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Thursday, May 31, 2018

Army holds battalion commanders' conference


PAGADIAN CITY – The Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division hosted this year’s Battalion Commanders’ Symposium held in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province.

The three-day activity which ended Thursday was attended by 66 Western Mindanao Command-based battalion commanders from 1st Infantry Division and 6th Infantry Division including from Special Forces and Scout Rangers.

This year’s theme for BCS is: “Adaptable Battalion Commanders, Responding to Challenge”. The event emphasized the battalion  commander’s critical role in community security, development support, and accomplishing the given mission in their respective area of responsibility.

Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Muslim autonomous region, was also invited as a resource speaker and he shared some valuable insights of the local chief executives and he underscored the importance of partnership and engagement between the local government and the armed forces in attaining peace and development of the region.

“This is not the first I’m talking to you giving some important experiences working with the military. My positive outlook towards the armed forces happened as a result of these numerous experiences especially during the Marawi crisis where I appreciated too much the heroism and services of every soldier in protecting the civilians, defending peace and security, democracy, and the rule of law,” Hataman said. (Mindanao Examiner)

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‘Strongman ang gikinahanglan’ Ni Jun Ledesma


Sulat gikan sa Davao City: ‘Strongman ang gikinahanglan’ Ni Jun Ledesma

Makabalaka ang panahon. Ang presyo sa oil ningkatkat na sa atop ug ang mapahimudsanon nga mga magpapatigayon ug ang mga tiggubot sa gobyerno nagpahimulos sa kahimtang gamit ang tanang mga pamaagi ug kahigayonan. Mga Obispo, mga pari kauban ang mga tiggalgal ug tigpainit sa dugo sa panon gikan sa han-ay sa nagsul-ob og habito sa relihiyon nakigkunsabo sa oposisyong politikal aron paghaling sa nagakapalong na nga pag-alma sa katawhan.

Ang oligarkiya nga di gyud maapektohan sa bisan unsang klase ug porma sa ekonomikanhon ug geopolitikal nga mga anomaliya ug kasamok nagpagrabe sa pagkamiserable sa masa. Kulang pa gyud ni para kanila.Gidugang nila sa tighaling ang mga establisimiyento sa media nga sinuholan sa mga langyaw ug mga media nga gidumala sa lokal nga mga bossing nga nanumpa sa pagtibhang sa popularidad sa Duterte administration. Gipabuylohan nila ang mga makinarya sa propaganda aron dugangan ang kalibog ug katimawa sa nawad-ang og paglaum nga han-ay sa katawhan.

Ang burukrasya sa gobyerno dili usab limpyo. Bisan sa maisog nga warning ni Pres. Rodrigo Duterte batok sa kurapsyon, duna pa gihapoy mga personalidad sa taas ug ubos nga ang-ang sa gobyerno nga dali ra kaayong nakakamkam og kinawat nga bahandi. Ang Pangulong Ehekutibo, intawon nag-inusara sa kinatumyan, nadismaya sa kadaghan sa iyang palagputon nga gikan sa hut-ong sa mga tawo nga nagkumbinsi kaniya nga modagan pagka Pangulo sa nasud. Sa laing bahin, makapasuka ang mga nawong sa pipila nga di lang kontento sa usa ka posisyon kundili gigamit pa gyud ang burukrasya aron mahimong employer sa ilang pamilya. Bagaa og nawong oi.

Samtang ang nasud nagsangkiig sa epekto sa pagsulbong sa presyo sa oil, makuyawan ta sa nga panghitabo sa ubang mga departamento.

Sa Senado ang kinutoban sa pag-unong ginadeterminar sa kolor sa kwarta ug sa interes nga mapili og usab ug mabalik sa pwesto. Gipalagpot si Koko Pimentel isip Presidente sa Senado tungod kay bisan og ang iyang jacket PDP, ang iyang tibuok lawas kolor Yellow. Di siya kahulat sa oposisyon nga mobanat sa Quo Warranto nga ningputol sa termino ni Ma. Lourdes Sereno. Ninglutaw ra gihapon ang kamatuoran nga oposisyon siya.

Si Koko nga bar topnotcher ninglektyur puntirya sa mga Mahistrado sa Korte Suprema gamit ang linggwahe sa oposisyon ug sa diehard nga mga kritiko ni Duterte. Ilang demand ang pag-impeach kang Sereno tungod kay sa ilang kasinatian, dako og kita ang maong kwarta-rota, sama sa natagamtan panahon sa way kalooy nga pagpalagpot sa namatay nga Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Sa Ubos nga Balay Balaoranan, si Speaker Bebot Alvarez gikuninitan ug gisumsuman tungod sa mga isyu sa iyang mga asset. Nagahagit siya kang bisan kinsa nga ipakita ang pruyba nga ang iyang mga asset sa Siargao ug uban pang lugar kinawkaw. Gipasanginlan niya ang kanhi higala ug numero unong kampanyador, si Rep. Tonyboy Floirendo, nga maoy tinubdan sa maong expose. Wa lay kibo ang naulahi bisan og si Bebot ningpasaka og kaso batok kang Tonyboy nga nakaabot na sa Sandiganbayan.

