Tandag bishop raises alarm over unsolved killings in Surigao Sur B

ishop Raul Dael of the Diocese of Tandag has called on the police and local officials to resolve the spate of killings in Surigao del Sur since August last year that have victimized people from all walks of life.

The number of victims had reached 46 as of January, Dael said in his pastoral letter read during the Chrism Mass on Tuesday. The figures for the months of February and March were not available yet.

He said he was alarmed that based on the data sent to him by Brig. Gen. Pablo G. Labra II, Caraga Regional Police Director, killings occurred even in the middle of busy streets and commercial areas.

In his letter to Dael, Labra said 39 of the 46 cases were already referred to the prosecutor’s office and the courts while six were still under investigation and will be filed as soon as evidence is obtained.

Based on the same data, the victims were students, mechanics, businessmen, jobless persons, faith healers, retired workers, farmers, Army soldiers, laborers, drivers, self-employed individuals, housekeepers, caretakers, and a government treasurer.

Tandag City has the highest number of cases with nine, followed by Bislig City and San Miguel with five each, and Barobo town with four. The rest of the towns have one to three cases each.

“It is unfortunate that many of these killings remain unsolved as the principal suspects are either at large or unknown. This situation perpetuates anguish of the families of victims and engenders fear, instability, and insecurity among our people,” Dael said in his pastoral letter.

The bishop called on local government officials for the efficient implementation of peace and order programs and projects at the provincial and municipal levels, and conscientious assessments of the prevailing peace and order situation in their respective areas of responsibility.

In a phone interview, Col. Dennis Siruno, Police Provincial Director of Surigao del Sur, blamed most of the killings on the New People’s Army (NPA). He alleged the rebels went after former comrades who had surrendered to the government.

On the commencement of durian exportation to China:

“We have so much demand in China. We are looking into an expansion area and we will partner with some investors to invest in production to maintain the yield. Today, we will be shipping

Over time, we have seen the erosion of the influence of religion in the affairs of the state. During the medieval period, there was no distinction between the state and religion. The divine rights of monarchies meant that the king’s word was also God’s. This has led to a crisis, which eventually gave birth to the Renaissance, or the birth of man. Simply put, it was a period that saw the triumph of human reason. The Middle-Age, aptly called the Dark Age, was seen as blindness to authority. With the Enlightenment, man used knowledge at his disposal. Galileo, Newton, and Johannes Kepler changed the world overnight.

The modern period created a chasm between reason and faith. Whereas medieval society relied on faith in understanding the substantive values of their world, the advent of reason enabled man

Religion And Modern Society

to put into question the idea of divine providence. The idea of a divine plan meant that man must follow the path prepared or designed for him by God. Yet, with the French Revolution, human society became keenly aware of the power of human freedom. The politics of religion lost ground. Voltaire made people realize the hypocrisy of religious authority. Elsewhere, the true intent of those who propagated the faith in faraway land previously unknown became apparent. Bishop Desmond Tutu puts it this way: “When our conquerors arrived, we had our land and they have their cross. After they left, they had our land and we have their cross.”

Thomas Friedman introduced the flat-world phenomenon in order to explain globalization. What he simply wanted to say is that physical borders have been broken when it comes to the transmittal of values and with it, the influence of Western culture. We do not just import physical goods for that matter. With every gadget or modern device in our hand, we also assimilate the values of Western society. In this way, moral individualism and the liberal attitude towards our views of the world influenced the way we think, live, and see ourselves. During my study in Europe, I was able to visit several cathedrals. They were empty.

In my one and only conversation with a French flat mate at Linkoping University in Sweden, he explained why he no longer believes in God. Reports based on research indicate that 85% of young Europeans are atheists. The young Frenchman told me that in their country, most people enjoy their freedom and have a very high standard of living. The French people do not have the problems that developing countries suffer from. He told me that he can visit any country he wants to and that he can go skiing in the Alps. I offered no counter-argument to that, except maybe the thought that in our country, we still find great joy in simple things.

The point is that modernity has strongly influenced the values of society. With the advance of a global economic order, people rely more on innovation and the tools of modernity. Jove Jim Aguas explains that with modernization, people lost faith in the value of religion. The changes in society are a result of the advance of a modern economy and the innovation brought about by the genius of a few men –Richard Feynman, Steve Jobs, and Ray Kurzwell, to name some. They have shaped the world we have today, from nanotechnology, to your chic iPhone, and Artificial Intelligence.

The late Dr. Romulo Bautista helped me in the past understand these things. He told me that there’s a distinction between religious and secular morality. Religious morality depends on your faith in God. God is the Absolute. The law of God is eternal. The eternal law, in this way, is the moral law. Secular morality, meanwhile, is based on humanistic values. The most important element in a man’s life is his freedom. In this sense, man defines for himself the meaning of his life and with it, the meaning of the world. The respect for human dignity, in this way, means respecting the religious beliefs of people, including the lack of it. Can modern society survive without religion? It is hard to say. Religious values – the love of thy neighbor – are foundational.

The month of March became an intense period to endure amid the extreme weather condition that was felt just a few days after the state weather bureau announced the official start of the warm and dry season.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the town of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro recorded the highest heat index of 47 degrees Celsius on March 25, followed by Catarman in Northern Samar, recording a sizzling 46 degrees Celsius temperature last Saturday alone. Other areas such as Albay, Bukidnon, and Pangasinan, also experienced a 41-degree temperature over the past few days.

The year 2023 is also expected to pose a new challenge to the country and the economy amid the looming El Niño season characterized by extreme heat and prolonged dry spells, which, according to the state weather bureau, may occur over the next six months.

As part of mitigating measures, the public has been urged to take precautionary measures to prevent possible illnesses that may arise during the period, as well as to conserve water amid the possibility of daily water interruptions.

Maynilad Water Services Inc., the water utility company of conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), has urged its customers to practice water conservation as it warned of the possibility of a 19-hour water interruption daily.

According to Maynilad, the shortage may persist unless the National Water Regulatory Board (NWRB) grants its petition to increase its water allocation from the dams to 52 cubic meters per second (CMS).

However, it assured that it was stepping up its efforts to boost rationing to some 20,000 connections in its service as a stopgap measure. This includes reactivation of deep wells and commissioning of modular treatment plants to produce more water from alternate sources, as well as continuous repair of pipe leaks and replacement of old pipelines to recover more water for distribution.

To mitigate the impact of the reduced available supply, Maynilad is also making available around 100 mobile water tankers for deployment, as needed. It has so far installed 83 stationary water tanks (SWT) in strategic locations, and is purchasing more SWTs for additional water storage.

On the demand side, Maynilad also advised its customers to practice efficiency in water consumption.

Instead of using a shower, the company has advised the public to use a pail and dipper instead when taking a bath, and ensure to limit the bath time.

To prevent wastage of more water, customers must also have a plumber check toilets, faucets, and pipes right away in case of any leaks.

When not in use, it is best to turn off the faucet to avoid the wastage of running water.

When washing the dishes, it is best to soak them first and scrape them clean instead of cleaning them under running water. When washing cars, use a pail and rag instead.

After doing the laundry, the public must also avoid throwing away any used water, and instead collect them and use for flushing the toilets.

Simple tips as they may seem, but with the current situation, doing these simple steps not only will help us in saving water consumption, but will also play a huge part in ensuring the availability of water to the communities as we go through the dry season together.