Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper (Aug 30-Sept 5, 2021)

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Aug 30-Sept 5, 2021

Go-Duterte tandem, Run Sara Run! P

RESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte who accepted the endorsement of his own political party, the PDP-Laban, for him to run as Vice President in next year’s polls, has chosen his former longtime aide-turned-politician Senator Bong Go to run for President.

Duterte’s decision litical allies since his shocked many of his poContinue on page 2

Zambo Sur has highest Covid cases

President Rodrigo Duterte poses with his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Carpio, and Senator Bong Go in this file photo taken in Japan. (PCOO)

PAGADIAN CITY – The province of Zamboanga del Sur has the highest number of active Covid-19

cases in Western Mindanao region, according to the Department of Continue on page 6

DOH Sec. Duque, nakasandal sa pader!

A photo released by the military’s Western Mindanao Command to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner on Monday, August 23, 2021 shows Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan with Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and his municipal mayors who were honored and awarded plaques of appreciation for their unwavering support to peace and development efforts in the province.

Military honors Sulu leaders ZAMBOANGA CITY The Philippine military has honored political leaders in Sulu for their unrelenting support to peace and development efforts and in the government’s campaign to defeat terrorism in the southern province.

ARMM

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, commander of the

Western Mindanao Continue on page 5

NAGMISTULANG ABOGADO ni Health Secretary Francisco Duque si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte dahil sa matinding pagtatanggol nito sa kontrobersyal na Cabinet members matapos na kwestunin ng Commission on Audit (COA) ang P63.7 bilyon Covid-19 funds ng ahensya.

Paulit-ulit na sinabi ni Duterte na buong-buo ang tiwala niya kay Duque matapos nitong sabihin na walang anomalya o korapsyon sa DOH. Naglabas rin ng abiso ang DOH sa kanilang Facebook page at inabswelto ang sariling ahensya at sinabing “all accounted Continue on page 3

2 Sayyafs killed, 7 captured in Sabah TWO ABU Sayyaf terrorists were killed and more had been captured in separate operations in Sabah, according

to the Malaysian daily, The Star.

It said the slain terrorists were killed in firefight with police forces at Bornhill Palm Oil

Eastern Mindanao

Estate in Timbang, an island in the Sulu Sea southwest of Sungai Saleng off Sandakan City.

Continue on page 5

Western Mindanao

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque.

Cebu

Manila

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The Mindanao Examiner

Aug 30-Sept 5, 2021

Go-Duterte tandem, Run Sara Run!

Continued from page 1 daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Carpio, is also being urged by her supporters, including mayors and governors, to run for President and even launched a massive campaign called “Run Sara Run.” But the ageing Duterte has favored and picked Go instead of his daughter.

And on August 25, Duterte’s daughter released a public statement saying that her father has confirmed to her in private that he chose Go to run for President and him as Vice President. And that if she decides to run for President, she should pick Go as her running mate.

This is Carpio’s statement: “The President, very recently, personally confirmed to me that he will run for Vice President and Senator Go as President. It was not a pleasant event. I was left with two letters endorsed to me by the President for consideration – one note explained why I should endorse the Go-Duterte tandem and the other suggested that I take in Senator Go as my Vice President.”

“I strongly suggest to the President and Senator Go to own up publicly their decision to run as a tandem. If they can confirm it privately, then I do not see the reason why they cannot be candid about it to the public. They should simply present to the people what they can offer to our country and how they can help our fellow Filipinos. I respectfully advise them to stop talking about me and make me the reason for them running or not running.”

She also called on Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and Ronwald Munsayac, of the PDP-Laban or the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan, to stop blaming her for the sad state of their political party which has now two factions – the other is supporting Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao’s presidential bid.

“Senator Pimentel and Mr. Ronwald Munsayac should stop blaming me for the sad state of their political party. It is not my fault that no one among you is a leader worthy of the respect of the majority.

Do not blame me for the sitcom that your party has been reduced to. I am not a “Last Two Minutes” person. I think, I organize, and I implement accordingly.

In the meantime, I refuse to be a political punching bag for a party in complete disarray,” Carpio said.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who belongs to the other faction of the PDP-Laban, said Carpio, who founded the regional political party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, is “more PDP” than Pacquiao - who was ousted as party president following reports that he is gunning for the Presidency.

ICC Duterte previously said that his vice presidential bid is to protect him from being held legally accountable for wrongdoing, adding the position gives him immunity from suit.

Before her term ended in June, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has sought authorisation from The Hague tribunal to open a full investigation into Duterte’s war on drugs that killed thousands of people, including innocent children.

“Sabi ng batas, kung bise presidente ka, may immunity ka. Eh ‘di tatakbo na lang ako ng bise presidente. After that, tatakbo ako ng bise presidente,” he said during a PDP-Laban assembly in July.

ICC judges have 120 days to issue a decision on Bensouda’s request.

New ICC prosecutor Karim Khan now oversees the Philippine files. Khan has previously visited the Philippines to look into the deadly war on drugs.

Bensouda said a preliminary probe that began in February 2018 determined “that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the Crime against Humanity of murder was committed” in the Philippines between July 1, 2016 and March 16, 2019, which was when Duterte ordered that the Philippines withdraw from the court.

