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Aquino, Roxas begin campaign in Mindanao DAVAO CITY – President Benigno Aquino flew to Davao City from his sortie in Mindanao where he endorsed Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who is the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate in next year’s polls. Aquino’s brief visit last week was interrupted by street protests from various ethnic and human rights groups demanding justice for the killings of civilians allegedly perpetrated by government troops hunting down communist rebels. Jong Monson, Secretary General of the Pasaka Lumad Confederation of Southern Mindanao, said Aquino continues to ignore the human rights violations and summary executions of innocent civilians, mostly indigenous people, accused as rebels by the military.
“Aquino is ignoring the killings of lumads in Mindanao which already accumulated to 13 deaths since September 1. We call for the pullout of the military in our communities and the disarming of paramilitary groups which brought impunity to our communities,” Monson said. Aquino arrived with Roxas in Davao and they spoke to about 2,000 mostly political allies and supporters in “a gathering of friends” at the SMX Convention Center. Four people – an imam, a farmer, a government scholar and a tribeswoman – also spoke about how governmentfunded projects and livelihood programs brought changes to their life, and in the end they praised and thanked Aquino for his reforms and advocacy of socalled “tuwid na daan” or
straight path in governance. Many of those who were invited to the event were provincial governors, mayors and vice mayors and other politicians, who came from all over the region. Local mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who backed out from the presidential elections just recently, was absent from the gathering – it was unknown whether he was invited or not. But Aquino and Roxas were both received by the elderly Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario. Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Muslim autonomous region who is also a strong political ally of Aquino, led his governors – Nurbert Sahali of Tawi-Tawi; Esmael Mangudadatu, of Maguindanao; Mamintal Adiong, of Lanao del Sur – to the gathering. Continue on page 5
Presidential adviser Teresita Deles waves a tarpaulin sign bearing a political slogan of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas' during his and President Benigno Aqunio's visit to Davao City on September 10, 2015. Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Muslim autonomous region, stands beside Deles. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Groups launch campaign to urge Duterte to run for President
Human rights groups protest in Davao City during President Aquino's recent visit. (Kilab Multimedia)
Troops accused as behind killings, human rights abuses in Mindanao CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – While the Philippine military strongly denied allegations of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings in Mindanao, various human rights groups and lawmakers have continue accusing government troops and militia forces as behind the murderous campaign in the troubled region where communist rebels are actively
ARMM
operating. Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan has vowed to investigate the allegations against the military following reports of killings of innocent civilians accused as rebels by the military in Surigao del Sur, Davao del Norte and Bukidnon provinces. She also blamed the military for the abuses committed by progovernment militias, who is being funded by logging
and mining firms to protect their interests. “We must stop funding paramilitaries and we must stop asking mining and logging interests to fund them as well. Moreover, those AFP battalions deployed in Mindanao responsible for terrorizing Lumad communities should be pulled-out and should no longer be funded.” Continue on page 2
Southern Mindanao
Davao
VARIOUS GROUPS and civil society movements have launched a massive campaign to urge Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run for president despite his recent pronouncement that he is not gunning for the top political post in next year’s polls. These groups, including Filipino workers abroad, have used the social media to launch the campaign, hoping it would change Duterte’s mind. D u t e r t e ’ s announcement ended long speculations that he would boldly challenge Interior Secretary Mar Roxas andVice President Jejomar Binay in the elections. Duterte made the announcement at Grand Menseng Hotel in downtown Davao where many supporters gathered and listened as the politician spoke. He did not answer anymore questions from
journalists. “Hindi ako tatakbo ng presidente. Wala akong ambisyon na maging presidente at may usapan kami ni Inday Sarah that I will ask her to run for mayorship. In 2016, I will retire from the public life for good. Yan ang usapan namin sa pamilya namin,” he said. “So I am sorry to all of you who believed in me all along, who spent money and toiled tirelessly to advertise my name. I believe it is no longer my time to be in politics. I will retire after my term,” he added. Sarah Duterte-Carpio, a lawyer, is the daughter of Duterte, who once served as mayor of Davao City. Duterte said his campaign for federal system of government will continue and that he would campaign for political candidates in Mindanao who would support his advocacy. The mayor has long
Western Mindanao
Cebu
been campaigning for federal government, a system that divides up power between national government and smaller local governments. He also said that peace could only be achieved in Mindanao is the country is under federal form of government. “I told you before (that my going around the country) it was all about federalism, pero noon nagikot-ikot ako sa Pilipinas promoting federalism, may mga tao na gusto akong suportahan sa pagkapresidente at medyo napasubo sila sa desisyon nila because some of them are members of the (political) parties (sa) national because they openly expressed the desire to campaign for me, eh di naman takaga matuloy,” Duterte said. Continue on page 2
