Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper (Dec. 10-16, 2018) by Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

House approves Sandiganbayan junks China May Owe The PhilipMisuari’s plea to dismiss pines $177 Billion In South draft federal charter ‘ghost textbook’ case China Sea Rent & Damages THE SANDIGANBAYAN has junked the motion of former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Nur Misuari to junk his graft and malversation case in connection with

the alleged anomalous purchase of educational materials. In a resolution dated November 29, the Sandiganbayan Third Division said there is nothing Continue on page 3

CHINA OWES the Philippines and other countries more than $177 billion in rent and damages for the South China Sea fiasco. The Permanent Court of Arbitration found on Tuesday that Mischief

THE HOUSE of Representatives approved on second reading Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 15, or the proposed federal charter. The lower chamber passed through voice voting RBH 15, which seeks to propose revisions to the 1987 Constitution. It was principally authored by Speaker Gloria Ar-

Reef is a low-water elevation and within Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. This gives the Philippines’ indisputable legal rights to the reef. But since 1995 when Continue on page 3

Founded 2006 mindanaoexaminer.com FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480 or (082) 2841859

royo and over two dozen lawmakers and the resolution was put to a vote on second reading following three session days of plenary debates. RBH 15 proposes a presidential-bicameral-federal system of government and empowers Congress to establish federal states. It seeks to Continue on page 7

P10 December 10-16, 2018

Duterte gumagamit ng marijuana! Read Story on page 2

Police photo released to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner shows the Ten Outstanding Policewomen of the Philippines. Galvez is 4th from left.

Zambo cop named outstanding policewoman in nationwide search ZAMBOANGA CITY – A decorated policewoman in Zamboanga City has been named one of Ten Outstanding Po-

Presidente Rodrigo Duterte (Presidential Photo)

RUSH SALE

FOR SALE

licewomen of the Philippines in a nationwide search launched by the Philippine National Police and Zonta Club of

FOR SALE

Fortune G

Montero GLS SE

Suzuki Swift

Call broker: 0995-5202358 Zamboanga City

P720, 000

P690, 000

ARMM

Eastern Mindanao

Makati-Paseo de Roxas Foundation, Inc., Arms Corporation of the Philippines and Andres P. Continue on page 2

P450, 000

Western Mindanao

Cebu

Manila

The Mindanao Examiner

December 10-16, 2018

Duterte gumagamit ng marijuana!

Presidente Rodrigo Duterte (Presidential Photo)

AGULANTANG ANG PUBLIKO sa pag-amin ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na gumagamit ito ng ipinagbabawal na marijuana. Sa isang 10:30, iba na naman. Baka pagtitipon kamakailan akala nitong Asean Secng Asean-National Orga- retariat Boy Scout kami. nizing Council sa Palasyo, Hindi kaya ‘yan. It’s whole nabanggit ni Duterte ang (day affair), hindi kaya.” hirap na dinanas nito sa “Susmaryosep, nakaraang 33rd Asean walang tulog. And the Summit sa Singapore. At more that crescendo bedoon isinalaysay nito ang comes faster, mas lalo naranasang schedule ng kang hindi nakakatulog iba’t-ibang mga pagpupu- kasi hinahabol ka na, balong. basahin eh, and so you “You know we start at do not want your Presi8:30 in the morning and dent to look ignorant. So I we end up almost 10, 11? have to catch up with the Nandiyan man ‘yan silang reading, wala na talagang lahat. And it’s every 30 panahon,” ani Duterte. minutes, 8:30 tapos 9:30, At sa huli ay idinagdag

pa nito na: “It was a killing activity, and I think that at my age, ako hindi masyado, kasi nagma-marijuana ako eh, para magising. Sa iba, hindi na kaya.” Maririnig rin sa audience na may mga natawa pa matapos na aminin ni Duterte na humihithit ito ng marijuana, ngunit karamihan ay natahimik at tila hindi makapaniwala sa narinig mula sa bibig ng Pangulo. Ngunit sa isang ambush interview ng mga manunulat matapos ng talumpati ni Duterte at sinabi nitong biro lamang ang kanyang mga

Cebu Grand Hotel Concierge Rommel Gabuya displays a copy of the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. With him is the newspaper’s Regional Sales Head Tess Fernandez. Cebu Grand Hotel is one of the Mindanao Examiner’s partner hotels.

sinambit. “It was a joke! Of course it was a joke. Nobody can stop me from just doing my style. Minsan sabi ninyo (media) misogynist ako, magbiro ako ng ganoon. That’s my style, it’s too late to change. Joke-joking mo, ngayon kung maniwala kayo (na nagma-marijuana ako) eh gago kayo,” wika ni Duterte. Nauna na rin inamin noon ni Duterte na totoong gumagamit ito ng Fentanyl - isang uri ng droga – upang maibsan ang matinding sakit na dinaranas nito sa kanyang leeg dahil sa spinal injury na nakuha sa akidente sa motorsiklo noon. Ang Fentanyl ay isang opioid na ginagamit bilang pain medication, ngunit malimit rin itong gamitin ng mga drug addict at

