Enactment of rights-based, Inclusive growth key to peace pro-people laws pushed and prosperity in Mindanao DAVAO CITY- The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) said it strongly opposed the re-imposition of the death penalty being pushed by President Duterte, saying, this would only further oppress the already marginalized sectors of the
Founded 2006
society. Instead of the death penalty, PLCPD called on the Duterte government to reform the country’s justice system, address the root causes of criminality, and adopt rehabilitative measures in countering crimes. Duterte, in his fourth State of the Nation Address
mindanaoexaminer.com
(SONA), presented his administration’s achievements in the first three years, and unveiled his plans and priority agenda, setting its direction in its three remaining years. This SONA is particularly important as it takes place in the beginning of a new Congress with a new set of Continue on page 5
AN INCLUSIVE atmosphere in business is necessary to maintain the gains of peace and continue the enabling environment for prosperity in Mindanao, according to Dr. Annette Pelkmans-Balaoing. Balaoing, who is based at the University of the Philippines, cited the
case of Unifrutti Tropical Philippines, a firm that invested in a 1,300-hectare banana plantation called La Frutera in Maguindanao province and their relationship with the community and the farmers operating there. Unifrutti, she said, recognized the land rights of the people in Maguin-
FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480 or (082) 2841859
P10
danao and it employed former rebels or combatants to build trust and establish relationships. “In the context of conflict and war, we need markets to be humane. We need markets to be inclusive. Investment usually expose you to higher risk, but in Continue on page 5
July 29-Aug 4, 2019
Terrorism, corruption hound BARMM
T
ERRORISM, CORRUPTION, political clans have topped a recent peace and order meeting in the Muslim autonomous region called by the Department of National Defense. Defense Secretary to finish off the pro-ISIS officials in the autonoDelfin Lorenzana has group Abu Sayyaf in Sulu mous region to help fight ordered security forces province and for elected off violent Islamic extrem-
Security forces take tough measures vs. terrorism in Mindanao
Abu Katheer al Maghribi - Moroccan bomber (Amaq News Agency)
SECURITY FORCES have taken tougher measures to fight terrorism in southern Philippines where three suicide attacks on military and civilian targets had killed and wounded scores of people in the troubled region. And now, the military has publicly announced that at least 7 foreign terrorists with links to ISIS are brainwashing and training local militants to become suicide attackers. The foreign terrorists are being coddled by the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan and Sulu provinces, and the Bangsamoro Continue on page 2
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana grits his teeth as he stresses the need to finish off the Abu Sayyaf during a recent peace and order meeting with governors of the Muslim autonomous region at the 6th Infantry Division headquarters in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao province. Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim listens to Lorenzana as Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez looks on. (Mindanao Examiner Photo) ism. “We need to finish them off, we need to do it now,” he said during the meeting with the governors of the Muslim autonomous region led by Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim at the headquarters of them 6th Infantry Division in
Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao province. Sulu Governor Sakur Tan said the provincial government and all 19 municipal mayors are all out in supporting the campaign against terrorist groups, blamed for the twin suicide bombings
carried out by an Indonesian couple on the Our Lady of Mount Carmel cathedral in Jolo town in January that left dozens of casualties; and for two Abu Sayyaf suicide attacks on an army base in Indanan town that killed Continue on page 3
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
2
The Mindanao Examiner
Coop brings hope to farmers DAVAO DEL NORTE - As a liaison officer in San Isidro municipal hall, Loreto Davis, 57, hopes to retire early so he can focus on managing his 1.7-hectare farm with trees of cacao and coconut. With the falling prices of copra, Davis, a member of Small Coconut Farmers Organization (SCFO) in San Isidro has been planting other crops such as cardava banana to cope up with this challenge. For Davis, the support of cooperatives such as Laak Multipurpose Cooperative (LAMPCO) has been essential in increasing his income. “Malaki ang tulong nila (LAMPCO). Ang produkto namin, sa kanila namin binebenta. Yung mga fertilizer pati ibang mga ginagamit namin (sa pagsasaka) doon kami kumukuha,” he said. LAMPCO is one of the leading agri-business cooperatives in Davao del Norte that buys coconuts and cacao from farmers, then sells them to institutional buyers like Davao Bay Coconut Oil Mills, Inc., Franklin Baker, and Kennemer Foods International, Inc. According to LAMPCO Chairman Mario Tipan, the cooperative started in 1986 in the village of
Mangloy in Compostela Valley’s Laak town with 15 members aspiring for a simple yet noble objective. “Walang mabilhan ang mga tao doon. Malayo. (Kaya) naisip nila na gumawa ng maliit na tindahan,” he said. The members were able to collect P700 as a seed capital, but unfortunately, their store went bankrupt before it even grew further. “Kasi hindi nila alam kung paano patakbuhin. Dahil owner sila, nagtitinda sila, wala pang bayad,” he said. Realizing that sound fiscal management is essential in maintaining their store, LAMPCO began fixing their old practices. It eventually caught the attention of the local government, knowing that all their members were local farmers. “Nagbigay ang local government ng post-harvest facility. Humiram din kami (ng capital) sa DTI (Department of Trade and Industry). Nakita nila na desidido kami mag-grow kasi binayaran din namin ang hiniram namin,” Tipan said. As their membership increased, LAMPCO opened more branches and merged with other cooperatives in the areas where they operate. They
also expanded their services to include granting loans to their members. At present, LAMPCO now has 5 major branches and three other satellite branches in Laak and San Isidro, with consumers, savings and credit and marketing as their main services. The cooperative is actively participating in the value chain approach for area development of San Isidro with partners, Peace and Equity Foundation, Cocolink, and the local government of the municipality. To Henry Mayormito, production coordinator of LAMPCO, the cooperative is now focusing on reintroducing their mission to their other members and training a new generation of leaders. “Magkakakaroon ng capacity building and values formation para sa mga members para maintindihan ang role ng kooperatiba We will also develop second-liners in the organization,” he said, adding, these goals are intended to continue LAMPCO’s mission of developing a coop-oriented community and broaden their socio-economic opportunities while caring for the environment. (With a report from Mindanao Examiner.)
