From Abu Sayyaf to civilian life, teenager tells his story BASILAN PROVINCE – While Mindanao is generally peaceful, there are areas on the island mired with a long history of terrorism, and civilians and law enforcement officers both suffered from violence causing fear and anxiety to entire communities. Properties were destroyed and lives of
Founded 2006
people were disrupted. The atrocities were perpetrated by lawless individuals including teenagers – some have joined the bandits, or terror groups, as young as 9 years old. Many of these bandits and terrorists, however, have quietly returned to the fold of the law. For instance, more
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Questions Arise Around Reliability of Police’s Account of Raid, Killings
than 80 members of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Basilan province recently surrendered to the government and have renounced their previous activities. One of them is 18-year-old “Habib.” Raised in Tipo-Tipo town, Habib became involved with the ASG at a young age. Continue on page 5
LAST WEEK, police forces raided the home of the mayor of Ozamiz City in Mindanao, killing more than a dozen people, including the politician, who President Rodrigo Duterte had linked to the drug trade. Police said they entered Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog’s home with a search warrant early
morning, prompting a gunfight with Parojinog’s “private army.” The shooting left Parojinog, his wife, two of his brothers, and 11 other people – including several security guards – dead. Police said they recovered weapons and methamphetamine from the house. But there are already questions about the reli-
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ability of the police account of the incident. Senator Francis Pangilinan questioned why the raid occurred at 2:30 a.m. and why police “paralyzed” close circuit television cameras in and around Parojinog’s home, which could have provided evidence of how the operation unfolded. Continue on page 5
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BBL, papasa ba sa Kongreso? M AGUINDANA O–M uling nabuhayan ng loob ang rrebeldeng ebeldeng M or o IIssGUINDANAO Muling Mor oro lamic Liber ation F Liberation Frr ont o MILF matapos ang puspusang pangangampanya ng pamahalaang D uter te na maipasa sa K ongr eso Duter uterte Kongr ongreso ang B angsamor oB asic Law o BBL. Bangsamor angsamoro Basic M a t a t a n d a a n g Aquino ang BBL dahil sa ito sa kadahilanang ibinasura ng Kongreso sa mga probisyon nitong hindi katanggapn a k a r a a n g labag sa Konstitusyon at tanggap ang mga administrasyon ni ang pagpigil ng ilang mga nakasaad doon. Continue on page 2 Pangulong Benigno mambabatas na maipasa
Sulu Governor Toto Tan poses with members of the Sniper MX Owners Club in his office in Patikul town.
HIV Epidemic Declared a ‘National Emergency’
Todo-bantay ang isang rebeldeng Moro Islamic Liberation Front sa kanyang checkpoint sa lalawigan ng Maguindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
THE PHILIPPINES’ human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic is a “national emergency,” the head of the AIDS Research Group of the health department’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) said. Dr. Rossana Ditangco warned that the
government’s current approach to the epidemic means that “we can’t control the rapid rise of HIV infection.” Ditangco is no fearmonger. The latest statistics from the UNAIDS’ 2017 report indicates the rate of HIV infection in the Philippines
has become the highest in the Asia Pacific region. That data demonstrates that in 2016, 83 percent of new infections in the Philippines occurred among men who have sex with men and transgender women who have sex with men. Continue on page 2
