Filipino News Q1/24
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The Manila Times
8 January
The Filipino delegation has returned from attending the ceremony regarding the first Indian battleship, Akbar. Commodore Garcia, head of the Filipino naval contingent, stated that it was "a magnificent feast, with the most sublime delicacies. It is my opinion that the curried lamb, although spicy, was the best dish on the menu, and the wine was superb..."
The flight home was slightly delayed by an oil leak in one of the engines of the Vickers transport plane, which was repared during a scheduled stop in Bangkok.
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The Manila Times
11 January
Police are baffled by the escape of the man, as yet unidentified, who was being held on charges of attempting to assissinate the chief of the Marina de Filipina, Rear Admiral Juan Diego de la Vega, during a speech at Butuan Shipyard last October.
Captain Sebastian Moran of the Manila Police stated that the cell was locked, there were no signs of tampering, and no "secret doors", yet the man was gone...
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The Manila Times
15 January
Yesterday at Puerto Princesa, the Marina de Filipina's first submarine, "S-1", had its keel laid in a small ceremony.
MdF Director of Operations Commodore D. Lopez Garcia stated that the "S-1" is loosely based on a German design from the Great War, and will be used as an experimental boat, to determine what tactics work best in the constricted waters of the Philippines.
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The Manila Evening Times
20 January
Today a small Italian flotilla, centered on the aircraft carrier Francesco Morosini, arrived in Manila Bay. The occasion is the delivery of the light cruiser Cíudad Rodrigo and a quartet of destroyers, which were recently purchased by the Filipino Navy.
The Italians will be spending a few days in port, and we invite them to sample the delights of Manila during their stay.
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The Manila Times
30 January
The Filipino Navy announced today that they will be holding a joint naval exercise with the Indian Navy in mid-March, in India's Andaman Islands.
The Filipino Navy will be sending the cruiser Luzon, light cruisers Palawan, Leyte, and Cíudad Rodrigo, the four Italian destroyers that were delivered last week, and the newly commissioned torpedo boat T-1.
In addition, the D-class destroyer D-6, rendered surplus when the D-class was determined to be dangerously unseaworthy, will be equipped with wireless equipment for remote control, and will be sunk as the climax to the exercise.
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The Manila Envelope
1 February
...it is this writer's opinion that the Government is rushing into an ill-advised alliance with the Indians. Given the past history of our country it is my opinion that we would be best served by a policy of strict neutrality, and that foreign powers be told to keep their hands off the Filipinos!
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The Manila Times
2 February
Captian Sebastian Moran of the Manila Police has annouced that two people are being sought for questioning regarding the dissapearance of the man who attempted to assissinate Admiral de la Vega.
"We are seeking...an Englishman, brown or blonde hair, wearing a brown coat with a sprig of celery on the lapel, and a señorita, with brown hair...they were seen in various locations around Manila during the time of the dissipearance, but not before or since, and therefore we wish to determine whether or not they had any connection to it..."
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The Manila Times
15 March
We have learned that the Filipino Government will be sending a delegation to Edo sometime in the next few months, to discuss a strengthing of relations between our country and Japan...
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The Manila Times
29 March
The Filipino fleet arrived today, returning from the joint exercise with the Indian fleet that was held a few weeks ago. The navy declines to comment on the results of the exercise, stating that any lessons learned from it would be 'tactical secrets', but the smiles of the sailors indicate that, at least for us, it was a successful exercise, indeed.
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