dungeonbaby

Ang hirap kasi sa iba, nagmamarunong agad e hindi pa naman tapos ang imbestigasyon. Sino ba talaga sa atin dito ang may alam kung ano ang tutuong nangyari? May 14 pa lang sigurado ka na sa nangyari at ayaw mo man lang maghintay bago manghusga laban sa Pilipinas. Nakuryente ka na nuong sinabi mo na magdedeklara ng giyera ang Taiwan laban sa Pilipinas sa loob ng 72 oras. Nakuryente ka na din nuong sinabi mo na malayo sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas ang pinangyarihan ng insidente. Mali ka rin ng sinabi mong basta na lang bumaril at pumatay ang Coast Guard ng walang pangundangan na para bang nangtri-trip lang sila.

 

Kung magbabalik-tanaw ka lang sa unang komento mo tungkol sa "Taiwan incident," wala ka naman sinabing tama bukod kay Abnoy na aligagang nagangampanya. Kaya nung sitahin ka ni heatseeker at itama ang mga maling impormasyon mo at sabihan ka na hintayin muna ang resulta ng imbestigasyon at wag magpadalos-dalos sa panghuhusga, hindi ba tama siya? Maiintindihan ko pa kung naging padalos-dalos ka sa pagtatanggol sa Pilipinas ... siyempre Pilipino tayo eh. O kung may pag-aalanganin, magtikom ng bibig at maghintay sa mas malinaw na paglalahad ng mga pangyayari. Pero yung maging padalos-dalos at agad-agad ibuntong ang sisi sa mga Pilipino dahil muhing-muhi ka sa Abnoy na Presidente. Aba, wag naman, may kasabihan na banyaga para sa ganyang gawain: "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face."

 

Itong si damuhong Senador Trillanes nga ngayong May 23 lang nagsabi ng kanyang saluobin na pabor sa posisyon ng Taiwan e ikaw May 14 pa lang may konklusyon na. Ewan ko kung ano ang basehan niya pero alam nating lahat na nuong sinabi mo ang iyong saluobin e wala kang matibay na basehan. Ngayon, kung talagang may pagkakamali ang mga Pilipino batay sa ebidensya, gagawin naman natin ang kailangan para maitama ang pagkakamaling ito dahil disente naman tao ang mga Pilipino (sabi nga ni heatseeker). Pero hanggat wala pang matibay na basehan, bakit natin agad-agad ipapakain sa pating ang mga miyembro ng Coast Guard na kung susumahin ay nanduon lang para protektahan ang interes ng mga Pilipino. Bilib na bilib ka sa mga Taiwanese sa kanilang pakikipaglaban para sa isang kababayan nila pero ang gusto mong mangyari, ipagkanulo ni Abnoy ang mga Pilipinong miyembro ng Coast Guard ng hindi nalalaman ang puno't dulo ng mga pangyayari.

 

Hindi mo tuloy masisi si heatseeker na tawagin kang Filipino Quisling.

 

Quisling is synonymous with traitor, and particularly applied to politicians (political pundits) who appear to favour the interests of other nations or cultures over their own.

I'm pretty sure I was aware of the gravity of being called a quisling from the moment heatseeker leveled that accusation. Are you oblivious to how offensive that accusation is? Because you say it like you knew with a certainty that I deserved to be called a traitor. Actually, you are much more courageous than he is for pointing the gun directly at me, rather than saying the insult to the wind, hoping it will somehow land on me. You call me unjustly judgmental yet here you are doing the same exact thing to someone else, with a word like quisling.

I did not know you could become a traitor by speaking your mind against your government. Traitors and quislings are shot because they betray their country by aiding the enemy. Is that the case here? Are you saying I cannot blame heatseeker for thinking I deserve to be shot like a traitor?

So how exactly am I aiding Taiwan? By posting on MTC? I'd laugh but I'm short on humor at the moment. You might want to go through the entire thread, and then the previous thread before that which was closed, and rethink who here has traitorous tendencies. There are actually people here who say they would not defend our shores from an invader as strong as China. But they're still not traitors are they, because they've not actually done anything yet.

I said Taiwan had declared war on us, and I apologized for it without excuses. Repeatedly even. How does that render my questions irrelevant? Questions like...is the mere ATTEMPT to ram considered aggressive? Abigail Valte said yes, then backpedaled. Is it now traitorous to point out that inconsistency?

If he truly felt that I had nothing to bring to the discussion, there is always the ignore option. But he kept at it. In fact, on the same day as my original post, he already had "facts." So much for waiting for the investigation.

Let me get this straight so I'm clear on what you're saying. Heatseeker can cite "facts," prior to an investigation, but no one else can? He can say that there was provocation and that of course Taiwan will say there wasn't, those lying Chekwas? Did heatseeker provide you with evidence that you so readily accept his version but not mine? Again, so much for waiting for the investigation. The double standard is breathtaking.

