CEV Supplementary Material

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

This topic is a repository of all things CEV from the CE Visayan perspective, be it news articles, personal memoirs, or tidbits of CE Visayan life.

Any real-life articles (e.g. from blogs of people that I personally know/my own blog) will have the appropriate acknowledgments via link to original. Any and all real-life persons, places, establishments, events, etc. used in the NSVerse are used in-universe--that is, fictitiously.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Cardinal Castillo killed in bomb attack! (Originally posted on 06-18-2011)

Archbishop Virgilio C. Cardinal Castillo has been assassinated as he was celebrating the Exsurge Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. He was 68.

Eyewitness reports indicate that in the middle of his homily, the lectern exploded, killing the Dominican prelate, two deacons, and three acolytes. In addition, it destroyed the altar and injured ten churchgoers. Six of them are still in critical condition¹.

"One moment he was speaking against persecution, and the next thing you know, something explodes, and His Eminence was blown to bits," said Jonathan Jumao-as, a lay minister who sustained minor injuries and was treated on the spot.

Cardinal Castillo was speaking against persecution of Catholics in foreign lands, and for undisclosed reasons ordered an Oratio Imperata for the entire Federal Republic.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Deputy PM Isidro del Monte has ordered all government offices to raise the flag at half-mast for nine days.

As per the Code of Canon Law, Bishop Timothy A. Vasquez, coadjutor bishop, has succeeded Cardinal Castillo.

¹ Of those six, two would later die of internal injuries.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

This is the original text of a journal entry dated 06-21-2011. It was written by one of the survivors of a bomb attack that had killed Virgilio Cardinal Castillo, predecessor to Timothy Cardinal Vasquez, current Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cebu.

The entry was submitted to an editor and is part of a book published for Cardinal Castillo's first death anniversary. The title given by the editor was Exsurge: Cardinal Castillo's last Mass.

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"'Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!¹'

"The Gospel of the Lord."

"Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ."

Virgilio Cardinal Castillo was the preacher-presider of the Mass Against the Heathen. At sixty-eight, the Archbishop of Cebu wasn't in a bad shape--even if you heard the news. You see, there was a reason for the Mass Against the Heathen: there was a nation that essentially treated Catholics like Jews to their Nazis, pardon the comparison. Many of my co-religionists faced the genocidaires' bullets, blades, and bombs, slaughtered like sheep, made to endure the atrocities these murderous swine had concocted for them. Prison camps, gas chambers, extermination camps, even. It was indeed a Catholic Holocaust in that country.

"Please be seated for the homily."

As we sat down, His Eminence gave us the reason for the Exsurge Mass in the homily. None of us really expected it to be his last.

"Brethren, it is with great sorrow that I speak to you today. Recently it has come to our knowledge that yet another nation-state has begun its pogrom against our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is why today's Mass is different: This is the Exsurge Mass, traditionally prescribed as the Mass Against the Heathen.

"Pray, brethren, for those who find themselves facing death and doom for their adherance to Holy Church. Give them sanctuary should they choose to flee. Arm them should they choose to stand and fight the oppressor. If you can alleviate the suffering of your brethren in Christ, then by all means do so, for what you do to the least of your brethren is what you do to Him.

"In the past century, government-sponsored genocide was something that appalled the civilized man, assuming such a horror was revealed in all its indignity. The Holocaust, the Purges, the Holodomor, the Great Leap Forward, the Hundred Flowers Campaign, the tyranny of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, the ethnic clashes in Rwanda, the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, Saddam's acts against the Kurds, Milosevic's acts of ethnic cleansing... so many examples of mass murder sanctioned by governments of the 20th Century. Now, another state has seen fit to create a Catholic Holocaust! If any of you have heard the news--"

None of us saw it coming. At all.

A bomb hidden in the lectern exploded, killing the Cardinal and five others outright. I could never erase the aftermath from my head: Horror. Panic. Death. And to top things off, it didn't come from the murderers he was referring to!

I suffered some minor injuries: lacerations from shrapnel, to be exact, treated on the spot by a physician who happened to be a few rows behind me. Two others weren't so lucky; they died from internal injuries sustained in the blast.

As I write this, I hear over the news that an Islamist terrorist organization was behind the bomb attack. Frankly, I hope they get what's coming to them: as hostes humani generis, a bullet in each head. And I hope the genocidaires that are killing fellow Catholics meet the same fate; neither they nor the Islamists deserve any sympathy.

Never forgive. Never forget. NEVER AGAIN!

(Sgd.)
Jonathan G. Jumao-as
06-21-2011

¹ Lk 11:11-13.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The article, like all Op-Ed articles published by the CEVFNN, was posted on its website. This is a reflection of a policy instituted by the incumbent CEV president.

Like all Op-Ed articles, the views published are the writer's own.