Ang abogado ni Floirendo gusto nga i-hearing dayon ang maong kaso aron mapugos ang Speaker sa pagtestigo. Hulaton nato ang sunod nga senaryo. Kun si Tonyboy di kaantigo modagpi og langaw, nadunggan nako nga pwerte kabagis ang iyang abogado. Sa kasamtangan, makit-an nato nga ginarekrut sa PDP-Laban ang mga hardcore nga anti-Duterte, ma kongresista man o lokal nga politiko. Lisud na karon ilhon kun kinsa ang PDP-Laban gikan sa Yellow. Kini nga kahimtang ang nagtukmod sa mga lideres sa politika nga moporma og mga partido sa rehiyon ug mobulag gikan sa mga tawong nagyanang ug nataop na og maayo sa kalapokan sa politika nga gahum ug kwarta ang diyosdiyos.

Sa situwasyon nga ang mga politiko nga ginakonsiderar nga mga alyado ni Duterte nagpabilin nga tig-a og kasingkasing atubangan sa mga problema sa nasud apan kugihan kaayo nga nag-atiman sa ilang hinakog ug personal nga agenda, dapat ang Pangulo mamalandong na nga mohimo og lahi nga mga opsiyon nga lagmit kusganon apan haum. Ideklarar na dapat niya ang revolutionary government o, isip emergency measure aron sa pag-atubang sa nagtubo nga krisis ug sinuholan nga pag-alma, ipailawom ang tibuok nasud sa Martial Law. Sa tinud-anay lang, pagtuman lang ni sa akusasyon sa iyang mga kritiko nga lider siya nga kusgan, o “strongman”  nga may tendensiya nga magdiniktador.
Kun himoon ni, seguradong mapaubsan dayon ang presyo sa pagkaon ug nanag-unang palaliton ug masilotan ang mga way kalooy nga mga rice traders ug mga kooperatiba nga nagbaligya sa ilang NFA rice allocation ngadto sa nahauna imbes ibaligya ni nila og retail sa ilang mga outlet. Segurado ko nga dunay mga opisyales nga apil niining maong raket. Kining mga nagasabotahe sa ekonomiya dapat silotan og kamatayon pinaagi sa musketry.

Wagtangon ang kongreso aron maputol ang dinagko nga kurapsyon ug makadaginot sab ang nasud kay wa na may dakong tapok sa grabe kahakog nga mga tawo nga sweldoan. Ang kwarta nga malibre sa panudlanan sa publiko magamit na sa ubang kaayohan.

Pwedeng isuspinde dihadiha dayon ang excise tax sa oil kun gikinahanglan, ibalik sa nasud ang pagpanag-iya sa industriya sa oil kun gikinahanglan, ug tanggalon ang industriya gikan sa pag-angkon sa oligarkiya nga maoy nagadiktar sa presyo sa oil ug sa sugnod ug sa renta sa mga asset sa gobyerno nga ilang gigamit.

I-award ang mga kontrata sa mga mega-project ilawom sa BUILD BUILD BUILD human madeterminar ang pinakamubo nga mga bidder nga ilawom sa kasamtangang sistema pwedeng pugngan pinaagi sa TRO ug ubang aksyong pangbabag nga mao ang hinungdan nga ang mga proyekto dugay kaayo mahuman.

Ibalik ang death penalty. Ilakip sa death penalty ang silot sa pagsabotahe sa ekonomiya.
Ideklarar ang CPP/NPA/NDF nga mga teroristang organisasyon kun sa sulod sa usa ka buwan human madeklarar ang RevGov o Martial Law di sila mopirma og Peace Agreement. De modo, kun aduna nay panagsabot nga makab-ot, ideklarar sab dayon ang general amnesty sa NPA ug apud-apuran sila og yuta tagsa-tagsa o komon sa sulod sa unom ka buwan. Apan kinahanglan nga ilang iindosar dihadiha dayon ang ilang mga pusil.

Tugotan nga magpadayon sa ilang trabaho nga walay pugongpugong ang tanang establisimiyento sa media gawas niadtong sinuholan sa mga langyawng kapunongan ug indibidwal.

Mopatawag og constitutional convention tulo ka bulan human ang deklarasyon sa RevGov o ML. Ang tahas sa constitutional convention mao ang pagsulat og batakang balaod alang sa Gobyernong Pederal nga maoy ipuli sa kasamtangang sistema ug batakang balaod. Kini iimplementar human sa upat ka tuig nga pagpadagan sa RevGov o ML.

Suntok sa buwan? Ayaw og hagita ang tawong kusgan ug ang kapalaran. (Jun Ledesma)

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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

ARMM holds forum on Islamic Heritage


COTABATO CITY – A forum on Islamic heritage was held here Wednesday by the Bureau on Cultural Heritage of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BCH-ARMM) as part of the National Heritage Month celebration.

Engr. Marites K. Maguindra, BCH-ARMM Executive Director, said the forum highlighted the Islamic heritage of the Moro people and its influence in their culture. “It is very timely that we have this activity because it is the Holy month of Ramadhan. Also, in this activity, we want to help ensure the preservation of this heritage for the sake of future generations," she said.

Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Abuhuraira Abdurrahman Udasan, the guest speaker, said the most important Islamic heritage is the glorious Qur’an, which is a blessing from Allah and a guide to all Muslims. “In this sense, we have to rely on the Qur’an in recording the history of Islam. It plays the role of correcting all the corruptions and extortions,” he said.

Representatives from different agencies of the ARMM participated in the activity. It was also supported by the Regional Darul Ifta’ and the Bureau of Madaris Education of the region's Department of Education.

The highlight of the activity was an open forum on Islamic heritage that encompasses Islamic history; culture and traditions; beliefs and practices; and marriage and family values.

