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May 06-12, 2019
Bring your Christian faith when you vote, Bishop tells faithful ‘Don’t vote for candidates who contribute to continued killings, corruption’
C
ATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP Socrates Villegas has warned the faithful against voting for politicians or candidates running in next Monday’s elections who may have contributed to the unabated killings and corruption in the country, according to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines or CBCP.
CBCP said Villegas made the warning during a mass and called on voters to be more
discerning in the May 13 polls. In a pastoral message, he cited the “6Ks” or kamatayan, kabastusan,
korapsyon, kahirapan, kasarinlan and kasinungalingan (lies) as among Continue on page 2
US funding for anti-Duterte media: P74M THE four internet-only media firms that have been stridently critical of President Duterte’s administration have received at least P74 million in funds from the
US government, through its US Agency for International Development (AID). The AID is the US federal agency that extends development aid throughout the world, not
because of charity, but as a means of advancing its geopolitical interests. This revelation is not from some anonymous source, but from the Continue on page 5
ISIS uses Sabah to cross into Mindanao MALAYSIA SAID Sabah is being used by ISIS militants in crossing into the Philippines to establish
bases and wage terrorism there. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad
Fuzi Harun was quoted by Malay Mail as saying that militants are looking for Continue on page 7
Archbishop Socrates Villegas (CBCP Photo) and President Rodrigo Duterte (PCOO Photo)
No need to prove ‘oust-Duterte’ matrix MALACAÑANG HAS flatly rejected demands by media groups and people linked to the so-called “Oust Duterte Matrix” to show proof or evidence of the accusations. The matrix was released by Malacañang on
April 22, which accused Rappler, Vera Files, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), and the National Union of Peoples’ lawyers (NUPL) as plotting to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte first released the matrix to The Manila Times, the country’s oldest newspaper. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said there is no need to prove the matrix because Continue on page 4
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The Mindanao Examiner
May 06-12, 2019
Bring your Christian faith when you vote, Bishop tells faithful ‘Don’t vote for candidates who contribute to continued killings, corruption’
Continued from page 1 the problems the country is facing today. “Have they given the orders to kill? Have they protected liars? Truth is not a political issue; it is a moral issue. Human dig-
nity goes beyond political coalitions. It is a godly concern. Have they contributed to the current problem of 6Ks? Have they actively cheered and encouraged, enabled and supported the purveyors of the 6Ks?” he
asked. “Have they been quiet fence sitters who just allowed the 6Ks to turn from bad to worse? Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Have they chosen to stay safe rather than stand up
31.8-million Internet threats detected, blocked in PH in 2018: report RECENT DATA FROM Kaspersky Lab showed that close to 32 million Internet-borne threats were detected and blocked by Kaspersky Lab among its users in the Philippines in 2018, setting out a growth of over 200 percent from 2017. Internet threats and malicious hosting incidents remained the top two attacks that the cybersecurity company has detected on computers of its users in the Philippines between 2017 and 2018. The latest Kaspersky Security Bulletin (KSB) revealed that a total of 31,887,231 Internet-borne threats were tracked by Kaspersky Lab to be attacking its Filipino users. There are currently 76 million active Internet users in the country. Internet threats With 41.30% of users attacked by Web threats in 2018, the country now lands in Kaspersky Lab’s global list of countries with the most Web threats at 11th spot, climbing several notches up from its 30th ranking in 2017. Across Southeast Asia, the Philippines currently holds the record of having the highest number of online incidents followed by Vietnam (19th) and Indonesia (20th), respectively. Of the attacks, 71.38% were attempted against individual users while 28.62% were aimed versus business users. It was found that cybercriminals used a number of malicious programs to infect Kaspersky Lab users in the Philippines, such as: Mobile malware (malicious code designed to target smartphones and tablets) Banking Trojans (a kind of malware that steals sensitive financial credentials such as for e-payment and online banking systems from victims, intercepting one-time passwords then sending the data back to the attackers behind the Trojan) Coin miner (program for generating or mining cryptocurrency) Adware (program designed to launch ads on infected computers and/ or to redirect search engine
results to promotional Websites) Riskware (program that is legitimate in itself but can be potentially misused by cybercriminals and lately has been used as a controlling machine for malicious activities) Attacks via browsers is still the primary method for spreading malicious programs, according to Kaspersky Lab. The popular techniques among cybercriminals to penetrate systems in the country include: Drive-by download. This refers to the unintentional download of malicious code to a computer or mobile device that leaves the user open to a cyberattack. Infection in this type of attack takes place when visiting an infected Website, which doesn’t rely on the user to do anything and without their knowledge to actively enable the attack. For example, you might get a link emailed to you or shared with you on a post on your social media — sources you trust — that are designed to entice you to click and open. Once the Website is open, the drive-by download installs itself on your device. Social engineering. This attack requires user participation where the user has to download a malicious file to her computer. This happens when cybercriminals make the victim believe she is downloading a legitimate program under the guise of a serious problem that needs immediate attention. Attacker may use anger, guilt and sadness to convince their victims. Many employees and consumers don’t realize that with only a few pieces of information like name, date of birth or address, hackers can gain access to multiple networks. Malicious hosting In the same report, it showed that malicious hosting incidents monitored and thwarted by Kaspersky Lab on devices of Filipino users jumped from 449,297 in 2017 to 2,026.076 in 2018 showing an upsurge of more than 300 percent in 12 months. This new data places the Philippines in 35th spot,
