Retired Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus has come out with new book “America’s Dim Mak Points”, Unrestricted Warfare in the 21 st century.
The book is only 160 pages but it delivers a wallop.
Corpus uses a lot of Chinese philosophy in discussing geo-politics. He defines Dim Mak as a form of martial art which literally means “meridian press.”
Finally, Maj. General Juancho Sabban has been named commandant of the Philippine Marines.
A long delayed appointment.
We can imagine that Malacañang weighed the pros and cons of approving the recommendation of the Board of Generals of Sabban against the demoralization that it would cause among the Marines if Gloria Arroyo had given in to the lobbying of her favored Marine, Maj. Gen. Jonathan Martir, whose second star remains unconfirmed by the Commission on Appointments.
It never ceases to amaze me that I’m able to access internet from my remote corner in Antique, even if the connection is so slow and intermittent.
I have always dreamed of being able to file my stories from our place in Guisijan while listening to the chirping the birds surrounded by orchids, bromeliads, heleconias, lirios and milflores. It gives me so much pleasure that it has become a reality.
Our barrio has come a long way from my elementary school days when the only telephone in the barrio was a public phone, in a black box – double the size of a shoe box- installed in the balcony of a community official.
When the third session of the 14th Congress opens on July 27, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV may be able to be part of it from his detention cell in Camp Crame via the modern technology of teleconferencing.
This could be the start of the realization of the mandate that the Filipino people bestowed on him when they voted for him senator despite the fact that he was in detention and a thorn in Gloria Arroyo’s neck.
But despite his incarceration, or some say because of it, he has come out to be one of the most prolific members of the Senate having authored and co-authored a total of 285 bills and 21 resolutions in the first two years of his six-year term, mostly in line with his advocacies as poverty alleviation, national defense and security, affordable and accessible health care and education, and environmental protection.
Marichu Maceda shared with members of media a “shocking” conversation with her eight-year old grandson, Max, to underscore how Gloria Arroyo’s cheating of the 2004 elections has destroyed our concept of elections as a tool for good governance and an expression of democracy.
Manay Ichu said Max asked her how to contact “Garci”, former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano because he wants him to transfer one million votes to his Lola Gina de Venecia, who will be running as representative for the fourth district of Pangasinan.
Aghast, Manay Ichu said she had to lecture Max on the evils of cheating and the punishment that comes with violating the law and displeasing God. Max, she said, was baffled and asked, “Why is Gloria Arroyo not punished?’
Even as we applauded this year’s awardees of the Jaime V. Ongpin Excellence in Journalism , we were dismayed to hear that this may be the last awards for investigative and explanatory reports.
But we are glad to know that the Canadian government will continue with its Marshall McLuhan fellowship that is usually given to the top prize winner.
Founded in memory of Canadian media guru, Marshall Mc Luhan (“The medium is the message” and “The global village”) the fellowship sends the journalist on a two-week speaking tour of Canada and arranges speaking engagements in the Philippines.
Makati Mayor Jojo Binay, who is president of the United Opposition, is asking Gloria Arroyo to explain why she detoured to Cartagena, Colombia in between her visit to Japan and Brazil last weekend.
Binay has every right to ask because he said “Arroyo is traveling on taxpayers’ expense.”
Since the Department of Foreign Affairs said they arranged only the Japan and Brazil trips and were not told about the trip to Colombia until Friday (Arroyo went to Colombia Saturday and left for Brazil Monday) and Malacañang does not want to say anything about it, the secret visit has become fair game to speculations.
I try not to miss the national day celebration of Italy because the embassy here always comes up with something creative that showcases the magnificent Italian culture.
Under the energetic Ambassador Rubens Anna Fedele, receptions are not confined to hotels. Last year, it was held at the Metropolitan Museum which at that time had a superb exhibits of old maps. Guests had the pleasure of viewing the maps while having cocktails.
They had a recipe book of Italian dishes and a directory of Italian restaurants in Metro Manila.. Then there was the concert of music by Italian composers.
The four-month old Philippine baseline law got its first test last Friday and it failed miserably and embarrassingly.
Last Friday, CNN reported a Chinese submarine collided with an underwater sonar array towed by the destroyer USS John S. McCain off the Philippines.
Other wire reports from Washington D.C. described the location as “off Subic Bay” in Zambales. Chinese media said the encounter was near Scarborough Shoal.
Renato Peñas, vice-president of PAKISAMA (National Movement of Peasant Organizations), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen almost midnight of June 5 while on his way to his farm in Sumilao, Bukidnon.
His assailants made sure he was killed. Surviving the first shots, he crawled but three more shots pierced his chest and back. His two companions survived.
Five days earlier, Ka Rene as he was fondly called by comrades in the struggle for justice for farmers, was jubilant over the passage by Congress of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with extension reform CARPer) he has invested so much labor, hunger, sweat and much, much more.