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Reflections on the Valderama Doctrine (Originally posted on 05-01-2012)
Felipe Virtudes

WHEREAS, it is public knowledge that in certain nation-states, adhering to a certain creed, or even any creed, can result in an entire population subject to genocide;

Leboure, Pussaincevise, Cactovia, Atrum, Zulgaria, Czechopoland, Arkova. Martyrs of every creed. Men, women, children. It matters not what creed they adhere to--there are nations that would rather kill a man for his creed than allow him to peacefully coexist. Be it one creed, or even all creeds, there are governments that proscribe it, believing that only insane men go to church, or that men who believe in the Supreme Being are a danger to their rule. To that end, there are pogroms, cases of ethnic cleansing, Holocausts even.

WHEREAS, it is only just that those whose creeds give reason for their deaths at the hands of their host governments find sanctuary from pogroms and Holocausts should armed resistance be a choice too difficult to consider for families and communities;

I knew many survivors, those who were fortunate to escape their former home countries when those same countries began killing off their co-religionists or sending them to prison camps where they would be made to endure unspeakable evils. There were those who chose to take the path of armed resistance. While the gesture was a noble one, the rebels were outgunned and outnumbered, and saved only by nations sympathetic to their plight, if not the support of likeminded people who have also suffered under the genocidaire.
Who could forget the demonstration protesting the Pussaincevise doctrine banning religion in its own borders? Who could forget the words of a demonstrator when asked why they did this? Candace Caine, a descendant of genocide survivors--rather, a genocide survivor herself--spoke those words that drive the point home: "We were welcomed in this country when our own motherlands chose to bring us to death merely for our beliefs." CEV was their new home, a place where they can freely worship without fear that the government would ship them off to places of horror simply because they go to a different church.

WE, the Federal Republic of Central and Eastern Visayas, invoking the aid of the Almighty, hereby declare our borders open to peoples seeking sanctuary from genocide committed on religious grounds in their home countries.

It is in the nature of man to believe in something greater than himself. It is also natural for him to seek a greater closeness with that which is beyond him. There is no real difference between a Catholic attending a Pontifical High Mass during the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and a Sunnite performing his daily rite of giving obeisance to Allah after returning from his Pilgrimage. In both cases, the man seeks a greter closeness with the Divine.

If you seek to start anew after making that decision, we can help you.

The Government has a policy of giving a relatively decent amount to refugee families. In truth, many of these families had no need for it. Determined to integrate into CEV society, parents worked and children studied really hard--sometimes even harder than immigrants who were not genocide survivors or even the average CE Visayan native, much to the chagrin of the latter.

Overall, President Louis Valderama did a splendid job of portraying CEV as a land of hope for those Jews who flee from Nazi oppression, pardon the allegory. Given the nature of CEV's own people, I will not be surprised if these survivors would find that they fit a niche in the not-so-distant future.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

CE Visayans have very low regard for genocidal governments; in fact, to be compared to a genocidaire is seen as worse than even maternal insults.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The following article (source) was written from a real-life perspective by a real-life person (in this case, me).

In-universe, this was an Op-Ed article featured in the CEVFNN site and published on 06-28-2012. For the sake of continuity, this article will be displayed in its IC form.

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Legal Disclaimer: The following has been published with the author's consent.

Nie Wieder. (Originally published on 06-28-2012)
Alistair Caseñas

Never Forgive.

There are some evils in this world that are so reprehensible that the perpetrators go down in history as some of the most notorious men and women ever to walk the face of this earth. From the dark days of the Spanish Inquisition to 9/11 and its aftermath, from the government-sponsored genocides (Khmer Rouge) to cases of rampaging individuals going amok with no regard for anything else (Virginia Tech), these people--if one can still call them people--are so reviled that in extreme cases, they are accorded neither mercy nor sympathy when they receive their just penalty. Obvious case in point: The Holocaust. After the Second World War, Nazis were being hunted down like the rats the Soviet Army considered them to be. Even the uninvolved children of Nazi perpetrators are seen as evil, something that a Holocaust survivor named Elie Wiesel said was wrong, for "only the guilty are guilty; their children are not."

Never Forget.

Going back to my case, when the world learned of the systemic genocide perpetrated by the Nazis, it was horrified. Men, women, and children were murdered by the millions because they were mentally infirm, socially awkward, or of ethnic and religious affiliations that the ruling NSDAP loathed to the extreme. In 2001, almost 3000 people died as an immediate consequence of the 9/11 attacks. They were ordinary people: soldiers, office workers, firefighters, policemen, bankers, and the like. Just as the Jews, the Poles, and others were killed by the Nazis for being Jews, Poles, and others who happened to live in Nazi Germany and its occupied locales, these ordinary people were killed by Al-Qaeda for being ordinary people who happened to live, if not work, in the Eastern Coast of America. In both cases, the aftermath was the same: those who understood sought never to forget the evil that happened. In fact, since 2006, January 27 (on that day in 1945 the Soviets liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau) has been commemorated as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. And of course the United States has Patriot Day in memory of those who died in 9/11.

BUT I DIGRESS.


