000delaydva

000delaydva

Michelle describes how in one clean sweep the current Philippine administration may have wiped from the map the proud heritage of warriors like King Lapu-Lapu, of legend that overtook Spanish invaders and killed the conquering Ferdinand Magellan, and…

sang-ayon ako sa giyera sa afghanistan dahil nandoon nga si osama. bakit ba pinupuntirya agad yung pinaniniwalaang susunod na kalaban – e hindi pa nga tapos yung una at tunay na kalaban na siya namang may kagagawan ng 9/11. baka naman kasi meron talagang ibang agenda. yung WMD, di naman natuklasan ngayon lang na merong programa si Saddam. Noong 1991 alam na meron at pinatigil na. Inaalam na lang ngayon kung itinuloy pa ulit. Base sa Senate Intel Comm. ninyo, walang basehan ang CIA para sabihing itinuloy ito. Base rin sa report na ito, nag contact nga ang gobyerno ni Saddam at al-Qaida pero walang relationship na nabuo:

” Conclusion #93: The Central Intelligence Agency reasonably assessed that there were likely several instances of contacts between Iraq and al-Qaida throughout the 1990’s but that these contacts did not add up to an established formal relationship.”

Malinaw naman ang mga konklusyon ng Senate Report. Malinaw din ang mga ulat ni Hans Blix bago pa man giyerahin ang Iraq. Mali lahat ang ginamit na pretext sa UN Resolution, mali rin ang ginamit na dahilan sa US Congress nyo para i authorize ang giyera. Base dito, mas mabuti nga na itaguyod ang isang buhay kesa itaguyod ang maling giyera. Don’t get me wrong, sang-ayon ako sa war on teror pero hindi sa Iraq War. Si Osama muna dapat ang pinag-ukulan ng atensyon at resources.

at hindi rin ako sumasang-ayon sa method ng mga terorista – ke malaking bansa siya o individual na terorista. basta isinali mo at tinarget ang civilian, mali na yun. pwede kang magbilang kung sino ang mas maraming nabiktimang civilians.

hindi namin itinuturing na kalaban ang U.S. Tinututulan ko lang ang Iraq War. 2 magkaibang bagay yun. E yan ngang kapitbahay nyong Canada ni hindi nga nagpadala ng kahit isang sundalo dahil sa conviction nila, e di kaaway na rin sila? Wag sana tayong masyadong magpadala sa taktika ng inyong pamahalaan. “If you’re not with us, you are against us..” Masyadong simplistic. Parang may konting deception di ba. “Between the word of a madman and defending the country..” Sus, e di sana word of Hans Blix man lang sana pinakinggan niya.

Basahin mo rin yung nilalaman ng Senate Intel Report nyo kahit yung mga conclusions na lang. Mas maliliwanagan tayo. At ulitin mong basahin yung isa pang gawa ng paborito mo yatang manunulat- White Man’s Burden. Sana hindi ganyan ang pananaw mo sa amin dahil lamang nandyan ka. Masyado kasing condescending and dating ng mga may burden na yan. Luma ng pananaw yan.

alam mo rin siguro kung saan nagsimula lahat ng ito ano? simpatiya nga halos lahat ng tao sa u.s. dahil sa 9/11, pero unti-unting nawala yun dahil sa iraq war. mali lahat ng pretext sa giyera na ito, sabi nga ng senate intel. committee nyo. kaya mabuti pang isalba ang isang buhay kesa makisama sa isang giyera na mali. kung tutuusin lang sana nating mabuti kung tama ang giyera na ito o hindi, malalaman natin kung bakit mas pinili pa ng sambayanang pilipino ang isang buhay kesa sa coalition (hindi si gma ang nag decide – napilitan lang siya.) handa kami sa people power 4 kung ipagpapalit niya ang isang OFW – tinuturing nga na “bagong bayani” kesa sa isang maling giyera.

sa sinasabing consequences ng pull-out, e di mag pull-out na nga kayo lahat. tutal mali naman ang lahat ng pretext para sa giyera na ito. may malulugi ba kapag ginawa ito? yan ang problema, parang pilipinas din pala. global nga lang ang dating

The Philippines’ decision to pull out of Iraq has disappointed the country’s foreign allies. Both the United States and Australia have warned the action will only encourage militants.

The White House scolded the Philippines Thursday for seemingly giving in to the kidnappers’ demands, saying the move sent “the wrong signal to terrorists.”

Asked at a press forum late Thursday about de la Cruz, military chief General Narciso Abaya refused to comment, bluntly replying: “I don’t want to lose my job.”

GMA must now realize in her lacking of experience with terrorism “You cannot negotiate with terrorists or make a separate peace with terrorists.

The Philippines is one of the most Christian countries in the world yet some leaders appear to forget the 23rd Psalm “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;…”
There are many heros in the Philippines past history and now…

Why forsake our freedom fighters of the past???