You think that because I was quick to the trigger I should have shut up. That's fair, that's your opinion. It still doesn't make the questions go away. It doesn't change the fact that our coast guard may also have been quick to the trigger, given the simple fact that someone has died as a result. O baka naman pati yun di pwedeng sabihin kasi di pa tapos ang imbestigasyon.

You think that just because I'm disappointed in our president for failing to address the issue when a mere statement could have prevented a fallout, that that actually renders my comments invalid? Hmm. Let's see. In retrospect, could a timely statement from him have helped the nation just a little? FVR seems to think so. On these boards, several other posters seem to think so. Was my initial comment so misplaced after all?

If our actions were so correct from the very start, why are we even doing damage control?

Let's revisit maxiev's original post which I was replying to and then my post which you described as so riddled with errors, it was only right for heatseeker to correct me. With FACTS. PRIOR to the investigation. LOL! Sorry, the hypocrisy is just too funny.

Hmm...hope your right. What I'm worried about really is if a Philippine navy warship opens fire even on a Chinese fishing vessel. Such a provocative act could have dire consequences for the Philippines. China may seek to even the score which may include destroying some of our naval assets. I hope I am wrong.

In the context of the above post, the tone of my reply is appropriate. After all, I was replying to someone else who said the provocative act of firing on a Chinese fishing vessel would have dire consequences...

funny.

 

our coast guard already fired on and killed a taiwanese fisherman, far from our shores and on no provocation. no statement from the prez yet because, as we all know, campaigning is so much more important than international matters.

hmm. our coast guard did fire on the fisherman. kaya nga natamaan at namatay e, wala naman akong sinabing intent.

hmm. the distance from our shores seems to be another contentious issue. "far from shore" is also a relative term.

hmm. the UNCLOS prohibits the use of unnecessary force in dealing with fishermen, they are not even to be detained.

hmm. the president was indeed busy campaigning at the time.

hmm. the president was indeed late in his response.

Nasaan yung mali kung totoo ngang wala pang sigurado hangga't di pa natatapos ang imbestigasyon.

what we know is there is growing distrust in this current administration. the recent expose' that the IRS was putting roadblocks for right leaning political and evangelical organizations in giving them tax exempt status shows that political dissent is not welcome.

 

the continuation of the welfare state is slowly killing small businesses because the increased taxes will come from them. remember the "you did not build" that 2012 campaign speech of obama in virginia.

 

the recent warning that practicing christian faith in the military will result in sanctions for what they call intolerance of other religion/s.

 

the wiretapping of phone conversations of associated press reporters by the justice department shows that even if the media is heavily biased for the democrats, they are considered potential adversaries.

 

the cover-up in benghazi. it was reported that highly-trained personnel were ready to go but were told to stand-down and ignore the attacks in the consulate err, diplomatic post. maybe obama and clinton think that it's better for their image to have 4 dead americans than dozens of muslims killed by troops with superior weapons and air support. remember they blamed it on an anti-islam video that was on you tube for several months before 9/11/12. congressman trey gowdy (R-SC) said to a congressional inquiry "you have money to throw for condom parties but you claim you do not have the resources to protect our diplomats."

 

the constant demonization of fossil fuels and inaction to the increasing costs. obama answered a question in 2008 in how he will lower fuel prices "inflate your tires and you will save fuel." it's 2013 and gas prices are still rising. i guess inflating tires is not the solution.

 

suing arizona governor jan brewer for enforcing border protection and deporting illegal aliens. you follow U.S. law, we come after you.

 

the record number of appointed czars in important posts without senate confirmation. this is an abuse of power.

 

military operations in libya to oust ghaddafi. obama went in without congressional approval.

 

the fight back has begun.

 

the conservatives have discredited the pro-choicers, big democrat donors, with slogans like "empowered by birth" and "the strong choose life."

 

when sarah palin was constantly maligned by mc cain advisers steve schmidtt and nicole wallace, a conservative said "never again will we leave one of our own wounded in the battlefield." schmidtt and wallace never worked for any republican campaign again. imagine what they are willing to do against democrats.

 

palin may never become president but she is their best culture warrior. her comments like "death panels" and "crony capitalists" were proven correct when obama's motives were scrutinized. palin's political action committee can raise money at obama and romney levels. she used it to donate, endorse and campaign for eventual winners like sens. marco rubio, mike lee, ted cruz, ron johnson, deb fischer, kelly ayotte and govs. nikki haley, mary fallin, susanna martinez, jan brewer and scott walker.

 

the recall election of wisconsin gov. scott walker. conservatives campaigned in the trenches and exceeded the funds of his unions backed opponent leading to a rout on election day.