kalimitan ay inihahalo sa heroin o cocaine. Ngunit mariing pinuna naman ni Brad Adams, ang Asia Director ng Human Rights Watch, ang pagbibiro ni Duterte ukol sa kanyang paggamit ng marijuana. “Marijuana is illegal in the Philippines, and Duterte’s admission of using it – whether in jest or not – undermines the rationale for his drug war and exposes its murderous hypocrisy. It adds cruel insult to injury for the victims and their families.” “Perhaps this episode will push Duterte to realize his hypocrisy and order the police to stop arresting and killing people who, like himself, personally benefit from cannabis. Otherwise, why shouldn’t the anti-drug

agents knock on the door of Malacañang?” tanong pa ni Adams. Isinisi at inakusahan naman ng Human Rights Watch si Duterte at pulisya, gayun rin ang umano’y mga di-pa nakikilalang mga killers, sa pagpatay sa mahigit 12,000 kataong sangkot sa illegal na droga ng magsimula ang “Oplan Tokhang” ng noong 2016. Ilang ulit na rin itinanggi ni Duterte at ng pulisya ang mga bintang ng Human Rights Watch at iba pang mga grupo na may extrajudicial killings sa bansa na konektado sa ipinagbabawal ng droga. Karamihan naman sa mga napapatay na drug pushers ay nanlalaban diumano sa mga parak kung kaya’t napaslang. (Mindanao Examiner)

Zambo cop named outstanding policewoman in nationwide search Continued from page 1 Tamayo, Sr. Foundation, Inc. Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, who is currently the regional police spokeswoman, received the coveted award along with 9 other female police officers at the national police headquarters Camp Crame in Quezon City on December 3. The other awardees for the 2018 Search for The Outstanding Policewomen of the Philippines (TOPWP) are Superintendent Olivia Sagaysay, Senior Police Officer 2 Sonia Corpuz and Senior Police Officer 1 Jean Aguada, of the National Capital Regional Police Office; Chief Inspector Ruth Dizon and Senior Inspector Rowena Jacosalem of the Police Regional Office 11; Senior Police Officer 2 Sonia Corpuz, of the Maritime Group; Senior Inspector Jairilyn Camangian and Senior Police Officer 3 Maria San Juan of the Police Regional Office 1; and Senior Inspector Liezl Abenilla and Police Officer 1 Marjorie Pablo, of the Calabarzon Regional Police office. Galvez, a native of Zamboanga City and daughter of a humble farmer, is also the first female police chief in Western Mindanao after she headed the Labason

municipal police office in Zamboanga del Norte and a police station in Zamboanga City. During her stint as police chief, Galvez who entered the service in 2008, was largely credited for many various campaign and accomplishments and has a strong legacy on police-community relation further bolstering the morale of the policemen. She also conceptualized the community-based Healing in Oneness Policing through Education (HOPE) program aimed at assisting in the rehabilitation and re-education and even skills training of drug surrenderees for their eventual reintegration to society. She also strengthened the delivery of a holistic intervention for surrenderees and maintained a strategic monitoring system through a fully committed City Anti-Drug Abuse Council. Galvez ensured efficient cascading of HOPE program to police units and she oversees the merging of the different community-based drug rehabilitation programs of the program. This initiative later became the model duplicated by the regional police office in the Wellness and Recovery Program of the national police. And Galvez is active

on the Drug Users Treatment Enhancement Rehabilitation and Technical Education program of the Department of Health and Zamboanga City Medical Center, among others. Aside from her outstanding achievements, Galvez excelled in combat shooting skills and became a member of Police Regional Office 9 shooting team and is a multi-awarded shooter in numerous sanctioned matches in both local and national levels. Galvez is also awarded by then Police Director-General Ronald dela Rosa as 2016 Best Junior Police Commissioned Officer during the 116th Police Service Anniversary Celebration. The search for the Ten Outstanding Policewomen of the Philippines is an annual competition whose aim is to discover and recognize the efforts and achievements of the female members of our national police force. The yearly award was started by Zonta Club of Makati-Paseo de Roxas together with the PNP who seeks to identify heroic women in the police force who are able to gain the support of the community to prevent and solve crimes in their locality. (Mindanao Examiner)

The Mindanao Examiner

December 10-16, 2018

China May Owe The Philippines $177 Billion In South China Sea Rent & Damages Continued from page 1 China occupied the reef, China irreparably harmed the reef’s delicate marine ecosystem by dredging and building an artificial island there, including a military garrison and air-strip. By my estimate, China owes the Philippines $12.4 billion in rent and damages for Mischief Reef alone. Considering other Chinese island-building, the country owes the Philippines and

other claimant countries more than $177 billion. If China doesn’t want to pay, the Philippines can sue in the courts of the U.S. and other countries where China holds property. Here is how to calculate what China owes. In 2015, the U.S. paid $1.97 million to the Philippines for 0.58 acres of coral reef destroyed when the USS Guardian went aground. That is a key reference point for environmental

claims. Rent is even more costly. In 1988, the Philippines demanded $1.2 billion from the U.S. in rent for 6 military bases -- $200 million each per year in 1988 dollars. The U.S. refused and got evicted. By those metrics, the Philippines could sue China for about $4.6 billion of environmental damages to Mischief Reef in 2016 dollars, plus the requirement to pay $7.8 billion in rent. If China refuses to pay