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Islamic financing program set up in Mindanao IN a seeming relentless effort to contribute to peace in Mindanao through the years, the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) has been advancing its advocacy on Shariah Financing since 2012, taking up the challenge to look for a business solution than can address poverty in Mindanao, thus the establishment of Shariah or Islamic financing program. “PEF’s decision to invest in Islamic Financing or Shariah compliant financing was motivated by the Foundation’s desire to be an impact investor in social enterprise solutions to build assets and communities to create wealth”, Ricardo Torres, Jr., the Partnership and Programs Manager of PEF, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. He said the provinces in Mindanao, especially the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), was the most challenging field, given that 6 out of every 10 households are classified as poor and 9) out of 10 are Muslim households. PEF studied the Islamic finance market in 2012, together with the Al Qalam Institute at the Ateneo de Davao University. Surveys and consultations revealed that while there were development focused
Muslim organizations engaged in peace advocacy and livelihood programs, only the AIIB and one MF organization were mentioned as investors in Islamic financing. As a development investor doing development financing, PEF started to provide support for Shariah financing. With the financial assistance provided by Cordaid, PEF’s partner in its advocacy work for Shariah Financing in Mindanao, the organization has continued to support efforts promoting Shariah financing in Mindanao. Cris Pasco, PEF’s Mindanao staff, said PEF had started Shariah financing with capacity building through exposure of its board of directors and staff on the actual implementation of Shariah in Indonesia. Pasco said PEF’s efforts were more on trust building rather than financing. He said PEF has engaged about 30 clientele through their partners’ organizations based in Maguindanao and other Muslim areas. “We are trying to develop institutions that is based on trust,” Pasco said. He admits though that it is the most difficult part, considering that in the process it entails building trust on the regulatory
compliant, the banking system, and more especially, build trust among partner organizations. Recently, PEF partnered with the College of Business Administration and Accountancy of Mindanao State University (MSU Main Campus) in Marawi City to develop a support system in Shariah institution building in the Philippines. The other Mindanaobased partner organizations PEF has been working with under the Shariah Financing includes the Al Qalam Institute for Islamic Identities and Dialogue in Southeast Asia based in Davao City that is working for understanding Islam, the Muslims and peoples of Mindanao. And the Islamic University of Indonesia in Yogyakarta, Indonesia; the Federation of United Mindanawon Bangsamoro Women Multi-purpose Cooperative; the Kadtabanga Foundation for Peace and Development, and the Al Wataniya Credit Cooperative, all based in Cotabato. By November, PEF, together with Al Qalam, will hold an international Islamic Financing conference in Davao to discuss how to further expand Shariah Financing in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Sept. 14-20, 2015
Troops accused as behind killings, human rights abuses in Mindanao Continued from page 1 “Mining and logging interests that fund and coddle paramilitaries should be punished and government policy supporting such initiative must be revoked. Funding killer battalions breeds impunity,” Ilagan said. She added that defense officials will be made to explain on the massive deployment of troops in Mindanao when House of Representatives deliberates on the proposed budget of the Department of National Defense. Ilagan said 15 farmers were illegally arrested by combined forces of the 23rd and 8th Infantry Battalions and were forced to board an army helicopter on August 27 in the village of White Culaman in Bukidnon’s Kitaotao town. Among those arrested was peasant leader Ellen Manlimbaas, who is the leader of the Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Barangay White Culaman. She said on August 18, at least 5 indigenous people, among them a 70-year old blind man and a tribal chieftain Datu Intabol, accused by the military as rebels were allegedly executed in the village of
Mendis in Pangantucan town in Bukidnon. Prof. Mae Fe Templa, of the Save Our Schools Network, also accused progovernment of killing three people in Lianga town in Surigao del Sur – Emerito Samarca, executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Development, Inc. and also a convenor of the Save Our Schools Network; Dionel Campos, chairman of the Persevering Struggle for Future Manobo Generations, and his cousin Aurelio Sinzo. She said the paramilitary group Magahat-Bagani, under the 36th Infantry Battalion, as behind the killings. She said the killings forced many indigenous people to flee their homes fearing government troops would also accused them as rebels and be arrested or killed. Templa listed reports of human rights abuses allegedly committed by soldiers in the region – since April last year, at least 25 schools for indigenous people were forced to halt operations presence of troops in the schools; at least 84 cases of attacks on 57 community schools have
displaced and disrupted the education of over 3,000 Lumad children; 5 people, including 2 minors were brutally killed by soldiers last August 19 in Bukidnon’s Pangatukan town after accusing them as communist rebels; 2 civilians were also killed by troops in Surigao’s San Muguel town, among others. “The Aquino government should be held accountable for all these violations. It is responsible for the formation and arming of the paramilitary groups, the paving the way for the entry of large-scale destructive projects in the ancestral domains, the sowing of disunity among indigenous people, and the killings that have claimed the lives of many,” she said. Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, has denied all the reports and said the violence was the result of a clan war and that security forces have nothing to do with the killings. “As per initial reports we gathered, the violence was the result of a rido or clan war. Authorities are investigating this case,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