or three levels higher than its ranking in 2017 of countries worldwide with the most number of such cases. Among six countries in the region, the Philippines ranks third after Singapore (8th) and Vietnam (26th), respectively. Local threats Meanwhile, statistics revealed that local threat attacks, wherein users have been infected with malware through removable media (such as USB drives, CDs and DVDs) went down with just two million incidents detected and blocked by Kaspersky Lab. This development pushed the country’s rank to slide down from 35th in 2017 to 65th place by end of 2018 in the cybersecurity company’s dynamic global listing of countries with the most number of local threat incidents. In the entire SEA region, the Philippines ranks third next to Vietnam (2nd) and Indonesia (55th), respectively. “All countries in Southeast Asia have demonstrated unfortunate gains in detected online threats which we tie to the fact that it’s a global trend — it’s happening elsewhere in the world as every country is a target. The Philippines, regrettably, has been figuring in our list of top countries where users encounter mobile malware since 2016, and the growing population of active Internet and social media users play a part in making the country highly vulnerable to attacks,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager at Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asia. “Cybercriminals will keep on creating more sophisticated malware and using different tactics to trick us and steal from us. But we have the most effective and powerful tools now before us to help us mitigate the risks of threats to avoid causing us serious trouble. As Filipinos continue to embrace going digital whether for business or personal reasons, we urge them to take a more active stance in protecting their data,” he said. (newsbytes.ph)
for truth, sovereignty, and human dignity?” Villegas added. The outspoken archbishop said he once again noted how the continued killings does not solve problems on drugs and criminality, and added that vulgarity “is not Filipino” who loves God, and that “there’s no place in heaven for liars”. Villegas stressed that liar candidates should not be voted as they “will be the future corrupt officials”. He said voters should instead look for candidates who have clear and realistic program for the poor, the sick and those with disabilities, and for the jobless. “The kind of leaders we elect reveals the kind of people we are. The winners in elections are mirrors of the values and aspirations, dreams and hopes of the people who voted for them. It can also show our backward moving society. Be careful. Be critical. Be courageous. How would Christ vote? Vote like Christ. Do not leave God at the altar. Bring your Christian faith when you vote,” he said. Villegas did not identify who Catholics should not vote, but the Church has been vocal in criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte, who cursed
priests and the Pope publicly and at one time said “they are better off dead.” Duterte has repeatedly accused priests and bishops of meddling in the affairs of the government, especially when the Church strongly criticized his war on drugs that led to killings of hundreds of suspected users and pushers since he became president. In September last year, Duterte strongly criticized Father Noel Gatchalian who, during a mass, said that he had prayed for the President to get sick. “Noon pong marami nang kaguluhan ang nangyayari, na wina-walanghiya pati ang ating relihiyon, binabastos pati ang ating Diyos, sinasabi ng ating Simbahan na magdasal, sabi ko, o sige, magdasal. Kaya pinagdasal ko na magkasakit si Digong. Hindi ba sabi niya pagod na siya? E di magpahinga muna siya,” the priest said. Duterte said he also wished that priests contract, and die from venereal diseases. And in his reply to Gatchalian’s prayer, he said: “Don’t worry, Father. Whether I die today, I die tomorrow, it does not matter to me anymore. I am done. You, you don’t have enough happy-happy. Get more girlfriends. Son of a bitch. You think we don’t
know.” And in December, Duterte said bishops were better off dead because of constant criticisms he get from the Church. “Itong mga obispo ninyo, patayin ninyo. Walang silbi iyang mga gagong iyan. All they do is criticize,” Duterte said in a speech in December at Malacañang after Bishop Pablo David was quoted as saying that “the public should just bear with the President because he is a very sick man.” And by January, Duterte again verbally attacked bishops and told a huge crowd during the birthday celebration of Masbate Governor Antonio Kho that vagabonds should just kill and steal from rich bishops. “Hoy, kayong mga tambay diyan, kapag dumaan ‘yang obispo ninyo holdapa ‘yan maraming pera ‘yan putang ina niya. Patayin mo. Galit sa akin ‘yung sigeng yawyaw.” Duterte also made the same statement during the February proclamation rally of ruling party PDP-Laban in Bulacan province. “Holdapin ninyo ‘yung obispo ninyo, maraming pera ‘yan. Pagka lumaban, patayin mo. Maglibing tayo ng obispo. Maniwala ka diyan mga ‘yan. Puro may asawa,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
Inter-agency group reviews Israel’s solar- powered irrigation offer AN INTER-AGENCY group has started a study and review of the proposal of an Israeli-government backed corporation to build 6,200 units of solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) in the country, which would be funded by a P44-billion loan payable in 10 years. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said that representatives of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) had a meeting recently at the DA central office as it presented the SPIS and its benefits to the food security program, especially rice production. Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) director Cristy Pulido said the proposed SPIS projects will irrigate
500,000 hectares of rice, corn and high value crops. She said the SPIS will also prepare the country for the next El Niño or prolonged dry spell, which is expected to hit three years from now based on the current pattern of occurrence. PMS acting chief Undersecretary Ferdinand Cui expressed full support for the proposed project, which was also endorsed by NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya, who said NIA has also adopted the SPIS in some of its irrigation projects. During the meeting, it was recommended that the DA and its bureaus, BAFE and the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM), will conduct a planning workshop with NIA to identify all irrigable areas in the country which could be utilized for food production. Piñol said these agencies will meet again to draft the National Irrigation