Sandiganbayan junks Misuari’s plea to dismiss ‘ghost textbook’ case

President Rodrigo Duterte and Nur Misuari (Presidential Photo) Continued from page 1 oppressive in the delay of the Ombudsman’s investigation into the alleged anomaly. The court said Ombudsman investigators only took 118 days to conduct its preliminary investigation against Misuari, contrary to his claim that the investigation took more than four years, constituting inordinate delay. “To the mind of the Court, the period of 118 days that it took the prosecution to resolve its preliminary investigation as regards the accused-movant is reasonable. It was not occasioned by any capricious, vexatious, or oppressive delays,” it said. The Sandiganbayan added that Misuari cannot argue that his rights have been violated due to his admission that he was never notified of the complaint against him, therefore he never submitted any counter-affidavit in his defense. “Not being aware of the complaint, it stands to reason that the accused-movant was not subjected to oppression or prejudiced by the ‘holding [of] criminal prosecution over him for an indefinite time’ of the character that constitutes a violation of one’s right to a speedy disposition of cases,” the Sandiganbayan said, adding, “indeed, from the accused-movant’s own admission, he was completely unaware of the proceedings until it was reported in the media.”

Misuari was charged for allegedly giving undue advantage to CPR Publishing House, MBJ Learning Tools, and White Orchids for the procurement of “ghost textbooks” from 2000 to 2001 during his term as ARMM governor. He and his co-accused also allegedly falsified procurement documents to justify the legality of the P77.26-million contract. Misuari, in his motion, argued he cannot be liable for the transaction wherein he is no longer the governor of ARMM. He said the payments to CPR Publishing took place in July 2004, MBJ Learning in December 2003, and for White Orchids in July 2004 and September 2005. Misuari said these were covered by the incumbency of former ARMM governor Parouk Hussin since his term expired on September 30, 2001. The issue of conspiracy is also non-existent, according to Misuari, as he was detained in Malaysia from December 2001 to January 2002 after he fled from the Philippines following a deadly siege in Zamboanga City; and for six years in the Philippines from 2002 to 2008 after Kuala Lumpur deported him to the country. Misuari, chieftain of the former rebel group Moro National Liberation Front, said he was in detention at the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force Training Center in Santa Rosa town in

Laguna province when the three private companies were paid, making it impossible for him to facilitate the transaction and denied signing any of the purchase orders and disbursement vouchers. However, the Sandiganbayan no longer discussed the issues on conspiracy and the payments made to the private companies. It instead urged Misuari to present his defense during the trial. The Sandiganbayan said the dismissal bid of Misuari also seemed like a motion for judicial determination of probable cause, which it already resolved on August 31, 2017. “It is plain that arguments advanced by the accused-movant regarding his alleged non-liability for the offenses charged are evidentiary in nature and best threshed out in a fullblown trail on the merits. There is thus no need to discuss the accused-movant’s arguments in this regard at any great length,” the resolution read. Misuari posted bail in September 2017 in the amount of P460,000 for his temporary freedom. He is also facing criminal charges after his followers attacked Zamboanga City for the second time in 2013 and the siege last several weeks that left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. The attack killed and wounded dozens of people. (By Joseph Tristan Roxas, GMA News. With a report from the Mindanao Examiner.)

the combined $12.4 billion, the Philippines could seek redress in foreign civil courts to attach China’s offshore assets -- of which there are plenty. But China is liable for much more. China occupied six additional features in 1988 in the Spratleys claimed by the Philippines, plus Scarborough Shoal in 2012. The Philippines did not resist because they justifiably feared violence on the part of China. In 1988, Vietnam claims that China killed 64 Vietnamese soldiers who resisted on Johnson South Reef in the Spratley’s. China disputes the claim, but according to historian and BBC reporter Bill Hayton, “Strangely, a propaganda film released by the Chinese Navy in 2009 to celebrate the navy’s 60th anniversary gives more credence to the Vietnamese version. The video, now available on YouTube, was shot from one of the Chinese ships and shows the Vietnamese force standing knee deep in water as the tide rises over the reef. Huge spouts of water then erupt around the Vietnamese troops as the Chinese ships open fire. Within seconds the thin line of men has completely disappeared and 64 lie dead in the water: the

machine guns are Chinese and the victims Vietnamese. The Chinese won the battle of Johnson Reef with a turkey shoot.” China occupied six features within Philippines’ claim in 1988: Hughes Reef, Johnson South Reef, Gaven Reef, Subi Reef, Fiery Cross Reef, and Cuarteron Reef. China has since dredged and built on all these reefs. Based on Philippines’ 1988 demand for rent from the U.S., each of these six features should yield (in 2016 dollars) about $10.3 billion for 29 years of use -- a total of $62 billion. China occupied Scarborough Shoal in 2012, but has not yet built there. There are no known environmental damages to the shoal, but rent for five years should be about $1.8 billion (inclusive of 2012 and 2016). By my count, and including the $7.8 billion in rent for Mischief Reef, China owes the Philippines about $71.6 billion in rent for occupation of all 8 China-occupied features in the Philippines’ claimed part of the South China Sea. In addition, the Court found that China destroyed a total of 48 square miles in the South China Sea through illegal dredging and artificial island building. Based on the