Groups launch campaign to urge Duterte to run for President Continued from page 1 He also apologized to the Muslims, who were pushing him to run for the presidency, and told them to stay with him in his campaign for federalism, saying “And to the Moro people…mga kapatid kong Moro people, patawarin na niyo ako, but kung sino man yun kandidato na susuporta ng federalism, sundan lang ninyo ako total ito eh para rin naman sa inyo. Mamili tayo ng kandidato, mangagaling sa inyo ang choice na susuportahan nila ang federalism and I will play an active role, but not as a politician,” he said. “Maghahanap tayo ng kandidato na gustong tumulong sa Moro people at maibigay ano lang ang sa kanila. Isauli kung ano
ang sa kanila at bigyan sila ng hustisya…but I am warning everybody, pag hindi lumusot yan BBL nothing short of federalism will appease the Muslim community. Tandaan ninyo yan, nothing short of federalism can make Mindanao peaceful.” “Kung hindi lumusot yan BBL o lumusot man, we have to confer with Nur Misuari and everybody else in Mindanao. Ang hinihingi ng mga tao sa Mindanao, silang lahat, at kapag wala yan BBL ibigay sa kanila ang federalism at para sa atin lahat and I say nothing short will make this place Mindanao peaceful, basta ako nagbibigay na ako ng warning, either act on the BBL and take care of (Moro National Liberation Front chairman Nur) Misuari and e v e r y b o d y
else…especially kapag hindi acceptable sa Bangsamoro (people) yun amended version (ng BBL). I hope na yun version niyan will satisfy the Moro people because if it does not then you have to go to federalism,” Duterte said. One woman, who was listening to Duterte talk, broke down and said she wanted the politician to run and change this government for good. Duterte is largely credited for making Davao one of the safest cities in the world in a recent poll by Numbeo. Numbeo is the world’s largest databank of usercontributed data about cities and countries on such topics as living conditions, crime and pollution, among others. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Sept. 14-20, 2015
Korean film fest opens in Davao City DAVAO CITY – Korean films are coming to Davao City beginning September 17 as part of a road show by the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. The film festival will kick off in SM Lanang Premiere in Davao from September 17 to 20 and will be stopping by SM City Iloilo from September 24 to 27. And from October 1 to 4, the film festival will move to SM City Cebu and will have its final run in SM Megamall in Manila from October 8 to 11. In a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner, organizers said the annual Korean Film Festival is in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the Film Cultural Exchange Program, Korean Film Council, Korea Copyright Commission, Korea Tourism Organization, SM Cinema and SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc.. The festival will be featuring seven films that showcase the depths of human relationships in different scenarios. The F ilms Films One of the top grossing films in Korea, “The Thieves”(???) is about a group of South Korean thieves led by Popie (Lee Jung-jae) and Hong Kong thieves commissioned by the master thief Macao Park (Kim Yoon-seok) to steal the diamond “Tear of the Sun”. Having their own special skills in stealing, the two teams work together in the biggest heist of their lives, but little do they know that the 10
thieves all have their own agendas. In “Miss Granny” (????? ), the 74-year-old widow Oh Mal-Soon is transformed back to her 20year-old self after having her photo taken at a mysterious photo studio. With no one recognizing her, Mal-soon decides to make the most out of this oncein-a-lifetime opportunity. She renames herself Oh Doo-ri and decides to pursue her dream of becoming a singer together with her grandson Ji-ha who doesn’t realize that she is his grandmother. Han Hyo-Joo plays the role of Yoon-Joo in “Cold Eyes”( ????). She is a newly accepted member of the surveillance team in the police department. Together with the team’s leader Detective Hwang (Sol Kyung-Gu), they are tasked to take down James’ ( Jung Woo-Sung) bank robbing criminal group. However, the surveillance team is having a hard time to track down the robbers due to their masks and efficiency during the heist. Set in the 1950s, “Front Line” (???) tells the story of KANG Eun-pyo (SHIN Hakyun) who is sent to join the Alligator Company at Aerok Hill. Upon arriving at Aerok Hill he is surprised to see his old friend Kim Soo-hyuk (Go Soo), who was missing and presumed dead, alive and an officer of the Alligator Company. Soo-Hyuk is now a ruthless officer and does not always follow commands from the South Korean army. The situation within the Alligator Company raises many questions in the eyes of Eun-Pyo: South Korean
soldiers wear North Korean uniforms inside due to the cold weather; a young officer leads the troops as a captain; the sudden reappearance of Soo-hyuk; and a secret communication box wherein North and South Korean soldiers can exchange letters and presents to each other. Based on a true story, “Hope” (??) tells the story of a family coping up with the tragic incident that happened to their daughter. A young girl named So-won (Lee Re) was on her way to school when she was sexually assaulted and nearly beaten to death by a drunken old stranger. As a result of the incident, she suffered from both physical injuries and severe emotional trauma. As they continue to recover on the incident while pursuing justice, the family also begins to strengthen their relationship. A Romantic comedy film, “Marriage Blue” (????) tells the misadventures of four engaged couples who are having second thoughts about marriage. The first couple, Tae-Kyu (Kim Kang-Woo) and JooYoung (Kim Hyo-Jin), is in the middle of planning their wedding when TaeKyu discovers that JooYoung is a divorcee. TaeKyu feels betrayed making him think twice about their marriage. 2PM’s Ok Taecyeon plays the role of Won-Cheol, who is about to marry his longtime girlfriend So-Mi. A few days before their wedding date, So-Mi travels to Jeju Island where she meets the tour guide and web comic writer Kyung-soo (Joo Ji-