 

the defense of gov. jan brewer and her policies. she counter sued with great support from her base.

 

conservatives became better people organizers and started boycotting companies that target and insult their beliefs. they are also giving moderate republicans warnings of being challenged in the primaries if they become weak in the struggle against this regime. this all started in 2009.

 

the conservative media are composed of scrappy fighters. they answered the call when talk radio giant rush limbaugh asked "do you have the stomach to fight for your principles?"

 

there were also rumblings from the libertarian front. they are dreaming of not paying any taxes to the federal government in the future.

Excellent summary. Couldn't have synthesized this any better if I'd taken a week off to write it.

Though I lean towards being pro-choice, I cannot stomach what Planned Parenthood does. Does anyone even realize that Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger was a Ku Klux Klan member and was motivated by the idea of assisting in the abortions of black people, as well as the Jews?

I believe organizations like these should be privately funded, so that good Christians are not forced to pay for something that is as morally reprehensible as the killing of viable babies. Perhaps they realize that liberals aren't the most charitable lot and cannot be counted on to donate money to their causes like conservatives do?

The sad trend is how black communities have gone from being self-reliant, with families intact (meaning two parents instead of just one) to a model where dole-outs are now the norm, and single moms would rather stay unmarried so that they can collect a bigger check.

I did not know that Palin helped fund the campaigns of champions like Rubio, Brewer, Cruz, and Haley. I wish we had leaders like that here.

I think what is needed urgently is for Philippine government leaders to talk directly with their Taiwanese counterparts, discuss the events that occurred which led to the shooting death of an ROC fisherman, and establish strict guidelines to ensure that this type of incident will never happen again.

 

Dialogue is now urgent to prevent the situation from worsening. The ultimate goal of this dialogue is to determine what went wrong, what can be done to prevent another similar incident from happening (on both sides) and to abide by all agreements as may have been entered into by both the Philippine Government and the government of to ROC.

 

We want ROC to be our ally in our squabble with the PROC. China is probably just observing the foregoing and is probably amused at the latest turn of events in this part of the world. What will the next squabble be about the next time? We recently had a potentially dangerous international problem with neighboring Malaysia which caused strain between Manila and Kuala Lumpur and now between Manila and Taiwan.

Exactly.

From what I read, the Taiwanese fishing boat tried to ram our patrol boat, forcing the patrol boat to take evasive action to avoid being hit. the attempt at ramming happened first, with our boat taking evasive maneuvers. Afterwards, they saw somebody on the fishing boat come up on deck and taunted them, gesturing (speculation: maybe showing them the famous finger) and challenging our Coast Guards to try and catch them.

That was when warning shots and killing shots were fired. That might also explain why the boat was shot up on its side.

The Taiwanese fishermen did not realize that even if their boat is faster than our old Coast Guard tub, bullets still fly faster.

The way you relate it, you make it seem as if we took action after being given the finger.

Such a cavalier recounting.

As for the loss of Taiwanese jobs, I hope you're right that this will only prove to be beneficial in the long run. Isn't that only part of the picture, though? I have mixed feelings about the brave stance of some of our government officials - in tourism, in trade, etc. - saying we will not hurt in the long run. There is complete confidence that Taiwanese investments in places like Subic, which account for 85% of the zone's output, are not likely to be withdrawn. Complete confidence that a foreign trade agreement, whose feasibility both governments are studying, will not fall through. We'll see.

Clap Clap Clap.... Pasensya walang smiley na pumapalakpak dito.... Ang dami kong gustong isagot sa litanya mo pero.... anyway, "atriotism demands that you question your leaders." kahit anong isagot ng gobyerno kung talagang sarado isip, hahanap at hahanap ng butas at walang katapusang tanong ang dadagsa. Style mo kasi pag sinagot ka ng diretso, sasagutin mo naman ng tanong, hanggang sa pa-ikot-ikot na lang.... Anyway, my hat's off to you... Ang galing mo! Idol! :rolleyes:

Disappointing rebuttal, heatseeker. What's the matter, a little impatience creeping up on you? Your skills in diplomacy unable to cope with a few truths?

And yet here is where you succeed in faking a winning argument. To deflect anyone's points, you keep the attacks on a personal level, citing your expert opinion and 'inside' info as a non-"pure civilian." Ikaw ang magaling. Ikaw lang ang magaling.

Where is it written that we aren't allowed to ask questions when statements are senseless or unclear? We are expected to be responsible for the things we say. Which is why when you pointed out a mistake I made, I rightly admitted to the mistake and apologized. However, you seized on that and ignored the questions which remained valid. Your excuse, paikot-ikot lang.

