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MindanaoDaily

ARMM Northern Mindanao Davao Manila Zamboanga Peninsula

Sept. 17-23, 2012

AN UMBRELLA organization of civil society groups inMindanao has endorsed the governor of Sulu province asthe government’s official candidate to next year’s electionsin the Muslim autonomous region.

The Movement for Sus-tainable Good Governance,whose members include atleast 30 civil society organi-zations from the five-provinceMuslim autonomous region,passed a resolution and amanifesto endorsing Gov.Sakur Tan to PresidentBenigno Aquino.

Tan, who recentlyjoined Aquino’s Liberal Partyalong with other provincialgovernors and mayors, wasearlier endorsed by the MoroNational Liberation Front tothe President as the official LPcandidate for the elections inthe Autonomous Region inMuslim Mindanao.

The Muslim region iscomposed of Basilan, Sulu,

Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao andLanao provinces, includingthe cities of Lamitan andMarawi.

“Gov. Sakur Tan has allthe good qualities of a trueleader and as representative ofthe Muslim people; we haveendorsed the Sulu governor tobe the official candidate of theAquino administration to theupcoming ARMM elections inMay.”

“The civil society orga-nizations strongly support theleadership of Gov. Sakur Tanbecause of his genuine and un-tainted political career andsincerity to serve the peopleand bring peace, progress anddevelopment not only to Sulu

province, but to the whole ofthe ARMM,” said Dr.Amildasa Annil, the leaderconvener and president of theMovement for SustainableGood Governance.

The manifesto waspassed following the 1stZamboanga-Sulu-Tawi-TawiCSO Summit held recently

tonomous Region (in MuslimMindanao), imbibing the trueessence of political participa-tory governance, asserting theadvocacy of social justice, pro-motion and protection of thebasic constitutional rights ofthe Bangsamoro people, andthe entire constituents of theAutonomous Region, dohereby declare and manifest tothe Public and to his Excel-lency President Benigno S.Aquino III...after due discus-sions and deliberations in asummit assembled, We, there-fore, adopt and resolved thismanifesto to call and declareour full support for the candi-dacy of the Provincial Gover-nor of Sulu, GovernorAbdusakur M. Tan as the nextRegional Governor of the Au-tonomous Region in Muslim

Mindanao,” reads the signedmanifesto, a copy of whichwas obtained by the MindanaoExaminer.

Ustadz Noreen Pallong,Basilan provincial convenerand internal vice president ofthe Movement for SustainableGood Governance, said theywill also hold a similar sum-mit in the cities of Cotabatoand Marawi, and Davao, tofurther spread the strongclamour of the Muslims forTan’s candidacy.

“There is a strongclamour from various Muslimcivil society organizations andBangsamoro people for theSulu governor to govern theARMM and bring peace anddevelopment to the region andprogress to all its provincesand constituents. Governor

Tan is the only leader we seefit to be the next ARMM gov-ernor,” he said.

Pallong, an influentialMuslim religious leader inBasilan, said provincial con-stituents are strongly support-ing Tan.

Tan, a known philan-thropist and one of the mostrespected politicians, in thesouthern Philippines, did notgive any statement about themanifesto, but he previouslysaid that he is willing to serveshould Aquino chooses him tobe the official ARMM candi-date in the synchronized re-gional and national elections.

Tan, a religious man,also sits as an observer to thegovernment peace talks withMoro Islamic LiberationFront. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and other ARMM governors and politicians take their oath July this year as new members of the ruling Liberal Party of President Benigno Aquino in Manila. Andin Zamboanga City, T he Movement for Sustainable Good Governance has endorsed Sulu Governor Sakur Tan as the official candidate of the Aquino administration to the ARMM polls. Atleast 30 civil society organizations from the five-province Muslim autonomous region passed the manifesto following a summit in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Mark Navales)

in Zamboanga City.Some 300 CSO members fromBasilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi,Maguindanao andZamboanga City participatedin the summit sponsored bytwo of the country’s largestsardine canning factories, theMega Sardines and AmadeoFishing Corporation.

“We, the undersigned,convener and members of theMovement for SustainableGood Governance in the Au-

Sept. 17-23, 20122 The Mindanao Examiner

Five influential politicians in the southern Philippines have joined the ruling party of Presi-dent Benigno Aquino and vowed to support his administration and program in Mindanao. Thefive politicians are all governors in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao – Dr. SakurTan, of Sulu province; Jum Akbar, of Basilan; Mamintal Adiong, Jr., of Lanao del Sur; EsmaelMangudadatu, of Maguindanao; and Sadikul Sahali, of Tawi-Tawi.(Mindanao Examiner Photo- Mark Navales)

More peace and development projects lined up for Sulu

Photos released by the Sulu provincial goverment show Presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles and Governor Sakur Tan with Maimbung mayor Samier Tan and other provincial andmunicipal officials during the inauguration of the P25 -million market place.