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BBL, papasa ba sa Kongreso? Continued fr om page 1 from Sinabi noon ni MILF chieftain Murad Ebrahim na nakahanda silang maghintay sa susunod na administrasyon kung sakaling mabalam ang BBL. Ngunit nilinaw nito na hindi nila tatanggapin ang anumang bersyon ng BBL maliban lamang kung ito ay naaayon sa Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro at Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro na nilagdaan ng pamahalaang Aquino sa rebeldeng grupo. Nakasalalay ngayon ang buhay ng BBL sa 17th Congress, ngunit halos wala naman nabago sa mga lumang probisyon ng naturang draft law at mas pinalawig pa ito. Naantala ng husto ang deliberasyon ng BBL sa 16th Congress dahil sa naganap na pagpatay ng mga rebeldeng MILF sa 44 mga miyembro ng Special Action Force o SAF sa bayan ng Mamasapano sa Maguindanao, isa sa limang lalawigan ng Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, noong Enero 2015. Nasa isang misyon ang SAF na kung saan ay napatay ng mga commandos ang Malaysian bomber na si Marwan na kinakanlong diumano ng MILF – nang sila ay kuyugin ng mga rebelde sa tulong na rin ng Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Dahil sa Mamasapano clash ay maraming grupo at pulitiko ang nanawagan na magbitiw si Aquino at presidential peace adviser
Teresita Deles dahil sa kanilang kabiguan na pigilan ang sagupaan at pagpatay sa SAF commandos. Pangamba ngayon ng MILF na kung mabasurang muli ang BBL ay posibleng bumalik sa rebelyon ang mga miyembro nito. Naunang sinabi ng mga anti-BBL lawmakers na ibabasura nila ang tinatawag an “opt-in” provision na nakapaloob sa BBL na maaaring magamit upang palawigin ang teritoryo ng Bangsamoro na tinututulan ng mga Kristiyanong pulitiko. Maraming mga amendments ang nais gawin ng mga mambabatas sa BBL upang masigurado umanong hindi lalabag sa Konstitusyon ang mga probisyon sa nasabing draft law. Lumagda ng peace accord ang MILF at pamahalaan noon 2014, ngunit dahil sa naganap na labanan sa Mamasapno ay nabinbin ito at hindi naipasa sa termino ni Aquino, subali’t ipinangako naman ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na gagawin nito ang lahat upang maipasa ang BBL. Ngunit isinusulong rin ni Duterte ang federalism sa bansa na inaayawan naman ng MILF dahil dapat umanong maisakatuparan muna ang BBL at mapalawig ang Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao bago ang federalism. Naisumite na ng Bangasamoro Transition Commission ang BBL draft kay Duterte nitong Hulyo lamang. Tutol naman ang Moro National Liberation
Front sa BBL ng kalabang MILF. “The purpose of this Basic Law is to establish a political entity, provide for its basic structure of government in recognition of the justness and legitimacy of the cause of the Bangsamoro people and their aspiration to chart their political future through a democratic process that will secure their identity and posterity and allow for meaningful self-governance,” nakasaad sa BBL draft. Sa naturang BBLL draft, ang mga sumusunod ay mapapasama sa bagong political entity – ang mga bayan ng Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan at Tangkal sa Lanao del Norte at lahat ng barangay sa Kabacan, Carmen, Aleosan, Pigkawayan, Pikit, at Midsayap na bumuto sa plebisito noon 2001. At ang lungsod ng Cotabato at Isabela, gayun ang mga contiguous areas na kung saan ay maaaring mag petisyon ang 10% ng mga residente doon upang mapasama sa Bangsamoro territory Dalawang buwan bago ang ratipikasyon ng BBL. Nakasaad rin sa BBL draft ang mga sumusunod sa ilalim ng General Principles and Policies - In the exercise of its right to self-determination and self-governance, the Bangsamoro is free to pursue its political, economic, social, and cultural development; the Bangsamoro Government shall be parliamentary. Its political system is democratic, allowing its people to freely participate in the po-
litical processes within its territory; the Bangsamoro Government, consistent and suitable to its parliamentary form of government, shall adopt an electoral system which shall allow democratic participation, encourage formation of genuinely principled political parties, and ensure accountability. At dagdag pa dito ang mga sumusunod: Governance in the Bangsamoro is the responsibility of the duly elected civilian government. Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the military. The Bangsamoro
Government shall promote unity, peace, justice, and goodwill among all peoples, as well as encourage a just and peaceful settlement of disputes. The Bangsamoro abides by the principle that the country renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land, and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations. The Bangsamoro shall adhere to the principle of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.
