Zambo Norte OFW escapes from ordeal in Lebanon Read on page 7
Beware, we are right in the eye of a storm By Jun Ledesma
OPINION:
THEY CAN DENY it, but there are destabilization efforts being waged in many fronts although these are rather crude and puny. But some of these feeble exercises can bring them to court. The case of the UP dean of the College of Engineering had the temerity to put in writing his seditious call for students and teachers under his
Founded 2006
department to join September 21 rally being organized by the opposition and the leftist organizations against what they branded as the dictatorial regime of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. While she recanted her statement and even deleted the letter she posted on FB, her call had impacted on the UP students. The message carries with it a subliminal threat for those
who are not sympathetic to her ideology, political affiliation and her agenda. Of course the state scholars at the University of the Philippines have enough brains between their ears whether to rally against the regime of Duterte or not. To prod them by way of a letter-directive is entirely a different story and that is Continue on page 7
Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos views the photographs of bruises Cecile Tubadan has kept in her cellular phone. (Photo by Gualberto Laput)
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P10 September 24-30, 2018
Shut down mining activities!
NVIR ONMENT AL GR OUPS hav e asked the NVIRONMENT ONMENTAL GROUPS have Department of Environment and Natural Resources or DENR to shut down mining firms being blamed for the destruction of the t he environment and pollution that put at great risks not only the communities around them, but also the people and animals. Even the Catholic the National Secretariat for Church has repeatedly Social Action (NASSA)/ demanded a stop on all Caritas Philippines also destructive mining urged the DENR - now activities in the country. And headed by Sec. Roy Cimatu -
E
to sustain its earlier closure order issued by then Sec. Gina Lopes against largescale mining companies to prevent further environmental damage. “Mas malaki ang impact ng large scale (mining). What (DENR Secretary Roy) Cimatu should have done is to uphold the cancellation by Continue on page 3
Complaints mounting over Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program payout TAWI-TAWI – Legitimate beneficiaries of the government’s poverty alleviation program called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps here have complained that “fake” beneficiaries are allegedly receiving payout and that many of them
were not actually poor. One villager in Bongao town alleged that many 4Ps beneficiaries there are not even entitled to receive such benefits and has asked the government to investigate the scam. “Bakit po ba dito sa aming sa Tawi-Tawi ay
marami pa rin po until now ang naging beneficiaries ng 4Ps na hindi naman karapatdapat tulad ng mga dalaga na wala pang anak, at mga mayasawa na wala rin anak, at hindi naman gaanong naghihirap dahil may tindahan, lupa o boarding Continue on page 2
A soldier keeps an eye over a mining area in Zamboanga province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Feuding Sulu families reconcile
ARMM hurdles last Senate committee meeting SENATORS HAVE commended the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for its improved governance under the leadership of Governor Mujiv Hataman, who was at the Senate for the region’s budget hearing. “The ARMM has
improved considerably in governance. In terms of governance ang daming improvement, kabilang na doon yung sa infrastructure, I [went] there years ago. Under Governor Mujiv, tumaas yung revenues, yung income at maraming business activities in the different provinces so there
is really a big improvement and we have to give recognition Governor Mujiv for that,” Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said. “You have to improve more the services before the Bangsamoro government steps in para walang anumang instrument na Continue on page 2
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Provincial government photos show the reconciliation between two warring families in Sulu province. Maimbung Mayor Samier Tan initiated the peace talks that resulted in the accord. Governor Toto Tan witnessed the ceremony held at the municipal hall. SULU – Two warring families in the southern Filipino province of Sulu have agreed to peacefully
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The reconciliation was initiated by the town’s mayor, Samier Tan, Continue on page 3
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The Mindanao Examiner
September 24-30, 2018
Warring families in Maguindanao end feud
Military photos show the warring families during the peace talks at an army base in Maguindanao province in southern Philippines. COTABATO CITY – Two Muslim families at war have finally reconciled and surrendered three
rifles and an anti-tank weapon to the army which facilitated the peace talks in
Maguindanao province in southern Philippines, officials said Sunday. Officials said the
