Filipinos mull to sail to China grabbed Scarborough Shoal

Even without the nod of the DFA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The leaders of the National Movement for Food Sovereignty (NMFS) and the Green Peace mulls to sail to the disputed Scarborough Reef even without the permission of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Green Peace's ship. Photo Credit: Inhabitat.com

Ka Iza Gonzales of the NMFS said the plan is for a fact finding mission for Filipino fishermen who are banned by the Chinese navy there to fish.

“Puwede naman po, kaya po isa po itong hakbang para alamin po iyong mga mangingisda  natin sa Pangasinan wala  na silang nahuhuli. Pumapalaot po sila pero pagdating ho sa laot tinataboy ho sila, malaki ho ang problema (We can do it, that is why this is our step to inquire why fishermen in Pangasinan have no catch anymore. They went to the high sea but upon reaching there the Chinese drove them away. That is a big problem),” Gonzales said when told not to ask the imprimatur of DoF that was lukewarm to the scheme but instead go ahead with the plan to go to the disputed shoal known among the locals as Panatag.

Shoo-in for Chief PNP after Duterte announced 3 bets

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

In the last Monday’s press conference laced with humors and innuendos, presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte bared the probable heads of cabinets and the chief of the Philippine National Police.

FAIREST OF 'EM ALL. Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all for the top plum of the Philippine National Police? From left: Chief Superintendents Ramon Apolinario and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Senior Supt. Rene Aspira. PHOTO CREDIT: CNN Philippines

Although the top honcho of the PNP is equivalent to a bureau chief, the police organization is a powerful agency that would play a vital role in Duterte’s knuckle duster fight against notorious criminals.

He cited Chief Superintendents Ramon Apolinario and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Senior Supt. Rene Aspira as probable chief of the PNP.

Chief Superintendent and Senior Superintendent, to the uninitiated on the rankings of the former Philippine Constabulary after it “broke-away” from the Armed Forces of the Philippines in January 29, 1991 through Republic Act 6975, are the equivalent of military ranks of Brigadier General and Colonel.

“I asked them to talk among themselves since they were my chiefs of police and they have sterling records during their stints in Davao City,” the president-elect said to that effect.

When I asked my sources from the police, who are alumni of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), if the trio are “mistah” or classmates at the PMA as mentioned by Duterte and who would be the next chief of the PNP among them after Director General Ricardo Marquez submitted his courtesy resignation, I was told that Apolinario is a member of PMA Class 1985 while dela Rosa and Aspira are part of PMA Classes 1986 and 1987, respectively.

Shoo-in

“Who do you think would be the shoo-in?” I posed to one of my sources.

Before he gave me a direct answer, he told me that General Apolinario even if he is a member of Class 1985 will retire on 2019 while dela Rosa will retire on 2018.

“Bato joined the PMA older than his classmates thus he will retire upon reaching the compulsory retirement age of 56 two years from now”.

He said that if the president asked them to talk, the logical thing there is for Bato (“stone” because of his muscular body) to assume the top plum  before he bows in 2018,thereafter Apolinario succeeds him.

My source did not tell me when Aspira will retire.

My source told me that the promotion for the four stars' Director General of the police is not a problem because Duterte can promote dela Rosa to another three stars immediately.

Bato can be promoted to multiple stars' rank

A member of PMA 1986 told me in the past (click here):“The president can promote a colonel to one star general, then after a week he can be a two-star general, then a week later a three- star police general that could even bypassed those senior officers”.

“What will happen to PMA Classes 1983, 1984, and 1985 that are still with the PNP?” I asked.

He told me some of the members of Class of 1984 particularly would become Bato’s deputies.

“Would it not be awkward he would be “barking” orders to the “Cows” (third year) when they were still plebe (first year) at the PMA?” I asked.

He cited to me the case of former PNP Chief Recaredo A. Sarmiento II, a member of PMA Class 1966, whose deputies were Class of 1964.

“There was no problem about seniority there, PMA Class 1964 were professional. They were soldiers who soldiered on”.

