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Guv: Comvaleños have recovered from Pablo
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By Arianne Caryl N. Casas

Sunday, December 1, 2013

A YEAR after Typhoon Pablo battered Compostela Valley and left thousands of people dead and injured, Governor Arturo Uy said Comvaleños have started to recover and are now "emotionally less traumatic."

"Hindi nagkulang ang gobyerno," Uy told Sun.Star Davao in an interview at his office last week. "They (Comvaleños) are being provided by the government food and non-food items from the very first day until so many months."

Compostela Valley was one of the eight provinces that President Benigno Aquino III declared under State of National Calamity through Proclamation 522 on December 7, 2012 after Typhoon Pablo hit these areas on December 4, 2012.

In New Bataan, Pablo destroyed a total of 2,200 houses, damaged some 5,000 more houses, and affected some 12,000 families.

Uy said the province has eventually recovered from the wrath of Typhoon Pablo in terms of agriculture, shelters, and infrastructure, among others.

"Sa agriculture, ang hindi lang naka recover yung high valued-crops, yung coco trees, fruit trees dahil it would take you about five to six years. Yung mga fast crop lang like banana, camote, naka recover na by 80 percent. Palay fields naka recover na rin," he said.

In terms of providing shelters to families whose houses were destroyed, Uy said the province, together with its partners in National Housing Authority and Department of Social Welfare and Development, is aiming to build at least 5,000 houses out of 26,000 houses that need to be constructed for the destroyed houses.

"Nag umpisa na ang downloading ng mga pera so for this year for the 5,000 houses. So pag makatapos tayo ng 5,000, the rest will be next year na," he said.

Uy said damaged roads were already rehabilitated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

"But ang mga big projects like tulay nandiyan na ang budget for phase 1 pero that will be implemented next year na by DPWH," he said.

"Syempre after that experience sa Pablo at lalo na experience natin sa Yolanda, my focus next year is to strengthen the disaster preparedness program," Uy said.

He added: "Kailangan tutukan itong programang ito kasi we will expect an every year we will be threatened by typhoon. Hindi natin alam kung dadapo sa Comval, sa ibang lugar. Definitely, hindi tayo pwedeng magkumpyansa."

First thing that the province is zeroing in for disaster preparedness is to make an inventory of all barangays on evacuation centers, Uy said.

"Ang idea ko kasi pag evacuation center, it should be on the second floor. Hindi pwedeng first floor lang kasi ang baha lampas pa ng ilang feet. It should be a two-storey-building. Isa na sa mga kinoconsider natin," he said.

Uy said there is no problem with the weather forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), stressing it has always been “very accurate.”

Guided by the warnings of Pagasa, he said the province hopes to record "less casualties, if not zero casualty" during calamities.

He said trainings are also needed to enhance the skills of the rescuers in each barangay.

Uy said the province will be needing at least P2 million for the rescuers capability building and training.

He said they will also provide more rescue equipment like rubber boats and backhoes, among others to each municipal disaster and risk reduction office.

Aside from rescue equipment, he said the Compostela Valley province is set to procure a satellite communication system considering the risk of the communication facilities being broke down when typhoon batters an area.

"Para kahit mag down yung Globe, Smart and Sun, makacommunicate pa rin tayo sa mga munisipyo," Uy said.

On December 4 (Wednesday), the province will commemorate the first year anniversary of Typhoon Pablo.

The activities include Rosary Walk of the Pilgrims, Watershed Tree Planting, and Blessing/Inauguration of the ‘Tower of Light’ in Ground Zero, Andap village in New Bataan.

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Pnoy: P10 M bounty for Napoles
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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

President Benigno Aquino III announced Wednesday that the government will give P10-million reward to anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest of fugitive Janet Lim-Napoles.

"I-a-announce namin sana a little later, ano, pero dahil natanong mo na announce ko na sa inyo – P10 million ang reward for information leading to the arrest of Ms. Napoles. Para klaro ha, 10 million pesos," Aquino said in an interview at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Pasay City where he attended the 8th East Asia Conference on Competition Law and Policy.

