China-Philippines war over South China Sea? Duterte is fear mongering, says Hague tribunal point man Florin Hilbay CLAIMS THAT CHINA will go to war with the Philippines if Manila stands up to Beijing’s “bullying” in the South China Sea are nothing but fear mongering by President Rodrigo Duterte. That’s the view of the man who led the Philippines to victory three
Founded 2006
years ago when an international tribunal ruled against Beijing’s territorial claims in the waters. In an interview ahead of next month’s anniversary of the ruling, Florin “Pilo” Hilbay, formerly the Philippines’ solicitor general, urged Manila to take a tougher stance in trying to enforce the de-
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President Rodrigo Duterte and President Xi Jinping (PCOO)
cision. He said fears over what China might do to retaliate were overblown, and doubted that even the economy would suffer if tensions heightened. The Philippine economy did just fine when bilateral relations were at rock bottom during the 2010-2016 presidency of Benigno Aquino, Hilbay noted.
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He said that a lack of action against Chinese intrusions in the sea had served only to embolden Beijing. “What China has done is to test the [Philippine] administration’s ability to respond. And then they pushed the envelope forward, and Continue on page 3
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‘Quick-money, Get-rich’ schemes SEC warns public against suspicious investment offers
T
HE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cautioned the public against investing on companies or groups promising a huge payback or interest, especially those who are unauthorized to conduct investment-solicitation activities. In an advisory re- chicks worth P500 with a which promises the publeased only recently, the guaranteed profit of 80% lic 100% to 1100% return SEC also warned of the in- in 60 days. of investment by buying, vestment scheme of ADA Likewise, it advised selling and breeding of Farm Agri Ventures (ADA the public to exercise chicks. FARM) which entices the caution in dealing with ADA Farm, it said, is public to invest by pur- BroilerPreneur Corpora- not registered as a chasing a minimum of ten tion (BroilerPRENEUR) Continue on page 2
Orphaned Filipino children traded in Saudi, reports say FILIPINO CHILDREN, especially orphans, have become a “prime commodity” in Saudi Arabia where sex parties involving drug and alcohol abuse have been reported. In a news article entitled “Kingdom has turned Jeddah into sex slave market, Saudi princess reveals,” by The Iran Project which quoted French newspaper Le Monde re-
cently, said the disturbing report was made public by Amira Bint Aidan Bin Nayef, the ex-wife of the Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, who claimed the scandalous, but secretive activities have been going on in the port city of Jeddah and the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. Bint Aidan said buying and renting the children, especially the or-
phans, from countries like the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Somalia, Nigeria, Romania and Bulgaria; and trafficking of white women and exploiting them for sexual practices is also relatively common. She told Le Monde the children become the property of those who buy them and are not allowed to leave without permission. Continue on page 2
ZAMBOANGA CITY MAYOR Beng Climaco poses with new regional police chief for Western Mindanao, Brigadier General Froilan Quidilla and other senior officers during a recent call at City Hall. Quidilla, who belongs to Class 1987 of the Philippine National Police Academy, replaced Brigadier General Emmanuel Luis Licup, who has been named as deputy director for the Philippine National Police Directorate for Personnel and Records Management in Camp Crame in Quezon City. Climaco has asked Quidilla to continue supporting the government’s anti-drug campaign and to take an active role and participation – as vice chairman in the City Peace and Order Council and the Regional Peace and Order Council. The mayor also discussed with Quidilla several matters on peace and order in Zamboanga and Western Mindanao. (Kathy Wee Sit)
First Standard Finance Corporation Zamboanga City 0995-5202358 RUSH SALE FOR SALE FOR SALE FOR SALE
Fortuner G P680, 000
ARMM
Montero GLS SE P680, 000
Eastern Mindanao
Mitsubishi Strada P700, 000
Western Mindanao
Hyundai Accent P550,000
Cebu
Manila
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‘Quick-money, Get-rich’ schemes
Continued from page 1 corporation or partnership in the SEC while BroilerPRENEUR, although registered as a stock corporation, has primary purpose which is limited only in engaging, conducting and carrying on the business of consumer services, production, buying and selling, distributing, direct selling, and online marketing at wholesale and retail of chicks, chicken and other related products. “Both ADA Farm and BroilerPRENEUR are unauthorized to solicit investments from the public for not securing prior registration and license to offer, solicit, sell or distribute any investment/securities from the Commission,” it said in the advisory posted on its website. It added: “Pursuant to Section 8 and 28 of the Securities and Regulation Code (SRC), where the scheme involves the sale of securities to the public, the SRC requires that the issuing person and/or entity must be a registered corporation with SEC, the said securities offered are duly registered and that the appropriate license and/or permit to sell securities to the public are issued
to the corporation and/or its agents. SEC said those who act as salesmen, brokers, dealers or agents of ADA FARM and BroilerPRENEUR in selling or convincing people to invest in the scheme, including solicitations or recruitment through the Internet, may be prosecuted and held criminally liable. And they may be penalized with a maximum fine of P5 million or maximum penalty of 21 years imprisonment or both. It added that those who invite or recruit other people to join or invest in this venture or offer contracts or securities to the public may be held liable. “In this light, the public is advised to exercise caution in investing their money which may turn out to be fraudulent investment schemes and to take the necessary precaution in dealing with ADA FARM and BroilerPRENEUR and their representatives. The public is encouraged to report any information regarding the operation of ADA FARM and BroilerPRENEUR by calling the SEC Enforcement and Investor Protection Department at (02) 818-6337 and (02) 818-5324,” the advisory reads.
