Maniolas

Members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) wave as they drive their armored vehicle in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the Quneitra crossing, the only border crossing between Israel and Syria, on August 30, 2014. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–The top Filipino commander in the Golan Heights has resigned as chief of staff of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Undof) in protest of the Undof force commander’s handling of the crisis in the two camps manned by Filipino peacekeepers. Col. Ezra Enriquez, the head of the 7th Philippine Contingent, tendered his resignation to Undof Force Commander Iqbal Sing Singha last Sunday, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang said on Tuesday. Catapang said Enriquez also filed an administrative leave from the Undof, which Singha granted, effective last Sunday until the end of the contingent’s tour of duty in October. Enriquez, however, will continue to oversee the operations, and ensure the safety, of the Filipino troops until their repatriation to the Philippines, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief said. Catapang defended Enriquez’s decision, describing it as an honorable act. “It’s just like you have a boss and you are the secretary or the chief of staff, so if you are not anymore in good talking terms (with the boss), then it would just be an honorable act to file your resignation,” he said. Col. Roberto Ancan, the chief of the AFP peacekeeping operations center, said Singha sent a message saying that “he respected the will of the national contingent commander to be relieved as chief of his staff and granted Enriquez’s administrative leave.” Read More …

By Jocelyn R. Uy |Philippine Daily Inquirer 9:58 am | Tuesday, August 26th, 2014 Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo. Photo courtesy of CBCP News MANILA, Philippines–Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo joined the international community in condemning the barbaric actions by the jihadist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighting in strife-torn Iraq. Over Church-run Radio Veritas, Quevedo expressed support Monday for the worldwide condemnation of the persecution of Christians and minority groups there. “I think I would neglect my duty as a religious leader not to condemn the situation in Iraq as created by this fundamentalist radical group,” said Quevedo, who has been known for his peace advocacy in Mindanao. He added that “the time to use religion in the name of religious hegemony is long past the dialogue in the name of peace.” Earlier, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Socrates Villegas urged all members of the Church hierarchy to offer all Masses on Aug. 18 for peace in Iraq. This was in response to the call of Pope Francis for all the faithful of the Church across the globe to raise a voice of ceaseless prayer for the restoration of peace in Iraq and Syria. The extremist group has seized control of several areas in the two Middle Eastern countries and persecuted Christians and other minorities residing there. The group has also driven Christians away from Mosul by threatening to kill them if they continued to stay in the area without converting to Islam. Read More …

By Frances Mangosing |INQUIRER.net 5:58 pm | Monday, August 25th, 2014 MANILA, Philippines — One of the country’s most capable warships, BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF 16), has made it to Australia for the Exercise Kakadu 2014. The ship arrived on Aug. 23 after it sailed from Subic last Aug.17 for the biggest Australian war games that will be participated by 12 countries. BRP Ramon Alcaraz’s (left) docks alongside with HMAS Stuart (center) and HMAS Sydney (right), ships of the Royal Australian Navy at Fort Hill Wharf, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia upon its arrival Saturday to participate in Exercise Kakadu 2014. Photo from the Navy Most of the Philippine Navy personnel onboard the warship had to undergo the “ridiculous initiation” called “Crossing the Equator Ceremony.” There were 105 pollywogs out of 165 Navy personnel in the BRP Alcaraz. “Pollywog is a term which refers to a sailor who has not yet crossed the equator, an imaginary line which divides the earth into northern and southern hemisphere,” explained Exercise Kakadu 2014 public affairs officer Ensign John Windy Abing. Those who have already crossed the equator are called shellbacks, and a ceremony has to be done in order to be called as such. “Tradition has it that all sailors crossing the equator for the first time should be prepared to appear before “King Neptune,” a Roman sea god who, according to legend, boards the ship as it crosses the equator line to test the seaworthiness of the sailors,” Abing wrote in his account. But it doesn’t mean to be properly dressed for the Read More …

By Bong Lozada |INQUIRER.net 4:47 pm | Monday, August 25th, 2014 Lieutenant General Eduardo Año. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–After Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte claimed that some Muslim rebels in Davao have joined terror group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that his information was still unverified. Lieutenant General Eduardo Año, 10th Infantry Division (ID) Commander, said there are no valid intelligence reports supporting the claims of Duterte, who echoed the statement of former president Fidel V. Ramos. “We haven’t covered any valid intel or any valid information,” said Año, who was still the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief early August. “We have not reported any of the local jihadists leaving the country.” He added that the AFP does not release any unverified information as it might cause panic to the people. “If we are to speculate, say something that is not validated, it may cause panic to our people,” Año said. Despite Duterte’s claims, Año said that members of the rebel group Abu Sayyaf, who pledged support to ISIS, are still in the country. Año said that the group, which also calls itself as Kalifa Islamiyaah, is conducting the training in the borders of Lanao and Maguindanao. He, however, said that the 10th ID would still verify Duterte’s claims and look into the appropriate action that would be implemented. “I don’t know his basis, but we will check it,” Año said. “We will take a careful look on what his basis is.” Año added that he would have his Division’s Intelligence officers check into the claim. Read More …

DFA spokesman and assistant secretary Charles Jose: Chinese harassment of Filipino fishermen. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Foreign Affairs will include incidents of Chinese harassment of Filipino fishermen exercising their right to fish in Philippine seas, in its new diplomatic protest to be filed this week against China’s “illegitimate sovereignty patrols” in Philippine waters. Incidents like this would show proof of the Philippines’ concern over the “constant and overwhelming presence” of China in Philippine waters, said Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, the DFA spokesman. He said they will be included in a new diplomatic protest “because this is the result of the presence of China, they are harassing (fishermen) and this is affecting our ability to exercise our sovereign rights there.” Jose made the remarks in reaction to an incident last Aug. 1 where a Chinese Coast Guard vessel allegedly harassed a small fishing boat carrying local officials led by Pag-asa island Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. and journalists to the island off Palawan. According to Jose, the DFA has not received a report on the Pag-asa island incident, explaining that the department gets intelligence reports involving Filipino fishermen being harassed by Chinese ships in Philippine waters. He said the diplomatic protest will be made through a note verbale sent to the Chinese Embassy in Manila. Jose earlier said diplomatic protest will deal not only with the incident reported by President Aquino involving the presence of two Chinese research vessels on the oil-rich Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea, but also to what appeared to be China’s Read More …