July 29-Aug 4, 2019
SUPPORT PEACE IN MINDANAO Security forces take tough measures vs. terrorism in Mindanao Continued from page 1 Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao province – all in the Muslim autonomous region. Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, did not give details of the 7 foreign terrorists, including their nationalities except that they are affiliated with ISIS or theIslamic State of Iraq and Syria. “They are here to train bombers, especially suicide bombers. They are also training Filipinos on other terroristic actions,” Sobejana said, adding, the military is vetting the 42 other foreigners appeared in the Mindanao region to determine if they belong to any global terror groups. “We cannot confirm yet. We have criteria in validating them to be considered as foreign terrorists. It’s more of an effort by our intelligence unit,” he added. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has earlier voiced concern over Philippines’ frequent suicide bomb attacks. He said the Philippines
has so far recorded three suicide attacks since last year, including the June 28 twin bombing attacks at an army camp in Indanan town in Sulu that killed seven. And the January 2019 attacks by an Indonesian couple on the Catholic cathedral in Sulu’s capital town of Jolo that left dozens of casualties. That attack “changed and raised the level of extremism in the Philippines,” he said. The Philippine experienced its first suicide bomb attack on July 31, 2018 when a powerful bomb exploded in a van when the troops were inspecting at a military checkpoint in Lamitan City in Basilan. One Filipino soldier, five militiamen, four villagers and the van driver, Moroccan suicide bomber Abu Kathir al-Maghribi were killed in the attack claimed by ISIS. Because of this development, security forces have intensified its hunt for terrorists, tapping civilians and local government officials and Muslim religious leaders to help them gather information on probable attacks and
help fight off ISIS influence and violent Islamic extremism. The Abu Sayyaf operates in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, the Zamboanga Peninsula, and Mindanao, but has also conducted cross-border operations into eastern Malaysia. The group, estimated to have 400 members, is notorious for carrying out kidnappings-for-ransom, bombings, ambushes of security personnel, public beheadings, assassinations, and extortion. They prey on foreign tourists, businessmen and fishermen not only from the Philippines but also from Indonesia and Malaysia and hide them in Philippine jungles or remote islands. The BIFF, founded in 2010 by Ameril Umbra Kato as a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is an Islamic separatist organization also based in the southern Philippines. The BIFF was itself a splinter group of the Moro National Liberation Front. (Xinhua and Mindanao Examiner)
3
The Mindanao Examiner
July 29-Aug 4, 2019
Terrorism, corruption hound BARMM Continued from page 1 8 people and wounded over two dozens more. Ebrahim said they are addressing the security situation in the Muslim region, especially in Sulu and Basilan, where the Abu Sayyaf is actively operating. Tan, the most vocal of all the governors, also appealed to both the regional and national governments to help in the local efforts to address poverty in Sulu which he said is a magnet for violent Islamic extremism ideologies. The military has confirmed that one of two bombers in Indanan town was a local member of the Abu Sayyaf, Norman Lacusa, brainwashed by ISIS. Wilfred Nasol, regional director of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency in the Muslim autonomous region, also briefed those in the meeting about the 50-year old communist insurgency problems and pro-ISIS groups and terrorists operating in the country, and their propaganda and at the same time outlining the government’s response to these threats, especially addressing Islamic extremism ideology and
adapting the so-called National Peace Framework. Nasol was referring to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 which he signed in December last year establishing a “whole-of-nation approach” in ending communist armed conflict through the creation of a national task force that will take the lead in institutionalizing a national peace framework to attain inclusive and sustainable peace through various initiatives. The wholeof-nation approach, Nasol said, is essential for this peace framework to become workable, effective and beneficial. Corruption in 4Ps During the meeting, Tan also exposed widespread corruption in the government’s poverty alleviation program called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps where thousands of fake beneficiaries are receiving payout in cahoots with some unscrupulous officials. He wanted the government to investigate and conduct a re-validation of the lists of beneficiaries in the different towns of Sulu.