I say no more…

No need to hold your breath I’ll retort to:

Squadron

“You are in a dream world with this statement:

“Similar to the base closures a few years back. Olongopo City went down the toilet (that’s saying alot for that part of the world) when they closed Subic Bay.”

Would you care to back that up with a couple links or resources?”

Don’t need resources. Don’t need links. I was there most recently 1998 and again in 2002. Walking into the VFW and seeing a bunch of expats wearing the same grey pallor on their faces sitting around playing “Blackout Bingo” for P200 sure doesn’t seem like the kind of lifestyle I was hoping to partake in upon my retirement from the Navy. (In 137 days and a wakeup but who’s counting?)

“Here are the facts from a retired US Navy vet who first visited Subic in July 1981 and have been living approx 100 kilometers from its front gate since 2001.”

I too first visited Subic Bay in November of 1981. The ultimate “Adult Disneyland.” Good, bad or indifferent to the morality of the thing they had you absolutely have to admit that more than just the crooked polititians, (Mayor Gordon comes to mind.) made a living. And a better one than a goodly many people in that nation. at that.

“FEDEX has its Asian cargo shipment hub at Subic it employs approx 50% of what the former Navy base did. Total employment on base is approx 140% above the highest ever attained by the US Navy.”

Good for FEDEX. At least someone put it to “some kind” of use. I find your 140% employment number highly questionable but I’ll take your word for since you live there. But you DO fail to take into acount of the tens of thousands of US Military people living not only on base but also in the local communities that also worked onboard and provided tax revenue along with their dollars. (Not to mention the “Rent” the Navy paid.)

“The city of Olongopo is clean, free of ALL the Girlie bars and the streets are safe. In short it is a rousing success without the US Navy.”

Once again, “If you say so”. Surely not as many of either but, I saw a few streetwalkers and more than a few beggers when I was last there myself. Sorry to see there is no club for the streetwalkers to look to for health issues now. They have to pay for that on their own, and not many to buy the gum.

All that said, both of the times I was there I never saw a ship in the harbor (not one) or a forsome on the golf course. There were two cars in the parking lot of the “GoCart” track but no carts actually out on the course. We went to the “Duty Free” and there were more employees than customers. Including my tribe of six at the time. (That’s not completely surprising though. I did take note though that each and ever one of them looked miserable. One would think they’d be happy with such a good gig.) Sure the Officer housing over at Cubi Point was full but my guess is that they were filled within a week of the pullout. As YOU know, quality housing is always a premium there.

When an Aircraft Carrier Battle Group pulled in there they pumped a Million Dollars a Day inot the local economy. (Yes I said a million $AMERICAN$ dollars) I seriously doubt that the few and far between Russian or Chinese hulks that roll in there can pull that off.

Our ships visit Manila now. Once in a great while one goes to Subic but everyone I’ve spoken to all said they wished they’d have gone to Manila or Cebu. Barrio Baretto just doesn’t seem to do the trick.

I had orders to San Miguel when Mt. Pinatubo went up and was only two weeks out. In fact I was on leave between commands when my orders were canceled so I lost out on that one. Nobody outside the Philippines was sadder than me. I’ve spent enough time over there to know what I like and don’t like about the place.

I had always had my heart set on taking my retirement benefits and moving over there to raise my children in their mother’s homeland where the good things make the bad ones more than a little acceptable. But this latest move by the government shows me that I and my family stand a risk we are not willing to take in today’s world and could never feel safe there now.

Yesterday I sold the house I own there to a guy that has wanted to buy it for quite some time. (Lucky me huh? I’ll take that money and a job in Colorado instead.) Both myself and my wife have agreed that we will never step foot in that country again. What a shame Lolo and Lola are now unable to visit with their grandsons unless we can manage to get them over here.

But if you’re happy “Marc”, knowing that the “Nice People Around” will soon be replace by even “Nicer” people then good on ya bud. I would never wish bad on anybody but, “ya makes your bed, ya sleeps in it”. Call me a “whimp” if you like. But my eyes are open to today’s world. Keeping your head in the sand not only hurts you but those that depend on you. Good luck to you and yours and enjoy paradise while you can.

K/H D

I hadn’t realized how far they had caved until I read it and did some more research. Now I’m really appalled.

I’ve also noticed the trolls who’ve started commenting. I’ll only say that hopefully they’ll learn something if they continue reading your columns. But hope springs eternal.

However, this clearly gives the terrorists a propaganda victory and will almost certainly increase the danger to other innocents. *That* is a big problem for the Philippines, as well as individual Filipinos.

The Philippines risks damage to its reputation and other diplomatic consequences. And who do you think is more likely to be the target of the next kidnapping? Another South Korean, whose government not only refused to withdraw its troops but promised to send in 3,000 more? Another Bulgarian, whose government flatly rejected withdrawing its troops? Or another Filipino?