DND chief says no security threat for Holy Week

By Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
BusinessMirror newspaper
March 26 for March 27, 2013

THE Department of National Defense (DND) has so far hasn’t receive reports of threats from the New People’s Army as the guerilla movement enters its 44th year on Good Friday.

Armed Forces "moved on" from Magdalo case -official

By Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
March 24 for March 25, 2013
 
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has “moved on” from the events a decade ago that led to the conviction of two of its officers for mutiny.

PCG resets timeline for Guardian’s removal

By Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter 
March 24 for March 25, 2013
 
THE bow section of the grounded USS Guardian (MCM25) may be cut Tuesday, or nearly four days after the expected full removal of the minesweeper from the Tubbataha Reef.

Afp says troop increase, not ransom, forced Rodwell’s release

Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
[March 24 for March 25, 2013]
 
AN OFFICER of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the increase in the number of soldiers, and not payment of a ransom, forced captors to release Warren Rodwell.

Defense Chief denies calling Kiram's men “guns for hire”

Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
March 26, 2013
 GOVERNMENT officials united on calling Filipinos affected by the row in Sabah as the “displaced” as Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin denied a Malaysian counterpart’s reference to the “Royal Sultanate Army” as “guns for hire.”

Govt to buy P46.6M worth of ammo

Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter

The Department of National Defense (DND) announced that it is bidding out P46.6-million worth of bullets and tracer cartridges.

“The DND, government arsenal, through the General Appropriations Act, intends to apply the sum of P46,651,200 being the approved budged for the contract to payments for the supply and delivery of 5.56mm M855 bullet and 7.62mm tracer cartridges.”

The DND said that it will bid out 5.8 million pieces of 5.56mm bullets worth at around P28.4 million while Lot 2 is for 350,000 7.62 mm tracer cartridges worth P18. 2 million.

The DND said it welcomes local or foreign bidders as long as they are eligibile as provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9184 also known as the "Government Procurement Reform Act."

According to a paper on NATO Infantry Weapons Standardization, the 5.56mm rifles are: Belgian-made FNC; G36, Germany; AR70/90, Italy;  L85A2, United Kingdom; and the American-made M16A2.

These were the nominated weapons of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2008, the paper by Per G. Arvidsson of the NATO Army Armaments GroupTel.

The M16A2, is the standard assault rifle issued to the infantry.

The 7.62×51mm, on the other hand, is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries.

In 1970, the NATO decided to try to standardize a common rifle and a second caliber to 7.62mm, Arvidsson said.

“During 1976-1979, they, therefore, performed mutual tests with rifles and ammunition in West Germany and Canada.”
 
The DND said that interested parties are required to have completed a similar project within the last five years.

Realtors target young professionals

More than half of future residential units targeting young professionals
Dennis Estopace, Reporter

UNITS priced between P1.5 to P3 million will compose the residential condominium development in the Philippines in the next five years.

News: Navy to buy more attack crafts

Image downloaded from
Philippine Navy website.
[Unpublished, Edited by Writer]
Submitted to BusinessMirror: Mar 10 for Mar 11, 2013
By: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE government plans to plunk down P270 million for the purchase of three more "multi-purpose attack crafts" (MPACs).

The acquisition is under our mid-term development plan for 2014 to 2017, Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said.

Of beer and a Ferrari

sent by good friend Ding Bagasao

Woman: Do you drink beer?
Man: Yes
Woman: How many bottles of beer a day?
Man: Usually about 3 bottles

News: No damages in Mindanao quake –NDRRMC

[Unpublished]
Feb 17 for Feb 18, 2013
Written by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
for BusinessMirror newspaper

A MAGNITUDE 6.2 earthquake recorded in Mindanao Saturday [Feb. 16] afternoon by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) caused no damages, an official said.

News: Afp says civilian wounded in Samar ‘encounter’

Photo from Phil. Web Revolution Central.
[Unpublished]
Feb 17 for Feb 18, 2013
Written by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
for BusinessMirror newspaper

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines said a civilian was wounded in an “encounter” last Tuesday [Feb. 12] between government troops and para-military forces in a village in Samar.

Group wants troops to stay out of Quezon

Farmers rally calling for sectoral unity.
Photo courtesy of Kasama-TK.

[Unpublished]
Mon for Tue / Feb 11 for Feb 12, 2013
Written by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter, BusinessMirror

HUMAN rights advocates expressed worries about the announcement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that it’s moving troops in the Bondoc Peninsula.

AFP official say control access points vs. small ASG units

Col. De Leon.
Photo from Phil. Navy website.

[Unpublished]
Sun for Mon / Feb 10 for Feb 11, 2013
Written by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
[295 words /1,410 characters (spaces not counted)]

ENTRY and exit points in an area where negotiations for the release of a kidnapped Jordanian led to a violent clash February 3 are controlled, an AFP official said.

Army starts building disaster response warehouses


[Unpublished] 
Sun for Mon / Feb 10 for Feb 11, 2013
Written by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
Photo by: Courtesy of Philippine Army
[307 words /1,668 characters]

THE Philippine Army began on Friday its plans to build warehouses in key areas of the country for disaster response initiatives.

News: Five dead in Pililla, Rizal

Workers in construction are
among those whose lives are
at high-risk. Photo by D. Estopace
NDRRMC Report: Collapse of scaffolding at Salcon Power Corp. in Pililla, Rizal

ON or about 1500H of Feb. 03 , a 70-foot high scaffolding collapsed in a thermal plant of the Solcon Power Corp., located in Barangay Malaya, Pililla, Rizal.

News: DND gets 2 offers in open bidding for UH-1 choppers

[Unpublished]
Thu for Fri / Jan 31 for Feb 01, 2013
ritten by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
[323 words / 1,735 characters (space not counted) / 2,046 characters (space counted)]

OFFERS of an American and an Israeli firm for the purchase of 21 UH-1 helicopters were accepted by the Department of National Defense on Thursday.

News: DND finalizing shopping list for AFP modernization


[Unpublished]
Wed for Thu / Jan 30 for Jan 31, 2013
Written by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
[433 words / 2,576 characters]

THE Department of National Defense said it is finalizing the list of assets planned for procurement under the new AFP Modernization Plan.

News: BCDA says may boost contribution to AFP

Image shows Bonifacio South Pointe,
a property under court dispute bet-
ween the BCDA and SM Land Inc.
[Unpublished]
Written Jan 29 for Jan 30, 2013
by Dennis Estopace, Reporter
[446 words / 2,679 characters]

THE fund to modernize the country's armed forces may get an additional P3.6 billion this year from the Base Conversion Development Authority but only if a legal tiff with SM Land Inc. is resolved.

News: Bautista gets fourth star; offers hand of peace

AFP Chief of Staff
Gen. Emmanuel Bautista
Image from DND website.
[Unpublished] 
Submitted Jan 30 for Jan 31, 2013 
Written by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter 
[270 words / 1,693 characters]

HAVING been awarded the highest military rank in simple ceremonies Wednesday morning, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista asked rebels to drop armed struggle as an option for social transformation.

AFP to get P23.43B from sale of camps

Photo of the Jusmag property
development that the BCDA said
allowed it to contribute to the
AFP Modernization Program.
[Unpublished]
Submitted Tue for Wed / Jan 29 for Jan 30, 2013
Written by: Dennis D. Estopace, Reporter
[396 words / 2,566 characters]

THE SALE OF lots in military camps in Metro Manila for the past 19 years has brought cash to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and which is more than the 2013 budget of the DND for maintenance.