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Friday, December 29, 2017

Letters From Davao by Jun Ledesma

'It was a good year'
We have seen the litany of achievements of Duterte administration. It dwarfed the entire six years of the Aquino regime. It could have done better except that it has to first fix a lot of damages wrought by an inept regime that has likewise institutionalized corruption and abetted crime the most horrific of it all - the drug syndicates. 
Space or brevity must have limited some significant achievements of the  Department of Finance and am referring to the upgrades of credit ratings of the Philippines from investment grade to investment grade and stable. While early on Standard & Poor's claimed that President Duterte's war on drugs and alleged extra-judicial killings are factors that account for the static rating by December 2017 it grudgingly acceded that something good is happening in the Philippines under Duterte's watch. 
Finance Sec. Sonny Dominguez and his team deserves the credit. Fitch and Moody's in their "investment grade and stable" rating in December enunciated that the issues surrounding drugs and EJK have nothing to do with the rosy economy of the country and its image as capital investment destination. The country's economic performance for one is top in Asia and there is no turning back with the expected massive spending on infrastructures and government services starting 2018 and beyond. 
The Duterte government achievements scoreboard makes the moribund opposition drooling. Still on Finance, expect the billionaires who are also the country’s tax dodgers to cough up. TRAIN or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion gives a huge relief to 99 percent of those small taxpayers saving the ar least P50,000.00 in tax cut!  But demands and exacts the reasonable taxes from the rich especially the filthy rich. Last year sampling of Lucio Tan (P6-billion), Mighty Cigarettes (P40-billion) and the Prieto and Rufinos' one-mile asset that they are accountable to the government in still unquantifiable amount as yet? There is a subliminal message to be absorbed why candidate Rodrigo R. Duterte refused to accept donations from the rich and famous: just pay your taxes correctly and you're okay. 
The Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs are churning more collections under a continuing reforms. 
President Duterte himself did dramatic and radical transformations in the area of Foreign Affairs and security. He was chided and lectured on by self proclaimed experts in diplomacy and security alliances especially with the generous expletives he is famous for. But as he admitted to the point of being apologetic, he told media men in this year's Christmas party, "but that is me". 
Duterte's foray into foreign affairs and diplomacy might be severely lacking in refinements but he put across his message clearly and direct and one cannot quarrel with what he achieved in such a brief moment. He virtually altered the outlook of the western countries on small sovereign nations. He overhauled alliances by an unwritten rule of mutual respect and cognizance of sovereignty. While Aquino made enemies with China which is the world's second largest economy resulting in unquantifiable losses of opportunities Duterte reversed that with the resumption of trade, financial assistance with cheap money interest, massive infrastructure projects that will come into fruition by 2018. World leaders to include Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia, PM Shinzo Abe of Japan and, to the dismay of the so-called Yellowtards, US Pres. Donald Trump who became his virtual phone pal. 
The Department of Agriculture under Sec. Manny Pinol, did exemplary well. Productivity is better than expected and could have performed better if not for the natural calamities that the country has to contend with. Maybe the Bureau of Fisheries under it may try something out of the box. Propose to China to convert that disputed island into a one big marine laboratory. China provides the infrastructures while the Philippines the technical aquatic expertise. Make a 10-mile no-fishing marine haven around the island and guarded by the joint coastguard forces of China, Philippines and Vietnam.
The Philippine Coconut Authority under Cabinet Sec. Jun Evasco is about to embark on a massive replanting program.  The Aquino government allocated billions of pesos to fight 'cocolisap' infestation but applied the wrong solution. Well, what do we expect from a certain Kiko Pangilinan? The replanting program was a big failure on account of  massive graft in high and low places. Replanting as well as new areas had been programmed by PCA. 
Finally we have to give accolade to our Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for combating internal threats, terrorism and syndicated crime. The AFP and PNP are more prepared and better equipped now than any other time in history. Furthermore we see a disciplined forces in the AFP and while there are a few remaining scalawags in the PNP the cleansing process is done without let-up. We from Mindanao are comfortable and secured with their presence even under the aegis of martial law. If you do not believe me look at the various surveys on the popularity and trust of Filipinos on President Duterte and his government. 
This will end my perspectives for year 2017 and we look forward to 2018 the Build, Build, Build era. The beginning of the new Philippines. Mindanao and Davao City, from where I live and write, may have suffered from natural calamities but we had seen, suffered and endured worse scenarios and even man made tragedies than that. We do our thing to rebound quietly and come out stronger each time. We mourn the deaths but after the the last note of the dirge fades we will sing again just like the birds after the worst of storms. Happy New Year! (Jun Ledesma)

