Somali Pirates and Abu Sayyaf Kidnappers Are Thankful that President Marcos Lost the 1986 Snap Election |
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Columns - Unsolicited Advice | |||
Written by Bobby M. Reyes | |||
Sunday, 19 April 2009 22:51 | |||
The pirates and kidnappers are happy that Mr. Marcos’ successors – from Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Ejercito Estrada to the now-infamously most-corrupt of them all, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – rejected then President Marcos’ policy of procuring modern equipment for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). In particular, then President Cory Aquino canceled the Marcos government’s order for five brand-new frigates for the Philippine Navy. Now the Philippines is impotent to join the international patrol in the waters off Somalia by a consortium of countries and even the South China Sea to help protect the world’s merchant marine (including Filipino crew members) from pirate attacks. The Philippine Navy has a few obsolete patrol boats that cannot operate in the high seas – if they can still be made seaworthy. The Abu Sayyaf has in its disposal new sea craft that can outrun the old Philippine Navy hand-me-downs from the United States, if the Philippine vessels do not run out of fuel in the first place. The Philippine Navy does not have ships that can patrol the Basilan Island, the lair of the Abu Sayyaf gang members and keep their sea craft from going in and out of their ports of operations. President Aquino chose to scrap President Marcos’ order for five new frigates with a British shipyard. The British-made frigates would have carried lots of American-made equipment – from diesel engines to armaments. Then the successors of President Aquino decided not to entertain the requests of the Philippine naval officers to revive the Marcos plan to acquire modern vessels such as the said five frigates. H ere are the latest press releases by the Philippine government -- all datelined from Manila -- about the Somali pirates and the International Red Cross executives who have been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf:
* Government steps up effort to rescue Filipino seafarers vs. Somali pirates--Palace official says
Likewise, the Press Secretary said the government is in close coordination with concerned foreign authorities, the local manning agencies and the ship owners of the hijacked vessels to secure the early and safe release of the Filipino seafarers.
* RP doing its best to help Filipino hostages in Somalia Press Secretary Cerge M. Remonde, in a radio interview Thursday (April 16, 2009), said the government has been working very closely with ship owners and manning companies, who employed the Filipino seamen, to ensure the safety and rescue of the victims.
Remonde said the UN is now in the process of organizing a more comprehensive international response to the hijacking and hostage-taking in the high seas by Somali pirates who have victimized Americans, British, French, Filipinos, and other nationalities. # # #
* Philippine Government updates provided by: The Philippine Consulate General 3600 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 500 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Tel. (213) 639-0980/Fax (213)639-0990 Website – www.philippineconsulatela.org
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Last Updated on Sunday, 19 April 2009 23:07 |
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