My Thoughts on Camp John Hay Returning to BCDA

An arbitration committee has ordered Camp John Hay Development Corporation (CJHDevCo), a former US facility, to vacate Camp John Hay in Baguio City. The committee also ordered CJHDevCo to return the 690-hectare property to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), a government agency tasked to develop the camp.

A bit of history

Camp John Hay was originally developed as a rest and recreation facility for employees of the US military and Department of Defense. It was turned over to the Philippine government on July 1, 1991, which was initially administered by the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).

Ever since, Camp John Hay has caused several conflicts in Baguio City.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Army warplanes were drawn to the camp. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, they stationed at Camp John Hay, igniting the World War II. It was bombed by American forces who tried to drive the Japanese military out of the camp.

In 2011, another war broke out in Baguio because of a dispute between the Camp John Hay developer and the government administrator.

Arbitration results

A decision dated February 11, 2015 from the arbitration committee, made up of Mario E. Valderrama, Teodoro Kalawa IV and Rogelio C. Nicandro, called an orderly transition of Camp John Hay, the country’s prime resort development.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Arnel Paciano D. Casanova said, “We see this as a victory for [the] government. Finally it will be returned and it can now be developed for the benefit of the public” on February 13.

However, the government announced that they have no plans to close down Camp John Hay or the businesses insider the establishment. This announcement was made to pacify investors who expressed concerns “over the possibility of having their businesses disrupted… especially going into the peak season” due to the ongoing conflict between BCDA and CJHDevCo.

John Hay Management Corporation vice president and chief operating officer Michelle Regala-Niebres was quoted saying, “If there will be any disruption, it will definitely not come from us… in fact, we have been talking to Beneco and other utility service providers to ensure that there will be no disruption.”

Although a ruling was already made, CJHDevCo chairman Robert John Sobrepena said the BCDA must first pay CJHDevCo Php1.42 billion in rentals paid over a decade before the government could take over the camp. The original agreement between John Hay developers and the state-run firm was only for a 25-year lease, but it had sold 50-year leases to its investors. T

However, BCDA claimed that the CJHDevCo has not paid them its lease rentals for quite some time, making their arrears balloon to over Php3.4 billion, 25% of that amount should have paid to the City of Baguio.

CJHDevCo’s statement

Chairman Sobrepena said that it is not true that CJHDevCo owe over Php3 billion to BCDA. Thus, they are happy with PRDCI’s decision to direct BCDA into paying the John Hay developers Php1.42 billion in damages instead.

The chairman and the rest of CJHDevCo expressed their concern about the trees in John Hay, which they have taken care of for so long now. Luckily, the arbitral panel granted their wish for a rescission for damages. Still, they are hoping that the over 400,000 trees in the camp will be preserved and developmental footprints reduced.  

PNoy, Purisima: How Involve Were They in the Mamasapano Operation?

Two weeks have passed since the tragic and heart-breaking incident that took away the lives of 44 brave young PNP-SAF men who were sent to Mamasapano in Maguindanao, which is believed to be a Moro Islamic Liberation Front territory, to serve a warrant of arrest to two known terrorists. But the public is still clamoring to bring justice to their sudden deaths.

So who is really to blame for the early demise of the #Fallen44?

Senate probes the Mamasapano tragedy

Last Monday, February 9, 2015, the Senate started to probe into the Mamasapano debacle and are looking into the involvement of top rank officials, including President Benigno Aquino III and suspended PNP Director General Alan Purisima.

Senator Grace Poe, who is leading the Senate Committee on Public Order, said she wanted to know who are exactly involved in the covert operation and how high the order came from. The lawmaker said, “Usually ang SAF, sila ang nagpo-provide ng expertise, warm bodies, yung sa kanila kasi tactical na sila pero yung strategic hindi naman sila.”

Sen. Poe added, “Sinasaba [ni Napenas] na yung window nila from th Jan. 23 until the 26^th na siya na mismo ang kumilos para doon pero sa tingin ko hindi yan maglalakas loob na walang clearance sa mas mataas pa so pilit pa natin yang tatanungin bukas.”

The lady senator also wanted to find out when the President knew about the operation as he was in Zamboanga one day before the mission was carried out. She said, “Magandang tanungin kung kelan nakarating sa kanya ang impormasyon at kung may natanggap na direktiba ang military sa Pangulo.”

More questions about the Philippine National Police Special Action Force operation were raised on Monday, including the involvement of the United States.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, said that based on the testimony of the police officials, Purisima remained involved in the operation to arrest the two hunted terrorists despite the fact that he was suspended since December of last year.

Pointing fingers

Sen. Marcos wanted to know what exactly was the role of the suspended PNP chief and why Napenas seemed to have followed his “advice.”

Sen. Marcos said, “Bakit niya sinundan? Dahil ibig sabihin syempre commander niya yun e kahit suspendido, di ba? Pero sino ang nagpasok ngayon kay General Purisima? Who brought him into the loop na suspendido siya?”