A panel discussion was opened after the talk of the Grand Mufti and was facilitated by experts on Islamic studies namely Ustadz Alzad Sattar, Bureau of Madaris Education representative, and Ustadza Jihan Batiting, Bangsamoro Development Agency representative.

During the discussion, it was clarified that not all cultural practices are still in accordance with the teachings of Islam and that is why it is important to take a look on the deeper sense of Islam for Muslims and to be guided on everything without compromising culture.

“We must examine our culture. If these cultural practices are inconsistent with the teachings of Islam, then we must avoid doing them,” Ustadz Sattar stressed.

The 2018 National Heritage Month celebration carries the theme, ‘Pambansang Pagkakaisa para sa Pamana’. It highlights the role of a common heritage as a unifying force, contributing to national unity.

Moreover, the celebration is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 439 series of 2003 that declares May as National Heritage Month. This is in recognition of the need to create among the Filipino people consciousness, respect, and love for the legacies of the Filipino cultural history. (Bureau of Public Information)
 
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BIFF ‘weapons factory’ raided in Mindanao


KIDAPAWAN CITY – Security forces seized old and rusty guns from an alleged “firearms factory” being used by militants, whose group is tied to the Islamic State, in southern Philippines, officials said Wednesday.

Officials said police commandos, backed by army soldiers and armoured vehicles, raided several houses in the village of Tonggol in General Salipada Pendatun town suspected of being a weapons factory for the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).




 Military photos released to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner show illegal weapons seized from an alleged weapons factory in the troubled province of Maguindanao. Also troops headed by Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc, of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, and an armoured vehicle used in the operation.

The Tuesday raid, led by Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc, of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, was part of an operation aimed at weakening the BIFF’s access to illegal weapons. The raiders recovered a lathe machine, two anti-tank rocket launchers, one .45-caliber pistol, a shotgun, rifle grenades and several homemade guns.

“To keep our winning edge against a highly adaptive enemy in a complex environment, we employed different capabilities to maximize combined arms effects. The synergized effort enables the police commandos to serve the warrants against the suspects,” Cabunoc said.

Military and police forces failed to arrest or capture any BIFF militant, but over a dozen civilians were briefly held for questioning and eventually freed.

BIFF militants have previously attacked police and military targets in the province and in neighboring towns and have been fighting for a separate homeland in the troubled, but mineral-rich region. (With a report from Rhoderick Beñez.)

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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Military tightens security in Tacurong City after foiled bomb attack


KIDAPAWAN CITY – Government soldiers have tightened security in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province after they foiled an attempted bombing outside a school there by militants tied to the Islamic State.

Captain Arvin Encinas, a spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division, said members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters have threatened to launch bomb attacks in the province.

 
An army photo released to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner shows the recovered improvised explosive in Tacurong City. 

He said they pre-empted the weekend bombing following the discovery of the improvised explosive planted in front of the Griño Elementary School along the highway. “The Explosive Ordnance Disposal of the army and police conducted safety procedure to secure the suspected IED,” he said.

The bomb was assembled from an unexploded 105mm ammunition. It was unclear how the ammunition, which is being used by the soldiers, fell in the hands of the militant group.

Meanwhile in the Muslim province of Basilan, a government soldier Sergeant Mohammad Alam, was killed in an ambush Monday by gunmen in the village of Baguindan in Tipo-Tipo town.

The 46-year old Alam, an intelligence operative of the 18th Infantry Battalion, was travelling on a motorcycle when gunmen attacked him.  Alam, who was on a clandestine mission, died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds.

There was no immediate statement from the Philippine Army or the Western Mindanao Command on the killing of the soldier. (Mindanao Examiner)

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Zambo mayor vows to seek justice for siege victims


ZAMBOANGA CITY – Local Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar has vowed to seek justice for victims of a deadly siege by Moro rebels following the release from jail of dozens of gunmen who participated in the 2013 attack.

The Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 158 ordered the release of 96 out of over 200 members of the Moro National Liberation Front rebels who were captured or surrendered to security forces after a plea bargaining agreement between the accused and the Department of Justice.

“The release was a result of the Plea Bargaining Agreement entered into by the Department of Justice and some of the MNLF accused over the objection of the City, which resulted to the lowering of the penalty imposed on the accused since their imprisonment has already exceeded the penalty agreed upon in the Plea Bargaining Agreement,” Salazar said.

“The City Government is saddened by the release of the accused MNLF members but will continue to fight for justice despite the recent order of the Regional Trial Court,” she added.

Salazar also ordered police and military forces to tightened security in Zamboanga following the release of the rebels.

“As City Mayor, I have ordered a thorough review on the security measures and directed the city police and military to closely coordinate with my office. I am still positively hoping that justice will be served to the victims of the Zamboanga siege and the remaining 100 MNLF accused shall be held accountable for the crimes committed,” she said.

MNLF chieftain Nur Misuari is among those facing charges of rebellion and violation of the Philippine Act on Crimes against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes against Humanity, but President Rodrigo Duterte is protecting him.

Some 300 of Misuari’s loyal followers from Basilan and Sulu provinces arrived by boats in Zamboanga and then attacked several villages, sparking house to house fighting with rebels taking dozens of innocent civilians and held them hostage and shield against security forces.

One of his commanders, Usong Ugong, had surrendered to Senior Superintendent Jose Chiquito Malayo, then the local police chief, in the village of Mampang in exchange for a safe passage back to Basilan province. Ugong claimed that Misuari misled them into believing they would attend a peace rally in Zamboanga, but ended up hiding in the village when fighting erupted.