Master Plan to complement the existing program of NIA. The agencies will then present the proposal to the NEDA, which will submit it for review and approval of the NEDA-ICC (Investment Coordination Committee). Piñol said participants in the meeting agreed that the SPIS proposal must be fast-tracked so that if it is approved by NEDA-ICC, it could be included in the 2020 budget of the DA. Former DA Secretary William Dar proposed for the government to consider inviting the private sector to invest in the country’s national irrigation systems development. Dar said solar-powered irrigation is good provided there are water sources throughout the year. He said solar-powered irrigation draws water from rivers and other water sources and if there are no sustainable water sources, this irrigation project will be useless. (Lilybeth Ison)
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Gov’t designed Kaliwa loan to favor China, says IBON THE KALIWA DAM loan agreement is designed to unduly favor Chinese interests over that of the Philippines. IBON Foundation raised this concern in the wake of the release, upon public pres-
sure, of this and other loan agreements. Metro Manila private water concessionaire Manila Water Company, Inc. and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems
(MWSS) have long insisted on building the Kaliwa Dam and on a Chinese loan for this. The Department of Finance (DOF) seized on the recent disruption of water services, which IBON esti-
Malaysia deports over 500 Filipinos MALAYSIA HAS DEPORTED a total of 525 Filipinos following a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the rich eastern state of Sabah. The deportation of the Filipinos is part of the repatriation process of illegal immigrants to their homeland and continuation of Malaysia’s commitment to tackle the problem of illegal immigrants entering Sabah, according to Sabah National Security Council (NSC) director Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof. The Filipinos were sent home recently from the Sandakan City. The government had also taken proactive mea-
sures to detect and capture illegal immigrants by launching various integrated operations managed by the NSC, the Immigration Department, the Royal Malaysia Police, the Eastern Sabah Security Command and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Yussof was quoted a saying by the official Bernama News. “Since 1990, the number of those deported including those who left voluntarily was 581,947. The number of illegal immigrants who had been sent home last year was 13,479,” she said, adding, the number of deportations managed by the Sabah NSC for
this year have reached 4,115 as of April 30. She said there were a series of 19 deportations of illegal immigrants that were conducted in Sabah this year. The NSC had reminded the people in Sabah that the responsibility of freeing the state from illegal immigrants should not be the task of the government alone. “It is a serious offence under the Immigration Act 1959/1963 (Amendment 2002) against any party found to protect, employ or allow illegal immigrants in their premises,” she said. (With a report from The Zamboanga Post)
BFP North Cotabato urges public to take precautions to avoid harmful fires KIDAPAWAN CITY – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in North Cotabato province has again reminded the public to take precautions to prevent potentially harmful fires and be educated about surviving them. This after the BFP reported a total of 44 fires during the first quarter of this year with more than P88 million damages to proper-
ties and structures which is almost the same figure logged in their data base in the same period in 2018. Much of the fire damages were from the Sugni Superstore that burned down in Kabacan town costing over P70 million, according to Fire Officer Samyr Mundas, adding, the other fire incidents were mostly from residential houses, educa-
tional building, grass fires, business, electrical post and vehicular incidents. Mundas said the common cause of fire is electrical short circuit. Other causes were open flame, unattended fire and unknown causes or arson. He said the BFP has intensified its safety inspections on buildings and information drive. (Rhoderick Beñez)
mates to have affected at least 6.1 million Filipinos or 80% of the total 7.1 million population covered by the Manila Water service area, to further justify the project and the loan. IBON executive director Sonny Africa however warned that the Kaliwa loan agreement signed last year during the visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping is unduly biased for China and against the Philippines. “Countries give official development aid (ODA) not out of charity but always to advance their foreign policy and self-interest,” Africa said. “The Chinese loans negotiated by the Duterte administration are suspiciously disadvantageous for the Philippines.” IBON said that the practice of tied aid where loans are spent on the creditor country’s goods and services is unfortunately the norm in bilateral ODA. In the Kaliwa loan deal, for instance, the proceeds will pay for Chinese contractors and controversially even Chinese workers. China has a record of charging relatively high interest rates and for instance charges the highest nominal interest rates among all of the Philippines’ bilateral donors. The group however pointed out that the Kaliwa loan deal goes far beyond these and creates conditions for a debt trap. This starts with the agreement’s Article 7 which makes it too easy for China to declare that the loan is in default and to subsequently declare “all the principal of and accrued in-
terest… immediately due and payable”. The loan for instance can apparently consider the Philippines in default if payment is more than thirty (30) days overdue, if the Philippines defaults even on other loans not in any way connected to the Kaliwa loan or project, or if “in the opinion of the Lender [there is] a material deterioration of the financial conditions of the Borrower”. There are no such provisions in the other Japan and Korean loans that the DOF recently released. Moreover, IBON said, the loan is explicitly governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of China (Article 8.4) and any disputes will be settled in the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (Article 8.5). The arbitration rules of the HKIAC are however biased for China such as in the choice of arbiters and especially if Chinese law is made the agreement’s governing law. IBON said the country is being set up to potentially give up natural and strategic resources. In the agreement’s Article 8.1, the country “waives any immunity on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise for itself or its property in connection with any arbitration proceeding” on assets within the territory of the Philippines unless prohibited by law. IBON stressed that this provision is dangerous especially given the current administration’s predisposition to wield the law haphazardly for narrow ends.