Aside from Sulu, there were also complaints in Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao. One villager in Tawi-Tawi’s Bongao town alleged that many 4Ps beneficiaries there are not even entitled to receive such benefits and has asked the government to investigate the scam. “Bakit po ba dito sa aming sa Tawi-Tawi ay marami pa rin po until now ang naging beneficiaries ng 4Ps na hindi naman karapat-dapat tulad ng mga dalaga na wala pang anak, at mga may-asawa na wala rin anak, at hindi naman gaanong naghihirap dahil may tindahan, lupa o boarding house silang pinarerentahan buwan-buwan lalo na po dito sa Barangay Lamion sa Poblacion at ilang mga barangay? Please help the deserving poor people of Tawi-Tawi para sila naman ang mabiyayaan ng 4Ps,” the villager said. One complainant also claimed that many beneficiaries have not received their conditional cash grants for more than a year now. In Maguindanao province, a woman also complained that their village leaders were allegedly pocketing the conditional cash grants intended for
Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim speaks with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana as Sulu Governor Sakur Tan looks after a meeting recent with governors of the Muslim autonomous region at the 6th Infantry Division headquarters in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Sulu Governor Sakur Tan gestures as he discusses peace and order situation in his province with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana after a recent meeting with governors of the Muslim autonomous region at the 6th Infantry Division headquarters in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo) the poor beneficiaries of the program. “Kung mag payout po sa 4Ps please bantayan ninyo mga Kapitan and mga lider kasi kinukuha niya yun mga pera ng mga mahihirap imbes na matulungan sila ay mga Kapitan ang nakikinabang po,” she said. Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao are under the Muslim autonomous region. For his part, Ebrahim said they have taken steps and strict measures to ensure that allegations of corruption in the autonomous region are strongly addressed. The 4Ps provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. It was patterned after the conditional cash transfer scheme implemented in other developing countries provided that they comply with the set of conditions required by the program. A household or beneficiary is entitled to receive P500 per month as health grant. A maximum of 3 children per household is covered by the program.
Every monitored child in elementary receives P300 as education grant and in high school, receives P500 per month for 10 months as education grant. The program also provide P600 a month or P7,200 per year rice subsidy for each family. And P200 a month for 2018, and another P300 a month from 2019 up to 2020 to help the poor cushion the adverse economic effect of new taxes. There are nearly 5 million beneficiaries in 41,620 villages and 1,483 municipalities in the country, according to latest DSWD data. ‘Regulated’ Anti-Dynasty bill Parliament Speaker Pangalian Balindong also trumpeted the accomplishments of the Ebrahim-led Bangsamoro Transition Authority, saying, they have passed 8 bills the past four months of their existence and most of these were measures to streamline the operation of the regional government. But he apparently shocked many in the audience when Balindong announced that he will pass a “regulated anti-dy-
nasty bill” and would discuss this proposal to the 5 governors, including Ebrahim. Many political clans, including the Balindongs, rule in the Muslim autonomous region. And even President Duterte’s family members are holding elective positions. The other Muslim governors in the meeting were Jim Salliman, of Basilan; Mamintal Adiong, Jr of Lanao del Sur; Mariam Mangudadatu, of Maguindanao, and Tawi-Tawi Board member Madi Tidal, who represented Governor Ysmael Sali. The meeting was also attended by Vicente Agdamag, Deputy Director General of the National Security Council; Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the Western Mindanao Command; Major General Diosdado Carreon, chief of the 6th Infantry Division; Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano, including Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez and senior military and police officials. (Mindanao Examiner)
4
The Mindanao Examiner
July 29-Aug 4, 2019
Duterte allows Chinese vessels to fish in Philippine waters to prevent war
Activists burn an effigy of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, depicted as a sea monster, during a protest July 22, 2019 to coincide with his State of the Nation Address. (Photo: AFP) PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE insisted the West Philippine Sea belonged to his country, but defended his agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping to allow Chinese fishermen to operate in the area, saying it was not a constitutional violation. In his State of the Nation address, which he delivered more than an hour late, Duterte said this agreement would ensure there would be no war in the disputed South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing have overlapping claims. “We own the West Philippine Sea, but China controls it. That is the reality,” Duterte said, hinting that China would have no qualms using arms. “There are already guided missiles [on China-made artificial] islands, [which] can reach Manila in seven minutes. If
you want marines to drive away the Chinese fishermen, not one of them will come home alive.” Duterte devoted nine minutes of his address to the West Philippine Sea issue, revealing he had asked Xi to “please allow” Filipino fishermen to work in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In return, he said he allowed Chinese fishermen to operate in the area, where a Chinese fishing vessel last month rammed and sank a Philippine fishing boat. “Xi says ‘I will fish’, who can prevent him? I said, ‘We will fish because we claim it’. I said, ‘Please allow’, because before that [China was] driving away our fishermen.” The West Philippine Sea refers to the part of the South China Sea that lies off the Philippines’ west coast. Manila named the
area in 2012 in a bid to delineate its sovereign territory. Duterte also disclosed that during their first bilateral talk in October 2016, he told Xi the Philippines would undertake oil exploration activities in the EEZ. “President Xi replied, ‘Well, you know there is a conflict there … you know a squabble there could lead to something else,” the Philippine leader said. “So we just became friends.” As it stands, Duterte said, he “cannot even bring the coastguard to drive [China] away”. “That is the problem. They are the ones in possession.” Speaking to an audience of 2,000 parliamentarians, diplomats and government officials, Duterte said he blamed the previous administration of President Benigno
Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, ipinaalala sa publiko KIDAPAWAN CITY – Muling binigyang-diin ng North Cotabato Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office o PSWDO ang kahalagahan ng Republic Act 10754 o Magna Carta for Persons with Disability o PWDs. Ayon kay PSWDO Jocelyn Maceda, dapat aniyang bigyang pansin ang karapatan ng isang PWD lalo na pagdating sa diskwento ng mga ito. Sinabi nito na ang isang may kapansanan ay nararapat mabigyan ng 20% discount sa mga sumusunod: Bayad sa mga hotel at restaurants; admission fee sa mga sinehan, teatro
at iba pa; diskwento rin sa bibilhing gamot sa mga botika; medikal at dental services; pamasahe sa domestic air at sea travel maging mga pampublikong sasakyan; at iba pang mga pribilehiyo na nakapaloob sa nasabing batas. Maliban dito, sa ilalim ng National Council on Disability Affairs, nakapaloob naman ang Republic Act 7277 (An Act Providing For The Rehabilitation, Self-Development And Self-Reliance Of Disabled Person And Their Integration Into The Mainstream Of Society.)