Malayo was initially reported to have been taken hostage by Ugong’s group, but this had been denied by the police officer who admitted he went to the village to negotiate for the surrender of the rebels. Assorted weapons were also seized by the police from Ugong’s group.

More than 400 people were killed and wounded in the fighting that lasted three weeks and displaced over 120,000 residents.  Salazar previously said she will not allow the rebels to go unpunished.
In 2001, loyal forces of Misuari also attacked military bases in Zamboanga City and Jolo town in Sulu province and the clashes killed over 100 people.

Misuari, who signed a peace accord with Manila in 1996, then became governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, but was removed after losing in the succeeding elections. He also ran thrice as governor in Sulu in previous years but was repeatedly defeated.

Then out of frustration, he accused the Aquino government of reneging on the peal deal that triggered him to launch attacks in Zamboanga City twice and once in Sulu. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Letters from Davao: 'It’s time for a strongman to act' By Jun Ledesma

Letters from Davao: 'It’s time for a strongman to act' By Jun Ledesma

IT'S DISTURBING time. The price of oil in the world market is hitting the rafters and the profiteers and destabilizers are taking advantage of the situation in every turn. Bishops and priests along with the rubble rousers in religious habits connive with the political opposition to fan the dying ember of dissent. The oligarchy, immune from any form of economic and geopolitical anomalies, is making life more miserable for the masses. As if these are not enough, foreign-funded media establishments and those run by local media moguls sworn to diminish the popularity of the Duterte government rev their propaganda machineries adding to confusion and the misery of the disillusioned.

The bureaucracy moreover is not without taint. Despite Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s stern warning against corruption there are still characters in high and low places that overnight amass ill-gotten wealth. The Chief Executive, lonely at the top, is dismayed many of those he has to axed were among those who doggedly pushed him to run for President. What makes me puke on the other hand is the gall of some who are not only contented with one position but made the bureaucracy their family employer. How thick can their hides be.

While the nation is reeling on the impact of the spike of oil prices, we are aghast by what is happening in the other departments.

In the Senate loyalties are defined by the color of money and what insures re-election. Koko Pimentel was booted out as Senate President for while he dons the PDP jacket his body is of Yellow streak. He cannot wait for the opposition to speak against Quo Warranto that led to the termination of the term of Ma. Lourdes Sereno. It turned out he is one among them. Koko, a bar top-notcher alright, lectured on majority of the Magistrates of the Supreme Court in the same language that members of the opposition and the avowed critics of Duterte do. What they demand is for Sereno to be impeached for, by their experience, there is moolah, a lot of moolah, in the proceedings like what they relished when they unkindly ousted the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.

In the Lower Chamber, Speaker Bebot Alvarez is hounded by issues that pertains to his assets. He dares anyone to prove his properties in Siargao and elsewhere were ill-gotten. He blamed his former friend and erstwhile consummate political campaigner, Rep. Tonyboy Floirendo, as the source of the expose’ but the latter shrugged it off. Bebot filed a case against Tonyboy which had been elevated to the Sandiganbayan. The lawyer of Floirendo wanted the case heard to compel the Speaker to appear in the witness stand. We will await this scenario. If Tonyboy is one who cannot swat a fly, we heard his lawyer can be very mean. Meantime, we are seeing hardcore anti-Duterte congressmen and local elective officials recruited to PDP-Laban. It is now difficult to distinguish who are Yellows from PDP-Laban. This condition is what propels regional parties to emerge and part ways from those enmeshed  in the morass of power and money-driven politics.

In a situation where politicians perceived to be allies of Duterte remain to be impervious to the problems of the country but preoccupied themselves with selfish and  personal agenda, the President should now consider other options which maybe drastic but apt. Declare a revolutionary government or, as an emergency measure to address the rising tide of crises and commercialized dissent, place the entire country under Martial Law. After all he is pictured by his critics as a strongman with a slant on being a dictator.

Either way he can immediately bring down the cost of rice and place those unscrupulous rice traders and cooperatives who sold their NFA allocations to the former instead of retailing them to their outlets. For sure there are officials involved in this racket. These saboteurs  should be executed by musketry.

Abolish congress. This should stop big time corruption and the savings on their salaries and avarice can be put into good use.

The President can immediately suspend excise tax on oil if necessary, nationalize the industry if he has to and remove this away from the oligarchy which dictates the cost of fuel and at what rate of rentals of government assets they wish to pay.

Award contracts for mega-projects under BUILD BUILD BUILD after determining the lowest bidders which under the present system are subject to TROs and other deterrent actions which, on the bases of our experience, are the reasons why projects takes eons to complete.

Restore death penalty. The penalty should include economic saboteurs.

Declare CPP/NPA/NDF terrorist organizations if within one month upon declaration of ReGov or Martial Law they refuse to sign a Peace Agreement. Consequently, if agreement is signed, declare general amnesty for the NPAs and award them lands individually or communal settlements within six months. They must however  turning over their firearms immediately.

Allow all media establishments to continue operating without restraint except those who are funded by foreign organizations or individuals.

Call for a constitutional convention three months after declaration of RevGov or ML; one that would draft a constitution for a Federal Form of Government which shall replace the present constitution. The same shall be enforced following a four-year duration of the RevGov or ML.