Talaga lang ha. Sige nga, copy-paste mo dito lahat ng tinanong ko na isa-isa mong sinagot sa maayos at ma-diplomasyang paraan. Try it. If you answer all the questions and your answers make sense, I'll give credence to your points which, as of now, are zero on the credibility scale.

O baka naman di pa na-discuss sa forum mo yung mga sagot sa tanong na yon? Di pa ba nagpost si Raffy Alunan ng kanyang mga nakakatuwang opinyon sa FB?

On topic:

It behooves us to ask why our government is inconsistent on issues concerning our borders.

THEN: no apologies for the death of a fisherman. An apology would be tantamount to admission of wrongdoing. Daw.

NOW: under pressure, we apologize. A comedy of errors ensues. Claims of treason float. Well done.

Then: no compensation. We will apologize but we will not commiserate with the aggrieved in any tangible form.

Now: to contain the damage, we will allow private entities to give the dead fisherman's family a form of compensation. Only it is unclear whether the gift is a "donation" or actual "compensation." Blah blah blah. Political correctness. Make nice, hope for the best.

E di sana sa una pa lang ginawa na lahat ng iyon di ba. Pero hindi. Busy pa sa pangangampanya. Kailangan muna paabutin sa malalang sitwasyon bago bigyang tugon ang galit ng isang bansa.

Then: let Chinese poachers go, despite evidence of huge stores of their environmentally destructive, illegal catch.

Now: k*ll Taiwanese poacher.

Then: let China ban our fishermen from our own waters. Our own waters are off limits to us as a result of our diplomatic protestations.

Now: aggressively go after the Taiwanese fisherman on a small wooden boat. Diplomacy can wait.

Then: go to the UN with our protest against Chinese actions on Panatag.

Now: flout the UNCLOS in dealing with a fisherman.

Mahirap ba ipaliwanag mahal na pangulo?

Dan in Real Life, a comedy-drama starring Steve Carell - strangely attractive in this film - and Juliette Binoche who had been missing from mainstream movies since Chocolat. Sweet, unexpected, and authentic in its treatment of romance, it's the kind of love story that quickly but quietly grows on you.

I have always voiced my HONEST insight when it comes to posting here in the REALM OF THOUGHT thread. Never ever considered it as a "Waste of energy" as you aptly put it. I participate in this thread to as much as possible keep it grounded on facts, point out some issues that are not known by purely civilian members diplomatically to maintain the quality of this thread and avoid it from being turned into another fantasy dump of worthless comments by people suggesting this or that. I and other well meaning members of this forum have taken pains and almost an infinite amount of patience in discussing our POVs because, hey, this is part of the REALM OF THOUGHT group isn't it.

 

Whenever I post, my goal is not to "Change other people's minds" as you aptly put it again, but to voice out the opinion of people that are actually involved in direct or indirect ways in securing this Country's safety and territorial integrity.

 

By stating that posting in this thread is a "Waste of energy" is a virtual low that I never expected even from you.

first off, can you recognize a sarcastic statement when you see one? i thought i would help out some of the denser brains here and put a laughing smiley beside my statement just to show how high i had scaled on the sarcasm meter. to be honest, i didn't count you as one of those who might miss the intent, but perhaps i should reconsider this.

second, that's quite the accusation coming from you who have often voiced your frustration on this thread, and even told posters to stop wasting your time and instead refer to other military boards where we can deservedly get told off by experts. remember that? actually, don't try to recall. just go back to this most recent reply and let me underscore the magnanimous and gracious things you said:

to maintain the quality of this thread and avoid it from being turned into another fantasy dump of worthless comments by people suggesting this or that. I and other well meaning members of this forum have taken pains and almost an infinite amount of patience in discussing our POVs because, hey, this is part of the REALM OF THOUGHT group isn't it.

and which worthless comments would that be? you suggested that ramming is an offense that merited being shot at. i showed you where the UNCLOS specifically prohibits the use of force in dealing with fishermen. you implied we should wait for the investigation's findings before concluding anything but then you go right ahead and say the killing was done 'accidentally.' are these not the kinds of claims that follow an inquiry, not precede it? well forgive me for pointing out the flaws in your arguments, but that's what this thread is about, isn't it.

then you say you have 'infinite patience' and practice 'diplomacy.' your standards for both virtues seem to be set at a very low bar, sir. i've posted an opinion contrary to a lot of yours here because i don't believe our government handled this particular crisis well. that's the bare bones of it. what did you say to that? na "halatang di nag-iisip, meron lang mai-post."

third, virtual low? wasn't that virtual low reached when you resorted to calling me names on another member's profile? apparently, you already have a very low opinion of me. so please don't pretend to be shocked by some very mild thing i said in sarcasm. in contrast, i've remained open to some of your opinions and have even supported you in defending the quality of our men in uniform.