DAR-ARMM holds 1st ARB Congress COTABATO CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM) held on Tuesday, its first Regional Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) Congress at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex here. Bearing the theme “Mga kwento ng lupa at agrikultura ay musika ng mapayapa at masagang buhay (Stories of land and agriculture are music of a peaceful and prosperous life),” the congress underscored the accomplishments of the agency under its regional secretary, Amihilda Sangcopan. It also recognized the successful ARBs in the region. The congress brought together more than 400 ARBs across the region. “Ang highlight ng event na ito ay ang pagpapalabas ng success stories ng ARBs sa ARMM (The success stories of ARBs in the ARMM are the highlights of this event),” Sangcopan said. One of the successful ARBs recognized was Benjamin Querido, Jr. from Wao, Lanao del Sur. He earns as much as P564,000 annually from his corn and sugarcane farm. He was awarded with 5.36 hect-
ares of land on May 3, 1993 and was able to buy a tractor and hauler truck he is now using. The region presently has a total of 68,087 ARBs based on the latest record of DAR-ARMM. Ariel Hernandez, DAR-ARMM entrepreneur consultant, presented a 10-year ARMM Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Beneficiaries Development Plan. The plan, he said, will address the problems, issues and needs of ARBs as identified in conferences conducted in the region’s five provinces. With more than P10.6billion budget, the plan “is a holistic package of support services for beneficiaries such as infrastructure and agri-enterprise development, business development service and the provision of common service facilities, and scholarships for children of ARBs,” Sangcopan added. Distribution of 11 common service facilities worth more than P9 million was part of the event. The service facilities included three units of fourwheel drive tractors, three units of shredders, and five units of hand tractors under the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity
and Economic Support Services, the department’s strategic intervention to retain the awarded lands of the ARBs through production and engagement in agri-based and related enterprises. Edwin Usman, 45, vice-president of Tongehat Ungus-Ungus Cooperative based in Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi received one unit of Kubota hand tractor. The cooperative also received a power tiller cultivator on June 15 during the 27th anniversary celebration of of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program here. The Tongehat UngusUngus Cooperative started in 2010 with banana, cassava and chili pepper as main agricultural products. “Malaki ang maitutulong ng mga facilities na ito sa aming cooperative dahil ito talaga ang kailangan namin sa aming pagsasaka (These facilities would help our cooperative a lot since we need these in farming),” Usman said. Herman Ongkiko, DAR undersecretary for foreign assisted and special projects served as one of the special guests of the event. (Bureau of Public Information)
Hoon) and she falls in love with him. The third couple is about an old bachelor, Gun-Ho, and his young foreigner fiancée Vika. Gun-Ho is afflicted with impotency caused by his insecurities and stress thinking that Vika is only marrying him to obtain Korean citizenship. The last couple, Dae-Bok and Yi-ra, is about to have a shotgun wedding due to Yi-Ra’s pregnancy. In the middle of their wedding preparations, Dae-Bok is
starting to think twice about the marriage because of Yi-Ra’s attitude so he tries to convince her to postpone the wedding. Shot in documentary style, “Duresori: Voice of the East” (????) is based on a true story of Seul-Gi and Ah-Reum who are third year students at the National High School of the Traditional Arts. During their final summer they are forced to join the school choir in order to fill the remaining requirement. A
conflict also arises between Ms. Ham, their instructor who majored in western music, and the students, who majors in traditional Korean music. However, as Ms. Ham and the students begin to grow interest in each musical forms, the school decide to cancel the class’s annual summer concert. The organizers said all films are with English subtitles and that admission is free to all. (Mindanao Examiner)
Police warn bus drivers to be careful on the road
Mayor Beng Climaco speaks to a boy, who is one of the passengers of the ill-fated bus. She also inspected the crash site in Pasobolong village in these photos posted on her Facebook page. ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police reminded bus drivers to be extra careful in driving following a recent tragedy in Zamboanga City that killed 2 people. A bus plunged into a wooded ravine in Zamboanga's Pasobolong village after its driver fell asleep. The bus was came from the province of Zamboanga del Sur, police said. One woman, Amelia Bucoy
who was travelling on a motorcycle was killed after being run over by the bus. Another passenger, Raquel Solis, died from the fall. The driver, Rogelio Bambao, told police investigators that he was asleep and unaware of the tragic accident until the bus plunged 4o meters down the ravine in Pasobolong village. Police said the bus was carrying 19 passengers. The bus company, Rural Transit Mindanao, did not
issue any statement, but its units had been involved in many deadly accidents in recent years. Police were investigating the accident. Mayor Beng Climaco also rushed to the hospital to see the condition of the injured passengers. Just last month, one of its buses figured in a road accident in Marilog in the outskirts of Davao City and left more than 2 dozen passengers injured. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Sept. 14-20, 2015
The Mindanao Examiner
Sept. 14-20, 2015
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DAVAO PICTURES IN THE NEWS
President Benigno Aquino with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Muslim autonomous region, and Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu during a political convention attended by President Benigno Aquino in Davao City recently. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
An unidentified police officer, who is among those who attended President Benigno Aquino and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas' recent visit to Davao City reads a message from his cell phone. A yellow band with Roxas' name and violet ribbon is marked on his hand. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