PMYer hits Class 1984

He cited however the problem with PMA Class 1984, the adopting class of presidential  and administration candidate Mar Roxas:

Many of them unabashedly campaign for Roxas. Many of them however left Roxas when they knew he has no Chinaman’s chance to win the presidency.

In my earlier interview with vice presidential bet Senator Chiz Escudero, during the time he and presidential aspirant and Senator Grace Poe lorded the polls, Chiz told me the following when I asked him if my source was correct that Poe would get the police honcho from PMA Class 1987, Escudero’s adopting PMA Class:

“He is too young”.

“We have to follow the rule, PMA 1984 is the ruling class followed by PMA classes of 1985, 1986,” he added.

It can be recalled that Escudero angrily asked later Director General Ricardo Marquez for the relief of Chief Superintendents Renier Idio, Bernardo Diaz and Ronald Santos – all members of PMA Class 1984 after reporters saw them last April 2, a campaign period, with Roxas protégée Director Generoso Cerbo, Jr. (PMA ’84), his fair haired boy for the PNP post, in Novotel hotel at the Araneta Center in Cubao, which is owned by the family of Roxas.

With Class 1984 being demonized, does that mean General dela Rosa get from the “less tainted and less partisan” Class of 1985 for them to be plucked in at some powerful posts at Camp Crame?

He did not answer.

PMA Class 1986 benefits on Bato’s promotion

“How about those PMA Class of 1986 of dela Rosa who supported other presidential candidates other than Duterte, would they be “condemned” to perpetuity being colonels and not promoted to become a one star general so they can be regional director, a lucrative post especially in Luzon?”

My source told me that they would have no problem with that. It is a PMYer's custom that classmates help fellow classmates.

By the way, another member of Class 1986, whom I bumped into in a mall, told me that eight of their batch is already one star ranked.

Presently, Apolinario is the officer-in-charge of the regional police of the Mimaropa Region, dela Rosa is the executive officer of the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development (he was relieved as brigade commander few days before election day by the PNP hierarchy after he threatened to crush election cheaters), and Aspera is the chief of staff of the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group.

(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)

Stingy reelectionist senator lost bid

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

When some media men, 29 village chiefs, Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan and I waited last December for the arrival of reelectionist senator at the new swanky municipal hall of the first class Pangasinan town, I told the mayor that this solon was a tightwad. 

Tightwad, to tricycle drivers, funeral attendant, and other blue collars,  is someone who is very cheap and will not spend much money on anything.

I cited that the driver of the SUV loaned to him in Pangasinan complained that after several days he drove the senator, who was out in the Magic 12 for the senate at polls, for a husting in the various towns, the latter pressed tightly his hand and thank him for his service.

“Hinde man lang nag iwan ng pang beer!,” the driver told me.

When Mayor Zaplan heard this story he told me that the solon would not get the support of the village chiefs if he became cheapskate after the consultations.

After every barangay chairmen redressed their grievances and submitted their infrastructure projects request to the solon, he told them: O, salamat sa pagdating ninyo at panahon na para umuwi at uminom ng Emperador (a poor man’s liquor that is pegged at P75 per long neck bottle)".

Before the dust settled from the convoys of the senator, some village chiefs asked their colleagues if the solon left some sum for the “Emperador”.

“Wala naman!,” one answered in disbelief.

“Pag ganoon, i-zero sa election. Kuripot pala,” a barangay kapitan shouted in a group.

At the May 12 tabulation of the Commission on Election the reelectionist senator was out in the Magic 12 where political clowns but generous candidates’ boxer Manny Pacquiao and comedian Tito Sotto dominated.

***

READ MY OTHER COLUMN:

BAD SMELLING CEBU CITY

Grace still lose even Roxas, Binay withdraw.

Two days before the acrimonious and divisive May 9, 2016 presidential election, President Benigno Aquino III analyzed as quoted by the Philippine Inquirer last May 7: “It behooves everybody to try and get together and ensure that instead of thinking about what shall we do if everything he says is exactly what he intends to do, why don’t we remove that problem or that threat or that insecurity by uniting the 70 and defeating the 30?”.