The suspected crimes happened “in the context of the government of Philippines ‘war on drugs’ campaign,” Bensouda said in a statement announcing that she was seeking judicial authorisation to

proceed with a full investigation.

“Information obtained by the Prosecution suggests that state actors, primarily members of the Philippine security forces, killed thousands of suspected drug users and other civilians during official law enforcement operations,” she said.

Duterte launched his deadly campaign against narcotics shortly after his victory in the May 2016 presidential elections.

He ran on a single issue of fighting crimes in the Philippines, and during his campaign and later as president, Duterte repeatedly urged police to “kill” drug suspects.

The latest government data shows that as of the end of April 2021, police and security forces have killed at least 6,117 suspected drug dealers during operations, although earlier government figures showed at least 8,600 deaths. A police report in 2017, however, referred to 16,355 “homicide cases under investigations” as accomplishments in the drugs war.

Human rights groups said the number of deaths could be at least 27,000, and accuse the authorities of carrying out summary executions that killed innocent suspects including children. Countless people were also killed by “unknown” gunmen.

Police say the suspects were killed when they resisted arrest and became violent, but there have been documented cases of suspects being executed, or survivors saying police shot unarmed civilians.

The drug war killings have also continued even in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, as Duterte vowed that there is no stopping in pursuing suspects.

Bensouda said prosecutors also reviewed allegations of “torture and other inhumane acts, and related events” dating back to November 1, 2011, “all of which we believe require investigation,” adding Duterte’s drug war, she said, shows “a State policy to attack civilians.”

Those allegations center in the city of Davao, where Duterte served as

mayor for about two decades. In 2017, a retired police officer had linked Duterte and his men to nearly 200 killings in Davao.

In his regular press briefing, Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque, dismissed the decision as “legally erroneous and politically motivated.” He said: “The President will never cooperate until the end of his term on Jun 30, 2022.”

He also said that the ICC “has no jurisdiction” of the alleged crimes, adding that the police officers have “the right to defend” themselves using “reasonable force” during drug operations, “and therefore, justified by the principle of necessity and proportion-

ality.”

In an address recorded a week before the news of Bensouda’s request broke, Duterte called on human rights organisations to take a closer look into his war on drugs. “You would notice that there are really persons who die almost daily because they fought back,” he said, warning drug dealers: “Do not destroy the country. I will kill you.”

Duterte had previously called Bensouda “that black woman,” while calling another international human rights investigator, Agnes Callamard, as “skinny” and “malnourished.”

Callamard is now the Secretary General of Amnesty International.

The “war on drugs”

has been a cornerstone of Duterte’s presidency since he came to power promising to crush crime, despite criticism from opponents and human rights groups of widespread abuses.

Amnesty International welcomed what it described as a landmark step noting that the killings continued unabated. “This announcement is a moment of hope for thousands of families in the Philippines who are grieving those lost to the government’s so-called ‘war on drugs’,” Callamard said in a statement. “This is a much-awaited step in putting murderous incitement by President Duterte and his administration to an end.” (Mindanao Examiner)

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DOH Sec. Duque, nakasandal sa pader!

Continued from page 1 for!” ang P63-7 bilyon pondong nakalaan sa pagtugon sa Covid-19 pandemic.

Matatandaan pinagalitan ni Duterte ang COA - kahit na ito ay isang Constitutional body – dahil sa paglalabas nito ng 2020 annual audit report ng ibat-ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan. Iginiit ni Duterte na walang korapsyon sa DOH at sa kanyang pamahalaan matapos nitong iutos sa COA na maglabas ito ng pahayag na wala itong nakita na anumang korapsyon sa DOH. “So it’s very important ngayon, especially with the ‘yung finding ng COA, which turned out to be walang corruption, walang-nawala, ngayon na lang sinasabi nila, and yet the damage had already been done. Kasi nga paglabas ng COA, basta COA report, flag, flag, flag, ang perception talaga ng tao, the popular notion is that you are flagged because there is corruption, there is shortage of funds and you cannot explain, that’s the reason why. So ngayon after nagalit ako kasi wala naman talaga, I was assured by the Department of Health na wala, eh ‘di nagalit ako kaya ang sabi ko sa kanila whenever you come up with a study, be sure. Sabi ko ano ba talaga ‘yan?” ani Duterte.

“Ngayon sabi nila, at this very late day, nag-issue sila ng statement walang corruption daw at walang nawawalang pera. Pero in the process, they had already painted black the white people there.

Iyan nga ang masama diyan kasi ang sabi ko nga magtanong ka ng sampung tao on the streets, in all probability ‘yang sampu magsabi “eh ayan ‘yung COA ngayon naglabas ng ano corruption.” So nasisira si Duque, nasisira lahat ang sa departamento ng health, at ako naman, it would reflect on me as President. That is why I was so interested I followed it up with them,” dagdag pa ng Pangulo.

Kamakailan lamang ay pinagmumura ni Duterte ang COA dahil sa inilabas nitong audit report ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan. Agad rin ipinagtanggol ni Duterte si Duque at pinangunahan ang kalihim na huwag nag-resign sa kanyang puwesto.

Inamin naman ni Duterte na hindi lamang DOH ang na-flagged o pinuna ng COA, ngunit maging ang Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) at si Secretary Carlito Galvez, na siyang in-charge sa pagbili ng mga Covid vaccines. Si Galvez rin ang peace adviser ng Pangulo at pinuno ng Office of the Presidential Adviser of the Peace Process.

