Environmentalists, Church oppose lifting of open-pit mining ban ENVIRONMENTALISTS have criticized Department of Environment and Natural Resources for not making a strong stand against destruction of natural resources and the environment following its failure to stand firmly against open-pit mining operations in the country, especially in the southern region of Mindanao.
Founded 2006
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippine also joined the calls for DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu to heed public clamor and appeal by environmentalist organizations to put a stop to open-pit mining. Father Edwin Gariguez, of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) / Caritas Philippines – the humanitarian, development,
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and advocacy arm of the CBCP) - urged Cimatu to act in compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte's order against destructive mining. He said Cimatu should not accept the proposal of the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) to lift the ban on open-pit mining. Continue on page 3
Inday Sara to run for Congress, Paolo set to retire DAVAO CITY – Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, this early, has announced his retirement from politics, but hinted to a “CarpioDuterte” tandem will still lead Davao City. This after his sister, Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio told reporters here that she will run as a representative of the first congressional district
here. She also brushed aside a senatorial bid, saying, incumbent First District Representative Karlo Nograles is reported to be eyeing a Senate seat. "When Mayor Sara announced that she will file for a congressional seat in the first District, everybody's asking me where I am going. It will still be a CarpioDuterte tandem in the
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mayor and vice mayor, we are still talking to the other Dutertes, but definitely it will not be me," he said. He said lawyer Manases Carpio, the mayor’s husband, is “very qualified” to lead the city with his background in the law profession. He added that talks are ongoing with the youngest of the Duterte Continue on page 2
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ISIS funded Marawi siege: Military
M
ARA WI CIT Y - The IIslamic slamic S tate gr oup sent ARAWI CITY State group at least $1.5 million to finance the rrecently ecently ended siege of the souther n P hilippine southern Philippine city of M ar awi, with the assault leaders Mar arawi, using the 2014 IS seizur e of the IIrraqi city of M osul as a seizure Mosul bluepr int, Ar med F or ces Chief G en. E duar do Año said. blueprint, Armed For orces Gen. Eduar duardo The battle defeats of the military campaign the brutal group in Syria that ended the fiveand Iraq, and now the IS- month siege in Marawi aligned gunmen in this week. Marawi, however, show a "They underestimajor vulnerability of the mated the reaction of the extremists: Their auda- different countries in the cious territorial world, the alliances. With occupations tend to what happened in Mosul, crumble over time as the Philippines and they're cornered in urban Raqqa, the different settings by the relentless countries are now confifirepower of U.S.-backed dent that if ever an ISIS offensives, Año said in an siege would erupt ... they interview with The Asso- now have the recipe or the formula to fight it," ciated Press. T h e Año said, adding that the counterterrorism victo- Philippine militar y is r ies have given ready to share its battle governments confidence experiences in mosquethat IS — which shocked studded Marawi. The siege, which was the world with its rise a few years ago — could be launched on May 23, left stopped and defeated, more than 1,100 combatsaid Ano, who oversaw ants and civilians dead,
including more than 900 militants, and displaced some 400,000 residents, including the entire population of Marawi, a bastion of the Islamic faith in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines. Military airstrikes, artillery and heavy machine-gun fire turned the lakeside city's central business district and outlying communities into a smoldering wasteland of disfigured buildings and bullet-pocked mosques and houses. It was one of the most devastating urban fights the countr y has witnessed since World War II, the military chief said. Like in Mosul, the black-flag waving militants plotted to launch the Marawi siege on the first day of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting, but they were
Inday Sara to run for Congress, Paolo set to retire Continued fr om page 1 from siblings, Sebastian. "If you will ask me where I would go, I will be going back to farming. I am planning to retire," the vice mayor said. Duterte said he had enough of politics and wanted to focus more of his family and to his
small farm at the back of his house. He said his children have been affected by the issues thrown against him by his political enemies like Senator Antonio Trillanes. He said that his daughter, Sabina, cried in front of him and his
wife, January, after hearing the accusations of Tr illanes against him. Tr illanes accused the vice mayor of being a member of an international triad involved in dealing with illegal dr ugs that he vehemently denied. (Funny Pearl Gajunera)
forced to stage the attack prematurely after Philippine army troops raided the hideout of its leaders. They also took hundreds of hostages as human shields and employed snipers to slow the advance of the military, Año said. "Ever y day, they watched videos of ISIS in Mosul," Año said of the Marawi siege leaders, including Isnilon Hapilon, a top Asian terror suspect who was recently killed by Filipino troops. "That was their blueprint, that was their pattern," he said, adding that troops recovered Islamic State group video discs of the Mosul violence in captured militant positions in Marawi. It took about three weeks for thousands of government forces, which have been battling insurgents in jungle settings, to adopt to the urban fighting, Año said. Two battalions of marines, for example, got stuck in a beach until a combat engineering battalion was quickly organized to clear mounds of debris that allowed them to move inland. The massive offensive led to the killings of at least 10 key terror suspects from different extremist groups that have pledged allegiance to the IS, including