Ang Republic Act 7277 ang batayan na sinusuportahan ng estado ang bawat may kapansanan sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggal ng mga social barriers na posibleng makakaapekto sa emosyonal at mental na aspeto ng isang may kapansanan. Noon nakaraang linggo lamang ay ipinagdiwang rin sa buong bansa ang National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week. May tema “Lokal na Pamahalaan: Kaakibat sa Pagtupad ng Karapatan ng mga taong may Kapansanan.” (Drema Quitayen Bravo)
NOTICE Please report to us any individual or persons who are illegally soliciting money or donations for or in behalf of The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper, The Zamboanga Post and Radyo Mindanao. We have a strict company policy against solicitation in any forms and the Company shall not be responsible for illegal practice of unscrupulous persons, who pass themselves off as Reporter, Stringer, Correspondent or Sales Executive of The Mindanao Examiner, The Zamboanga Post and Radyo Mindanao. When in doubt, please call or SMS us at these numbers (062) 9925480 or 0995-5202358 or email us – mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
Aquino III for “losing the Spratlys and Panganiban [or Mischief] Reef”. Records show that China took control of the reef during the 1992-1998 presidency of Fidel V. Ramos. Duterte promised that national and territorial integrity was foremost in his mind, but he insisted the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the arbitral award won by the Philippines three years ago recognised instances in which another state was allowed to utilise resources found within another state’s EEZ. However, the Philippine Constitution expressly states that its EEZ is exclusively for Filipino fishermen. In 2016, an arbitral tribunal in The Hague rejected Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, ruling that it ran counter to principles of UNCLOS, to which China is also a signatory. It also ruled that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights by interfering with its fishing and petroleum exploration and constructing artificial islands in its EEZ. After Duterte’s speech, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio rebuffed the
president’s assertion that China controls the West Philippine Sea. “Foreign naval powers – US, Britain, France, Australia, Japan, and Canada – continuously sail and conduct naval drills in the South China Sea, including the [West Philippine Sea], demonstrating that China is not in possession of [it],” he was quoted as saying by ABS-CBN. Duterte is seen to have taken a soft stance on Beijing during his time in office. Besides the issue of Chinese fishing vessels within the EEZ, critics have pointed to his lack of enforcement of The Hague’s ruling and his attempts to play down last month’s sunken Philippine fishing boat, saying it was “just a collision” with the Chinese ship. The speech, which lasted nearly two hours and ended with him singing Moon River and the Filipino love song Ikaw, or You, with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, came as Duterte enters the midpoint of his six-year term. In his July 22 address, he vowed to double down on his war on drugs and corruption, asking Congress to re-impose the death penalty for drug-related crimes and the crime
of plunder. Duterte’s rambling address also saw him ask lawmakers to lower the age of criminal responsibility, create a new ministry devoted to the welfare of overseas workers, and prioritise passing bills to lower corporate income taxes and cut back on incentives. While Duterte was delivering his address, some 5,000 protesters gathered outside the House of Representatives to call for Duterte’s removal, while a smaller number of pro-Duterte supporters rallied separately. Left-wing protesters burned a mock Chinese flag and a giant mural with the images of Duterte, Xi and US President Donald Trump in initial rallies. Protests were also held in Cebu, Iloilo and Duterte’s hometown Davao City. In his speech, Duterte also vowed to “end local communist armed conflict”. “We have had enough of this government’s ‘kill, kill, kill’ policy,” said Danilo Ramos, a left-wing leader of a farmers’ group. “The Duterte presidency is killing its constituents in so many ways.” (By Raisa Robles – South China Morning Post. Additional reporting by Associated Press, Bloomberg)
July 29-Aug 4, 2019
5
The Mindanao Examiner
Inclusive growth key to peace and prosperity in Mindanao Continued from page 1 this sense, investment in the form of social capital lessens the risk in operating in a risky environment,” said Balaoing, a Senior Research Associate in the Partnership Resource Center and a co-convenor of the Chainsfor-Change Partnership Center for Inclusiveness and Competitiveness. Senen Bacani, chairman of Peace and Equity Foundation, and one of the
co-founders of La Frutera, said the success of the plantation is due to the recognition that peace and development should always come together. “Unifrutti went there for profit, but we believed that to do that, we needed to take care of the people, community, and environment,” he said. Bacani noted that cultural sensitivity matters in dealing with the social realities on the ground. “If people trust you, they will do what