$1.97 million paid by the U.S. to the Philippines in 2015 for the grounding of the USS Guardian, an international court could levy a $105 billion fine on China for ecological destruction of all 48 square miles, payable to the Philippines and other claimant states. Should China refuse to pay, the Philippines and other claimants can bring civil suits in the U.S. and any other locations where China holds substantial assets. The total levy on China for rent on Philippine-claimed features, plus ecological damage to the entire South China Sea, should be about $176.6 billion: 65% of Philippines’ annual GDP, and about 2% of China’s GDP. That doesn’t include rent payable to other claimants, which should also be paid. When China vacates its artificial islands in the South China Sea and pays this fine, plus rent to other claimants and any additional payments to the families of those killed, most attentive citizens will consider justice to have been done. Until then the international ruling in favor of the Philippines, as China has said, is just a sheet of paper. (By Anders Corr, Contributor for Forbes)

BIR sa Kidapawan City, hataw sa koleksyon ng buwis

Revenue District Officer Maca-angcos Ampuan KIDAPAWAN CITY – Doble-kayod ngayon ang Bureau of Internal Revenue sa Kidapawan City sa North Cotabato matapos na bumaba ng halos 33 porsyento ang koleksyong buwis ng ahensya simula na ma-ipatupad ang Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law. Ayon kay Revenue District Officer Maca-angcos Ampuan sa panayam ng dxND-Radyo BIDA, base sa nasabing batas, hindi mapapatawan ng buwis ang mga manggagawang sumasahod ng P22,000 pababa.

Inihalimbawa nito ang Department of Education kung saan dati ay nakaka-kolekta sila ng P22 milyon kada buwan, ngunit sa ngayon ay nasa P6 milyon lamang ang nakuha ng BIR at hahabulin pa ng ahensya ang P16 milyong kula sa koleksiyon. Target ng BIR Kidapawan District na makalikom ng P1.9 bilyon halaga ng buwis ngayong taon. Dagdag pa ni Ampuan na P40 milyon ang nawawala sa kanilang koleksiyon kada buwan dahil sa TRAIN law. Gayunpaman, ang kulang

na koleksiyon ay napupunan naman ng BIR Central Office na mas malaki ang naku-kolektang buwis dahil sa pagpapatupad ng excise tax. Nanawagan rin si Ampuan sa mga negosyante na magbayad ng kaukulang buwis upang makadagdag sa iba’t-ibang proyekto ng pamahalaang Duterte na mapapakinabangan naman ng mga mamamayan sa pamamagitan ng Build, Build, Build program at iba pang paguukulang ng salapi tulad ng kalusugan, edukasyon at iba pa. (Rhoderick Beñez)

The Mindanao Examiner

December 10-16, 2018

DepEd denies ordering closure of any Lumad school

THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) has strongly denied ordering the closure of any school serving indigenous peoples (IP) learners. In a statement, DepEd said DepEd 11 (Davao Region) reported the closure of the Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkanon Community Learning Center, Inc was a community decision supported by a resolution issued by the IP community council in Talaingod, Davao. “Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkanon Community Learning Center, Inc. is one of the three groups of private learning institutions operating in the region that have been granted permit to operate in 2014,” the statement read. The DepEd issued the statement following the

recent claim that a Salugpungan learning center in Region 11 was closed “upon the orders of the Education department.” To date, there are 73 private learning institutions in the region with most of the learning centers found in Davao del Norte. DepEd also clarified that “permit to operate” refers to temporary authority to operate granted by the department to a private learning institution and is granted to an applicant still in the process of completing the requirements for full recognition. “Recognition” refers to the granting of authority to operate by the department to a private learning institution after submission of application requirements, and its consequent ap-

proval following the application procedure provided in the agency’s guidelines. DepEd Davao Del Norte chief Josephine Fadul said the Salugpungan schools are recognized by DepEd, adding that the permit to operate was issued by then DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro after complying with the requirements and having a curriculum tailor-fit for IP learners. DepEd said it supports the Indigenous Peoples Education initiatives as stated in DepEd Order Number 21 series 2014 or the Guidelines on the Recognition of Private Learning Institutions Serving Indigenous Peoples Learners. “It is in the belief and confidence in the role of and partnership with pri-

vate institutions and community stakeholders that the Department consistently underscores the importance for these learning institutions to secure recognition and permit to operate from their respective DepEd regional office,” it said. DepEd added it encourages IP learning centers to apply for recogni-

tion to assure that their learners’ grade level are recognized in the event that a learner transfers or enrolls in a public school or a recognized private learning institution. To ensure the safety and security of the IP learners, DepEd said it continues with its dialogues with communities and concerned stakehold-

ers. “DepEd puts a premium on the process of dialogue as it has been one of the core foundations of our work with IP communities. It takes succeeding steps guided by the commitment to arrive at decisions that are in the best interest of the IP learners’ education,” the statement read. (Maria Teresa Montemayor)

We offer political campaign t-shirt with your own full color (Sublimation) print (A4 size) for only P90 a piece. Minimum order is 100 t-shirts. And free lay-out of campaign design, logo or photo of candidate. For order, please call (062) 992-5480 or (0995) 5202358 in Zamboanga City.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Finance BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE Revenue Region No. 18 Revenue District No. 108 Kidapawan City