Rigen Marketing SEC also issued an advisory against Rigen Marketing, advising the public to take caution in investing in the company online and through walk-in solicitations. In a separate advisory, SEC said it flagged Rigen’s operations, where members of the public are enticed to invest with a promise of a guaranteed 400% return in just a month or so. For an investment of P5,000 and a registration fee of P150, for instance, Rigen promises a P20,000 return and an investment of P50,000 and a registration fee of P1,500 could earn P200,000. “The public is hereby advised to exercise caution in investing their money in these types of schemes which may also turn out to be fraudulent investment schemes, involving the sale of unregistered securities,” the SEC noted. Under SRC, securities shall not be sold or offered for sale or distribution without a registration statement duly filed and approved by the Commission. Section 28 further states that no person shall engage in the business of buying or selling
Orphaned Filipino children traded in Saudi, reports say Continued from page 1 Even the Asian maids who come to work often find themselves in a kind of slave-like position. And young girls are divided into smaller groups and exploited for immoral acts. The slavery in Saudi Arabia has different forms, but it is done in secrecy and permitted only among the primary beneficiaries of the princes of the House of Saud, according to Bint Aidan. “They have turned the city of Jeddah into a slave market where underage girls are being exploited for noisy sex parties involving drug and alcohol abuse,” she said. No other details were made available by the princess, particularly on traded orphaned children, but she said that one of the main reasons why this keeps going on is that the members of the so-called Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Saudi Sharia police) tend to keep away from the matter, fearing they might lose their jobs, should they intervene. The newspaper also quoted the princess as saying that a Halloween event held in Jeddah and attended by 150 people, including employees of the consulates, was like a typ-
ical nightclub anywhere outside the Kingdom, with available wines, dancing couples in fancy costumes, and a disc jockey. Bint Aidan said the price of smuggled liquor in the country is very high. For instance, the price of the Smirnoff vodka is 1500 Riyals ($400), sometimes forcing party organizers to refill the original bottles with a local spirit called Siddiqui or rum, even though alcohol is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. The report about the Philippine children cannot be immediately confirmed or whether any of the abused Asian girls or maids were Filipinas. But a Filipino working in Saudi Arabia has said that such clandestine activities are occurring in Jeddah and alleged that most of these sex parties were being held in luxury yachts reportedly owned by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, known by his initials MBS. “It is an open secret here in Saudi Arabia,” he told The Mindanao Examiner without elaborating further fearing his statement could endanger his life. The Crown Prince was also allegedly the prime suspect or mastermind in the assassination of Saudi
journalist and a columnist for The Washington Post Jamal Khashoggi in October last year inside the Saudi consulate in Istambul, Turkey where he was getting documents related to his planned marriage. The Central Intelligence Agency has concluded in November that the Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi’s murder for being sharply critical of him. (Mindanao Examiner)
securities in the Philippines as a broker or dealer, or act as a salesman, or an associated person of any broker or dealer unless registered with the SEC. In this light, those acting as salesman, broker or agent of Rigen may be prosecuted and held criminally liable. They may also face a maximum fine of P5 million or imprisonment of 21 years or both, pursuant to Section 73 of the SRC. Those who sell or offer securities to the public may likewise be held criminally liable or accordingly sanctioned. On its website, Rigen describes itself as a “new startup company base in Tagum City which aims to help the financial needs of individuals by providing a concrete system allowing ordinary people to have solid additional income.” The company is allegedly operated by personalities who are supposedly “big players” in foreign exchange and crypto currency trading, and duly licensed in Singapore. SEC said it has received reports that Rigen’s operations extend to Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Davao Del Sur, General Santos City and other neighboring cities and municipalities. Last month, the Davao City Anti-Scam Unit issued a cease and desist order against Rigen for operating without a business permit. The public is encouraged to forward any information about Rigen’s operations to the SEC. The SEC has flagged at least 6 new companies for allegedly engaging in unauthorized investment-taking schemes since early this year. It also issued advisories against Angel Investor Group, Inc.; Unity Wealth Marketing, also known as UWealth Premium and Unitywealth 100; ALMAM-
