Mayweather-Pacquiao: The most awaited boxing match is finally on.

ImageSource: Jaimecano Site

The two of best fighters in the world will finally battle on May 2 at the

MCM Grand in Las Vegas. After various failed negotiations

and a protracted and difficult effort to make the fight

in recent months.

The showdown is a lock to be the richest in boxing history and will, barring a draw,

settle the issue that has been debated for years: Who is the No. 1 fighter in boxing and who is the king of this era?

Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images

Mayweather made the announcement on Friday afternoon on a social media platform called Shots, of which he is an investor.

 "I am glad my decision to meet with Manny and discuss making this fight happen helped get the deal done," Mayweather said, referring to a chance Jan. 27 meeting with Pacquiao at a Miami Heat game followed by a private discussion after the game. "Giving the fans what they want to see is always my main focus. This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport."

In addition to the future Hall of Famers finally hammering out a deal for their welterweight title unification bout -- one that will see Mayweather receive the lion's share of a 60-40 money split in a fight that could gross around $400 million -- rival premium cable networks Showtime, which has Mayweather under contract, and HBO, which has a deal with Pacquiao, went through a brutal negotiation.

Meanwhile, Pacman is happy that their highly anticipated meeting in the ring will finally happen.

“They have waited long enough and they deserve it. It is an honor to be part of this historic event. I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world,” Pacquiao said....

this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world,” Pacquiao said....

Read More at rachfeed.com/official-mayweather-fight-pacquiao-2/

Dubbed as two of the most prominent fighters in the world, Pacquiao and Mayweather had a quick chat for the first time at the courtside of a Miami Heat.

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Ex-AFP Rep. Rodolfo Biazon reiterated that an ALL OUT WAR against the MILF would not the solution.

Former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief and Muntinlupa City Rep. Rodolfo Biazon reiterated that an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would not be the solution in attaining peace in Mindanao.
"Magkakaroon ng maraming malawakang collateral damage - civilian life, mga Kristiyano, mga Lumad, mga peace-loving Muslims," Biazon said in anterview with radio DZMM.

Following the death of 44 police commandos during a bloody encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last week, Biazon noted that declaring a war would only complicate the situation in the region.
The lawmaker instead pushed for the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
"Ito ang pinakahuling mekanismo na pwedeng magbigay sa atin ng kapayapaan sa Mindanao," Biazon said about the BBL.

The former AFP chief added that government should focus on giving justice for the slain commandos and granting benefits for their families.
Distributing the bounty for the said slain terrorist Marwan to the families of the slain police commandos is being considered, according to Biazon.
"Siguro huhupa ang emotional reaction kung may hustisya at 'yung hustisya na 'yan e makakamtan lamang sa pamamagitan ng koordinasyon ng Philippine government at MILF," said Biazon, adding that this would bw a proof of the MILF's sincerity for the peace process.

The government and MILF peace panels urged the nation to give peace a chance as the alternative would be "simply unthinkable."
 
President Benigno Aquino III is yet to convince Congress to approve the BBL.

Source : www.philstar.com

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Ed Lingao: Why are journalists who covered war and seen its brutality up close became advocates for peace?

As the morning sun burned away the mists over Central Mindanao, forty-two flag-draped caskets were lined up on the tarmac of the Cotabato City airport for the long, last flight home. When the mournful sound of taps rolled out from two buglers, a hush descended on the asembled crowd. Moments like these, amidst hundreds of other people, amidst the growing outcry for blood, one suddenly feels all alone.

A lot has already been written and said about Mamaspano and what Sunday's tragedy should mean to all of us. Most of it alarming. Many are calling for justice, and rightly so. But here, the nuancing is important. Justice means accountability and fairness, a reckoning for errors and mistakes. Justice does not mean revenge, as some have called for. And it most certainly does not mean bloodlust. Do we blame the fighters, or do we blame the decision makers? We have read all sorts of posts from people who demand all-out war, who say "ubusin na ang mga iyan," "you can not trust their kind," and then bravely thrust an uplifted finger at the peace talks. Our favorite president, and i do not bother to hide the sarcasm here, repeated his old quotable quote - kung hindi madala sa santong dasalan, idaan sa Santong paspasan.

Please, please, bother to listen to all sides before you give in to the emotions of the moment. Please, please read more about what really happened. And please, please, know what you are asking for because you just might get it. When real warriors die, keyboard warriors sometimes rise from their armchairs, wave the flag, call out the troops, and then grumble about internet service. So why didn't the MILF stop firing when they found out they were engaging government forces? Veterans from both sides of the conflict will tell you that it is always easier to start a battle than to end one, in the same way it takes greater courage to end a war than to start one. When two forces are locked in heated combat, there is little time to think beyond how to overwhelm the enemy. We have seen this many times over, in so many examples that we should have learned from in the past.

Allow me to show you some insights from my friends.

Dana Batnag: "I know rational, reasonable people, are willing to sacrifice the peace talks now, without finding out more what led to the killing in the first place. So many are asking for blood, instead of facts. Let us have war, if you must. But may that war come to your doorsteps first. And when thousands die, I will remember your names and point my finger at you and say, as you weep for your homes and your loved ones and the peace that once was, YOU WANTED THIS."

Samira Gutoc-Tomawis: " So many peace protectors, but who will investigate and guard against peace spoilers, war investors, conspirators. When it only takes a few seconds of reporting to destroy the gains of hundreds of hours of sleepless nights into documents."

Stella Estremera: "And the non-mindanaoans are calling for war... ehem. kayo kaya gyerahin namin? try mo lang."