“China rationally seeks to advance its self-interest as much as possible,” Africa said, “but it is suspicious that the Philippine government is giving so much to China and so badly failing to protect the country’s interest.” He also pointed out: “China is not just any lender and is aggressive in asserting its global agenda even at the expense of human rights, environmental protection, and feeding corruption in debtor governments.” The Kaliwa Dam project does not even yet have an updated feasibility study, environmental clearance, or the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of the communities. IBON pointed out that the Duterte administration is seeking as much as US$14.4 billion for 23 infrastructure projects under its Build, Build, Build program. “China has already been implicated in a few controversial debts gone bad where governments were pressured to give up control over strategic assets like ports,” Africa said. “As it is, China’s actions in the mineral- and marinerich West Philippine Sea islands and destruction of the rich marine biodiversity with reclamation activities shows that it is unconcerned about Philippine sovereignty and our interests.” Africa said: “The Duterte administration made a big show of supposedly independent foreign policy at the start of its term — it can start now by taking bold measures to modify or terminate these disadvantageous agreements.”
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No need to prove ‘oust-Duterte’ matrix Continued from page 1 for now it remains a just a conspiracy which has not yet been carried out and is not actionable in court. “Those named in the matrix demand proof of their participation in the ouster plot. Such is totally unnecessary. The matrix shows that there is an ouster plot. It is just a plot, a plan, an idea. The same is not actionable in court it being just a conspiracy. Conspiracy is not a crime unless the law specifically classifies a particular conspiracy to undertake a project or actualize a plan as a crime,” he said. Citing Article 8 of the Revised Penal Code, Panelo said: “Conspiracy and proposal to commit felony are punishable only in the cases in which the law specially provides a penalty therefor.” Panelo, a prominent lawyer, said only once the plot has been committed will the Palace file cases in courts and eventually show proof of the plotters’ participation in the ouster plot. “Only when all the elements of any of these crimes have been committed will we file a case against the conspirators. Should their plans lead to overt acts punishable by law then criminal cases will also be filed against them. It is only when the cases are
filed in court that proof will be submitted to substantiate the criminal charges,” he said. Foreign source Panelo also defended anew the decision of Duterte to release the matrix, which he claimed came from a foreign source, noting that it was obtained through means that did not violate the Constitution. “The President said the information on the ouster plot was received by him from a foreign source. It does not conclusively mean, however, that the information was originally obtained by the foreign country by an unlawful method that violates the privacy of an individual,” he said. Panelo floated the possibility that, through intelligence information sharing between countries, the information may have been acquired by a Filipino citizen who shared the same to the foreign country, which then transmitted it to Duterte. He also dismissed as erroneous speculations that the information was obtained through illegal means such as wiretapping since there were ways to acquire them legally. “It is also erroneous to speculate that the information was obtained through wiretapping
or any similar device prohibited by laws as it could have been personally heard or witnessed during a conversation between plotters in a place where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy, which according to jurisprudence is not violative of our privacy laws,” Panelo said “It could also have been heard by one of their colleagues who does not agree on the ouster plan, who then shared the information to another, who in turn also relayed the information from whom PRRD received it. The possibilities are endless,” he added. Right to information Panelo said the release of the matrix is also pursuant to Article 3, Section 7 of the Constitution which provides that, “the right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized.” “The people deserve to know that there are ouster plans against the leadership of their government,” Panelo said. “It is therefore the constitutional duty of the Administration to report to our countrymen the presence of groups which are motivated to unseat their President whom they have given the mandate to govern.” Panelo said the matrix was bared to show plotters
that the Duterte administration is aware of their conspiracy. “The matrix was disclosed to the public for the ring leaders and their co-plotters to know that we know, to put them on notice that pursuing their plan by committing overt acts punishable by law will open themselves to criminal prosecution,” he said. No stifling of dissent He also rejected claims that the ouster plot was meant to stifle political dissent and opposition, noting that they can still openly criticize the President and his administration. “The fact alone that critics and those in the matrix as
well as the personalities or groups identified in the matrix are still vigorously voicing their adverse opinions against the administration and even have increased their attacks a notch higher in this election season is eloquent proof that there is no stifling of dissent nor are their freedom to express their thoughts threatened,” Panelo said He said compared to previous administrations, dissent during the Duterte administration is freest. “No person has been hailed to court on account of the individual’s exercise of the freedom of speech or by reason of one’s disagreement against the Adminis-
tration or its policies,” Panelo said. He said certain individuals who are now facing charges, including detained Senator Leila de Lima, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, are probably guilty of the crimes they are charged with. De Lima has been detained for two years due to drug charges. Trillanes has been indicted for inciting to sedition while Ressa was arrested twice over cyber libel and tax evasion charges. However, Panelo insisted that these charges were unrelated to their being critical of the administration. (Azer Parrocha)
OFWs told to leave war-torn Tripoli immediately THE PHILIPPINES HAS ordered the mandatory repatriation of all Filipino workers in Tripoli in Libya following fierce fighting between security and rebel forces. Some 1,000 Filipinos are believed to be in the capital city, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. who raised the alert level upon the recommendation of the Philippine embassy in Tripoli. The embassy said the