ICO (Alabel-Maasim Small Scale Mining Cooperative/ ALAMCO (Alabel0Maasim Credit Cooperative); DV Boer Farm Corporation; and LDT Agro Industrial Hub Corporation/ VCM-NW Corporation. And renewed or updated its advisories against Paysbook ECommerce System Co. Ltd.; North East Luzon Foundation, Inc. KAPA-COMMUNITY MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL SEC said it has already revoked the registration of Kapa-Community Ministry International, Inc. (KAPA) for “serious misrepresentation on what it can do or is doing to the prejudice and damage of the public.” In a decision dated April 3, the SEC En Banc granted the petition of the SEC Enforcement and Investor Protection Department to revoke KAPA’s certificate of incorporation for offering and selling securities, in the form of investment contracts and in the guise of donations, without the necessary license and in a manner resembling a Ponzi scheme. It said: “Kapa in dealing with the public is using its registration with the Commission as a religious corporation as a backdrop to solicit investments from the public knowing that it does not have the requisite registration. Such act is indicative of Kapa’s intent to deceive the public on what it can do or is doing to the damage and prejudice of the investing public.” In its certificate of incorporation, KAPA is explicitly prohibited from undertaking business activities requiring a secondary license such as acting as broker or dealer in securities, investment house and close-end or open-end investment company. Despite its lack of authority to offer and sell securities, KAPA recruited
and encouraged members to donate any amount in exchange for a 30% monthly return for life, without having to do anything other than invest and wait for the payout. SEC ruled that such scheme constituted the sale and offer of securities, in the form of investment contracts, and required a secondary license from the SEC. It said that Kapa misrepresented itself to the public by concealing this investment scheme in the guise of a donation to entice the public to ‘donating’ when in truth and in fact they are investing. “It is by these acts that Kapa’s Certificate of Corporate Registration should be revoked so that it can no longer perpetrate its fraudulent and misleading acts through the privilege granted to it by the State,” SEC said, adding, such investment-taking scheme was beyond the powers granted to KAPA by law and those indicated in its articles of incorporation. “Performing ultra vires acts especially making it appear to the public that it can perform investment taking activities in the guise of a donation constitute serious misrepresentation on what it can do or is doing to the prejudice and damage of the public,” SEC further said. The SEC order covered the partners, officers, directors, agents, representatives and all other persons acting for and in behalf of KAPA, which also operates as KAPA Kabus Padatuon (Enrich the Poor), KAPA/ KAPPA (Kabus Padutoon), KAPA-Co Convenience Store and General Merchandise, and KAPA Worldwide Ministry. There was no immediate statement from all the companies stated by SEC in its advisories. (Mindanao Examiner)
DepEd adds skills training to expanded ALS program THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) said it has now included skills training in its Alternative Learning System (ALS) to empower the youth who plan to work while studying. With the aim to intensify and expand the regular ALS program, which is considered “the centerpiece of basic education under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration”, the DepEd recently launched the Alternative Learning System-Education and Skills Training (ALS-EST) Program Handbook for Implementers. The DepEd added a skills training component to the ALS education in addition to the basic sub-
jects such as History, Math and Science. Students enrolled in the program can now be trained in food and housekeeping, electronics and welding, wellness, dressmaking, agriculture and carpentry. Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Nepomuceno Malaluan said DepEd would allocate supplementary funds for the training facilities and for those who will facilitate the training. “The ALS skills training has already started in 98 pilot schools but DepEd targets all public schools to have ALS skills training. The next challenge is the scale up or mainstreaming of these pilot programs,” Malaluan said.
According to the Annual Poverty Indicator Survey in 2017, some 1.43 million children and youth aged 6 to 17 were out of school and have not completed basic education. And Malaluan said they aim to bring these out of school children and youth through the ALSEST, which is a complementary program to the mainstream ALS. The program also aims to holistically prepare learners for various exits, such as higher education, middle-level skills development, entrepreneurship, and employment by integrating a skills training component with the basic education component. “Non-formal educa-
tion is not second-class education, it is a modality, a pathway, and for many learners, a second or even first chance at education. This is the framework and motivation that drives the ALS-EST Program,” Malaluan said. The handbook, which has 14 chapters, provides a summary of the challenges in reaching out of school youth and adults who were not able to complete basic education; a discussion of the ALSEST Program, including its learners, curriculum, learning resources, learning delivery, learning facilitators, assessment and certification; and other aspects of the program. (Maria Teresa Montemayor)
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China-Philippines war over South China Sea? Duterte is fear mongering, says Hague tribunal point man Florin Hilbay Continued from page 1 forward. They have asked themselves, is the president going to complain if we do this? Is he going to complain if we are going to do that?” said the former chief counsel of the government. “He has never complained, and that’s the problem. Filipinos call it bullying, but basically the administration has consented to everything that China has done.” Hilbay urged the Duterte administration to constantly call out the Chinese for any intrusions and rubbished suggestions by the president that doing so could provoke Beijing into war. “Not necessarily sending out the navy, but maybe to send the Philippine coastguard,” he said. “Complain in public forums or even complain to the United Nations. I cannot imagine that leading to a shooting war with China.” In 2013, the Philippine administration under Aquino filed a complaint against China’s claims in the sea to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, an intergovernmental organisation set up in 1899 to
