Last August 2007, this author filed Senate Bill No. 1467 entitled “An Act Defining the Archipelagic Baselines of the Philippine Archipelago, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 3046, as Amended by Republic Act No. 5446.” or otherwise known as the “Archipelagic Baselines Law of the Philippines.

On January 20, 2001, the Philippines was again a witness to another People Power phenomenon, the “EDSA Dos”, which removed what was perceived to be a corrupt and incompetent government under Pres Joseph E. Estrada and installed then Vice Pres Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) to power.

The occupation of Oakwood Hotel by protesting junior officers and men last July 27, 2003 placed the issue of military interventions at the forefront of public policy analysis specifically, how best to prevent them from recurring. This policy issue paper reviews the present policies

On the early morning of July 27, 2003, a group of soldiers occupied the Oakwood Hotel in Makati to conduct protest actions against the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Administration. Among the grievances they voiced out was GMA’s alleged responsibility for the Davao bombing incidents.

On 26 May 2001, Abu Sayyaf bandits kidnapped 20 persons from Dos Palmas, an up-scale resort in Palawan. The next day, a joint task force was formed to conduct pursuit operations (PDI, 27 May 2001). On 28 May, a reconnaissance plane spotted the kidnappers’ group aboard three boats

On February 2001, the Philippine Navy (and the AFP) was rocked by a leadership crisis when the Philippine Marines (PMAR) demanded the relief of the Flag-Officer-In-Command, Rear Admiral Guillermo Wong (Pazzibugan, 2001). The crisis was triggered by the berating of the Marines by RAdm Wong for alleged irregularities in the procurement of P3.8 million worth of Kevlar Helmets (Pablo, 2001)…