ILIGAN CITY – Police and military tightened security in the Muslim province of Lanao del Sur following the recent ambush of Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr that
Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr
(Photo from his Facebook page)
killed all four of his police escorts in the town of Maguing.
Police also suspended gun permits in the hands of civilians in Lanao del Sur and neighboring provinces of Maguindanao and North Cotabato.
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THE BANGSAMORO Transition Authority’s Committee on Basic, Higher, and Technical Education deliberated on the proposed measure seeking to establish an Islamic institution of learning.
The BTA Bill No. 31 Continue on page 5 Continue on page 5
PAGADIAN CITY –Police were searching for a man who last week tried to sell a 60mm mor-
tar bomb to a junk shop in the southern Filipino city of Pagadian.
Police said the junk
shop owner Necario Alcano refused to buy the mortar bomb and told the Continue on page 5 Continue on page 5
Air Force airmen train on the new launcher load system at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri on Feb. 2, 2023. The U.S. renewed a warning that it would defend its treaty ally if Filipino forces come under attack in the disputed South China Sea, after a Chinese coast guard ship allegedly hit a Philippine patrol vessel with military-grade laser that briefly blinded some of its crew.
THE DIRECTORS Guild of the Philippines Inc. (DGPI) released a statement opposing Senator Robin Padilla’s callto ban the screening of the Gerard Butler-led action film, Plane. On February 17, the country’s Movie andTelevision Review and Classification Board (MTCRB), told ABS-CBN News thatthey would re-evaluate
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KUALA LUMPUR continues to defend its rights UALA LUMPUR continues to defend its against any attempts by the heirs of the Sultan any attempts the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu to grab Malaysia’s assets, The Malay of Sulu to assets, The Mail quoted Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said Mail Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. Azalina criticised the actions of the self-styled Sulu heirs and their law-
yers saying “we again remind the public that Continue on page 2 Continue on page 2
Jamalul Kiram III reads a copy of The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper whose banner was “Malaysia Goes For The Kill”. Kiram ordered his younger brother, Agbimuddin, to lead several hundred fighters in an armed incursion into Sabah in February 2013 in an effort to regain part of the island. (File photo by Mark Navales) and Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Bernama Photo)
COTABATO CITY – The Philippine Army has urged members of the
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to surrender peacefully fol-
lowing the recent killing of its leader in a clash in Continue on page 7 Continue on page 7
‘The film has been criticised for its “negative and inaccurate” portrayal of Sulu province’Gerard Butler in 'Plane'. (Credit: Lionsgate/Kenneth Rexach) (Photo by Air Force Airman 1st Class Hailey Farrell, US DND)
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the purported heirs and their counsels are trying to distort the truth before the media, just as they have done before the courts.”
“This case concerns a genuine arbitral scandal that has undermined the two most fundamental institutions of the rule of law: respecting the law and obeying the courts, and Malaysia will spare no effort in defending its rights,” said Azalina, who is in-charge of law and institutional reform.
Noting that several news outlets have reported on a purported new attempt by the alleged Sulu heirs in Luxembourg to seize assets belonging to Petronas, Azalina said Malaysia has not received formal notice of the alleged seizure orders. “Consequently, this office is unable to confirm the correctness or accurateness of these media reports,” she said.
While casting doubt on the purported new seizure bid, Azalina pointed out that the alleged Sulu heirs had already failed in their previous first attempt to seize Petronas’s assets in Luxembourg. She said the Sulu heirs’ bid to seize Malaysia’s assets is based on the alleged arbitration award by Gonzalo Stampa — whose appointment as
arbitrator has been cancelled by the same court which appointed him initially.
“If they prove to be true, this would not be the first time that the purported Sulu heirs attempt to seize Malaysia’s assets in Luxembourg on the basis of a purported final award rendered by Spanish lawyer whose appointment as arbitrator was nullified by the same court that had initially appointed him without hearing Malaysia. Rather, this alleged new attempt to attach assets would follow a first and failed attachment, which the Luxembourg courts recently lifted,” she said, referring to the previously failed seizure order according to its legal term “attachment”.
But if such a second seizure order does exist, Azalina said Malaysia will fight off such bids in the courts, the Malay Mail reported. “As it has done to date after it is properly summoned, Malaysia will continue to defend its rights vigorously before the courts in order to ensure that this second attachment (if existent) is also promptly lifted by the Luxembourg courts just as the first attachment was lifted,” she said.
Timeline
Last February 28, Stampa gave his purported
arbitration award — or “final award” — by ordering Malaysia to pay US$14.92 billion in compensation to eight individuals who claimed to be the heirs of the now-defunct Sulu Sultanate. On January 24 this year, the District Court of Luxembourg decided to lift or set aside a seizure order on two Petronas subsidiaries and their assets. The seizure order was previously issued last July 11 upon request of the alleged Sulu heirs. On January 30, Azalina said Malaysia is also currently challenging an ex parte Exequatur Order — or a May 18, 2022 order which recognised Stampa’s purported arbitration award in Luxembourg — before the Luxembourg Court of Appeal.
Azalina had also explained the District Court of Luxembourg’s decision to lift the July 11, 2022 seizure order on Petronas assets was due to the Sulu claimants’ failure to reveal their real addresses which would hamper documents being served on them and enforcement of any potential judgment against them.
Malaysia continues to dispute the appointment of Stampa as arbitrator and also challenges the entire arbitration process and his award in favour of the Sulu claimants as
invalid and illegal. Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and Attorney-General’s Chambers on March 2 stressed that the eight Sulu claimants’ identities are doubtful and have yet to be verified.
The eight Sulu claimants were last year reported as comprising three retirees, three unemployed persons aged 51 to 70, one 54-year-old school administrator and a 70-year-old businessman, with litigation funding firm Therium also reported to be funding the Sulu claimants’ legal and arbitration fees which have cost millions of US dollars. Following recent news reports of the purported second seizure bid, Petronas in a brief statement maintained that the Sulu claimants’ action against its two Luxembourg subsidiaries is “baseless” and said it will continue to defend its legal position.
Petronas
The Diplomat also reported that Court bailiffs in Luxembourg issued fresh seizure orders for two units of the Malaysian state oil firm Petronas – the latest twist in a complex legal case that descendants of a defunct sultanate have mounted against Malaysia over a colonial-era land agreement.
It said the news was broken by Reuters, which cited the heirs’ lawyer and court documents. It also confirmed with Petronas the new seizure order for the company’s Luxembourg-based Petronas
Azerbaijan and Petronas South Caucasus units.
The French arbitration court ordered Malaysia to pay $14.9 billion to the legal descendants of Jamalul Kiram II, the last Sultan of Sulu. The agreement is related to a deal that the Sultan of Sulu signed in 1878 with a British trading company over the use of his territory, in what is now the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo.
After independence, Malaysia honored the agreement, paying the sultan’s descendants a token annual sum of a few thousand dollars. But it cut off the payments after more than 200 armed militants led by another selfclaimed descendant of Jamalul Kiram II invaded the Lahad Datu district, in Sabah, from the southern Philippines.
Kuala Lumpur, which unsurprisingly rejects the claim outright as a bogus and opportunistic cash-grab, has refused to take part in the arbitration, and has vowed to fight the enforcement of the award. Petronas has taken a similar position.
When contacted by Reuters, the giant state firm reiterated its previous position that the heirs’ actions were baseless and the company will continue to defend its legal position. The multi-billion-dollar award is also seemingly disproportionate given the relatively paltry annual payments that Malaysia was making prior to 2013.
In June of last year,
Malaysia’s government obtained a stay order against the enforcement of the French court ruling, on the grounds that it might infringe on the country’s sovereignty. But the heirs’ lawyers argue despite the stay order, the French ruling remains legally enforceable outside France – and the legal team has attempted up their efforts to seize Malaysian government assets around the world.
The following month, lawyers representing the heirs made an initial attempt to seize the two Petronas subsidiaries. Last month, Azalina announced that the order had been set aside by a Luxembourg district court, describing it as a “significant victory” for Malaysia.
The latest development suggests that the lawyers representing the Sulu heirs will continue to press their claim until they exhaust all possible. Reuters quoted Paul Cohen, one of the legal team, as saying that the first seizure order had been lifted due to a technicality. The lawyers for the Sulu sultan’s heirs have leaned heavily on anti-colonial justifications for the case, framing it as a case of “justice” for those “dispossessed” by Western imperialism, and seeking to play into the growing European awareness and guilt about the continent’s vicious colonial legacy. (Malay Mail, The Diplomat and The Mindanao Examiner)
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Adiong was in a convoy when gunmen ambushed them in the village called Dilimbayan and wounded him and Ali Macapado. The February 17 attack, however, killed Staff Sergeant Mohammad Jurai Mipanga Adiong, 40; Corporal Johanie Lawi Sumandar, 39; and Corporal Jalil Ampuan Cosain, 40; and Kobi.
The group was on its way to Wao town when the attack occurred around 4.15 p.m. The governor, whose family held the province for many years now, was brought to hospital in Cagayan de Oro.
Board Member Jeff Adiong also confirmed the daring ambush and said the governor is now recovering from his wound. “We thank everyone for the messages of support and prayers for Governor Mamintal "Bombit" Alonto
Adiong Jr.,our family, and the provincial government of Lanao del Sur. The Governor was wounded along with his staff...Alhamdulillah, the Governor safely survived and is now recovering,” he said in his Facebook post and released a photo of the pickup truck used by the governor.
“Unfortunately, four of the security personnel, all of whom were very close relatives, died in the attack. In order for peace
to prevail, justice must be served. Hence, we call on the authorities to ensure a speedy yet careful investigation and to make the perpetrators liable under the rule of law,” he said.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the ambush, but the area is a known stronghold of the former rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Police were investigating the motives of the ambush.
(Mindanao Examiner)
MARAWI CITY - Over 600 government and non-government stakeholders in Lanao del Sur participated in the public consultation in Marawi City to provide their legislative input and recommendations for the proposed Bangsamoro Local Governance Code.
Local chief executives and representatives from Lanao del Sur’s provincial, city, municipal, and barangay local government units, as well as those from the academic institutions, health, security, and private sectors, and other relevant stakeholders, were given the oppor-
tunity to share their recommendations.
The BTA Bill No. 30, or the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code of 2022, will provide a clear direction between the local government units and the Bangsamoro government. It aims to strengthen the supervisory power of the Bangsamoro government through the Ministry of Interior and Local Government.
The proposed code applies to all component provinces, cities, municipalities, barangays, and other political subdivisions, as well
as Bangsamoro government offices and agencies. General provisions, local taxation and fiscal matters, local government units, and miscellaneous and final provisions are the four books of the proposed code.
Salha Abdulmajeed, a representative of the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, claims that this is the first time the group has been consulted on a crucial piece of legislation, a bill that will give the Bangsamoro government a more responsive and accountable local government structure.
They received position papers from national offices, local government unit officials, civil society organizations, election watchdogs, academe, religious sector representatives, indigenous people, women, youth groups, and other stakeholders.
Chairman Abu Saliha Macacuna of the Bangsamoro Development Agency supported the passage of the BLGC as long as it does not violate any Islamic beliefs or national laws.
Meanwhile, the President of the Lanao del Sur Mayors’ League and Butig Mayor Atty. Dimnatang Pansar has asked for the BLGC to be passed immediately, citing provisions that will improve the quality and efficiency of basic service delivery to the Bangsamoro people.
Mayor Pansar noted that if BLGC is approved, regional and local government collaborations will be strengthened.
Other concerns on the qualification and disqualification of running elective officials, the constitutionality of the BLGC, and anti-dynasty were also raised by Lanao del Sur constituencies.
Engr. Khalid Dumagay, MILG director general and one of the people who wrote the bill, says that the Chief Minister and his cabinet
asked their ministry to write the proposed code.
The MILG, Dumagay added, conducted a series of activities for the proposed code, including policy research, data and information gathering, research, and consultation with various relevant stakeholders. Public consultations were also held for the constituencies in Cotabato City, the BARMM Special Geographic Area, and Manila. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
FOLLOWING A series of public consultations, the proposed Bangsamoro Electoral Code is now up for committee deliberations.
The Committee on Rules, chaired by Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba, started discussions on BTA Bill No. 29 with a briefing
on the consolidated matrix of position papers.
The committee held 12 public consultations in Manila, Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and the BARMM Special Geographic Area.
Atty. Dumama-Alba said that the consolidated positions will be carefully reviewed by the committee before submitting it to the plenary in February.
The proposed electoral code will outline the structural, functional, and procedural principles governing the election of officers in the Bangsamoro region (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
indanao and the BARMM Special Geographic Area in March.
Deputy Speaker Atty. Lanang Ali Jr. said that the committee will invite the Philippine National Police, the Ministry of Public Order and Safety, the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission, and concerned barangay officials.
The CPOS has also adopted its own amended internal rules and procedures during the meeting on February 14.
MORE THAN 50 student beneficiaries of the Angat Bangsamoro Kabataan (ABK) Tungo sa Karunungan program received educational assistance from the office of Member of the Parlia-
ment Diamila Disimban-Ramos.
Each elementary student received P1,000, while each high school student received P1,500.
Said program is part of the 2021 Transitional Development
INFORMATION OFFICERS and staff of the Members of the Parliament from BARMM's island provinces participated in the last leg of the strategic communications workshop.
The recent five-day strategic communications workshop seeks to equip all information officers with the skills they need to develop consistent branding and messaging on all communications materials, highlighting the accomplishments and efforts of the Bangsamoro Parliament.
THE BANGSAMORO Parliament’s Committee on Public Order and Safety (CPOS) will hold a parliamentary inquiry into the series of killings and the alarming state of public order and safety in Magu-
The CPOS has jurisdiction over all matters concerning peace and order, Bangsamoro Police, fire and jail management, suppression of criminalities, regulation of the private security services, firearms, firecrackers, pyrotechnics, destructive fires, rescue, emergency medical services, and research and development in the internal security aspects within the Bangsamoro region. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
THE BANGSAMORO Parliament’s Committee on Social Services and Development deliberated on two proposed bills that would uphold and protect the human rights of internally displaced persons.
The committee agreed to consolidate BTA Parliament Bills No. 20 and 32, the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Act authored by MP Atty. Laisa Alamia and the Rights of Internally Displaced
Persons in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Act authored by the Government of the Day.
The proposed measures seek to protect the rights of Bangsamoro residents who are internally displaced during and after armed conflict, generalized or organized violence, clan wars, political violence, violations of human rights, development project implementation, and natural, human-induced, and human-made disasters.
It also seeks to protect
Bangsamoro residents who have been displaced to areas outside the Bangsamoro region, as well as non-Bangsamoro residents who have been displaced to areas within the region.
CSSD Chair Engr. Aida Silongan said the committee will hold another meeting to discuss the schedule of public consultations for the proposed measure. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
Impact Fund project of MP Ramos, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Services and Development. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
An introduction to strategic communications, effective press release writing, photography, visual branding, video production, and dealing with emerging trends in media, radio, and online news programs were all covered in the workshops.
Resource speakers also provided a review of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the functions and responsibilities of the Members of the Parliament.
The Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations
Division organized the workshop in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), in which information officers from the Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Lanao del Sur took part.
Information officers from Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Cotabato City, and the BARMM Special Geographic Area participated in the first and second rounds of the workshop. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
THE BANGSAMORO Parliament’s Rules Committee has started deliberating the proposed electoral code, a measure that would create an electoral framework responsive to the needs of the Bangsamoro people.
The committee discussed for nearly nine hours Articles I through V of BTA Bill No. 29. These articles cover the bill's introduction, the establishment of an electoral office and its bureaus, the creation of an electoral tribunal, and the frameworks of political parties.
Floor Leader and COR Chair Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba said that the committee aims to submit its report when Parliament resumes session. She said that the committee is thoroughly discussing the position
papers, recommendations, and sentiments of all the various experts and stakeholders.
The electoral code is one of the priority measures that the Parliament must pass during the transition period. It will outline the structural, functional, and procedural principles governing the region's officer election.
Under the proposed measure, the Parliament will be composed of 80 members: 50% will be party representatives, 40% will be district representatives, and the remaining 10% will be reserved seats and sectoral representatives. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
Communication
info officers, BTA staffs held
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PRESIDENT FERDINAND Marcos Jr said the Philippines will not cede an inch of its territory in the West Philippines Sea largely being claimed by Beijing following a recent harassment by the Chinese Coast Guard vessel at a Filipino patrol delivering supplies to BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) inside Filipino waters.
Marcos, speaking at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Alumni Homecoming 2023 in Baguio City, promised to work with the nation’s allies to ensure the safety of Filipinos.
“The country has seen heightened geopolitical tensions that do not conform to our ideals of peace and threaten the security and stability of the country, of the region, and of the world,” he said.
“This country will not lose one inch of its territory. We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our Constitution and with international law. We will work with our neighbors to secure the safety and security of our peoples,” he added.
Marcos noted that the current operating environment is uncertain and grows increasingly complex and his administration has been working hard to steer the country to a high-growth trajectory in the past seven
months.
He said as the Philippines continues to develop its internal resources, the country must pursue a path of prosperity that contributes to goals shared with the international community. “We have cemented our bilateral relations with our allies, with partners, with our friends. And as we work on translating these investments into material benefits for our people, we must ensure that we continue to preserve the security and the safety of our nation,” he said.
Last August, China also prevented Philippine Coast Guard ships from coming closer to the Ayungin Shoal while providing security to a Philippine Navy resupply mission. The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel even readied its 70 mm cannon when BRP Teresa Magbanua came close to Ayungin Shoal at a distance of 2.5NM.
The CCG vessel, together with two Chinese maritime militia ships and another CCG with bow number 5102, blockaded and prevented the Filipino vessel from reaching BRP Sierra Madre manned by troops.
Philippine Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu said regardless of this challenging situation, they remain steadfast in protecting the sovereignty and rights of the country and Filipinos in the West
Philippine Sea.
“The PCG will continue to exercise due diligence in protecting the country's territorial integrity against foreign aggression. The AFP can always rely on the PCG to support their resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal. Despite the dangerous maneuver of the much larger CCG ships and their aggressive actions at sea, the PCG ships will always be in the West Philippine Sea to sustain our presence and assert our sovereign rights,” Abu said.
The Pentagon said the United States and the Philippines have agreed to resume joint patrols in the South China Sea following a decision reached during the recent meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Filipino Defense chief Carlito Galvez in Manila. The Philippines also allowed U.S troops in several areas in the country.
China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea continues because the government allows it, especially during the time of then President Rodrigo Duterte who even publicly said that he loves President Xi Jingping and likened the relationship with China to a blooming flower. “I simply love Xi Jingping,” the former strongman said in April 2018 before heading to Beijing with her daughter Sara, now the Philippines Vice President.
(Mindanao Examiner)Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1 intends to create a madrasah, which shall be known as the Bangsamoro Regional Institute for Higher Islamic Studies.
Once it is approved, Kuliyyah Higher Learning Institution will offer Islamic and Arabic studies courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It will promote research, advanced studies, and progressive leadership in its areas of expertise.
The proposed measure, according to Chair Eddie Alih, will repeal the Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 164, also known as the Regional Madrasah Graduate Edu-
cation Act of 2003.
The committee also amended and adopted the committee's internal rules in their meeting this morning.
The committee elected chairs and vice chairs for each subcommittee, including Mohammad Kellie Antao as chair and Jaafar Apollo Mikhail Matalam as vice chair for the subcommittee on basic education; Susana Anayatin as chair and Nurredha Misuari as vice chair for the subcommittee on higher education; Ali Montaha Babao as chair and Said Shiek as vice chair for the subcommittee on technical education; Abdulwahab
Pak as chair and Abdulaziz Amenoden as vice chair for the subcommittee on Madaris education; and Jaafar Apollo Mikhail Matalam as chair and Mudjib Abu as vice chair for the sub-committee on sports development.
The CBHTE has jurisdiction over all matters concerning education, schools, universities, colleges, madrasahs, the welfare of teachers and students, alternative learning systems, scholarships, and special, non-formal, and technical education and training. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
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the film for its “negative and inaccurate” portrayal of the Philippines’ Jolo Island. MTRCB chairperson Diorella Maria Antonio said:“The MTRCB will re-evaluate the film in view of their concerns and will take all necessary measures if found to be in any way injurious to the prestige of the Philippines or its people.”
In response, the DGPI posted a statement on Facebook on February 19, saying that they oppose “moves to stop the showing of this movie, as we believe agency and free choice must remain with the public, rather than imposed by politicians.” They continued by saying, “If the state cantolerate free expression for trolls, fake news, and historical revisionism without worrying about their effect on the country’s prestige, then the state can dothe same for a work that members of the foreign press have regarded as mindlessB-movie entertainment rather than a reliable commentary on our country’saffairs.”
Plane follows pilot Brodie Torrance (Butler) after his aircraft is forced to land in Sulu province, wherev he finds that the island is run by separatists and militia. Sulu is located inthe southernmost part of the Philippines. While it has been the seat ofconflict for decades, the Philippine government has been in peace talks with theMoro National Liberation Front (MNLF) since 1975. Criticisms Padilla, a former actor, was criticized by Netizens on social media for “over acting”, saying he also portrayed violent characters and even a soldier battling Muslim rebels in the 1994 film Mistah set in southern Philippines.
Marvin John Balmadrid Bañas said: “Pasensya natalaga di ka nakasama sa cast.” “Mas maganda siguro ang ipa-ban mo yung mga elected officials na corrupt sa Pinas,” said Ferry Jon Marquez. Isagani B Reyes Jr. said: “Una yung
kapogian ngmga Bida sa Koreanovela pinag-iinitan. Ngayon naman isang pelikulang siya mismoalam na kathang isip (fiction) lang. Aba’y napakarami pong problema ng bansa Sir.
Baka pwede yun Ang pag tuunan niyo ng pansin. Nang masulit naman po pa-sweldo ng taumbayan sa inyo.” But for John Louie Nofuente, here what he said: “Sanaiban na lang yung nasa Senado.” The film Plane is a 2023 American action thriller film directed by Jean-François Richet from a screenplay by Charles Cumming and J. P. Davis. The film also stars Mike Colter, Yoson An, and Tony Goldwyn. The plot centers on a pilot(Butler) allying with a prisoner (Colter) to save his passengers from a hostileterritory they landed in for an emergency landing.
The film was announced in 2016, acquired by Lionsgate in 2019, sold to Solstice Studios in 2020, andre-acquired by Lionsgate in 2021. It was shot in Puerto Rico. Plane wasreleased in the United States on January 13, 2023. It received generallyfavorable reviews from critics and has grossed $47 million worldwide.The plot: Commercial pilot Brodie Torrance, a former RAF pilot,flies Trailblazer Airlines Flight 119 from Singapore to Honolulu via Tokyo.
After his plane suffers damage from a storm in the South China Sea, he is forced to land hisplane in what turns out to be Sulu island inthe Philippines; a stewardess and an RCMP officer,who is accompanying fugitive homicide suspect Louis Gaspare, are killed.
In New York City,the board of Trailblazer calls their crisis manager, Scarsdale. He dispatches aprivate military outfit to rescue the passengers, as the authorities are unwilling to send troops into the rebel-controlled island. Brodie goes offinto the jungle for help, accompanied by Louis. At an abandoned warehouse, Brodie phones
his superiors and daughter to tell their location, but is attacked by a rebel whom he subdues. They encountera site used by the rebels to make ransom videos and race back to the plane, but are beaten to it by rebel leader Datu Junmar, who kills a Korean couple who try to escape and takes the surviving passengers and crew hostage, intending to secure large ransoms from their families.
After the group leaves, Brodie and Louis overpower remaining rebels andforce them to reveal the location of their lair. Before leaving, Brodie leavesa note for rescue teams telling them what happened. At the rebel hideout, Brodie and Louis kill the hostages' guards and sneak them onto a bus. Brodiedecides to stay behind to distract the rebels. As he is about to be executed,the rescue team arrives, inflicting heavy casualties on Junmar's men.
Back at the plane, Brodie and his copilot Samuel Dele manage to make the plane operational again and gather the hostages inside for takeoff. Scarsdale's group set up a Barrett M82 counter-materiele rifle for increased firepower and together with Louis fight off Junmar's men. Louis chooses to stay behind to distract Junmar's forces and allow Scarsdale's team to board the plane, preventing an attempt by Junmar to blow up the plane with an RPG and later fleeing into the jungle with a bag of money brought by the mercenaries to pay for the hostages. Brodie, while taking off, crushes Junmar under the plane's wheels.
The plane is too damaged and too low on fuel to make a long journey, butBrodie manages to land the plane at the neighboring island of Siasi, where they are finally rescued by government forces and where Brodie receivespraise from the passengers and crew. (KaraAngan / NME Networks and Mindanao Examiner)
Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1 man that it is illegal to sell military ordnance. The man then quickly left the junk shop, leaving behind the high explosive mortar.
Alcano alerted the police about the mortar
bomb which was recovered by members of the local Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. It was unknown how the man managed to get hold of the military ordnance which is used against troops either in the open or in foxholes,
light vehicles, light bunkers and similar targets.
The Philippine military has not issued a statement on the recovery of the mortar bomb, or whether if it is part of their inventory. (Mindanao Examiner)
‘The film has been criticised for its “negative and inaccurate” portrayal of Sulu province’
Man tries to sell military bomb to junk shop
THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte said it will refer to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) the filing of charges against officials and personnel allegedly involved in the purchase of overpriced laptop computers under the previous administration.
The Senate committee recommended the filing of graft charges against several incumbent and former officials of the DepEd and PS-DBM in connection to the anomalous transactions. Also included on the recommended charges are falsification of public documents and perjury.
The recommendation came following months of investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the overpriced computers worth at least P979 million purchased during the Duterte administration.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said they are ready to receive the official
report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the purchase of the computers through the Procurement Service – Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) in 2021.
“The filing of cases against past and present officials of the DepEd, as recommended by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, will be referred to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for evaluation and appropriate action,” Poa said.
He said the DepEd has acted immediately on the
legal measures needed to be done against allegedly erring officials and personnel. “There is a pending administrative case against one DepEd employee involved in the procurement,” he said.
Poa said they are also looking into how DepEd laptop computers end up being sold in surplus stores in Cebu. “The Department is now coordinating with relevant law enforcement agencies to apprehend the perpetrators,” he said. (Stephanie Sevillano)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – A disgruntled man who had a quarrel with his former wife hacked three people before setting his house on fire and burning himself to death, police said.
Police said the cadaver of the 51-year old Moradum Titen Insaji was recovered from among the ashes of his house in the village of Kasanyangan. Last week’s fire also razed about 228 houses.
Maj. Shellamie Chang, a regional police spokesperson, said
neighbors tried to save Isnaji after he torched his house, but he attacked his neighbors with a bolo and injured three of them.
“Moradun Titen Isnaji had a heated argument with his ex-wife. At the height of their altercation, the subject intentionally ignited their house. Furthermore, their neighbors tried to put out the fire, but the subject wielded his bladed weapon, a bolo, to his three neighbors who sustained hacked wounds and were
brought to Zamboanga City Medical Center,” Chang said.
“The fire then scattered rapidly throughout the area and the suspect was burned along with his house. The cadaver of the suspect was recovered from the scene as a lone casualty in the incident,” she added.
Chang, citing social services records, said some 1,791 people or 409 families were left homeless by the fire. (Mindanao Examiner)
BASILAN – Security forces were hunting suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen who killed a member of the Philippine Army’s Scout Ranger regiment and wounded another in an ambush in the restive Muslim province of Basilan.
The soldiers were on a motorcycle heading back to their camp from the marketplace in Sumisip town when armed men attacked them in the village of Mebak on February 20. The identities of the casualties were not immediately known.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the ambush, but the town is a known stronghold of the pro-ISIS group Abu Sayyaf.
The attack came a day after troops clashed with Abu Sayyaf in the province of Sulu that left one gun-
man dead and two soldiers wounded in the village called Kabbon Takas in Patikul town.
This was confirmed by Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, commander of Joint Task Force Sulu, saying members of the Philippine Army’s 111th Division Reconnaissance Company, and 32nd Infantry Battalion clashed twice with the group of terrorist leader Mudzrimar Sawadjaan, alias Mundi, one of the most notorious Abu Sayyaf commander in the province.
Patrimonio identified the slain gunman as Rhudymar Habib Jihiran, alias Gulam.
“The two encounters also resulted in the wounding of two soldiers. Both are in stable condition and are
currently recuperating at Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital,” he said without releasing the names of the soldiers.
Army Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, chief of Western Mindanao Command, has ordered an intensified campaign against the remnants of the Abu Sayyaf and assured the safety of civilians against terrorist threats.
“Despite our constant call for peaceful resolution of conflicts, some remain cold-hearted, hence, we continue to intensify our operations to press on them. Rest assured that our operations are always in adherence to the International Humanitarian Law and other laws promulgated to ensure the safety of the communities,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
SOME 44 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were wasted after the Department of Health (DOH) failed to dispose the medicines and eventually expired.
This revelation was made by Sen. Francis Tolentino, the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, investigating the DOH for its continued failure to release the details of the COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts under the Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA).
Tolentino said the purpose of the hearing was not to ascribe fault to any agency or any private entity but to enable the public to know how their money was spent and how the systems in place then had been fine-tuned and better implemented.
“It also guides the Department of Health and any other agencies to do better in other similar situations,” he said.
Lawmakers said the DOH continues to refuse to waive the existing NDA on COVID vaccines for full transparency although it has submitted initial documents so that the Commission on Audit (COA) could begin its scrutiny.
Waive NDA
Senator Risa Hontiveros also has repeatedly called on the DOH to waive the NDA in the name of transparency, saying the NDAs with private manufacturers have outlived their purpose. “At this point, COVID vaccine NDAs are useless and have outlived their purpose dahil tapos na ang isyu ng price competition. It is now simply a violation of the public's right to know how our money was spent. NDAs should no longer stand in the way of accountability and transparency," she said.
She said the fact that the DOH submission of documents only covered the loan agreements with Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, and those with limited permissions from select vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
"What about the agreements with other vaccine manufacturers, like Sinovac? Bulto bultong bakuna pa naman mula sa
Sinovac ang binili ng nakaraang administrasyon para sa national vaccination program. Paano magsasagawa ng complete audit ang COA kung patuloy na magtatago ang mga kompanya sa likod ng NDA clause ng kontrata?," She asked. "If we allow this to happen now, it is precedent-setting. Baka sa susunod na pandemya mauulit na naman ito, at posibleng maabuso.”
Hontiveros also said that this non-compliance of foreign vaccine manufacturers with the country's government processes is alarming. "There is too much unnecessary secrecy surrounding this. Hindi naman dapat ituring na state secret ang presyo ng bakuna dahil pera ng bayan ang ginamit para ipambili nito. Pinipilay lang ng mga NDA na ito ang mandato ng COA na usisain kung nakasulit ba tayo sa bilyun-bilyong pisong inilabas natin noong panahon ng pandemya," Hontiveros said.
She said that after some 44 million vaccine wastage, it is high time the real cost is disclosed to the public. “Pwede bang i-undermine ng pribadong sektor ang ating konstitusyon dahil lang mayroon silang NDA sa government contracts? Of course not. Panahon na para makipagtulungan ang mga vaccine manufacturers sa audit ng COA,” she said.
"I stand by my call to completely release all information with regards to the COVID-19 vaccine procurement to the public. I have been saying this for over a year. There is no reason for this to be done behind closed doors. We deserve to know how every centavo was spent, lalo na ngayong panahon ng resesyon. Managot ang dapat managot, at huwag magtago sa likod ng NDA," she added.
Maria Rosario Vergeire previously said that they are committed to uphold accountability and transparency in the COVID-19 vaccine procurement after lawmakers told the agency to waive the existing NDA on
the medicines so that the COA could begin its scrutiny.
During past public hearings held by the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon Committee), Vergeire emphasized that the COVID-19 vaccine procurement portfolio is extensive, requiring a broad range of highly-specialized skills exclusively carried by specific government agencies.
She said they are always willing to provide the needed information on vaccine procurement, in response to issues surrounding its alleged refusal to provide the information to Congress and the COA due to the NDA.
Vergeire said the DOH has, in fact, been very proactive in requesting for the conduct of a special audit for the COVID-19 vaccine procurements, as evidenced by official DOH correspondences to COA as early as 2021.
Despite the NDAs posing a potential hurdle to full disclosure, Vergeire said the DOH and NTF will comply with all COA audit requirements, adding, the DOH explained that disclosing information covered by the confidentiality agreements without explicit consent from the manufacturers has legal as well as public health repercussions.
Such disclosure, she said, may result in manufacturers’ loss of confidence, which may, in turn, harm the country’s future prospects to be prioritized or even to secure life-saving vaccines and other products for Filipinos.
“As such, the DOH, as early as 2021, has coordinated with vaccine manufacturers to secure their consent to disclose information and enable procurement audits free from legal liability. Of the manufacturers engaged by the GOP, AstraZeneca and Pfizer have given their consent for DOH to disclose information under specific terms,” Vergeire said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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the southern Philippine city of Tacurong.
Maj. General Alex Rillera, commander of the 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central, made the call in an effort to convince the BIFF to return to the fold of law to pave the way for sustainable peace and progress in South and South Central Mindanao.
“Your Army, in collaboration with other government forces, will continue to pursue those accountable for the heinous acts in the area. Rest assured that we shall sustain military operations to finally finish the remaining terrorists in South and South
Central Mindanao” Rillera said.
Security forces led by Brig. Gen. Pedro Balisi Jr, commander of the 1st Mechanized Brigade, killed suspects Abdulkarem Lumbatan Hasim and his kin Mahmod Lumbatan during a joint military and police operation on February 18 in the village of New Isabela.
Rillera said the killing of the terrorists was a significant blow to the BIFF and a victory for the authorities in maintaining peace and order in the area.
“The poor victims of Hasim have finally received justice,” he said.
A military dossier on Hasim showed that he was the field commander of the BIFF (Kari-
alan Faction) and a notorious criminal.
Balisi also confirmed this report and said Hasim was involved in many heinous crimes, including last year’s ambush of a group of policemen serving a warrant of arrest in Maguindanao’s Ampatuan town that killed Lt. Reynaldo Orcine Samson, the police chief; and Cpl. Salipuden Talipasan Endab. Three other policemen were wounded in the attack.
He said Hasim was also behind the killing last year of Cpl. Allan Balena and the wounding of another soldier also in Ampatuan town. (Mindanao Examiner)
The GOSPEL Acclamation summarizes the essence of these readings: 1 Jn 2:5. “Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him.”
Since January, we meet for sessions in the CLC (Christian Life Community) called Bawat Isa Mahalaga where we are made to reflect on topics for the week and discussions on Saturday via zoom. Restore, Reconcile, Renewed are some of the Topics we have discussed. More than an intellectual discussion it is reflective allowing us to deepen our awareness of sin, corruption, environment and the ills of the world and a personal transformation. I am blessed to listen to the wisdom of members who have reached 60 years old and above. I have learned that the fire of idealism can also turn people off by way of calling-out what is true.
On the one hand it is not a “passive”, meek and quiet non-confrontational response to wrongdoing. Fr. Chan-Gonzaga, SJ, in his homily says our actions must engage the other. We can be caught up in our perfect notions of ourselves and the tendency to be self-righteous like the religious leaders in the time of Jesus. However, from the sharing of lived experience of people who witnessed to following Jesus in the way they lived, there was a new approach in dealing with the world through love and compassion. Jesus led us to seek out the sinner yet he forgave. Fr. IG, further says we live in a “broken yet beautiful world, in need of compassion. Love never counts, never measures, love always engages.” I looked at my life and asked myself how do I forgive the people who have hurt me deeply, perse-
cuted me, destroyed me and sued me? Logically, the teaching of Jesus is acceptable but actualizing it is difficult. I hear of a brillant economic leader in his senior year, tired of the struggle and unwilling to be branded as corrupt by a cruel world. The Gospel teaches: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?...So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
I bear in mind the service to Zamboanga City. Pouring in so much love and in the end left with all the trials I carry. Is this all worth it? I reflect on this now as we commemorate EDSA REVOLUTION reminding me love and hope for the country. I reflect on my state as we celebrate Dia de Zamboanga. I recall the song from the Chorus Line, nearing my husband’s 40th Day and our 14th Wedding Anniversary and Uncle Cesar’s birthday. Following Jesus our Model we can contemplate in his great love for us and suffering, by God’s grace can we forgive all who wronged us.
“What I did for Love,”“Love is never gone
As we travel on Love’s what we’ll remember Kiss today goodbye
And point me toward tomorrow We did what we had to do Won’t forget, can’t regret What I did for Love” (TBC)
THE JOINT Senate Committees on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship tackled Senate Bill numbers 97, 536, 583, 782, 1041, and 1441, which all seek to strengthen and promote social enterprises as a poverty reduction strategy.
Senator Edgardo Angara, who led the panel discussion, said institutionalizing government support for social enterprises could help reduce the number of Filipinos living below the poverty line.
“These bills are (in) line with the efforts to support our local industries, level up exports, create jobs and ultimately make our economy more vibrant and competitive with the rest of the world. This is the spirit of Tatak Pinoy,” Angara said.
The Poverty Reduction Through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Coalition, lobbying for the passage of the bills, said the proposed measures would ensure the immediate economic recovery of the poorest and marginalized communities from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We believe that the present bill is the embodiment and concrete investment of government to reduce poverty on a grand scale, accelerate the achievement of the SDGs and build back fairer post-
COVID-19,” PRESENT Coalition Convener and Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia President Dr. Marie Lisa Dacanay said.
Dacanay said the bills would enable the creation and strengthening of social enterprises whose primary purpose is to improve the lives of poor and vulnerable communities while promoting sustainable, climate-friendly, and socially responsible products. It will also create programs that will ensure the longterm sustainability of social enterprises and immediate recovery after a disaster.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were around 164,000 social enterprises, or more than 15% of all businesses in the country, according to a study by the Philippine Social Enterprise Network and the British Council.
Social enterprises come in the form of cooperatives, agricultural associations, microfinance institutions, and foundations, among others. In 2016 alone, they contributed P1.15 billion in value to the country. However, many social enterprises faced challenges and had to shut down during the lockdowns, cutting short the benefits they bring to the communities they serve.
“We need an economy that works for all, es-
pecially during crises and pandemics. The proposed legislation seeks to assure social enterprises of government’s support such as development grants and comprehensive insurance systems,” Oxfam Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Geronimo said.
In 2020, a study by the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia, supported by Oxfam Pilipinas, showed that 55% of social enterprises experienced major downturns, 41% experienced some setbacks, and only 4% reported any positive impact during the pandemic.
“We must recognize that despite the benefits provided by social enterprises to the communities they serve, they still face many challenges and will continue to do so without enabling government support,” Geronimo said.
The government agencies that expressed their support for the proposed act during the senate hearing are the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture, the Insurance Commission, the Department of Education, the Department of Justice, the Cooperative Development Authority, the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Philippine National Oil Company. (Mindanao Examiner)
Across
Answer to last week’s crossword: Weekly Sudoku:Answer to last week:
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a beautification the start of the efforts to into a green, smart and livable place, and adopt a development similar to Singapore green, smart and livable and a similar to Singapore.
Mayor Michael Rama also encouraged Cebuanos to support the effort to plant as many trees as the city can have to provide not only oxygen, but shade as well. “When you do tree-planting in some open spaces, do it by heart. We need every hand available in planting and nurturing the trees so that they grow and provide fresh shade for all,” he said.
Rama said the massive beautification project also includes the reforestation of the 22 upland villages here to bring back
other places in the country had lobbied to have it built somewhere.
Palma thanked the Balili and Ruiz families in the hilly land of Tacup in San Remegio for donating the 3-hectare lot where the Capelinha is now standing, overlooking the northwestern seaboard of Cebu province.
Auxiliary Bishop Ruben Labajo, who is the vice chairman of the Tres Pastorinhos de Fatima Foundation, Inc. that assisted in the construction of the sanctuary complex in San Remegio, said the book launching was meant to memorialize the consecration of the replica shrine of the Fatima. “The book would remind us of the event as our living experience. We are very much touched by the celebration, and may that celebration re-live in our memory and the message of the (Blessed Virgin of) Fatima would lead us to conversion,” Labajo said, as he thanked Fr. Moenil Lapa, the book’s editor.
the rural biodiversity in the mountain areas that was eventually destroyed amid extensive urbanization. The effort, he said, also includes establishing parks and playgrounds in the city’s 80 villages where people can have their morning exercise or resting time in the afternoon.
The mayor said Cebuanos will be asked to help the city government in the landscaping, clean up, repainting, maintenance and development of public parks and playgrounds. Apart from the massive city-wide tree
planting, the mayor also advocated the conversion of open spaces into agricultural gardens where people can grow their own food.
“We will start initiating our best efforts to transform the city into nature-driven integrated pockets of natural spots across the 80 barangays,” Rama said, who recently led a simultaneous massive tree-planting activity at the South Road Properties as part of the “Kuyog Ta! Panindot Pahapsay sa Palibot” green project. (John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU – Leading Philippine counter service bakery company Balai ni Fruitas, listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange under the ticker BALAI, is expanding the distribution of Balai Pandesal baked goods in Cebu through supermarkets and convenience stores.
This is in line with the Company’s strategic objective to make its products more accessible to Filipinos across the nation.
CEBU CITY – The Roman Catholic Church here has launched a coffee table book featuring the Capelinha de Fatima as a new center of Marian pilgrimage in the Philippines and Asia.
The “little chapel” that has a glass-encased statue of the Our Lady of Fatima inside a huge sanctuary at Tinubdan Hills of the upland village of Lambusan in San Remegio -about 100 kilometers from Cebu City - is an exact replica of the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal where the Virgin Mary made a series of apparitions to three peasant children in 1917.
Archbishop Jose Palma, who led bishops, clergy and lay volunteers in the launching of the coffee table book, said the Capelinha in Cebu is the fourth replica of the Portugal shrine ever constructed in the world, and is the first in Asia. The other replicas are in the United States, Brazil and Puerto Rico.
“To us here, having the Capelinha is in itself a blessing, providential because we have it here in Cebu. The journey is beginning to have a face (in the coffee table book),” Palma said, citing the World Apostolate of Fatima for choosing Cebu even though
The book, carved with inspiring thoughts, words, and colorful pictures, page after page, sells for P1,500 and the proceeds of this sale are for the continued construction of the Capelinha Chapel.
Debrah Andales, a lay volunteer for the project, said the Capelinha in San Remegio will promote Cebu’s northern corridor as a “faith tourism site” and is expected to be flocked by thousands of pilgrims from around the country, in Asia, and the world. The Capelinha in Cebu was opened to the public in October of 2021. The Archdiocese of Cebu, through Palma, consecrated the sanctuary on April 4, 2022 in the presence of more than 6,000 pilgrims.
Palma urged the faithful to visit the Capelinha “to pray and to commune with God through the intercession of Mama Mary of Fatima.” The original shrine of Fatima in Portugal attracts millions of Catholic pilgrims annually. Like the original shrine, the Capelinha in Cebu has at the heart of the sanctuary complex the Chapel of the Apparitions, the spot where, between May 13 and Oct. 13 in 1917, the three peasant children – Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia – witnessed a series of appearances of the Virgin Mary. (John Rey Saavedra)
Supermarkets in Cebu initially carrying Balai Pandesal baked goods include Gaisano Country Mall, Gaisano Main Colon, and Gaisano Market Square. Balai Pandesal baked goods are also available in two branches of 24 Summit Pharmacy in Cebu.
Additional Metro Gaisano supermarkets are expected to carry Balai Pandesal products soon. These include branches in Ayala Center Cebu, Super Metro Colon, Metro Colon, Super Metro Lapu, and Super Metro Mambaling.
This latest move complements the growing online presence of Balai Pandesal in Cebu. Patrons of Balai Pandesal in Cebu can purchase its baked goods through www.balaimart. com, Fruitas Holdings' group-wide e-commerce website. At the same time,
Balai Pandesal is now available in more locations in Cebu through GrabFood and FoodPanda.
Balai Pandesal is available in its anchor store located at 30 Cabarrubias St., Tisa in Cebu City. Seven other community stores within the Fruitas network in Cebu, including five Soy & Bean; one House of Fruitas, and one Fruitas House of Desserts, also sell Balai Pandesal baked goods.
“We reiterate our vision for Balai to be part of each Filipino household’s daily habit. We have further expanded the distribution of our baked goods outside our stores and we see great prospects in this initiative. We are further exploring opportunities to make Balai Pandesal more accessible to Filipinos across the nation,” said Mr. Lester Yu, BALAI President and Chief
Executive Officer.
BALAI has registered a stellar year in 2022, with nine-month revenues at P234 million, 164% ahead of the same period in 2021. Net income for the first nine months of 2022 was P23 million, which translates to a net margin of 10%. It is a 75%-owned subsidiary of Fruitas Holdings, Inc.
Since the acquisition of certain assets of Balai Pandesal in June 2021, the Company has grown the Balai Pandesal store network from 5 to more than 40. The company has 3 well-loved brands in its portfolio, which includes Balai Pandesal, Buko ni Fruitas, and Fruitas House of Desserts. Balai ni Fruitas currently has more than 90 active stores spread among the 3 brands.