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Rebels seize police officer inside Cotabato bar

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Suspected communist insurgents seized a police officer who was inside a KTV bar in North Cotabato’s President Roxas town in southern Philippines.
New People’s Army rebels stormed the HMB KTV Bar and Lodging House in the village of Tuael where Inspector Menardo Cui, Sr., was reportedly having a good time with friends. Cui is the town’s deputy police chief.
Cui was taken out of the bar by rebels while other customers looked horrified on the sight of heavily-armed insurgents, who are fighting the government for a separate state.
The military’s Western Mindanao Command did not release any information on the capture of Cui, but police had confirmed the incident and said that a search has been launched to recover the official.
The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, did not release a statement, but it had previously warned of an intensified offensive against the Duterte government following the collapse of the peace talks.
President Rodrigo Duterte, who had supported the NPA when he was mayor of Davao City, branded the rebels as terrorists. (Rhoderick BeƱez)
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Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Liham Mula Davao ni Jun Ledesma

 'Ibon ma'y umaawit matapos ang bagyo' 
ANG TREHEDYA na nangyari sa Lungsod ng Dabaw noon bisperas ng pasko ay pambihira. Maaga pa lang ay itinaas na ang alarma para sa bagyong Vinta kung saan kasama ang lungsod sa mga daraanan nito. Si Mayor Inday Sara Duterte ay maagap na nagpalabas ng mga paalala sa mga naninirahan sa mga  baybayin, tabi ng mga ilog at mga lugar na tinamaan na noon ng mga pagbaha at binalaan na maging mapagmatiyag at lumikas. 
Nang tumama ang Vinta sa kalupaan at nananalasa sa Davao, Surigao, Agusan, Compostela Valley province, ang hangin sa Lungsod ng Dabaw ay kalmado at maagang sumikat ang araw. Pinag isipan ko sanang ipagpaliban ang tradisiyonal na Chriistmas Party na isinasagawa para sa mga empleyado ng Mindanao Journal kasama ang ilang mga malalapit na kaibigan sa media ngunit dahil nakagugulat na maganda naman ang panahon, ay napagpasyahan naming na ituloy ito. Kasabay nito ang aking biyenan at aking anak na si Kristine at tatlong apo ay nag datingan din para sa aming Christmas reunion. 
Ang dalawa kong anak na lalakeng sila, Dante at Ferdinand na naninirahan sa Gem Village sa Ma-a, ay kasama namin sa kasiyahan. Bandang 7:00 ng gabi isang kapitbahay ang nag text sa kanila na ang tubig baha ay papasok na sa subdibisiyon. Ang kaibigan ni Dante ay tumawag din at nag aalok ng kaniyang sasakyan  para mailipat ang mga importanteng gamit sa mas ligtas na lugar. Agad silang umalis sa party at pumunta sa Ma-a. nang sila ay makarating doon hanggang tuhod na ang tubig baha. Ikinarga nila ang lahat ng kaya nila sa van at agad ding umalis. 
Ang aking tahanan ay nasa mas mataas na lugar. Mula sa aming kinalalagyan, dinig ang mayat mayang sirena at pagdaan ng mga rescue trucks at ambulansiya ng 911. Tumawag ako sa 911 upang itanong kung anong nangyayari. Maagap ang kanilang tugon. “ sir pinasok na ng rumaragasang baha ang Jade Valley at nagpapatuloy ang rescue operations. Inililikas na rin ang mga nasa Gem Village at nagiikot ang mga opisyal ng barangay upang payuhan ang mga residente na agad ng magsilikas. 
Nagulat ako. Ang aking mga anak ay nandoon. Kinuha ko ang aking cellphone  at tinawagan sila. “ Dito na kami sa harap ng bahay niyo pa”, Tugon ni Ferdinand. Walk na silang Magada pa kaya nag-pasya na bumalik kaagad.  