Subali’t marami pang ibang ahensya ang pamahalaan ang isinaman ng COA sa kanilang mga reports. Kasama dito ang Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) na bumili ng hygiene kits, sanitary napkins at thermal scanners na umabot sa P1.269 million mula sa isang construction at trading firm sa Pasay City, ngunit wala naman ito sa address na ibinigay ng OWWA. “Hindi lang ito pati ‘yung DILG may nababasa ako, pati ‘yung kay Secretary Galvez, mayroon din, flagged, puro flagged, flagged, flagged down.

Stop that flagging, Dod damn it! You make a report. Do not flag and do not publish it because it will condemn the agency or the person that you are flagging. The flagging is spelled f-l-a-g-g-e-d. Ang ginagawa ninyo is f-l-o-g-g-i-n-g. Flogging, hampas. Eh huwag naman sige kayong flag nang flag.

Tapos wala namang napreso, wala naman lahat.

And yet you know that when you flag, there is already a taint of corruption by perception. You cannot... You know, this COVID-19 will never be won by the way you are also behaving,” ani Duterte.

Ipinag-utos rin ni Duterte sa mga taga-gobyerno, partikular sa mga may kinalaman sa Covid-19 response, na gawin nila ang lahat at kahit mangutang pang muli at huwag sumunod sa kagustuhan o abiso mula sa COA. “Ang utos ko ganoon. Kung wala kayong, sa lahat sa gobyerno, especially connected with COVID --- kung wala, mag-utang kayo. Hindi ako papayag, na you do everything you can. Mamamatay na, kita mo ‘yung mga frontliners tapos wala kang ibigay na suporta. By the way, itong frontliners, unahin mo na lang. If there is enough money, bayaran mo ‘yung...Tsaka ‘yung mga medisina ulit utangin mo.

Huwag mong sundin ‘yang COA. Putang ina ‘yang COA-COA na ‘yan. Wala namang mangyari diyan,” wika pa ng Pangulo sa kanyang utos kay Duque.

Maging ang mga pahayagan ay tinira rin ni

Duterte sa paglalabas ng COA preliminary reports ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan lalo na ngayon papalapit ang halalan. “Iyan ang ayaw ko, iyang flagging-flagging eh. It creates a conundrum pati na, alam mo political season na ngayon. Kanya-kanyang banat, kanya-kanyang criticism itong mga newspapers akala mo as if they are the epitome of propriety and decency,” sabi pa ni Duterte.

Batikos Umani naman ng batikos si Duterte mula sa mga mambabatas at sinabing hindi dapat pinapakialaman nito ang COA dahil isa itong independent body.

“Sabi siya nang sabi na galit siya sa korapsyon pero hindi naman niya sinusuportahan ang COA na siyang pangunahing ahensya na nagsusuri sa tama o maling paggastos ng gobyerno sa pera ng taumbayan. Spending our people’s money means that it has to be done in accordance with the law. If they cannot comply with the law, then they have no business spending our money. Kung hindi susundin ang tuntunin sa tamang paggastos ng pera ng taumbayan, hindi malalaman ng tao kung ginagamit ba ng tama ang mga buwis na pinaghirapan nilang bayaran o kung ninanakaw lamang ng mga kurakot na opisyales ng gobyerno,” ani Senator Leila de Lima.

Sinabi naman ni Senator Ping Lacson na dapat huwag matakot ang COA sa tirade ni Duterte.

“First, the Commission on Audit is a constitutional body which is independent of the executive or legislative branches of government, and certainly not under the Office of the President of the Republic. It has a mandate to perform, and no one can dictate on them. Second, COA findings and recommendations are public documents. Transparency dictates that the public must be informed of how public monies are spent.”

“That said, the President is out of line in publicly castigating the COA, which is just performing its mandate and responsibility to the people and the Constitution. For its part, the COA should not be cowed by intimidating statements, even those coming from the Chief Executive. In fact, those in the COA should proceed with more vigor, courage and independence,” pahayag pa ni Lacson.

Maging si Senator Riza Hontiveros ay nanindigan sa panig ng COA. “The Commission on Audit is an independent, constitutional body designed to check on the President and other government instrumentalities. The president cannot exempt any agency from audit procedure, or worse, encourage them to defy COA’s jurisdiction. Trabaho ng COA na mag-release ng mga reports, lalo na ngayong pandemya dahil mabilisan ang paggasta at napakaraming emergency procurement. COA only ensures that accountability would never give way to haste, especially on the pandemic budget,” wika ni Hontiveros.

“Imbes na pigilang gawin ang trabaho nila, dapat pa ngang pasalamatan natin ang COA, dahil sa pamamagitan ng kanilang report, itinuturo nila ang mga kailangang itama at bigyang linaw ng Department of Health. Akala ko ba ay hangad ng administrasyon na wakasan ang kurapsyon?

Bakit gigipitin nanaman ang isang ahensyang sumusubaybay at nagbabantay sa bilyun-bilyong pisong pondo ng bayan? Bakit parang gusto yatang hawakan sa leeg ang isang independent, constitutional body, pero ayaw naman papanagutin at padaanin sa proseso ang ahensyang pinagpapaliwanag lang naman? Kampihan ba ang magpapatakbo sa bansang ito?” dagdag pa nito.