Never Again.

Determined to ensure that atrocities like the Holocaust were to never again take place, the nations of this earth stood united. Despite this, incidents of scales that vary from Bosnia to Stalin's Russia to even al-Assad's Syria still occur. Is it a pipe dream to still hope that never again will the evil of genocide take place? Perhaps, but it is a noble cause.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The three potential presidential candidates for CEV's Conservative Party are all former military personnel, viz. ADM Ian Oliverio, CEVN (Ret.); LTG Bartholomew Luna, CEVA (Ret.); and Col. Teodoro Tumulak, CEVAF (Ret.). Joshua Paican of JP130 likened the three-way to interservice rivalry.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Stories of Investigation: The Larida Case, Act 1

Jacob V. Auza, M.S.
City of Argao Crime Lab
0921 CEV Time

"Lieutenant Auza?"

"Yes?" he replied.

"There's an FBI agent and a Federal Gendarme waiting for you in the office."

"Why?"

"They didn't say anything other than 'Need-to-know.'"

"Damn," Auza said. "I want Abuan in my office before me."

"Alright."

Atty. Horace G. Ponte, Ll.B.
City of Argao Crime Lab
0929 CEV Time

Ponte and Lagaac were seated in the office of a Lieutenant Auza of the local crime lab. The FBI agent had a folder containing some papers, while the Gendarme was contemplating his sidearm.

The boredom was suddenly broken when a man entered the office.

"You Lieutenant Auza?" Lagaac asked, standing up and offering his hand.

"No. I'm Detective Timothy Abuan. Jake's my boss," the man replied, shaking Lagaac's offered hand. "From what he told me, you guys have some hush-hush stuff to tell him."

"Actually, it's not just Auza who needs to hear this," Ponte then added.

"But he should be the first to know. Don't worry, I get it," Abuan told the agent just as the door opened to allow Auza entry.

"Lieutenant Auza?" Ponte asked.

"Yes, that would be me. I presume you already know Detective Abuan?"

"Yes. I'm Agent Ponte of the FBI and this is Senior Gendarme Lagaac. I presume your lab is investigating the Larida Case?"

"Yes. Just answer me: why would the FBI and the FedGen be interested in the case?"

"We'd tell you the whole story, but you're going to need codeword clearance." At that, Ponte gave Auza the documents he held.

Auza sat behind his desk and opened the folder.

"Non-disclosure agreements?"

"These agreements cover the entire lab and all its personnel."

"I know."

"It's a given; however, these forms are for the still-classified reason we're interested in the case."

"Fair enough," Auza said as he signed the document. "Tim?"

"If you say so," Abuan replied, signing the same NDA.

Seeing as both signatures were fixed, Lagaac locked the door and obscured the windows.

"I'm going to presume you already have evidence. Be warned: that evidence may be of a...not really PR-friendly nature," Ponte began.

"Earlier that day, I, Lagaac, and another FBI agent picked up a kill-team from WVP's 33rd SCAR to carry out what our neighbors call Operation NEVER FORGIVEN. You know what happened at Bacolod some time back, don't you?"

"If you're talking about what they call the Bacolod Catholic Pogrom--"

"Yes. In the course of their investigations, the Westerners discovered that some benefactors of that incident were based here. Eric Larida was one of them."

"Wait, are you telling me that the man the Argaoanons know as a philanthropist is one of those who had a hand in the murders? You've got to be shitting me!" Abuan said.

"Well, it's what you'll find in the evidence, anyway," Lagaac retorted.

"Now, going back... Operation NEVER FORGIVEN was run on the principle that whoever aids a genocidaire was no different from a genocidaire. The Westerners have standing shoot/kill orders on the genocidal, just like us."

"Yeah, only they just kill. In their place, I would have hurt the murderous piece of shit, sending him to hell with a very personal message," Lagaac interjected.

"Don't we wish we could do that, Jon?

"The three of us served as CEV liaisons while the kill-team was in-country. The guys were very ruthless."

Sherman H. Rama
City of Argao Crime Lab
0940 CEV Time

Detective Rama was listening to the tape recorder found next to Larida's corpse, transcribing the audio.

"Eric Larida?"

"Y-y-y-yes?"

"We need to talk."

J. V. Auza
0945 CEV Time

"...all evidence related to the Larida Case shall fall under matter protected by the Espionage Act..."

S. H. Rama
0950 CEV Time

As Rama was transcribing the contents of the recorder, his cellphone rang.

"Rama," he replied.

"Are you working on the transcription of that recording?" Auza asked.

"Yes."

"Drop it and head to the office. Take the recorder with you, it's Espionage Act-covered material."

"Yes, sir."