Roxas echoed the president’s exhortation by calling Poe to discuss a possible alliance in order to avoid a victory from current frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Analyst Popoy De Vera opined at DZMM as quoted by Tempo newspaper:

How a Filipino politician buys votes

P40M spent for a P70K monthly job in 3 years

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

“Elective post is for the rich only,” I told a mayoralty bet as he and his employees scan the names of their voters on the list and count the corresponding P1,000 each of them after they evaluated the authenticity that the names are their supporters.

“The other day, there were six thousand voters here to get their P1000,” he told me at his house that was teeming with voters four days before the May 9 election.

“Grabe, that’s P6 million already!” I quipped.

“But we change our system because policemen were hot on our trail. Our leaders instead come here and get the monies for distribution in the different villages. Everybody knows I give P1,000. My opponent buys votes for P300 to P500”.

Both he and the opponent are successful businessmen.

“I want to beat him; I want to see how deep his financial chest is. Today, I will be going to the bank to withdraw P20 million,” he told me.

My friend cited that the P1000 he gave was not all from his pocket.

“Half of that is from my patron. He used to give P400 counterpart to the P400 that I give to a voter. But I told him my opponent buys vote for P500 each thus he acquiesced to the P500.'

He told me his patron provides only for the 40% of the 60,000 voters.

“60,000 voters bawasan mo ng 20% or 12,000 dahil hinde naman lahat buboto. It would become 48,000 bawasan mo ng 50% that would be 24,000."

24 thousand voters multiplied by P1,000 each equal 24 million pesos, he explained to me like when I was in Grade 6 learning addition, division, and multiplication.

He said he did not follow the 50% rule or 24 thousand voters. He still added other 20% or 12 thousand voters to make sure he got more voters and more chances to win.

“Personal money ko na iyong P1,000 sa 12 thousand voters. That’s another P12 million”.

Son of a gun, why these people spent P40 million for a job that gives only a P100 thousand monthly pay – for a first class town - for three years? I posed to myself.

(NOTE: My seasoned mayoralty bet - a nine-year mayor - friend (the politico I mentioned above) still lost the poll. His underestimated his opponent whom he thought was deficit of a campaign fund. The opponent – a kin - bought votes at P1,500 at each voter. Nangutang at nagsanla ng ari-arian ang kamag-anak na rival)

(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)

Duterte, Cayetano on coup, assassination

Amid the rumors that presidential front runner Rodrigo Duterte hid billions of pesos on his BPI accounts, President Benigno Aquino III to undermine the May 9 presidential election in favor of Administration backed  Liberal Party's presidential aspirant Mar Roxas, vice presidential candidate Antonio Trillanes threat that groups in the military will grab power to prevent the communist friendly Duterte to assume the presidency, and speculation in the social media that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S Central Intelligence Agency collude, just like in Chile and South Vietnam, to assassinate the presidential front runner,  here is an excerpt of my interviews with Duterte and his vice presidential bet, my friend, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano about their take on these rumors just after the third presidential debate held in Dagupan City.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Alan
 Peter Cayetano. PHOTO CREDIT: JoeAm.Com

MORTZ ORTIGOZA (ME): There were rumblings among the military that they would not allow a Duterte Administration to assume power on July 1. Several observers said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the CIA would collude to topple down a President Duterte because he is identified with the communist and would be a threat to the military alignment in the region versus Mainland China. What’s your take?

SEN. CAYETANO: Unang una Diyos lang ang may alam kung sino talaga ang magiging president. Pangalawa hinde dapat makialam ang mga foreign countries because we have our national interest. We love our alliances with other countries but they should allow Filipinos that Filipinos chose their president.

At sa military and police hinde sila allowed iyong partisan politics. Ramdam namin, so may mga nagsasabi kay mayor na dahan-dahan sa pagsasalita dahil sa mga kaalyado natin. Pero sabi niya dapat independent ang Filipino sa ating foreign policy dapat Filipino mag isa at panindigan niya.

Duterte undaunted by assassination buzz from AFP, CIA

Questions importance of EDCA to Ph

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – “If it’s destiny to be assassinated hanggang diyan na lang ako (then my life stops there),” declared by presidential front runner Rodrigo Duterte when asked if he was not anxious that the military and the Central Intelligence Agency might kill him because he is friendly with the communists and a threat to the U.S military interest in Asia.