The Bangsamoro shall establish a government that ensures that every citizen in the Bangsamoro is provided the basic necessities and equal opportunities in life. Social Justice shall be promoted in all phases of development and facets of life within the Bangsamoro. The Bangsamoro Government shall respect and adhere to all international treaties and agreements which benefited the Bangsamoro Government, bukod sa iba pang mga probisyon na inaayawan ng ilang mga mambabatas. (Mindanao Examiner)
HIV Epidemic Declared a ‘National Emergency’
Continued fr om page 1 from The sharp rise in new HIV infections in the Philippines since 2010 stands in sharp contrast to decreasing or stagnant rates of new infections in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region. Philippine Department of Health data indicates that the country’s HIV infection rate grew by 140 percent from 2010 to 2016, with two out of three new HIV infections among 15 to 24-year-old men who have sex with men. Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial has responded to this data, by declaring the country’s HIV epidemic “one of the top health priorities” and sharing plans to increase funding for antiretroviral treatment. Government health experts advocate a “treat all” ap-
proach, under which anyone who tests positive for HIV will immediately be offered treatment, irrespective of their immune system status. The health department also intends to “scale up” its community-based HIV screening by promoting testing and other services such as risk-reduction and HIV awareness counseling in socalled “high burden areas”—areas with high numbers of new infections. But amid these official expressions of concern, the government continues to delay the rollout of proven low-tech and low-cost interventions that can address the spread of HIV among men who have sex with men. Instead, it should immediately implement the recommendations from a recent
Human Rights Watch report and remove current official obstacles to condom access and usage as well as ensure that schools include safer sex and HIV prevention education in the curriculum. The government should also reactivate harm reduction programs targeting injecting drug use, particularly in Cebu City. Likewise, the government needs to step up its efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination, which are key factors in discouraging or preventing key affected populations being tested or treated. The worsening severity of the Philippines’ HIV epidemic is unquestionable. The Philippines government needs to demonstrate it’s finally willing to adequately address it. (By Carlos Conde)
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0995-5202358 DepEd-ARMM assists schools affected by Marawi crisis
A group of poor Badjaos enjoys their childhood in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. The government has no livelihood programs for Badjaos, who largely depend on fishing, for their meals. (Mindanao Examiner Photo by Kristine Bajos)
Troops hunt down Sayyaf executioners in Basilan BASILAN – Soldiers were hunting down Abu Sayyaf militants who beheaded 7 people they seized in the restive province of Basilan. Their decomposing bodies were discovered recently in separate areas in Lantawan town where the militants abducted them. The victims’ families had identified and claimed the cadavers. Two of those beheaded were pro-government
militias Roberto Lacastesantos and Renato Casiple and the others – Mamerto Falcasantos, Rene Sanson, Hernando Sally, Nestor Divinagracia and Ely Divinagracia – were loggers. Their families demanded justice for the brutal murders. Security and government officials previously trumpeted the surrender of dozens of Abu Sayyaf fighters in Basilan since last year and
claimed the militants were on the run due to relentless operation against them. Those who surrendered were also provided financial aid and livelihood program while others allegedly helped the military in the operations against the Abu Sayyaf, blamed by authorities for the spate of killings and ransom kidnappings in Basilan. (Mindanao Examiner)
COTABATO CITY – The Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEdARMM) has drafted recovery programs and plans and conducted initial damage assessment for schools adversely affected by the Marawi crisis. Alfhadar Pajiji, DepEdARMM Assistant Secretary, said the department will be providing e-learning assistance, psychosocial first aid, and a feeding program for school children affected by the crisis. Based on initial damage assessment, schools with buildings partly, or entirely, destroyed in the Marawi fighting are as follows: Ibango Elementary School, Marawi Pilot Central School, Dangcal Elementary School, Lower Dansalan Elementary School, Dansalan National High School, Raya Madaya Elementary School, Disomangcop Elementary School, Marinaut Central Elementary School, Banggolo Central Elementary School, and Madaya Lilod Elementary School.