Hapilon, four siblings belonging to the local Maute clan, and Indonesian and Malaysian militants, he said. It would have taken five to 10 years for troops to hunt down and find all those militant leaders in the jungles of the south, where Ano said the extremists had mastery of the terrain and support from local clans. The leaders of the bloody insurrection, who came from different ethnic backgrounds, were linked by their desire to be recognized by IS as its Southeast Asian branch and obtain funding from the Middle East-based group. When the militants forged an alliance, IS sent $1.5 million in batches to finance the attack, Ano said, citing intelligence information, including some provided by the United States. But Año said the Marawi militants, like their Middle East counterparts, were blindsided by their ambition and miscalculated the response to their plot, which involved the seizure of a military camp in Marawi. "They thought that they can get the helicopters and armored vehicles and the people of Marawi will protect them, and there will be a flag flying and they can
all it their own, an enclave, and probably more foreign fighters will come," Ano said. Tens of thousands of Marawi residents, however, abandoned the city in panic and troops managed to secure Marawi's military camp and other vital areas. The United States and Australia later deployed surveillance aircraft that provided real-time images of militant positions, even at night — modern warfare technology that, coupled with the tenacity of Filipino troops, became a "game changer" in the massive effort to liberate the city, Año said. The militar y firepower was designed to push the militants to a coastal area where they could be overcome more easily, said the veteran combat general, who called the Marawi offensive the greatest battle of his military career. Año retired last week. "We designed a ver y good campaign to flush them out and pressure them and canalize them into the chosen engagement areas," he said. "We call it constriction." Duterte named Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Rey Leonardo Guerrero as the new Armed Forces of the Philippines Chiefof-Staff. ( Jim Gomez, AP)
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DAR beneficiaries told to sustain, expand livelihood projects
Agrarian Secretary Rosalina Bistoyong listens to agrarian reform beneficiary Gloria Aguilar explains the strategies she will employ to sustain and expand the egg-laying chickens with egg dispersal machines project she received during the turnover ceremony of livelihood projects recently in the village of Centrala in Surallah town in South Cotabato province. Also in the photo is DAR-12 Director Nasser M. Musali and top DAR officials.
SOUTH COTABATO - The Department of Agrarian Reform urged beneficiaries of the government’s agrarian reform program to develop, sustain and expand the livelihood projects that are part of the comprehensive support services they receive from DAR. DAR Secretary Rosalina Bistoyong made this encouragement after spearheading the distribution of various livelihood projects to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in villages in Surallah town recently. A total of 9 selected
ARBs from three villages in Surallah received egg-laying chickens with egg dispersal machines and hog dispersal kits. “Our responsibilities do not end upon receipt of these livelihood projects. We need to ensure their sustainability to benefit the other ARBs,” she said. An increase of household income of ARBs through livelihood projects will also help end cases where awarded lands are leased or sold, Bistoyong said. The turnover ceremony was also joined Surallah Mayor Antonio
Bendita; Director Leomides Villareal of the Public Affairs and Media Relations Service of DAR Central Office; DAR Region 12 Director Nasser Musali and other top DAR officials in the region. Castro said the aim of the project is to develop and build a purposedriven community through sustainable livelihood. Bendita also thanked DAR for the project and he expressed full support to the thrusts and programs DAR to help farmers uplift their lives. ( With a report from Rhoderick Beñez)
Military readying troops to fight Sayyaf, BIFF DAVAO CITY – The military is readying its forces to fight the notorious Abu Sayyaf group allied with the ISIS and other jihadist organizations in the restive Muslim autonomous region. Defense Secretary
Delfin Lorenzana said security forces would now focus its efforts on those militant groups following the end of five months of deadly battle with local ISIS fighters in the besiege city of Marawi. The battle left over 960
militants and 165 soldiers dead, including 47 civilians and displaced more than 200,000 people. Lorenzana said troops will now run after the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu province and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in
Environmentalists, Church oppose lifting of open-pit mining ban Continued fr om page 1 from Former DENR Secretary Gina Lopez ordered the ban on all open-pit mining operations because of its destructive effects on the environment and communities around them. “The lifting of ban on open pit is MICC recommendation. Cimatu should make a stand not to accept it, as President Duterte himself committed in his State of the National Address that he will not allow destructive mining,” Gariguez said. Just last week, the MICC – which has been lobbying
for lifting of the ban - voted to reverse Lopez’s order. But Cimatu said that majority of MICC members had voted to recommend a change in the policy of the DENR with regards to its Administrative Order (DAO) 2017-10. Most of the inter-agency members wanted the ban lifted, provided that mining laws, rules and regulations are strictly enforced. Cimatu co-chairs the MICC with Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who has an interest in the mining industry.