now lest you still believe i'm bothered in any way by your attacks, it'd be helpful to refer to the questions i asked you so as to clarify how you came to several of your positions. unlike some people here, namely you, i seek to find out why you think the way you do. in response, you've not only been condescending, you've also managed to evade answering certain questions. you can pretend all you want to be alright with those whose opinions run contrary to yours, but any perfunctory glance at these threads will show that that's a questionable claim.

furthermore, before you make such a filthy accusation and call anyone a quisling, make sure your accusation is based on something more than just a person's most recent comments. patriotism should not be blind to the truth, and if your government is not doing the right thing, patriotism demands that you question your leaders.

finally, to camiar, i don't believe the philippines is in any kind of position to say it's taiwan's loss, not ours. i gave the example of my craigslist ad to show how bad the jobs situation is here. when, instead of saying to ourselves that this incident is something we must learn from and we must endeavor to THINK and do the right thing, if instead of that we say 'ok lang, we don't need them naman,' even in the face of Filipinos losing their jobs and being forced to uproot themselves, then there is something very, very wrong with us.

Congrats sa SlimmeRunners at PaceUP runners!

Tapos na Pace UP? Akala ko sa pasukan pa 'to. Augh, kainis! Eto na nga lang sinasalihan ko. Parang ang ganda pati ng singlet.

nde kinaya mam wyette.. baka mapuwersa.. ortigas - masinag lang ginawa ko

Ortigas >> J.Vargas >> Tiendesitas >> C-5 going to Libis >> B.Serrano-FVR road >> Marcos Hway >> Masinag

 

nung sinukat ko, nsa 12km+ lang.. pde na for a practice run (maiba lang ang route)

pero grabe init. 4-5am nasa C-5 ako.. tagaktak pawis ko kahit mabagal lng run.. dry yung hangin

B.Serrano-FVR Road - eto ba yung after Eastwood, kakanan ka papuntang Camp Atienza tapos makikita mo na SM? Parang ang liit ng sidewalk dyan, di ba delikado?

Just for the experts here on international law:

Furthermore, there too appears to be a breach of international law since the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea prohibits the unnecessary use of force in dealing with illegal fishermen. In fact, the UNCLOS provides that fishermen caught illegally fishing in a state's exclusive economic zone should not even be detained or charged criminally. The only leeway granted to a party state is to apprehend the vessel which, in turn, must be immediately released upon the posting of bond.

 

- excerpt from Harry L. Roque, "Taiwan sets example for PHL government in current dispute"

 

As reports come out that the fisherman's boat was shot up on its side, it really makes one wonder how the coast guard came to the conclusion they were about to be rammed. You'd think if a boat was about to ram you, its position would be facing towards you, not running alongside you. So who here is confident that the investigation will be thorough and fair? Raise your hands. While we're at it, what has resulted from that investigation into the Quirino Grandstand massacre?

If you were Taiwan, would you trust the NBI? Filipinos themselves don't trust the NBI lol.

Sarcasm noted. You focus on the hardships of Filipinos over the loss of jobs in Taiwan. Mine is directed towards the honor of the Philippines in general and Filipinos in particular. Is it alright for you to have our countrymen killed or brutalized in Taiwan because of this unfortunate incident?

How many were killed or brutalized, and do you expect their government to not punish criminals who do this to innocent people?

What was our government's reaction to our people being brutalized in Sabah? Which government - Taiwan's or ours - is doing the better job fighting for its people, you think?

Yes Pinoys overreact, too. Like during the Flor Contemplacion brouhaha. But that's not the point. The point is, Filipino workers there are highly prized globally. It would be Taiwan's loss if the reject Filipino workers out of their own overreaction.

 

I disagree with the picture you paint that Filipinos are so desperate that nurses and economic grads take DH jobs in Taiwan. If there are, it would be more of an exception than the rule.

Overreaction? What is the proper reaction to the loss of life? And let's not talk about mob action here. How did their government overreact? I wish my government had the balls to defend me like that.

You think I was talking about DH jobs in Taiwan. I was talking about the people who apply to my craigslist manila ads. Perhaps I'm the only one who finds that shocking, and finding statements saying Filipinos are irreplaceable and therefore it's Taiwan's loss a little self-indulgent and fantastical. You talk as if we have not lost on this issue, you talk as if the Philippines was flush with job opportunities and the international market not competitive. How many people would rather be in Taiwan, than in other countries? A significant number given that Pinoys enjoy higher salaries in Taiwan than in other places, higher even than in HK, according to a friend there.