Philippines Presidential Frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte
Photo Credit: Pinoy Insider

Lately, media reported that Francis Bundoc Besin called Bong Go, the chief aide of Duterte, that two assassins have been hired for ten million pesos to liquidate the presidential aspirant from powerful sniper rifles provided by principals in the police.

“If God wants me to be president I will be there,” he stressed to this paper after the third leg of the presidential debate held here last Sunday.

In the April 18-20 Social Weather Station’s polls, the Davao City mayor led by six points to 33 percent his nearest presidential opponent Senator Grace Poe who received only 24 percent from the voters.

The survey’s time frame included his gaffe about his humor why he was not included first in the queue to rape the Australian missionary 36-year-old Jacqueline Hamil who was gang raped by hostage takers in 1989.

Envoy hits Guv's "ape-faced ole’ man" call

Crows on machismo, jinx, women at rally

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – A veteran politician whose stints in public office started in the late 1950s assailed in a grand rally the Pangasinan governor after the latter called him a wretched ape faced handicapped old man.

Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Chairman Amadito Perez, Jr., told the sea of supporters of Nationalist People’s Coalition’s gubernatorial aspirant Mark O. Cojuangco and vice gubernatorial bet Mark Roy Macanlalay, in a grand rally here, that he got the ire of exiting Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. and his gubernatorial candidate son and namesake after he mocked the plan of the older Espino to beautify the Fifth District where the governor runs against Cojuangco’s wife Kimi for Congress.

The lady Cojuangco is the incumbent solon there.

“Nag punta doon iyong mag –ama sabi nila iyang pa pilay-pilay na hukluban na matanda na iyan nakiki-alam pa sa pulitika na kamukhang tsonggo, sabi nila. Sabi ko totoo iyan, nagbabaston ako dahil hukluban na pero tanungin ninyo ho ang mga kapitbahay namin dahil ganyan na mahina ang tuhod ko kung nakita nila ang misis ko na nakabalot ng tuwalya sa ulo sa umaga, “ay may ginawa iyong mag-asawa!”” the Octogenarian Perez, a former mayor and congressman, bragged his sexual potency to the masses who relished it with a guffaw.

In the birthday bash of Cojuangco in October 12, 2014 at a university in Urdaneta City that the envoy hosted, Perez bragged to guests that he got four strong feet.

“May baston na ako ngayon. Sabi ko sa mga kaibigan ko na ang ikatatlong paa ko ay gawa sa bakal. Ang hindi alam ng iba na meron pa akong ika-apat na paa na pinagawa ko na rin sa bakal”.

Perez cited the jinx of former Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza who tremendously lost with the older Espino in the 2013 governorship race. In that poll. the latter romped up 699,573 votes while the former got 237,109 votes.

“Alam ninyo kung bakit ganoon lang kalayo ang diperensiya ni Governor Espino at ni Braganza ng halalan ng nakaraan? Dahil amay kwandad Pangasinan walay ibubulsa ton tilay, walay ibubulsa ton banyas. Amom data nga malas naguyod mo idyay malas nga ibulbulsam nga banyas ket sisigurado nga naabak ka (Why that huge difference in the voting tabulation between Espino and Braganza? Because as what the Pangasinenses say Braganza kept a lizard in his pants’ pocket thus a misfortune because he carried a lizard that caused his loss),” he said in a mixed Pangasinan and Ilocano’s dialects.

Perez declared how incorruptible Cojuangco was. He said when they were both a congressman, a jueteng (illegal number game) financier came to Cojuangco and asked for his protection for half-a-million peso a month.

“Dahil si Congressman Mark Cojuangco ay hindi anak ng jueteng. Oo totoo iyan dahil ilang beses na may kilala ako na nagpapalaro na binibigyan ng kalahating milyon buwan-buwan si Congressman Cojuangco. Natatandaan ko pa iyan tinangihan niya. Pinagalitan niya pa iyong tao,” Perez said as the people gave Cojuangco a rousing applause for his integrity.