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Pres. Duterte wants peace in Sulu
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RESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE has sought the help of Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan to help him talk peace, but at the same time he said security forces have a mission to crush the insurgents. Duterte was refer- which is being blamed for bombings in the capital ring to the Abu Sayyaf the recent twin suicide Continue on page 3
President Rodrigo Duterte kisses the ground, site of a recent bombings in Jolo town in Sulu province, as a gesture of respect for soldiers and civilians who died in the blasts. (Photo from Senator Bong Go Facebook page)
President Rodrigo Duterte with Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and Senator Bong Go. (PCOO)
Pagadian City warns public on bogus Facebook page
Warning up on ‘money mules’ SWIFT AND BAE Systems Applied Intelligence have published “Follow the Money” - a new report that de-
scribes the complex web of money mules, front companies and cryptocurrencies - that criminals use to siphon funds from
the financial system after a cyber-attack. The report highlights the ingenuity of money Continue on page 2
PAGADIAN CITY – The local government of Pagadian has warned the public against a Facebook page passing off as Mayor Sammy Co’s official account. In a public notice, Asenso Pagadian - the only official City Public Information Page of the Local Government of Pagadian – said: “Please be aware of this certain ‘Mayor Sammy Co’ Facebook account circulating online. We received so many messages Continue on page 3
FOODPANDA marketing team nag courtesy call kay Pagadian City Mayor Sammy Co karung adlawa. Nagpasalamat si Mayor Sammy Co sa maong kumpanya Foodpanda sa pagpili sa Pagadian City apil sa ilahang expansion. Ang maong food delivery app mag sugod na hapit sa syudad. (Asenso Pagadian)
U.S., Philippines hold workshop to combat illegal fishing THE UNITED STATES Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine government held a workshop recently to combat illegal fishing in the country. The workshop was supported by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the USAID’s Fish Right program, and experts from the University of the Philippines School of
Statistics that facilitated the event. The online workshop - attended by 135 participants – brought together various sectors to increase understanding on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing at a national level. “This exercise is a critical first step to understanding the complex global threat that IUU fishing represents to ocean health and mari-
time security. I commend the Philippine government as it continues to ramp up its efforts against IUU fishing through investment in multi-stakeholder and inter-agency actions,” said U.S. Embas-
Some members of the Kabataan Party-list protest against Chinese harassment of Filipino fishermen in West Philippine Sea. (AP Photo. Caption: Mindanao Examiner)
sy Deputy Chief of Mission, John Law. IUU fishing is a far-reaching and complex issue that threatens ocean health and maritime security of nations. While it is believed to be widespread in the Philippines, its magnitude, prevalence, and impacts are yet to be accurately quantified. “As we cope and recover from this Continue on page 2
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The Mindanao Examiner
September 7-13, 2020
Warning up on ‘money mules’ Continued from page 1 laundering tactics to obtain liquid financial assets and avoid any subsequent tracing of the funds. For instance, cyber criminals often recruit unsuspecting job seekers to serve as money mules that extract funds by placing legitimate sounding job advertisements, complete with references to the organisation’s diversity and inclusion commitments. They use insiders at financial institutions to evade or undermine the scrutiny of compliance teams carrying out know-your-customer (KYC) and due diligence checks on new account openings. And they convert stolen funds into assets such as property and jewellery which are likely to hold their value and less likely to attract the attention of law enforcement. SWIFT said it commissioned BAE Systems to investigate this element of the money laundering process as part of its Customer Security Programme (CSP). The CSP continually helps the financial community to strengthen its cyber defences through a range of measures including mandatory controls, intelligence sharing and thought leadership. Although there has been much research into the methods that cyber criminals use to conduct attacks, there has been less investigation into what happens to funds once they have been stolen. The aim of this report, SWIFT said, is to il-
luminate the techniques used by cyber criminals to ‘cash out’ so that its global community of over 11,000 financial institutions, market infrastructures and corporates can better protect themselves. Brett Lancaster, SWIFT’s CSP head, said: “The threat posed by cyber-attacks to the financial sector has never been greater. Attackers are well-resourced, constantly evolving their modus operandi and using untraceable money laundering techniques.” “The report highlights how the growth in cyber-attacks is increasing the need for the convergence of anti-money laundering, fraud and cybersecurity processes in financial institutions. It calls for them to increase information sharing, tighten due diligence requirements and smartly invest in maintaining systems to strengthen their defences,” he added. Simon Viney, Cyber Security Financial Services Sector Lead at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, also said the activity from cyber criminals and gangs across the world is estimated to result in over $1.5 trillion dollars in annual losses. He said this report focuses on money laundering related activities necessary for cyber attackers to conduct and cash out a successful attack and avoid the money subsequently being traced. “As technology and criminals’ techniques evolve at a rapid pace, so