President Benigno Aquino with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Muslim autonomous region, and Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu and Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario during a recent political convention attended by PresidentBenigno Aquino in Davao City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and political supporters flash the L sign - which stands for Liberal Party - during a recent convention attended by President Benigno Aquino in Davao City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Aquino, Roxas begin campaign in Mindanao Continued from page 1 Governors Totoh Tan, of Sulu; and Jum Akbar, of Basilan province, were not able to attend due to a tight schedule, but both politicians have repeatedly and publicly announced their solid support to Roxas. All of the Muslim governors are members of the ruling Liberal Party. “This is a gathering of unity and we are all behind President Aquino and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas for the continuation of the Tuwid na Daan and good governance,” Hataman said. Other members of the Aquino’s Cabinet were also present during the gather-
ing, but Teresita Deles, the presidential peace adviser, stood out among the rest – she was spotted waving pro-Roxas slogans “Oras na, Roxas na” mostly throughout the program. While former lawmaker Riza Hontiveros, who is aspiring to be a senator, virtually campaigned for herself – enumerating the accomplishments of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation where she sits as one of its board of directors. Roxas, spoke from a prepared speech, elaborating his past programs and accomplishments and how he would continue Aquino’s reform if elected president. Aquino, on the other
hand, spoke little about his own achievements and more on the legacy that he would leave behind after he steps down. He also cracked a few jokes which the audience applauded several times. Those who attended the event were given a yellow band with Roxas’ name printed on it, yellow t-shirt and tarpaulin signs with various slogans of the politician, a tuna sandwich and a small bottle of cola. Aquino also visited Misamis Occidental and Davao del Norte where he inspected government and tourism projects in the provinces. (Mindanao Examiner)
President Benigno Aquino shakes hands with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Muslim autonomous region, looks on during a gathering of political allies and supporters in Davao City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
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The Mindanao Examiner - FOREIGN NEWS
Sept. 14-20, 2015
No, ISIS doesn't represent Islam – CNN THE Islamic State in Iraq and Syria continues to make news by violating Islam and human rights. On Sunday came reports that ISIS had destroyed the treasured Temple of Bel, a week after images were released of the destruction of the temple of Baal Shamin. Last month also saw reports of how ISIS has created, in effect, a "bureaucracy of rape," while this week marks a year since journalist Steven Sotloff was beheaded. The list of horrors is a long one. Sadly, it also exposes our collective failure as humanity to respond appropriately to extremism. ISIS is setting the agenda -- and highlighting our ineptness in the process. Take, for example, how ISIS has been forcing ethnic Yazidi women into sexual slavery, a practice it says is rooted in historic precedence. Such a claim is absurd and false; yet the revelation has spurred a debate on sex slavery in Islam, as if the practice deserves any consideration at all, and as if ISIS deserves the kind of religious legitimacy conferred upon it by discussion of its proclamations.
The truth is that from a doctrinal, Islamic perspective, slavery is as an affront to the natural state of the freedom in which God created human beings that is tied to the first pillar of Islam (declaration of faith). All humans are equal before God and are distinguished only by their own good actions. Indeed, the Quran advocated for a departure from this age-old practice of human bondage, calling for the just and humane treatment of slaves as human beings and not property. It also encouraged the act of freeing slaves as an act of worship; slavery is outlawed throughout the world and should never be reconsidered if we accept liberation as the most important value Islam. So why is it that groups such as ISIS can use outdated dogma to rationalize murder and rape and create a facade of religious legitimacy? The trouble comes from the fact that organizations such as ISIS and Boko Haram cherry pick tribal customs and then apply an Islamic veneer to rationalize them. And it is this deliberate muddying of reality that lies at the
heart of the struggle of ideas within the Muslim world today. Groups like ISIS try to exploit misunderstandings of doctrine to further their own agendas. Yet while some Muslim scholars have spoken out against ISIS's false claims, others are either silent on the issue of abolishing such outrageous practices, or worse, they suggest that Muslims are committing a sin by demanding we abandon practices that should be consigned to history. Modern forms of slavery, such as concubinage and human trafficking, is an abomination. Clearly, ISIS is too often leading the conversation, leaving American Muslims facing a two-fold challenge. For a start, American Muslims must consistently do more to define Islam to the broader public, rather than simply responding to each outrage by an extremist group. ISIS should be treated with no more credibility than any other group of fanatics. Second, Muslim scholars (including, I hope, more women scholars) need to connect with communities in order to pro-
New 'Superhenge'? Remains found near Stonehenge STONEHENGE, the worldrenowned circle of bluestone columns in an isolated field in southwest England, has been shrouded in mystery for centuries. But it seems there's even more to this incomplete story from the Neolithic period -archaeologists say they have uncovered traces of larger stone monuments less than 3 kilometers (2 miles) from Stonehenge. The Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project team says it has made the discovery beneath Durrington Walls, also known as "superhenge" -- one of the largest known henge monuments built before Stonehenge, which is believed to have been completed 3,500 years ago. "Our high-resolution ground penetrating radar
