Maniolas

Agence France-Presse 6:25 pm | Thursday, September 11th, 2014 An image grab taken from a video released by Al-Manara Al-Baydaa, the official media arm of Al-Nusra Front, and uploaded on YouTube on September 10, 2014 allegedly shows a man said to be Al-Nusra Front’s second in command Sami Al-Oraidi speaking to the camera at an unknown location. AFP BEIRUT—Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front has said it will free 45 Fijian UN peacekeepers who it kidnapped after the capture of a border crossing with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In a video released late Wednesday through its media wing, the group said it had consulted religious leaders and they had advised “that we should release these prisoners”. Al-Nusra had originally demanded various terms for the release of the peacekeepers, including the delivery of aid to areas besieged by the Syrian government, the release of prisoners and the group’s removal from a UN terror blacklist. A Fijian peacekeeper, who did not identify himself, also spoke in the footage, confirming that the group had pledged to free the soldiers. “It is Tuesday, the ninth of September, I would like to mention to you that it is a very happy day,” the peacekeeper says in English. “We have been informed that we will be released soon and we are all very happy to be going home.” The peacekeeper adds that the troops “are all safe and alive” and thanks Al-Nusra “for keeping us safe and keeping us alive.” “I would like to assure you that Read More …

By Julliane Love de Jesus |I‎NQUIRER.net 4:49 pm | Thursday, September 11th, 2014 INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The anti-illegal drugs unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) condemned the decision of an Angeles City, Pampanga court acquitting three accused Chinese drug ring members, saying the ruling was “flimsy and whimsical.” ‎Judge Omar Viola, of the Angeles City Regional Trial Court, ordered the acquittal of Yang Pei Zi, Yang Liang Zao, and Yang Hong Liang, all from Fujian, China, who were caught operating a shabu  (metamphetamine hydrochloride) laboratory in 2008. The suspected drug manufacturers allegedly operated the drug den on Ohio Street, Villason Subdivision in Barangay (village) Anunas in Angeles City. The PNP anti-illegal drugs special operations task force (PNP AIDSOTF) said they were “disappointed and disgusted” with the court’s order, adding it was a “big blow” on  government’s drive to curb illegal drugs use‎. PNP AIDSOTF’s spokesperson Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia Jr. said the ruling  cited the absence of a representative from the court, the Court Sheriff, during the police’s search in 2008. However, Merdegia said Judge Viola’s decision was “flimsy and whimsical.” “The three Chinese nationals were hardcore members of a big drug syndicate operating in the Southeast Asia and the Philippines. The acquittal is a big blow on the government’s campaign against illegal drugs,” he said. In January, Merdegia recalled that an informant, who was the same person who tipped off the drug den’s location to the police, disclosed that the Chinese syndicate ‎was working on the release Read More …

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala. Noy Morcoso lll/INQUIRER.net PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—After giving the order for the “greatest escape,” the Filipino Chief of Staff of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Undof) submitted his resignation papers, but the Force Commander has other thoughts. Lieutenant General Iqbal Singh Singha, Force Commader of Undof, rejected the resignation of Colonel Ezra Enriquez on Sunday and instead put him under leave of absence as only the Department of Peacekeeping Operations can accept resignations from its direct-hires. Enriquez is a direct-hire of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations under the UN. Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office Chief, said Wednesday that Enriquez filed his resignation because of his disagreement with Singha. “He (Enriquez) defied the order of the Force Commander in the handling of the situation during the attack at Position 68,” Zagala said. Around 40 Filipino UN Peacekeepers stood their ground against Syrian rebels double their number in Position 68 that led to a seven-hour firefight on Saturday evening (Manila time). After the firefight, the Filipinos had the “greatest escape” sneaking past the sleeping rebels, trudging through a minefield for one-and-a-half hours before other UN Peacekeepers brought them to Position 80. “The mission of the Undof is the separation of Syria and Israel, and ensure the safety of all Peacekeepers that are in the area,” Zagala said. “Enriquez was only doing his mandate although he defied the Force Commander he was still true to his mission of protecting the Read More …

By Matikas Santos |INQUIRER.net 5:46 pm | Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014 Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon wants Defense and Foreign Affairs officials to answer questions about the United Nation’s (UN) policies about command over the peacekeepers following the controversial order from a UN commander that the Filipinos surrender to the Syrian rebels. “I have filed a resolution in the House of Representatives for the conduct of an inquiry into the clarity of policies of UN relative to peacekeeping forces,” Biazon, a former Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff, told reporters Wednesday about his resolution filed Monday. Biazon, the head of the House of Representatives Defense Committee enumerated the three issues he wants answered: 1. Does the UN have a contingent force to respond to assist UN contingents put in a similar position [as the Filipino and Fiji peacekeepers]? 2. Does the UN provide for the families of soldiers who might be killed in action? 3. What are the limitations in armaments of the UN forces? Biazon wants to know why Filipino troops don’t have mortars or artillery. “The basic question is what is the policy of the UN? Is it their policy that the UN contingent can be ordered to surrender?” Biazon said. “The Department of National Defense (DND) together with Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) must be able to answer the questions,” he said. Filipino Peacekeepers had defied an order from a UN Disengagement Observation Force commander that they surrender Read More …

It’s a little known piece of history – a side story on how a young nation halfway around the world saved thousands of lives deemed lost during the dark days of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. It is for this reason that it is a story worth telling, a story that also deserves a film like Schindler’s List, said Barbara Sasser, a descendant of the Frieder brothers who were key players in the rescue of around 1,200 Jews. The film was eventually produced and screened at Malacanang Palace on August 7. Titled “Rescue in the Philippines: Refuge from the Holocaust,” the one-hour documentary tells the story of how a family of tobacco-makers, former President Manuel Quezon, US high commissioner to the Philippines Paul McNutt and then Army Colonel Dwight Eisenhower put their neck on the line to bring Jewish refugees to the Philippines. While many countries closed their doors on Jews who were persecuted by the Nazis, the Philippines became one of the few places they were able to escape to. “At a time when almost every other nation in the world was turning away people who were in dire need, they (Filipinos) opened up their arms. They took a step forward. They embraced people from half way around the world. And the Filipino people and their president were nothing short of heroic in doing it,” said Russel Hodge, director of the film and president of 3 Roads Communications. Taking two years to produce, the film was created using archival material and Read More …