Damage in those schools were initially estimated at P120 million. In pursuit of the recovery program, DepEd-ARMM and the region’s Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-ARMM) signed a Memorandum of Agreement where the design and construction of school buildings was assigned to DPWHARMM, said Pajiji. As of July 27, DepEdARMM has been operating 11 Temporary Learning Spaces as alternative schools in six municipalities with 3,289 school children and 122 teachers. Based on current estimates, 132 schools with 22,714 students and 2,933 teachers have been affected by the Marawi crisis. The e-learning assistance is a regular project of DepEd-ARMM under its computerization program intended for Geographically Isolated and Disadvantage Areas (GIDA). Secondary schools under GIDA have also been included in the current response to the crisis. The department’s assistance to affected schools also
includes solar panels with batteries to store power, seven tablets, and a laptop, said Pajiji, adding, the distribution of hygiene kits, relief goods, food items and medicine are also part of the initiative. The DepEdARMM, in coordination with Gawad Kalinga, also dispensed hot meals to 1,000 school children on July 5. The feeding program is ongoing and has served 2,800 people. The feeding initiative was reported as very successful during its initial intervention last month in Saguiaran town in Lanao del Sur. Aside from students, 1,400 teachers are also being provided with psychosocial first aid. “Ganoon din po yung plano natin sa ating mga teachers, because we are pretty sure also na hindi lang ang mga learners ang affected pati na rin ang mga guro,” Pajiji said. Pajiji said DepEdARMM has been continously exerting efforts to ensure the welfare of the school children and teachers affected by the crisis. (Bureau of Public Information)
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From Abu Sayyaf to civilian life, teenager tells his story Continued fr om page 1 from He was a 14-year-old Grade 4 pupil when some members of the ASG asked him to buy food in the public market until it became his daily routine before going to school and after classes. “Inuutusan ako ng mga Abu sa Baguindan na bumili sapalengke, araw araw na yun, hanggang sa hindi na ako pinauwi sa amin,” Habib said. With regular access to the ASG’s camp in Barangay Baguindan in Tipo-Tipo, he became a full-fledged member of the group. The ASG’s Baguindan camp
was recently overrun by government troops. Habib said ASG members receive a monthly allowance, but it did not prevent him from leaving the group. “Sa loob ng kampo, ‘pag single binibigyan ng P5,000 kada buwan, ‘pag pamilyado naman P10,000 – hindi na mahirapan maghanap ng pera,” Habib added. Habib is the 5th of eight siblings. His father died when he was six and his mother went overseas to work when he became an ASG member. “Wala na akong tatay, wala rin dito ang nanay ko, ang mga
kapatid ko nag-asawa na, kaya mas okay na sa akin sumali sa ASG,” Habib said. Habib recalls many experiences inside the camp during his four years as a member of ASG. He was generally assigned as an errand boy who helped in the day to day needs of the ASG – he buys food, he cooks, and he helps in the preparation of weapons before an operation. He was once assigned to abduct a female hostage from Tipo-Tipo. “Kung may mga kini-kidnap, dadaan ng Zamboanga, may tao na maghihintay
Cassava output up in ARMM COTABATO CITY – Cassava production in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) continues to rise due to a growing domestic industrial demand, the regional office of the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAF-ARMM) said. Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority covering the 1st quarter of 2017, Northern Mindanao was on top among cassava-producing regions with 189.41 thousand metric tons annual harvest, or 32.1% of the national output. ARMM came next with 16.9% and Cagayan Valley with 16.6%. Dr. Albert Usman, regional cassava coordinator of the DAF-ARMM, said the provinces of Lanao Del Sur and Maguindanao are the top cassava producers in the region. The two provinces’ harvest is sold mainly for industrial consumption. Cassava from Basilan and Tawi-Tawi is generally used for food, the DAFARMM official said, noting
that cassava is considered a crop with high economic potential that can have a significant contribution to the region’s agricultural output. He said cassava is regarded as the third most important food crop in the tropics, after rice and corn. Valued by small-scale farmers for its tolerance to drought and infertile soil, the crop is essentially ecoefficient. Dr. Usman also emphasized that DAF-ARMM, through its Gender and Development (GAD) unit, has conducted a series of training sessions on cassava food processing in Talayan, Guindulungan and Sultan Mastura towns in Maguindanao. Such training, he added, could expand the livelihood opportunities for residents in rural communities and at the same time boost the production of the crop in the region. The training focuses on improving the lives of lessfavored sectors of the rural population by means of