data has revealed an amazing row of up to 90 standing stones, a number of which have survived after being pushed over, and a massive bank placed over the stones," said professor Wolfgang Neubauer, director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology. "In the east up to 30 stones, measuring up to size of 4.5 x 1.5 x 1 meters (14.7 x 5 x 3.3 feet), have survived below the bank whereas elsewhere the stones are fragmentary or represented by massive foundation pits," he said. The newly discovered structures are believed to be 4,500 years old. Questions also arise about the landscape the builders of Stonehenge
inhabited and how they changed this with the building of new monuments during the third millennium BC. "The extraordinary scale, detail and novelty of the evidence produced by the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project, which the new discoveries at Durrington Walls exemplify, is changing fundamentally our understanding of Stonehenge and the world around it," said Paul Garwood, an archaeologist and lead historian on the project at the University of Birmingham. "Everything written previously about the Stonehenge landscape and the ancient monuments within it will need to be rewritten." (Monica Sarkar, CNN)
duce scholarship that reflects the realities of today, separating tribal customs of the past that Islam phased out, such as slavery, from the real essence of Islam, which is based on the principles of justice, liberation and compassion. Contrary to what many believe, Islamic jurisprudence is not a rigid and immutable law based on unchanging rules written centuries ago. Instead, it is a flexible, dynamic jurisprudence that is fully compatible with the modern human rights framework. Indeed, Islam as a religion developed as a religion for reforming society and to elevate its norms and cultural practices closer to the Quranic ideals of freedom and equality. So to go back to the original essence of Islam is
to bring dignity to humanity, to bring mercy to the world, and to establish justice in the lands within which we reside. Anything violating those tenets should be met with stiff opposition by Muslims. With that in mind, Muslims must do everything they can to break away from misogynist, maniacal and maddening practices that are dressed up as Islamic by pointing to a tribal custom of the past. This is something we should be explicit about: anyone who tries to justify and rationalize slavery and/or sexual abuse does not belong to us and we do not belong with him. We don't need fatwas to understand that rape and murder and corruption and tyranny are wrong -- Islam is about free thinking, and anything that runs counter to such freedom of
thought runs counter to the will of God. As the Quran states, "God commands justice and goodness and generosity, and he forbids all that is shameful and what runs counter to reason." Islam should be seen as a breath of fresh air, a refuge from war and persecution, whether at the hands of religious or secular rulers. Unless pundits and politicians stop giving ISIS so much attention, then efforts to share this message will be undermined. Mainstream understandings of Islam must be seen as the standardbearer of the faith, and on the side of anyone who is oppressed and suffering. Extremists, along with their distorted view of the faith, should be shunned into irrelevancy. (Salam AlMarayati)
30 hospitalized over fourth gas incident at Afghan school MYSTERIOUS gas at an Afghan girls' school sent 30 people to the hospital in the fourth such incident in the area in a week. Four female teachers and 26 students were hospitalized because of fumes at their school in Herat city, said Mohammad Rafiq Sherzai, a spokesman for the regional hospital. An investigation is underway, police said. They declined to release more information. More than 320 people
have been hospitalized in the city this week over mysterious gas. 115 girls from a local school were hospitalized after they were poisoned with an unknown gas, Sherzai said. The victims' ages ranged between 9 and 18, he said. The same week, a total of 208 girls fell ill as a result of a similar gas incident in a different school in the city. The incidents were deliberately caused, Deputy Provincial Gov.
Aseeluddin Jami said without elaborating on who was responsible. Attacks against schoolgirls in Afghanistan happen with alarming frequency, often by militants who believe girls should not go to school. In July, assailants on a motorbike threw acid in the faces of three teen girls on their way to school in Herat province. Two of the girls were critically injured. (Masoud Popalzai and Faith Karimi, CNN)
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Sept. 14-20, 2015
Crisis of freedoms in America and the Filipino response by Robert Z. Cortes FILIPINOS are known to be great imitators in general, but especially of things American. From fashion to accent, from style of government to social life: name it, Filipinos look up to America. This is not necessarily a negative thing. In fact, we have benefited much from imitating America in her practice of the fundamental freedoms of expression and of religion. She is known as “Land of the Free.” But last week, something profoundly disturbing unfolded that prompts the question: is America still that? Not anymore for Mrs. Kim Davis. “Today,” said Roger Gannam, a lawyer for Mrs. Davis, “for the first time in history, an American citizen has been incarcerated for having the belief of conscience that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.” This is shocking both for the reason she was jailed and the fact that this is happening in America. Here’s a short summary of her case. Kim
Davis is a county clerk of the small American town of Rowan, Kentucky. Like all county clerks, she was elected to office, and her job “mostly involves shuffling paper: maintaining voter registration rolls, overseeing elections, issuing license plates, filing reports…” and issuing marriage licenses. When the 5-4 ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court (SC) forced all States in the Union to redefine marriage by classifying samesex unions as such, under U.S. law, county clerks like Kim Davis were now compelled to issue marriage licenses to gay couples seeking them. But, being Christian, Ms. Davis holds the view that marriage is between a man and a woman. In her deeply-held religious belief, issuing a marriage license to gay couples is direct cooperation in something immoral. Put in the dilemma of following either what she considered an unjust law of society or the law of her conscience, she chose the latter.