Last April, Lopez issued DAO banning the open pit mining and has also ordered the closure of 23 mining operations across the country for various violations. Lopez stepped down after her appointment was rejected by the Commission on Appointments. The NASSA/Caritas Philippines has been supporting movements and initiatives towards climate justice, fighting the illegal and irresponsible mining practices in the country. (Ferdinand Patinio)
Inday Sara wants Marawi war refugees to stay in Davao while rehab is ongoing DAVAO CITY - Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she wants was refugees from the war-ravaged Marawi City to stay here until it is safe to return home and while government rehabilitation efforts are completed. “Sa pagka-karon, wala pay na put-up nga infrastructure, I don’t think duna sila’y livelihood pagbalik nila didto (For now, no infrastructure is being established there, I don’t think they will have a livelihood if they return home),” she said. Carpio said the City Government will coordi-
nate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to arrange their return as soon as police and military authorities allow the evacuees to return to Marawi. “The same way nga giassist sa pagsulod nila, i-assist usab sila pagbalik nila (The same way that if we assisted them when they come here in the city, we will also assist them when they go back),”she said, adding, the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) has already discouraged some evacuees
from going back home, not just yet. Davao City has nearly 500 refugees. Carpio urged them to temporarily stay here until it is safe to return to their homes, saying, security forces are still clearing Marawi of booby traps and improvised explosives left behind by local ISIS militants who occupied the city on May 23. Fighting ended just last week. “We do not think that Marawi is the place that can accommodate them as of this time,” Carpio said. (Armando B. Fenequito Jr.)
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Maguindanao province, and other allied groups in other parts of the region. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said he would order the military to go after the rebel group New People’s Army following the collapsed of peace talks due to continued communist attacks on government targets in Mindanao. Duterte trashed peace negotiations with communist leaders and
abandoned efforts by his peace negotiators to convince rebels to stop attacks on government and military targets. Rebels demanded the immediate release of nearly 500 political prisoners, mostly commanders and NPA leaders, as a condition for the resumption of the stalled talks. Duterte already freed over 2 dozen communist leaders, but the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,
the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, said the President should have released all political prisoners. Rebels have vowed to continue attacks on military targets as government peace negotiators failed miserably to convince the separatist group to sign a ceasefire accord and pursue talks aimed at ending the decades-old insurgency in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
It’s Laguindingan Airport, Not Cagayan de Oro Airport CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—What's in a name? A big deal, apparently, for Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano. Emano disclosed he personally complained recently to Cebu Pacific CEO Lance Gokongwei to change the landing spiel of the airline’s flight attendants upon touch down at the Laguindingan Airport. The airport is located in the town of Laguindingan in the provinces, and not Cagayan de Oro City in the neighboring province of Misamis Oriental,
some 35 kilometers away. Emano insisted the use of Laguindingan by airlines to identity the airport's current location, saying those who still use Cagayan de Oro Airport are misleading their passengers. The Laguindingan Airport was built in 2013 to replace the old Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City, which is now being used by the Philippine Air Force. It was transferred due to its ideal location and proximity to the coast. Meanwhile, the Philippine Airlines said their domestic flights have al-