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING May it be known that a Public Hearing for the Revision of Zonal Values on Real Properties in the coverage areas of Cotabato Province and Kidapawan City will be conducted on December 18, 2018 in Kidapawan City. (Signed)

MACA-ANGCOS G. AMPUAN OIC-Revenue District Officer

The Mindanao Examiner

December 10-16, 2018

Book on Bangsamoro narratives launched in Zamboanga ZAMBOANGA CITY – A prolific writer and author Amir Mawallil has launched his new book entitled “A Constant Retelling – Exploring the Bangsamoro Narratives” in a well-attended event held recently at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University here. The launching of the book was graced by Filipino Jesuit priest Karel San Juan, who is the president of the Ateneo de Zamboanga; and human rights

advocate and noted lawyer Laisa Alamia, who is the Executive Secretary and concurrent Social Welfare Secretary of the Muslim autonomous region. The book about Bangsamoro, which literally means Muslim nation, contains the repositories of a community’s identities, histories, nations. And Mawallil said the narratives in the book speak with eloquence of the Bangsamoro aspirations

as a people. In his speech, Mawallil thanked all those who supported him, particularly the Ateneo de Zamboanga University for allowing him to bring the book and narratives of the Bangsamoro to the public consciousness. He said the book is collection of concrete narratives of the Bangsamoro. It documents their language of resistance against the hegemony of the Filipino nationalist

Author Amir Mawallil launches book - A Constant Retelling – Exploring the Bangsamoro Narratives - in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

discourse. “It does this for its own survival, the Bangsa or nation, through language that binds the community together. This, too, is part of the many histories that make up the set of narratives that imbue the history of the Philippines as a nation. I am hopeful that this book will help build the kind of peace in Mindanao that our people need, that this contribution, small as it is, will be the seed of many good things,” he said. The Bangsamoro narrative, according to the author, is built with the “blood and tears” of its people. “You can revise words, but you cannot revise lives, or the experiences that ran through those lives as surely as our blood flows in our veins and our tears flow as a people. This collection taken from the Bangsamoro narratives is a testament to the victories we have won together in the struggle for self-determination. It is my way of documenting each history that should never be forgotten, for they hold valuable learning - the kind only experience and

remembrance can teach,” Mawallil, who is a Tausug or native of Sulu province, said. “This book is not about me as the author. It is not even just about a certain ethno-linguistic group called the Tausug, Meranaw or Maguindanaoan. Rather it is about the blood, sweat, tears and struggle of those who came before all of us. It is about a nation coming into its own, a people

coming up to the light after a very dark night, so that we may move forward and become the nation we all dream of,” he added. Father San Juan praised Mawallil for the launching of the book which has already sold many copies since its official launching October 26 at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. (Mindanao Examiner)

The Mindanao Examiner

December 10-16, 2018

Across : 1. Legendary stories 6. Uno 9. Pig’s pad 12. Box 13. Business VIP 14. Pitching stat 15. Church walkway 16. Burst of Bad temper 18. California wine valley 19. Make lace 20. Epochs 21. Caveman’s era (2 wds.) 24. Concurrence 27. Time past 30. ___ Witherspoon of “Sweet Home Alabama” 31. Had 33. And so forth (abbr.) 34. Proposed as a candidate 38. Renovator 40. Pub drinks 42. Shade 43. Stood up 47. Childhood disease 49. Golfer ___ Woods 50. Bathroom rug 51. Tax org. 52. ___ eclipse 53. Lyric verse 54. Compass dir. 55. Printing machine Down : 1. Skim over 2. Opera solo 3. Struggle for breath 4. Books of maps 5. Behold 6. Gasoline classification 7. Tidy up 8. Chunk of eternity 9. Military rank 10. Faithful 11. Sweet potatoes 17. Children’s game 19. Actor ___ Hanks 22. Adolescents 23. Make amends

Answer to last week’s crossword:

24. Common verb 25. Acquire 26. Make again 28. Goodness! 29. Strange 32. Soldier 35. Additional ones 36. Styling foam 37. Wrath 39. Highway curve 40. Military supplies 41. Show the way 44. Leer 45. Oceans 46. Miscalculates 48. Recline 49. Recipe unit (abbr.)

Weekly Sudoku:

The Mindanao Examiner

Newspaper, Film and Television Productions Maritess Fernandez (On Leave) Publisher/Executive Producer Al Jacinto Editor-in-Chief/Producer (OIC)

Reynold Toribio Graphics/Video Editor

Mindanao Examiner Productions Web Master

Answer to last week:

REGIONAL PARTNERS Mindanao Daily Business Week Mindanao Star ADVERTISING Eduardo A. Sode (0917) 3087366 044 Mabini St. Cebu City Rhoderick Beñez (0927) 4757936 Central Mindanao/ Kidapawan City/Cotabato City North Cotabato

Marilou Cablinda (0997) 3172021 Davao Region/ Eastern Mindanao Jeng Fernandez (0917) 7930652 Zamboanga Peninsula

Richard Suarez (0910) 7348600 Kismet Cable TV, Aquino cor. Cabrera sts., Gatas District, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur

The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines. ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE: Unit 15, 3/F, Fairland Building, Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Phone & Fax: (062) 9925480 Mobile: (0995) 5202358 DAVAO CITY OFFICE: Door 2, 402 Nidea Street, Barrio Obrero Phone: (082) 2841859 Mobile: (0925) 7621914 URL: mindanaoexaminer.com E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com

We are moving to film and television productions!