you requested them to do. We always wanted to work with community leaders in the area,” he said. PEF is a partner in the EMIT C4C, a research program under the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies that collaborates with the Partnerships Resource Center of the Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University). (With a report from the Mindanao Examiner)
North Cotabato clean-up drive, ikakasa! KIDAPAWAN CITY – Hinihikayat ni North Cotabato 3rd District Congressman Jose “Ping-Ping” Tejada ang mga mamamayan sa kanyang nasasakupan na makilahok sa isasagawang malawakang clean up drive sa bawat barangay, lalong-lalo na sa mga paaralan upang mapanatili ang kalinisan sa kapaligiran upang mapuksa ang pagkalat ng mga lamok na may dalang dengue virus. Sinabi ni Tejada na layunin nitong matulungang mapuksa ang dumadaming kaso ng dengue sa mga bayan ng Tulunan, M’lang, Kabacan, Matalam, Carmen at Banisilan. Matatandaang nangunguna pa rin ang North Cotabato sa buong rehiyon ng SOCCKSARGEN ( South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos City) na may pinakamaraming kaso ng dengue batay sa pinakahuling datus
ng Department of Health. Ayon sa mambabatas, hindi kailangang magdeklara ng state of calamity ang isang lalawigan para lamang na magtrabaho at
mapanatiling malinis ang paligid. Umani naman ng malaking suporta si Tejada mula sa mga residente at pinuri ang kasipagan ng kongresista. (Cherry Exim)
Congressman Jose “Ping-Ping” Tejada
Enactment of rights-based, pro-people laws pushed Continued from page 1 legislators and a new set of legislative agenda. PLCPD said policymaking is still one of the most powerful and effective tools in ensuring that the rights and welfare of the people are respected, protected, and fulfilled and the President has a vital role to influence the policymaking process. It said that legislative reforms such as the increase in the excise tax on tobacco products, which is seen as an effective measure in curbing the prevalence of tobacco use in the country, are very timely considering the huge burden that tobacco places on health and economy of the country. This tax reform is also important in ensuring that the Universal Health Care Law will be adequately funded and that its reach will be as universal as it promises to be. PLCPD also elaborated Duterte’s SONA and his agenda and one these is the National Land Use Bill, a proposal that has been languishing in Congress for two decades. It said this measure would ensure proper classification of the country’s land according to its use and in turn, would help in avoiding the adverse effects of disasters and
conflicts arising from these resources. Duterte, it noted, mentioned the urgency of enacting the coconut levy trust fund, a law that would benefit coconut farmers. In the 17th Congress, human rights advocates in Congress and in civil society successfully blocked the passage of several retrogressive bills that blatantly disregard human rights and renege on the country’s commitment to various international treaties and conventions. These include the reinstatement of the capital punishment and the revival of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). However, these measures were again listed as part of Duterte’s administration’s priority agenda for the next three years, PLCPD said, appealing to the government to adopt a rights-based education. It said the revival of the mandatory ROTC, under the façade of instilling nationalism and inculcating discipline, will put the children in a vulnerable situation, exposing them to risks of abuse and corruption. “We also call on legislators to retain the minimum age of criminal responsibility or MACR and strengthen the
implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. Although lowering the MACR was not mentioned in the SONA, the allies of the President in both houses of Congress have included this in the priority bills of the 18th Congress,” PLCPD said. “We are imploring the government to include in its priority agenda and to champion various human development issues such as children’s rights, gender equality, rural development, adequate housing, prevention of violence against women and girls, and health – particularly reproductive health,” it added. PLCPD has renewed its calls for the Duterte government to protect and uphold the human rights of every individual. “We urge the 18th Congress and President Duterte to prioritize rights-based and people-centered legislation in the next three years. We also urge the duty bearers that in the crafting of laws, it is best to heed sound reasoning and scientific evidence instead of submitting to pressures coming from powerful groups whose interest are inherently in conflict with that of the people,” it said.(Mindanao Examiner)
6
The Mindanao Examiner
July 29-Aug 4, 2019
Across : 1. Off kilter 6. Asian sauce 9. Building extension 12. Yule Visitor 13. King Kong, e.g. 14. View 15. Maryland’s capital 17. Crow’s call 18. Nuisance 19. Wine (Fr.) 20. Fat for frying 21. Mature 23. Distress letters 26. Wipe out 29. Upright 31. Lymph ___ 32. Pleasant 36. 14th letters 37. Relate 38. Lincoln, et al. 40. Psychic letters 41. Valley 45. Moved swiftly 46. TV and radio (2 wds.) 48. Newark time zone (abbr.) 49. Compass point (abbr.) 50. ___ acid (nutrient) 51. Braying beast 52. Rent 53. Musical tones
Answer to last week’s crossword:
Down : 1. PDQ’s kin 2. Lion’s hair 3. Country lodgings 4. EMT’s word 5. Chump 6. Mouth liquid 7. Stated a viewpoint 8. Positively! 9. Adventure 10. Shakespearean king 11. Bawdy 16. Finished 20. Insane 21. Prevent 22. Fine fabric 23. Baltic, e.g. 24. Association (abbr.)