ready revised the landing spiel, welcoming passengers that they “have landed in Laguindingan, your gateway to Cagayan de Oro.” Emano said his request to Gokongwei was made during the sidelines of the opening of Cebu Pacific’s new hub at the Laguindingan Airport. The opening of the Laguindingan hub of Cebu Pacific would mean a focus of more flights emanating from or going to this destination. Cebu Pacific currently serves a total of 146 weekly flights out Laguindingan. (Mark Francisco)
Philippines thanks Australia, U.S., China and Russia for anti-terror support
DEFENSE SECRETARY Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippines has been getting continued support and assistance from Australia, China, Russia and United States in the fight against terrorism. Lorenzana acknowledged the substantial assistance to the government by the three countries in the wake of the battle against local ISIS militants in Marawi City and their willingness to extend their efforts to help the Philippines combat terror threats hounding the country. He personally thanked U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis during their bilateral talks about his government’s assistance during the siege in Marawi. “I thanked him
for the assistance that the U.S. has given us in the fight against terrorism in Marawi City which I think is substantial assistance to us like the use of their assets such as surveillance planes and drones. They also provided us some information about terrorism,” Lorenzana said. Lorenzana also said that he is also looking forward to the U.S. plan to come up with programs that could help fight terrorism. He likewise cited the Chinese government’s assistance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Marawi City. This includes the 35 units of heavy equipment such as of bulldozers, loaders, dump trucks received by
the Department of Public Works and Highways recently. The Armed Forces of the Philippines in June received 6,000 automatic M16 rifles, 90 sniper rifles, ammunition for M16s and M14s. Lorenzana said the Chinese government would provide four fast patrol boats to military to be used in guarding the Sulu Sea. He said Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne announced that their defense force would provide mobile training teams for the urban warfare counter-terrorism in the country. Russia also donated weapons and trucks to the military which President Rodrigo Duterte praised. (Zorayda Tecson)
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Duterte urges ASEAN lawyers to instil best practices in profession PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE has encouraged the ASEAN Law Association (ALA) to promote among its members the best practices in the law profession. Duterte made this statement as he graced the
special commemorative session of the Governing Council of ALA at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace recently. In his speech, the President called on ALA to continue providing opportunities for the
meaningful exchange of knowledge and information among lawyers from ASEAN nations. “Let us work together in instilling upon your members the best practices in the profession so that they
Hustisya sa pinaslang na brodkaster
can become crucial players in building a stronger and more dynamic regional community,” he said. Duterte also expressed hopes that ALA would become instrumental in addressing the scourge of poverty that afflicts the region as well as transnational crimes and terrorism. He explained that when these problems are addressed, it will result in the creation of an environment where businesses
can flourish and where people can live in lasting peace and prosperity. ALA is a non-governmental organization of lawyers in the ASEAN region that was established in 1979. As the only non-governmental law organization recognized by the ASEAN Charter, it mandates its members to help form and implement the ASEAN Economic Community. Also present during the
event were ASEAN Law Association President lawyer Avelino Cruz, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, former President Gloria Arroyo, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban. And also Chief Justice Kifrawi Dato Kifli, of Brunei, Chief Justice Muhammad Hatta Ali, of Indonesia, the Association Secretary General Regina Geraldez, and ASEAN InterParliamentary Secretary General Isra Sunthornvut.
