Latest news with #FrancelMargarethPadilla
GMA Network
08-07-2025
- GMA Network
2 of 4 PMA cadets in alleged hazing suspended over ‘physical harm'
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said two of the four cadets in the alleged hazing incident in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) have faced suspension for committing physical harm on another cadet. 'One was acquitted. Two were suspended. Yung isa naman underwent a punishment based on his participation being part of a chain of command,' AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said in a press conference. Based on the investigation, the Baguio City Police said the victim, a 4th class cadet, allegedly experienced physical abuse and humiliation from September 2 to 29, 2024. The police noted that the 'acts of maltreatment were not isolated but were carried out regularly inside the barracks.' These alleged physical abuses, which the complainant noted as 'animalistic tripping,' include punches and excessive physical training, which caused him to collapse due to exhaustion. After allegedly receiving a heavy punch on September 29, 2024, the victim nearly lost consciousness and was admitted to a hospital in Quezon City, where he underwent medical and psychological treatment. While imposing sanctions on the involved cadets, the PMA earlier said the reported incident was not considered as 'hazing.' PMA public information office's Lieutenant Jesse Saludo said the incident does not fall under the definition of hazing in the Anti-Hazing Act. 'The injuries were caused by their classmates venting out their frustration on their squadmate, which because they believe the performance of their classmate is affecting their squad,' Saludo said. 'The incident does not fall under the legal definition of hazing as stated in the Anti-Hazing Act, which requires acts of violence or abuse to be committed as part of the admission process in the organization,' he added. According to the PMA, the school has yet to obtain a copy of the formal complaint or police report filed by the victim. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
20-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
AFP 'stands ready' for possible repatriation of Pinoys in Iran, Israel
A drone photo shows the damage over residential homes at the impact site in Tel Aviv following a missile attack from Iran on Israel on June 16, 2025. REUTERS/ Moshe Mizrahi The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assured Friday it is prepared to assist in the possible repatriation of Filipinos in Iran and Israel amid the escalating conflict between the two countries. According to AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla, the Philippine military is closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East, particularly the Iran-Israel conflict. "At this time, our priority is to support the Philippine government's efforts to ensure the safety and possible repatriation of Filipinos in affected areas," said Padilla. "Should the need arise, the AFP stands ready to assist as directed. We will be guided by the decisions and policies of higher civilian authorities in all actions related to this evolving situation," she said. Israel bombed multiple targets in Iran last Friday, calling it a "preemptive strike" to stop the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran, which maintains that its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes, is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not. The exchange of missile attacks between the two countries have already dragged on for seven days. The DFA earlier said 26 Filipinos may be repatriated from Israel this weekend via border crossing into Jordan since flight operations are currently suspended. PH Air Force assets ready Meanwhile, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) also expressed readiness to deploy aircraft and personnel for repatriation efforts. "PAF anticipates and prepares for any eventuality that our assets may be utilized for evacuation," said PAF spokesperson Colonel Ma. Consuelo Castillo. "Normally, we use our C-130s for that purpose," she added. The Philippine government has said it is considering to raise alert levels for Israel and Iran. Israel is currently at Alert Level 2 or restriction, which is issued if there are real threats to the life, security, and property of Filipinos arising from internal disturbance, instability, or external threat. On the other hand, Iran is under Alert Level 1 or precautionary, which is issued when there are valid signs of internal disturbance, instability, and/or external threat to the host country. According to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, Alert Level 3 or voluntary has yet to be declared but the Philippine government is already active as if both countries are under this status. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
15-06-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
AFP coordinating with NDRRMC for swift disaster response amid rainy season
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is working closely with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to ensure prompt disaster response to affected areas this rainy season, spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said Sunday. 'Aktibo ang ating mga unified command at task forces sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa NDRRMC at iba pang ahensiya ng pamahalaan upang tiyakin ang mabilis at coordinated na pagtugon sa mga emergency,' Padilla told Super Radyo dzBB. (Our unified command and task forces are actively coordinating with the NDRRMC and other government agencies to ensure a rapid and coordinated response to emergencies.) She added the AFP also has prepositioned assets and trained personnel in high-risk areas that can be immediately deployed in times of need. 'Patuloy ang ating regular and advanced training sa ating mga tropa sa disaster response operation. Kabilang diyan ang water search and rescue, casualty evacuation, at first aid,' Padilla said. (We continuously conduct regular and advanced training for our personnel in disaster response operations. This includes water search and rescue, casualty evacuation, and first aid.) She added that the training is being done to maintain preparedness among military personnel. On June 2, state weather bureau PAGASA announced the beginning of the rainy season in the country. PAGASA had also declared the start of the Habagat or Southwest Monsoon season in the Philippines.—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
South China Morning Post
10-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
South China Sea: Filipino islanders face ‘very dangerous' life under Beijing's shadow
Overwhelmed after setting foot for the first time on a far-flung but picturesque island in the disputed South China Sea , a Filipino army official knelt to kiss the shore. She held a small Philippine flag that fluttered in the breeze. 'This is just so beautiful,' Philippines military spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said of West York Island, one of nine islands, reefs and atolls occupied by Filipino forces in the long-contested waters. 'This solidifies our resolve to fight for this place whatever happens.' The 18.6-hectare (46-acre) droplet-shaped island, called Likas by Filipinos, could easily become an ecotourism draw in tropical Asia with its powdery white-sand beaches, turquoise waters and giant sea turtle sanctuaries. Padilla expressed hope it could someday be opened to Filipino travellers and tourists from across the world. But that long-standing aspiration by Philippine officials has been stymied by a tangle of territorial conflicts involving a militarily superior China Beijing claims virtually the entire South China Sea, a vital global trade route with rich undersea deposits of gas and oil. It has increasingly flexed its military might, including its navy – the largest in the world – to strengthen its grip on a strategic waterway it says it has owned since ancient times.