25. Snakes 27. ___-gallon hat 28. 19th letter 30. Average grades 33. Relaxed (2 wds.) 34. Small hound 35. Mouth parts 38. Locale 39. Freshwater fish 41. Floor model 42. Revise 43. Fishing string 44. Thailand’s neighbor 46. Director ___ Brooks 47. Fellow
Weekly Sudoku:
The Mindanao Examiner The Zamboanga Post
Newspaper, Film and Television Productions Maritess Fernandez (On Leave) Publisher/Executive Producer Al Jacinto Editor-in-Chief / Producer (OIC)
Answer to last week:
Reynold Toribio Graphics/Video Editor
Mindanao Examiner Productions Web Master REGIONAL PARTNERS Mindanao Daily Business Week Mindanao Star ADVERTISING Eduardo A. Sode (0917) 3087366 044 Mabini St. Cebu City Rhoderick Beñez (0927) 4757936 Central Mindanao/ Kidapawan City/Cotabato City North Cotabato
Marilou Cablinda (0997) 3172021 Davao Region/ Eastern Mindanao Jeng Fernandez (0917) 7930652 Zamboanga Peninsula
Richard Suarez (0910) 7348600 Kismet Cable TV, Aquino cor. Cabrera sts., Gatas District, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur
The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines. ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE: Unit 15, 3/F, Fairland Building, Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Phone & Fax: (062) 9925480 Mobile: (0995) 5202358 DAVAO CITY OFFICE: Door 2, 402 Nidea Street, Barrio Obrero Phone: (082) 2841859 Mobile: (0925) 7621914 URL: mindanaoexaminer.com E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
We are moving to film and television productions!
ALL RIGHTS FOR SALE Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper mindanaoexaminer.com ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE: Unit 15, 3/F Fairland Building, Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Phone & fax: (062) 9925480 Mobile: (0995) 5202358
7
The Mindanao Examiner
July 29-Aug 4, 2019
Abu Sayyaf Is Bringing More of ISIS’ Brutal Tactics to the Philippines
A boy drives his motorcycle past 2 policemen in Sulu’s Jolo town as troops deploy to fight the Abu Sayyafs. (Zamboanga Post) MIDDAY ON June 28, a suicide bomber struck a checkpoint outside a military camp in the town of Indanan, on the restive southern Philippine island of Sulu. Moments later, a second bomb exploded. The attack killed three Philippine soldiers and three civilians, as well as the two bombers. The local military commander quickly blamed an ISIS-affiliated faction of Abu Sayyaf, the extremist group that has been active in the southern Philippines for decades. Within hours, the Islamic State released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, marking the second time this year it has linked itself to a twin suicide bombing in Sulu. In January, double blasts tore through a packed cathedral in the town of Jolo, not far from Indanan, killing 22 worshippers. Authorities hoped that attack was an outlier, but June’s bloodshed has reignited fears over ties between the Islamic State and an Abu Sayyaf splinter group led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, a militant described by the U.S. State Department as the Islamic State’s “acting emir” in South-
east Asia and whom Philippine authorities also blamed for the cathedral bombing. In his typically outlandish style, President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to crack down, ordering the military to “wipe Abu Sayyaf out from the face of the earth.” Such rhetoric is common from Duterte, but it has rarely made much difference on the battlefield against extremist groups. The uptick in army deployments to Sulu since the late June bombings suggests more urgency from Duterte, angered by another attack on Philippine soil by an ISIS affiliate. How connected are Abu Sayyaf and the Islamic State, and what kind of threat does this evolving, radical partnership pose in the Philippines’ remote southern islands, where Abu Sayyaf has long operated? Can it even be “wiped out” through military force? Abu Sayyaf was founded by Islamist preacher Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani in the early 1990s to oppose the Moro peace process on Mindanao, the largest island in the southern Philippines. Two larger Muslim insurgent groups, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
and the Moro National Liberation Front, laid down their weapons in pursuit of dialogue with Manila—something Abu Sayyaf utterly rejected. Nominally fighting for the region’s independence, Abu Sayyaf became notorious for terrorist attacks, kidnappings and beheadings. In 2014, its senior leader, Isnilon Hapilon, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State shortly after the jihadist group overran swaths of Iraq and Syria. At the time, many observers saw Hapilon’s vow merely as an opportunist attempt to gain attention and financing—a way to benefit from the Islamic State’s rising appeal rather than signaling concrete ties. Yet three years later, when the battalions Hapilon commanded within Abu Sayyaf joined forces with the ISIS-linked Maute Group to lay siege to the city of Marawi on Mindanao for five grinding months, such ties were suddenly taken more seriously. Hapilon was killed in a gunfight with Philippine troops in the final days of the siege in October 2017; his ISISaligned battalions, it seemed, had been defeated. After Mara-