current situation on the ground could no longer guarantee the safety and security of Filipinos who chose to remain in the capital. Two Filipinos were wounded after several hospitals and residential areas had been shelled. Chargé d’Affaires Elmer Cato said the fighting in the outskirts of Tripoli will soon make it difficult for the embassy to respond to urgent requests for assistance from
distressed Filipinos. With the declaration of Alert Level IV, the embassy has now doubled its efforts in persuading Filipinos to go home. The new alert level, which covers only Tripoli and other areas within a 100-kilometer radius from the capital, was raised after a number of Filipinos suddenly found themselves in the middle of fierce fighting since last week. (Joyce Ann Rocamora)
US funding for anti-Duterte media: P74M
Continued from page 1 website of the US AID itself and its main conduit, the National Endowment for Democracy. (Credit is to the popular blogger Rey Joseph Nieto for pointing me to these websites. His articles on these are posted at his blog ThinkingPinoy.) These media firms are the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Vera Files, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), and Rappler. The amounts are huge for thinly staffed websites with little overhead and none of the huge paper costs that burden newspapers. These therefore mainly went to the salaries (reported as “allowances” by its few operators). No wonder these four have ignored my private and public requests to them to disclose their funding sources. We are a sovereign nation. Why do we allow a foreign power to fund media entities dedicated to painting the duly elected president black, in the hope that the masses, or the military, would be roused to topple him? In its article posted on its website, the PCIJ even shamelessly concealed its main source of funding, which is the AID. It claimed that the bulk of its funding came from “interest income from an endowment fund that Ford Foundation gave in 2003 and from ‘patrons.’” AID It didn’t mention at all that most of its funds, at least since 2009 (for which data is available), totaling P25 million, came from the US federal government’s AID, disbursed annually without interruption. This was coursed through the US State Department, and then through the private foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The CMFR on the other hand, which has a working staff of four, surprisingly was the biggest recipient of the AID-NED funding, totaling P35 million in the same period. It has been headed since its organization in 1989 by Melinda Quintos de Jesus,
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the sister of former president Benigno Aquino 3rd’s “peace adviser” Ging Deles, and the wife of Edilberto de Jesus, an adviser in the Corazon Aquino government. The CMFR does not disclose its funders in its website. It arrogantly refused to do so when I requested its head to do so in an email last year, claiming I “was belligerent.” CMFR has been a strident anti-Duterte news website, routinely republishing articles from Rappler and PCIJ critical of this administration as well as opinion pieces bylined only by “CMFR” that propagate the propaganda thrust of the Yellows. For instance, its current website has a banner statement that screams as it lies: “An Attack on One is an Attack on All: The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility condemns the arrest of Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa on cyber libel charges filed several years after the alleged offense was supposedly committed.” CMFR however has been as critical of Duterte as much as it has been slavish to Aquino 3rd when he was in power. For example, in the weeks after the Mamasapano bloody fiasco that resulted from Aquino’s incompetence and his reliance on his close friends, police chief Alan Purisima (who was under a court suspension at the time for graft charges), the CMFR scolded mainstream media as being hysterical, and claimed that the incident wasn’t a massacre but a clash between police and Moro rebels. Fact-checker On the other hand, Vera Files, a “fact checker” for Facebook, got P6.5 million from NED for its 2016 and 2017 funding and P2.2 million from Asia Foundation, which has also been alleged to be a conduit for CIA operations to mold the minds of a target population. It got an additional P750,000 from the NGO Reporters without Borders, which is also funded by NED. The organization’s founder Allen Weinstein himself had pointed out that NED “has been doing what the Central
Intelligence Agency did” in molding public opinion in its “target” countries. A State Department official in a congressional budget hearing explained: “What was done was to shift many of the awful things [done by the CIA] to a new organization, with a nice sounding name. The creation of the NED was a masterpiece. Of politics, of public relations, and of cynicism.” With Rappler in the past two years being reported in US media as Duterte’s most vociferous critic in media, NED probably got a State Department order for it to give Rappler money, which it did last year, amounting to P7.5 million. It was a lifeline that it would be getting regularly, as Rappler’s funds from two US firms had been used up fast. The NED funding was disguised as a grant to it for a project tilted “Understanding and Addressing Disinformation’s Impact on Democracy.” That’s so ironic as it was Rappler that first spread the vile disinformation that the police had killed “7,080” from July 2016 to January 2017 in the government’s war against drugs. The anti-Duterte media here and in the US used that figure to extrapolate very falsely that by 2018, there were “21,000” killed in the anti-drug war — 7,000 multiplied by three (years). Omidyar The P7.5-million funding from NED was small change though, compared to the colossal funding Rappler got from two American outfits in 2015. In the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s tax-evasion case filed against Rappler, it pointed out that the funds Rappler received from San Francisco firm North Base Media and Omidyar Network amounted to P180 million. That explains why Rappler has been able to afford extremely expensive Internet tools — which no other local website can afford — for it to quickly expand its footprint, such as software to make its articles appear high in google search results. These media outfits won’t a last a week without the American funds. And they dare to call themselves the “independent media”? I had written several columns pointing out that these outfits are violating the constitutional ban on any foreign participation in media, with recent laws unequivocally classifying internet-only news websites as media. The Securities and Exchange Commission had ruled that anything less than “100 percent” control violates the Constitution. Never did it cross my mind that they are funded by the US government, which has a very strategic interest in molding Filipino minds, especially at this time when China is challenging its decades-old hegemony in Asia. Why do we allow that? (By Rigoberto D. Tiglao. First published on The Manila Times.)
AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION I, GUIDA ABAS UGAY of legal age, Filipino ci zen widow and residing at Brgy. Kayaga, Kabacan, North Cotabato, Philippines hereby freely and voluntarily declare and state THAT: 1. I am the only legal heir of the deceased PALANO ABAS UGAY who died on January 17, 2019 at Al Ehsaa, Eastern Province, K.S.A. 2. The Deceased died intestate without leaving any Last Will and Testament and without any outstanding debts; 3. The Deceased le the following property/ies, to wit: (list proper es le by the deceased which should include the BDO account) 4. Pursuant to Sec on 1 of Rule 74 of the revised Rules of Court of the Philippines, I hereby adjudicate unto myself the above-described property/ies by means of this Affidavit. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand this 30th day of April, 2019 at Kabacan, Philippines.
AFFIDAVIT OF RELEASE AND QUITCLAIM WITH INDEMNITY UNDERTAKING I, GUIDA ABAS UGAY, all of legal age, Filipino ciƟzen, and resident/s of Brgy. Kayaga, Kabacan, North Cotabato, Philippines, under oath, hereby declare and state that: 1. I am the heir/s of the deceased PALANO ABAS UGAY, who died intestate on January 17, 2019 at Al Ehsaa, Eastern Province, K.S.A.. 2. For and in considera on of my/our receipt of the amount of Php. 223,139.75, representing proceeds of Savings Account no. 003310180616 of the Deceased with BDO Unibank, Inc.331: Cotabato-Kabacan Branch, I hereby expressly and absolutely remiss, release and forever discharge BDO Unibank, Inc., its owners, directors, stockholders, officers, employees and assigns (collec vely, “BDO”) from any and all claims, suits ac ons or causes of ac on which I/we, my/our successors/assigns now have or in the future claim to have against BDO in connec on with the Account. 3. I/we hereby further obligate myself/ourselves, jointly and severally to indemnity BDO for any loss or damages which it may sustain in that event that any third person/s shall succeed in establishing a right superior to that of mine/ours concerning the Account. FURTHER AFFIANT/S SAYETH NAUGHT.
Troops hunt down Sayyaf’s Indama in Basilan BASILAN – Government forces continue their hunt for a notorious Abu Sayyaf leader Furuji Indama, blamed for the spate of ransom kidnappings and terrorism in the restive Muslim province of Basilan in southern Philippines. Just last week, army troops killed 4 militants in fighting in the town of Ungkaya Pukan where the group of Indama was tracked down with the help of civilian intelligence. The fighting was so fierce that military aircrafts were sent to Basilan to provide support to ground troops battling militants in the remote village of Bohe Pahu. The town is also a known stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which signed an in-
terim peace deal with Manila in 2014. The fighting involved soldiers from the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion, the 64th Infantry Battalion, the 18th Infantry Battalion and the 12th Division Reconnaissance Company under the Joint Task Force Basilan and the Philippine Air Force. Brigadier General Fernando Reyeg, the task force commander, said they “launched focused military operations against the Abu Sayyaf group under sub-leader Furuji Indama at Sitio Gipitan in Barangay Bohe Pahu in the wee hours of the morning.” “A heavy firefight ensued after which the enemies scampered to different direction. Close air support was immedi-
ately deployed to go after the fleeing bandits. Our troops are currently on the ground to pin down the Abu Sayyafs who are on the run and are evading military forces,” he said. There was no report of military casualties. Troops also recovered the bodies of the slain militants, including one M16 automatic rifle, one M14 sniper rifle and an R4 assault rifle. It was not immediately known if MILF forces had provided sanctuary to the militants or if rebels helped the military in the operation against the Abu Sayyaf. MILF and military forces had previously clashed many times in the town prior to the interim peace deal. (The Zamboanga Post)
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The Mindanao Examiner
May 06-12, 2019
Across : 1. French preposition 4. Electrified atom 7. Player 12. FBI employee (abbr.) 13. Cloistered one 14. Over 15. Cow’s comment 16. Values deeply 18. Gun owners’ org. 20. Loathe 21. Long-distance prefixes (2 wds.) 25. Nuclear ___ 26. Soft belt 30. Pen 31. Skirt border 33. Flat bread 34. Went fast 35. North African 37. Holiday hunter’s prize (2 wds) 39. Biblical mountain 43. Apple color 44. Card game for one 47. Gotcha! 50. Marry clandestinely 51. Angeles preceder 52. Hunting dog, for short 53. Change 54. Florida island 55. List abbr.
