Will China stop bullying Philippines?

administrative charges before Napolcom for alleged violation of PNP rules and regulations for involvement in illegal drug activities.

Aside from Azurin, the other members of the panel were Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, retired police General Isagani Nerez and Court of Appeals Associate Justice Melchor Sadang.

With this act of cleansing the police of scalawags,

WITH all that happened during the five-day official visit of President Marcos Jr. to Washington and his bilateral face-to-face meeting at the White House with US President Biden, and the statement of the latter that “there is no better partner of the US than the Philippines,” I would consider that Marcos Jr. had a resounding visit.

On the security and defense aspect of the Marcos visit, the US once again reiterated its “ironclad” commitment to defend the Philippines in case of invasion.

Insofar as China is concerned, Biden supported the Hague Arbitral Court ruling.

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the additional EDCA sites is proof of that commitment, Santa Banana.

The US also committed more planes and more military weapons to the Philippines.

My gulay, the fact that the US Vice President Kamala Harris and the Pentagon promised more military aid to the Philippines is proof of all these.

On the economic aspect of BBM’s five-day visit, once again American trade and investors also committed additional investment amounting to P1.3 B in investment pledges, like the joint venture of Filipino tycoon Ricky Razon with a nuclear power plant builder to put up smaller nuclear power plants in the country.

This, aside from Washington’s assistance to agriculture and other commitments, Santa Banana!

The problem, however, is the assertiveness of China in the West Philippine Sea.

For instance, will China ever stop bullying the country in the West Philippine Sea? Will China ever stop harassing Filipino fishermen also in the West Philippine Sea?

China’s plans to invade Taiwan with its claim that Taiwan is a province of China puts at risk the 40,000 Filipino OFWs in Taiwan.

My gulay, will China ever believe the additional EDCA sites, especially those nearest to Taiwan, are all for defense and shouldn’t be looked at as for offense?

There are also plans for the US ships to join Philippine Coast Guard vessels in joint patrols in the South China Sea?

And speaking of assertiveness in disputed waters, and despite all the hundreds of protests we have filed against China, does China care?

It would appear it doesn’t and will not.

That to me is the bigger problem.

And all we can rely on is the assurance of the “ironclad” commitment of Washington of its promise to protect the Philippines, Santa Banana! ***

Cleansing the PNP

At long last, we are now seeing the cleansing of the Philippine National Police.

Four ranking police officials have finally been recommended to be removed from the PNP due to alleged involvement in illegal drug activities.

The five-man advisory panel headed by retired Police Chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. recommended the acceptance of the courtesy resignation of the thirdlevel officials, including two one-star generals and two colonels.

The four were among the 953 third-level officers evaluated by the panel after their courtesy resignations.

On the other hand, the panel cleared 917, while it submitted and endorsed the suspension to President Marcos Jr. of 32 officials.

Since Napolcom has yet to resolve their administrative cases filed against them, they remain anonymous. President Marcos Jr, as the country’s top cop, has in fact already accepted the resignation of the two generals, having judged the merits of their cases.

The four names have one thing in common. They were once assigned at the PNP Drug Enforcement Group . The panel also endorsed the filing of

By Victor Caballero

LONG before the Occidental Mindoro electric predicament surfaced in the media, the horrors of Northern Davao Electric Cooperative’s (NORDECO) incompetent service in Northern Davao have been inflicting daily damage to its clients for years.

I’m not an expert on laws and the procedures in making them.

What I have is mere understanding of it.

I know and understand the plight of a client served with terrible and repeated lackluster service.

I’ve read media articles featuring sentiments of clients’ dire situations and burdens of incompetent service.

NORDECO clients’ plea are easy to understand and easier to empathize with.

The brownouts I experienced these past few years were few, yet I could say they were traumatic. The heat, the inability to fully and productively function, were results of such electricity absence.