RP to send 2 patrol boats to Lebanon.

**rsnald** · August 9th, 2006 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Isuzoom

buti naman baka sila ma ang irescue.

kayo naman, masyado kayo walang bilib sa pinoy, specially our Philippine Mariners (coast guard included).

narinig ko sa radyo yung interview dun sa lt. commander ng coast guard. basically, nagmeeting yata yung crisis planning committee ng malakanyang ang options were discussed on how to rescue our stranded OFW's in Lebanon.
Maraming options na na-consider and one of them was the sending of Coast Guard ships to Lebanon.

Among all the options, sending the coast guard ships was deemed the most feasible (at that time), since rescue by land was risky, or chartering vessels from within the area was deemed impractical... peak season daw kasi ngayon.

So tinanong daw ang coast guard if they can get 2 of their best ships ready by Wednesday. Shempre, being the good soldiers that they were, they made their ships ready and gave they gave their detailed list of logistics and funds needed.

As for the ships, mukhang bagong deliver nga yata yung dalwang ships from Australia and they had experienced master mariners inspect their ships. I believe the ships are sea worthy and I do not doubt the capability of our mariners, the coast guard included. Sabi nung lt. commander, 300 people (dunno if this is per ship or total of the two na) ang ferrying capacity ng ships nila.

kayo naman, minsan bago kayo comment know the facts and details... ;)

FrankDrebin · August 9th, 2006 12:30 PM

Bakit pala Coast Guard at hindi ang Navy?

**CVT** · August 9th, 2006 12:33 PM

Still praying that our kababayans are out of harm's way before the rescue party arrives.... Real tough!

**beachbum** · August 9th, 2006 01:16 PM

i have never been to mideast so i dont know how much is the airfare for that place. but i have been to europe and i only paid 50k for a return ticket. so it is safe to assume that the price for 1 person to be repratriated back to phil is around 50k.

50k x 300 person = 15million

gawin nating 600 person kasi dalawang barko, so total of 30 million.

so i think that their estimate of 90 million is way too high.

consider also the travel time if they take the ship.

**KoKoNAT** · August 9th, 2006 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by FrankDrebin

Bakit pala Coast Guard at hindi ang Navy?

To put it bluntly, the PCG is better equipped with newer ships than the PN.

Why?

Since 2000, the PCG has taken delivery of 4 brand new SAR vessels (2 56m and 2 36m boats) with a further 8 more 36m boats on order from Tenix of Australia. At the same time, the PN has been gotten (with aid) 1 fast patrol boat from the US and a handful of small patrol boats from South Korea, all 2nd hand.

Why?

Because Congress has constantly reduced the size of the budget of the AFP because of its military nature. Thereby hindering the ability of the AFP's acquisition of new ships, planes, guns, etc. While the PCG, being a civilian agency under the office of the DOTC, does not have that similar constraint placed on it. Thereby we are in a situation where the PCG gets better equipment because it has bigger funding. (Though this is not assured anymore, as I have read un-confirmed reports that Sen. Aquilino Pimentel has now been questioning PCG's acquisition plans. More on that after I confirm this.)

And for the record, the PN does NOT have destroyers, frigates, submarines or anti-sub ships. What big ships the PN have are 1 WW2-era destroyer escort, 3 patrol corvettes, a handful of WW2-era transport ships and 2 newer transports, effectively turning the PN into a brown-water navy with limited blue-water capability. And with the PAF de-commissioning its fleet of ageing Vietnam-era F5 jets with no replacements, we now have an Air Force without a Force.

At least congressmen and senators still have their pork barrel. Thank God for that...

**5Speed** · August 9th, 2006 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by KoKoNAT

To put it bluntly, the PCG is better equipped with newer ships than the PN.

Why?

Since 2000, the PCG has taken delivery of 4 brand new SAR vessels (2 56m and 2 36m boats) with a further 8 more 36m boats on order from Tenix of Australia. At the same time, the PN has been gotten (with aid) 1 fast patrol boat from the US and a handful of small patrol boats from South Korea, all 2nd hand.

Why?

Because Congress has constantly reduced the size of the budget of the AFP because of its military nature. Thereby hindering the ability of the AFP's acquisition of new ships, planes, guns, etc. While the PCG, being a civilian agency under the office of the DOTC, does not have that similar constraint placed on it. Thereby we are in a situation where the PCG gets better equipment because it has bigger funding. (Though this is not assured anymore, as I have read un-confirmed reports that Sen. Aquilino Pimentel has now been questioning PCG's acquisition plans. More on that after I confirm this.)

And for the record, the PN does NOT have destroyers, frigates, submarines or anti-sub ships. What big ships the PN have are 1 WW2-era destroyer escort, 3 patrol corvettes, a handful of WW2-era transport ships and 2 newer transports, effectively turning the PN into a brown-water navy with limited blue-water capability. And with the PAF de-commissioning its fleet of ageing Vietnam-era F5 jets with no replacements, we now have an Air Force without a Force.