will the need for institutions, both private sector and law enforcement, to collaborate and maintain awareness of evolving money laundering techniques, in order to reduce the opportunities for threat groups to benefit from committing high-value cyber heists,” Viney said. Among the other findings in the report were: Front companies - cyber criminals tend to focus on textile, garment, fishery and seafood businesses to obfuscate funds. They find it easier to operate in parts of East Asia where less stringent regulations make it easier to conduct their activities; Cryptocurrencies - while the number of identified cases of money laundering through cryptocurrencies is low so far, there have been a couple of major incidents involving millions of dollars. Digital transactions are appealing because they are conducted in a peer-to-peer manner that circumvents the compliance and KYC checks conducted by banks, and often require only an e-mail address; and Experience - the method chosen by cyber criminals to cash out and spend the stolen funds is indicative of their levels of professionalism and experience. Some inexperienced criminals have immediately made extravagant purchases drawing the attention of law enforcement agencies and leading to arrests. (With a report from Rhoderick Beñez)
Villamero’s Enterprises For all your newspaper publications or subscription to The Zamboanga Post and The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper, please call or text Villamero’s Enterprises at these numbers (062) 955-8677 and 0917-1223496. Located at Campaner Street, Zamboanga City and serving Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
U.S., Philippines hold workshop to combat illegal fishing Continued from page 1 (Covid-19) pandemic, we need to ensure our food security, while at the same time consider our natural capital - our fish stocks and their habitats. This is the bluer normal we want to achieve towards the vision of a food secured and resilient Philippines with prosperous farmers and fishers. We cannot afford to lose our fish to IUU fishing,” said Undersecretary for Fisheries and BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona. Organizers said quantifying the losses to harmful fishing practices will enable fisheries managers to use the best available data to inform fishery policies. And this will be undertaken through the collaboration of BFAR and USAID in developing an IUU Fishing Index and Threat Assessment Tool that local governments can use to produce a more standard metric of IUU fishing throughout the
country. China Aggression But there was no mention of reports of IUU fishing in areas where Chinese poachers and even China Coast Guard harassed and intimidate Filipino fishermen. Just weeks ago, CNN Philippines reported that Manila filed a diplomatic protest to Beijing over the China Coast Guard’s illegal confiscation of fish aggregation devices of Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, in May. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) protested the Chinese actions against the Filipinos. “The Philippines also resolutely objected to China’s continuing illicit issuances of radio challenges Philippine aircraft conducting legitimate regular maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea,” the DFA said. The DFA did not elaborate the incident involv-
ing Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, in May this year. The Bajo de Masinloc has been the center of the maritime dispute since 2012 between the Manila and China when the Philippine Navy apprehended eight mainland Chinese fishing vessels illegally fishing in the country’s territorial waters. Since the incident, the China Coast Guard remained a steady presence in Bajo de Masinloc despite the shoal being located in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. CNN Philippines said the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in 2016 in favor of the Philippines, saying there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights over most of the West Philippine Sea using their “nine-dash line” claim. The ruling covered Bajo de Masinloc as part of the Philippine territorial wa-
ters. China has repeatedly refused to recognize the PCA ruling and continued to reclaim islands in the disputed areas for military and research purposes. Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s soft stance on China in the country’s claim in the West Philippine Sea, some incidents occurred in the disputed
waters. The most famous of which was when a Chinese boat hit F/B Gem-Ver in Recto Bank in June 2019, forcing the 22 Filipino fishermen to float in the open sea for hours before they were rescued by a Vietnamese vessel. In March, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. admitted there are more than 130 Chinese
fishing vessels lingering around Pag-Asa Island in Palawan. In the fourth anniversary of the historic PCA ruling last July, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. called on China to adhere to the ruling, saying the arbitration award is “non-negotiable.” (With a report from Rhoderick Beñez and CNN Philippines)