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For doing that, she is now in jail. Under present U.S. law, this seems to make sense: if she didn’t want to go to jail, Davis had to either issue the licenses or resign as county clerk. Simple logic, really. But the simplicity of the logic masks both a sad and ironic reality. Until 2015, no one in America has had to choose between holding on to one’s deeply-held religious belief about marriage and one’s government job. In fact, no one had had to defend oneself from losing one’s job by having to declare as a “deeply-held religious belief” the common sense definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. In 2015 America, however, one cannot now invoke even “conscientious objection” to prevent oneself from losing one’s job or getting jailed. This is the case not only for county clerks, but also for teachers, counsellors, army chaplains, and all government jobs in which marriage is spoken of. Even more disturbing, in the last several months since the implementation of the U.S. SC decision, not only government employees but also private business owners – bakers and pizza restaurant owners, photographers, churches, schools, florists and farmers – have been heavily penalized for publicly manifesting the generally-held view that marriage is between a man and a woman. Though unthinkable just some years ago, it will clearly be tough going in the coming years for millions of peoples of faith – including Jews and Muslims – in the “Land of the Free”, as far as the freedoms of expression and of religion are concerned. In all this, the Philippines has so far been on the observing end. Yet, it is quite obvious that the very forces that have brought about this sad situation in the U.S. are also luring the Philippines to walk in the same direction. The official statement is that the new right of same-sex marriage for gays and lesbians has no “collateral damage.” Redefining marriage, they say, would not affect anyone else except the gays and lesbians themselves. But current events now unfolding in America show the opposite. Many have lost and are fast losing their fundamental freedoms of expression and of religion while rights that have – in the words of Chief Justice John Roberts – “no basis in the Constitution and this Court’s precedent” are being announced. This is a serious matter for Filipinos who are, undeniably, a people of faith. The idea of people in the Philippines being jailed or losing their jobs for publicly manifesting the age-old truth that marriage is between a man and woman is, quite simply,
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jarring to the Filipino sensibility; it borders on the absurd. It therefore makes sense that, instead of jumping recklessly into the American bandwagon, Filipinos prudently stand from a safe distance and see where this whole American social experiment ends up. Especially since uncertainty certainly looms. Anyway, this is not the first time we have desisted from imitating America. As a people we had made a
(www.lakusina.com) wise decision to desist on the issues of divorce and abortion, and haven’t been all the worse for it. Without these we are, according to CNN, the 5th happiest nation in the world (no U.S. in the top 5) and the happiest in Asia along with Singapore. We might as well apply to this issue what Filipino philosopher Celestino Gianan wrote in 2005. “Now is the right time to shift from being great imitators to being great innovators.”
Indeed, in a world where people affirm, in characteristic group-think, that progress has to mean engaging in wobbly social experiments, it is innovation (and common sense) to suggest that genuine human progress means rather reinforcing the basics. (Robert Z. Cortes is a PhD student in Social Institutional Communication at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce, Rome. He has an M.A. in Ed. Leadership from Columbia University, N.Y. / rzcortes@gmail.com)
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Lapu-Lapu City schools get mobile digital labs CEBU - Four public schools in Lapu-Lapu City are the latest recipients of mobile digital laboratories called Smart Technocarts, which aim to boost kindergarten learning using technology tools and solutions. The cart, an initiative of mobile leader Smart Communications, Inc., can be easily wheeled from one classroom to the next and contains 20 units of seven-inch tablets, a laptop, a projector, and a Smart BRO pocket WiFi that comes with an initial
load for Internet connectivity. The technology carts were turned over recently to representatives from Pusok Elementary School, Marigondon Elementary School, City Central School, and Pajo Elementary School. The Smart Technocarts for the four schools were sponsored by the ACC, said Smart education program head Stephanie Orlino. Each digital laboratory package is worth P200,000. Fun learning ACC president Edgar Antonio, who is also the PLDT head of carrier marketing
and product development, said the conference allows telecommunications companies to do business with each other and give back to the community at the same time. T e c h n o c a r t beneficiaries are two other institutions in Cebu, the Regina Mercado Elementary School and Banilad Elementary School, which were among 15 learning institutions all over the country that each received a Smartsponsored digital laboratory last June. (Rachelle M. Nessia)
DSWD mipahimangno pag-usab sa mga text scams ANG buhatan sa Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) mipahimangno pagusab sa publiko sa mga bakak nga text scams nga padayong gipakatap. Ang text message nga nagkanayon: “Congratulations, from President Noy-Noy Aquino Foundation 4Ps Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, your sim # won P950,000 as second prize winner in the Handog Pangkabuhayan raffle promo, DTI P#9513 s’12. Please text your complete name, age, address.”
