the two charged the swindler with their knives.

Next president decides if AFP Modernization v. China continues

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

After the hearing on the PNP Modernization Bill last November 26 at the swanky Sison Auditorium in Lingayen, Pangasinan,Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil (2nd District, Pangasinan and PMA ’76) introduced me to Congressman Romeo Acop (2nd District, Antipolo and PMA ’70) as a former personnel of the Tactics at the Philippine Military Academy in the late 1980s when he was one of the tactical officers there.

RAFALE. U.S$101 million apiece French made Dassault
Rafale multi-role jet.Photo Credit: Dassault Aviation

“Sir, what class are you?” I asked Acop, a lawyer.

“1970”

“Oh, your mistah (classmate) was Julius Javier (living legend and hero of the black panther commando the Scout Ranger). He just reacted last week on my blog I posted at Face Book on my article about former U.S General Colin Powel during his stint at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

“I’m still seeing Julius; we played golf together with my other “mistahs”.

After I narrated to him that I and my family lived at the RFC near the statue of “young boy” General Gregorio del Pilar when they were still firstie (graduating cadets) in the 1970,I asked Acop, a member of the Oversight Committee of Revised AFP Modernization Program, why it takes several years (2018 to 2022 of Horizon 2) for the AFP to buy a squadron or two squadrons of multiple jets like the U.S made $19 million apiece F-16 bloc C/D, Sweden made  U.S $ 70 million each Saab JAS 39 Gripen, or U.S$101 million apiece French made Dassault Rafale to buttress the Philippines’ defense of her  islands, and reefs at the West Philippines Sea (WPS).

“In case Congress deliberate and fund in 2017 the multi-role jets, funds will be available in 2018, order and delivery of the brand new jets will be on 2019 or 2020, baka ubos na ang isla natin sa WPS in case we keep procrastinating on buying them?"

He told me that the Revised AFP Modernization Act  (RAFPMA) or Republic Act 10349 already funded all the items needed by the AFP up to the end year 2028 of the Horrizon-3.

“The ball now lays on the executive department especially the new president whether he/she supports it, " he told me.

***

When  I asked him in case the tension at the WPS get out of control, why not Congress pass a special appropriation to buy  second hand F-16s or Israeli Kfirs, all multi-role fighters, especially the latter the Israelis offer us in a basement price.

“They were manufactured in the 1970s but their frames and platforms were spruced up to fly for thousands of hours not to mention the warranty given by the Israelis, their new avionics and munitions are at par with the F-16,” I declared.

GRIPEN MULTI-ROLE JET. Sweden made  U.S $ 70 million each
Saab JAS 39 Gripen. Photo Credit: pinterest.com

As what rhk111smilitaryandarmspage.wordpress.com wrote: ‘All Kfirs being sold now are taken from the mothballed stocks of the IAF (Israel Air Force), but are refurbished and upgraded with advanced avionics. The latest version in the market is the “Block 60″ armed with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, the EL/M-2052. IAI is selling this new version with a 40-year manufacturer’s guarantee for the low price of only USD 20 million each, which would be cheaper than the FA-50 Golden Eagles (priced at U.S $30 million apiece - MCO)”.

Acop said we should instead buy for brand new than procuring those French Mirage III/5 delta-winged inspired Kfir, whose technology the Jews stole from the French after the latter would not sell those hundreds of Mirage III Israeli ordered and paid before the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

***

Here under was my Question and Answer with Congressman Sam Pagdilao (Baron, PMA ‘79) before I and Rep. Acop had a huddle:

MORTZ: May question is not on the PNP Modernization Bill but on the RAFPMA because you and other former military or police officials are members of the Oversight Committee of the military modernization.

Sir, nakita ko kasi sa Horizon-1 (2013 to 2017) 33 military items, dadalawa o tatatlo pa lang nabili ng government iyong fighter-trainer jets sa South Korea and Bell Helicopters sa Canada. Bakit marami ang hindi nabibili sa Horizon-1? Wala bang supurta ang Congress sa procurement?

F-16 C/D. $19 million apiece F-16 Bloc C/D.
Photo Credit: taiwantoday.tw

CONGRESSMAN PAGDILAO: Okay, we are also members of the AFP Modernization Oversight Committee. Tama ka diyan. Una, I observed hindi nabibili hindi nasusunod ng AFP iyong Time Line saka iyong pagbili ng dapat bibilhin according to different Time Lines o Horizons sa bill.

So, wala bang suporta ang Congress?