Answer to last week’s crossword:
Down : 1. Water barrier 2. Sense of self 3. Caveman’s time(2 wds.) 4. Unbroken 5. Belonging to us 6. Wind direction (abbr.) 7. Freon and oxygen 8. Adjoin 9. Extra 10. Nights before holidays 11. Take five 17. Fruity refresher 19. Rushed 21. Circle segments 22. Gather crops 23. Impressed utterance 24. Gown
26. Bowling term 27. Large terrier 28. Bachelor party 29. Dangle 32. Wrestling pad 36. Religious dissent 37. Diner 38. ___ glance (2 wds.) 39. Not ashore 40. Rock’s partner 41. Thanks ___! (2 wds) 42. Mellow 45. Kind 46. Salmon eggs 48. Bonnet 49. NBC’s rival
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May 06-12, 2019
ISIS uses Sabah to cross into Mindanao Continued from page 1 new bases to operate from because of attacks by allied forces on ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq. He said Sandakan City and Tawau town in Sabah are being used by militants
to enter conflict zones in Southern Philippines and also in Rakhine Myanmar. “We are aware that in Southeast Asia, Tawau and Sandakan are being used as transit points by militants to enter Southern Philippines
and Myanmar. That is for South-east Asia. In European countries, we know they are looking at Balkan states such as Bosnia and a few other nations,” he said, adding that this was from intelligence gathering and the ex-
Kidapawan PESO urges job seekers urge to attend free seminar KIDAPAWAN CITY – The Public Employment and Services Office here urged job seekers to attend its weekly pre-employment orientation seminar for them to be able to prepare for an interview, learn some tips, and what documents to bring when applying for a job, and to be fully aware of the employer’s information. Herminia Infanta, head of PESO, said the seminar is being held every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the PESO in City Hall. Infanta said they will also hold a job fair and Diskwentro Caravan on the
third week of May at the City Gymnasium where hundreds of jobs, both domestic and overseas, will be offered by various companies, both local and recruitment agencies. The Diskwento Caravan, she said, aims to provide opportunity for consumers to buy basic goods, school supplies and prime commodities at discounted or reduced prices by the manufacturers and retailers. During the caravan, the Department of Trade and Industry will give at least 30% discount for all items, especially schools supplies,
among other products. The Diskwento Caravan Balik-Eskwela Edition also aims to provide and bring basic and prime commodities to the public in one venue. Products sold during the Balik-Eskwela Editions are food items, school supplies, uniforms, shoes, and other related merchandise. The Diskwento Caravan Balik-Eskwela Edition is also in partnership with the local manufacturers, PESO, Department of Education and the local government of Kidapawan. (Rhoderick Beñez)
Tawau, Sandakan in Sabah under tight watch for ISIS militants, drugs SABAH POLICE are closely monitoring the eastern coast, especially the town of Tawau and Sandakan City, considered to be transit locations for Daesh militants and smuggling of drugs before heading to their intended destinations, Bernama reported. Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said they have formed a
special task force to track the movements of these terror groups at all times. “With the existence of this special task force, a series of arrests have also been made,” he said without further elaborating, but assured the public the security situation is under control. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun was recently reported
as saying that Daesh had now made Tawau and Sandakan as new transit points for its militants to enter the southern Philippines and Rakhine in Myanmar. The two places have also been reported as transit locations for the smuggling of drugs to neighboring countries. (With a report from The Zamboanga Post)
change of information with police agencies worldwide. Harun said the police are closely monitoring the matter and arrests from time to time had been made to keep militants in check. “We are also monitoring social media to check the spread of Islamic State ideology,” he said. The report also quoted Harun as saying that the number of ISIS militants are on the decline due to allied campaign. “At one time, there were some 45,000 fighters but now, we have been informed the numbers have dropped to 35,000,” he said. In March, Malay Mail reported that the police arrested 9 people with suspected links to an African-based terror group behind alleged plans to launch large-scale attacks in several countries. It said two of the suspects, an Egyptian and a Tunisian national, are believed to be fighters with the Ansar Al-Shariah Al-Tunisia, which is part of the al-Qaeda terror network operating in North Africa. The two, aged 21 and 22, came to Malaysia as a transit point with the help of 7 others, five of them Egyptian nationals and two Malaysians, who provided lodgings and paid for other expenses including plane tickets to the country. Harun’s statement coincided with President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning that ISIS and Abu Sayyaf militants may be targeting Zamboanga and told foreigners to stay away from there.
Citing a credible intelligence report, Duterte, addressing participants in the 7th Union Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Pasay City, said: “There’s a certain place which I would not recommend to anybody to go there, not just as yet, is Zamboanga. Some Europeans go there for the bird watching and they are captured and eventually they are decapitated even after the payment of ransom.” “It is the ISIS actually. It used to be the Abu Sayyaf. Now it’s an Abu Sayyaf territory. They do nothing but to kill and destroy,” he added. But Duterte may have confused Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi province when he said that some Europeans birdwatchers were kidnapped and eventually decapitated by militants. There had been no kidnappings of foreign birdwatchers in Zamboanga, but in February 2012, Abu Sayyaf militants under Hajan Sawadjaan and suspected Moro National Liberation Front members kidnapped two European wildlife photographers Lorenzo Vinciguerra, from Switzerland; and Ewold Horn, 54, from Holland, in the coastal village of Parangan in Panglima Sugala town in Tawi-Tawi. Vinciguerra had escaped from his guards and recovered by soldiers in December 2014 after he allegedly killed one of his guards – Juhurim Hussien – with a bolo. The fate of Horn is still unknown. Philippine authori-
ties blamed the Abu Sayyaf and ISIS in the twin suicide bombings of a Catholic cathedral in Jolo town in Sulu province early this year. The attacks, carried out by an Indonesian couple, had killed and injured dozens of people, mostly soldiers guarding the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on January 27. The attacks on the church occurred 2 years after hundreds of Abu Sayyaf and pro-ISIS militants and civilian supporters took over Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province. The city was recovered by troops after 5 months of house-to-house and close-quarter battle that killed and wounded hundreds of soldiers, militants and innocent civilians trapped in Marawi. Duterte’s warning came after ISIS suicide bombers struck churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed over 300 people on Easter Sunday. Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco Salazar said security is tight in the city and assured locals that police and military forces are in heightened alert. “We heightened the security in the city of Zamboanga and we continue to maintain a heightened level of alert as a pre-emptive measure following the Sri Lanka bombings,” she said. Police said it is maintaining a high level of alert in Zamboanga, especially in places of worships, according to its spokesperson, Captain Shellamae Chang. (The Zamboanga Post)