Complaints mounting over Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program payout Continued from page 1 house silang pinarerentahan buwanbuwan lalo na po dito sa Barangay Lamion sa Poblacion at ilang mga barangay? Please help the deserving poor people of Tawi-Tawi para sila naman ang mabiyayaan ng 4Ps,” the villager said in a complaint sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. One complainant also claimed that many beneficiaries have not received their conditional cash grants for more than a year now. In Maguindanao province, a woman also complained that their village leaders were allegedly pocketing the conditional cash grants intended for the poor beneficiaries of the program. “Kung mag payout po sa 4Ps please bantayan ninyo mga Kapitan and mga lider kasi kinukuha niya yun mga pera ng mga mahihirap imbes na matulungan sila ay mga Kapitan ang nakikinabang po,” she said, naming 2 towns there. Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao are two of 5 provinces under the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao or ARMM. The DSWD-ARMM said it is strengthening the current drive against irregularities allegedly involving local government units in the implementation of the program. Executive Secretary Laisa Masuhud Alamia, who is also concurrent DSWDARMM Secretary, said they already launched a series of activities related to this objective aimed at taking significant steps in addressing 4Ps-related problems. The DSWD-ARMM has conducted the “LGU Assembly on Social Welfare Protection” which outlines its seriousness in imposing the program’s rules and regulations in order to prevent anomalous acts during 4Ps payout. A “Watch and Awareness Program” was similarly launched to allow concerned citizens to be active in the fight against corruption. The plan covers the activation of DSWDARMM Hotlines to where citizens can call or send issues and concerns, according to Alamia. The 4Ps provides conditional cash grants to
the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. It was patterned after the conditional cash transfer scheme implemented in other developing countries provided that they comply with the set of conditions required by the program. A household or beneficiary is entitled to receive P500 per month as health grant. A maximum of 3 children per household is covered by the program. Every monitored child in elementary receives P300 as education grant and in high school, receives P500 per month for 10 months as education grant. The program also provide P600 a month or P7,200 per year rice subsidy for each family. And P200 a month for 2018, and another P300 a month from 2019 up to 2020 to help the poor cushion the adverse economic effect of new taxes. As of July this year, the numbers of active beneficiaries are more than 4.2 million in 41,620 villages and 1,483 municipalities in the country, according to latest DSWD data. (Mindanao Examiner)
603rd Infantry Brigade facilitated the end of a bloody war between the Daraba-Sasao family and Kumiling-Nati family with clan leaders agreeing to reconcile. The ceremony was held Saturday at the headquarters of the 37th Infantry Battalion in Barira town. The violent dispute started due to grudges that escalated into a deadly clashes that left 2 people dead in July this year. Brigadier General Jesus Sarsagat, the brigade commander, and Barira Mayor Abdul Radjak Tomawis helped in settling the dispute and both sides thanked all those who helped in the success of the talks. (Mindanao Examiner)
ARMM hurdles last Senate committee meeting Continued from page 1 magagamit against the ARMM and the government,” Senator Ejercito added. Referring to the presentation of the ARMM during the committee budget hearing of the Senate’s Committee on Finance, Senator Gregorio Honasan also commended the regional governor’s “very impressive presentation.” Senator Honasan then sought the governor’s advice on how to sustain these developments in the Bangsamoro. “In terms of continuity and sustainability, ano ang nakikita mo sa transition na dapat bantayan at dapat iincorporate para kami naman sa inyong Senado ay matutukan namin yung magandang nangyari?” Governor Hataman answered: “Ang pinaka goal dito ay gusto namin magsimula ang MILF na kumpleto ang data, para hindi maranasan kung ano ang naranasan namin noong nag umpisa ako as OIC sa ARMM. Ang pinaka-take ko dito ay maglagay ng tamang tao sa tamang posisyon.” As for the proposed ARMM budget, about P14.6 billion is allotted for personnel services, including Retirement and Life Insurance Premiums. Another P13-billion is allocated for the capital outlay and the remaining P4.6-billion is for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses. But the mood around this year’s budget proposal is remarkably different, as the ARMM will soon be abolished for the transition of the new Bangsamoro government. Senator Panfilo Lacson Jr. asked Governor Hataman to present the accomplishments and legacy of the ARMM. “Parang farewell presentation na ito sa ARMM, so we want to hear from you ano ba yung legacy ninyo and the most important thing na iiiwanan ninyo pagdating sa transition o iiwanan ninyo under sa BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law),” Senator Lacson said. Challenges in the region
Before presenting the key milestones of the regional government, Governor Hataman said: “Madami na ang kuwento ang pinagdaanan natin, ang mga puna sa ARMM ay naging inspirasyon namin upang ayusin ang pamahalaan ng ARMM… naging posible ang mga impossible.” Governor Hataman said he had to deal with a small budget for the region, the unpaid Government Service Insurance System premiums of the DepEdARMM, a high poverty rate, security issues and ghost employees and ghost teachers and ghost students among others. This was during his first term as regional governor. By then, Governor Hataman said, the regional government had begun the process and formulation of the ARMM reform agenda, with its three pillars of reform which include open governance, peace and security and socioeconomic. Governance Milestones In 2012, ARMM started with housekeeping with the regional government formulating its development plan and set up databases for all its line agencies. Now, about 80 databases of ARMM’s line agencies are functional. And in 2015, the Philippine Statistics Authority announced that the poverty incidence in ARMM improved over a period of three years with Tawi-Tawi having recorded the lowest poverty incidence at 10.6 percent from a high of 21.9, in 2012. The Office of the Regional Governor was also awarded an ISO 9001:2008 certification that affirms its compliance with internationally accepted standards for quality customer service in early 2016. This is part of the regional government’s commitment to improve governance and provide people in the region the kind of public service they deserve. From zero in 2015 to six in 2016: 19 towns and one city in the region have been conferred the Seal of Good
