Category Archives: Military

Government, Military

KIM HENARES: PHILIPPINES’ TAX WOMAN QUITS, JOINS THE MILITARY

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imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – Filipino champion boxer Manny Pacquiao can now breathe a sigh of relief. Kim Henares, the Philippines’ chief tax woman who has been aggressively going after his prize winnings, has resigned.  Effective immediately, Kim Henares is no longer the commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The reason? Henares has a found a new calling as a member of the Philippine military. Not just an ordinary member, but a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force.

The now former BIR chief said that she is tired of being criticized for her no-nonsense campaign to collect taxes from Filipinos, especially highly-paid athletes and celebrities. “If I can’t do my job without being seen as a villain, what’s the point?” she asked.

Henares received her credentials at formal ceremonies held today at Camp Aguinaldo, the main headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Incidentally, Pacquiao is also a lieutenant colonel in the reserve force of the Philippine Army.

Government, International, Military, Politics

PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT WILL VIOLATE ITS OWN ‘NO RANSOM’ POLICY

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imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles ) – Ah, the price of peace in the Philippines!

The proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region that will be created should the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) be passed is expected to receive P336.9 billion total funds over a period of five years. This includes the nearly P37 billion allocations for 2016 approved by the Committee on Appropriations and Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) projected that the Bangsamoro region is set to receive a total of P56.6 billion in 2016; P58.2 billion in 2017; P65.9 billion in 2018; P73.5 billion in 2019; and, P82.7 billion in 2020.

President NoyNoy Aquino and many legislators are aggressively campaigning for the approval of the controversial  BBL, in their desperate attempt to put an end to the decades-long Muslim insurgency and separatist movement  in southern Philippines.

The Philippine government, of course, has been steadfast in its “no ransom” policy for the kidnapping of foreigners as well as Filipino citizens.  But Aquino and the legislators seem to be willing to violate that same policy to buy back  the elusive peace in Mindanao.

Money talks. But the question is : whose money?

(We think they’re  called taxpayers.)

International, Military

DEFENSE AGREEMENT: AMERICANS TRAIN FILIPINOS, AND VICE VERSA

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Photo: Inquirer.net

PALAYAN, Philippines  (The Adobo Chronicles) – This is the first year of the 10-year Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between th Philippines and the United States.

Among other things, EDCA allows the Americans temporary use Philippine military bases. In return, the Americans will train Filipino soldiers to be better prepared and  skilled for combat.  International observers say that the agreement is in direct response to China’s growing presence in the region amid territorial disputes between the giant country and other nations in Southeast Asia.

Well, it turns out it was the Americans that received first-hand training in safety and security — from the Filipinos. And the Americans learned their lesson well.

Four American soldiers who are part of the Balikatan Exercises lost their personal belongings to thieves inside Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija early Friday morning.

Based on investigation, the incident occurred around 1 a.m. inside the Exercise Relation Construction Building. Some of the items lost were mobile phones, shoes, and dollar bills, among others.

According to officials of Fort Magsaysay, it is possible that the thieves were children who climbed the camp’s gates.

That’s right. Blame it on the children!