“Despite the protestation of Gen. Purisima, sa dami ng pagtatanggi nya, ay maliwanag na talagang in the loop sya, talagang nasa chain of command sya. Pa'no ngayon nangyari yun? Pa'no nangyari yun na ang isang suspendidong opisyal ay napasok sa chain of command?” he asked.

However, Purisima denied playing a role in the operation saying, “I did not know that the PNP-SAF jumped of already.”

“During my preventive suspension, I did not give any order. I just [gave] advice, not as a directive or order. I have no role in that operation.”

Purisima’s statement contradicts what Napenas told the Senate Committee. He said that he asked Purisima on Jan. 19 whether the operation to arrest Marwan should proceed. Napenas said Purisima responded, saying “Plan is a go on the timeline, Jan. 23 to 26.”

When asked by Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III on where the orders to proceed with the operation came from, Napenas said, “It’s a continuing operation approved by the PNP chief Purisima in Nov. 29, 2014.”

However, when asked to provide more information, Napenas denied any direct order from higher ranking PNP officials to proceed.

Guingona grilled the suspended PNP director general on his supposed motivation in his alleged involvement in the Mamasapano incident. Purisima insisted that he merely advised Napenas, which visibly irked the senator. He said, “Obviously, the response is not adequate. I am just asking your motivation for saying that… your answer was not acceptable.”

After Guingona’s inquiry with Purisima, Senate President Franklin Drilon revealed information of pre-operation meetings done in what they call the “White House” inside Camp Crame, referring to the official residence of the PNP chief inside the police organization’s camp. Purisima admitted he participated in two meeting while on suspension, but again denied giving orders regarding the operation.

Resigned PNP chief Purisima is now being accused with graft charges for his alleged involvement in the brutal killing of the 44 SAF members.

What does the President know of the operation?

Marcos also mentioned in his Twitter post on Feb. 6 that while his father was the President of the country, he knew of every military operation, especially if it is as major as the operation that was carried out in Mindanao last January. He said, “I remember as President, my father was knowledgeable about every military operation. The President would know about an operation this big.”

The public share the same sentiment with Sen. Marcos. Some are even calling for the President’s resignation or worse, impeachment.

The first few days since that fateful Sunday, I was enraged and took to social media to voice my anger, frustration and disbelief. I couldn’t begin to fathom how and why the President and those high ranking officials could not have known of such an important mission. I too wanted for the President to get down from his position because of the lack of empathy he has shown to the bereaved family and how he responded to the whole incident.

However, Sen. Pimentel called for calm amidst the chaos. He said the president’s resignation would only create more problems. He said, “If any, the resignation of the President will only be counterproductive since this will lead to a shake-up in the government. In this highly volatile situation, we need a leader. We need the President to lead us out of these dark days.”

Reading what Sen. Pimentel said knocked some sense to me. Whether the President gave a go signal to the mission or not does not matter right at this very moment. What we should all hope for is to bring justice to those poor men who lost their lives in Mindanao. 

We want Peace with Justice

Saying there can be no peace without equity, a pioneer of the House of Representatives needs numerous homicide arguments recorded against parts of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in charge of the bloodbath in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25.

January 25, 2015, three detachments of the first class SAF (Special Action Force) of the PNP (Philippine National Police) were sent to Tukanalipao in Mindanao – a spot accepted to be a guerilla enclave. Their central goal was to serve a warrant of rest to a high-positioning Jemah Islamiya explosives master Zulkifli Bin Hir otherwise known as Marwan and Basit Usman. Be that as it may, the SAF troops were blocked by 300 parts of the MILF (Moro-Islamic Liberation Front) and BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters). What happened next will everlastingly be scratched in the personalities of the remaining parts of the PNP-SAF unit, which was made out of 70 extraordinarily prepared cops.

Going from incredulity to misery – on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other informal organizations. Presently, everybody is pondering: What truly happened that day?

44 law requirement operators were mercilessly slaughtered like wild creatures.

Pres. Aquino had a change of heart. He made a 360-degree turn and portrayed the ARMM a "fizzled investigation." He then steered the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to make an "administration peace board" that will take a seat with Moro Islamic Liberation Front agents. A "structure understanding" was marked by the board on October 2012, making a Bangsamoro self-sufficient government over a much bigger zone in Mindanao. Aquino designated Professor Miriam Coronel Ferrer supplanting Leonen as he was selected to the Supreme Court.

On the off chance that the Bangsamoro Basic Law will be established into law, nothing could stop its "self-ruling government" from creating its own particular state army, fiscal framework, police drive and even visa and movement regulations. It appears that the Bangsamoro government will tackle a parliamentary sort of government, which is a sign that it won't work inside the 1987 Constitution.

An alternate convincing reason the BBL ought to be void is that it is not the president's obligation to make an open office, for example, the Transition Commission, however the Congress'. This implies that the making of the Transition Commission is illegal, after the decision of the Supreme Court in Biraogo v. Truth Commission.

So you see? The President urging the quick establishment of the BBL implies he could be submitting an at fault infringement of the Constitution.

Presently, do you need this to happen to our nation?