Wishful thinking? Do not challenge the strongman and the fates. (Jun Ledesma)

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Monday, May 28, 2018

ARMM’s Bureau of Cultural Heritage, Grupo Kalinangan to digitize Maranao Jawi and Kirim manuscripts


COTABATO CITY – The Bureau of Cultural Heritage of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BCH-ARMM) and the Grupo Kalinangan Inc. (GKI) have signed a memorandum of agreement to provide and share resources for the digitization of 17th to early 20th century Maranao Jawi and Kirim manuscripts in the Islamic City of Marawi and the Lake Lanao region.

The project aims at digitizing manuscripts that contain genealogies, or salsilah, of prominent families; religious books, or kitab, and treatises; as well as epic and short stories that highlight some of the most important records and turning points in the history of the Maranao people.

The project to save the manuscripts was conceived because of the Marawi Siege in 2017, and forms part of the overall restoration and rehabilitation work for Marawi City. Through the project, Maranao people will have better awareness and appreciation on the importance of their heritage and will create an environment of learning for the young Maranaos as part of their recovery from their educational displacement due to the siege.

“There is a loss (during the Marawi Siege) that cannot be accounted for, and it is the heirloom of the Maranao families,” said Engr. Marites Maguindra, Executive Director of BCH-ARMM.

“We hope that these digitized manuscripts will bring a better understanding for the new generation…Na kung ano man ang mga influences na dala ng kasalukuyang panahon ay hindi nila makakalimutan kung ano ang mayroon ang mga sinaunang tao na kanilang pinagmulan,” she  added.

Joel Aldor, President of GKI, said the project also aims at making these digitized manuscripts more available to researchers, academicians, and scholars who want to further study the life and heritage of the Maranao people.

The memorandum of agreement was signed May 26.

GKI is a non-profit, non-stock cultural organization based in Manila and established in 2016. It is composed of cultural heritage professionals and volunteers from diverse backgrounds. It seeks to address the gaps and needs for a more efficient and effective cultural heritage management in towns, cities and communities. (Bureau of Public Information)

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Sunday, May 27, 2018

'Utok bulinaw’ Ni Jun Ledesma


Sulat gikan sa Davao: ‘Utok bulinaw’ Ni Jun Ledesma

ANG KALIT NGA pagsaka sa presyo sa oil nahimo na sab nga sumsuman ug bala sa oposisyon pag-ataki sa administrasyong Duterte. Usa ka nag-unang mantalaan ningsyaok sa iyang headline og TRAIN MOLAMPURNAS SA MGA TRABAHO. Mga politiko nga may gibitbit nga  ideyolohiya sama ni Neri Colmenares ning-uban na sa mga demonstrador sa kadalanan sa pagkondenar ug pagpanawagan sa pagsuspinde sa Tax Reform and Inclusive Law.

Si Colmenares ug ang iyang paksiyon nagapatuyang na lang og pangulog-ulog sa mga kabus ug timawa pinaagi sa pagsyagit-syagit og mga mabaw ug inamaw nga mga solusyon sama sa pagpahunong sa pag-implementar sa TRAIN law. Wa pa sila makagradweyt gikan sa papel nga tigggalgal, tig-apura ug tigpabukal sa dugo sa panon. Si Colmenares nakahibalo nga nagkinahanglan lang siya og minos 300 ka libo ka boto aron makabalik sa kongreso ug duna siyay igo-igong pangutok paggalgal nianang gidaghanona gikan sa mga tumutuo kaniya.

Aduna pa may sobra pa og usa ka milyon nga may mga utok og kuyamad nga motuo sa iyang mga hasohaso. Unsa kaha ang mahitabo kun mosugot ta sa inamaw nga mga sugyot ni Colmenares ug sa iyang kapartner sa Senado, si Bum Aquino? Ang mga empleyado nga anaa sa hatungang hut-ong andam kaha nga mobayad og P50,000.00 sa income tax nga ilawom sa TRAIN Law libre sa pagbayad og buhis? Mokabat ni sila og 83 porsyento sa tanan nga mga taxpayer sa nasud kun diin ang ilang mga bonus libre sab sa buhis. Ang mga ginagmayng negosyo sama sa inyong mga silingan nga mga tindahan nga sarisari nga mokabat og P3-milyones ang kita libre sab sa VAT.

Apan, tinuod, ang coke ug ubang soft drink ginabaligya karon sa mas mahal pa nga presyo, pero dako ni og kaayohan nga ihatag sa inyong panglawas.

Ginatago sa mga kritiko gikan sa mata sa publiko ang tinuod nga mga rason sa kalit nga pagkatkat sa mga presyo sa mga nanag-unang palaliton ug sa presyo sa serbisyo. Ang mga network sa TV tua maminaw sa mga soundbites sa oposisyon sa politika ug mangita og mga katin-awan gikan gikan sa mga drayber sa jeepney ug traysikel bahin sa pagsaka sa presyo.

Sa tinuod lang, ang kinabag-an sa katawhan way kasayuran bahin sa mga panghitabo sa ubang parte sa kalibutan kun hain ang Venezuela ninghunong og bomba sa poso sa ilang oil ug ang Iran ningpahugot sa gripo sa ilang oil aron pagbalos sa pagsilot kaniya sa US. Ang presyo sa oil ningkalit og sulbong og $77 dolyares kada bariles ug karon lagmit molapaw pa sa $80/b. Dili maguol ang US niining maong katikaran tungod kay duna silay daghang suplay sa oil gikan sa shale.