BOC orders faster processing of cargo docs Ang napaslang na brodkaster na si Christopher Lozada sa larawan mula sa kanyang Facebook account.(Mindanao Examiner) CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Humihingi ngayon ng hustisya ang pamilya at mga kaibigan ng pinaslang na radio station manager ng dxBF Prime sa Bislig City sa Surigao del Sur noon nakaraang linggo. Tinambangan ng mga armadong nakasakay sa van si Christopher Lozada, 29, at ang kasamang si Honey Faith Indog matapos na mag-slow down ang kanilang kotse habang pauwi sa bahay. Nakabuntot umano ang mga salarin at dinikitan nito ang sasakyan ni Lozada at saka niratrat ng
malapitan. Dead on the spot si Lozada na siyang operations manager at anchorman ng dxBF Prime Broadcasting Network. Naisugod naman sa pagamutan ang babae matapos na tumakas ang mga kriminal, ngunit hindi pa mabatid ang kalagayan ni Indog. Nakakatanggap umano ng mga pagbabanta sa kanyang buhay si Lozada dahil sa kanyang trabaho bilang brodkaster. May programa ito na “Batikos ni Chris Rapido” na kung saan ay ibat-ibang isyu ang kanyang tinatalakay. Sa
kanyang post sa Facebook nitong Oktubre 15 ay ito ang kanyang inilagay: I’m not an activist; I don’t look for controversy. I’m not a political person, but I’m a person with compassion. I care passionately about equal rights. I care about human rights. I care about animal rights.” Walang umako sa pagpatay kay Lozada na ikalimang mamanahayag na pinaslang sa ilalim ng isang taon administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, ayon sa media watchdog National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER Isidro Lapeña has issued an order setting a five-day mandatory timeframe to respond to all clients or companies transacting business with the Bureau of Customs. The order, contained in Customs Memorandum Order No. 24-2017, was in compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to fast-track processing of documents in government offices. “Communication letters, requests, and other permits shall be acted by the concerned office within five days upon receipt of documents. When there's delay, there is grease money,” Lapeña said. Lapeña noted that delays have caused the importers to resort to
bribery and look for people who can facilitate their shipments and documents. Once shipments are facilitated, most of the times the importers resort to benchmarking, one of the reasons why the BOC cannot hit the target set by the Department of Finance, he said. At the same time, the BOC chief ordered the Account Management Office (AMO) to streamline the procedures in the accreditation of importers and brokers. Pertaining to AMO as the first show window of the bureau, he criticized the said office for the delays, stressing that it takes a month or two before the documents are released. "Once documents are complete, the processing
time shall start and it should not exceed five days," he said. With this, the BOC chief urged applicants to report to the Office of the Commissioner if their permits were not yet released by AMO within the 5-day timeframe. "The Bureau of Customs is now two steps in eradicating the centurypractice of graft and corruption in the agency," he said. The order was also issued pursuant to RA 6713 known as Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards from Public Officials and Employees, RA 9845 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, and SONA Directive No. 2017-0010 of Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco. (Ferdinand Patinio)
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NSA Concealed Records on JFK Assassination For Decades
THERE IS SOMETHING perverse about the fact that President Donald Trump, the exuberant and all-too-successful spinner of conspiracy theories, and deeply ignorant of American history besides, will oversee the release of the remaining classified files related to the assassination of his presidential predecessor, John F. Kennedy. In 1992, Congress approved, and former President George H.W. Bush signed, the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act. They were prodded by an Oliver Stone film on the killing released the year prior and the resulting flurry of public interest. The act mandated the disclosure of all assassinationrelated records no later than 25 years after its signing, by October 26, 2017 — last Thursday. While federal agencies can contest the release of the documents on the grounds of “identifiable harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or conduct of foreign relations” that “outweighs the public interest in disclosure,” according to the act, the chief executive gets the final say in all such cases. In other words, much of what we can still hope to learn about the JFK assassination hinges on Trump. The estimated 113,000 pages of material, presently with the National Archives, are known from metadata searches to contain extensive mentions of Cuba and the former Soviet Union. Two documents provided by National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden and published for the first time today further underline how closely the intelligence community has held information related to Cuba’s potential role in the killing, indicating that the NSA for decades has kept secret its efforts to monitor Cuban agents’ communications in the aftermath of the event. Details from and about U.S. intelligence-gathering against Cuba, even if historic in nature, have particular resonance amid a new chill in diplomatic relations between the two countries, and in the wake of documents released earlier this summer showing that CIA officials believed that the investigation into the president’s death paid insufficient attention to assassin Lee Harvey Oswald’s contacts with Cuba. The sensational potential of the release is not lost on the president, who over the weekend tweeted that: “Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened.” But an official from the National Security Council told the Washington Post last week that a number of government agencies have already appealed to Trump to block portions of the release. Jefferson Morley, former Washington Post reporter and author of “Our Man in Mexico: Winston Scott and the Hidden History of the CIA,” believes the most substantive disclosures in the documents will likely include details on CIA operations in Mexico City, as well as the agency’s surveillance of Oswald during his time in the Mexican