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Transcription done by Detective Sherman H. Rama, City of Argao Crime Lab
August 15, 2012
1017 CEV Time

(Helicopter noises in background)
Voice 1: This thing on?
Voice 2: Yes, sir.
V1: Good.
(beat)
Listen up, men. The subject, Eric Larida y Dy, is a fifty-three-year-old male CE Visayan who was discovered to be a benefactor of the Bacolod Catholic Pogrom. As you know, benefactors are under a kill order issued by the 33rd. Now, I know some of you have lost family to the Pogrom, but if we are to kill this son of a bitch, we ought to do it in a clean manner. That means headshots.
(beat)
Any questions?
Voice 3: Rules of engagement, sir?
V1: Let's minimize collateral damage, alright? If it's not Larida and it's not attacking, leave it. We're here for his head.
V3: Yes, sir.
Voice 4: Five minutes to drop zone!
(helicopter noises begin to change)
(Recorder is shut)
(Recorder is activated)
(rustling can be heard)
Voice 5: Sir, Shogun and I will proceed to pre-briefed sniping position.
V1 (Most likely Field Commander): Understood.
(some rustling can be heard)
V1: Fan out. Three-meter spread, no sound.
V5: Sir, this is Sade; Shogun and I have arrived at the position.
V1: Excellent. Prepare to provide cover if necessary.
Sade: Yes, sir.
V2: Sir, this is Nighthawk; I'm in position.
V1: Good. Hold your position and wait for my go.
(Recorder is shut)
(Recorder is activated)
V3: Bastard shut himself in, sir.
V1: Then let's go knocking. Nighthawk, place your breaching charges.
Nighthawk: Understood.
(Some faint taps can be heard)
Nighthawk: Charges set.
V1: Everyone in position?
(beat--nonverbal affirmation presumed)
V1: Do it.
(Explosion)
(A few noises)
Eric Larida?
Larida: (stammers) Yes?
V1: We need to talk.
Larida: Talk about what?
V3: Your role in Bacolod, you Nazi fuck!
(Slam)
Larida: (stammers) What do you mean by that?
V3: You heard me. Tells us how you aided and abetted murderous fuckwads who managed to kill off over 700 Catholics in three days.
Larida: Wait... You're Western Visayan, aren't you? What are you doing here?
V3: (gun cocking) Making shits like you pay, that's what.
V1: Grog, stand down!
Grog: Your beneficiaries killed my brother. I should show you how it really feels.
Larida: Okay, okay! I provided money and some steel pipes to the rioters for them to use on Catholics they can find. All the file are in my computer; I re-routed some of my cargo for that purpose. Happy now, you idiotic, ignorant Papist scum?
Grog: Yes.
Larida: They should have killed you all. These men of honor should have eliminated the Catholic Church from WVP and the entire world.
Grog: Whatever you say, you genocidal piece of fucking shit.
(beat)
This is for my brother, and for all the martyrs of Bacolod.
(Gunshot)
(Larida falls onto the ground)
V1: GROG!
Grog: I'll admit: He had it coming, sir.
(Recorder is shut)

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Sex criminals generally do not survive for more than a week in the CE Visayan prison system.
Violators of international law do not survive for more than four days among mainstream prisoners.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

This article focuses on a real-life organization. In-universe, the RCAC is smaller than it is in real life.

For the sake of continuity, the Archdiocese will be depicted as it is in-universe.

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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu (Archidiocesis Sanctissimi Nomini Iesu sive Cæbuanus) is one of the oldest extant dioceses in the Philippine Islands. Its territory covers the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Consolacion. The Archdiocese has four suffragans, viz. the Dioceses of Talisay (Coverage: Cities of Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga), Carcar-San Fernando (Coverage: Cities of Carcar and San Fernando), Danao (Coverage: Cities of Danao, Compostela and Liloan), and Opon-Cordova (Coverage: City of Lapu-Lapu and Municipality of Cordova).

The RCAC is the primatial see of CEV, with the Archbishop of Cebu as primate over all CE Visayan dioceses. The Archbishop is customarily incardinated some time after enthronement.

The current ordinary is Timothy Cardinal Vasquez y Aguilar, who succeeded Virgilio Cardinal Castillo y Cabrera upon the latter's death, having been Castillo's coadjutor. Its titular is the Most Holy Name of Jesus, with Our Lady of Guadalupe as patroness.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The following article (source) was written from a real-life perspective by a real-life person (in this case, me).

In-universe, this was an Op-Ed article featured in a local newspaper (The Cebu Post) and published on 08-15-2012. For the sake of continuity, this article will be displayed in its IC form.

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Why faith exists amid the nihilistic tide (Originally published on 08-15-2012)
Alistair Caseñas

If, as a certain group posits, there is no reason for faith to exist in a world such as this, what is the point of trust? After all, is not trust an expression of faith?

You trust someone because you have faith in his or her abilities. In other words, you believe that the person you trust is more than capable of something, commonly shown when that person has you covered in many a given context--be it in the battlefield, amid an apathetic crowd, or even in a camp where the victims of intolerance are herded to be destroyed by murderous thugs whose evil can never be forgiven both in this life and in the next.