Buang ug bangis ni nga politika sa kalibutan nga ang igo ang atay-atay gyud sa Pilipinas. Ang presyo ug interes sa dolyar ningsaka, mao nga ang mga init nga salapi nga diri gipalumlom sa Pilipinas og igo-igo nga panahon ningbalik na sab og lupad ngadto sa US. Ningpuli ang implasyon ug gisagubang nato ang epekto niini. Idugang diha ang senaryo nga gidibuho sa mga propeta sa kangiob ug kini moresulta gyud sa gibandera nga isyu nga TRAIN MOLAMPURNAS SA MGA TRABAHO. Sa pikas bahin, sobra sa 10 milyones nga mga pamilya sa mga OFW nagaselebrar nga mas daghan sila og madawat nga peso sa ilang kamot kada pakambyo nila og dolyar.

Hinoon, segun sa atong kasinatian, kining pagkibra sa ekonomiya nga epekto sa oil dili mohangtud og dugay. Samtang ang mga prodyuser sa oil nakakita og bonanza tungod kay ang mga nasud nga walay oil maglumba man og palit sa limitadong suplay, ang kahimtang sa Venezuela ug Iran dili hangtod sa kahangturan nga way kausaban. Sa samang higayon, ang quota sa produksyon sa OPEC nahimong karambola, mao nga makalaum kita nga ang mga oil field sa Saudi Arabia ug bisan sa atong silingan nga nasud, ang Indonesia, mopabuylo sa ilang mga bomba sa oil.

Mientras tanto, si Presidente Duterte miabri sa gripo sa mga balon sa oil sa Cebu. Kun pilion nato ang pakipagkumboya sa China, makalaum ta nga mas daghan pa ta og makuha nga gas ug oil sa mga teritoryo nga karon atong gikaribalan. Mas maayo ang Joint Venture kay sa magpadungog-dungog ta og inigot sa espada ug makiggiyera nga ginasugyot sa pipila ka mga kritiko.

Nagsige na ta og panawagan para sa bastante nga mga imprastruktura dili lang para sa paghakot ug pagtumod sa mga produkto kun dili pagdani usab sa mga mamumuhunan nga moanhi dinhi sa Pilipinas mobun-ag og puhunan. Bug-at ni nga hagit ug ang gitahasan niini nga trabaho nga alang lang sa mga tawong kusgan sama ni Hercules mao ang Sekretaryo sa Panalapi, si Carlos "Sonny" Dominguez. Ilawom sa iyang pagdumala, ang Bureau of Internal Revenue ug ang Bureau of Customs nalimpyo ug ang duha ka ahensya nakakab-ot na kanunay sa ilang collection quota.

Ang DOF ningpanday og tax reform law nga ang tumong mao ang pagkolekta og mas dako nga bulto sa buhis gikan sa mga nagalihay-lihay ug mamugnaon kaayong moipsot sa pagbayad og buhis. Ang administrasyong Duterte nag-andam na usab sa pag-implementar sa dili mominos 41 ka mga proyekto sa imprastruktura nga naglakip sa mga railway, airport, pantalan, irigasyon, karsada, tulay, kauban ang pagpalambo sa mga kahimanan ug pasilidades sa Impormasyon ug Telekomunikasyon. Samtang si Sekretaryo Dominguez nagahimo sa iyang homework, si Presidente Duterte sab nagapursige og kinaugalingon nga estratehiya sa pakiglambigit ug pakigsandurot sa mga langyawng kanasuran nga dako kaayo og positibong epekto sa politika sa nagkatapok nga mga nasud sa rehiyon ug mipaabante sa mga alyansa ug komnersyo dinhi sa atong parte sa kalibutan.

Si Dominguez ug ang iyang team nakakuha og mga loans nga lugak kaayo ang mga kondisyon ug barato kaayo og bayad nga interes nga sukad masukad wa pa gyud nato matagamtami kaniadto ug mohatag kini kanato og igong panahon sa paghuman sa proyekto ug pagpalihok una niini nga buhi kaayo ug kusog mokita ug moganar sa di pa ta magsugod og bayad sa barato kaayong pautang gikan sa Japan ug China.

Ang TRAIN ang motubag sa mga pautang. Sa pikas bahin, ang mga oportunidad sa pagpanarbaho nga ihatag niining mga proyektoha ug sa mga bag-ong negosyo nga motumaw sa pagplastar niining maong mga imprastruktura dili makaya nato pagkwenta tungod sa kadako. Moresulta kini sa pagrekrut sa mga bag-ong gradweyt ug mga eksperto aron mopadagan sa mga bag-o ug nagkadaiyang mga impresa, paktorya ug komersyo.

Malampornas ba ang mga oportunidad sa pagpanarbaho? Amaw lang nga may utok bulinaw sama ni Colmenares ang moinsister niana. Wa ta magkinahanglan og mga tawo nga ang pagtan-aw sa ekonomiya sama ka korto sa ilang utok. (Jun Ledesma)

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HOT OFF THE PRESS: The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper May 28-June 3, 2018

 
 
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Friday, May 25, 2018

‘Sari-sari mentality’ By Jun Ledesma

Letters from Davao: ‘Sari-sari mentality’ By Jun Ledesma

THE SUDDEN INCREASE of oil price has become the fodder of the opposition to launch an attack on the Duterte administration. One leading newspaper came out with a screaming headline ‘TRAIN IS LEADING TO JOBLESSNESS’. Populist politicians in the mold of Neri Colmenares joins street parliamentarians in denouncing the government Tax Reform and Inclusive Law and demanded its suspension.