ALL RIGHTS FOR SALE Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper mindanaoexaminer.com ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE: Unit 15, 3/F Fairland Building, Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Phone & fax: (062) 9925480 Mobile: (0995) 5202358

DAVAO CITY OFFICE: Door 2, 402 Nidea Street, Barrio Obrero, Davao City, Philippines Phone: (082) 2841859 Mobile: (0995) 5202358

The Mindanao Examiner

December 10-16, 2018

House approves draft federal charter Continued from page 1 adopt and develop a two-party system as a mechanism of representation and democratic governance. It also lifts the term limits for members of Congress. Lawmakers shall be required to have a college degree. The first election under the proposed Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May 2022. The term of the President and Vice President, which shall end in 2022, shall not be extend-

OPINYON:

THIS HINTERLAND town is home to gentle and peaceful indigenous tribe – Talaingod. The local and the provincial government have seen to it that their culture and traditions are preserved. Even the curriculum of their education dovetails with these as observed in the Davao del Norte State College- Datu Jose Libayao extension school. The Salugpongan community school supported by the leftist organizations does something else. Something extremely radical is happening in the school reviving that adventurism in the 1960s when cell meetings and teach-ins are covertly conducted with the Red Book as the bible alongside the lessons of dialectic materialism. We were told by Gov. Anthony del Rosario that Salugpongan had been taken over by leftist elements and took advantage of the frailties of the innocence of the children of the indigenous peoples. The tribal council had since then demanded for the closure of the school as this has become a veritable ground to pursue the communist ideology and training ground for childarmed revolutionaries. A number of armed encounters were reported in what was once a peaceful mountain town. Some of the tribal leaders were victims of atrocities. We always get conflicting reports. Communist partylists always beats military in propaganda and would blame the Armed Forces and their para-military units for the deaths of the lumads. Not because they have anything to do with the murder of tribal leaders but they would go through the process of investigation before coming out with their version of incidents. The military and police always are losers in propaganda warfare. Take the case of the recent incident in Talaingod

ed. The incumbent president is prohibited from running in the 2022 elections. Arroyo earlier said the House will work on Charter change as best as they could within the time left under the 17th Congress, while hoping that the next Congress will continue their work. “We know that there will still be many steps. But the thing is, we will bring it as far as we can bring it, in the hope that the next Congress can continue the work,” she said.

President Rodrigo Duterte is also pushing strongly for federal system of government and had even threatened to make Mindanao a federal region if lawmakers fail to amend the Constitution to pave the way for new government. Duterte said the current unitary system has spelled so much trouble. When he was mayor in Davao City in southern Philippines, Duterte had been strongly campaigning for the establishment of a federal form of

Adventurism in Talaingod town by Jun Ledesma that hugged the front pages of newspapers and lead story in broadcast networks. There is an apparent attempt at discrediting the AFP even as Ka Satur Ocampo, President of Bayan Muna, and ACT Teacher Rep. France Castro were caught herding school children towards Salugpongan in an unholy hour. Teach-ins, we used to call this before …or during Ka Satur’s time. This time however, the Red Book of Chairman Mao had become irrelevant considering how modern China has become the 2nd most advanced economy in the world, thus the ideologues of today would rather use video presentation and perverted versions of the national anthem to hypnotize the kids in their leftist adventurism. Foreign Affairs Sec. Teddy Locsin must have thought that the time lapse when he and Ka Satur were in Congress together had withered his former colleague especially when he had gone through the torturous martial regime and, as the Secretary puts it, “we protected him against warrants of arrests”. Fine. But Locsin should realize that Satur is no longer in the halls of Congress or the streets in Manila where he can shout his slogans and incendiary speeches. This time, his friend Satur, refuses to believe that the China of his time is just a chapter in history and there is no time machine invented to bring them both together at least during their halcyon days in Congress. Satur got stuck in his utopia and he wants to resuscitate this moribund plot by inveigling the innocent tribesmen of Talaingod to embrace his cause. The military this time caught Satur and his colleagues Red handed. The Lumads, worried about their missing children, denounced the leftist leaders that include a number of protestant pastors (?) for kidnapping their kids. Neither Governor del Rosario nor Mayor Libayao and

the tribal chieftain were informed of the activity which the suspects intended to do in that unholy hour of the night when the children ought to be asleep amidst the soporific monotony of crickets chirps. That they were there to rescue the children from military atrocity does not stand to reason. That to me, to borrow the word of Locsin, is bullshit. It is no secret however, that children and adults of the various indigenous tribes from Talaingod, in Davao del Norte, Agusan provinces and North Cotabato are pitiable spectacles whenever rallies are staged in Davao City. They bear placards that denounce government, dictatorship of whoever sits in Malacanang and the usual ‘imperyalistang Americano’. Young and innocent children, some barely in their teens bellows the banal slogans so worn out as their slippers, with eyes wide open as they stare at concrete edifices much taller than lawaan trees in their backyards. But why do they hold rallies in Davao City. For one, in Duterte city they do not need permits to staged rallies. Moreover, they organizers love it here because Davao is not only the center of commerce and trade of the south, it is also the communication center. The demonstrators are covered live nationwide by TV and radio stations and their stories are carried by print media. Perfect outputs for pan-handling NGOs in their solicitation of funds from generous but ignorantly naive donor foundations in Europe, Canada and America. Satur Ocampo and his comrades are surprisingly out on bail given the existence of martial law in Mindanao but they should absorb lessons from this experience in that commercialism and ideological adventurism don’t mix.