utilizing available farm crops, like cassava, which is abundant in the region’s agricultural areas. The participants were taught how to make cassava cake, cassava jelly, cassava puto taktak, and other cassava-based products and delicacies. The program also caters to the needs of the farmers such as giving machinery and cassava graters. GAD focal person Ramla Macatabang said the training is also geared at empowering women and youth to gain basic skills in cassava food processing for entrepreneurial activities, increase their productivity, and to improve family income. Based on DAF-ARMM data, the training program attracted 148 active participants in the towns of Talayan, Guindulungan, as well as in Sultan Mastura. The training program is currently implemented in the provinces of Maguindanao, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan. (Bureau of Public Information)
sa port pa lang ng Zamboanga, tapos iba naman may maghihintay sa Isabela. Pagdating ng Isabela ididiretso sa Lamitan, saka pupunta ng Tipo-Tipo. At kami naghihintay sa Baguindan,” he said. When asked how ASG members treat the victims, Habib said: “Noong ako ang sumundo sa babaeng na-kidnap, gusto ko siya patakasin kasi kawawa lang, pero sinabihan ako ng mga matatanda kong kasama na kapag pinatakas ko, ako daw ang papatayin ng grupo.” Habib, along with his young peers, also witnessed ASG leaders beheading hostages inside their camps. He added that the group’s leaders would first ask for volunteers among them to do the beheading. “Maraming beses na ako nakakita ng pinupugutan na hostage kapag walang mabigay na ransom, kasi kapag may pupugutan na kailangan namin manood lahat, magagalit ang commander kapag hindi namin pinanood,” Habib
explained. “Kung magpapakita ka ng awa sa kanila (hostages), o ng takot sa mangyayari, ikaw ang pagdidiskitahan nila (ASG leaders),” he narrated. He said the commanders, especially the senior leaders, would usually do the beheading when hostages cannot pay for their ransom. Habib said he was also assigned in combat against government soldiers in 2016 in Baguindan. “Kapag may baril ka, matapang ka.” Habib said he led a violent life full of uncertainty until he yearned for a decent and peaceful life as a civilian. “Gusto ko tumakas pero hindi ko alam paano kasi natatakot din ako,” he added. He said he saw an opportunity to escape during his last participation in an encounter against government troops in Baguindan last year. “Pagkatapos ng giyera sa Baguindan, yun na yung pagkakataon na naisip ko na tumakas at sumuko,” he said. “Pagod na kasi ako sa buhay sa loob ng kampo, gusto ko
ng mag-aral, nami-miss ko na ang mga kapatid ko, gusto kong lumabas na hindi natatakot at kailangang magtago,” he said. When he finally reached home, he saw his mother has just gone back home for good. “Ang sayasaya ko nung nakita ko nanay ko na nasa bahay na, kasama ang mga kapatid ko,” he said. “Kaya sumuko na talaga ako para mas maging maayos ang buhay namin lalo na andiyan na ang nanay ko.” He said he wants to go back to school and become a policeman. “Pag nakapagtapos na ako gusto ko maging pulis para ako naman ang poprotekta sa taga Basilan laban sa mga Abu Sayyaf,” he said. Today, Habib is one of the returnees who underwent psycho-social interventions, debriefing, dialogue with the military and government officials, and a brief course on farming to help them reform and start a new life. (Bureau of Public Information)
Zamboanga mayor’s driver go wild at videoke bar for not able to sing favourite songs
ZAMBOANGA CITY – For not able to sing his favourite songs, a driver of Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco reportedly went wild at a local videoke bar, insulted its waitress and even threatened to have the establishment close down. In an exclusive interview by E-Media Television last week, the waitress – whose identity was not disclosed – said the man, who claimed to be Climaco’s driver, threw invectives at her in front of many customers. He even showed an identification card and also threw at her a smaller identification card to show that he is working for the mayor. The waitress said the microphone was still being charged and not available for use and apologized to the driver - who was with