wi, links between Abu Sayyaf and the Islamic State appeared to fade as Abu Sayyaf retreated to its usual hideouts on the outlying Philippine islands of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The remaining factions, already splintered, went back to their previous criminal activities, such as extortion and kidnappings at sea. At the same time, the Islamic State suffered dramatic territorial losses in Iraq and Syria that cut into its ability to maintain support for its regional affiliates. Yet the Islamic State’s foundational ideology didn’t go away. The Indanan blasts are just the latest indication of how it is still driving and inspiring a new kind of militancy in the southern Philippines. With the suicide bombings of cathedrals and checkpoints, Sawadjaan’s shadowy cell, known as Ajang Ajang, has adopted many of the Islamic State’s brutal tactics. Suspected of operating out of northern Sulu’s mountainous terrain and coastal areas, it has also become the most influential faction within Abu Sayyaf. Sawadjaan is thought to command several hundred fighters in Ajang Ajang; Abu Sayyaf is widely estimated to have only around 400 fighters total. After a military operation in March killed the Maute Group’s figurehead, a leader known as Abu Dar, the Philippine government labeled Sawadjaan the Islamic State’s “most recognized leader” in Southeast Asia. Abu Sayyaf has historically been a fractured outfit, yet Sawadjaan has unified its most radical elements in Sulu under the banner of the Islamic State. Another ISIS-aligned cell, led by Furuji Indama, is its dominant branch on the neighboring island of Basilan. Following the siege of Marawi, the two traditional strongholds of Abu Sayyaf, on Sulu and Bas-
ilan, are now effectively ISIS hotspots. The rising influence of the Islamic State in the southern Philippines has attracted foreign fighters, as two Indonesian suicide bombers were behind the Jolo attack, and a Moroccan national was allegedly responsible for one of the blasts in Indanan. With jihadist groups on the main island of Mindanao hemmed in by bolstered naval patrols since the siege of Marawi, Abu Sayyaf is now the main group of choice for ISIS-linked militants trying to reach the Philippines by sea, due to its presence on smaller, more remote islands close to the Malaysian coast. Despite the dominance of these two cells in Basilan and Sulu, smaller Abu Sayyaf factions are still thought to operate without ties to the Islamic State, including on Tawi-Tawi further west. These groups act more like criminal bandits, seeking profit and influence rather than envisaging themselves as transnational jihadists. As Abu Sayyaf’s ISISlinked cells have staged more brazen attacks, Philippine generals have echoed Duterte’s tough rhetoric amid rising public anger. Even before the bombings in Indanan, the head of the Western Mindanao Command, Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, vowed to defeat Abu Sayyaf by the end of 2019. Two days after the attack, he promised “relentless” operations in response to Duterte’s order to destroy the group and deployed more soldiers to Sulu, where there are now more than 5,000. Similar promises to defeat Abu Sayyaf, however, have gone unfulfilled before. There is one difference this time: Abu Sayyaf is not holding any hostages, which in the past has restricted military operations.
After Ewold Horn, a Dutch hostage held by the group since 2012, was shot dead as he tried to escape on May 31, the military claimed Abu Sayyaf no longer held any captives, lessening the risk of military action inadvertently killing hostages and clearing the way for “all-out offensives’” and aerial bombardments. While the army has engaged in counterinsurgency in Sulu for three decades, this year’s string of suicide bombings connected to the Islamic State may yet change the situation on the ground, adding urgency to Duterte’s strategy. Counterterrorism operations will likely intensify under martial law, which was imposed at the outbreak of the Marawi siege in May 2017 and is set to remain in place until the end of this year. Islamic State affiliates on mainland Mindanao have already been subdued, freeing up resources and manpower to confront Abu Sayyaf more forcefully in the Sulu islands to the west. A peace process on Mindanao with older Moro insurgent groups, which resulted in the landmark creation of a new self-governed region earlier this year, also gives the government breathing room to tackle extremists. The deal is likely to act as a dampener on terrorist recruitment, as residents give autonomy a chance. But militancy has persisted in the Sulu archipelago for generations despite past peace accords. The Philippine military may have the firepower, but that alone is unlikely to “crush” the group, as Duterte wants. Only if the peace process heralds economic development and dents recruitment for the long term—far beyond the age of the Islamic State— can Abu Sayyaf’s vicious campaign be brought to an end. (By Michael Hart – World Politics Review.)