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September 7-13, 2020
Pres. Duterte wants peace in Sulu
Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan gestures as he speaks with President Rodrigo Duterte. (PCOO) Continued from page 1 town of Jolo that killed over a dozen soldiers and civilians, and left scores of
innocent people injured. The President flew to Sulu on August 31 and inspected the site of the
Gov. Sakur Tan at the blast sites in Jolo town. (Jean Alfad)
attacks and eventually kneeled and kissed the ground as he paid respect to those who perished in the blasts. “Ikaw ‘yung — I address you because ikaw ‘yung nire-respeto ko. You have a colorful life. Kung sa patay, dapat patay ka na sa dinaanan mo sa buhay, and yet you are still here around. Why don’t you try to help me within the next few months last term just to talk about peace? It need not really be a — an arrangement, just talk about peace,” Duterte told Tan, a well-respected and
influential leader in the South. “Mahirap kasi because ang bomba hindi kasi namimili eh. Iyan ang problema. At kung ang pinatay mo inosente, there will always be a time that you will have to answer for the killing of an innocent human being. Maski anong klaseng relihiyon. Allah says about revenge; Allah says about you know, the giving, the taking of life; and Allah says that there is also a time to answer for all of these things,” he added. He also appealed to everybody to support the government’s peace efforts, however, Duterte warned that “if we cannot really agree, then we fight and we fight hard hanggang magkaubusan na. Maybe by that time, kung ubos na ang lahat, wala ng giyera. Sa pagka ngayon, hindi ko mapigil ang mga sundalo ko kasi may mission sila and the mission is to crush the insurgents. And the insurgents, ang mission nila is for the greater glory of Allah.” “So ang hinihingi ko lang sa inyo na even as you fight, think about peace. Because if I will say to you that this is 2020, 2021 aalis na ako. Ang ibig mong sabihin 2023, 2024, 2025, hanggang 2050 ganoon pa rin? Hindi na lang sa relihiyon na ipagpa — magpakamatay ka. It’s about your generation. How about the flowering
of the Moro na kagaya ng ibang lugar, Dubai? When will the Moro Filipino ever taste all these luxuries? But only when the leader also, be he a Muslim or a Christian, shall govern according to the will of Allah, of God. Iyan lang,” he said. In the meantime, Duterte said “we fight and sa pagka-ngayon, sabi ko I cannot offer anything because I have also my mandate. I do not only order, I impose duties na gawin ninyo ito. But if in God’s time, maybe — kailan ‘yon? — we will have a time to talk and to ponder about peace at ‘yung mga anak ninyo. Biruin mo naman palakihin mo, hindi mo nga padapuan ng lamok, but only to die walking there on the streets kasama mo. And you know ‘yung give and take na vengeance, if it is hatred, it cannot be stopped anymore, hardly. So it is [an] impossible dream. It is an unreachable star. But it behooves upon us, tayong mga leader, even to try and even to talk as we wage war.” “Ako, I do not find anything reprehensible in talking to my enemy across the table and at the same time ordering my soldiers to fight. That’s the only way for us to move forward at this time. But I hope — I hope that Allah will someday give the light to the minds of everybody.”
Tan thanked Duterte for visiting Sulu and condoling with the victims’ families and renewed his strong commitment and assured the President of the Tausug’s “all-out support to peace.” A senior provincial official, Jean Alfad, said Tan also inspected the blast sites even before Duterte’s arrival. In her Facebook page, Alfad - referring to Tan - wrote this: “He walked profoundly through the blast site with aching heart. He said “makaulung in tau...” and his next words which I will just keep in my heart and mind, was a heavy sorrow.” “It may be too much for me to say, I can feel you Boss because you have far greater responsibility to bear and you see the entirety and precise viewpoints of the situation as leader of this province saddled with protracted conflict, but, only a strong leader like you with a sturdy and firm resolve can handle such highly complex issues. May you continue to stand for your people and may your people continue to pray for your safety, divine guidance, courage, conviction and wisdom. Continue to walk with faith, TAWAQQALLAH,” Alfad said and accompanying this was two photos of Tan at the blast sites, still cordoned off from the public. (Mindanao Examiner)
President Rodrigo Duterte witnesses the awarding of medals to soldiers wounded in the recent Jolo twin bombings. (Photo from Senator Bong Go Facebook page)
Pagadian City warns public on bogus Facebook page Continued from page 1 (asking us) if this is a legit(imate) account of Mayor Sammy Co kay naga pang-add kinig mga laing Facebook account even mga prominent personas.” “Amoa mong gipahibalo nga wala’y personal Facebook account ang atoang Mayor kay busy siya sa pag improve sa atong syudad nga makahatag gayud og dakong kalamboan sa atong tagsa-tagsa nga kinabuhi.
Dili pud hilig ug wala’y panahon ang atong Mayor nga mag sige’g atubang og Facebook, mas hatagan pa niya og prioridad ang iyang trabaho isip amahan sa atong syudad kaysa mag sige’g Facebook.” It said that ASENSO PAGADIAN is the only Facebook page of the local government and urged residents to report to authorities those who are behind the fake accounts or pretending as the mayor of Pagadian.