Napoles was allegedly the mastermind on the pork barrel fund scam worth billions of pesos during the past 10 years. She allegedly formed bogus non-government organizations which became the beneficiaries of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel by some lawmakers who also reportedly benefited from the anomaly.

The President said that during his meeting with some Cabinet officials on Tuesday they did not discuss any bounty for Napoles' brother, Reymund Luy, who is also a fugitive. Napoles and Luy were being hunted down for serious physical detention of Benhur Luy, the main whistle-blower in the fund mess.

Aside from the wanted siblings, Aquino said they also discussed the other high profile fugitives such as retired military general Jovito Palparan and former Palawan Gov. joel Reyes and his brother, former Coron Mayor Mario Reyes.

De Lima admitted last week that going after the siblings is a difficult task, considering Napoles' alleged resources and deep connections in government.

She said even the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is not totally convinced that setting up a reward will help in the manhunt operations.

"Karamihan sa kanila (NBI) sinasabi nila na hindi na daw kailangan. Kasi kung P1 million o P2 million, peanuts lang yan if we think of the resources of the subject," de Lima told reporters.

She cited the case of the top five fugitives, which include suspected human rights violator Jovito Palparan and brothers Joel and Mario Reyes, who have yet to be arrested despite the P2-million reward for information that will lead to their capture. (SDR/Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)

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Janet Napoles’s complaints on media coverage of scam
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By Atty. Pachico A. Seares

Media's Public

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

JANET LIM-NAPOLES, alleged mastermind of the fraud using bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) to siphon at least P10 billion public funds, is in hiding.

Napoles--now a household name that meets name-recognition standard in running for the Senate--apparently believes she’s not getting justice from the government.

Her lawyer complains that the arrest warrant (for illegal detention of her employee and whistleblower Benhur Luy, not for the massive scam) was issued too fast. But apparently not quick enough to catch Janet.

Did she flee, aside from the warrant that would detain her without bail, also from adverse media coverage? Flight doesn’t only signify guilt; it also leaves defense in media to her lawyers who will be voluble but will give scant information.

Janet herself had a mouthful to say against the way her case was publicized, specifically print media, more specifically, the “Inquirer.”

The gripes

At a roundtable with the paper’s editors and writers last Aug. 8, her gripes included:
News reports based on “erroneous” or “false” information with journalists getting away with it by using the word “alleged”;

Not being contacted by the paper to get her side.

On using “alleged,” whose effect must be misunderstood by Napoles and a number of reporters in many newsrooms: it is not a defense, the Supreme Court says, against libel or slander. Calling a public official corrupt when there’s no evidence of that is not excused by attaching “alleged” to the word.

Yet that seems to be the public impression. A lawyer one time said a news story in Sun.Star was libelous because it didn’t use the “A” word. That may be the reason some journalists use it liberally even though it’s a mythic safeguard.

Can’t be reached

Getting the side of the person accused of wrongdoing is basic in news reporting.

Stories that tell of a crime or abuse and name the suspect usually include the line that the person concerned was contacted by the reporter but didn’t comment or couldn’t be reached.

Napoles asked a reporter at the roundtable: “Di ba susulat ka, tanungin yong side namin. Para naman...”

She said that no reporter from the “Inquirer” contacted her. One called her only after Napoles wrote the editor-in-chief.

The reporter and his colleagues who helped cover the story disputed her, saying they texted her but she didn’t answer. Napoles stuck to her claim, saying they could check with the telecom firm.

Post-story denials must instruct reporters to record details of effort to reach the suspect and to give as much data about it in the story as space allows, not just the formulaic “cannot-be-reached” comment.

The other side

The reporter must diligently get the side of the suspect for the day’s story. But if he fails, he must still pursue it for the next news cycle although many reporters take the silence as waiver of right to reply.

But must the side of the suspect be contacted for each story the paper runs, which was what Napoles wanted?