Local Governance by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and there are now 63 passers of Good Financial Housekeeping in 2017 within ARMM. The region was also commended by the Department of Education for its continuing datacleansing, as well as its settlement of more than P2 billion accounts-payable to GSIS. A total of 32,525 households were de-listed from the beneficiary list of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps due to eligibility problems. For the regional government’s anti-poverty program, a total of 553 barangays received various projects through the region’s flagship program dubbed ARMM’s Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance, and Synergy. Some 13,100 families received food supplies, as well as core shelters, water systems, and electricity supplies, livelihood and hygiene kits from ARMM’s Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment or “Apat na Dapat” program. The increased budget for infrastructure has led to the concreting of 1,572.861 kilometers of roads. This funding for infrastructure also went to the completion of 93 bridges, 95 ports, 31 flood control projects, 242 water system, 65 drainage systems, and 55 other infrastructure projects. “This is more than enough na legacy ng ARMM sa Bangsamoro at mag tuturnover kami ng comprehensive plan,” Governor Hataman said. Ang pinaka-goal dito ay gusto namin magsimula ang MILF na kumpleto ang data, para hindi maranasan kung ano ang naranasan nung nag umpisa ako as OIC sa ARMM.” ARMM is comprised of the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and the cities of Lamitan and Marawi. (Bureau of Public Information)
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The Mindanao Examiner
September 24-30, 2018
Shut down mining activities!
Villagers protest mining operations in Zamboanga province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo) Continued from page 1 then DENR Sec. Gina Lopez of 23 large mining companies not complying with environmental laws,” said Fr. Edu Gariguez, Executive Secretary of NASSA/Caritas Philippines. “Cimatu should also put a ban on open pit mining causing destruction and making communities more vulnerable to disaster like what happened in Itogon (in Benguet province in northern Philippines),” he added. Recent landslides triggered by typhoon “Ompong” killed dozens of people, mostly miners trapped in tunnels, and many more were still unaccounted. “The landslide site was mining site of Benguet
Corporation. It was one of the areas ordered closed by then DENR Sec. Lopez in 2017 for not complying with environmental laws,” the priest said. “The area was supposed to be fully rehabilitated. But Benguet Corporation is alleged to have subcontracted small miners to continue mining there.” Clamp down on mining Just this year, an infrastructure-oriented think tank has urged President Rodrigo Duterte to decisively clamp down on erring mining firms which had destroyed the environment and compromised resources. “The President need not look too far, as the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources already has a standing list of erring mining companies which, according to the President’s State of the Nation Address destroyed the environment and compromise our resources,” said Terry Ridon, convenor of Infrawatch PH. Ridon said the President only needs to revisit the listed created by Lopez and determine whether the mining companies in the list had already undertaken measures to protect the environment and contribute to what the President has said “as what needs to be given to my countrymen.” “It should be made clear that the President made no distinction on which irresponsible miners are –
Feuding Sulu families reconcile
Provincial government photo shows the reconciliation between two warring families in Sulu province. Maimbung Mayor Samier Tan initiated the peace talks that resulted in the accord. Governor Toto Tan witnessed the ceremony held at the municipal hall. Continued from page 1 and witnessed Governor Toto Tan and municipal and police and military officials. The feuding clans are from Karawan village in Indanan represented by Astian Alawaddin, Moy Najaf, Mustapha Alawaddin, Najar Jalaide and Persing Hayudini, and Laud Kulasi in Maimbung
town represented by Salbi Sarri, Sarri Salli, Jamil Kairan, Gulam Mustali, Silud Sarri, Suharto Sawadjaan and Isdam Hajan. ollowers from both ides also witnessed the econciliation held at the unicipal hall. Former overnor Sakur Tan, an nfluential philanthropist