SULU - “(This is) a place of convergence and will showcasethe abundance of potential for economic enterprise ofMaimbung and the province as a whole,” and this was howPresidential peace adviser Teresita Deles described the P25-million Maimbung Integrated Public Market which she recentlyinaugurated along with Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and Mayor SamierTan.

The market project isunder the Payapa atMasaganang Pamayanan orPeaceful and Resilient Com-munities) program, which isAquino government’s peaceand development frameworkfor empowering conflict-af-fected areas in the country.

Deles said the inaugura-

tion of the modern market isthe commitment of PresidentBenigno Aquino to the peopleof Sulu though the provincialgovernment. “It is also a wayfor the people to realize thebenefits from government go-ing down to the grassroots andto send a strong signal that thegovernment is serious in mak-

ing peace a reality in conflict-prone areas,” she said.

Provincial and munici-pal officials led by Tan ex-pressed their gratitude to thePresident and his peace ad-viser for taking cognizance ofthe needs and aspirations ofthe locals and taking concreteactions by funding projectswhich will help improve thelives of the people.

“We are so thankful tothe President and to all thosewho continuously hear thepeople’s pleas for peace anddevelopment assistance and to

Secretary Deles, who has beenvery supportive of our efforts,we also thank you and all gov-ernment agencies which con-tributed largely to variousprojects in Sulu,” Tan said.

Tan also called on mar-ket stall holders to maintaincleanliness and conduct busi-ness in an orderly manner tomake the marketplace condu-cive for good economic enter-prise.

“The project is one wayto improve the lives of ourpeople. This is a big step inpursuing improve economic

activities in this municipal-ity,” the local mayor said.

He said the market isnow open for business and isfast becoming a trade centerfor other towns nearMaimbung. Several restau-rants are also opening soon inMaimbung, including a cold-storage and school that willgive free fisheries and agricul-tural education to the locals.

Tan said other notedprojects in Sulu include theProvincial Women’s Council,a hospital and site of the pro-posed new textile building in

the capital town of Jolo, hous-ing and other infrastructureprograms.

Telecommunication gi-ant, Globe Telecom, also in-stalled a new cell site, mak-ing mobile communication inMaimbung and other areaspossible.

“We have so many devel-opment projects and all theseare for the people of Sulu. Wewant peace and progress anddevelopment so we may againbring back the good old gloryof Sulu as a major trading hubin the South,” Tan said.(Mindanao Examiner)

Sept. 17-23, 2012 3The Mindanao Examiner

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Poll body disqualifies ex-Zamboanga NorPoll body disqualifies ex-Zamboanga NorPoll body disqualifies ex-Zamboanga NorPoll body disqualifies ex-Zamboanga NorPoll body disqualifies ex-Zamboanga Nortetetetetecongressman Romeo Jalosjos from voter's listcongressman Romeo Jalosjos from voter's listcongressman Romeo Jalosjos from voter's listcongressman Romeo Jalosjos from voter's listcongressman Romeo Jalosjos from voter's list

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Commission on Elections hasdisqualified former Zamboanga del Norte CongressmanRomeo Jalosjos, Sr., to vote in Zamboanga City where he isrunning for mayor in the May 2013 local and national elec-tions.

House Deputy Speaker and Zamboanga City Congresswoman Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar and her supporters in this photofrom the lawmaker's social media page.

voter here because of his con-viction.

“We at the Liberal Partyare delighted by this develop-ment and we commend theERB for upholding the rule oflaw and for resolving our op-position in a prompt and ju-dicious manner.”

“We also laud the mem-bers of the ERB for display-ing impartiality, fairness andrighteousness for the durationof the proceedings despitefrantic efforts to confuse andmuddle the issues beforethem, it is clear that the Boardhas a clear appreciation of theunderlying question thatneeded to be answered –whether or not Mr. Jalosjos isdisqualified to register as avoter by virtue of his convic-tion of the crimes of (twocounts of) Statutory Rape and(six counts of) Acts of Lascivi-ousness,” Salazar said in astatement sent to theMindanao Examiner.

Jalosjos insisted hisrights to suffrage, adding hehad served his sentence, butSalazar said Jalosjos who wassentenced to suffer “reclusionperpetua” and “reclusion tem-poral” for each count of hiscrimes.

The penalty for reclusionperpetua shall be from 20years, while reclusion tempo-ral is from 12 years. AndSalazar said Jalosjos wasgranted a mere commutationof sentence by then PresidentGloria Arroyo in 2007 which

resulted in the reduction of hisoriginal sentence.

“In other words, Mr.Jalosjos was not granted an

absolute pardon. Officialrecords with the Bureau ofCorrections also show thatMr. Jalosjos was discharged

from the National BilibidPrison only on March 18,2009, less than the 5-year pe-riod prescribed under the

Voter’s Registration Act. Ourlaws are very clear and ex-plicit on this matter,” Salazarsaid.