When you trust someone with your life, it shows that you have absolute faith in that person. The same thing goes with belief in a higher being. You trust that God or Allah or whatever supreme being you profess faith in has your life in mind.

Are you familiar with the term "test of faith?" The world as we know it is an imperfect one. In fact, the imperfections apparently give reason for certain people to deny the existence of a supreme being... Just say it: I'm getting ahead of myself.

Back to the imperfect world... Yes, it is a world where might makes right, where the strong prey upon the weak with utter impunity, a world apparently devoid of any shred of positive energy. Is it not a wonder why man in general has mixed feelings towards the existence of a supreme being?

If, as the nihilist posits, there is no hope for humanity, then the YOLO (You Only Live Once) philosophy applies. Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow, we shall die. Let us try to do everything we can for the sake of pleasure in this nasty, brutish, and short existence those stupid religious dumbfucks who should all be remanded to mental institutions or extermination camps call life, because there is nothing else to it!

If, on the other hand, you believe that there is hope for the human race, you will most certainly understand that life...is worth living, for want of a better term. There is more to living than just waking up every single day to do your part in society and nothing more. There is more to life than the free-flowing booze, the insanely large harem, and the oscenely deep pocket that the hedonist sees as life's only purpose.

There is a reason Faith, Hope, and Charity (the last being the more theological term for Love) are considered theological virtues in the Christian context. Take a look around you. While many are apparently inclined to see the world as it is in the absence of faith (incredulity taken to extremes--trusting no one), hope (despair, cynicism), or love (intolerance, indifference), people embodying these three virtues still exist, extolling God wherever they go, loving one another. How else can one explain the "Faith in Humanity restored" meme?

I'm starting to digress again, am I not?

Faith exists despite the tide of nihilism because it is part and parcel of the human condition. Do you have faith? Don't worry, it's normal. It's something human beings like you and I are inclined towards having. Even if you disavow the existence of a supreme being, you still have faith--how else can it be possible for you to trust your neighbor? How else can it be possible for you to believe that you are loved, that you are not alone in this dark world?

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The most common method of capital punishment in CEV is lethal injection.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

It has often been posited that the CE Visayan intelligentsia occupy the highest positions of society.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Frankness is seen as an important part of CE Visayan culture; people will easily forgive someone who will say what's on their mind, even if it brings pain. Conversely, trying to be politically correct is frowned upon. "Calling a sword a sword" is part of the CE Visyan ethos.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Transcript of the first part of Job H. Buagas' speech
August 22, 2012

The CEV Penal Code for Violations of International Law allows our government to exercise universal jurisdiction as per the concept of jus cogens or peremptory norm--an absolute international norm for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term.

"What is universal jurisdiction," you ask. Simply put, it is what the Government invokes when prosecuting violations of international law and custom. The principle is based on the notion that some crimes are an affront against all nations.

While in theory, this is a good thing, in practice, care has to be taken. Why? Quoting Kissinger, "Widespread agreement that human rights violations and crimes against humanity must be prosecuted has hindered active consideration of the proper role of international courts. Universal jurisdiction risks creating universal tyranny — that of judges." He was concerned that tribunals invoking universal jurisdiction, as any number of states could set such up, may result in the process degenerating into political kangaroo courts.

The concept of hostis humani generis under the Code is also a source of contention among experts in international criminal law. While it is understandable for those who commit grave breaches of the law to be held outside it, the fact is, the shoot-to-kill/shoot-on-sight policy is rather macabre, to be charitable. At best, it denies us the possibility of weeding out a murderous cabal. At worst, it allows us to become judge, jury, and executioner.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The article was featured in a local newspaper (The CE Visayan Herald) published on 07-22-2012.

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Our Lady of the Last Stand: Victims of Religious Genocide
ACCruz

The painting done by an Augustinian priest depicting the Virgin Mary surrounded by men, women, and children facing death at the hands of others is, in all honesty, a chilling sight. It somehow gives justification to the title; these faithful are, indeed, making their last stand against those who harm them. Swords, shields, the occasional rifle… one could call it the Church Militant facing certain annihilation at the hands of the infidel.

There are certain nation-states that sanction the eradication of populations deemed hostile to their governments. It makes sense, until you realize what these genocidaires mean.

Once upon a time, a despot by the name of Adolf Hitler believed population control meant dealing with enemies of the state. By “enemies of the state,” he actually meant the physically and mentally infirm, the socially awkward, and those whose ethnicities, creeds, and nationalities he detested. During the Nazis’ reign over Germany, at least thirteen million men, women, and children were killed off, with almost half of them being Jews. The remainder… Poles, Slavs, the LGBT, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Gypsies, Roma, those with mental defects; all were mere insects to be gassed by Zyklon-B, a derivative of German pesticide research, in the eyes of the Nazis.