Point is, in business, no one is irreplaceable. And the truth is, no matter what the cost to them, if Taiwan wants to replace our workers, it will.

lol. wow. and we Filipinos never overreact?

let's get over ourselves already. and by the way, i wouldn't be quoting from raffy alunan's facebook posts, this is the same guy whom i've watched deride Americans for being racists and share news from The Onion, that spoof site, thinking they are real headlines.

yeah, it's taiwan's loss. filipinos can do better and get hired by better people. lol. maybe more of us will be in the middle east where women are put on a pedestal and treated like queens. perhaps our professionals can just up and consider other countries to go to, paperwork is so easy and takes no time at all to process here. must be why we have so many future 'professionals' needing to augment their income with jobs they are overqualified for.

it sure is easy to talk when we've all got jobs or a passive income and can waste our energy posting on this forum where nothing gets done and no minds are changed.

ang dami daming trabaho dyan! magsawa kayo sa dami ng oportunidad! kaya nga walang mga nurse o economics grad na nag-aaply para maging katulong e.

watch out, taiwan! bleed over our absence

The Taiwan president said they want an apology within 72 hours or they will suspend hiring of Filipino workers. I did not hear anything about Taiwan going to War with us.

 

Our MECO representative in Taiwan did not apologize. He said we offer our sympathies to the family of the deceased, but not our apology (or something to that effect).

 

 

So, fine -- stop hiring Filipinos. It's their loss, and comparatively, just another inconvenience to us.

yes i heard wrong, it happens. but really, it's taiwan's loss?

Taiwan will go to war with us in 72 hours if the GRP doesn't apologize??? Sure kang yun ang sinabi nila???? Ngek, isa ka pa. Magsama kayo ni Jacuzzi... Hayst.... :wacko: :wacko:

sorry, i misspoke. apparently, i am even quicker to the trigger than taiwan.

my other questions to you still stand, especially these 3:

2. is the mere "attempt to ram" (vs. actual ramming) a steel boat by a wooden boat a provocative act warranting shooting into a boat?

4. why did our coast guard say they were aiming for the engine when the engine is deep in the boat under water? shouldn't they have shot at the rudder instead?

6. how is it that we lost panatag shoal (where we actually caught chinese fishermen poaching illegally)? was it because we could not handle the chinese blockade but we can surely handle small fishing boats? is this how we choose what do defend these days, by picking where we have the upper hand in might?

if anything, we are being inconsistent. and we are being inconsistent on the wrong side. it's one thing for a country like the US, for example, to come into our waters and fish illegally. it's quite another for neighboring islands, whose people look like each other and conduct trade with one another, to have their people killed in waters they've traditionally shared. yes, our fishermen are in their waters, too. vicvic villavicencio, if i recall correctly, has a fishing camp in the area and his sari-sari store is stocked with 80% taiwan products. meaning, that's how close we are to taiwan.

besides, anyone that's been out to sea knows that when you approach a fisherman's nets, he will chase you off and even appear, at times, to attempt to ram you. what most yachties don't realize is that fishing boats have the right of way in a lot of cases. they have the right of way vs vessels like a sailboat or a container ship. at the very least, extreme tolerance should have been afforded to the fishing vessel - warning shots over the bow if it did not respond to calls, and then shooting at his rudder located at the end of the boat where you are not likely to hit anyone - not aiming at his "machinery" which i suppose is the latest term now for the engine.

***

now taiwan has said it will go to war with the philippines in 72 hours if an apology is not issued by the government. no surprise there, taiwan has a quick trigger for having been bullied by china for so long.

it demands, not an apology from the filipino people, which is what our diplomats issued, but a real apology from our president who has already let one deadline pass, and caused economic sanctions to be taken against our ofw's.

NOW, are we, as a people, prepared to bleed for this week-old incident which could have been resolved quickly if we had been more mature and signified immediately our sincere apologies for the life lost and promised a full-blown investigation into the matter? yun lang naman ang hiningi ng taiwan - ang proper handling of the case.

siguro okey lang ang lahat ng ito kay Noynoy kasi naipasok naman nya sa senado ang mga bata nya.

Erap but not exactly by a landslide. Sana sa Quezon City na lang nagrun si Erap para makita kung talagang malakas si Bistek. Bautista routed his opponents badly as in landslide win talaga.

Herbert ran virtually unopposed. Chang, whom i voted for and lost, ran to give the trapo at least some semblance of a fight.

160 Miles from the Philippines??????

 

It happened 43 Miles east of Balintang Island which is in the Balintang Channel. Said Channel almost being equidistant in between Batanes and the Babuyan Islands. Don't believe all the crap that Taiwanese media say. They even ERASED BATANES from the map just so that it would look that their ship is in international waters. Go find a map, look at the spot and don't tell me that it is part of our EEZ. No Ma'am, those waters are our TERRITORIAL waters, not our EEZ.

 

Ramming is considered an AGGRESSIVE act by mariners the world over. Now Ramming a law enforcement vessel while doing it's mandate inside it's own TERRITORIAL waters and ignoring said law enforcement's vessel hails on open maritime radio frequency and its onboard sirens and megaphones from the crew is well....