At least congressmen and senators still have their pork barrel. Thank God for that...

hayyyy mga politiko talaga...sarap ganituhin

**swordsman** · August 9th, 2006 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by mazdamazda

So what are they to do? We complain constantly that the government is doing nothing to evacuate Filipinos and when someone volunteers to do it - we still call them bobo.

Damned if you do... damned if you don't!

Originally Posted by KoKoNAT

Ahh.. first you criticize the gov't for not doing enough in this crisis. Then when the gov't finally has a plan, you criticize them again.

Big difference between doing something, and doing something the right way or in a better way. Though doing nothing is as extreme as it would get. The money being spent here are our money - tax payer's/OFW's money. Im my opinion, based on what i've been seeing on the news and reading, this is something that was not thought out well. That is why it was rejected.

It's like Gloria's war against the NPA, funneling billions of pesos to the military, instead of using this fund to better the lives of the people.

Or, parang si Inday, namalantsa nga... pero nasunog naman nya yong tshirt mo.

Originally Posted by KoKoNAT

There's no satisfying you people, isn't there?

The government isn't giving us reasons right now to satisfy us, in the first place. The only satisfied people i see are the administration congressmen, and those palakpak boys from SONA days

Originally Posted by KoKoNAT

Since you people are obviously geniuses, maybe you can think of a better way of getting those people out. You know: 'Talk the talk, and walk the walk.'

No sir, i'm not a genius, just someone who watches too much news lately, and read some news articles on the net. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out which is the better plan, based on what has been laid out by the government. So, no i can't think of any other, better way, i just think the coast guard 'thing' is not the best way.

Originally Posted by rsnald

kayo naman, minsan bago kayo comment know the facts and details... ;)

yup sir, know enough facts before i commented - from the news on tv/net.

**KoKoNAT** · August 9th, 2006 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by beachbum

i have never been to mideast so i dont know how much is the airfare for that place. but i have been to europe and i only paid 50k for a return ticket. so it is safe to assume that the price for 1 person to be repratriated back to phil is around 50k.

50k x 300 person = 15million

gawin nating 600 person kasi dalawang barko, so total of 30 million.

so i think that their estimate of 90 million is way too high.

consider also the travel time if they take the ship.

Your math is way off. Gov't reports that there are around 35,000 Pinoys in Lebanon. So using your calculation:

50k x 35,000 = 1,750,000,000 or 1.75billion

What I still wonder is that why a lot of mis-informed people still ask: 'Why just dont we send planes to get our people out?'

Simple answer:

Beirut Airport, the only airport out of Lebanon, was bombed to hell by the Israelis since day 1. The fuel tanks are bombed and the runway is cratered like Metro Manila's streets. The only aircraft capable of using it are military transports like the Hercules C130, and even then no one can get in because of the Israeli blockade. The only time Israel lifted the blockade was to let a UN-chartered Herc drop aid, and only for a short time.

So there you go, airlift (via military, civilian, Superman or Darna) is out of the question.

Any other geniuses out there with a bright idea?

**empy** · August 9th, 2006 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by KoKoNAT

What I still wonder is that why a lot of mis-informed people still ask: 'Why just dont we send planes to get our people out?'

Simple answer:

Beirut Airport, the only airport out of Lebanon, was bombed to hell by the Israelis since day 1. The fuel tanks are bombed and the runway is cratered like Metro Manila's streets. The only aircraft capable of using it are military transports like the Hercules C130, and even then no one can get in because of the Israeli blockade. The only time Israel lifted the blockade was to let a UN-chartered Herc drop aid, and only for a short time.

So there you go, airlift (via military, civilian, Superman or Darna) is out of the question.

this is all true. i have two friends (both lebanese/american) who coincidentally both had family members in Lebanon when Israel attacked. all these family members were US citizens.

the US consulate rushed them to the embassy where they were most safe, then during a lull in the fighting, evacuated them via USN helicopter to an aircraft carrier along with hundreds of other American citizens. the carrier had to steam all the way to Turkey where they stayed for awhile in a US military base before catching a commercial flight to the US. the whole ordeal took weeks.

so yes, it's not that easy to evacuate from a war zone.

**KoKoNAT** · August 9th, 2006 02:49 PM

And to anal-retentive people out there, I supported the PCG option because I have not yet heard of the news about that Greek tycoon's offer. Now that I have, I believe that it is now the best option to get our people out.

Bear in mind that I do not criticize the government. But I criticize those that are quick to critique the governments actions without offering a logical alternative themselves.

But, please, feel free to criticize the critic who criticizes the critics who criticizes the government...