resolve disputes between countries. Three years later, two weeks into the new administration of Duterte, the five-member tribunal based in The Hague ruled unanimously in favour of the Philippines. In a 500-page ruling, the court made clear there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources in the area, known in the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea. Hours after the court’s decision, Duterte summoned his cabinet members and Hilbay for a meeting to discuss what tone the Philippine government should adopt. “I remember that he said, ‘what we want is a soft landing’. I assumed that meant he was not going to brag about the decision. I thought that was a good decision because there was no need to brag about it. Everybody knew that we won anyway,” Hilbay recalled. Hilbay became the youngest solicitor general in Philippine history when he was appointed in 2014 at age 40. He topped the bar exam in 1999. “What I didn’t realise
was after the soft landing, he would make a U-turn. And it was reflected in the language of the president.” In March, Duterte said he would not provoke China into war, fearing a massacre because China had “plenty of good quality weapons”. “If we go to war against China, I would lose all my soldiers just as they are leaving for the war. It will be a massacre. We don’t have the capacity to fight them,” Duterte, formerly a Davao city mayor, said at the time. The next month, Duterte arrived in Beijing for a forum on the Belt and Road Initiative, playing down tensions over the South China Sea. The two countries signed 19 agreements, including investment deals worth US$12 billion. The deals are expected to generate 21,000 jobs. Hilbay said Duterte had “scared” Filipinos into believing that China would end up going to war with the Philippines if Manila tried to enforce the court’s decision. This “fear mongering” had worked, he added. He said Duterte was unlikely to try to enforce
the court’s decision, because he was three years into his term already, but if he did the Philippines would have the support of foreign countries including the United States, Japan and Vietnam. Indeed, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged in March to defend the Philippines in the event of “any armed attack” in the South China Sea. Hilbay also called for immigration laws to be tightened so that every foreign worker coming to the Philippines was properly scrutinised. He proposed migrants be made to obtain work permits before coming. Last month, a govern-
ment investigation found at least 12,000 foreign nationals – believed to be mostly Chinese – were working illegally for online gambling companies in the Philippines. Hilbay said some Chinese businesses felt they were “immune” from local regulations. “[The Chinese] think that they can get away with a lot of things. They see that they are licensed to bypass local regulations,” Hilbay said. He said Chinese influence in the Philippines would become a core issue in the 2022 presidential election. “Duterte won on a single issue: he hates drugs,”
Hilbay said. “I can imagine that someone running for election in 2022 will say that the Philippines are for the Filipinos, that the Philippines is not for the Chinese.” However, he cautioned such an election platform could lead to racism. “Politicians will do anything to win. They might take advantage of this growing sentiment that there are too many Chinese, and the Chinese are taking over [Filipinos’] jobs,” he said. “I can imagine a politician saying that, ‘my number one policy is to kick out the Chinese’. That’s a line that might work.” (By Phila Siu - South China Morning Post.)
Duterte man takes over Mindanao Development Authority DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte has named Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Concerns, Nathaniel Dalumpines, as officer-in-charge of the Mindanao Development Authority in concurrent capacity following the demise of its chairman, Abul Khayr Alonto.
Dalumpines, who was Duterte’s former chief-ofstaff in Davao City, said he will take the lead in ensuring the continuous and effective delivery of public service and pursue the socioeconomic mandate of Mindanao Development Authority. As officer-in-charge,
he will also serve as the Philippine signing Minister for the Brunei Daruss a l a m - In d o n e s i a - Ma laysia and Philippines East Asian Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). The agency acts as the Philippine Coordinating Office for the BIMP-EAGA. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Military runs after Sayyafs after death of Dutch hostage reports as troops only recovered the bodies of Horn and Sahiron’s wife. Horn, according to Sulu police commander Pablo Labra, had developed Stockholm syndrome, a condition which causes hostages to develop a psychological alliance with their captors as a survival strategy during captivity. “We received information that he developed Stockholm syndrome and spotted carrying a weapon,” Labra told The Zambo-
anga Post on an interview last month. It was not immediately known whether Horn had fought security forces side by side with the Abu Sayyaf. “We really don’t know if he had fought troops, but if he engages security forces and the lives of our troops are put in grave danger then we have no other recourse but to fight back,” Labra said. Horn and Swiss wildlife photographer Lorenzo Vinciguerra were both captured by Abu Sayyaf mili-
tants under Hajan Sawadjaan and suspected Moro National Liberation Front members in the coastal village of Parangan in Tawi-Tawi’s Panglima Sugala town in February 2012. Vinciguerra managed to escape from his guards and recovered by soldiers in December 2014 after he allegedly killed one of his guards – Juhurim Hussien – with a bolo. (The Zamboanga Post. With additional report from Rhoderick Beñez.)