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Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2017
capital prior to the assassination. Morley doesn’t expect to find any smoking gun from the release, though the clear desire for one among at least some portion of the public speaks to the enduring allure of a grand assassination conspiracy over the conclusions put forth in a nearly 900-page report, informed by a year of research from the investigative government entity assembled to get to the bottom of JFK’s death, the Warren Commission. The commission’s findings — that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of conspiracy, either foreign or domestic — has been met with public incredulity well into the 21st century: According to a 2013 Washington Post-ABC News Poll, over 60 percent of Americans believe Oswald was part of a larger plot to kill the president. Though the Warren Commission did examine Oswald’s potential connections to Cuba, its conclusion that there was no foreign conspiracy precluded further public investigation into Cuban involvement. The lack of such a formal inquiry itself fed a theory that the assassination traced back to Fidel Castro. Such involvement would contradict a widely repeated account from French journalist Jean Daniel, who was with Castro when news of the assassination reached Cuba. According to a piece Daniel later penned for The New Republic, the revolutionary leader was lunching at his summer home in the Cuban beach town of Varadero when he learned that JFK had been shot. “Es una mala noticia” — this is bad news — Castro repeated three times over, not yet sure whether Kennedy has survived the shooting, Daniel reported. Castro may have worried that Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon Johnson, would be more sympathetic to Cuba hawks within Kennedy’s cabinet. His concerns were well-founded; not only was the near-catastrophic U.S.-Soviet missile crisis centered on the island just 13 months past, but Defense Secretary Robert McNamara and the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been weighing the possibility of what would come to be known as Operation Northwoods, a successor to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. Northwoods envisioned staged aggressions and even terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and Cuban emigrés, which would in turn be pinned on Castro, according to “Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the UltraSecret National Security Agency” a book by investigative reporter James Bamford. But while government investigations concluded that Cuba was not potentially culpable in Kennedy’s death, U.S. spies had produced intelligence on possible Cuban and Russian involvement in the plot, intelligence so sensitive it remained classified decades later. That’s according to the two Snowden documents. The first of these documents, a classification guide on the JFK assassination dated June 23, 2000, makes extensive reference to signals intelligence operations surrounding the Cuban missile crisis, the specifics of which are also elaborated in a second classification guide published on June 30, 2008. Among the details
deemed “top secret” in the JFK assassination guide are the NSA’s efforts to target and intercept Cuban diplomats’ and agents’ communications, as well as its knowledge of the cover names of the Cuban agents whose communications it was listening in on. The missile crisis guide, meanwhile, states that the NSA was targeting Soviet general staff communications, suggesting a more comprehensive take than listening in on specific Soviet diplomats or spies; the provenance of the document indicates that this information remained classified at least until 2008. In light of the amount of time passed, one can’t help but wonder why the NSA has been so determined to keep Cuban agents’ names and its 1960s intelligence-gathering mechanisms classified. (The agency declined our request for comment.) According to William LeoGrande, professor of government at American University and co-author of “Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana,” “It may be that the Cuban diplomats and agents involved are still active. Remember that the Cubans who entered the revolutionary government were very young at the time.” Regardless of whether the Cuban actors in question are still operating, it remains unclear why the NSA decided to keep its 1960s signals intelligence activities and subjects classified. Perhaps some communication-monitor ing methods were still in place when the assassination guide was produced, almost a decade and a half before former President Barack Obama’s move to normalize relations with the Castro government. And it’s possible Trump will want to keep them under wraps; his administration is quickly tearing Obama’s efforts asunder. Trump