Ayaw tu-ohi ang maong text message tungod kay walay kamatu-oran kini. Ang DSWD nga maoy nanguna pag implementar sa Pantawid Pamilya wala magpahigayonga ug raffle promo o draw ba hinoon. Ang Pantawid Pamilya wala usab maghatag ug premyo ilabi na gayod nga walay Noy-Noy Aquino Foundation 4Ps Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, matud ni DSWD secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman. Sa maka usa pa, ang DSWD nag awhag sa mga makadawat sa text
message nga dili nila tubagon ug mahimo nga i report gilayon sa pinaka duol nga buhatan sa DSWD office ug dili ba hinoon ipahibalo sa Pantawid Pamilya Grievance Text Hotline: 0918-9122813. Ang Pantawid Pamilya usa ka programa sa kagmahanang nasyonal nga mohatag ug cash grants sa mga kabus nga pamilya sa ilang pagtuman sa kondisyon sa Pantawid Pamilya nga mapaambit nila ang programa sa maayong panglawas ug edukasyon sa mga kabataan nga ga edad ug 0 hangtud 14 anyos. (Leandria P. Pagunsan)
CSC clearance mahimo nang makuha online USA sa mga lakang nga gihimo sa Civil Service Commission aron mahimong sayon ang pag aplay ug clearance mao ang pagkuha niini pinaagi sa online application. Ang CSC clearance usa ka dokumentong mopamatuod nga walay pending administrative case ang usa ka empleyado sa iyang panrabaho, paghatag ug promotion, transfer ug sa pag apply ug retirement. Sugod niadtong bulan sa Agosto mga
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aplikante sa CSC clearance mahimo na nga mo download sa digital form gikan sa CSC website (www.csc.gov.ph). Ang ma download nga porma kinahanglan nga kumpletohon pag fill up sa dili pa ipadala pinaagi sa e-mail. Mahimo usab nga mokuha pinaagi sa Postal Money Order sa kantidad nga P100.00 nga ipadala sa CSC ug sigurohon nga may dalang selfaddressed stamped envelope. Kung gusto sa aplikante nga siya mismo
ang mokuha ug clearance mahimo nga mo adto sa buhatan sa CSC. Ang pag apply online ang pinakasayon ug dali nga pamaagi ilabi na sa mga senior citizen, katawhan nga may kapansanan sa lawas ug sa mga samkon nga kababayen-an. Subay niini nagpahibalo ang CSC nga ang pag proseso nila sa verification ug preparation sa clearance molungtad lamang ug 20 minutos matag aplikante. (Leandria P. Pagunsan)
Southern Mindanao
Davao
President Benigno Aquino graces the "APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings," a series of gatherings attended by heads of finance ministries across Asia-Pacific and top executives of multinational financial institutions. In his speech before the delegates, President Aquino highlighted how the Cebu Action Plan can better help APEC member economies address challenges to a sustainable and more inclusive growth in the region. (Rey Baniquet)
Gobyerno ug agrikultura nangandam sa umalabot nga El Niño ISIP pagpangandam sa umalabot nga El Niño ang Malakanyang mipahibalo nga ang buhatan sa Department of Agriculture mihimo ug komprehensibong sa gibana bana nga mahimong epekto sa El Niño. Si Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma namahayag nga ang action plan sa Department of Agriculture nangandam ilabi na sa production support ug water management. Palapdan ang produksyon sa mga lugar nga dili apektado ug bantayan nga luwas sa kadaot ang mga lugar nga kasagaran ma igo sa El Niño pinaagi sa mga
irigasyon ug himoon ang “crop shifting” gamit ang mga “short gestation crops” aron dali ra nga maani sa mag-uuma. Sa himoong water management, ang DA inabagan sa Philippine Air Force mopahigayon ug cloud-seeding operations. Alang sa mga high-value crops, mopahiluna ang DA ug mga panubig sama sa open source pumps ug mo instalar sa wind pump irrigation system. Laing pagpangandam nga gihimo sa DA mao ang pagpang apod-apod ug de kalidad nga binhi sa humay ug mais nga bugas ngadto sa mga mag-uuma. Manghatag usab sila ug mungbean, mani, soybean, camote ug
Western Mindanao
Cebu
cucurbits isip alternate crops. Andam na usab ang livestock buffer feed stocking ug mga veterinary drugs. Subay niini giabisohan na ang mga mag-uuma nga mopatubo ug kalan-ong sagbot sa mga hayop nga molahutay sa taas nga init. Alang sa fishery sector, ang DA manghatag ug fingerlings isip panagana nga mahulipan gilayon ang mga madaot nga isda tungod sa El Niño. Ang El Niño gi bana bana nga mo igo sa nasud sugod sa 3rd quarter sa 2015 ug molahutay hangtud sa mga unang bulan sa tuig 2016.
Manila