“This is no mean feat.”
It’s been one hell of a week. Politically, that is. A presidential aspirant mishandling her public relations campaign. First trying to capture the Gen Z audience and all other anime fans with her Super Sayad, I mean Super Saiyan combat stance only to be captured live on her own social media post showing her evil-tempered side.
Days later, a drama king presidential candidate proclaiming his undying love for his benefactor as he “officially” announces his withdrawal from the prexy race. Officially but not as official as he has yet to formally file his withdrawal before the Commission on Elections.
Hardly had the euphoria (Or however you put it) over this candidate’s announcement of withdrawal died down, another candidate who had been projecting himself as a genuine opposition, even trading barbs with the president, has come out in the open, saying he would welcome (Short of begging actually) and endorsement for his candidacy coming from President Rodrigo Duterte (More on that on my next column).
Thus, I decided to take this rare opportunity to take time out from politics and instead devote my space to congratulate my fellow Standard columnist, lawyer Tranquil Salvador and the others in his batch, who were conferred Honorary Doctorates by the prestigious National Academy of Security and Defense Planning. While NASDP is accredited by the European Commission, it prides itself with striving to maintain its objectivity and credibility, so that it will manage to remain independent from any governmental or non-governmental organism, even partially, or from any political party or other private interests.
In case one is wondering what the NASDP is or how prestigious were these honorary degrees conferred to this year’s recipients, the Romania-based NASDP’s goal is primarily anchored on promoting, developing, and implementing projects and models for common and individual security issues, by building up of a security awareness culture, by research, studies, information and education in partnership with both state-owned and private educational institutions, the United Nations, NGOs, as well as with medical institutions, the military, the police, justice, structures fighting corruption, religious and diplomatic missions and institutions. By enhancing international cooperation, its final target is the development of a community that really cares about the safety of its fellow citizens, as well as the promotion of knowledge, respect, and mutual trust between community members and institutions.
The NASDP implements in the world a brand new and real concept of security, defense, safety, and reaction (operational counterstrike) to crisis, using a new institutional approach for the promotion of dialogue with the major public institutions and actors, having for social mission the promotion of knowledge about new types of threats, risks and vulnerabilities at the individual, group, social, national, regional, and global levels, promoting a new kind of strategic diplomatic relations and international security expertise.
More importantly, the NASDP provides solutions to security risk issues and evaluations of the global threats in order to identify internal problems for national defense systems and increase the defense capacity, as part of an integrated strategy.
Hence, being conferred an honorary degree by this body is no mean feat in itself.
Atty. Tranquil, who writes a column here at the Manila Standard every Friday, in spite of his busy schedule as a Professor of Law in the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo University, was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy in International Humanitarian Law.
Conferred with Honorary Doctorates of Philosophy in Naval Operations were Philippine Navy Officers Commodore Alfonspin Tumanda, Jr. – Commander, Naval Combat Engineer Brigade; Commodore Karl Decapia – Commander, Naval Air Wing; Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad – Commander, Littoral Combat Force; Commodore Florante Gagua – Commander, Sealift Amphibious Force; and, Col. Edwin Amadar – Commander, Fleet Marines Ready Force
Conferred with Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy Major in Counter Terrorism and National Security was B. Gen Noel Beleran – Commander, Naval Installation Command
The sole academic doctorate was Dr. Flordeliza Villaseñor who is the recipient of a Doctor of Science Major in Cultural Leadership and Management. She is the curator of the Philippine Navy Museum in Fort San Felipe and the Philippine National Police Museum, Camp Crame.
The virtual NASDP graduation rites were held last November 18.
Congratulations to all the conferees.