10-06-2025
- Politics
Filipino forces and villagers struggle to live in China's shadow in disputed waters
WEST YORK ISLAND, South China Sea -- Overwhelmed after setting foot for the first time on a far-flung but picturesque island in the disputed South China Sea, a Filipino army official knelt to kiss the shore. She held a small Philippine flag that fluttered in the breeze. 'This is just so beautiful,' Philippines military spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said of West York Island, one of nine islands, reefs and atolls occupied by Filipino forces in the long-contested waters. 'This solidifies our resolve to fight for this place whatever happens.' The 18.6-hectare (46-acre) droplet-shaped island, called Likas by Filipinos, could easily become an eco-tourism draw in tropical Asia with its powdery white-sand beaches, turquoise waters and giant sea turtle sanctuaries. Padilla expressed hope it could someday be opened to Filipino travelers and tourists from across the world. But that longstanding aspiration by Philippine officials has been stymied by a tangle of territorial conflicts involving a militarily superior China. Beijing claims virtually the entire South China Sea, a vital global trade route with rich undersea deposits of gas and oil. It has increasingly flexed its military might, including its navy — the largest in the world — to strengthen its grip on a strategic waterway it says it has owned since ancient times. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan contest China's expansive claims with their own, and the territorial stand-offs have increasingly flared into cat-and-mouse confrontations at sea in recent years. The long-simmering disputes are also a delicate fault line in the regional rivalry between Beijing and Washington. Both former President Joe Biden and his successor, Donald Trump, have condemned China's growing aggression in the contested waters, including its coast guard's use of powerful water cannons, blinding military-grade lasers and dangerous sea maneuvers against the coast guard and navy of the Philippines, Washington's oldest treaty ally in Asia. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in mid-2022, the Philippines has intensified a campaign to expose China's increasingly assertive actions by capturing them in video and photographs. The images have then been made public in the hope that international pressure would prompt Beijing to back down to avoid damage to its reputation. The Philippine military invited a small group of journalists, including two from The Associated Press, in a dayslong naval patrol of the South China Sea territories claimed by Manila and on visits to navy and marine forces deployed to guard them. During the patrol, which ended over the weekend, the BRP Andres Bonifacio navy ship carrying the journalists warned a number of Chinese coast guard ships and suspected Chinese militia vessels by two-way radio to move away from Philippines-claimed waters. The Chinese ships responded by asserting their sovereignty in the offshore region without undertaking any provocative actions. On West York Island, two Filipino marines in camouflage uniforms stood guard with M4 assault rifles under a Philippine flag. One used binoculars to scan the surrounding waters for Chinese or Vietnamese ships passing by from a distance. One of the farthest islands in the disputed waters from the nearest Philippine province of Palawan, West York is a difficult and risky post, where Filipino forces see nothing beyond the small island but sea. Military personnel can occasionally call their loved ones during their two-month deployment, but the internet connection is spotty, especially during the typhoon season that starts in June, according to military personnel on the island. They grow eggplants, okra and chili peppers and raise goats and chickens to augment food provisions delivered by navy ships from Palawan. There is a makeshift basketball court to help while away off-duty time and ease the feeling of isolation. 'It's being away from your family,' Padilla said. 'At the end of the day, you go home to an empty room.' Marine Col. Joel Bonavente, who was among the visiting military officials, told AP that military personnel posted in the remote outpost get additional pay to compensate for the "hazard and loneliness.' On Thitu, the largest Philippines-claimed island, which lies west of West York, civilians have thrived for decades in a small fishing village alongside the military forces. An AP journalist who visited Thitu several years ago saw an island with only a few low-slung wooden and concrete buildings and a gravel airstrip that was being eroded by the constant pounding of waves. There were a few shanties mainlanders had moved to from Palawan in exchange for a monthly government provision of groceries, rice and cash in a bid to grow a civilian community. Dramatic infrastructure improvements have occurred through the years on the 37.2-hectare (92-acre) island, which now has a concrete runway, a huge aircraft hangar, a wharf, a storm shelter and concrete roads running through the fishing village, military encampments and a three-story coast guard surveillance center. A high school building is nearly finished near a seawater desalination facility. 'I want to stay on this island because my blood pressure remains stable without the wide selection of fatty food you find in the city like hamburgers,' said Nenita Bania, a 59-year-old villager who has lived with her husband on Thitu for 12 years. 'Lonely? Not really. It's not the case if you're with family,' she told the AP aboard an air force C-130 aircraft, as she and other villagers hitched a ride back to Thitu from Palawan province. Living in China's shadow in the disputed waters, however, has been challenging, said Larry Hugo, 47, who leads a group of at least 114 fishermen. More than a decade ago, China transformed seven disputed South China Sea reefs into island bases, where Chinese coast guard and navy ships can now refuel and obtain supplies for longer periods far from the Chinese mainland. One of China's artificial islands, Subi, has a military-grade runway and lies just 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Thitu. 'There were no Chinese ships before but now it's a big problem because they are all around our island,' Hugo said. 'They're guarding the reefs where we used to fish, and they block us so we can't venture far.' 'It's very dangerous,' he said. 'We have small boats and we may be run over and that'll be a big problem because we're far from civilization.'