Colmenares and his cabal pander themselves to the poor mouthing simplistic solution like stopping the TRAIN law. They have not graduated from being rubble rousers. Colmenares for one knew that he only needs less than 300 thousand votes to get back to congress and he has brain enough to muster that number from among those who would believe him. There are still over a million nitwits who would believe his fairy tales.

What if we give in to the folly of Colmenares and his counterpart in the Senate, Bum Aquino? Are the middle income wage earners prepared to pay P50,000.00 in income tax which under the TRAIN law exempt them from paying? They comprise about 83 percent of the total taxpayers of the country whose bonuses will also be tax free. Small businesses like your next door sari sari store with P3-million sales are also vat free. But yes Coke and other soft drinks are now sold at a higher price but it’s good for your health.

What the critics are keeping from the public are the reasons behind the sudden increase of prime commodities and cost of services. Television networks listen to the sound bites of political opposition and look for explanations from jeepney and tricycle drivers why prices increased.

The hoi pollois of course are in limbo that in the opposite corner of the world Venezuela stopped pumping oil an Iran is tightening the spigots of its oil well in retaliation to the US sanctions. Price of oil spiked to $77 dollars per barrel and now is threatening to breach the $80/b. The US would not mind this as they have sufficient supply of fuel coming from their shale oil. It is a cruel and crazy geopolitics the effect of which hits the Philippines in the solar plexus. Dollar interest is on the rise, so hot money that roost in the Philippines for some time finds its path back to the US. Inflation sets in and we suffer. Add to that the scenario conjured by the doomsayers in the opposition and we get a headline TRAIN IS LEADING TO JOBLESSNESS. More than 10-million OFW families on the other hand are celebrating they have more pesos in their hands for every dollar they received.

However as we have experienced in the past, this oil-fueled economic down-trend would not last long. While oil producing countries see bonanza as non-producing nations are scrambling for limited supply, the conditions in Venezuela and Iran will not be forever. In the meantime the OPEC production quota becomes a free for all so expect oil fields in Saudi Arabia and even our neighbor Indonesia to rev their pumps to churn more oil. Meantime, President Duterte recently opened the gate valve in the oil wells in Cebu. If we opt for joint venture with China we can expect substantial volume of gas and oil in our contested territory. Joint venture is a better option than the saber rattling and war which some critics propose.

We had always clamored for adequate infrastructures not only to move products but also lure investors to the Philippines. The challenge is daunting and given the Herculean task to achieve these is Finance Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez. Under his watch, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs underwent purgation and the two revenue generating agencies had been hitting its collection quota. The DOF had crafted the tax reform law aimed at collecting more taxes from those who had been dodging and creatively evading paying tax. The Duterte government has identified at least 41 major infrastructure projects that include railways, air and sea ports, irrigations, roads and bridges and parallel to these the improvement of the Information and Telecommunications facilities.

While Secretary Dominguez does his homework, President Duterte’s own foreign affairs strategy gained tremendous impact on the shift of regional political alliances and trade. Dominguez and his team secured concessional loans with unprecedented terms that would give Philippines enough time to accomplish the projects first and attain commercial viability before we start paying those cheap loans from Japan and China. TRAIN will carry that load. On the flipside, employment opportunities needed for these projects and for new businesses expected to emerge given the infrastructure systems that shall have been in place. This will lead to the recruitment of fresh graduates and experienced experts to run the new and varied enterprises.

Joblessness? Only a simpleton who has a sari-sari store mentality like Colmenares would say that. We do not need these characters whose myopic view of economy is as skimp as their brains. (Jun Ledesma)
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Thursday, May 24, 2018

Isabela city civil registrar shot dead


BASILAN – An unidentified gunman shot dead the civil registrar officer of Isabela City in a daring broad daylight attack Thursday in the troubled province of Basilan in southern Philippines.

Jordan Juaini was killed in the village called Eastside just several meters away from a police checkpoint. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the murder and the motive to the killing remains unknown.

Gun attacks and extrajudicial killings are not uncommon in Isabela or Basilan, one of 5 provinces under the restive Muslim autonomous region. There was no immediate statement from the local mayor or provincial governor over the spate of killings.

The murder occurred while the whole of southern Philippines is under an extended state of martial rule due to terrorism, rebellion and criminality. (Mindanao Examiner)

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A year after Marawi siege, evacuees hope to rebuild life, homes


MARAWI CITY – An emotional call to prayer by a 49-year old Imam, Haji Muhaimin, brought back painful reminders of last year’s war in the Muslim city of Marawi that devastated not only him, but residents who lost their loved ones and homes from five months of deadly and brutal fighting between ISIS militants and security forces.

Calling the prayer in time for the breaking of fast, the Imam or prayer leader at Sagonsongan resettlement site's mosque, thanked the Almighty for sparing his life. “Marami ang namatay sa amin. Nagpapasalamat ako sa Allah na nabigyan ako ng isa pang buhay. Naging parang panata ko na ang maging bilal,” Muhaimin said.

Reminiscing the past, he said many of his relatives died in crossfires.

And for couple Gulam and Wanisa Dia, the siege robbed them of a lifetime's worth of memories. “Masakit sa amin na nawala lahat ng kinalakihan namin,” Gulam said, but at the same time praising Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, for giving them a glimmer of hope and to return to where they built their lives.

Manisa said Hataman recently visited the area and promised to help us rebuild our lives. “Sa pagbisita niya dito, nasabi namin ang hangarin namin na makabalik kami sa Marawi at makikipagtulungan daw siya sa amin,” Wanisa said.