The story has spilled over to other areas or beats on side issues that may no longer be within her knowledge or concern. A follow-up story on, say, how mayors handled benefits from pork barrel money didn’t require it but she wanted her comment sought too.

On her initiative, she could’ve mailed or phoned in statements before or after publication. Her company or personal publicist could do that. Her statement to the paper, if relevant to a raging issue, has high chances of getting space.

The paper decides when and how the right of reply is granted. Fairness is for media to dispense and for the public to judge. It is not for one news source to dictate.

Judging fairness

What Napoles’s beef was about fairness and right of reply. It was not shown that the reporters didn’t seek her out for her part of the story. Her claim on that, like other claims in other facets of the issue, cannot be taken immediately as true.

As to right of reply, the paper granted it not only in news stories but also in full-length transcript of her meeting with the paper’s journalists.

After accusations about fairness settle down, ultimately it’s the readers who’ll judge. The readers decide if the paper deserves continued trust.

It’s Napoles who’s losing credibility. After loquaciously promising she is open to full scrutiny and has nothing to hide, she vanished. But it wasn’t caused by a bolt of lightning, which she said God could strike her with if she lied.

The threat of being locked up in jail must have made her flee.

([email protected])

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on August 20, 2013.
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Strict traffic rules during Kadayawan
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By Ivy C. Tejano

Saturday, August 10, 2013

THE Traffic Management Center (TMC) will strictly implement traffic guidelines as the influx of visitors and spectators are expected to flock major activities of the Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival.

Among the major activities of the festival are the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan slated on August 17 and Pamulak sa Kadayawan to be held on August 18.

Retired Superintendent Dionisio C. Abude, TMC chief, said a total of 429 traffic enforcers will be deployed during the 10-day festival.

Abude said their office has only 374 traffic personnel, but they are to be augmented by 55 barangay police from various villagers of the city.

He said these personnel are already assigned to various streets to control traffic congestion during the festivities.

"The re-routing and road closure are just similar last year. We will just put traffic guidelines on the streets before the major activities of the festival para ma-guide tama ang public," Abude said.

Abude said the traffic advisory will be placed in Ulas, Buhangin, Lanang and on Quimpo Ave. so the public and private transport will be guided as to where the closed roads or streets are.

The affected areas during the Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan will be Quirino Avenue, Magallanes Street and Quezon Boulevard while affected routes during Pamulak sa Kadayawan would be Quirino Avenue, Magallanes Street, Quezon Boulevard, Palma Gil St. and Camus St.

Abude said street vendors in these areas will not be allowed from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m., adding that railings will also be placed along sidewalks so that spectators will not occupy the streets.

Abude said there will be assigned areas for the members of the media, added the media can occupy the area immediate to the stage while hobbyists can stay across the stage.

"We're all set for the Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival," Abude said.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on August 11, 2013.

2 BIFF men killed in clash with Army
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By Malu Cadeliña Manar

Saturday, August 10, 2013

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Two members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed when government troops engaged them in a running gun battle in Barangay Pagangen in Aleosan, North Cotabato around 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

The slain BIFF rebels were identified only in their aliases as Sanday and Dimasangkay, according to reports from the village officials. Their relatives immediately claimed their bodies, reports added.

Two soldiers belonging to the 40th Infantry Battalion of the Army identified as Sergeants Greg Sarte and Alexis Amando were wounded during the encounter, according to reports from the Army.

Reports from the 602nd Brigade said the soldiers, led by First Lieutenant Dexter Magbitang, were on their way to conduct patrol operations at the boundary of Pagangan in Aleosan and Barangay Nalapaan in nearby Pikit town when they encountered the BIFF rebels.

Reports from the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (MinHRAC) said that the renewed skirmishes between government troops and the BIFF led to the evacuation of residents from Sitio Habitat in Barangay Pagangen and nearby barangays in Pikit.

Reports that reached MinHRAC said government forces swooped down barangays of Bualan and Tapodoc in Pikit in pursuits of BIFF rebels who allegedly were sighted in the area.