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DOTr probes Cebu Pacific flight cancellations
C
EBU PACIFIC is facing an investigation by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) after the budget airliner had cancelled many of its flights. DOTr SecHe said Cebu Pacific was CEB will be reducing approxretary Arthur reported to have reduced their imately 10 flights a day out of Tugade said the probe will flights amid its current oper- daily operations of 400 flights. determine if the cancellations ating conditions to ensure the CEB is currently reviewing adare caused by internal operat- safety of their passengers. Tu- justments required for June ing conditions of Cebu Pacific gade said he had met with avi- and beyond to create space in or the structure and condi- ation officials before the Holy its schedule for operational retions of airports that serve Week to address the issue of covery, minimize rolling delays on-time performance (OTP) of and give passengers the chance their flights. “I have talked with CAB all airlines which determines to make alternate travel plans, (Civil Aeronautics Board), the timely take-off and depar- Cebu Pacific has to temporarily reduce the number of its flights MIAA (Manila International ture of their flights. He directed the officials to given the current operating Airport Authority) and CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of submit daily reports of OTPs of conditions, particularly in its the Philippines) to look into airlines to determine causes of Manila hub,” the airline said the matter. While we would flight cancellations and delays. in a disclosure to the stock ex“What caused the delay? change. like to understand the present The airline has announced predicament of Cebu Pacific Is it the airline or the airport? in relation to their internal Once we do that, we have to the cancellation of a total of 116 requirements, they should address this all predicated on domestic flights this month. But ABS-CBN reported equally understand our man- assuring safety, punctuality date of making sure that the and convenience of the riding that many of airline’s pilots traveling public is safe, secure public. OTP is not only predi- and flight crew had resigned and convenient,” Tugade said. cated on airport structure and or working now for other airTugade said they expect procedure. It also addresses line companies that pay douto complete the investigation their own internal number of ble or triple of what they had within two weeks. “We need operating carriers,” Tugade been getting from Cebu Pacific. It said many of the Cebu to look into various factors said. Cebu Pacific said it will Pacific’s pilots and crew had to such as plane turnaround time, number of operating reduce around 10 flights a day work longer hours due to the planes, the procedures being this May amid ongoing disrup- airline’s additional flights and implemented on our taxi- tions of its operations while lack of manpower to handle ways and runways, et cetera. passengers experience extend- such huge passenger demand. We will provide remedies to ed delays and some on the spot (Aerol John Pateña, PNA. With a report from the Mindanao whatever shortcomings we cancellations. “For the month of May, Examiner) have,” he said.
Cebu Pacific air plane (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Respect security checkpoints, police tell public CEBU CITY – Police have issued a stern warning against those who do not respect security checkpoints in Cebu following a recent showdown between politicians and those manning the road blocks. Regional police chief Debold Sinas said they will not hesitate to file charges against anyone, civilians or politicians, who violate the checkpoints put up by the police in different areas to ensure public safety against criminals and lawless elements and as mandated by the Commission on Elections. “Police checkpoints post-
ed in different places in Cebu are legitimate for orderly elections. The people are bound to respect the police personnel manning the road barricade. Hangyo lang namo sa mga tawo motuman sa lagda sa checkpoint. Dili nila yaga-yagaan atong mga polis,” Sinas said. Policemen have complained that Mayor Tomas Osmeña and City Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, who were in a convoy of three vehicles, did not stop at a checkpoint in the village of Kasambagan when flagged down for a routine security inspection. The action, police said,
prompted them to chase the vehicles which eventually stopped and the two politicians disembarked and confronted them. Cebu City police chief Royina Garma showed a video footage to journalists showing Osmeña telling the policemen manning the checkpoint that they cannot compel passengers to get off from their vehicles. “We are contemplating to file cases,” Garma said. Osmeña also threatened to file charges against the policemen after one of them allegedly pulled out a gun during the confrontation. (John Rey Saavedra)
Philippines pursues high-quality, good-impact projects with cooperation from China
President Rodrigo Duterte with President Xi Jinping (PCOO photo)
AFTER PRESIDENT DUTERTE’S highly successful visit to China, Manila is ready to pursue more high-quality and good-impact projects with cooperation from Beijing, said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo. He said Duterte had productive and fruitful bilateral meetings with top Chinese leadership where he affirmed the commitment to friendship and understanding with China. Duterte also expressed to Chinese leaders the country’s readiness to pursue more high-quality and good-impact projects with China, Panelo said. Duterte visited China from April 24 to 27, during which he
attended the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation together with many other countries’ leaders. Panelo said during the leaders’ roundtable meeting, Duterte stressed the value of nations, especially in Asia, working together with a shared goal of inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth and prosperity. As China is the largest trading partner and a major source of foreign investments of the Philippines, economic cooperation also highlights Duterte’s visit. Panelo said Duterte witnessed the signing of multiple business agreements in Beijing
between the two countries, covering a wide range of areas of investments, such as energy, infrastructure, agriculture and human resources. “President Duterte gave his assurance to prospective foreign investors of all nationalities that the Philippine government will create an enabling environment that allows their business establishments and investments to prosper,” Panelo said. Moreover, Panelo said while in Beijing President Duterte reiterated his resolve to endeavor to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, stability and prosperity. (Xinhua)
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