promised to walk back normalization in a speech in Miami in June, ensuring strict enforcement of the half-century-long embargo against Cuba and banning any form of exchange with entities run by the Cuban military, which controls an estimated 50 to 60 percent of the island’s economy. In that same speech, he praised veterans of the Bay of Pigs invasion; a group of such veterans, Brigade 2506, pledged formal support of Trump’s 2016 presidential bid in fall of last year. Obama-era diplomatic efforts deteriorated further in recent weeks as mysterious sonic attacks affecting U.S. spies and diplomats in Cuba prompted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to withdraw 60 percent of staff at the U.S. embassy in Havana and expel 15 Cuban diplomats from Washington, D.C. The NSA’s desire in recent decades to keep details of bygone intelligence operations classified may speak to the highly sensitive content of some of the Kennedy materials. The slated release, according to Morley, includes files on top CIA officers in the ’60s and ’70s, as well as hundreds of pages on the Watergate burglars. “I have always believed that some of these documents are so sensitive and embarrassing … the agencies
HEALTH: Maling Paniniwala: Bakuna at Pag-sepilyo Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong MAY MGA paniniwala ang iba nating kababayan na nakasasama sa kalusugan ng kanilang pamilya. Sana ay makumbinsi ko sila na baguhan ang maling paniniwala na ito: Maling paniniwala numero 1: “Bilang magulang, hindi ko kailangan turuan magsepilyo ang aking anak.” Paliwanag: Ayon sa isang pagsusuri ng 1,200 batang Pilipino, 92% o halos lahat ng mga bata ay may sirang ngipin. Karamihan sa mga bata ay nangingilo ang ngipin at may butas na. Sa aming medical mission, tinanong ko ang isang nanay kung bakit sira-sira ang ngipin ng kanyang 2 taong gulang anak. Ang sabi ng nanay, “Kasalanan iyan ni Junior. Ayaw niya kasi mag-sepilyo. Kaya siya nagkaganyan!” Kawawa naman si Junior na walang kamuang-muang kung ano ang sinasabi ng nanay niya. Para sa mga magulang, dapat ninyong
Dr. Willie T. Ong turuan ang mga anak magsepilyo. Bantayan sila kung nag-se-sepilyo ba ng 3 beses sa maghapon. Silipin ang kanilang bibig. Kung hindi ninyo sila tuturuan, malamang ay masisira ang kanilang ngipin. Responsibilidad iyan ng magulang. Maling paniniwala numero 2: “Ayaw kong pabakunahan ang aking mga anak. Hindi iyan mahalaga at takot ako sa bakuna.” Paliwanag: Nakakataka pero mayroon pa ring mga Pilipino na ayaw pabakunahan ang kanilang
anak sa health center. Kahit libre na ang bakuna ay ayaw pa rin nila. Mayroon silang maling paniniwala na masama ang bakuna. Kaawa-awa naman ang mga bata. Kapag hindi nabakunahan si beybi laban sa tigdas, polio, tuberculosis at iba pang sakit, ay maaaring magkakasakit siya nito sa ibang araw. Dahil hindi protektado ang bata laban sa mga sakit, posibleng tamaan siya ng tigdas at mamatay. Baka magka-komplikasyon pa sa utak at spinal cord. Napakalaki ang benepisyo ng bakuna para malabanan ang mga mikrobyo sa paligid. Kahit ang mga may edad ay may binabakunahan din laban sa trangkaso at pulmonya. Tandaan: Libre ang bakuna sa bata na binibigay ng ating Department of Health. Magtiwala sa inyong doktor. Ibigay ang tamang pagkalinga sa mga anak. Pabakunahan si beybi ngayon sa pinakamalapit na health center.
RECIPE: Fish Lumpia
INGREDIENT S: INGREDIENTS:
– 1 large boneless bangus (milkfish) – 8 pieces lumpia wrapper – 1 medium yellow onion, minced – ½ cup minced carrot – ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
– ¾ cup minced jicama (singkamas) – 1 ½ teaspoons salt – ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper – 1 egg – 2 cups cooking oil
INSTR UCTIONS: INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Preheat oven to 370F (188C). 2) Arrange the bangus in a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes or until flaky 3) Remove from the oven. Let it cool down. Scrape the meat from the fish and place in a bowl. 4) Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once the oil becomes hot, sauté onion and celery. Add the carrot. Sauté for 30 seconds 5) Add the chopped parsley, and fish flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 30 seconds. Arrange in a large bowl. 6) Put the minced singkamas into the bowl along with the egg. Stir until all ingredients are well blended. 7) Cut the lumpia wrapper in half to form two triangles. Lay a piece of triangular wrapper in a flat surface wherein the base of the triangle is located below. 8) Scoop 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fish mixture and arrange on the lower part of the wrapper. Mold using your hands to form a long cylinder and partially press to compress the mixture. Secure the filling by folding both sides of the wrapper inwards until the mixture is covered. Roll the wrapper starting from the bottom to the top. Dip your finger in egg white or water and rub it over the tip of the wrapper to make it sticky. Gently the press the tip against the egg rolls to secure. Do this until all the fish mixture is consumed. Note: watch the video below for more details on how to wrap the egg roll properly. 9) Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Once the oil gets hot enough, start to fry the egg rolls. Make sure to retain extra space in the pan to equally cook the rolls. Cook one side for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over to cook the other side. 10) Transfer to a cooling rack. Let the oil drip. 11) Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. 12) Share and enjoy! (http://www.panlasangpinoy.com) are going to request continued postponement,” said Morley. Some of that embarrassment lies in the intelligence community’s own ties to the five Watergate burglars, several of whom were reportedly former CIA agents or recruits. In response to an inquiry from The Intercept as to whether the CIA has indeed re-