Nagpatuloy kami sa aming Christmas dinner at exchanged gifts na maykahalong kaba. Kay'at nagpasiyang maagang magsi uwian. Habang inihahatid ko ang aking mga kaibigan sa labas nagsimula ng umambon. Maya maya pa, Si Allan Abais ng DXAB ay nag text na si Sec. Bong Go ay nasa lugar na ng kalamidad sa Jade Valley at tumutulong sa mga na istranded sa baha na mga residente.  Noon pa man si Secretary Bong ay isang magaling na jet skier at lagging kasama sa mga rescue operations. 
Ang mga anak ko ay bumalik na uli ng Gem Village sa Ma-a pag sikat ng araw ngunit bumalik din kaagad . ang buong village ay lubog na sa baha at ang mga tao ay hindi na pinayagang makapasok pa maliban sa mga rescue teams. Sikat na ang araw. Mayamaya pa tumawag ang Club Samal, isang resort sa tabing dagat sa Island Garden City of Samal upang ipaalam sa akin na  kalmado daw ang dagat at pinayagan na ng coast guard na makatawid ang mga ferry sa pagitan ng Davao at Samal. Nawalan na kami nmg pag asa sa bahay ng aking mga anak sa Gem Village, kaya bumiyahe na kami sa Club Samal isang bagong gawang resort at hotel na pagmamay ari ng aking kaibigan at Chairman ng Davao City Water District, Ed Bangayan. 
Habang kami ay nagbibiyahe patungo sa  pier upang  tumawid sa Samal Island  ang mga balita tungkol sa baha ay nangunguna pa ring  balita sa radyo. Ngunit kinalaunan isang ulat ang pumasok hinggil sa nasusunog na NCCC Mall. Sa alam kong laki at lawak ng gusali hindi ko lubos maisip kung bakit ang mga tao sa ika apat na palapag ay na trap at hindi makalabas. Sa katunayan ang mga balita sa radio ay nakatuon ng matagal sa mga binahang village kung saan nagpapatuloy ang rescue operations mula pa ng gabi ng ika 23 ng Disyembre. Kayat nakagugulat na marinig na hindi lang iilan ang nasawi. 
Si Pangulong Duterte na noon ay nasa Biliran at sa iba pang panig ng Mindanao ay agad na umuwi upang makita ang lawak ng pinsalang dala ng baha at sunog.
Talagang hindi kapanipaniwala ngunit kaharap  ko ang  masakit na reyalidad at katotohanan. Sino nga ba ang makapaniniwalang ang dalawang kalamidad na ito ay mangyayari. Maganda ang lagay ng panahon sa Lungsod ng Dabaw. Ang init ng araw ay matindi. At paanong ang isang gusali gaya ng NCCC mall ay magiging nag lalagablab na patibong? 
Napaka pambihira. Pasko sana at maaring mag diwang dahil nailigtas ang lungsod mula sa bagyo at malakas na ulan na nanalasa sa ibang probinsiya at lungsod na dinaanan nito kung saan kasama sana ang Lungsod ng Dabaw. Lingid sa kaalaman  ng MBA Gaga Davao City ang malakas na ulan na bumuhos sa mga kabundukan kabilang na ang nasa karatig na probinsiya ay bumaba at dumaloy sa Tamugan at Davao River na nag dala ng rumaragasang tubig baha sa mga ilog. 
At paano naman ang sunog sa NCCC mall? Wala akong sagot diyan. Ang masasabi ko lang sa ngayon ay isang seryoso at masusing imbestigasiyon ang dapat maisagawa. 
Isang napaka lungkot na bahagi at pangyayari ito upang isulat lalo na at panahon ng kapaskohan. Nais kong ibahagi ang isang makahulugang talatang  ito mula kay Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy ngunit sa abot ng aking maalala: "ang Dios ay hindi magbibigay sa atin ng krus o pasanin na mas mabigat pa kaysa sa makakaya natin. Gusto niyang maging masaya tayo, hindi malungkot. Umaawit at humuhini ang ibon pagkatapos ng bagyo, bakit hindi natin ito magawa? " Ako ay nalulungot at nakiki simptaya sa mga nabiktima ng baha at sunog. Ang aking mga anak ay nawalan ng kanilang mga computer at iba pang mahahalagang gamit sa baha. Ngunit ito ay mga material na mga bagay na maaring mapalitan agad o sa kalaunan. Subalit sa mga nasawi sa nag aalab na sunog at baha walang salita o kataga ang maaring makapawi sa kanilang kalungkutan sa ngayon.
Umaasa akong ang awa at pagmamahal ng Diyos ngayon Pasko ay madama ng mga nawalan ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. (Jun Ledesma)
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ARMM assists Typhoon 'Vinta' victims