three other male companions - for not being able to sing. But the driver, who name was withheld by the television station, continued with his profanity and cursed the waitress. “Hindi mo ba ako kilala? Hindi mo ba kilala yun kinakalaban mo? Anong ginagawa mo sa akin tanga? O, ayan ang ID ko, driver ako ni Beng, malakas ako sa kanya, kaya kong i-close itong establishment ninyo,” the waitress quoted Climaco’s driver as saying. The incident, she said, occurred on the night of July 28 and the next day, Climaco went to the bar and spoke to its owner to settle down the incident. She and the driver also apologized to the waitress, who claimed that a policeman who was with the
mayor told her to sign an amicable settlement. But the waitress said she was insulted by the mayor’s driver in public so he should also apologize publicly. She said she was not happy with the driver’s apology and wanted him removed from government service. “Hindi okay sa akin, kailangan ipa-disiplina (ang driver). Kailangan matanggal sa trabaho dahil hindi siya karapat-dapat sa gobyerno,” the waitress said. The bar is believed to be located at Yubenco Mall after the woman said other customers from “The Bureau” were also disturbed by the scandalous rant of the mayor’s driver. The Bureau is one of many restaurants at the mall in the village of Tetuan. (Mindanao Examiner)
Questions Arise Around Reliability of Police’s Account of Raid, Killings
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Continued fr om page 1 from Parojinog’s daughter, Nova Princess, Ozamiz City’s Vice-Mayor who police arrested also arrested, accused police of planting drugs at the scene. Skepticism of the accounts by police of anti-drug operations is fully-justified. Human Rights Watch has debunked government claims of the lawful nature of the deaths of more than 7,000 suspected drug users and dealers killed since Duterte took office on June 30, 2016. Interviews with witnesses and victims’ relatives, and analysis of police records, show a pattern of unlawful police conduct designed to paint a veneer of legality over extrajudicial executions.
The majority of those victims have been urban slum dwellers. But police killings of two other city mayors implicated in drug trafficking have also raised questions about police methods and accountability. In October 2016, police killed Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom of Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao in a similar shootout. On November 5, 2016, police shot to death Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera City in Leyte province in what police descr ibed as a firefight in his cell after he brandished a concealed pistol. Espinosa had surrendered to the police following public
accusations by Duterte that he was a drug trafficker. Both the National Bureau of Investigation and the Senate concluded the police officers had committed “premeditated murder.” Despite that ruling, earlier this month, the 18 officers implicated in Espinosa’s death returned to work. Duterte has repeatedly reassured police officers engaged in his “drug war” that they will not face accountability for their actions. He has even promised to pardon them if they face prosecution for killing people. That means police will continue to kill with impunity for the foreseeable future. (By Phelim Kine Human Rights Watch)
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19 soldiers killed in Marawi ambush – Islamic State MARAWI CITY – Local ISIS militants have killed 19 soldiers in an ambush in the besieged city of Marawi where security forces are battling jihadists straight for over two months now, the Islamic State said. The Islamic State made the announcement recently through its Amaq News after the deadly attack on a group of government troops sent to fight the militants. The Philippine military did not issue any statement regarding the claim. Fighting has entered its 3rd month and President Rodrigo Duterte said it may be over soon, but there is no sign the militants are backing down. The local jihadists, composed of Abu Sayyaf fighters and members of the Maute clan, and other pro-ISIS groups are also being backed up by foreign militants – some came
from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, according to the Philippine military. Just recently, Amaq News also released a video clip showing local ISIS militants fighting security forces in Marawi. The two-minute clip showed a small group of fighters led by Omar Maute firing at soldiers from a house they occupied in a village at the heart of the city. Maute and his elder brother Abdullah were previously reported by the military to have died – along with nearly 400 militants – in clashes with army soldiers, although security officials provided no proof of this, except for intelligence information allegedly provided by civilians. In the video, militants – armed with automatic weapons and sniper rifles, could be seen firing at soldiers, but it was unclear