and political leader, was also present during the ceremony and spoke to the leaders of both families and urged them to foster unity and camaraderie between their ranks. “It is now time to make Sulu a place where peace and prosperity are the norms that define our communities,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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whether large-scale or smallscale mining, the policy direction of the President is to preserve the environment and contribute to what the people truly deserve. Anyone operating less than this standard should be shut down and have its licenses revoked,” Ridon said. He said more than the payment of taxes, mining companies should also determine whether their activities are truly acceptable to communities within their mining areas. “We have heard many times over the repeated complaints indigenous communities being displaced from their homes and farms in order to accommodate mining concessions. Consistent with the President’s pronouncements, the people’s lives should be front and center in any policy related to mining activities,” Ridon said. Duterte also warned mining companies engaged in open-pit mining activities in the country. Lopez had ordered an extensive review of mining firms in Mindanao following many complaints from the indigenous people. A staunch advocate of renewable energy, Lopez had talks with some of the indigenous tribes in the region and heard their sentiments. Many of them wanted to put a halt on largescale mining in their ancestral domain in the provinces. Tribal groups had asked Lopez to ban open-pit mining due to the hazards it posed to the environment. She ordered an official audit of all operating mines and the moratorium on the approval of new mining projects, according to reports. During her stint, Lopez ordered the cancellation of Oceana Gold Philippines Incorporated’s (OGPI) permit for exploration and expansion. And leaders of Didipio Earth Savers MultiPurpose Association, SALAKNIB, Alyansa ng Mangagawa at Magsasaka ng Kasibu, Alyansa Tigil Mina, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines said they were pleased with Lopez’s order. Lopez threatened to cancel the extension of exploration permit issued to OGPI, an Australian owned mining company, and instructed the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to issue the cancellation immediately. She previously said that DENR will also come up with a memorandum that any exploration permit will not be issued without the consent of the community, not only the local government’s endorsement. Lopez’s appointment was rejected several times by the Commission on Appointments after alleged lobbying by mining companies which are affected by her strict implementation of environmental laws. Conspiracy A year after Gina Lopez was rejected by the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), Duterte
said he suspects “conspiracy” behind her removal. “When Madam Gina was removed by the Commission on Appointments. It was – maybe because she became very strong against the business in mining industry. I think there was a conspiracy to remove her. And they did,” Duterte said in his speech during this year’s DENR 31st founding anniversary celebration in Quezon City. “Well anyway, the rest is history. She was doing well. She was going against moneyed people and she was against the destruction of her native land,” he added. Duterte described Lopez as passionate “in expressing your anger and your desire to save our country, the native land”. During her term as DENR chief, Lopez drew the ire of the mining industry when she ordered the closure of over-mining sites that affect the water sheds and threatened to ban open-pit mining in the country. In his speech, Duterte has reiterated his plan to ban open-pit mining which is “really destroying the land”. “So I’d like to reiterate to you again what I said during the last meeting in the Cabinet that there will be a time, I still have time left, and that I will have to ban openpit mining. I will destroy it,” Duterte said. He told Cimatu that “there has to be a time that we have to decide just to tell them frankly”. The President said they can find other sources of the P70 billion which the country gets from the mining industry. “But open-pit mining is really destroying the land. It’s like a water basin. It catches the water. Loosens the soil. And every now and then, you have this landslide,” Duterte said. He said the poor Filipino people living near the open-pit mining are helpless. “The mining people know that I will really stop it. Maybe they’d try to revive it at some other time, but it’s not really my concern
anymore. I’ll just do what I have to do during my time,” the President said. Open-Pit Mining In Mindanao, indigenous Subanen people, including the Catholic Church and other religious denominations have previously opposed the gold mining operation of the TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc. It had operated an open-pit mine in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province and has now moved on to Bayog town in the neighboring province of Zamboanga del Sur. In Tawi-Tawi province, nickel mining activities have destroyed the environment in Tumbagaan Island in Languyan town. In 2016, the Regional Legislative Assembly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to which Tawi-Tawi belongs asked the DENR to issue an order stopping all destructive mining activities in the region. Assemblyman Hanibal Tulawie, the chairman of the Committee on Environment and Ecology, previously said that a resolution was passed asking the DENR-ARMM to immediately issue a “ceaseand-desist” order on all mining companies operating in Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Sulu, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao provinces. Tulawie said he had received numerous complaints from the public and environmentalists who are opposed to destructive mining methods. Photos of nickel mining operations in Tumbagaan Island in Tawi-Tawi posted on Facebook showed huge trucks and barges hauling off red soil, which is allegedly being shipped to China where it is processed. Reports indicate that Tumbagaan Island is totally devastated because of mining explorations and the ongoing nickel mining activities in Languyan municipality and Panglima Sugala. (Mindanao Examiner. With a report from Jelly Musico.)
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The Mindanao Examiner
September 24-30, 2018
Anti-drug campaign continues in Zamboanga
Police photo shows the slain drug pusher Jamil Asmad following a firefight in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Kabasalan town.