No leads on murder of cop A military photo shows two cadavers believed that of Dutch hostage Ewold Horn and Mingayan Sahiron, one of the wives of Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron who were killed on May 31, 2019 during a firefight in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. COMBAT TROOPS WERE sent to the southern Sulu province to hunt down Abu Sayyaf militants following the death of Dutch hostage Ewold Horn in a clash. Horn, who was reported to have joined the proISIS group after developing Stockholm syndrome in 7 years of captivity, was killed in Patikul town last week. The fighting between militants and army soldiers erupted in Pansul village that also killed one of the wives of Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron. At least 8 other soldiers were also
wounded in the battle, according to the military’s Western Mindanao Command. It said Horn was reportedly shot by one of his captors while attempting to escape during the fighting. His body was recovered along with Mingayan Sahiron, who was slain in the clash that lasted over an hour. “Horn was shot by one of his guards when he tried to escape from the Abu Sayyaf during this morning’s gunfight. After an hour and thirty minutes of gun
battle, troops recovered the remains of Horn and that of Mingayan Sahiron, the second wife of the Abu Sayyaf top leader,” said Major Gen. Divino Pabayo, commander of an anti-terror task force in Sulu. The military did not say if soldiers witnessed the killing of Horn or not. Pabayo, who described the fighting as ferocious, said six militants were allegedly killed and a dozen more injured, but it was unclear whether the casualties suffered by the Abu Sayyaf were based on intelligence
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police are yet to identify the attackers of a policeman who was shot dead recently near his home in Zamboanga City. Motorcycle gunmen killed Corporal Edgar Gaganting, shooting him several times in the head in the village of Tumaga. He died instantly.
Gaganting was in civilian clothes and driving his motorcycle when the attackers tailed him and without warning opened fire on the cop, who was a recipient of a medal of merit for capturing Abu Sayyaf militants here early this year. Officials said the assailants escaped after the
shooting, leaving behind the bloodied policeman, who was a member of a local anti-drug unit. The motive of the killing is still unknown and police were investigating the murder of Gaganting. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. (The Zamboanga Post)
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HUDCC used Marawi rehab funds to send pilgrims to Mecca THE COMMISSION on Audit (COA) has flagged expenses made by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) which was used to pay for the pilgrimage of selected Muslims to Mecca last year. COA said HUDCC spent about P5 million in funds intended for the rehabilitation program of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province. It said the fund transfer was “not among the authorized expenses” in the agreement signed between the Office of the President (OP) and the HUDCC. But HUDCC chairman Eduardo del Rosario said he appeal to COA not to disallow the transfer of P5 million worth of Marawi rehabilitation funds to pay for the 2018 Hajj pilgrimage. In its audit report,
COA said the HUDCC diverted the P5 million worth of Marawi rehabilitation funds to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF). The amount was taken from the P500-million fund of the OP which it allocated to HUDCC for Marawi City rehabilitation projects. “We are writing an appeal to COA not to disallow this vital transaction, and besides, the P5 million was properly dispensed by NCMF,” Del Rosario said, insisting that the Hajj pilgrimage, which he described as part of the social healing process, is also part of the over-all rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City. “Hajj is a solemn obligation and wish of every Muslim. It is so important to them that social healing is envisioned in the process,” he said,
noting that a raffle was conducted to select internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were chosen to join the pilgrimage. “We sponsored IDPs who were then living in the evacuation centers and transitional shelter,” he said, explaining that under the deal, the NCMF will facilitate the processing of travel documents, payment of airfares and billeting while the IDPs stay in Saudi Arabia for a month. Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, which every adult Muslim must make at least once in his or her lifetime. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo warned that if the COA audit report is true, then HUDCC could face raps for technical malversation. (Azer Parrocha)
NTC allows cellphone subscribers to switch network providers
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC Notice is hereby given to the public that an extrajudicial settlement among heirs has been executed by the legal heirs of the late Felix M. Wagas Sr. namely; surviving spouse DEMETRIA C. WAGAS, widow, and a resident of Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur; ILLUMINADA W. YAP, widow, with residence address at Cebu, Philippines; GERVACIO C. WAGAS, married, with residence address at Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay; HEIRS OF SILVINO C. WAGAS, represented by Marissa Wagas per Special Power of Attorney executed before Atty. Marti Gregorio, Notary Public of Zamboanga City under Doc. No. 399, Page No. 80, Book No. I, Seiries of 2019; FLORITA W. MONTECILLO, married, with residence address at Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay; JOE MARLOU C. WAGAS, married, with residence address at Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay; FELIX WAGAS Jr., married with residence address at Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur; MERSALYN W. GREGORIO, of legal age, married, with residence address at Tetuan, Zamboanga City; and EVERLIE W. ADOLFO, married with residence address at Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur; all of legal age, Filipino citizens, over parcels of land all situated in the Municipality of Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur more particularly described as: 1. TD No. 00031 consisting an area of 4 hectares more or less; 2. TD No. 00032, Lot 408 consisting an area of 5 hectares more or less; 3. TD No. 00047 consisting an area 4 hectares more or less; 4. TD No. 00061 consisting an area of 3 hectares more or less; 5. TD No. 00090 consisting an area of 4 hectares more or less; 6. TD No. 00091 consisting an area of 4 hectares more or less; 7. TD No. 00432, Lot 12,270 consisting an area of 378 square meters more or less; Adjudicating said real properties between themselves per deed executed on May 22, 2019 at Zamboanga City before Notary Public Atty. Marti Gregorio per doc. No. 401, page no. 81, book No. I series of 2019. Demetria Wagas, surviving spouse of the late Felix Wagas Sr. covenanted and agreed to waive and renounce her shares, rights, and participation over the above-described real properties in favor of her legitimate children and heirs per deed executed on May 22, 2019 at Zamboanga City before Notary Public Atty. Marti Gregorio per doc. No. 403, page no. 81, book No. I series of 2019.