government and in many of his public appearances and speeches the President said federalism is the next best thing for the country. He also vowed to step down - even before his term ends on 2022 - as soon as the new federal government is fully functional. Duterte’s stand virtually reinforced Sulu’s strong support to the President firm stand and advocacy for a federal form of government. The governor of Sulu, Toto Tan, even filed a petition with the Supreme Court questioning the legality and constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law or BOL which, if approved by Muslims in a plebiscite set in January, shall replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM, under the rule of the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF. The MILF signed an interim peace deal with Manila in 2014 which paved the way for the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law and was signed by Duterte and became what is now known as BOL. In the proposal of the Constitutional Commission as stated in Article XI, the federal republic will have 18 regions, 16 of which will be symmetrical. The Muslim and Cordillera regions will have asymmetrical setups due to provisions of their autonomy which recognizes ethnicity, culture, customs, traditions, language and distinct identities. Muslim leaders and various stakeholders in Mindanao have been pushing for the separation of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi from the ARMM and instead include the provinces in Zamboanga Peninsula to form part of a federated states should Congress approve the proposed federalism government. The three neighboring provinces were originally part of Region 9 in Western Mindanao which is comprise of Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte, and now the addition of Zamboanga Sibugay. In a consensus held only this year, stakeholders from Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao trooped here to read their manifesto as a show of strong support to the proposal for the creation of ‘Federal State of ZamBaSulTa’. Among the valid justifications for the proposed Federal State of ZamBaSulTa are Economic Viability and to ensure this is to group together Zamboanga Peninsula with Zamboanga City as the center, and Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi; Historical Reality as the shared history of the area and proposed federal state is a strong argument for its unity as one federal state. This history stems from the once dominant force exerted by the Sulu Sultanate over these areas, including Southern Palawan and the islands of Sulu and South China Seas, but the consensus also maintained that this is not to say the Sultanate of Sulu will again lay claim to these areas, instead, the region is now witness to different operative lo-

cal government units that wield the real power and that cannot be changed. It also cited other justification for the union such as Geographical Proximity because the provinces and Zamboanga City is contiguous to each other by land, and Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are situated next to each other like a chain of island south of the Zamboanga Peninsula. And Demographic and Cultural Identity because of similarity in culture and peoples – Muslim and Christian relationship, education and interfaith engagements have strengthened this identity in the region. At least 5 influential Sulu sultans, Ibrahim Bahjin, Muizuddin Jainal Bahjin, Muedzul-Lail Tan Kiram, Mohammad Venizar Julkarnain Jainal Abirin and Phugdalun Kiram who are part of the Royal Council of the Sulu Sultanate, also attended the event dubbed - “The Bangsa Sug Consensus – ZamBaSulTa. A People of Significance.” - and threw their all-out support for the proposal along with Muslim religious leaders led by the Grand Mufti, His Eminence Abdulbaqi Abubakar. The Tan patriarch, in a position paper he read before the huge crowd, enumerated several concerns and reaction of Muslims to the proposed Bangsamoro Bill and federalism. He said the main objections of the people of Sulu through its Sultanate to the proposed Bangsamoro law center on the provisions on Territory that would change the historical name of the Sulu Sea to “Bangsamoro Waters.” He said Sulu Sea should retain its name. Tan said the constituents in the provinces under the ARMM (including Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao) should be given the option to vote against inclusion in the proposed Bangsamoro entity. “The position is anchored on the principle of democratic consultation which is an essential element of plebiscites and a basic concept in Islam, as embodied by the principle of Shura (or consultation) in the Holy Qur’an.” “The method of plebiscite and the counting of votes should be based on real democratic consultation and should not be hampered by what may be considered as the tyranny of the majority,” the elder Tan said. He said the present version of the bill provides that the establishment of the Bangsamoro and the determination of the Bangsamoro territory shall take effect upon ratification of the Basic Law by majority votes cast in plebiscite. The present bill, Tan said, takes for granted that all five constituent provinces favor inclusion in the new Bangsamoro entity. “This should never be presumed because presumption destroys the democratic essence of plebiscites. Precisely for the reason that the Bangsamoro entity is new, and is not just an amended version of the ARMM, the consent and option of the ARMM constituent provinces should be respected,” he said. Tan said when the constituent provinces voted for inclusion