Shit Noong September 2018 ay binira rin ni Duterte ang COA matapos na magsumbong sa kanya si Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos ukol sa COA circular. Sinabi pa ni Duterte na ihulog na lamang sa hagdanan ang mga COA auditors upang hindi na makapaglabas ng kanilang reports.

“Sino’ng taga-COA dito? Ihulog mo na sa hagdan para ‘di na maka-report. Maniwala ka diyan COA na ‘yan. You know you just do it by circular and expect everybody to obey. Mga circular... ano’ng paki-alam ko? Inyo ‘yan. Kaya yan circular circular...’di mo malaman circular nila ano pakialam ko putang ina circular mo. Kaya nga circular lang yan eh. Make it a law or a regulation but don’t give that shit of a circular,” wika nito. (Mindanao Examiner)

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The Mindanao Examiner

Aug 30-Sept 5, 2021

Sulu Pictures in the News Sulu provincial government at work. This is where your taxes go. (Photos from the Office of the Provincial Governor, Jaques Tutong, Task Force Covid-19, and Jolo Municipal Government, Rep. Shernee Tambut)

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The Mindanao Examiner

Aug 30-Sept 5, 2021

Military honors Sulu leaders

A photo released by the military’s Western Mindanao Command to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner on Monday, August 23, 2021 shows Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan with Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and his municipal mayors who were honored and awarded plaques of appreciation for their unwavering support to peace and development efforts in the province.

House appropriations panel chair: Duterte must justify intel funds

Rep. Eric Yap (right) being interviewed by Rappler on Wednesday, August 25, 2021.

PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte must explain the need for his multibillion-peso intelligence and confidential funds request for 2022, House appropriations panel chairman and ACT-CIS Representative Eric Go Yap said.

“For me, the Office of the President must explain this and convince Congress why this is needed, and if we’re not convinced, we need to reduce it. If we’re convinced, we will not reduce it,” Yap said in a Rappler Talk interview on August 25.

For the 2022 budget proposal, Duterte’s office requested P4.5 billion for intelligence and confidential funds, which is more than half of the entire proposed P8.2-billion

budget for the Office of the President (OP). It is part of the government’s P5.024-trillion proposal for 2022, which has been criticized as not being programmed enough for pandemic response. As the appropriations panel chairman, Yap will oversee the budget deliberations at the House.

Yap, an ally of Duterte, said his committee will take its time this year in hearing the OP’s budget proposal, which has been known to breeze through hearings within minutes in both House and Senate appropriations panels. “It just so happened that I believe in his administration, but of course, with my job as a lawmaker, I still need and we still need

to find out where this (the money) goes, and to suggest to them what we believe would be better for our countrymen,” Yap said.

The intelligence funds are difficult to examine as Duterte can invoke national security and confidentiality to refuse to answer questions. Yap said that at the very least, Duterte needs to answer how the money will be spent and if it will be worth it in the face of a raging pandemic. “We will not ask to whom they will give the money. What we will ask is for what are they (sic) going to use it. Would it be COVID-related? Would it be for anti-insurgency?”

Yap said. (Rambo Talabong / Rappler)

Continued from page 1 Command, led senior military officials in recognizing the unwavering support of the provincial and municipal governments in their campaign.

Vinluan thanked Gov. Sakur Tan, Vice Gov. Toto Tan and his municipal mayors, including Sulu Reps. Samier Tan and Munir Arbison, and gave each of them a plaque of appreciation in a ceremony held over the weekend at the Western Mindanao Command here.

“The Western Mindanao Command recognized the invaluable support of the local chief executives of Sulu to the command’s thrusts. “I would like to personally extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support to all our campaigns particularly in ending terrorism and violent extremism in Sulu.

Without your support we will not be able to achieve what we have accomplished,” Vinluan said in a press statement released on Monday.

The governor also reciprocated Vinluan’s praises and said the peace and

order situation in Sulu, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao, has greatly improved and he thanked the Western Mindanao Command and soldiers for their efforts in helping the police in maintaining peace and order in the province.

“Sulu loves you General Vinluan. Under your leadership, the military used approaches that effectively changed the security landscape in Sulu.

The peace situation is far better now than it used to be,” Tan said.

“You exemplified that war is not the solution to the security concerns in our province. Thank you for assisting us in bringing back the IDPs to their respective barangays through the Balik-Barangay Program that we co-initiated. Even after your retirement, you are very much welcome to visit Sulu anytime you want,” he added.

Tan was referring to the provincial government’s humanitarian efforts in areas affected by the anti-insurgency campaign.

Among those who honored by the military were Luuk Mayor Maryam Arbison, Lugus Mayor Hadar Hajiri, Kalingalan Caluang Mayor Nurshamier Halun, Omar Mayor Abdulbaki Ajibon, Old Panamao Mayor Al-Frazier Abdurajak, Pata Mayor Abdurauf Burahan, Siasi Mayor Ben Sayeed Muksan, Tongkil Mayor Whahid Sahidulla, Panglima Estino Mayor Munib Estino, Pandami Mayor Nurhan Berto, Jolo Mayor Kerkhar Tan, Indanan Mayor Hermot Jikiri, Parang Mayor Al-Khadar Loong, Maimbug Mayor Shihla Hayudini, Talipao Mayor Nivocadnezar Tulawie, Pangutaran Mayor Asri Taib, Hadji Panglima Tahil Mayor Mohamad Mustafa Burahan, Patikul Mayor Kabir Hayudini and Tapul Mayor Nasser Daud.