THE NATIONAL TELEC O M M U N I C AT I O N Commission (NTC) has released guidelines that mandate the unlocking of mobile phones by subscribers after the expiration of their lock-in period with mobile network operators. This allows mobile phone subscribers to switch from one wireless service provider to another. “Mobile phone and device users, after having complied with the terms and conditions of the subscription agreement within the agreed lock-in period and are the absolute owners of the mobile phones or devices, should have the option of changing between compatible wireless service providers, giving the consumer greater freedom and flexibility while increasing incentives for service providers to improve and innovate,” the NTC said. Public telecommunications entities (PTEs)
must post on their websites their policy on mobile phone or device unlocking, according to NTC, adding, for postpaid subscribers, PTEs, upon request, shall unlock mobile phones or provide the necessary information on unlocking to mobile device users after the completion of their prepaid service contracts, device financing plan, or payment of early termination fees. It said notice to prepaid customers may occur at the point of sale, at the time of eligibility, or through a clear and concise statement of the policy on the PTE’s website. The circular also mandates PTEs to unlock eligible devices or initiate a request to the equipment manufacturer within two business days after receiving a request. They should provide an explanation of why the device does not qualify for unlocking, or why it needs additional time to process the request.
“PTEs that fail to comply with any of the obligations shall be a cause for the imposition of applicable penalties provided in subsisting laws, rules and regulations,” the memorandum reads. Mobile network operators assured their subscribers that they will comply with the policy on the mandatory unlocking of mobile phones. “We will comply with the policy. If you look at the policy, consumers have the choice to switch their mobile network providers. We will provide them that option if they so request to unlock their phones,” Yoly Crisanto, Globe senior vice president for corporate communications, told the Philippine News Agency. PLDT-Smart public affairs head Ramon Isberto said the company will provide assistance to subscribers if they ask to unlock their phones at the end of their subscription period. (Aerol John Pateña)
KCC Mall facade falls off KIDAPAWAN CITY - The City Government has ordered an investigation into the collapse of a part of the facade of KCC Mall, one of the biggest malls in the southern Philippines. The incident occurred last week, but there were no reports of civilian casualties as the facade fell off hours
before the mall was to open. But debris from the broken facade damaged several tricycles parked outside the mall located along the busy J. Catolico Street. Dr. Bong Dacera, of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the investigation will determine the cause of the in-
cident. Government engineers are also expected to conduct an inspection to the whole mall to ensure the integrity of the building. There was no immediate statement from mall executives. KCC’s biggest mall is located in Zamboanga in western Mindanao and is so far the grandest in the city. (Rhoderick Beñez)
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The Mindanao Examiner
June 10-16, 2019
Across : 1. Intense rage 4. Mule’s kin 7. Midwest airport 12. Pirate’s drink 13. Stool pigeon 14. Worth 15. Majestic 17. comic ___ Degeneres 18. Informal talk 19. Sis’s counterpart 20. India’s locale 22. Cap ornaments 26. Story connector 29. Lick up 30. Create lace 31. Upper class 32. Lemon drink 33. Before, in poems 34. Commanding respect 36. Mutton, e.g. (2 wds.) 38. Serving both sexes 39. Museum offering 40. Level 42. Religious images 45. E-mail item 48. Newspapers and TV, e.g. 49. snaky fish 50. Pekoe, e.g. 51. Bicycle part 52. Vane dir. 53. Always, in poems Down : 1. Tax agcy. 2. Groove 3. Very scrawny 4. Range 5. Pepper’s partner 6. Pigpen 7. Supervisor 8. Angels’ headgear 9. Entire 10. Regret 11. Still, poetically 16. Asian language 19. Sew temporarily 20. Fall bloom 21. Fixed gaze
Answer to last week’s crossword:
22. Contaminate 23. Rich in detail 24. Large spoon 25. Swiftness 27. About-face 28. Shoe spike 35. Fighter pilots 37. Excessive excitement 40. Young adult 41. ___ of Capri 42. Rascal 43. Third letter 44. Weird 45. Gents 46. Golly! 47. Pitcher handle
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Congress approves higher tax on tobacco THE HOUSE OF Representatives has adapted the Senate version of the measure that aims to raise the Excise tax on all tobacco products. The House concurred with Senate Bill (SB) 2233 and adopted the same as an amendment to House Bill (HB) 8677. SB 2233, which was approved on final reading, proposes a staggered increase in the excise tax per cigarette pack from 2020 to 2023. The measure recommends an increase in Excise tax on cigarettes to P45 per pack in 2020;
P50 in 2021; P55 in 2021; and P60 in 2023, with a 5 percent annual increase thereafter. On the other hand, HB 8677, proposed lower rates of P37.50 to P45 per pack in 2022, and by 4 percent annually thereafter. Cigarettes are at present levied P35 per pack after Republic Act 10963 increased it to P32.50 from P30 in January 2018 and to P35 beginning July 2018. It is scheduled to go up to P37.50 in January 2020. The House’s concurrence and adaption of SB 2233 dispenses the need for a bicam-
eral conference committee to reconcile the two versions, thus enabling Congress to immediately transmit the measure to Malacañang for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature. Duterte certified SB 2233 as an urgent measure and in his letter to Senate President Vicente Sotto III, he said there is an “urgent need to further protect the health of the people and to maintain a broader fiscal space to support the effective implementation of the Universal Health Care Act.” (By Jose Cielito Reganit)
AirAsia earns big in Q1 AIRASIA PHILIPPINES has earned some P7 billion in revenues for the first quarter of the year and its major shareholder, F&S Holdings Inc. said additional fleets are underway as the carrier is seriously looking at secondary airports in Cebu and Bacolod. F&S Holdings’ Michael Romero said 2019 is a good year, adding, good performance and profit would be maintained throughout the year. “The first quarter was very good and profitable for AirAsia Philippines. We had P7 billion revenue for the first quarter alone. Our load capacity is about 91 percent,” Romero told the Philippine News Agency.