Now, before you readers attempt to invoke Godwin’s Law, there was the Armenian Genocide of 1915, which affected Turkey so severely, even today the Turks speak not of it. There were also the pogroms of many centuries past—in fact, the Holocaust killed more Jews than all the pogroms combined—and the dark days of the Spanish Inquisition, as well as the age of Henry VIII post-Act of Supremacy… my point is that genocide did not begin with the Nazis; and if the modern era is any indication, it does not end there. Who could forget the ethnic cleansing that kept going on in the Balkans in the early part of the 1990’s, or the Rwandan Genocide of 1994? Who could forget Darfur in the early parts of the 21st Century?

But I digress. What these genocidaires I was referring to prior to the case studies… Men, women, and children of various creeds face persecution, even death, in proclaiming them. The Leboure Genocide is an example: When its leadership proclaimed that to profess a faith—any faith for that matter—is a capital offense, our government did what it could (in fact, we can actually say that this is standard practice): open the borders of CEV to those who faced death for their beliefs. This procedure is codified in the Valderama Doctrine, which makes CEV a sanctuary for those whose creeds give them cause for extermination.

My next issue will focus on the socio-political import of Religious Genocide and its long-term ramifications.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

From the eyes of University students: Carolinians

The Morning Run (0500-0600)

Kevin L. Pilapil
Eagle's Nest Dormitory, Talamban District, Cebu City
0512 CEV Time

Kevin woke up three minutes ahead of his alarm. Again. From his bunk in the room, he could see his three roommates sleeping comfortably in their beds. Disarming the alarm, he took a good bath as part of his morning ritual.

He had just finished his bath when an alarm sounded, followed by some cursing.

Simon Francis R. Chua
0522 CEV Time

"Okay, which of you pricks thought using Bieber as an alarm was funny?" asked an irate Simon Francis.

"Don't ask me," replied Zachary Sim. "I was thinking the same thing myself!"

"Goddamn it, who's interrupting my sleep?" grumbled an irritated Samantha Co.

"Hell if I know," answered Kevin, who left the bathroom already wearing an undershirt and shorts. "Any of you guys going for a bath?"

"I will," replied Simon as a scream could be heard through the walls.

Hassan George C. Jimenez
0524 CEV Time

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!" Hassan George screamed. Apparently, one of his roommates, Richard Lim, had just pulled another prank on the floor, and Hassan was furious.

I swear if that fucking prick comes here...

Kevin L. Pilapil
0532 CEV Time

Kevin was one more floor from the Silver Dragon teahouse, where breakfast was being served. As he walked down the stairs, he greeted some of the fellow dorm residents who were returning from rough nights.

"Hey, Dick," he greeted Richard as the latter was going up.

"Kevin."

"You didn't set up the floor PA to play Bieber at 0520, did you?"

"No, why would I?" Richard asked.

"Nothing." Kevin then continued to the teahouse.

Richard Y. Lim
0534 CEV Time

Why the hell would he be talking about Bieber in the floor? Richard wondered as he made his way up. When he reached the floor, he saw--

Oh, shit. HG thinks I did it, he thought, seeing a livid Hassan George.

Kevin L. Pilapil
Silver Dragon teahouse
0538 CEV Time

"The usual, Kev?"

"Yes, please," Kevin replied. "By the way, can I have that to go? I have group work to do."

"Sure."

Hassan George C. Jimenez
0541 CEV Time

"Wait, so you're telling me you had nothing to do with this?" Hassan asked.

"I swear, it wasn't me. Even I wouldn't pull a prank using Bieber!" Richard replied. "It's not my style, dammit."

"Then who did it?"

"Beats me, I was pulling an all-nighter last night. That group work on Sociology took a lot out of me."

"Right..."

"No, seriously! I didn't even get to use those condoms you handed to me yesterday!"

"Hey, what makes you think I was thinking that you were in an orgy with your groupmates?"

Zachary B. Sim
0542 CEV Time

"You sure you don't want to stay for breakfast?" Zachary asked Kevin as he saw the latter leave the teahouse with his stuff and breakfast to go.

"Can't, Zack. Group work awaits," he replied.

"Alright." When it was his turn, Zachary placed his order.

"I'll have a sencha and pork steamed rice for here, please."

Clarence P. Deinla
Swordfish Cyber Shop
0547 CEV Time

"That will be ten centavos per page."

"Sure," Clarence replied. After paying up, he arranged all ten pages of his lab report in one folder. Clarence could have had the report printed out at home, but the printer was scheduled for servicing, which inconvenienced him.

When Clarence left the shop, he felt hungry. Dammit, Clarence, why did you have to skip breakfast? he swore to himself. Lucky for him, the nearby tapahan was open.

Simon Francis R. Chua
Reaper Canteen
0550 CEV Time

"How much?" Simon asked the cashier.

"Twenty-eight pesetas," she replied.

Paying for his breakfast, which was composed of scrambled eggs, rice, and a hot cup of coffee, Simon then proceeded to a vacant seat, saying grace before attacking his breakfast with gusto.