Vinluan said there had been no ransom kidnappings in the province and that the number of Abu Sayyaf militants is now dwindling due to the continued government campaign and mass surrender of insurgents the past years. (Mindanao Examiner)

2 Sayyafs killed, 7 captured in Sabah Continued from page 1 The fighting occurred early in the morning on August 20 after police raided the area.

This was also confirmed

by Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali, who said that prior to the raid, security forces arrested seven Abu Sayyaf fighters during a special operation at dawn on August 18.

“The earlier operation saw security forces arrest 25 suspected undocumented migrants, comprising 11 Filipinos and 14 Indonesians,” he said, adding seven of the Filipinos turned out to be members of the Abu Sayyaf.

Hazani said several terrorists managed to escape the August 18 operation and were eventually tracked down on Timbang Island. He said the two Abu Sayyaf terrorists opened fire on security forces during the operation, sparking a three-minute gun battle that killed the duo. “None of our men was injured,” he said, adding the Abu Sayyaf terrorists were in the area to plan for the abduction of two estate owners in Sandakan and Sukau areas.

Hazani said the terrorists were believed to be seeking ransom to fund its violent campaign in the southern Philippines.

Last May, security forces also killed five Abu Sayyaf terrorists and captured eight others after a firefight at a mangrove area near Taman Sri Arjuna in Beaufort district, about 9o km from Kota Kinabalu.

It was unknown how the Abu Sayyaf terrorists managed to sneak into Sabah despite its tight security and military patrols at the border off the southern Philippine province of Tawi-Tawi.

But the Abu Sayyaf is notorious for its cross-border raids and has kidnapped dozens of foreigners in Sabah the past two decades.

(Mindanao Examiner)

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The Mindanao Examiner

Aug 30-Sept 5, 2021

Youth more attuned with financial security goal

SOME PEOPLE think the youth are just squandering their time on unimportant things even during the pandemic, however, this is contrary to the results of a study done by a life insurer which showed that “Generation Y” or the millennials aged 25 to 40 years, and the “Generation Z” aged 15 to 24 years are very conscious about securing their financial health.

In a recent virtual briefing for the release of the report “Know Your Ys and Zs: A closer look at the financial and mental well-being of Filipino Millennials and Generation Z in the time of Covid-19,” Manulife chief marketing officer Melissa Henson said the 500 respondents who participated in their survey, done between April and May this year, identified staying healthy and avoiding illness, saving money, becoming financially independent, securing a well-paying

job, and establish a business as their top priorities.

On the other hand, their top stressors are running out of money, getting sick, their own death or death of family members, declining mental health, and drowning in debt.

Henson said the pandemic has far-reaching consequences and this has made the younger generations become more aware of the importance of their physical, mental, and financial health.

Ensuring financial stability has risen among the youth, she said, citing that what the young generations want are products and services that are not only aligned with their beliefs and interests but those that will help them secure a stable future.

“Understanding this behavior helps us find new ways to innovate and introduce more relevant financial protection products so we can better support them as they ful-

fill their most important goals,” Henson said.

The study showed that the respondents save money to protect themselves and their families for any eventualities, pay for basic living expenses, support immediate family’s future needs, to have funds to start or grow a business, and ensure their retirement funds.

While most of the respondents aim to keep within their budgets and save at least 25 percent of their monthly income, Henson said some admitted to failing on this and saving only around 10 percent of their income.

She said around 81 percent of the respondents said they take necessary steps to financially secure their future, 77 percent prioritizes spending on necessities over wants, 82 percent does not want to incur debt that they cannot pay, and only 19 percent saves money for luxuries. (Joann Villanueva)

Zambo Sur has highest Covid cases Continued from page 1 Health (DOH). While Zamboanga City has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 patients who recovered from the deadly respiratory disease, and also the second lowest number of active Covid-19 cases in the region.

In its August 23 bulletin, the DOH said Zamboanga City has 129 active cases with Isabela City recording the lowest infection with only 8 active cases. The province of Zamboanga del Sur has 1,149 Covid-19 cases; Zamboanga Sibugay with 407; and Zamboanga del Norte with only 301. The whole region has 1,194 active Covid-19 cases.

But Zamboanga City has the highest number of recovered Covid-19 patients at 11,631 and followed by Zamboanga del Sur with 5,495; Zamboanga del Norte with 4,746 and Isabela City with 754 or a total of 24, 354.

Covid-19 deaths in Zamboanga City has reached 582, the highest in the region; and followed by Zamboanga del Sur with 217; Zamboanga del Norte with 194; Zamboanga Sibugay with 74 deaths and Isabela City with 21. Total Covid-19 deaths in the whole region are now 1,088.

Most of the Covid deaths in Zamboanga City were patients who had comorbidity or those with

simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions.

The overall number in the DOH regional case bulletin may change in the coming days or weeks as local governments continue to battle the spread of Covid-19 in the communities.

The lack of vaccines also hampers the efforts of the local governments in fighting the virus despite the huge amount of loans by the Duterte administration for the purchase of medicines. Most of the vaccines the country received came from the World Health Organization and donations by other countries. (Mindanao Examiner)

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Across : 1. Liquid measure 5. Gave lunch to 8. Nordic capital 12. Dubuque’s locale 13. Pub beverage 14. Hollow stalk 15. Mimic 16. Ragged 18. Shelflike rock 20. Nervous 21. ___ Einstein 23. Pen point 26. Frightened 29. Shoestring 30. Most sensible 31. Wore away 33. Isn’t, incorrectly 34. Futile 35. Expert 36. Christmas glitter 38. Riducule 40. Actress ___ Blair 44. Appetizers 47. Hurt 48. Model ___ Moss 49. Feel regret 50. Not shut 51. Suggestion 52. Pekoe, e.g.

53. Tennis’s ___ Sampras

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Answer to last week’s crossword:

Down : 1. Clock face 2. Thick cord 3. Astonished 4. Prime Minister ___ Thatcher 5. Portly 6. Overjoyed 7. Prevent 8. Mine products 9. Love song 10. Rebel general 11. Weird 17. Blasting letters 19. Stately trees 22. Play the ponies 24. Freezes 25. Flower plots 26. Urgent acronym

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27. Animal’s den 28. Add comments to 29. Candy on a stick 31. Curvy letter 32. Rod’s partner 34. False 36. King ___ 37. Not active 39. Range 41. Back of the neck 42. Count calories 43. Novelist ___ Rice 44. Enjoy the slopes 45. Small bit 46. Briny deep

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Answer to last week:

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OPINION

Pencing

by Mario O. Feliciano Jr.

Duque must resign immediately Dear Editor: Instead of reproaching the independent state auditing body for doing its job, President Duterte should have called for an investigation on the alleged deficiencies of the Department of Health (DOH) in the use of its P67.3-billion funds for the Covid-19 pandemic response.

The Commission on Audit (COA) said “the deficiencies in the handling of the P67.3-billion pandemic response fund were caused by noncompliance with pertinent laws, rules and regulations, and undermined the timely and efficient response to the pandemic last year.”

It said “the DOH failed to utilize P59.124 billion of its 2020 budget and was unable to use as much as P11.8 billion of the COVID-19 funds, which meant that these “were not translated [into] much-needed health supplies, equipment and services that could have benefited both the health workers and the general public during the critical times of the pandemic.”

To COA’s credit, it has flagged to the taxpayers what they should rightfully know. What is appalling is not the flagging of the COA report but the reaction of the President who said on national television that COA’s report allegedly implies corruption, particularly in connection with a P67.3-billion fund for

pandemic response. The President even told Duque to “ignore the COA report, obviously unmindful if not oblivious, that COA is an independent constitutional body whose mandate includes publicly disclosing expenditures by state agencies.

At the start of his presidency, one of Duterte’s avowed commitments is to rid the government of corruption. He even declared that he would fire officials even with just a whiff of corruption. Why is he now muzzling the agency that guards against corruption, and shielding those who committed irregularities in using public funds?

What we see in all these is a colossal reek of deficiencies, mismanagement and even clear and present signs of corruption that warrant the resignation of Secretary Duque. In the best interest of the suffering Filipino people, he must resign immediately even if his “boss” tells him no to.

And if the president cannot or will not rid the government agencies of corrupt officials, he must resign too!

Thank you and more power.

Ecumenical Bishops Forum (Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iniguez, Jr., The Rt. Revd. Rex B. Reyes, Jr., Bishop Joel E. Tendero, Bishop Ciriaco Francisco, Bishop Dindo Ranojo) thebishopsforum@gmail.com

HEALTH

Bukol sa Baga: Kanser Ba Ito? Ni Dr. Willie T. Ong

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ara sa artikulong ito, kinuha ko si Dra. Meredith Garcia, isang espesyalista sa kanser para magbigay ng paliwanag. Heto ang payo ni Dra. Garcia.

Ang bukol ay madalas mababasa sa X-ray result bilang “mass”, “nodule”, “nodularity”, “opacity” o “lesion”. Madalas, nakikita ang mga bukol sa baga kapag nagpa-chest X-ray ang isang pasyente para sa mga sintomas tulad ng ubo o hirap sa paghinga. May mga pagkakataon din na nakikita lang ito nang hindi sinasadya sa executive checkup o sa annual examination ng mga naga-apply sa trabaho kahit na ang pasyente ay wala namang nararamdaman.

Maraming iba-ibang posibleng dahilan ang pagkakaroon ng mga mukhang “bukol” sa chest X-ray, tulad ng pulmonya (pneumonia),

pigsa sa baga (lung abscess), TB (tuberculosis) at fungal infection. Meron ding tunay na bukol na benign o noncancerous tulad ng hamartoma. Pero ang isang mahalagang diagnosis na dapat imbestigahan ay cancer. Maaari itong primary lung cancer, metastatic lung cancer na kumalat mula sa cancer sa ibang bahagi ng katawan, o iba pang uri ng cancer tulad ng lymphoma, sarcoma at mesothelioma.

Kapag may nakitang “bukol” sa chest X-ray, mahalagang magpatingin agad sa doktor para maimbestigahan ang sanhi nito. Kukunin ng doktor ang iyong medical history at gagawan ka ng isang physical examination.

Binubusisi rin ang itsura ng X-ray kung ito ay may mga katangian na mas mukhang benign o mas mukhang cancer.

Depende sa iniisip na diagnosis ng doktor,

maaari siyang magpagawa ng mga karagdagang test para makumpirma ang kanyang diagnosis tulad ng CT scan, bronchoscopy (endoscopy ng baga) at biopsy. Dito sa Pilipinas kung saan talamak ang TB, madalas ding nagpapagawa ng lab test sa plema (sputum AFB).

Huwag balewalain ang anumang bukol sa chest X-ray lalo na kung ikaw ay may history ng malakas na paninigarilyo o mga sintomas na hindi nawawala o lumalala.

Magpatingin kaagad sa doktor.

WHY DO some Filipinos opt to remain in Afghanistan? Afghanistan is one country where no one dares to thread now.

It’s all because of the Taliban takeover of the peace-loving Afghans’ capital city of Kabul, and its environs.

Now, its country that’s predominantly devout Muslim, and the rest (in faith) minuscule in number, has no way out to go to restore their freedom and democracy they used to enjoy and live the rest of their lives - until that fateful day of August 15 when everything has turned completely its opposite.

They’re now at the mercy of the highly-fundamentalist group the Taliban - that was driven away from their short-lived power by the United States in 2001.

Since then, the world’s supreme country was there with their American troops to secure their peace and order in the most harmonious way possible from the ousted Taliban-imposed rule.

But as time begets time, the United States gov’t has eventually decided to withdraw its troops for good - after its 20-year long stint in Afghanistan to give a freehand for the Afghan people to rule their country on their own- sans any foreign intervention.

Fears however grip its countrymen who love liberty and freedom, mostly its women and children whose Taliban leaders strictly follow their own “misinterpreted” Sharia laws, prohibiting its women and children of their human rights, including access to education, basic health care, employment, and all other amenities they used to enjoy during the pre-Taliban conquer in the late 1990s.

All their rights suddenly lost, once again, that fast. That kind of scenario we saw on videos - depicting its chaotic and anarchic situation at its Kabul airport for their immediate mass evacuation, stifled us all in fear, as the whole world is watching continually its harrowing events unfolding in real time.

Its trouble (God forbid!) may even worsen in the days to come, as the Taliban leaders have refused to extend the deadline of the withdrawal period on Aug. 31. This is the worst part of it, because most political analysts said they see no change, at all, on their known cruel and repressive regime when these Taliban leaders came to power in 1996.

The United States intervened in Afghanistan when it launched its successful hunt on the late Al-Queda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden - slain in 2011 by American forces whose main stronghold in the Middle East was set up in its land-locked country.

Since then, the United States played a key role for the Afghan gov’t top officials to gradually regain their freedom and liberty from the hands of the ousted Taliban gov’t then- described as most strict, cruel, and oppressive to women and children’s basic rights.

Afghanistan, under the Taliban regime, had one of the worst human rights violations in the world. Who then would like to work in Afghanistan under its reemerged Taliban rule?

No one from a free world country, like ours, would dare come even near its shadow. The way they all frantically crowd the Kabul airport as they desperately hustle each other in a bid to catch a last-minute plane journey offered by the US military and its allied countries out of harm’s way in Afghanistan these days, is just nightmarish for us all TV viewers worldwide, in the throes of mixed feelings, while they’re in a madrush situation out there at Kabul international airport that’s about to fall, sooner or later, too, in the hands of the Taliban wicked rulers upon the end of the withdrawal grace period given till only August 31.

Right now, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that a total of 183 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Afghanistan have already fled to safety, and are being repatriated back home by batches. And 16 more have requested for their immediate evacuation back home, while 10

others have opted to stay where they’re right now even as the Philippine government has ordered their mandatory repatriation back to their home country, according to DFA. I presume they have no other recourse but move on albeit being in that war-torn country for the sake of their loved ones back home, in dire need of financial support in these times of the multi-major crises that down us all the more in an immeasurable level.

Again, I tell you, the world is in the onset of difficulties, hardships and all turbulence it has never seen before in these modern times.

The man-made and all the natural disasters of all sizes are now imminently happening before our very own terrifying eyes, and all we need to do is repent! Go back to the One who created us all, and this world will become new and pleasant once again the sight of our God Almighty.

The problem is, man is so difficult to handle with, that even God has a hard time to draw them back to Him. Think well, my fellow Earthlings, this’s all about spiritual now, because I repeat this’s no longer just a physical or secular problem of man, but por Dios mio! A spiritual one. There’s a need to focus now on this so forgotten component in the life of man, as all of us will soon inevitably leave this world physically. But our souls, without God’s spirit in us, will surely be damned to darkness where hell rules forever.

Only the people of God will go to heaven.

That’s for sure will happen to all of us on “Judgment Day.” I’m not scaring anyone, but that’s our spiritual reality in life, and whether we believe it or not, that’s still the truth, for our Lord Jesus himself has said, “I’m the way, the life and the truth; no one comes to the Father, except through me.”

(John 14:6) Cheer up, guys, and see you soon just the same. God bless us all! (jayfeliciano2@yahoo. com)

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House-to-house vaccination for A3 in Cebu

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EBU CITY – The Cebu City Vaccination Board said it has partnered with a private emergency response firm to conduct house-to-house vaccination for bedridden and persons who could not walk in a bid to ramp up Covid-19 inoculation for the A3 category or persons with comorbidities here.

Dr. Jeffrey Ibones, ister online at pabakuna- their houses to receive the head of Cebu City Health ta.com web portal and call vaccine.

For the house-toDepartment, said bring- ERUF’s hotline 161 or 233house campaign, vacciing the vaccines to the 8300 or 0918-9210000.

“Actually, there are nators will administer doorstep of sick people is the answer to the many bedridden members or the single-dose Johnson requests they received members of the family & Johnson to the recipifrom the residents to in- who really wanted to be ents, but Ibones clarified oculate their loved ones vaccinated but they find that other brands will also who are staying in their it difficult to go to the vac- be used if needed. “Indibeds or those who could cination site because of viduals who are suffering not travel to vaccination their condition,” Ibones illnesses and are staying told the Philippine News at home stand the risk sites. of getting infected with Ibones said the local Agency.

The project, he said, Covid-19 if they will be left government partnered with the Emergency is meant for those suffer- off the vaccination rollRescue Unit Foundation ing from different comor- out,” he said.

Ibones urged city (ERUF) and the Cebu bidity like hypertension, Medical Society for the diabetes, stroke, among residents not to go out project. others, who would stand to jog and do leisure bikHe said bedridden to be exposed to other ing now that the number individuals need to reg- diseases if they step out of of Covid-19 cases here is

Personnel from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation administer a vaccine to an elderly woman at her own home. (Image: Dr. Peter Mancao) high. “If you want to exercise, you can do it at home

now that we are in an effort to prevent the spread

of coronavirus,” he said.

(John Rey Saavedra)

Rescued pangolin returned to Palawan CEBU PACIFIC flew a rescued pangolin to Palawan province from Muntinlupa City where the scared scaly anteater was found by residents roaming in the village of Ayala Alabang.

Heeding the call to transport the pangolin to Palawan where it is endemic, Cebu Pacific flew the mammal named “Pandi” to the province. Weighing almost 5 kilos, ‘Pandi,’ aptly named because it was discovered during the

Covid-19 pandemic, was found to be healthy.

Environmentalist Anna Varona, who was contacted by the residents about the find, said the pangolin may not have been an escaped pet and was likely poached to be eaten or sold, since pangolins rarely survive being away from their original habitat in Palawan.

At the hands of authorities, the male pangolin underwent further medical inspection as its papers were

finalized to be able to fly back home.

With time being vitally important, Pandi was flown to Palawan via CEB flight 5J 563 on August 21 – five days after the animal was found.

“We thank everyone who helped in sending Pandi back home. The Cebu Pacific team handled Pandi like a pet and with utmost care. This also shows how Cebu Pacific values wildlife conservation,” said Cebu Pacific Corporate Social Responsibility Spe-

Photos released by Cebu Pacific to the Mindanao Examiner/Cebu Examiner show the rescued pangolin and employees of the airliner who assisted in returning the scaly anteater to Palawan province.

ARMM

Eastern Mindanao

cialist Roxanne Gochuico, who coordinated the return of Pandi to Palawan.

Pandi was the second pangolin to be rescued by authorities since 2018 after a pangolin named “Panggoy” was also found in the same village, but the animal died while waiting for its repatriation.

“The environment has always been at the heart of Cebu Pacific. We launched the Juan Effect to promote environmental awareness among our travelers and this act of bringing Pandi home reflects our creed and respect for the environment,” said Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Customer

Experience, Candice Iyog.

Iyog said the airline has always supported wildlife conservation. In 2015, it began supporting the Philippine Eagle Mindanao, and just recently, it has renewed adoption for another year as it trains to be an ambassador. (Cebu Examiner)

PH Resorts to open hotel-casino in Mactan CEBU CITY – Investors have maintained a bullish outlook on the country’s tourism industry as recovery growth is underway post-pandemic, according to gaming veteran Jose Angel Sueiro.

Sueiro, also the COO of PH Resorts Group Holdings, gave this positive outlook on tourism as their company is keen on the future completion of the Emerald Bay Resort and Casino in Mactan.

“Despite continuing fears about Covid-19 and with the Delta variant reach-

Western Mindanao

ing our shores, we are very happy that there are investors that continue to remain bullish on the prospects of the country’s tourism and gaming industry,” he said.

This upbeat investor sentiment was shown during the company’s top-up placement where it raised about P600 million from a select group of qualified buyers.

Sueiro said they believe that with more of the population vaccinated in the coming months, there will be a resumption of both inter-

Cebu

national and local flights, spurring a recovery in tourism in the Philippines and the region.

He said Emerald Bay, which is scheduled to open by the third quarter of next year, will feature 122 gaming tables for mass, premium mass and junkets; 600 electronic gaming machines; and 270 hotel room bays. PH Resorts had done a top-up placement to raise funds for the Cebu casino project, Sueiro added. (Carlo Lorenciana)

Manila