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Month: September 2010

Why a Joint AFP-PNP Elite Security Force would fail

Published by Ellen on September 10, 2010

by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV

Yesterday, at a press conference, Pres. Aquino announced his plan to create a security force similar to the British SAS composed of around 200 to 400 police and military personnel to be deployed during crisis situations. This was a policy response to the Aug. 23 Hostage Crisis that led to the death of 8 Hong Kong tourists. On its face, such creation seems responsive to the crisis capability issues of our security forces that were brought to light by the Aug. 23 incident. However, upon close scrutiny, there may be some underlying problems that may hinder its success in the future.

1. Unity of Command – The basic question is, who shall head this composite elite force: a PNP or AFP officer? Or would it be a set-up where both a PNP and AFP officer would be designated as “co-commanders” to accommodate the egos of these two institutions? In either case, we can see potential power struggles within such a composite unit. If there would be a single commander, cohesion would be a major problem because the reality on the ground is, AFP personnel don’t take it too well to be ordered around by a PNP officer and vice versa. There are vast differences in culture and training that cannot suddenly be expected to disappear just because they now belong to a common unit.

In the case of a “co-commandership” set-up similar to what PNoy did to the DILG and his Communications Group, professional rivalry would set in and the power struggle for authority, resources, training and even credit would even be more pronounced.

Continue readingWhy a Joint AFP-PNP Elite Security Force would fail

Transcript of President Aquino’s interview with three TV anchors

Published by Ellen on September 10, 2010

Gleaning from this interview, do you still believe heads will roll aside from probably Gen. Rodolfo Magtibay?

Click here for GMA-7’s video of the interview.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today marks one year since the President declared his candidacy. We have traveled far since then. This afternoon, for the first time, the President engages the three major networks on the August 23 tragedy, no holds barred. The order in which they will ask questions has been determined by the drawing of lots. There will be one question and one follow-up question for each panelist. Joining us are Ms. Mel Tiangco, anchor of GMA 7’s “24 ORAS”; Mr. Ted Failon, anchor of ABS-CBN’s “TV Patrol”, and Mr. Paolo Bediones, anchor of TV 5’s “Aksyon”. Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the Philippines.

P-NOY: Mel, Ted, Paolo, good afternoon. I would like to thank TV 5, ABS-CBN and the GMA network, and all our friends in the media for agreeing to this one of a kind panel discussion. As you know, in the wake of the hostage crisis at the Quirino Grandstand, your government has launched an independent and transparent investigation into the events of August 23. I am confident that the results of the investigation will be fair, impartial and thorough. We have also begun efforts to improve the capability of our police forces to better handle situations like this should they arise again in the future. We are also examining our internal processes and crisis management protocols to see how they can be improved.

Continue readingTranscript of President Aquino’s interview with three TV anchors

Military court to decide fate of 16 officers in mutiny charge

Published by Ellen on September 8, 2010

By Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files

A military court will decide today on the plea—twice denied under the government of former President Gloria Arroyo—to exonerate 16 military officers facing mutiny charges for a supposed plot against her in 2006.

Update:

The court yesterday set another hearing on Sept. 24 for promulgation of this case. The hearing yesterday started with the court looking for the motions for reconsideration filed by the defense lawyers. Either the prosecution didn’t have them in their file or the panel didn’t get their copies. When the MRs were all found, the court asked the prosecution to make a comment within ten days from Sept. 9. Then they will issue the promulgation on Sept. 24.

This is the first time that the court martial proceedings will resume under the new commander-in-chief, Benigno Aquino III.
After two postponements, the court is finally expected to rule on the defense panel’s motion for reconsideration. The hearing was originally set for Aug. 27, then moved to Sept. 3. The last hearing was on May 21.

The motion asks the court to absolve the 16 officers of the charge of mutiny, which the court denied on Oct. 27, 2009. The accused appealed the decision, but their motion for reconsideration was denied just the same on March 2, 2010.

Continue readingMilitary court to decide fate of 16 officers in mutiny charge

Noynoy flunks his first test

Published by Ellen on September 8, 2010

by Maria Ressa

Filipinos have high hopes for President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who took power two months ago with the largest margin of victory in two decades and an 85% approval rating. His popularity rested mostly on promises of good values and cleaner governance—promises his mother, democracy icon Cory Aquino, made too. Yet his first major test in office shows how early political compromises are exacerbating problems in the weak institutions he’s promised to reform.