Kevin L. Pilapil
University of San Carlos--Technological Center
0553 CEV Time

Kevin took the shuttle to the Science Building--he was in a bit of a rush. Paying the fare of one peseta, he kept everything close as the vehicle climbed up.

As soon as he could see the second entrance, he alighted from the shuttle, greeting one of his groupmates in English class.

"Kevin, you didn't have to be in such a rush," Juliet May Zamora said, looking at an apparently overburdened Kevin. "Class starts at 8:30, remember?"

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The CE Visayan Constitution recognizes as basic the four Natural Rights of Man, namely the Right to Life, the Right to Liberty, the Right to Property, and the Right to the Pursuit of Happiness, and states that all other rights listed in the Bill of Rights are extensions of these four Rights.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The Arleigh Burke-class DDG CEVS St. Peter of the Visayan Islands--named after Pedro Calungsod--will be the last Burke named after a saint. The Calungsod, as it is informally called, is scheduled for commissioning on October 24, 2012, three days after the titular saint's canonization.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

A controversial real-life character has been involved or mentioned in this story. In-universe as well as in real life, Monsignor Cristobal Garcia is currently under investigation over recent allegations that he benefited from ivory smuggling... and his not-so-clean past was dug up as well (cf. link).

For the sake of continuity, Msgr. Garcia will be portrayed in-universe.

-----

Tales from the CEVN: Usa ka Libo ka Kinabuhi (A Thousand Lives)

LT Francisco L. de la Torre, CEVN
Engineering Duty Officer, CEVS St. Lawrence of Manila
09-28-2012
2313 CEV Time

Being the Engineering Duty Officer of a warship as venerable as the St. Dominic-class¹ DDG isn't without its challenges. Sure, you have some really good subordinates to back you up, but come crunch time, you will have to make the calls that matter.

Lucky for me, the Navy takes good care of its people--no offense to those from the other services that might be reading this. Take Lieutenant Lucas, for example. Before the Philippine Civil War, this Divine Word padre was ministering to the inhabitants of Barangay² Pasil³. Having hailed from the more affluent parts of the Banilad District, I could only admire the guy's audacity... as opposed to the REMF-ing padres who are so bored in their cushy positions that they start doing things which give the priesthood a horrible name. (Monsignor Cristobal Garcia, I. Am. Looking. At. You.⁴)

Padre Lucas put his experience in the Pasil ghetto to good use as ship chaplain, methinks. I mean, listen to parts of today's Mass:

Partial Transcript

Preacher-presider: LT Dominador R. Lucas, CEVN, SVD
Feast of St. Lawrence of Manila, 2012
...
PO2 Basul: "The saints shall rejoice in their glory,
they shall be joyful in their repose:
the high praises of God
shall be in their mouth, alleluia⁵."

Lucas: "The Lord be with you."

R: "And with your spirit."

Lucas: "A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke."

R: "Glory to you, O Lord."

Lucas: "Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, 'Who do the crowds say that I am?'
They said in reply, 'John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."'
Then he said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'
Peter said in reply, 'The Christ of God.'
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

"He said, 'The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.'⁶"

"The Gospel of the Lord."

R: "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ."

Basul: "Please be seated."

Lucas: "Ego Catholicus sum et animo prompto paratoque pro Deo mortem obibo.
Si mille vitas haberem, cunctas ei offerrem. I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for the Lord; If I had a thousand lives, all these I shall offer to Him.

"Today is the feast day of this ship's namesake, San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila. The above mentioned quote is the martyr's final words, for he chose what is just in the eyes of the Lord. Eternal life, faithful to God...all the way to the bitter end at the hands of murderers that the Federal Republic would most likely have struck had the evil occurred in this era.

"Jesus said in today's Gospel that He shall endure persecution for our sake, dying only to rise again. It is in the spirit of this hope of rising again from the grave that we take up the challenges we currently face. As you well know, this ship and her sister ship, the St. Dominic de Guzman, are part of CEV's seaborne BMD system⁷. Naturally, this means we will not be in the front lines... for we will be close to shore, close to home. A home we certainly will protect, for is that not what God wants to see?

"Some of you have known people who escaped their homelands because they were, to put it charitably, different in more ways than one. The Czechopolish persecution, for example, was a call to arms. The aftermath was a standoff, but this nation became one of many beacons of hope.

"It's our duty, not only as CE Visayans, but also as men of God, to make sure CEV remains a beacon of hope. Always."

Basul: "Please rise."

Lucas: "That, helped by the intercession of San Lorenzo Ruiz and his companions, the Church may rejoice today in the harvest of holiness sown by the shedding of their blood for Christ, we pray:"

Basul: "Lord, hear our prayer."
...

Sure, the chaplain's homily was short, but be damned if it wasn't a rousing speech. In fact, I can still hear it ring in my head...