Founded 2006
mindanaoexaminer.com
FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480 or (082) 2841859
P10
July 29-Aug 4, 2019
Cebu City starts electronic processing of business permits
C
EBU CITY – Local Mayor Edgardo Labella said the Cebu City Government has started to implement electronic processing of transactions in response to the appeal by President Rodrigo Duterte to local governments to cut down the processing period of business permits to just three days. Labella said his office papers for faster process- taxes once every two years. Shortly after taking his has now required appli- ing. “It is my promise in cants of business permits our inaugural speech that oath as the mayoralty winto submit digital copies of building permits should be ner in the May 13 mid-term their applications and re- released within five days, polls, Labella announced quired documents stored if all the requirements are the implementation of a in USB flash drive. He said already complied with,” two-year validity of busiCity Government is way Labella said, adding that ness permits, in order to ahead of the President’s “more often than not, in the make this city more busicall, underscoring his ad- previous administration, ness-friendly. He reminded ministration’s latest ac- it took years to obtain per- City Hall officials to work hard in accomplishing the complishment of having mits.” Labella said that Cebu policy direction of the Preslaunched the software application called OBO Infor- City Council Majority Floor ident which aims to ease mation System (IS) Version Leader Raymund Alvin Gar- the burden of businessmen cia promised to sponsor an in obtaining necessary per2. This software applica- amendatory ordinance of mits from the local governtion, he said, will require the Cebu City Tax Code. He ment units. applicants to submit soft said the amendment of the “We echo the sentiment copies of their duly filled tax ordinance seeks to allow of the President. I am giving up application forms and payment of real property this advice to our officials of
President Rodrigo Duterte with Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella. the city, they should not delay for as long as the requirements have already been complied with,” he said.
Labella, who have been elected as national chairman of the League of Cities of the Philippines, said he
wants disciplinary actions on officials delaying the release of permits. (John Rey Saavedra)
Cebu shipbuilder gets navy contract for 6 patrol boats
Austal Philippines President Wayne Murray briefs Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on a catamaran ship currently under construction at the company’s facility in Balamban town in Cebu province. (John Rey Saavedra - PNA) CEBU – The Department of Defense is eyeing the ship-building town of Balamban in Cebu province for its offshore patrol vessels and has tapped Austal Philippines for the P30-billion
project. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said an initial contract between the Department of National Defense and the Austal Philippines was approved for the
construction of 6 naval vessels. “It is very big. The prospect is good. Now we know that there is a company here like Austal to actually build our ships. We have been waiting for this time that somebody else could build our ships according to our specifications and I think they are qualified to do that,” Lorenzana said. Lorenzana and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez toured the Austal assembly yard situated at the West Cebu Industrial Park in the village of Arpili in Balamban which is also contracted by the US Navy to build vessels. “They also made ships for the US Navy and we must as well use or utilize them instead of outsourcing our shipbuilding aboard,” he said, adding that “if we can
do the paper works fast we could be signing the contract by even this year.” The latest naval vessel outsourced abroad is the BRP Jose Rizal, a multi-role, semi-stealth frigate build by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea. Lorenzana said procuring the patrol boats from Austa shall undergo government-to-government procurement process which is much preferred than any other modes of procurement under the Government Procurement Reform Act. “There are several modes of procurement as stipulated in our procurement law. And one of them is government to government. When we need specific equipment… then we go to government to government. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it is guaranteed by
the other government, there is sovereign guarantee of the things that we will buy,” Lorenzana explained. He said tapping Cebu’s shipbuilding industry for the navy’s modernization program “will force us to put up an integrated steel mill or even aluminium mill” in Cebu in order to meet the demand of Austal for stainless and aluminium steel for its ships. “The vessels offered by Austal are a larger variant of the Cape-class patrol vessels used by the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Border Force,” Austal said in a statement. Austal’s Chief Executive Officer, David Singleton, said the contract will benefit hundreds of job opportunity for the locals. “So far, we have thousands of people working
in this shipyard. If there are government contracts here of course that would expand the number of workers here quite significantly and may even require us to build additional facilities,” Singleton said during the press briefing. The newly expanded state-of-the-art facilities have multiplied the Austal’s assembly capacity, which make it capable to immediately build patrol boats for the Philippine Navy. According to its company profile, Austal has designed and constructed over 300 vessels for over 100 operators in 54 countries, a reputation it carries for 30 years now. Aside from its shipyard here, Austal also has modern shipbuilding assembly yards in Australia, US, and Vietnam. (John Rey Saavedra)
Bring and promote your business in Mindanao, ADVERTISE in our newspaper and website and get fast results! CEBU Eduardo A. Sode 044 Mabini St., Cebu City Mobile: (0917) 308 7366
COTABATO Rhoderick Beñez Kidapawan City Mobile: (0927) 4757936
ZAMBOANGA Jeng Fernandez Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Phone: (062) 9925480 Mobile: (0995) 5202358
DAVAO Door 2, 402 Nidea St., Obrero Malou Cablinda Phone: (08 2) 2841859 Mobile: (0925) 7621914
PAGADIAN Richard Suarez Kismet Cable TV, Aquino cor. Cabrera sts., Gatas District Phone: (062) 2142706 Mobile: (0910) 7348600
E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
ARMM
Eastern Mindanao
Western Mindanao
Cebu
Manila