A 23-year old villager, Najma Radia, also remains hopeful that they will still find their parents who had been missing since the war broke out. Radia is only one of those many who have never seen their family members who went missing in Marawi.

Najma, Gulam and Wanisa, and Muhaimin are among the thousands of individuals displaced by the siege.

Hataman reiterated the importance of unity in rebuilding what is left of Marawi and start a new life again. “In our efforts towards healing, we must go back to the core of our faith as Muslims and, and as we fast together this Holy Month, we must remember that with every hardship comes relief,” he said. “As we fulfil our duties as Muslims, we must also remember to continue the work that lies ahead of us together, as we worship Allah and dedicate all our efforts for his glory.” (Bureau of Public Information)

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ARMM commemorates siege of Marawi City


COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has provided Wednesday various assistance to some 2,190 internally displaced persons or victims of last year’s deadly ISIS siege of Marawi City who remain in 18 evacuation centers there and in the neighboring town of Saguiaran in Lanao del Sur province.
Militants had occupied Marawi on May 23 and sparking house-to-house fighting with security forces that lasted over 5 months and left the city in total ruins.
Rise Marawi
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said they continue to strive hard to rebuild the foundations of local leadership and re-establish safe spaces for the most vulnerable groups in the communities. “Marawi will rise again, and it will rise with the renewed strength and courage of our people,” Gov. Hataman said.
In his commemoration speech, Gov. Hataman said: “It has been a year since Marawi City, known as the lone Islamic City of the Philippines, had been ravaged by fear and terror. Parts of a city that was once a melting pot of different histories, cultures, and beliefs have been reduced to rubble. That terrorism had its grip upon a city in the heart of our region reminds us that there is so much more to be done. In our long struggle for peace, our people have survived numerous conflicts, and this most recent war finds its place among the worst in our history.”
 
“And yet, as we have done in response to every threat our people have faced, we must stand united with our brothers and sisters. The price of peace, as we have learned throughout our history, is constant vigilance. We cannot afford to let this happen again, and this requires collective effort towards securing our homes, our cities, and our region. The safety of our people lies not only in ensuring security against crimes and conflict but in ensuring education for all – an education that is affirmed not only by our schools but by our communities. Peace and security is achieved not only through law enforcement and state offensives, but through constant dialogue that seeks to engage each and every Bangsamoro.
He further said: “As we struggle and work towards rebuilding the city of Marawi, we must also strive to rebuild the foundations of local leadership and re-establish safe spaces for the most vulnerable in our communities. In our efforts towards healing, we must go back to the core of our faith as Muslims and, as we fast together as we honor the Holy Month, we must remember that with every hardship comes relief. As we fulfil our duties as Muslims, we must also remember to continue the work that lies ahead of us together, as we worship Allah and dedicate all our efforts for his glory. Marawi will rise again, and it will rise with the renewed strength and courage of our people.”
ARMM Assistance
Exactly a year after fighting and destruction started, the ARMM government remains busy helping the people of Marawi to rebuild and return to their home. The ARMM government has earmarked P150 million for the city’s rehabilitation program. The regional government already provides a series of medical and psycho-social services, relief distribution, livelihood training and assistance, peace advocacy, dialogue, and consultation, among others.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in ARMM is also offering skills training and the Department of Social Welfare and Development is implementing its sustainable livelihood program, and while the Cooperative Development Authority is supporting the local cooperatives.

The ARMM government also granted assistance to IDPs who are most affected by the siege. They are currently staying in Cotabato City for a month to take part in this year's Ramadan Fair with P45, 000 financial support for each qualified beneficiary.

One of the beneficiaries, Casana Darangina, whose family left Marawi with only P800. After paying for a place to stay in this city, only P300 remained in her pocket. Casana and her husband used what was left of their money to start a small business, which eventually sustained their family's needs until today.

“Sobrang pasalamat na gumanda ang bahay namin dahil sa tulong na binigay sa amin ng regional government. So after dito, ida-dagdag namin ang kita sa paninda namin sa Iligan para tuluy-tuloy na makapag aral ang mga anak namin,” she said. 
Tadman di ripatan
ARMM’s Chief of Staff Norkhalila Mambuay-Campong said departments and line agencies in the region have each “adopted” an evacuation center for the community iftar (meal to break the fast). And to mark the commemoration of the siege, the ARMM held free medical check-up, Oplan Balik Eskwela, and launched a book that compiles Marawi City stories. “This is part of the constant efforts of the regional government to accommodate the needs of the people of Marawi,” Campong said. 
The ARMM’s Office of the Bangsamoro Youth Affairs led the launching of the book entitled ‘Tadman di ripatan.’

Tadman di ripatan features narrative essays, poems and photos reflecting the memories of Marawi residents and Mindanao State University students during and after the Marawi siege. The book’s title is derived from the Maranao phrase meaning ‘Remember, do not forget.’

The book hopes to create a space for those affected by the siege to share their experiences and remind others the importance of its impact. It also seeks to expand the discussions on the aftermath of the siege.

The event, organized by OBYA-ARMM and the Communication and Media Studies Department of Mindanao State University (MSU)-Marawi, was held at the Mamitua Saber Research Hall in the MSU-Marawi Campus.
A photo exhibit entitled “Memories of Marawi Siege” was also opened to the public and attended by ARMM officials, students and members of school-based organizations at MSU, faculty of the Communication Studies Department-MSU, and the book’s writers and contributors. (Bureau of Public Information)


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