COTABATO CITY - Thousands of families affected by floods and landslides in Lanao del Sur province are receiving assistance from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government after the onslaught of cyclone "Vinta" (Tembin).

A total of 1,442 families in the municipalities of Balindong and Tugaya, among the hardest hit in Lanao del Sur, received relief goods from the ARMM’s Humanitarian and Emergency Action Response Team on Wednesday. ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman led the distribution of the relief goods in Balindong, which consists of rice, corned beef, canned sardines, and 3-in-1 instant coffee.

There were 24,202 families affected by the floods and landslides, reports culled from local government units showed. The storm claimed 29 lives, while 16 persons are still missing and 33 were injured in Lanao del Sur alone. The provincial government laced the province under a State of Calamity on December 21 after torrential rains inundated 19 of its 39 towns. Heavy rains triggered landslides in many parts of the province. Vinta also caused significant damage to properties, specifically houses, crops and livestock, as well as to various infrastructures.

Earlier this week, some 893 affected families in the towns of Bacolod Kalawi and 605 affected families in Madalum also received relief goods from the ARMM. The regional government also extended cash assistance to the families of those who lost their lives.

In the province of Maguindanao, 21,178 families were affected in five towns. No deaths, or major injuries were reported, but two persons remain missing. In Sulu and Basilan, 90 families and 443 families, respectively, were affected. But no deaths, missing, or injured individuals were reported.
The Integrated Provincial Health Office of Tawi-Tawi, meanwhile, is treating 74 fishermen who were caught at the height of the storm on the borders of Tawi-Tawi and southern Palawan in the Sulu Sea. The Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi District Hospital admitted 41 of these fishermen for observation due to severe exhaustion, dehydration, and other concomitant medical problems. (Bureau of Public Information)

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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Jihadists attack tribal village in Philippines

COTABATO CITY – Armed jihadists attacked a village and torched 2 houses in the restive province of Maguindanao in the Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines, officials said Tuesday.
Officials blamed the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters for the Christmas day attack on a remote village of Iginampong in Datu Unsay town, home to a minority tribe called Teduray.
Villagers were forced to flee their homes when jihadists started firing and then burned the houses before fleeing to the hills where military planes pursued and attacked them with rockets.
There was no report of civilian casualties, although the 6th Infantry Division – quoting unconfirmed intelligence information - insisted that the airstrike had killed 4 jihadists and wounded five others. Soldiers recovered not a single body at the area.
Other reports claimed that a group of BIFF also attacked an army detachment in Maitumaig village in the same town. The target of the offensive was the 57th Infantry Battalion. The 6th Infantry Division did not release any information on the attack. (With a report from Rhoderick BeƱez.)
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Monday, December 25, 2017