whether there had been casualties in the fighting. It was unknown whether military officials had seen the video which was released by ISIS website on July 20. The military said over 100 soldiers have so far died with more than 900 wounded in the battle since May 23 when local militants occupied Marawi, the capital of Lanao del Sur in the Muslim autonomous region. The extremists have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and vowed to put up a caliphate in the troubled region. The military insisted that over 500 militants were also killed in the battle, but officials gave little or no proof at all to back up the claims, although dozens of civilians were also slain in the battle that displaced some 200,000 people. (Mindanao Examiner)
Bulgarian ‘King of Hackers’ nabbed in Zamboanga City ZAMBOANGA CITY – Local authorities are holding a Bulgarian hacker, who had previously stolen thousands of dollars from Bill Gate’s bank accounts, after he was intercepted in Zamboanga City trying to flee to Tawi-Tawi province near the Malaysian border. The 33-year old Konstantin Simeonov Kavrakov was stopped by the Coast Guard before he could board a ship that would bring him to the southern province. Officials said Kavrakov had no travel documents, except for a Philippine driver’s license card which showed that he was living in
Eastwood Libis, on a posh subdivision in Quezon City near the Philippine capital. According to the U.S.based security website Tripwire, Kavkarov – identified by international law enforcement as the “king of the hackers”, is known to have engaged in ATM and payment card fraud and cloning, among other crimes. And he is a member of the international computer crime ring called the “Super Hacker Bulgarian Group, which has been dealing in bank account information stolen from targets located in the United States and Europe for at least a decade. Kavkarov, it reported,
was imprisoned in Paraguay in 2011 for bank account and credit card fraud and forgery, but managed to escape from jail and then fled to the United States where he was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to serve 2 years in prison. But after serving jail, he travelled to the Philippines and also arrested by the police in 2015 while trying to withdraw money on an ATM from counterfeit credit cards. It was unknown how Kavkarov evaded prison term after being charged with violating either the Republic Act 8484 or the Access Device Regulations Act. (Mindanao Examiner)
Riders pay courtesy to Sulu governor
Sulu Governor Toto Tan with members of the Sniper MX Owners Club in his office in Patikul town. SULU – Members of the local chapter of the Sniper MX Owners Club paid their courtesy to Governor Toto Tan during a recent visit at the Sulu Provincial Capitol in Patikul town. The group also announced that it would hold the first-ever motorcycle show as part of its projects aimed at promoting cama-
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Aug. 7-13, 2017
raderie, peace and unity among riders in the province. Part of the show is a campaign by the motorcycle group to educate owners and riders on traffic rules and regulations, among others. Tan said he is supportive of the advocacy of the Sniper MX Owners Club which has chapters all over
the Philippines. The members of the Sniper MX Owners Club also pledged support to Tan’s peace and development programs and praised him for his efforts in promoting Sulu as a peaceful province and trading hub in this part of the country. (Ahl-franzie Salinas.)
HEALTH: Palakasin Ang Immune System Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong SABI nga ng iba, “Bawal magkasakit!” Paano ba tayo iiwas sa sakit? Magagawa ito kung mapapalakas natin ang depensa ng katawan. Ito ang ating mga white blood cells (puting selula) na pumapatay sa mga mikrobyo, bacteria, virus, at cancer cells. Dalawang klaseng white blood cells: may T cells (gawa ng Thymus gland) at B cells (gawa ng bone marrow). Paano sinusukat ang immune system? Puwedeng tingnan ang dami ng iyong white blood cells (WBC) sa dugo. Ang normal na dami ay 4 to 10. Ang mababa ay 3 to 4. Ang sobrang baba ay wala pang 3. Heto ang mga paraan para maging malakas at masigla ang ating white blood cells: Palakasin ang white blood cells sa pamamagitan ng paginom ng isang multivitamin araw-araw. Kadalasan ay kulang tayo sa zinc, selenium, iron, vitamins B, C at D. Kung tayo’y nagdidiyeta o may sakit, ugaliing uminom ng vitamins. Kumain ng maberde at mapupulang pagkain tulad ng mga gulay, carrots, kalabasa at kamatis.