The soldiers, according to MinHRAC, passed through Sitio Tubak in Pagangen at 7 a.m. Saturday.

Villagers immediately fled from their homes when they saw the soldiers enter sitio Tubak.

Villagers had already anticipated that fighting would soon erupt, which actually happened two hours later, according to reports from MinHRAC.

Residents from Barangay Bualan were advised to leave their homes.

Mayor: Festival to push through
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Saturday, August 10, 2013

DAVAO CITY -- Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte announced Friday that all activities related to the celebration of 28th Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival will push through as scheduled.

He said additional security forces are to be deployed in the city to implement security measures to ensure no untoward incident will happen during the celebration.

Duterte made the announcement after his meeting with the intelligence community in Davao Region at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on Friday evening.

Earlier, the city mayor said he will announce if Kadayawan will push through on August 13.

"We go ahead and celebrate Kadayawan. I just had a brief dialogue with the intelligence community, and they agreed on the announcement to go on with the celebration with the assurance of additional security forces in the city," Duterte said.

He said authorities have assured him of some 600 more security forces to be deployed in the city during the festival.

The mayor said two-thirds of these forces will be for covert operations and have been given orders to enforce law thoroughly.

"From their (intelligence) end, medyo wala naman significant issue about serious threats to the community of Davao City. And I was trying to think very deliberate and I said we go ahead and celebrate the Kadayawan," Duterte said.

Duterte earlier thought of canceling some of the activities of the Kadayawan, following a series of explosions in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, and Midsayap.

With the assurance from the intelligence community and the entire security forces of the city, Duterte said he is now confident to invite people to enjoy the Kadayawan.

"As of the activities like Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan, I said we will plan it carefully and put in place the security measures. This matters to the police and military task so, sa kanila talaga ako umaasa," Duterte said.

Authorities already placed Davao City on Thursday on a full alert from heightened alert status.

About 3,000 police and military, including the additional security forces and volunteers, will be deployed in various areas in Davao City.

Senior Superintendent Ronald M. dela Rosa, director of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), said he is also open to the shoot-to-kill policy, if suspected terrorists monitored in his area of responsibility will resist arrest.

He issued such statement following a report that an international organization representing the heads of police departments across the world issued new guidelines to officers, recommending them to shoot a "su***de bomber" in the head once encountered.

According to the report, the recommendation made by the International Association of Chiefs of Police took a more aggressive posture than typical lethal-force guidelines for police departments.

"Security measures are already in place to ensure the peace and order here in the city and if there's (an attempt to sow terror), kana bigyan jud na sa ulo kung terorista jud na ha. Dili ta maghulat nga nay mga matay bago pa ta mulihok. Alert jud kanunay," dela Rosa said.

Netizens react to Duterte’s announcement

Dabawenyo netizens on social networking site Facebook have mixed reactions to the announcement of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to push through with the major events of the Kadayawan Festival.

Netizen Catherine Sulit said: "For me, push through dapat kasi history ng Davao yan. Kadayawan is our tradition. It's not that I don't trust the police and stuff but siguro pag alam ng mga bombers na full red alert dili na siguro sila mag samok-samok."

Tere Medel also agreed to push through with the Kadayawan festivities saying "Mas okay na gi-push through ang kadayawan kay dapat hindi tayo magpa dikta sa mga samok nga nag sigeg pabuto? Diba? As long as okay ang security, we can continue man sa atong normal na life. If we start changing things like ang dates sa atong Kadayawan, para narin natin sinabi na mga terrorista na ang mag mando ng mundo."

Ash Lagon said: "In terms of security, peace and order, visible na ang mga police og round the clock and pagikot ikot nila since last month. So diha na aspect, well prepared ang city. Despite sa hulga sa pagpamomba, ang spirit sa mga Dabawenyo, mga tribong lumad og uban pa, andam na sa pagselebrar."

Anna Mempin said: "I work in the field of events production so I do think the show must go on. It's just that the local government needs to take extra safety measures during the celebration and the people should understand that."