Presidential son and Davao City deputy mayor resigns

DAVAO CITY – Presidential son and deputy mayor of Davao City, Paolo Duterte, has resigned Monday following a scandal that also dragged his father, Rodrigo Duterte, into drug smuggling allegations by the political opposition, and a recent spat with his teenage daughter on social media.
Duterte shocked the City Council by his resignation announcement and said he is taking full responsibility for all that has happened to him. Politicians opposed to the President’s tough rule, accused him of covering up for his son’s alleged involvement in the smuggling of crystal meth into the country, an accusation the young deputy mayor strongly denied.
Authorities had cleared the young Duterte in all accusations hurled against him by the opposition led by Senator Antonio Trillanes, a rabid anti-Duterte advocate and ferocious critic of both father and son.
In an emotional speech before the council members in Davao, Duterte said his parents always reminded him of the importance of “delicadeza.”
“When I was growing up, my parents never failed to remind me of the value of the time-honored principle of delicadeza. And this is one of the instances of my life that I need to protect my honor and that of my children. I look forward to the day that I will be able to serve kind-heartedly again,” he said.
“There are recent and unfortunate events in my life that are closely tied to my failed first marriage. These, among others, include the maligning of my reputation in the recent name-dropping incident in the Bureau of Customs smuggling case and the very public squabble with my daughter (Isabelle from first wife Lovely Sangkola).”
“The other person in this failed relationship is incorrigible and cannot be controlled and I take responsibility for all that has happened as a result of a wrong decision to marry at a very young age,” he added.
In his Facebook page, Duterte also thanked all those who stood behind and supported him and then deleted his social media account. There was no immediate reaction from his father. Council member Mabel Acosta is expected to take over Duterte’s post. (Mindanao Examiner)

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Sayyaf fighter captured in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police and military agents arrested an Abu Sayyaf fighter in Zamboanga City who escaped authorities from nearby Basilan province in the Muslim autonomous region, officials said Monday.
The 45-year old Baser Ahmad was captured over the weekend in the village of San Roque following a surveillance operation by the local police force and members of the Naval Intelligence and Security Group.
Officials said Ahmad is part of an Abu Sayyaf group operating in Basilan and is facing a string of criminal charges and has been long wanted by authorities. It was unknown whether Ahmad was planning an attack in Zamboanga or not.
He is currently being interrogated by the police in an effort to extract information on the Abu Sayyaf activities in Basilan and Zamboanga. (Mindanao Examiner)

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Anti-narc agents nab drug dealer in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Anti-narcotics agents arrested a man in a sting operation here that resulted in the confiscation of about 2.5 kilograms of crystal meth smuggled from Malaysia into the southern Filipino port city of Zamboanga.
Al-Jhmer Jakilan, a native of nearby Basilan province, did not resist arrest when agents identified themselves following a payoff. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Monday confirmed the arrest and said it is still investigating Jakilan, who allegedly confessed smuggling the drugs here.
It was not immediately known whether Jakilan, a former security guard, also supplied the illegal drugs in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and in Zamboanga Peninsula. He is currently under tight security at the PDEA headquarters in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner)

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Sayyaf attacks army base in Sulu province

SULU – Abu Sayyaf gunmen fired grenades at an army base and injuring at least 4 soldiers in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, reports said Monday.
It said the soldiers were partying when militants attacked the base in the village of Taglibi in Patikul town on Christmas Eve. Most of the victims are members of the 32nd Infantry Battalion sent to Sulu to fight the Abu Sayyaf.
Soldiers also fought back, but it was unknown whether they had killed or wounded any of the attackers. One civilian was also injured in the firefight that lasted half an hour. The wounded soldiers were rushed to a military hospital in the capital town of Jolo.
The military’s Western Mindanao Command did not release any information into the Abu Sayyaf attack. The jihadist group is still holding nearly a dozen hostages it kidnapped in southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)

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Sunday, December 24, 2017

ARMM allocates funds for typhoon victims

COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said it has allocated funds and is now extending various forms of assistance to individuals and families affected by flash floods and landslides brought about by typhoon "Vinta" (Tembin) in Lanao del Sur province.

Governor Mujiv Hataman said the ARMM’s Humanitarian and Emergency Action Response Team (HEART) Operation Center in Cotabato City is coordinating with local government units and disaster risk reduction management councils across the region, especially in Lanao del Sur, to assess the impact of the storm.

As of Saturday, the province of Lanao del Sur has reported the heaviest damage. ARMM officials are also closely monitoring the situation in Basilan because of continuous heavy rain in the province. So far, reports received from the remaining provinces of the region, specifically Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, have not been as alarming.

“Members and officials of the regional Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team have already been deployed,” Gov. Hataman said, adding, relief packs were distributed in areas affected by the heavy rains.