“Tanang announcement mahitungod kalamboan sa syudad ug sa administrasyon ni Mayor Sammy Co mag gikan ra gayud dinhi sa “ASENSO PAGADIAN” Facebook page nga mao ang City Public Information page sa gobyernong kagamhanan sa Pagadian. Please help us report this ‘impostor’ kay basin gamiton ni in the near future to discredit our beloved Mayor,” it said. (Zamboanga Post and Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
September 7-13, 2020
Sulu Pictures in the News Sulu provincial government at work. This is where your taxes go. (Photos from the Office of the Provincial Governor, Task Force Covid-19, and Jolo Municipal Government)
September 7-13, 2020
The Mindanao Examiner
Sulu Pictures in the News
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September 7-13, 2020
Across : 1. Lived 6. Mama’s boy 9. Tax mo. 12. Weird 13. Habit wearer 14. Baked dessert 15. Interest benchmark (2 wds.) 17. Farm enclosure 18. Quick look 19. Tax inits. 20. Sour in taste 21. Pittsburgh player 23. Pronoun 26. Holiday hunter’s prize (2wds.) 29. Greased 31. Pester 32. Respected leader 36. Actor ___ Cruise 37. Shows (a movie) 38. Bubble ___ 40. Jogged 41. Eden dweller 45. Buddy (Fr.) 46. Pierce 48. 1/60th of a minute (abbr.) 49. Billfold item 50. Performer 51. Printing measures 52. Eternally, in verse 53. Motif
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Down : 1. Actor Johnny ___ 2. “Wish You ___ Here” 3. Buffalo’s canal 4. Not stiff 5. Golfer’s need 6. Traps 7. Beginning 8. Wind dir. 9. Obvious 10. Fishing spot 11. Apartment expense 16. Glamorous ___ Hayworth 20. Coastal bird 21. Passover feast 22. Tilts 23. Distress inits.
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA BASILAN, SULU, TAWIͳTAWI ΈBARMMΉ
24. Slap 25. Stretchable fabrics 27. Sticky substance 28. Workout place 30. Engrave 33. Unruffled 34. Nastier 35. Actress ___ Bancroft 38. ___ jumping 39. Prayer ending 41. Curve 42. See socially 43. Tiny particle 44. Slight 46. “The Raven” poet 47. Make a doily
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Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE: 3/F JLC Building, Don Alfaro Street, Tetuan Phone & fax: (062) 9555360 Mobile: (0995) 5202358
September 7-13, 2020
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The Mindanao Examiner HEALTH ni Dr. Willie T. Ong
Gout at Mataas ang Uric Acid
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araming paiba-ibang payo sa gout at tamang pagkain. Kaya minabuti ko ilahad ang pahayag ng Mayo Clinic sa American tungkol sa gout. Ang gout ay isang komplikadong sakit sa buto, na may kasamang biglaan at matinding pag-atake ng sakit, pamumula at paninigas ng kasu-kasuan ng katawan. Naaapektuhan nito ang paa, sakong, tuhod, kamay at kamao, ngunit kadalasan na-apektuhan ang hinlalaki sa paa. Ang gout ay nabubuo kapag mataas ang lebel ng uric acid sa inyong dugo. Kaya ang resulta nito ay ang pagkakaroon ng crystals (parang buhangin) na nabubuo sa kasu-kasuan o palibot ng tissue na dahilan ng pananakit at pamamaga. Ang matinding pagatake ng gout ay maaaring makapag-pa-gising sa kalagitnaan ng iyong pagtulog na para bang sinusunog ang hinlalaki. Ang apektadong joint
image: Freepik.com ay mainit, namamaga at naninigas. Ang mga kadahilanan ng panganib (risk factors) sa gout ay ang labis na katabaan, sobrang pag-inom ng alak, high blood pressure, mataas na kolesterol at diabetes, at kung may lahi sa pamilya na gout. Ang gout ay nagagamot, at may paraan para mabawasan ang panganib na dulot ng gout. Ang American Dietitic Association ay ini-re-rekomenda ang mga sumusunod kung umatake ang gout: 1. Uminom ng 8-16 tasa ng likido (liquid) bawat araw. Mas mainam kung tubig o sopas ito at hindi matamis na inumin. 2. Iwasan ang pag-in-
om ng alak. 3. Kumain ng katamtamang dami ng protina, mas mainam kung galing sa gatas (low-fat milk), tofu o tokwa, at itlog. (Hindi bawal ang monggo at tokwa sa gout. Karne ang babawasan.) 4. Bawasan ang pagkain ng karne, isda at manok sa 4 hanggang 6 ounces lamang. Ang mga pagkaing ito na mataas sa protina ang nagpapataas ng uric acid sa iyong dugo. 5. Panatilihin ang tamang timbang. Kumonsulta sa doktor kung ikaw ay nilagnat at ang kasu-kasuan ay mainit at namamaga. Baka senyales ito ng impeksyon.