Janno Julaton also thinks Kadayawan should push through if the security efforts would be heightened saying: "Lisod ipush through sukad na kron na 3 bombings na ang nahitabo sa cotabato after ng ramadan..but if ever ipush through dpat triple secure ta sa tanan. Lisod kaayu oi! dili ta kabalo, normal people nisulod diri sa Davao pero diri na lagi sila pwede muhimo ug bomba."

The Kadayawan is the city's annual main festival and is projected to attract more than 20,000 local and foreign tourists for activities such as the floral parade, Indak-indak sa Kadalanan or street ethnic dance and other cultural shows. (Ivy C. Tejano/Malu Cadelina Manar/Ruji Peter S. Abat)

Another blast rocks North Cotabato
-A A +A

By Malu Cadeliña Manar

Saturday, August 10, 2013

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Authorities said the blast last Friday night in Kabacan town in North Cotabato was a "spillover" of the series of bombing incidents that occurred in the municipalities of Maguindanao province and in Cotabato City.

Citing data, North Cotabato Police Director Danny Peralta said Kabacan town has become a "meeting place" of warring clans and groups that come from conflict areas in nearby towns.

Initial investigations showed the gr***de was fired from Barangay Kayaga, a farming village adjacent, to Poblacion in Kabacan.

Kabacan, a booming town in North Cotabato, is considered one of the commercial districts in Central Mindanao.

At 7:20 p.m. on Friday, a shoulder-fired gr***de went off in front of the house of Eddie Antolin, member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) along Rizal Avenue in Poblacion, Kabacan.

Antolin was hurt during the blast, along with his nine-year-old-son Drazer Ezekiel, and parents-in-law Lucena and Benjamin Ferrer.

The family was having dinner when the gr***de went off.

Peralta said they have yet to ascertain if the latest blast in Kabacan town has something to do with the group that masterminded the deadly bombing in Cotabato Citythat killed eight people and injured more than 40 others.

Two days before the Kabacan blast, a powerful 60-mm mortar went off in front of M. Lhuiller in nearby Midsayap town, also in North Cotabato, that damaged the building located along Santo Nino Street in Poblacion.

Authorities hinted extortion as the closest motive behind the Midsayap bombing.

Meanwhile, bomb experts defused a powerful roadside bomb recovered along the national highway in North Upi town in Maguindanao on Saturday.

The explosion took place, three hours after an improvised explosive device (IED) fashioned from a 60mm mortar planted along Sitio Payong-Payong in Barangay Kibleg, North Upi town, went off.

North Upi Mayor Ramon Piang Sr. said authorities had ordered again the closure of the national highway as clearing operations are still underway.

Piang said minutes after the roadside blast took place at 7:10 a.m. Saturday, members of the Philippine Marines and the North Upi Police blocked the road to ensure safety of the commuters.

But while elements of the Explosives and Ordnance Disposal Team of the Army were scouring the area for possible bombs, they found another IED, also fashioned from a 60mm mortar, planted just few meters away from the blast site.

The IED was placed in separate packages in different areas, Piang said. Authorities again ordered a road closure as EOD experts prepare to defuse the bomb.

Soldiers securing the Cotabato-Maguindanao highway conducted pursuit operations against an armed lawless group that allegedly orchestrated an attack at Sitio Habitat, Barangay Pagangan in Aleosan around 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Captain Antonio Bulao, chief of the civil military operations of the 602nd Brigade, said the attack resulted in the wounding of a member of the 40th Infantry Battalion assigned at Barangay Pagangan.

Bulao said they strengthened the highway security after they received reports these armed men were out to sow terror against the commuting public and vehicles plying the route.

The bombings in North Upi town came hours after a 40mm shoulder-fired gr***de exploded in front of a house of a Cafgu member in Kabacan, North Cotabato. The explosion wounded the Cafgu identified as Eddie Antolin, 49, his nine-year-old son Ezekiel, and parents-in-law Lucena and Benjamin Ferrer.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on August 11, 2013.