 

Not looking good for us??????? Our country projected a Mature image on the world stage after the incident unlike Taiwan's behavior after the incident which is like a kid who threw a tantrum after the toy that kid wants was not bought by its parents.

you're right about the distance from balintang island, but the distance from taiwan's mainland is still about 160 miles. note that taiwan also has islands in the area (meaning you can measure from their coasts as well) and both nations claim surrounding waters as theirs. apparently, this is why there is no fishing agreement in this area between the two nations.

since you're the expert on this issue, answer this:

1. what was the provocative act made by a 15-tonne, wooden fishing boat - that probably only went at a maximum speed of 6 knots - that justified shooting?

2. is the mere "attempt to ram" (vs. actual ramming) a steel boat by a wooden boat a provocative act warranting shooting into a boat?

3. if only warning shots were fired as the coast guard first claimed was all it intended in some reports, why was the fisherman killed?

4. why did our coast guard say they were aiming for the engine when the engine is deep in the boat under water? shouldn't they have shot at the rudder instead?

5. did our coast guard chase the fishing boat for one hour? and if they did, to what end?

6. how is it that we lost panatag shoal (where we actually caught chinese fishermen poaching illegally)? was it because we could not handle the chinese blockade but we can surely handle small fishing boats? is this how we choose what do defend these days, by picking where we have the upper hand in might?

as for your claim that we are surfacing as the mature ones for not reacting like a child to this, do you feel our actions that ended in a 65-year old fisherman's death were mature?

like i said, things are not looking good for us, we are already paying for this senseless act economically with taiwan's actions versus our ofw's. taiwan could also revive with renewed vigor the dispute over these areas. something that might have been avoided had we just SAID the right things IMMEDIATELY like their government wanted.

if we were smart, we would pay compensation to the fisherman's family and end the story there.

The investigation regarding the incident is still ongoing, plus let me point out some facts, namely;

 

1.) The PCG did not intentionally k*ll that fisherman. It was an accident. They were aiming for the ship's engine and didn't even know they hit someone till they got back to port. your phrase "our coast guard already fired on and killed a taiwanese fisherman," has a certain slant that to the uninitiated, would come out as our coasties deliberately targeted that fisherman.

 

2.) Far from our shores??? Please check the coordinates again. They were within the vicinity of Batanes, that's why the area was being patrolled by the PCG on BFAR ships.

 

3.) No provocation??? Says who??? Them Taiwanese??? Of course they'll say that. For their politicians to admit otherwise would be political suicide. For the record, the PCG has saved countless Taiwanese lives who get in trouble in those waters, and then all of a sudden they turn into non thinking mongoloids and just shoot at anybody???

 

4.) Abnoy not commenting on the issue because "He's busy campaigning" is quite... well, let's just put it this way, i don't like Abnoy, i didn't even vote for the guy, voted for his cousin instead, but as time goes by, the way he handles incidents regarding our security and disputed areas, he's winning over a lot of skeptics both inside and outside the Military and Security Forces of the country. He has his abnormalities, i mean who doesn't, but when it comes to Military and Foreign Affairs, he's doing good. Besides, like i said, let's just wait for the results of the official investigation. You wouldn't want our President stooping down to the Taiwanese President's level diba? Issuing ultimatums and ordering their navy and coast guard to the proximity of the area just to satisfy his citizenry. Bandang huli nyan sila pa magmumukhang eng-eng dahil sa over-reaction nila na sila naman din ang mali.

within the vicinity of batanes? it was 160 miles from the philippines. that may be within our 200-mile eez. but wait...isn't that also 160 miles from taiwan? there is an overlap in this area, and both philippine and taiwanese fishermen are in these waters.

our coast guard shot up a wooden boat because they were afraid the fishermen were going to ram their boat. that was the statement. they were afraid a wooden fishing boat might ram our steel boat and so thought it necessary to open fire. sure, let's wait for the investigation. but you'd have to admit, it's not looking good for us.

not commenting after that other fiasco where chinese tourists were killed in that quirino grandstand hostage crisis are burned into the chinese/taiwanese consciousness...well, that's real presidential. what's wrong with making a statement that our government will get to the bottom of the incident and assuring taiwan that justice will be sought. yun lang naman kailangan sabihin.

yeah his keeping mum really works and our president is truly winning over skeptics...except for the non-pinoy skeptics who now control panatag shoal.

pwede magtanong? ano ibig sabihin ng LSD? salamat po, pasensya na noobie lang!

long slow distance po ata ang tinutukoy ni ppdd. mula sa runner's world:

"Popularized during the first running boom in the 1970s, the long, slow distance (LSD) run is still the best choice for beginners, returning or injury-prone veterans, or those not into chasing time goals. LSDs deliver the biggest endurance bang with the least injury risk. "Logging 'time on your feet' and not doing long runs too fast are the most important aspects of LSD runs," says Schenck."

another pair of 5" heels i will wear only once. maybe never.

funny.

our coast guard already fired on and killed a taiwanese fisherman, far from our shores and on no provocation. no statement from the prez yet because, as we all know, campaigning is so much more important than international matters.

first the Chinese claimed Scarborough/Panatag Shoal as theirs.

then they sent Chinese ships to block our fishermen from fishing and taking refuge on Panatag...