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The Mindanao Examiner
June 10-16, 2019
He said the carrier targets 8 to 9 million passengers this year, and projects P30 billion revenues for 2019. In 2017, AirAsia Philippines had around 7 million passengers. “Air travel is a booming industry. We all need new aircraft,” said AirAsia Philippines chairperson, Maan Hontiveros, adding they are looking at other routes and slots at other domestic airport since they could not just rely in Manila. “We are looking at secondary airports such as Cebu, Bacolod. There are many exciting places in the Philippines to go to,” she said. Hontiveros said AirAsia Philippines is continuously looking at unique routes that
it can develop, adding that 80 percent of the AirAsia Group’s routes is unique. F&S Holdings, Inc. acquired an additional 28.8 percent shares of AirAsia, Inc. (AAI). It now has a total of 44.5 percent shares, making it the major shareholders in AAI. “My family has been in this business since 2010. We just expanded our share,” Romero said. Forty percent of the AAI shares is still held by AirAsia Berhad founders, Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Menardum. The remaining 15.7 percent shares belongs to Tonyboy Cojuangco’s TNR Holdings. (Maria Cristina Arayata)
HEALTH
Tuberculosis: Matinding Problema ng Pilipinas Ang tuberculosis (TB) ay isang impeksyon sa baga na dulot ng TB bacteria. Ngunit puwede din maapektuhan ang ibang parte ng katawan tulad ng bato, buto at utak. Ang TB bacteria ay makikita sa plema ng pasyente at makahahawa ito. Ang posibleng sintomas ng aktibong TB ay ang pag-ubo na may bahid ng plema o dugo. Puwede ding makaranas ng pamamayat, pagkapagod, at lagnat sa hapon. Sa matatanda, ang Chest X-ray ay madalas ipagawa para malaman kung may TB. Kapag positibo sa TB, may ipapainom na mga gamot mula 6 hanggang 9 na buwan. Nakausap ko kamakailan si Dr. Camilo Roa, isang pulmonologist at eksperto sa TB sa Pilipinas. Heto ang payo niya: 1. Ang mga may diabetes ay mas malaki ang tsansa magkaroon ng TB. Dahil mas mababa ang resistensya ng may diabetes, dapat mag-ingat sila sa sakit na TB. 2. Malaking problema
Dr. Willie T. Ong ang TB sa bansa, bilang number 6 killer sa sakit. Bawat araw, 75 Pilipino ang namamatay sa TB. 3. Ayon survey, 5% ng Pilipino ay may TB sa Chest X-ray. Ang magandang balita ay 30% ang gagaling ng kusa kung malakas ang kanilang katawan. 4. Bawat taon, ang isang pasyenteng may aktibong TB ay makahahawa ng 10 ibang Pilipino. Kaya kapag hindi nagpagamot ang pasyenteng may TB, malamang ay mahawa din ang mga kasama niya sa bahay, lalo na ang mga bata. 5. Malala ang sitwasyon ng TB sa bansa dahil (1) marami ang mahihirap, (2) tumataas ang kaso ng HIV-AIDS, (3) dumara-
mi ang may diabetes at (4) kulang ang libreng gamutan ng gobyerno sa TB. May mga health centers na kulang sa gamot at mayroon naman na sobra sa gamot. 6. Ang mga laboratory tests para matukoy ang TB ay kailangan pang bayaran ng pasyente tulad ng Chest X-ray at sputum test. Dapat i-libre itong mga lab tests ng gobyerno para mapuksa na ang TB. 7. Sa mundo, may plano nang tapusin ang TB – “End TB.” Dahil dito, mapipilitan ang mga bansa tulad ng Pilipinas na sumumod dito. Nasa interest ng mayayamang bansa na mapuksa ang TB sa ibang bansa dahil puwede silang mahawa sa sakit. 8. May matinding TB bacteria ang nadiskubre. Ito ay ang Multiple Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) at Extensively Drug-Resistant TB (XDR-TB). Mahirap itong magamot. Tandaan: Kailangan mong tapusin ang gamutan sa TB sa loob ng 6 o 9 na buwan (depende sa payo ng doktor) para siguradong mapuksa ang TB. Good luck po.