¹ CEV designation for the Arleigh Burke-class DDG.
² Antebellum term for what is now known as a district.
³ Even today, Pasil District is known for its ghettos.
⁴ Msgr. Cristobal Garcia is currently being investigated for alleged involvement in ivory smuggling.
⁵ Ps 149:5–6
⁶ Lk 9:18-22
⁷ The two Burkes have been fitted with the CSRS to complement their LRST capabilities and the Aegis BMD System fitted on four Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

The disclaimer of RCAC #1 still applies.

-----

The following are dioceses under the Cebu Metropolitan with associated cathedrals (common names in parentheses) and living ordinaries:

RCA Cebu -- Cathedral of the Guardian Angels (Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral; Cebu Cathedral) -- Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Vasquez y Aguilar; Bishop Nelson Alesna y Sarabia (coadjutor); Bishop Hernan Manuel Almodiel y Bascon, OSA (auxiliary); Bishop Amadeo Perez y Diaz (auxiliary)
RCD Talisay -- St. Teresa of Avila Cathedral (Talisay Cathedral; Sta. Teresa de Avila-Talisay) -- Bishop Hector Yap y San Juan, SVD (current); Bishop Eliseo Vega y Segarra, OFM (emeritus)
RCD Opon-Cordova -- Cathedral of the Holy Child (Lapu-Lapu Cathedral; Sto. Niño de Cebu-Mactan) -- Bishop John Jacob Lee y Ongpin
RCD Carcar-San Fernando -- St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral (Carcar Cathedral; Sta. Catalina-Carcar) -- Bishop Erwin Mark Fernandez y Arradaza (current); Bishop Patrocinio Fuego y Marquez, OP (emeritus)
RCD Danao -- St. Thomas of Villanova Cathedral (Danao Cathedral; Sto. Tomas de Villanueva-Danao) -- Bishop Bernard Raymond Chua y Santiago, SDB

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

This article focuses on a real-life organization. In-universe, RCD Tagbilaran is an archdiocese in its own right.

As always, RCDTag will be depicted as it is in-universe.

-----

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tagbilaran (Archidiocesis Tagbilaranus) started out as a suffragan diocese of the RCAC, becoming a full-fledged archdiocese with the Visayan Rebirth. It has three suffragans, viz. the Dioceses of Tubigon, Loon, and Baclayon.

The current ordinary is Jonathan Cardinal Migriño y Tumulak. Its primary patron is St. Joseph the Worker, while its secondary patron is St. Roche.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Despite (or because of, depending on your position) the abundance of firearms in CEV, gun crime is very low. "An armed society is a polite society" indeed.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Name
Given: Rogelio
Middle: Cadampog
Surname: Cañada

Birth
Date: January 31, 1963
Place: Opon, Cebu (now the City of Lapu-Lapu, Capital District)
Father: Manuel Cañada y Lopez (1936-2001)
Mother: Teresa Cadampog y Malalay (1939-present)
Sex: Male

Education
Secondary: University of San Carlos--Boys' High (Batch 1980)
Tertiary: University of San Carlos--Main Campus (BSBA Batch 1984)
Postgraduate: University of San Carlos--Main Campus (MBA Batch 1993); Ateneo de Manila University (DBA Batch 1997)

Employment
Self-employed (1984-1987)
Apollo Logistics (Founder; CEO 1987-2002; Chairman of the Board 1987-2007)
University of Cebu (Associate Professor 2002-2007; Full Professor 2007-2010)
FRCEV (Prime Minister 2011--present)

Affiliations
Religious: Greek Orthodoxy (baptized February 14, 1963)
Political: Visayan Liberty (Party member 2011-present)
Civic: Cebu Governance Society (Member 2008-present)

Family
Siblings: Felix C. Cañada (b. August 7, 1965); Paola C. Cañada-Bascon (b. October 17, 1967; m. February 28, 1993 to Diogenes Bascon y Bacolod)
Spouse: Sarah Marie Nazareno y Francisco (November 8, 1965; m. March 15, 1989)
Child: Ramiro N. Cañada (M; b. December 28, 1989)

Works
Analysis of Key Management Issues in the workplace (BSBA thesis, 1984)
Beyond Logistics: Common Management Errors in the Logistics trade (MBA thesis, 1993)
Barings Bank 1995 and Metallgesellschaft 1993: Repercussions of high-profile mismanagement cases (DBA dissertation, 1997)
Lessons from Apollo Logistics (memoirs, 2009)
Visayan Liberty: The Secession, and how CEV rose (memoirs, 2011, with Valderama et al.)

Service
I CEV Army (COL 2010-2011)
Service Awards: Ordo Judicis with two repeats; CEV Liberation Ribbon; Army Sharpshooter Badge; Infantry Badge; Field Command Citation; Siege of Danao Ribbon; Cebu Campaign Ribbon; Leyte Campaign Ribbon

Criminal Record
Treason (issued by Philippine Government December 6, 2010; expired upon dissolution of the Republic of the Philippines February 2011)
Rebellion (issued by Philippine Government December 6, 2010; expired upon dissolution of the Republic of the Philippines February 2011)