PAGADIAN CITY – Police have warned drug pushers to stop their illegal activities and urged them to start living clean and free from the bad effects of illegal drugs. It said the government’s campaign against the use of illegal drugs, particularly shabu and marijuana, is continuing. Just last week, antinarcotics agents, backed by security forces, killed a notorious drug pusher in a
clash following a sting operation in Zamboanga Sibugay province. Officials said Alkiezer Canda was also arrested during the operation mounted by authorities in Kabasalan town, but another “high-value” target Ibno Ahod, managed to escape and is being hunted down in the province. Police have identified the slain drug pusher, who was also a notorious
related products were showcased during the summit. “Kailangan i-update natin ang ating mga kaalaman sa paggamit nitong mga ham radios, sa pagko-communicate at coordinate, and how you do that better in a systematic manner para makatulong sa ating mga kababayan,” said ARMM Executive Secretary Atty. Laisa Alamia, adding, the summit is very timely as a super typhoon has already entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility. “We have been
monitoring this (super typhoon) for two days now and what we have done sa A R M M - H E A R T (Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team) is to coordinate with these radio clubs and civil action groups,” Sec. Alamia said. “(We want you) na nandyan sa mga komunidad, sa pinakamalayong mga isla to communicate with us anytime mayroong mga pangyayari para maka respond tayo kaagad,” she added. “You (radio operators) are a very important part of the whole pillar of the ARMM on
responding to emergencies and humanitarian crisis.” Telecommunications Commission directors Hamid Bayao of ARMM, Froilan Jamias of Region XII (Soccsksargen), and Nelson Cañete of Region XI (Davao Region) were also present during the activity. NTC examination for amateur radio operators will be conducted Saturday at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex here, where passers will be given the Radio Amateur Operator Certificate. (Bureau of Public Information)
criminal, as Jamil Asmad. Agents also recovered 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride or crystal meth worth over P10 million and a .45-caliber pistol from the slain drug suspect. Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, a regional police spokesperson, said the body
of Asmad was handed over to his family, and that criminal charges are being readied against Canda and Ahod. “Cases for violation of Section 26 in relation to section 5 Article II of RA 9165 are being readied for filing in court against the suspects,” she said. (Mindanao Examiner)
6 NPA rebels yield in ARMM, NTC mount radio show summit Compostela Valley
COTABATO CITY – The R e g i o n a l Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, in partnership with the N a t i o n a l Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission (NTC), recently held the 1st ARMM-wide radio show summit here. With the theme: “Communicating Peace through Ham Radio”, at least 500 members of civic action groups and amateur radio clubs from different parts of the region participated in the summit. Representatives from the Philippine Amateur Radio Association lectured on the rules and regulations of using ham radio or amateur radio and how to use it during emergency operations. An exhibit of radio units, equipment, antennas and other industry-
SUPPORT PEACE IN MINDANAO
DAVAO CITY – The Philippine military said 6 communist New People’s Army rebels, including four leaders, have surrendered in Compostela Valley province in the southern region of Mindanao. It said the insurgents – all members of the Guerrilla Front 33 – surrendered peacefully to the 46th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Benjamin Dao-on in the town of Mabini. They also handed over four .45-caliber pistols and four AK47 assault rifles, according to Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command. He said the rebels would be given government support, among others, as part of the amnesty program being offered by President Rodrigo Duterte. Balagtey, quoting Col.
Gilbert Saret, commander of the 1001st Infantry Brigade, said more rebels are expected to yield and avail of the amnesty program. “We would like to welcome our brothers, who were victims of NPA exploitation. We want to assure them that we will assist them all as they return to the fold of the law, particularly, in their enrolment to the Enhance Comprehensive Localized Integration Program.” “Furthermore, we are calling the NPA members to come down and be part of the change that the government is pursuing, and help make our community peaceful and progressive,” Saret said. The NPA has been fighting for many decades now for the establishment of a communist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
September 24-30, 2018
Indonesian embassy receives freed fishermen, praises military efforts ZAMBOANGA CITY – Three kidnapped Indonesian fishermen freed by the Abu Sayyaf have been handed over to Ambassador Dr. Sinyo Harry Sarundajang who
flew to Zamboanga City in southern Philippines to receive the trio. Hamdam Salim, Subandi Sattuh, and Sudarlan Samansung were released September 15 by
the Abu Sayyaf to the group of Nur Misuari, chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front, in Indanan town. It was unknown whether the Abu Sayyaf
Military photos released to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner show the 3 freed Indonesian fishermen with Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, and Ambassador Dr. Sinyo Harry Sarundajang who flew to Zamboanga City to receive the trio.
