Kudos to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group-7 for arresting the owners of a cybercrime operation in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, which fronted as a “call center.†ACG-7 Senior Insp. Michael Vertudazo and his men rescued 13 people, including 7 women who were conned into believing that they would be working in a call center. But in the end, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group discovered that this was just a front for trafficking women. Some 35 computers and online equipment were seized in that raid. This could be a new modus operandi of human traffickers who are cashing in on the popularity of call centers.
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For much of last week, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) went on the offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which supposedly ended last Sunday. We should be cheering on the AFP, after all the BIFF is a huge torn in the side of both the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). But then again, I question the AFP for moving against the BIFF at a time when the whole world applauded the Philippines for signing that normalization annex with the MILF and the United States, Switzerland, Japan, the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU). But I’m sure these governments were visibly disappointed that this supposedly historic signing did not result in any peace in Mindanao, but more fighting!
Worse, the peace was broken by the AFP. Yet, they conveniently forgot that one of the terror groups that roam Mindanao with impunity is the New People’s Army (NPA). In fact their biggest raid was at the Del Monte Plantation in Camp Philips, Bukidnon last year where around 200 NPAs took part in that raid. This is why no matter what Malacañang propagandists say…there will never be peace in Mindanao.
Now while the Aquino regime has its hands full with our internal terror problems, here comes China which recently proposed to implement a new Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). I have no doubt that the Chinese are getting very aggressive in the South China Sea. Even the US State Department expressed its grave concern over this issue and has urged Beijing not to implement what they say is a “provocative†act. But what if they still do?
When push comes to shove… what are we going to do with this Chinese threat? Look at our AFP, we haven’t defeated the decades old communist insurgency simply because of a serious lack of political will. As for the Moro secessionist groups, I take my hat off to former Pres. Joseph “Erap†Estrada for having that political will to go to war against the MNLF that the infamous Camp Abubakar was captured from them. Now we heard that this will be given to the MILF? I think something is seriously wrong here.
Anyway, back to the issue with China. Today we no longer have the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) who could be our future guerrillas just in case China decides to invade us. Let me remind you that it was the ROTC that kept the Japanese occupiers at bay before the American Caesar Gen. Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines. Again, I would like to exhort the Aquino regime to prepare for the worse by restoring the ROTC in the next school term. We can teach the ROTC to defend our shores… plus teach them search and rescue missions especially during natural disasters.
Meanwhile, we must strengthen our coastal defense. In my book, the two Navy Cutters that we got from the US Coast Guard, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz are just not enough to even scare the Chinese Navy. During the term of then Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo†Teodoro Jr. I suggested that we task the shipyards in Balamban, Cebu to build a hundred twin hulls from the plans of the Fast Ferry, which we once exported to Hong Kong. With the Coast Guard or Navy having those hulls, we can easily turn them into lethal warships akin to the PT-Boats of World War II. Mount either an Exocet or Harpoon Missiles on these vessels and better believe it will scare the daylights out of the Chinese Navy.
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My heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Mrs. Marie Cabatingan Manuel who passed away in Ormoc City last Jan. 31. She was 87 years old. She is the aunt of my wife Jessica on her mother’s side. Tia Marie is survived by her children all whom live in the United States. Her eldest is Consorcio “Don†Manuel Jr., Maria Fatima “Manang Inda†Gage, Antonio “Bambieâ€, Mirla Palma, Franco “Sonny†and Filomena “Ging Ging†Skievaski. On Thursday her remains will arrive in Cebu and will lie in state at the Rolling Hills Mortuary. On Saturday, Feb. 8 a Mass will be offered at 9 a.m. in Rolling Hills where her cremation will follow. Her remains will be interred at the Alliance of Two Hearts Columbary in Banawa, Cebu City.
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Email: vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com