The Al-Barka Basilan Incident

“Tayo nag-initiate, ng encounter. Tayo nalagasan ng ganoon karami. Automatic ang tanong, pinaghandaan natin ang operation, bakit ganito ang resulta?…ang pagkakamali, nasa tao. Pero ang paulit-ulit na pagkakamali, kasalanan na iyon. Hindi natin pwedeng pabayaan na magkaroon ng pagkakataon na maging paulit-ulit ito. Kung may mali, depekto sa sistema, ayusin na natin ito. Kung sa training, kung saanman. Hanapin kung saan ang sanhi bakit nagkaroon ng disaster. Ayusin ang mga problema.”

That was President Aquino III speaking, during a press conference he gave on Monday afternoon, where he reiterated that there will be no “all-out-war” against the MILF.

He had earlier refused to answer what lessons were learned about the Basilan encounter, simply saying there is “an ongoing investigation” that “will decide lives, careers and perhaps even criminal liabilities of (the) people involved.”

What was he talking about?

The initial findings – THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL GOING ON – as reported in the command conference with the President and the AFP’s top brass last Friday, was that the soldiers who died shouldn’t have been sent there in the first place. They died because they were sent there unprepared and without planning, so much so that they were practically sent there to die. But that’s me talking, generalizing.

Here are the findings, according to a printed report shown to me:

Evidence

What’s discussed in a six-hour class on evidence? Here are my notes for the curious.

On the MILF’s Sept 5 2011 presser

MILF chairman Murad held a press conference last Sept 5, 2011, inside the MILF’s Camp Darapanan. It was his first press conference (though not the first interview) since he met with President Benigno Aquino III in Tokyo. Here is his opening statement (with the greetings and niceties taken out), and notes from the six-minute ambush interview that followed the hour-long presser.

MILF briefing for FOCAP

This is an incomplete transcript of the press conference which MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim held before the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines (FOCAP).

The first-ever JBC public interview for the nominees for Supreme Court Chief Justice

Last April 19, 2010,the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) held the first ever public interview for the nominees to the post of Supreme Court Chief Justice. These are raw notes and may not be used for publication. Some of the quotes are complete, some are not. These should be checked with other sources — news articles, etc — for the proper context and the correct quotes.

Suicide and a life insurance

Can you take out a life insurance and then commit suicide? Will the insurer have to pay if you kill yourself? It depends.
What about if the insured was killed in a robbery? Is there a possibility the insurer will not have to pay the beneficiaries of the life insurance policy? Again, the answer is, it depends. Here are several digests of cases we had to read for our insurance class this semester.

The Inquirer presidential debates

The debate is beginning. The candidates are now being introduced — Noynoy comes in all in black, JC de los Reyes in a white barong and black pants, Gordon the same, except that he is wearing a long-sleeved barong and JC a short-sleeved one. Jamby is wearing black but has a green blazer on top; Gibo is wearing a polo shirt, Nick Perlas is wearing yellow! and Villar, white short-sleeved barong (?) and gray pants.

Former UP College of Law dean Raul Pangalangan asks Noynoy about his statement on not acknowledging an SC justice appointed by GMA. Noynoy says he only wanted to make sure that everyone obeys the Constitution.

Teodoro is asked about waffling on the RH bill.
For any policy especially one as controversial or as close to heart, have to work with consensus. Cannot implement law ab initio. Must move ahead and forward, get consensus, respect moral choice and whatever moral choice a person has made.

JC: what direct policy or legislation would you advocate as pres to achieve constitution prohibition vs political dynasty
Policies hindi nanggagling lang sa batas ngunit kung ano ang salita, asta. Kung iyon ang mensahe, we have to respect constitution…communicate to whole bureaucracy and solicit help of people so finally we have implementing rules to give life to constitution.

Villar is asked how to prevent another Ampatuan massacre.
Disarm lahat ng grupo…kailangan palakasin ang AFP dun para igalang at hindi na kailangan gumawa at magwield ng ganitong army. Galing din sa atin yan, we have to stop this, disarm them, palakasin ang AFP, itaas ang human devt index sa lugar na iyon. Walang trabaho kaya pumapasok na bodyguard…entrepreneurial skills…ng moslems…papuntahin ang kredito, focus on edukasyon, kalusugan, pamimigay ng trabaho…kailangan sabayan ang approach…

Congress joint session closes

The historic joint session to deliberate on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of martial law over Maguindanao province convened at 4:10 p.m. on Monday. Since martial law was lifted last Saturday, the session is expected to close today.
From the many empty seats, both at the gallery and on the congressional floor, it seems the historic joint session will end with a whimper. I can imagine all those who died during Marcos’ martial law turning in their graves. Will blog this last day of the joint session.

Wrap up: The first joint session of Congress to tackle the President’s report on the proclamation of Martial Law

That was a great front act on the first joint session of Congress to deliberate on the President’s report on PD 1959, the proclamation of Martial Law.
When Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen asked where the President was, the simple reply of House Speaker Prospero Nograles was that she had substantially complied with the requirements of the Constitution: she had submitted her report to Congress on Sunday, and the newly-drafted rules on the joint session did not require her to be present.
Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. then pointed out that Dilangalen was one of those who had a petition questioning the proclamation at the Supreme Court, and said he was forum shopping.
Dilangalen, of course, had to answer that, though Nograles already said that Dilangalen, as a member of the House of Representatives, had “every right to talk in this chamber.”
The allegation was “preposterous” and “out of order,” Dilangalen said. The session was suspended, after which Locsin apologized to Dilangalen and said that, because there are other more important things that need to be tackled, he would rather that they move on to the business at hand.
“I did not come here to be insulted,” Dilangalen said, apparently unwilling to be pacified.
Nograles pointed out the remarks have already been withdrawn.
“If this continues I might change my mind,” said Teddyboy, and again session was suspended.
Of course they kissed and made up after that: “Teddyboy is a very good friend of mine,” Dilangalen said, adding that he was Teddyboy was only testing him. “Thank you very much I forgive you Teddyboy.”

Partylist Rep. Satur Ocampo: the one who drafted Proclamation 1959 is confused.

Rebellion is hard to prove, says Partylist Rep. Satur Ocampo, pointing out that though he was charged with rebellion during the Marcos dictatorship, the charges were not proven until the time he managed to escape.
Later, when as a member of the House of Representatives he was again accused of rebellion, he said it took the justice department nine months to prepare charges against him and five other partylist representatives.
He raises the point that critics have raised: that the rebellion case might be a way out for the Ampatuans, because it is hard to prove and two, because it is political. Because it is hard to prove, there is a chance that the Ampatuans charged with rebellion will scot-free. And because it is political, there is the chance that even if the Ampatuans were found guilty and convicted, the President can always pardon them.
Congress suspends session until 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon.