Paradigm...

from page 4 non-renewable resources from the bosom of Mother Earth. That is the meaning of extractive and consumerist. That is the meaning of the money-must-grow principle. It is “pacman-like” diabolical monster gulping-up everything it sees --the forest, mega-diversity, the ozone layer and even all life-forms on Earth.

And because we have allowed that at the expense of our spirituality and that of the Earth, nature’s fury is upon us now! That love-force of Gandhi, that pure spirituality of our Indigenous People that gives high adherence to the Laws of Nature, that ecological warning from a Canadian Environmentalist, must now change our mindset. Only then can we be saved from doom!

That kind of reflection of change not only on dates but on paradigm has indeed come of age. The urgent call of the times now is sustainability, justice and peace through social transformation for people, planet prosperity and peace. In a world under the regime of One Percent whose total wealth is far greater compared to the combined assets of the ninety-nine percent of the world’s population, there is so much veneration to the profitmotive that has already captured the mindset of all governments, all institutions, all universities and even of religious groups.

As unbridled consumerism and materialism is the order of the day, mother earth has been sacrificed to the altar of greed and profit, the reason why humanity is now facing its 6th extinction. As thousands of concerned scientists and environmentalist categorically warned, “the earth is now one minute before midnight.”

Mother Earth (GAIA) is now very sick as its lungs (the forests with all the life forms) are now gone; its veins (the rivers) have dried-up or polluted; its hair (the ozone layer) is now bald; its stomach (oceans and bays) are now very acidic (polluted) and she is now trembling (earthquakes) as manifested in the deaths of 26,000 people, mostly children during the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. With one voice, let us shout together, WE LOVE YOU GAIA! Let us feel the oneness and inter-connectedness of all of God’s creation, be flowers, forest, birds, fish and with the stars which is indeed true love..

Back...

from page 1

Grace Poe said the pronouncement of President Marcos will definitely affect the consensus on the need for charter change.

“Kung hindi susuporta ang Pangulo, mas uunahin ng kongreso ang mga nasa priority list tulad ng (If the President will not support, the Congress will deal with priority list first like the) Internet Transactions Act or CDC bill,” Poe said in another statement.

Poe suggested that new laws intended for foreign investments like amendments on the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and Foreign Investments Act should also be discussed by lawmakers in charter change public consultations.

“Kung foreign investments lang din ang usapin (If it is about foreign investments), it might not be relevant to go around the public asking if they agree to term extensions or other non-economic provisions,” she said.

Also agreeing with President Marcos, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said he will focus instead on pursuing measures pertinent to values, prices, jobs and income.

Cayetano admitted that a lot needs to be changed in the Constitution but noted that some of it are “very political.”

“Ngayon galing sa (Coming from the) pandemic, additional distraction talaga (really). Madidistract lang tayo (We will just be distracted),” the lawmaker said.

Undeterred by the President’s pronouncement, Senator Robinhood Padilla urged Filipinos to support his call for a Constitutional Assembly that aims to amend some of the Constitution’s economic provisions.

“Sana mga kababayan, itong mga economic provision na ito maisagawa natin dahil ito ginawa ng mga kapitbahay natin sa Asya at sila masigabo na (Hopefully my countrymen, we can work on these economic provisions because our progressive Asian neighbors have already done these),” Padilla said in a radio interview also on Tuesday.

Padilla clarified he harbors no ill feelings toward Marcos.

“’Pag titingnan po natin ang dati niyang interview noong siya po ay mambabatas, naniniwala siya noon na kailangan ng economic provisions sa Saligang Batas. Kailangan magbukas tayo sa foreign investment. Pero siyempre presidente siya, wala na ‘yan sa mandato niya, tama lang po ‘yan (The President, when he was a lawmaker, believed in amending economic provisions in the Constitution to bring in more foreign investments. Now that he is the President, this is not his mandate anymore so there’s nothing wrong with it),” he said.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri told reporters that he sees no problem with what Padilla is doing.

“Trabaho niya yan bilang (It is his job as the) chairman of the Constitutional Amendments. Hayaan natin siya sa trabaho niya. Pero pagdating sa plenaryo, pagdating ng Rules Committee, pagbibigyan po natin ang priorities, ang nakabinbin pang (Let him do his job. But when it comes to the plenary, in the Rules Committee, we will prioritize the pending) 19 LEDAC [Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council] priority measures,” Zubiri said.

Senator Imee Marcos said changing the Consitution might be a good idea but noted that it is not timely given the country’s current situation.

“Everybody has agreed naman kasi na ‘yung (because the) economic provisions kailangan palitan (needed to be changed). Wala namang ibang tututol. Ang problema pag binuksan mo yung Saligang Batas, talagang kakalkalin lahat. Hindi maiiwasan ‘yun. Kaya’t (No one will disagree, The problem is when you open the Constitution, everything will be scrutinized. It can’t be avoided. That’s why) given the state of our economy and health threats that face us today, ‘yung kapatid ko matagal nang sinasabi talaga na huwag muna yung constitutional issues kasi mahabang usapin yan. Baka cannot afford tayo ngayon (my brother have long been saying not to discuss constitutional issues because it will be a long discussion. We could not afford it right now),” Marcos told reporters.

In an interview after arriving from his Japan state visit, President Marcos expressed confidence that the country can achieve its goals within the present constitutional framework.

“There’s so many other things that we need to do first, that we can still do, we can achieve,” the President said. ( With a report from Leonel Abasola/PNA )

Ambush...

from page 1

Maindan’s home is), both of Maguindanao del Sur.

His security escort, Rolly Dilangalen, who is also his uncle, reportedly managed to survive as he was seated in the back part of the car.

Tago said six armed suspects with long firearms positioned themselves in a bridge and fired upon Maindan’s vehicle. The latter’s vehicle was thrown off the highway and settled in a muddy grassy area.

Tago said he was able to attend the short wake period of his municipal officer before the body was sent to Maindan’s final resting place in his hometown of Pikit, Cotabato Monday evening for a Muslim burial ceremony. He added that Maindan was a generous person and he could not believe somebody wanted him dead.

Maindan was originally assigned as election officer of Pandag, Maguindanao del Sur.

At the time of election in May 2022, he was reassigned to Mangudadatu, also in the same province, before his latest assignment in Sultan sa Barongis.

The COMELEC office in Maguindanao condemned the attack and sought a thorough investigation.

Asked if the motive could have been related to work, Tago said “it could be possible.”

Election officials in the region are prone to danger usually after elections, especially when assigned to hot spot areas.

In May last year, a female election officer of Datu Salibo town also in Maguindanao del Sur survived a broad daylight ambush. Her aide was slightly injured when gunmen, aboard a vehicle on the opposite side of the road, fired at them while traversing the national highway. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)

Seized...

from page 1

Khadija Benpolok, DENR12 information officer, said the suspects from Barangay Danlag in Tampakan town will be facing charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9147 or the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act,” which prohibits the collection, hunting or possession of wildlife species.

“The last time I checked, our enforcement unit was still preparing the necessary charges against the vloggers,” she said in a phone interview.

On February 1, the DENR-12 Enforcement Division, Conservation and Development Division (CDD), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office –South Cotabato and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office – General Santos, together with the local police, raided Barangay Danlag after receiving information from concerned residents about the vloggers’ activity.

Felix Alicer, DENR-12 executive director, earlier created a composite team to investigate the information that the vloggers allegedly hunted or trapped wild birds for content production shown on social media.

He lauded the tipsters for their information that led to the seizure of least 21 wildlife species from the residence of the vloggers and some of their neighbors.

Among those confiscated were a crested goshawk and several short-billed brown doves, which were turned over to the DENR-12 Regional Wildlife Rescue Center in Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat for proper care.

The seized wild birds have been released to their habitat in Tampakan town, Benpolok said. DENR-12 officials did not identify the vloggers but the agency said in an earlier statement that the suspects’ social media channel has at least 22,000 subscribers.

MindaNews tracked Facebook page Dj Maru tv Official, which contains videos showing trapped or caged birds apparently caught in the mountains of Tampakan, host of the largest untapped copper and gold minefield in Southeast Asia.

Dj Maru tv Official’s linked YouTube account has 22,500 subscribers. The YouTube videos, however, have been taken down.

Benpolok said authorities have not caught any of the vloggers and other residents allegedly involved in the illegal wildlife hunting and trapping in the mountains of Tampakan.

“The vloggers and their cohorts may have been tipped by their neighbors before the raiding team could have arrived,” she added.

Engr. Mama Samaon , DENR12 assistant regional director for technical services, earlier said that collection, hunting or possession of wildlife species is a criminal offense under RA 9147.

A violator faces an imprisonment of at least one month to four years and a fine of P5,000 to P300,000, depending on the classification of the wildlife species, the law stated.

Dirie Macabaning, DENR-12 enforcement division chief forester, urged the public to refrain from capturing any wildlife species.

“Let them live in their natural habitats,” he said. ( Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews )

Boost...

from page 1 full),” says Atty. Maceste Uy, president of the IBP Davao City Chapter who will be hosting the national convention.

The convention which is also the 50th founding anniversary of the IBP will have 3,500 delegates, members of the IBP who will be coming from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“Let’s say from Davao City mga 200 to 300 sasali (participating), the rest of the delegates will be from out-of-town they will be staying in Davao for two to three nights we would expect our restaurants our hotels to be patronized, this will really benefit our domestic tourism,” Uy said.

The IBP Davao City chapter president said there could have been more lawyers coming but limitations in space they could only accommodate at the most 3,500 delegates.

“Inasmuch as we like to accommodate a bigger number of registrants but there is a constraint in space initially 3,000 is the maximum number of registrants we can accept because yun lang ma-accommodate ng SMX but due to request ng mga lawyers na ma-accommodate pa sila we have to extend the number of participants from 3,000 to 3,500 and we are utilizing SM Cinema 6,” Atty Uy said.

The tickets for the national convention were immediately sold-out as this is the first faceto-face IBP national convention after the pandemic.

He said they have invited Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo along with 14 Associate Justices of the Supreme Court to the convention. Also invited were House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senator Francis Tolentino. Meanwhile, Vice-President Sara Z. Duterte has confirmed that she will attend the fellowship dinner.

This is the third time that Davao City hosted the IBP National Convention, the first was in 1999, and the second in 2013.

Atty. Uy said that one of their objectives in hosting the IBP national convention is to promote the city and the Davao Region.

He said that aside from lawyers coming, some would be bringing their families. “We have digital fliers that we post on our chat groups where if the lawyers have spare time or their family members who accompanied them, they can avail of tours within Davao Region, not just Davao City but adjoining cities and provinces,” Atty. Uy said.

The IBP National Convention in Davao City is also expected to showcase the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibits) tourism potentials of the city. After the IBP convention, the City will also be hosting MICECon 2023 this March 1-3. Another big sporting event the Alveo Ironman 70.3 will be hosted by Davao City this March 26. (PIA/RG Alama)

Conducts...

from page 1 ronmental, Land Use and Urban Planning and Development Division (ELUPDD) of the local government unit (LGU) of Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur.

It was learned that the 5-day seminar workshop was conducted in preparation for the LGU’s RiskSensitive Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Zoning Ordinance.

The activity was also focused on providing inputs pertinent to sectoral and ecosystem analysis, as well as capacitating the concerned stakeholders about Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (AR5) and Mapping activity for the preparation of the Existing Land Use Maps per Barangay and hazard areas.

Ryan Anthony A. Paran, ELUPD Division Chief HHRO VI EnP, headed the workshop activities, together with the ELUPDD Technical Team, and with the guidance of DHSUD XI Regional Director RM Miguel R. Palma Gil. (JCE)

Seizes...

from page 2 million.

Meanwhile, another inspection of three Asterzenmed Inc. containers resulted in the confiscation of PHP24 million worth of red onions and assorted meat products, while PHP21.5 million worth of smuggled assorted meat products were also confiscated after an inspection of three other container vans.

The latest operation reported on Jan. 27 led to the discovery of two container vans loaded with potatoes and fresh yellow onions with an estimated value of PHP23.6 million.

The DA said the confiscated agricultural products originated from Hong Kong, China and have no Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance.

The operations that lead to the confiscation of multi-million smuggled agri-fishery products were done through the combined efforts of the DA Inspectorate and Enforcement, together with partner agencies including the Philippine ERRATUM

The notice of Publication of SPS Sinon Dalama and TIBON PANDITADALAMA, should be read as Sinon Dalama, not as Sinon Dalam.

Our apology

Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The DA said the campaign against agricultural smuggling is consistent with the directive given by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to “safeguard the welfare of Filipino farmers and fishers and make locally grown agricultural produce more competitive.”

Anti-smuggling law

In an earlier interview, DA Assistant Secretary James Layug said the anti-agricultural smuggling law should be revisited to protect farmers, fishers, and consumers.

“Akin pong sinusuportahan ang amyenda sa anti-agricultural smuggling law upang ma-include ang price manipulation, which ang composition po niyan ay hoarding, profiteering, and cartel (I support the amendment of the anti-agricultural smuggling so we could include price manipulation, which covers hoarding, profiteering, and cartel),” he said.

Layug said this form of economic sabotage should be addressed by fortifying regulations, digitization in the DA, pushing for the establishment of cold examination facilities for agriculture, as well as continuous collaboration with the local authorities.

“Mapapadali ang commodity monitoring at document tracking para maging mas mapabilis ang pagtawid ng produkto at maprotektahan natin ang borders laban sa smuggling (Commodity monitoring and document tracking could be made easier so we could deliver the products faster and protect our borders against smuggling),” he said.

Meanwhile, the DA said it has confiscated about PHP1.5 billion worth of smuggled agricultural products since October last year.

The amount includes more than 8 million kg. of smuggled agricultural products.

To date, the DA has filed 25 cases for violation of the AntiAgricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. (with reports from Stephanie Sevillano, PNA)

Cries...

from page 2 their case if Flex Fuel pays them back their supposed investments. “Ibalik niya ang pera namin. Kahit principal, ‘yung buong pera lang namin na dineposit sa account niya. Kahit wala na ‘yung kinita, wala na ‘yung interes. Hindi na kami magsasampa ng kaso,” Sta. Isabel stressed.

The management of Flex Fuel has already denied the scam allegations from the complainants but explained the company was hit and affected by the Covid-19 pandemic which they have no control over.

ERRATUM

The notice of Publication of Conrado Geroche Jovero Sr. and Erlinda Nequinto Jovero, the name Erlinda Nerquinto Jover should be read as Erlinda Nequinto Jovero, not as Jover.

Our apology

ERRATUM

The notice of Publication of Venerando Salaga Salazar, the name should be read as Venerando, not as Venerado.

Our apology