ARMM-HEART reported that as of Saturday, at least 12 towns in Lanao del Sur experienced heavy flooding and landslides and these are Wato, Balindong, Bubong, Madalum, Tugaya, Bacolod Kalawi, Madamba, Tamparan, Piagapo, Calanogas, Maguing, Poona Bayabao and Ditsaan Ramain.

The number of reported deaths and missing residents, subject to validation by the Department of Health-ARMM, are as follows: Piagapo: 10 deaths; Bacolod Kalawi: 2 deaths, 1 missing; Madalum: 4 deaths, 1 missing; Tamparan: 1 death; Tugaya: 2 deaths; and Wato Balindong: 2 deaths.

In Poona Bayabao, 25 villages were inundated, three of these reported heavy damage to properties. The town’s provincial road remains impassable as of Saturday morning. Torrential rains triggered landslides in the towns of Tugaya, Bacolod-Kalawi, and Madalum also resulting in closure of roads. In Madalum, mounds of earth and debris covered about 200 meters of the road. 

“Challenging ang pagpasok sa Madalum for rescue and relief operations. Kailangan pa natin ng road clearance,” Gov. Hataman said.

Since Friday night,  the Department of Public Works and Highways-ARMM and Region 10 and the district engineering offices in Lanao del Sur are now clearing up the roads and bridges affected by the floods and landslides with support from the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. 

“Isang probinsiya lang sa rehiyon ang pinaka apektado ng bagyong Vinta, pero hindi natin sila dapat pabayaan lalo pa’t katatapos lang ng Marawi siege,” Gov. Hataman said. (Bureau of Public Information)
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Body recovered from gutted Davao mall, dozens still missing

DAVAO CITY – Fire fighters have recovered one body from the ruins of a shopping mall while they continue searching Sunday for at least three dozen others trapped in the fire that gutted the building in Davao City in southern Philippines.
Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, quoting a report from his sister, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, rescuers were still searching for the others who failed to get out of the burning NCCC Mall, one of the biggest in Davao City.
The fire broke out on Saturday in Maa village, but the cause of the conflagration is still unknown although the Bureau of Fire Protection is currently investigating this. The mayor called the fire “an unfortunate incident.”
“Sad day. Mayor Inday Sara Duterte says one dead body was recovered from NCCC mall. She said the priority of the operations now is to find all the missing persons — 37,” the vice mayor said.
Mayor Duterte ordered authorities not to stop searching for the others still missing. ““Do not stop until you find the 37 (persons),” she ordered authorities, adding, the grieving families of those missing were being aided by the local government.
She also urged the public to wait for official reports and avoid speculations and stop blaming rescuers for not immediately locating those missing as she commended BFP rescuers and volunteer fire fighters for responding appropriately despite the dangers they faced and the limited manpower and resources they have.
Vice Mayor Duterte has called on citizens to pray for the safety of those missing, although the BFP said the chances of their survival is slim. “Let us pray for them. A while ago, the ground commander of BFP already announced that their chances of survival is zero.” 
He identified those missing as Jessica Solis, Gantioco Celestial Jr, Ian Kiem Adlawan, Regine Generales, Christen Joy Garzon, Apple Jane Celades, Iana Apalacio, Jonas Basalan, Jim Benedict Quimsing, Kurtchin Angela Bangoy, Mary Joy Daluro, Randy Balcao, Rosyl Montanez, Missy Rose Artiaga, Analiza Penarejo, Christine Joy Ferraren, Ivan Roble, Christine Alviola, and Alexandra Moreno Castillo Hongijangjian. 
Also missing were Desiree Gayle Zacarias, Jesseca Samontina, Mary Louielyn Bongcayao, Nancy Loyd Abad, Jeffrey Sismar, Johani Matundo, Joyne Pabelonia, Elyn Joy Yorsua, Shiela Mae Bacaling, Mark Entera, Charlyn Liwaya, Mikko Demafeliz, Roderick Antipuesto, Rhenzi Nova Muyco, Roderick Constantinopla, Venus Joy Kimpo and Janine Joy Obo.
President Rodrigo Duterte has met with the families of the missing, mostly employees, and assured them that authorities were doing everything to find the victims. (Mindanao Examiner)
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