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June 10-16, 2019
After LRT, monorail is now being eyed in Cebu to solve traffic woes
C
EBU CITY – A monorail system is being eyed as part of Metro Cebu’s solution to its traffic problem and would serve as mass transport backbone of the City, according to Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Michael Lloyd Dino. Dino said the mono- rail system will become
Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino ( Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas FB page )
Banned canned meat products removed from Cebu stores CEBU CITY – More than a thousand canned meat products banned in the country have been taken out from the markets in Cebu City after the Food and Drug Administration raised alarm over these goods which were imported from countries affected by African swine fever (ASF) and manufactured on August 25, 2018 onwards. Cebu City Veterinarian Alice Utlang said they have been going around grocery stores and supermarkets to ensure that these establishments strictly follow the ban aftrer the outbreak of the virus in several European
and Asian countries. Utlang doused fears that the virus would affect human health. She said the ASF only affects wild boars and native pigs and does not affect humans. However, she said human may become carriers of the virus and infect local hogs, eventually affecting the country’s P200-billion hog industry. “Let’s protect our borders from the virus because it’s already in neighboring countries like China,” Utlang said, adding that the virus could not be easily eliminated even if the infected meat is subjected to 70 degrees Centigrade heat while being cooked.
She urged residents to patronize locally manufactured products, instead of buying imported brands, which are not guaranteed to be ASF-free. “I am urging the public to refrain from buying imported canned goods from ASF-infected countries, or check the production date, which should be before August 25, 2018. If they can, just patronize our locally processed products because we are 100 percent sure that they are ASFfree,” Utlang said. Among the canned meat products banned in the country is the Filipino favourite, Maling. (John Rey Saavedra)
the main element of the Cebu Integrated Inter-modal Transport System (IITS) project of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). “The Duterte administration is determined to give the Cebuanos a sigh of relief against the long-standing traffic problem in Cebu. Such determination will be operationalized through this monorail project of Udenna (Infrastructure Corp.) of Mr. Dennis Uy,” Dino said. Udenna earlier announced that it revised its original proposal to build Light Rail Transit (LRT) project for Metro Cebu, and proposed to instead implement the Cebu Rail Project using the monorail technology. Udenna and its foreign partners obtained an original proponent status from the DOTr for the project.
Goddes Hope Libiran, spokesperson of DOTr, confirmed to PNA that the monorail project is really a part of the IITS. Aside from the monorail, other components of IITS will include the high priority bus system, pointto-point bus system, and intelligence traffic management system. Dino said monorail has a distinctive technology that is fast to construct, and has the same passenger-carrying capacity and operational efficiency with that of the LRT system. “Among monorail’s plausible feature is its cost for its construction. With P80 billion or half of the LRT’s cost, Metro Cebu will enjoy a mass transport backbone using the monorail technology,” he said. He said as a technology, monorail will have “more or less the same
carrying capacity of an LRT” and even cited the successful monorail systems abroad like the one in Florida and California in the United States. Dino said Japan has earned the distinction of having the world’s most transit monorails existing, eight of which are full-scale urban transit systems. Monorails, he said, have also been a transport system in Malaysia, Europe, Russia, Korea, China, Brazil, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. “ It is high time to be at par with those countries. And with the new leadership in Cebu province and the City of Cebu, I am confident that monorail will take a center stage of Cebu’s development. Let’s make Cebu number one again,” he said. (John Rey Saavedra)
Cops told to work with media for public interest POLICE FORCES in Western Visayas have recognized the role of media in the delivery of public service and the importance of fostering healthy relations with journalists or media workers. Brigadier General John Bulalacao, the regional police commander, has told chiefs of police that keeping a good relationship with the media is one of the factors why he considers his career successful. “Always do the right thing and let the people know that you are doing
the right thing. Use the services of the media,” Bulalacao, who is set to retire this month, said, adding, to attain the support of the community, the police should collaborate effectively with the media. The media, he said, have the “power to influence the public”, facilitate feedback-gathering, and lead the police to better public service. Bulalacao also noted that the police should understand situations and communicate effectively to deliver the right mes-
sage to the media and the public. “I saw the need for this seminar because I received feedback from media practitioners. They tell me that some of our chiefs of police in the region hesitate to be interviewed or answer questions from the media,” he said. Bulalacao said he expected all chiefs of police to communicate effectively with media workers and provide valuable information for public interest. (Gail Momblan)
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