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September 7-13, 2020
September 7-13, 2020
The Mindanao Examiner
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Cebu’s ‘Project Balik Buhay’ duplicated in Bacolod, Iloilo C
Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino (left) hands over a plaque of appreciation to Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Covid-19 response Cebu overseer, for his efforts in managing the public health crisis. Deputy chief implementer Melquiades Feliciano (not in photo) also received the same citation. (OPAV photo)
EBU CITY – The Project Balik Buhay (PBB), a business recovery roadmap that has been implemented in Cebu, will also serve as a model for businesses in the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, said Melquiades Feliciano, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) deputy chief implementer for the Visayas. The PBB is an initia- ber of cases. “I would Feliciano told government officials and busi- tive of the Office of the like to congratulate Cebu ness sector representa- Presidential Assistant for City for being singled out tives in a recent gathering the Visayas (OPAV) under as the most successful here that the PBB helped Secretary Michael Lloyd operation in the whole prepare Cebu for the grad- Dino and local govern- country because of what ual reopening of the econ- ments, national govern- we did from the highest ment agencies, and the ECQ (enhanced commuomy. “I will bring this (PBB) various business organi- nity quarantine) down to the MGCQ (modito Bacolod and Iloilo as a zations in Cebu. The PBB has set fied general community model to those business Cimatu establishments there, guidelines for businesses quarantine),” kaya ‘yong businesses to prepare for the gradual said. President Rodrigo dun’ mango-ngopya na reopening of the econolang kasi meron nang my and to ensure a saf- Duterte sent Cimatu to good practices ang Cebu er workplace despite the Cebu City to address the presence of the corona- high number of coroCity,” he said. virus. Initially, the PBB navirus cases upon the guidelines were intend- request of Dino. Once ed only for the tri-cities tagged as the Covid-19 of Cebu, Mandaue and hotspot in the whole Lapu-Lapu. country, Cebu’s successHowever, the local ful response will serve as chief executives of the the playbook for other municipalities of Conso- regions as they face the lacion and Minglanilla same problem the city and Talisay City in Cebu experienced months ago. agreed to adopt the guideDino thanked Cilines in their areas of juris- matu and Feliciano for diction. their efforts in work“This is one of the ing hard to bring down significant contributions Covid-19 cases in Cebu of this group, not only in and in making history Cebu City, but through- out of this pandemic. out the country, magag- With the entire Cebu now amit ito. I have shared this placed under MGCQ, (PBB) to (the) national both Cimatu and Feli(IATF) and they have ap- ciano advised Cebuanos preciated it,” Feliciano to keep observing the said. minimum health stanRep. Vincent Franco Frasco Environment Sec- dards, such as wearing Pacijan – which comprise retary Roy Cimatu, IATF of mask and face shield, the Camotes group of is- chief implementer for the hand washing and strict lands – as part of the Man- Visayas, lauded Cebu City observance of physical grove Swamps Forest Re- for having succeeded in distancing. (Carlo Lorenbringing down the num- ciana) serves. (Carlo Lorencian)
Cebu solon confident on lifting of Camotes’ forest reserve law CEBU CITY – The House of Representatives passed on third and final reading House Bill No. 4785 which seeks to lift the forest reserve declaration on the Camotes Islands. Cebu’s 5th District Rep. Vincent Franco Frasco - who pushed for the bill - has confirmed this and said he is confident that the existing law declaring the entire Camotes group of islands in the province’s eastern seaboard as forest reserve will be lifted. The proposed measure is expected to be passed into law as the bill
is now in the Senate. Once it becomes a law, Camotes residents will already be able to apply for land titles. Frasco said once the dry lands in the Camotes are classified as alienable and disposable, the residents will be able to fully exercise their rights as land owners. This will also mean more investments on the islands that would translate to more job opportunities. He said once land owners get their titles, investments to the tourist island destination are expected to increase. He also asked for Cebu Gov-
ernor Gwen Garcia’s permission to give additional funds for the construction of an airport in Camotes Islands. Frasco, who is a former mayor of Liloan town, said once the seaport in town is completed, the residents of Camotes will have three means of reaching the mainland. At present, sea travellers from Camotes only reach the Cebu mainland through the city ports of Lapu-Lapu and Danao. President Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Proclamation No. 2152 in 1981 declaring the islands of Poro, Ponson and
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