Dr. Willie T. Ong Mag-ehersisyo pero huwag sobra. Ayon sa isang pagsusuri, mas kaunti ang nagkakasipon kapag regular ang pag-e-ehersisyo. Mag-relax at magpahinga. Mag-aral ng iba’t ibang paraan para magrelax. Puwede ang yoga, masahe, meditation at pagbabakasyon. Magkaroon ng kaibigan o kapamilya na susuporta sa iyo. Malaki ang maitutulong niyan sa pag-iwas sa sakit. Matulog. Kapag may sakit na, kailangan ng katawan ang pahinga. Ang mahimbing na tulog ay talagang nagpapalakas sa ating katawan. Dito inaayos ng ating katawan ang mga nasirang selula. Huwag masyadong magpaaraw. May tulong ang kaunting araw sa paggawa ng Vitamin D sa katawan.
Pero ang sobrang pag-pa- paaraw ay nakasasama sa immune system. Uminom ng 10 basong tubig. Basta may sa-kit, kailangang uminom nang maraming tubig para mailabas ang toxins at init (lagnat) sa katawan. Huwag agad-agad uminom ng antibiotics. Ka-ramihan ng mga sipon at trangkaso ay galing sa virus. Hindi ito mapapagaling ng antibiotics na pu--mapatay lang ng bacteria. Ang sobrang pag-inom ng antibiotics ay puwedeng makasama rin dahil nawawala ang mga friendly bacteria sa katawan. Magtanong muna sa doktor. Magpabakuna. Ma--halaga ang bakuna para maprotektahan ang ating katawan. Sinasanay ng ba-kuna ang paglaban ng katawan sa mga espes-yal na mikrobyo. Sa mga edad 50 pataas, kailangan ng pneumonia vaccine at flu vaccine. Mahalaga rin ang Hepatitis B vaccine at Tetanus vaccine. Sa mga bata, kailangang kumpleto rin ang kanilang bakuna. Magtanong sa inyong doktor.
ARMM tops regional fisheries production COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is the top fish-producing region in the country in 2016, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. Based on the 2016 Fisheries Situationer released by the PSA, the region produced 824,314.52 metric tons of fisheries products in 2016. The region’s production accounts for 18.93% of the country’s total production at 4,354,472.61 metric tons in 2016. Zamboanga Peninsula followed with 554,769.71 metric tons, and MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Tomblon and Palawan) with 482,790.71 metric tons. The situationer report presents the data on volume and value of production of fisheries during the period. It contains information on the current situation by major species of the three fisheries subsector, namely: commercial fisheries, municipal fisheries, and aquaculture. The region is the top producer of roundscad (galunggong) with 24,264.33 metric tons, frigate tuna
(tulingan) with 24,815.91 metric tons, Indian mackerel with 10,737.33 metric tons, eastern little tuna (bonito) with 12,994.80 metric tons, and seaweeds with 613,174.28 metric tons. Janice DesamitoMusali, director of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-ARMM, the high fisheries production of the region could be attributed to different factors. The region also produces the biggest seaweeds volume in the country. The ARMM’s seaweeds production accounts for 43.66% of the country’s total with 1,404,519.23 metric tons. “The coastlines of the islands in the region have wider stretch, which is very suitable for seaweeds farming,” Musali said. “Good weather conditions, lesser occurrences of ‘ice-ice’ diseases, good quality planting materials and favorable water conditions enhance the growth of seaweeds in our region.” A total of 159,123 fishermen are operating in the 18,426,613 hectares of territorial water area under the
region’s administrative jurisdiction. The fishing grounds in the region include Illana Bay, Moro Gulf, Basilan Strait, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea. In 2015 and 2016, the region was also the country’s highest producer of fishery products. The region produced 867,272 metric tons in 2015, and 856,957.27 metric tons in 2014 – a contribution equivalent to 18.65% and 18.27% of national production, respectively. The region also posted the highest inland fisheries production with 243,134.78 metric tons, followed by Zamboanga Peninsula with 126,575.07 metric tons, and Central Luzon with 92,609.51 metric tons. The Fisheries report serves as an output of the four fisheries surveys regularly conducted by the PSA. The surveys are Quarterly Commercial Fisheries Survey, Quarterly Municipal Fisheries Survey, Quarterly Inland Fisheries Survey and Quarterly Aquaculture Survey. (Bureau of Public Information)
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Aug. 7-13, 2017