Troops rescue escaped NPA medic in Davao City
A military photo shows the escaped NPA medic, her face blurred to protect her identity and retaliation from the communist rebel group. DAVAO CITY – A female medic of the communist rebel group New People’s Army in North Cotabato province was rescued by soldiers after after a daring escape from their commander who sexually abused her and four others. The 20-year medic, who is a member of the Pulang Bagani Command 2, said she escaped from the NPA after their leader,
Ka Botchoy, abused them. The fate of the others is unknown. The military’s Eastern Mindanao Command confirmed the report and said the medic is now in the care of the 19th Infantry Battalion following her rescue on September 17 in Calinan district in Davao City. It said the medic’s father sought assistance from the army and guided the soldiers
to his daughter’s hideout. The medic said she and four others from Magpet town joined the NPA in March this year after being lured by rebels. “Misulod mi diri aron mawala ang mga pagpahimulos, apan naa ra man diay gihapon pagpanghimulos sulod sa armado (We joined the NPA to stop the abuses, yet we suffer the same within the organization),” she told the military. Lt. Col. Ehrlich Noel Paraso, commander of the 19th Infantry Battalion, also confirmed the medic’s statement and condemned the NPA for preying on its own female members for sexual satisfaction. “I call on to the local leaders of the NPA terrorists to stop the exploitation of women and minors and other forms of abuses they are committing against the people. NPA terrorists are continuously recruiting members to join their failed armed struggle, yet they have rotten ranks and system,” he said. There was no immediate statement from the NPA on the medic’s claims. The group has been fighting for a separate state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
received ransom in exchange for the freedom of the hostages, but the military said its relentless campaign against the terrorist group contributed largely to the release of the fishermen. Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, led the handover of the fishermen to the Indonesian ambassador, who expressed gratitude to the military for its efforts in recovering the hostages. “We give our assurance
that we will always be of assistance for the common interest of our country and the Indonesian government,” Dela Vega said. Security forces continue to hunt down the Abu Sayyaf which is still holding several Filipino and foreign hostages. Just recently, soldiers clashed with some 100 militants under Radulan Sahiron and Hajan Sawadjaan in Patikul town and killed 7 fighters and wounded Sawadjaan.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military to destroy the Abu Sayyaf, blamed for the spate of terrorism and killings of innocent civilians. Many of its leaders had been destroyed by the military the past years and hundreds have surrendered in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, including Zamboanga City after the government offered amnesty in an effort to bring them back to the fold of the law. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
September 24-30, 2018
Across: 1. Use a broom 6. Quiet! 9. Foldaway bed 12. Florida seaport 13. Cow's cry 14. Cigar residue 15. Mediate 17. Hockey surface 18. Pains 19. Nest eggs (abbr.) 20. Atop, poetically 22. President ___ Roosevelt 25. Deny 28. Hewing tool 29. Fragrances 30. Spring, e.g. 34. Sept. follower 35. Mad 36. Sport with webbed rackets 40. Limb 41. Bait 42. Dandy's neckwear 45. Had a meal 46. Bruce Springsteen, e.g. 50. Bossy Stooge 51. Wayside hotel 52. Craze 53. Egyptian cobra 54. Acquired 55. Slumbered Answer to last week’s crossword: Down : 1. Bus terminal (abbr.) 2. Conflict 3. Trade prohibition 4. Heroic 5. Garden walk 6. Hit show 7. Fiery 8. Gardening tool 9. Egypt's capital 10. Movie award 11. Not those 16. Quizzes again 19. Thoughts 20. Stop ___ dime (2 wds.) 21. Poet's always 23. Least difficult 24. Plow-pulling animals 26. Love, in Rome 27. Mexican dish
31. Soup cracker 32. ___ in a million 33. Not pos. 36. Peruvian animal 37. Detroit products 38. Crawl 39. Holy person 43. Pictures taker, for short 44. Uttered 46. Band's booking 47. Numero ___ 48. Small taste 49. Tit for ___
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Beware, we are right in the eye of a storm By Jun Ledesma
OPINION:
Continued from page 1 where her sad story begins. She is out to face dismissal and trial. But the UP Engineering dean is not alone in this coordinated move to “oust Duterte”. From his comfortable asylum in Europe, Jose Ma. Sison declared earlier that they will actively participate in the “Oust Duterte” plot which they said will culminate in October. The political characters -some in jail and others in seclusion – in and out of government, including their salivating supporters and financiers, have perceptibly intensified their assault on the Duterte. From her detention cell, Sen. Leila De Lima pleads to UNCHR rapporteur Agnes Callamard to pursue investigation of alleged extrajudicial killings which she and her missing perjured witnesses Matobato and Lascanas had been implicating Duterte. De Lima is trying to pass on the task to Callamard when in 2009 she, as chair of the Commission of Human Rights, spent four months in Davao City digging for what she claimed were burial grounds in a quarry about six kilometers away from city hall. She found nothing! Her successor Etta Rosales found nothing! The incumbent CHR Chair Chito Gaston must have sensed all that his predecessors wailing were fairy tales I have not seen his shadow in Davao since he took over the chairmanship.. The other collaborators implore the International Criminal Court to speed up their probe on alleged human rights abuses of Duterte. I have seen this ICC headquarters in The Hague,
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The Mindanao Examiner
September 24-30, 2018
Netherlands and I wonder why and how can the inquisitors render judgement for or against a leader in a small island in the Pacific where a huge majority of its citizens trusted him. It would take roughly about 18 hours by jet to get to Netherlands from Manila. No wonder those ICC investigators did not have any idea that our justice system works. Proof to tell, De Lima is detained for her alleged involvement in drug trade and a Regional Trial Court is hearing her case. The legal fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF have likewise raised their decibels of protests. Just the other day, Karapatan, which parades as a non-government organization joined the fray declaring that two sultans from Marawi will speak in another international forum to denounce Duterte for the human rights abuses committed in that Islamic City. Both the sultans and the international probe body cited by Karapatan were unheard of. It looks like these new persecutors of Duterte have not heard of the Maute ISIS which notoriously decapitates their victims, Muslims and Christians alike, prior to the siege in Marawi. Very vocal among the opposition is Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, whose bed mate is ironically an avid fan of President Duterte. The senator had consistently assailed the Duterte for placing Mindanao under martial law. That directive actually resulted in the capture of members of Maute ISIS who attempted to escape and establish another cells in various parts of Mindanao. Of course the porous parts of
Mindanao cannot all be guarded. The terrorists, either operating singly or in group had staged successful bombing here and there. Pangilinan proceeded to denounce the rationale behind imposing martial law not putting into whatever is left of his gray matters that without ML something could have gotten worse. Mindanaoans, contrary to what the anti-government cabal are saying, are comfortable with martial law and it is not surprising if some wants a more rigid implementation of the same. At the height of crises brought about by Typhoon Ompong, opposition senators led by Grace Poe and kibitzers in the lower house among them Edcel Lagman took turns in lambasting President Duterte for disappearing from the scene. The carpers were not aware that Duterte was practically manning the disaster operation center and in the first opportunity was right in the scene of devastation somewhere in many places in Northern Luzon. But where were the hypercritics? Like the Dean of the UP College of Engineering, they were in the comforts of their office and gated residences busy conjuring issues on how to bring down the Duterte government and oust him. What ofVP Leni Robredo? She escaped to Naga and issued statement that Duterte and his men are sowing confusion. She is in fact so confused she is paralysed to becoming virtually inutile. The typhoon has not left us at all. We are right in the eye of the storm. So beware of the October gale.
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Zambo Norte OFW escapes from ordeal in Lebanon
DIPOLOG CITY - A 32year-old mother from Leon Postigo town, who was illegally recruited and deceived to work as a domestic helper in Lebanon, escaped from her recruiters. Cecile Tubadan told the Philippine News Agency that the sister of her live-in partner, Myrene Salvador Abuan, who is married to a Syrian man, Hashim Ali who is living in Lebanon, enticed her to work there Lebanon for $400 monthly. “I agreed because I'm jobless, I have four children, and I cannot rely on the money sent by my partner,” Tubadan said, adding that her live-in partner is an army soldier. Tubadan said she wanted to earn money for her family and did not mind going to Lebanon on July 19 this year on a tourist visa. “I have no contract, no work documents--nothing, but I still went to Lebanon because I trusted Myrene,” Tubadan said. She was endorsed by Ali to SREIH Services, a housemaid agency in Lebanon, which paid the couple $800 for bringing in the unsuspecting Tubadan.