quested continued classification, the agency responded that it “continues to engage in the process to determine the appropriate next steps with respect to any previously unreleased CIA information.” Reports that several government agencies have asked Trump to exempt certain JFK documents from this week’s
release deadline casts into relief the antagonistic relationship between the president and the intelligence community. The intelligence community’s priorities, at least, seem clear. As Morley said, “If the CIA has a chance to keep a sensitive secret, they keep it.” (Miriam Pensack / The Intercept)
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P10 Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2017
Peso still stable amid hitting 11-year lows HOPES FOR additional hikes in the Federal Reserve rates as well as naming of a hawk to head the Fed are the recent reasons for the drop of the Philippine peso to its 11-year low to a greenback, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Gover nor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. He assured the peso remains stable and that there is no need to worry about its recent depreciation, adding, it is just part of an “adjustment process.” He stressed that domestic economic fundamentals remain sound, with external debt still low, inflation remains manageable, growth continues to be fir m and the current account, despite being in deficit, is still “highly financeable.” “The Philippines today is a very different economy than the crisis economy in the 1980s wherein our reserves are negative if you include the liabilities of the BSP,” he said. Espenilla said the BSP does not need to intervene big time on the peso since the central bank has taken a market-determined
policy on the foreign exchange. “The exchange rate is a policy instrument of the BSP not a target so it is allowed to move flexibly in line with global external and domestic shocks,” he said, noting that “all of the fears and uncertainties in the world are reflected in the day to day volatility of the exchange rate.” He considers the latest depreciation level of the local unit as moderate and gradual and assured the public that the central bank is always ready on its “tactical intervention” to address extreme volatility. “My only point is that it is not a target for the BSP but we believe that the peso is going to be generally stable over the medium term horizon,” he said. Espenilla also said there is no need to adjust policy rates because of the latest peso movement because increasing the key rates, which is focused on inflation, “has a bigger economy-wide impact.” “If the foreign exchange is already beginning to influence inflation in a way that makes us breach our target, then that may
warrant a response from the BSP. But I said we have other tools. We've got big reserves that we use for tactical intervention,” he said. The BSP currently have one of the lowest key policy rates in the world. To date, its overnight borrowing or reverse repurchase rate is three percent, the overnight lending or repurchase rate is 3.5 percent and rate of the special deposit account rate is 2.5 percent. These three represent the central bank’s Interest Rate Corridor, put in place since June 2016 to make the BSP better manage inflation and support long term growth. As of end-September this year, the country’s gross international reser ves reached $81.35 billion, enough to cover 8.5 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. However, average inflation rate in the first nine months this year stood at 3.1 percent, within the government’s two to four percent target for 2017 to 2019 and below the central bank’s 3.2 percent forecast for the threeyear period. ( Joann Villanueva)
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Bohol is ‘Most Business-Friendly Province’ CEBU – Bohol province has won the “Most BusinessFriendly Local Government Unit of the Philippines” from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). The award was handed by President Rodrigo Duterte to Governor Edgar Chatto during the recently concluded 43rd Philippine Business Conference (PBC) and Expo at the Manila Hotel. Chatto presented Bohol’s initiatives and accomplishments under the five criteria of the prestigious award. Also present during the awarding were Depart-
Western Mindanao
ment of Trade and Industry (DTI) Sec. Ramon Lopez and Bohol Acting Vice Gov. Venzencio Arcamo. Bohol landed among the 14 finalists in the search for the Most Business-Friendly Province in the country conducted by PCCI which annually awards local government units, including cities and municipalities that have demonstrated outstanding efforts in instituting good governance reforms. These reforms must have promoted trade and investment, transparency, accountability, and efficiency in delivering business services to fuel in-
Cebu
clusive growth in the locality. The other finalist provinces were Aklan, Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite, Cebu, Davao del Norte, Isabela, La Union, Negros Occidental, Pangasinan, South Cotabato and Tarlac. Cebu was a past winner. The criteria were based on trade, investments, and tourism promotions; public-private partnership; micro, small and medium enterprise development; quality management system, innovations, and human resource development; and inter-local government relation.
Manila