to the ARMM in past plebiscites, they consented to be included in the ARMM, and not in the Bangsamoro which is completely new legal entity. “Ratification therefore should be on the basis of the majority votes of each constituent province and not of the entire geographical area of the present ARMM,” he said. He said the territorial lines of federalization should not be dictated by religious dogma for this would be limiting, counter-productive and contrary to the spirit of nationhood. “The federal territorial divide is not a divide of peoples and religions; it is a realistic and practical divide of administration and governance, so that the people get the best and most viable governance that befits their needs and circumstances,” Tan said, adding, a copy of the consensus was submitted to the House of Representatives and Senate, and the Palace. Representatives from various sectors from the academe to business groups also read their own manifesto supporting the consensus. Muslims have been urging Duterte to consult all different tribes in southern Philippines in drafting the Bangsamoro bill that will be part of the new Federal government lawmakers are proposing. There are over a dozen Muslim tribes in the region, mostly in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao and also in Palawan. There are an estimated 11 million Muslims or approximately 11 percent of the Philippine population, but their leaders are not well represented in the Bangsamoro Transition Commission or BTC the government has put up to draft the BBL. Majority of the Muslims do not even know the provisions in the BBL and previous consultations in the time of the Aquino administrations were mostly staged with Muslim leaders saying they were not consulted. And to make matter worse, Christian lawmakers continue to challenge the provisions in the draft law by saying they are unconstitutional. Even provincial governors of the Muslim provinces were not part of the BTC which was chaired by Mohagher Iqbal, the vice chairman of the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed an interim peace deal with Manila in 2014. The MILF - whose influence is concentrated only in Maguindanao - now wanted to rule over the proposed new Bangsamoro homeland that would replace the Muslim autonomous region. Muslims in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and Palawan belong to the majority Tausug which is the native inhabitants of Sulu and two ethnic tribes – the Yakan and Samal – and they do not want to be ruled by the MILF, of majority of its tribe and members. They wanted a separate autonomous region for the Tausug, Yakan and Sama; and for the revival of the Sultanate of Sulu and give political powers to their sultans. (By Filane Mikee Cervantes. And Mindanao Examiner)

Founded 2006 mindanaoexaminer.com FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480 or (082) 2841859

P10

December 10-16, 2018

Raise tobacco tax even higher, DOF urges Congress

HE DEPARTMENT of Finance (DOF) said it will strongly convince Congress to impose new “sin” tax rates on tobacco products that will make cigarettes pricey enough to further discourage smoking, especially among teenagers. Finance Secretary ate. We will try our best. Carlos Dominguez III This thing doesn’t end unsaid that increasing the til thea President signs it. current tobacco excise We’re there, we’re keeping tax rates to levels that at it. We hope that they would effectively curb will come up to what is smoking, particularly good for the country,” he among the youth, would said. also help supplement Dominguez’s statefunds for the Universal ment was in reaction to Health Care program, the approval by the House especially for the treat- Committee on Ways and ment of smoking-related Means on November 27 diseases. of a consolidated bill that “There’s still the Sen- increased tobacco excise

tax rates to levels that did not go far enough to what the Department of Health and anti-tobacco and health advocates have recommended. The House-approved bill aims to raise the current tax of P35 per pack of cigarettes to P37.50 beginning July 2019. The bill also calls for another increase to P40 in July 2020, P42.50 in July 2021, and P45 in July 2022. Thereafter, the rate shall be raised four percent every July annually. The DOF proposal supports the position of Rep. Angelina Tan to raise

the tobacco excise tax to P60 per pack in 2019 and increasing it by nine percent annually thereafter. “The society has to agree what is more important: enough money for healthcare or favoring companies that produce products that damage health? That’s what society has to agree on, and that’s what the representatives in the legislature are supposed to reflect,” Dominguez said. Citing the testimonies of resource persons heard by the House ways and means committee during

its deliberations on the proposed new tobacco tax rates, Dominguez said the higher excise taxes on cigarettes under the Sin Tax Reform Law have led to a drop in the number of smokers by roughly a million people per year, with fewer teenagers getting into the habit, and a corresponding increase in revenues that are spent on treating Filipinos with smoking-related diseases. “Our revenues have to keep on going up because we are supporting a lot of people who are getting sick from smoking. That

was all the testimony. I was reading the summary of the testimonies, it’s overwhelmingly in favor of higher taxes for health reasons,” Dominguez said. A recent news release by the House of Representatives posted on its website quoted Dr. Antonio Dans of the National Academy of Science and Technology as saying that preliminary calculations project about 150,000 new smokers as a result of the rates approved by the House ways and means committee.

Bring and promote your business in Mindanao, ADVERTISE in our newspaper and website and get fast results! CEBU Eduardo A. Sode 044 Mabini St., Cebu City Mobile: (0917) 308 7366

COTABATO Rhoderick Beñez Kidapawan City Mobile: (0927) 4757936

ZAMBOANGA Jeng Fernandez Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Phone: (062) 9925480 Mobile: (0995) 5202358

DAVAO Door 2, 402 Nidea St., Obrero Malou Cablinda Phone: (08 2) 2841859 Mobile: (0925) 7621914

PAGADIAN Richard Suarez Kismet Cable TV, Aquino cor. Cabrera sts., Gatas District Phone: (062) 2142706 Mobile: (0910) 7348600

E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com

ARMM

Eastern Mindanao

Western Mindanao

Cebu

Manila