Ayrie Ching: "Gusto mo ng "all-out war?" Ipaghiganti ang mga PNP-SAF at iba pang mga pwersa ng gobyerno -- "mga bayani" -- na namatay sa kamay ng mga "Muslim rebels"?

Sige, pero ito naman ang gusto ko: Gusto ko 'yang gyerang hinihingi mo ay sa probinsya mo mangyari, sa mga sulok ng bansang ito kung saan ka may minahal o minamahal, at sana mangyari ito sa oras na hindi mo inaasahan -- isang Linggo nang umaga kung kailan naghahandang pumunta ng misa, isang Biyernes nang gabi habang nagbibihis para sa isang gimik, isang Miyerkules nang madaling araw at sa kalaliman ng pahinga. Sinasabi ko sa iyo, hindi mo gusto ng giyera. Gusto mo lang ng giyera kung malayo ito sa iyo at patuloy kang makakapamuhay nang walang takot kung aabutin mo pa ang umaga."

I couldn't have said it better.

Source

Ed Lingao

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Must read: Why Coordination is very important?

"COORDINATE!! WHY?"
The framework agreement is more than a hundred pages but the gist of it is basically these:

1. Creation of CCCH (Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities) and AHJAG (Ad Hoc Joint Action Group). These are two committees comprised of people both from GPH and the MILF to ensure abidance on the Agreement provisions

2. No MILF or GPH combatant/s is to trespass an MILF or AFP area WITHOUT prior coordination with AHJAG or the GPH or MILF command post in the said area
3. No GPH or MILF combatant/s is to blatantly carry firearms on a GPH or MILF-determined camp/territory

4. No MILF or GPH combatant/s is to usurp, threaten, or attack any GPH or MILF base
Basically, the gist can be summed up in one word: COORDINATION. Like the peace agreement itself to which it is pegged, COORDINATION between the two parties is of utmost importance. Violation of such is a breach to the entire agreement and if the agreement is broken, well, we know what will come next. (To those who do not get it, FIREFIGHT comes next.)"

When we speak of coordination, it doesn't mean you coordinate with MILF. You coordinate BOTH with the AFP and MILF through AHJAG. For YEARS, combat operations in the areas of Maguindanao and North Cotabato are done in coordination with AHJAG. Do you remember the MOA-AD war of 2008? Do you know what caused it? Breach of the ceasefire agreement. A group of MILF combatants trespassed GPH territory when they found out that the MOA-AD was rejected by the Supreme Court. This is why after 2008, both the GPH and the MILF are very careful when it comes to this matter.

It might seem like a lot of hassle to some. Because, seriously, we just need to get that criminal, why do we need to coordinate?

You need to coordinate because if you do not, you will risk your security and you will die. Everyone, even NGO workers who do not even carry firearms, need to coordinate to ensure their safety when they go to these areas. These places are technically considered conflict-zones. It does not mean that it rains bullets every day there but chances are, it will do so, at any given time if threat happens.Be reminded that these areas are not easily accessible so you cannot reason out that you just happened to pass by that area. If you did not coordinate and you entered the area, the GPH or the MILF will automatically see you as a threat and you will die.

Imagine yourself (whether a GPH soldier or an MILF combatant, it’s up to you) sitting on your post, drinking coffee at 3am in the morning because it is your turn on guard and you have to be awake. Imagine seeing more than fifty figures from the distance, slowly treading their way to your camp. You immediately pick up your walkie-talkie (IDK what’s the military term for this) and ring up CCCH and AHJAG to ask if these guys were allowed to be at your area at this time of the night. CCCH and AHJAG answers that they do not know and that they were not informed of any operation happening around that time. As a person trained in combat, whether by a national institution like the AFP or an armed group like the MILF, what will come to your mind?
Surely these are not a bunch of prankster teenagers who thought sneaking up a military base is a good way to pass time, right? And then you also realize that in that area, there are other armed groups residing too (such as your not-so-friendly-neighborhood BIFF guys and other criminal groups).
THIS IS WHY COORDINATION IS VERY IMPORTANT.

Oh, okay, Bam. So, does this mean that the PNP cannot go to an area and arrest criminals just because it is an MILF-territory? We are talking about criminals here, isn’t it the mandate of the PNP to go after them?
YES, it is the mandate of the PNP to go after them and NO, I did not say that the PNP cannot go to an area and arrest criminals. They can surely go there ANYTIME as long as they coordinate. In fact, the commander of the MILF command SAF clashed with got arrested by the CIDG themselves a few years back right at his camp. It’s because CIDG properly coordinated with everyone.

Source : MON CHING

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Philippine Air Force plane crash 2 pilots killed in Batangas

At around 9:00 am of January 31, 2015, many people witnessed an aircraft crash into the waters of Batangas during the celebration of Nasugbu’s Liberation day. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), 2 people were killed in the crash.

It was confirmed that one of its instructor pilots and a student died after its aircraft crashed 300 meters off the shore of Nasugbu. Nasugbu Police Chief Insp. Pablo Aguda identified the fatalities as 1st Lt. Nazer Jana and Capt. John Bayao.

Apparently, both pilots were conducting a practice air exhibition for the scheduled celebration of Nasugbu’s Liberation day when their SF-260 plane crashed more than a hundred meters away from the shoreline of Barangay Bucana at 9:45 am.

The following video was taken during the festivities when onlookers started taking videos for the said exhibition. Little did the audience know, a disaster was about to happen, taking the lives of two men.

Video Source : Brayl Maranan (Youtube) 

Source : www.viral4real.com

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