Cops awe kibitzers on helmet cam, other projects

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

POZORRUBIO – The chief of police (COP) here did not stop to amaze peace and order spectators about his series of innovations in fighting criminals.

HELMET CAM. Police Chief Inspector Ryan Manongdo and his
 aid, a camera- installed- helmet, in fighting criminals.

From the Project Bando, Papa Bear, LAMBAT, ESPADA, Sanib Pwersa, Pulis Nino, and R.A.Ks, Police Chief Inspector Ryan Manongdo is into Project Selfie (PS).

PS is where foot police patrollers wear a camera installed helmet to record activities in the areas of this first class town.

 “Sa tulong ng Project Selfie ng Pozurrobio police nakikita iyong actual na nangyayari sa isang situation. Agad din itong namo-monitor na gamit ang isang application sa cellphone,” the former math teacher turned police officer said.

Manongdo, an alumnus of the Philippine National Police Academy, said PS aims to support the ongoing Oplan Lambat-Sibat of the PNP through recording of various crime prevention activities. To achieve this, he said, the following are the objectives of “Selfie”:

”To record actual activities of police personnel during the operation, to protect the personnel from harassment, and to document important visual informations that have value”.

He cited that the camera did not only protect the police when they are on patrol or serving a search warrant or warrant of arrest on the fabricated counter-charges of the culprits but could capture the plate number of the vehicle they are pursuing, the face of the malefactor, and could be used in the coming Yuletide Season and the May 2016 election where crime spikes.

“Iyong police alam niyang nag vi-video siya so behave siya. The community alam din nila na they are being documented they also behave. So respect begets respect”.

Manongdo, a Special Action Force’s trained commando, was profusely thankful to the people and non-government organization (NGO) that keep supporting his laudable projects that they believe can be emulated not only by the police stations in the 44 towns and four cities’ Pangasinan but all the police forces all over the country.

The COP said one set of the helmet camera cost P6.500.

Cops Asked: Is it OK your superior throw you in jail?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I caught the middle of the consultation of the Committee on Public Order and Safety of the House of Representatives on the “PNP Modernization Bill” with hundreds of members of the Philippine National Police held last Thursday in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

2 Philippine cops tagged in ‘hulidap’ arrested, 7 others hunted PHOTO CREDIT DZRHNEWS.COM

Major concerns asked by Congressmen Romy Acop, Sam Pagdilao, and Pol Bataoil, who are not only retired police officials but alumni of the Philippine Military Academy, were the following: "

1)             If active members of the Philippine National Police wanted that their ranking titles be reverted to the then Philippines Constabulary (PC).

It means a Senior Inspector would be called as Captain, etc.

I asked the non officers who were mostly SP04 (Senior Police Officer-4) who were near my seat if they were amenable that a Police Officer 1 would be called “Constable” while an SP04 with red six stripes and a star in the middle will be called MSGT or Master Sergeant just like in the military.  Most of them did not like the idea. “It could not happen because the PNP was created as civilian in nature while those military ranks were created, well, for military purpose,” an SPO4 answered me.

“I thought you don’t want to trade off the SPO-4 or P01 rank because of the word “Officer” attached to it when in the real sense you are not officer like the Inspector or Superintendent (Lieutenant or Lt. Colonel in the military),’ I jocularly told him.

Shocked mailman, wife invited to presidential dinner

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

When I was a kid growing inside the camp of the Philippine Military Academy I wondered why every Saturday or Sunday there were cadets that ate lunch and spent their afternoon at the houses of our military neighbours.

FOSTER SISTER. Getting acquainted, Inah Felice had chit-chat with the
new cadets moments after the foster parent pairing at the military academy.
PHOTO CREDIT: TRIPOD

“They are foster brothers,” a young pretty female neighbour, who became a general in the nurse corps, said to me on the graduating first class cadets.

Many of these cadets came from dirt poor existence in the provinces but catapulted themselves to the elite military school because of their intelligence especially in math in high school.

Some of them married the daughters (their foster sisters) of officers and non officers who stayed at the PMA’s quarters.

One of the cadets, just to stop the inquisitiveness and loquaciousness of a five-year old boy, carried me on his lap to stop my blabber when my lady cousin Darcy invited them inside our house so some of them, who were Ilonggos, could meet and exchange pleasantries with my father who hailed from Iloilo City.

“That was Julius Javier (PMA Class 1970 who came from Negros Occidental), he is the goat (the cadet who graduated last in his entire class),” my cousin whispered to me when Javier and classmates bid goodbye.