On Aug. 23, a disgruntled former police officer took a tourist bus hostage and after a long stand-off, killed eight passengers, all Hong Kongers. The government’s response was an exercise in incompetence. In public hearings that began Friday, police and politicians admitted that untrained, ill-equipped forces were used while elite units were put on standby; that national leaders played no role in the crisis response despite foreigners’ involvement; and that ad hoc, unclear lines of communication between local politicians and local police complicated matters. To add insult to injury, the authorities in charge left the scene to eat in a nearby Chinese restaurant precisely when the killings began.

The incident sparked outrage in Hong Kong, where the government has called for an independent investigation and compensation for the victims’ families. But Mr. Aquino only belatedly realized the gravity of the situation. His first instinct was to blame the national media for covering the event live, a sentiment that citizens in the blogosphere and on Twitter quickly echoed. When the hearings did little to quell public anger on Friday—two weeks after the fiasco—he claimed responsibility “for everything that has transpired.”

Continue readingNoynoy flunks his first test

Versoza’s DILG chief dream dashed?

Published by Ellen on September 7, 2010

Versoza
Despite the Euro-generals scandal at the beginning of his term as chief of the Philippine National Police two years ago, Police Chief Jesus Versoza has been lucky and even re-invented himself from a Mike Arroyo man to Noynoy Aquino ally in the last May election.

Aquino confirms VERA Files story that he had differences with Robredo.

“There are various reasons kung bakit acting. In the case of Jesse, we had some differences during the campaign as to style. We want to make sure we can really work with each other well. It does no good to get him through the whole process of the CA only at the end of the day to find out that there might be difficulties in our working style, among others, our core philosophy, so we did agree na acting na muna,” Aquino said.

“May evaluation period, siguro check ang working style, after two months sigurado na tayo, we still have certain things discussed,” he added. “Dadalawang buwan pa lang kami nagkakasubukan kung talaga nga bang kaya naming mag-mesh.”

Click here: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/07/10/aquino-admits-differences-robredo

Talk in the power circles even said Versoza was slated to be the next secretary of interior and local government after Jesse Robredo has been eased out of the politically strategic department. That’s the reason why as early as last month he was sharing to media his thoughts about going to civilian life earlier than his December official retirement date.

Continue readingVersoza’s DILG chief dream dashed?

Sablay

Published by Ellen on September 7, 2010

Kahit na dalawang linggo na nakalipas ang trahedya sa Luneta, nakakapanghilakbot pa rin ang maririnig ang pinaka-kritikal na mga minuto kung saan nagwawala na ang hostage-taker na si dating Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza.

Pinatugtug kahapon sa hearing ng committee na nagi-imbestiga ng trahedya noong Agosto 23 ang mga huling minute ng trahedya sa testimonya nina Jake Maderazo, manager ng Radio Mindanao Network at ng kanilang reporter na si Michael Rogas.

Sana hindi na mangyayari ito ulit. Ang bigat sa dibdib at sa pag-iisip. Mabigat sa ating bayan.

Kung sabagay, kailangan siguro natin ito para mayugyug tayo, lalo pa ang ating mga opisyal, lalo pa si Pangulong Aquino na ayusin nila ang pagpalakad ng bayan.

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Saang puntod ka magsisindi ng kandila?

Published by Ellen on September 6, 2010

Bakas sa mukha ng mag-asawang Fernando at Corazon Fortuna ang sakit at hinagpis ng magulang na naghahanap ng anak. Ganoon din ang mag-amang Pitarico Garcia at Pops Cabaltica.

Hinahanap nina Fernando at Corazon ang kanilang anak na babeng si Daryl, 23 taong gulang at estudyante sa Polytechnic University of the Philippines, na nawawala mula pa noong Marso 26 habang nagre-research tungkol sa kanyang thesis sa Zambales.

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Interesting appointments

Published by Ellen on September 5, 2010

There is something amusing in the latest batch of appointments of President Aquino.

Alex Magno; Ronald Llamas

Like in the high-paying positions of Board of Directors of the Development Bank of the Philippines. Gloria Arroyo defender and Philippine Star columnist Alex Magno is out. Ronald Llamas of Akbayan is in.

I don’t know if Llamas specifically asked for DBP because of Magno but the mere mention of the names of the two reminds me of their verbal wrestling many years ago.

Magno greeted Llamas: “Hello, the last of the socialist.”
Llamas replied: “Hello, the first of the opportunist.”

Continue readingInteresting appointments