Jalosjos’ group said theywould appeal the decision ofthe ERB.

Salazar has appealed tocitizens to stay vigilant andprotect their votes in nextyear’s polls.

“While we are extremelypleased with this develop-ment, the ERB resolution ismerely the first step in ourcrusade to uphold the rule oflaw and ensure that it appliesequally to everyone. We fore-see further battles ahead.Thus, I implore our people tomaintain consciousness andvigilance in the coming daysin order to ensure that our ini-tial gains will be protected,that the rule of law will beupheld, and that no man, re-gardless of his wealth, influ-ence or social stature, will beallowed to circumvent ourlaws and gain undue advan-tage at the expense of ourpeople,” she said.

Zamboanga City MayorCelso Lobregat, who is on histhird and last term, alsolauded the ERB decision andrallied the locals to supportSalazar, one of the most re-spected politicians inMindanao. (Mindanao Exam-iner)

Former Zamboanga del NorteCongressman Romeo Jalosjos,Sr. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

The Election RegistrationBoard (ERB) ruled in favor ofthe petition filed byZamboanga City Congress-woman Maria IsabelleSalazar, who is also gunningfor the mayoralty post.

Salazar, also the HouseDeputy Speaker who belongsto the ruling Liberal Party ofPresident Benigno Aquino,and her supporters and politi-cal allies in Zamboanga City,praised the ERB for uphold-ing the petition they filed todisqualify Jalosjos from thelocal voter’s registration.

Jalosjos, who was con-victed in 1997 for raping an11-year old girl, was able toregister with the Commissionon Elections in ZamboangaCity, but this was opposed bySalazar on the grounds thatthe former politician is dis-qualified to register as a new

Sept. 17-23, 2012 5The Mindanao Examiner

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Sept. 17-23, 2012 7The Mindanao Examiner

HOW DO YOU SOLHOW DO YOU SOLHOW DO YOU SOLHOW DO YOU SOLHOW DO YOU SOLVE AVE AVE AVE AVE APROBLEM LIKE COAL?PROBLEM LIKE COAL?PROBLEM LIKE COAL?PROBLEM LIKE COAL?PROBLEM LIKE COAL?

MANILA - The fight againstcoal has always been a battlebetween David and Goliath.Stories from host communi-ties themselves can attest tothe fact that power, authorityand deception are the tacticsused to coerce people into “ac-cepting” coal projects.

Energy is a burgeoningproblem for the Philippinestherefore the only way to ad-dress it is thru coal energy – aline that is often repeated bythe Department of Energy.

The premise may be cor-rect but the conclusion is ab-solutely wrong. The Philip-pines is rich in renewable en-ergy. We need not look far ordig deep for coal when wehave renewable energy whosefuel is virtually free and lim-itless.

Just recently, Greenpeacealong with anti-coal commu-nities from Luzon, Visayasand Mindanao came togetherin a National Anti-Coal Sum-mit ‘to raise their oppositionto coal, reassert their rights toa safe and healthy environ-ment, and to demand that thegovernment reverse all coalprojects immediately’. Thisinitiative saw the formation ofa Nationwide Anti-Coal Net-work, the Anti COALitionand the signing of the Anti-Coal Manifesto.

COAL IS NOT CHEAPThe quest for energy has

left our government scram-bling for the “cheapest” op-tion, which is coal. This myo-pic view that coal is cheap isnot true. It only refers to thebusiness cost and underesti-mates the construction cost,and cost overruns. Given thehistoric rise of the price of

coal, due in large part to thedirect correlation of oil & coalprices globally, we run the riskof putting ourselves hostage toprice volatility.

The failure to assign arisk factor for coal-fired powerplants where it is economi-cally flawed shows that gov-ernment as well as power pro-ducers have failed to under-stand the economic realities ofcoal energy. As the cost of fi-nite fossil fuels continues toincrease, renewable energy isbecoming more competitive inan increasing range of cir-cumstances & countries.

In developed countries,coal projects are quickly be-ing cancelled and abandoned,as the upside-down economicmodel for coal-fired power hasclearly been proven untenable.It has become clear that coaleconomics is deteriorating.

TRUE COST OF COALFrom mining, burning to

disposal of coal, every link inthe chain of custody causes ir-reparable damage to peopleand the planet. The true costof coal, which is not includedin the accounting ledger orbusiness cost model of coalproponents, include climatechange, toxic pollution, de-stroyed livelihoods, displacedcommunities, health effects onthe respiratory and nervoussystems, acid rain, smog pol-lution, water scarcity and re-duced agricultural yields.

At the centre of it all,bearing the brunt of the im-pacts and the costs are the hostcommunities – themarginalized sections of soci-ety who live near power plantsthat are affected.