...implementing a 15-mile no fishing zone - that apparently, and laughably, only applied to Filipino fishermen.

now this fishing ban has become a full-on exclusion zone, with China issuing a maritime alert that no ships are to enter the "zone."

so...who was saying here last year that occupation meant nothing?

 

The problem with the current Philippine strategy on territorial disputes is that Philippine officials actually believe that irrefutable legal rights, confidence building measures, and favorable international opinion will do the trick and win the day for the country. What they cannot seem to understand is that in the history of the world, all territorial claims are determined by the capacity of the claimant to bleed for its claim, physically occupy its claim, and not just blabber about it in endless track 1 and track 2 diplomatic activities.

 

- from Jose Custodio's "Losing Ground," May 9, 2013

 

(Jose Antonio A. Custodio is a security and defense consultant having worked at private sector and government offices. He was a technical adviser for a US defense company working for the US Pacific Command. He also specializes in military history and has post-graduate studies in history from the University of the Philippines.)

My review of Iron Man 3

nice capsule review.

despite the comments on the Iron Man thread here, which were pretty funny in their geeky fury, i thought Iron Man 3 was mucho excelente! the acting was just campy enough to make an-80s inspired action flick such as this, enjoyable today.

(some spoilers here)

i don't particularly love gwyneth paltrow, but as pepper potts, and except for some of her final scenes, she filled out her end of the film quite nicely. don cheadle had more of a part to play this time, and this time, it truly worked for me. guy pearce did particularly well walking a fine line between a cheesy swagger and the crazed gesticulations of a megalomaniac. ben kingsley was perfect in his dual character. and of course robert downey jr, diminutive in size by hollywood standards, completely owned this 'tall' heroic role.

what i liked about the film, and what i think will appeal to some of its audiences, is the story's use of a simple return to basics to deal with an enemy. stripped of his home, his workshop, and eventually Jarvis, privileged Tony Stark goes back to his skills as a mechanic, on a young new friend's suggestion no less. how reassuring to a world coping with difficulty to have it affirmed that we may lose all trappings of a good life, but we can count on our fundamental abilities, and friends who believe in us, to help us prevail.

when i'm bad, i fly very, very low. when i'm good, i'm practically levitating with goodness. 'yun ba tanong? haha.

i've a crush on a girl right now. not the type of feeling that would motivate a switch in my hetero preferences but...how do you feel about having a crush (mancrush/womance) on someone of the same sex?

I have ceased to follow de Quiros on Twitter.

well done!

i'm out of jokes so this'll have to do...

Models that Toyota made back then in the Philippines were the Corolla, Corona, Crown, Land Cruiser, Celica, Cressida, Starlet, among others. In the 60's the Crown even had a ref in the trunk! Air conditioning ducts were placed where car speakers are normally placed in modern cars.

The old Toyota Crown makes me think of the NBI and the CAFGU. If I ever make a movie, I'll have the villains riding around in an old Toyota Crown with peeling violet tint on its windows.

Some of these cars were huge, like the Chevy Nova which I thought of as a tank.

Educated Muslims are mostly the ones who are very much like good Christians. They too are concerned with common good and universal brotherhood/sisterhood.

This moral equivalency argument is naive, and it is why the world continues to shake its head in confusion when confronted with terrorism. If you analyze jihadists' motives by first equating 'good' Christians and 'good' Muslims, then you will never understand; because a good Christian can live a moral, upright life without killing, whereas a good Muslim must believe in such things as honor killings and the wholesale slaughter of infidels, a term which, ironically, applies to non-Muslim apologists such as yourself. An 'educated' Muslim, one who actually speaks Arabic and understands the Qur'an vs one who has just memorized it, knows that the Verse of the Sword repeals more peaceful ones. The Qur'an does not make distinctions when it gives open-ended edicts like "slay the idolaters wherever ye find them."

An 'educated' Christian, however, knows that the Biblical passages considered to exhort violence are directed only towards the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, Hivites, Jebusites, or Perizzites, all of whom don't exist today.

lol!

anyway...

while people struggle in other parts of America, broke California wants to pay for illegal immigrants' college tuition.