She was told to work at the house of the Alis until they can find her an employer. But then everything changed, Tubadan said, when Ali told her to work as prostitute disguised as a masseuse at a spa. Tubadan claimed that Ali beat her and barred her from going out of their apartment building when she refused. After several weeks, Tubadan recalled that she posted on Facebook an appeal for her rescue. Her post was seen by her relatives and a neighbor in Leon Postigo — William Anadeo, a school teacher in their town. Anadeo sought the help of Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos, who immediately sent a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which promptly ordered its embassy in Lebanon to look for Tubadan. Tubadan said she got a chance to escape on September 11 while Ali was not at home. She asked permission from Abuan to go to the prayer meeting of fellow Filipinos at an apartment on the ground floor. With the help of friends, she escaped out of the
building and brought to a coffee shop where she was fetched by a relative and brought to the Philippine Embassy. According to Tubadan, embassy officials demanded SREIH Services to return her travel documents and give her plane ticket back home or they would bring her case to the Lebanese government. The owners of SREIGH Services agreed and had Tubadan sign a document stating that she would not file a case against the agency. On September 13, Tubadan was able to fly back to Manila. Upon arriving in Dipolog, she immediately went to thank Jalosjos personally. She also asked the latter to help three other distressed Filipinas at the apartment of Ali. “There are a lot of Filipinas who need help. There are about a hundred at the embassy. They could not come home because they still have legal cases or they have no money,” she said, adding, in most cases, victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking in Lebanon were recruited by either friends or their own relatives. (Gualberto Laput)
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Cebu drug suspect Peter Lim still in country, says DOJ; hunt continues
EBU BUSINESSMAN and suspected drug lord Peter Lim is believed to be hiding in the countr y, accor ding to the country according Department of Justice, but police have difficulty d ifficulty in tracking down the elusive millionaire who is facing charges. Justice Secretary alert Interpol. No record Menardo Guevarra said that Peter Lim has left the since his there were no records that country Lim, who left the country indictment,” he said. in March and returned Records from the home – had fled to escape Bureau of Immigration (BI) the drug charges filed in said Lim left the country in court against him. He said March and returned four for now, there is no need days later. Since then, there to seek assistance from was no record of his Interpol. “It’s too early to departure. Guevarra earlier
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warned persons coddling Lim, who has been indicted for conspiracy to trade in illegal drugs, that they will be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. A bounty was also put up for any information that could lead to Lim’s arrest. “The government is also ready to give a reward of P500,000 to anyone who can provide information on the exact whereabouts of accused Peter Go Lim, provided that such information will lead to the
actual arrest of said fugitive,” he said. Lim was arraigned in absentia court on August 28. The court issued a warrant of arrest against Lim after evaluating the information and supporting evidence filed by the Department of Justice.Palamos also ordered the BI to prevent Lim from leaving the country by issuing a Hold Departure Order last August 17. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
Senate to scrutinize proposed 2019 budget SENATE PRESIDENT Vicente Sotto assured that they would scrutinize any amendments that the House of Representatives would make in the proposed 2019 National Expenditure Program (NEP) before it is approved into law. Sotto said as far as the Senate is concerned, “nothing is written in stone,” especially in very important pieces of legislation like the General Appropriations Bill (GAB). “Before it becomes the General Appropriations Act (GAA)
which is the law already, we will scrutinize it the way the Senate scrutinizes it,” he said. Sotto stressed that whatever the House amends in the GAB, whether a decrease or an increase in allocation, would be carefully studied by the Senate. “Hindi naman kami pwedeng magpasa lang kung ano yung dumaan sa amin dito lalo na pagdating sa budget because the budget is the single most important piece of legislation that Congress has to pass,” he said. Sotto’s statement came out amid reports that
plenary deliberations on the proposed P3.757trillion NEP submitted by Malacañang were stalled, allegedly over the insertion of some PP55 billion allegedly intended to lawmakers’ projects in their districts. Senator Panfilo Lacson also said careful scrutiny is needed, especially since the Senate was able to identify billions of pesos of supposed pork barrel funds in the past. “Oo, nagawa namin ito noong 2016. May P8.3 billion na na-identify. Actually nasuportahan ng kasamahan ko sa Senado, ilagay ito sa free tuition. Kaya wala pa ang batas sa
free tuition, nagkaroon ng pondo na P8 billion,” Lacson said. He added that another P86 billion in pork barrel funds were identified in the 2017 budget lumped as a single allocation for road right of way settlement of the Department of Public Works and Highways. As for the reported P55-billion pork barrel in the 2019 budget, Lacson said the funds were allocated to the Department of Education and the Department of Transportation for projects that were allegedly identified by congressmen. “Kung kani-kanino
Peter Lim man, yan ang hahanapin natin ngayon. Pero pork pa rin yan,” Lacson said. Senate Minority leader Franklin Drilon warned that he will oppose the passage of the GAB itself if the insertions are retained. “I will oppose the passage of the budget and filibuster, if needed, if these pork barrel allocations or insertions remain,” Drilon said. Senate President Pro
Tempore Ralph Recto, on the other hand, expressed optimism that Congress would be able to pass the GAB on time despite the reported bickering in the House and the Senate's careful scrutiny. “We will wait for the House to pass their version of the budget. I expect the budget to be passed on time by December,” Recto said. ( Jose Cielito Reganit)
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