Communities from exist-

ing coal-fired power plants inthe Philippines have seen thedire effects of coal. In the be-ginning, coal proponentscome in as bearers of hopewith promises of employmentand a better life. However,apart from the basketballcourts, barangay clinics andfiestas that they sponsor, theyleave nothing but devastationand destruction in their wake.

Greenpeace conducted astudy on fly ash from 5 coal-fired power plants in the Phil-ippines. The results show thepresence of toxic elementssuch as aresnic, chromium,lead & mercury that can causepoisoning, cancer, neurotox-icity and developmental ef-fects in the fetus.

It may sound cold-hearted to weigh a humanbeing’s life against the cost ofa product, even one as valu-able as electricity – but that iswhat it all boils down to. Thepollution and irreparabledamage from coal-fired powerplants impose significant so-cial costs that far outweigh theretail value of the electricityfrom coal.

COAL LOCK-INThese coal plants would

lock the Philippines into threeto four decades of reliance onthis dirty and harmful fossilfuel. Coal contravenes the Re-newable Energy Law. Everycoal power plant built pre-vents renewable energyprojects from taking off, withcoal taking over the demandin the market that could oth-erwise have been supplied byRE.

DOE has said that REwill be mainstreamed only by2017. Why wait until 2017when these can be developedand harnessed today? By then,coal projects would’ve lockedus to a lifetime of coal, therebyedging out opportunity for re-newable energy to flourish.

COAL IS EQUALS TOCLIMATE CHANGE

Coal fired power plantsare the biggest source of man-made CO2 emissions, makingcoal energy the single great-est threat facing our climate.

In 2011, the Philippinestopped the list of most disas-ter prone countries in theworld, following the weather-related calamities whichclaimed over 3,000 lives, af-fected 15.3 million Filipinos,and resulted in economiclosses of over 26 billion pe-sos. It is a narrative that wehave all become familiar with– what we are experiencingnow is the ‘new normal’.

The Philippines is one ofthe most vulnerable yet leastprepared to deal with the an-ticipated and escalating im-pacts of climate change – thegreatest humanitarian andenvironmental threat theworld faces today.

While it is true that theindustrialized countries havethe greatest share of respon-sibility to avert the climatecrisis, it should not be con-strued as an excuse for devel-oping countries to continue"mimicking the destructivepath that is pushing the cli-mate to a tipping point theworld may never recoverfrom".

GO RENEWABLEFor the Philippines,

Greenpeace sees a target of50% RE by 2020. It is ambi-tious but realistic. This is agolden opportunity for thegovernment, particularly theDepartment of Energy, toimplement and enforce theRenewable Energy Law. It isalso the main agency respon-sible for translating the visionof the National RenewableEnergy Plan into reality.

President Aquino, who

has committed to phase out ofcoal and the immediate imple-mentation of the RenewableEnergy Law, said that renew-able energy will fuel our fu-ture. The decisions beingmade by Energy SecretaryAlmendras must be mindful ofdelivering the commitmentmade by the President. If hecannot implement the RE Lawand phase out coal, then he isdoing a disservice not only tothe President, but to the Fili-pino people who are his

“bosses.” As a public servanthe should be serving the in-terests of the people, and notthe coal industry. If he cannotbe held accountable to upholdthe interests of the Filipinopeople, then he must makeway for a visionary leader whowill make this sustainable fu-ture possible for the Philip-pines. (By Anna Abad. Theauthor is a climate and energycampaigner at GreenpeaceSEA-Philippines.)

NPA rebels own upattack on civilians

DAVAO CITY – Communistrebels have apologized to ci-vilian victims of a grenadeattack that targeted soldiersguarding a circus show in thesouthern Philippine city ofDavao.

The Philippine Army’s10th Infantry Division hasearlier tagged communist in-surgents as behind the attackthat left at least 47 peoplewounded. Officials saidamong those wounded in theSeptember 1 attack inPaquibato district were 13minors.

Rebel forces are ac-tively operating in DavaoCity, especially in the out-skirts where they have put upbases.

Rigoberto Sanchez, arebel spokesman for the NewPeople’s Army – MerardoArce Command, said “theNPA will take concrete mea-

sures to indemnify the victimsconsistent with the principlesof revolutionary justice andthe policies governing theNew People's Army and therevolutionary movement.”

He said the MerardoArce Command takes full re-sponsibility for the Septem-ber 1 attack at a military de-tachment in the village ofFatima in Paquibato district.

“The NPA issues thisself-criticism to apologize tothe public and the families forthe scores of casualties, in-cluding children,” he said ina statement to the regionalnewspaper Mindanao Exam-iner, adding the rebel group“erred in considering the cir-cumstances, combat intelli-gence and all pertinent opera-tional information in instigat-ing the NPA action.”

“The NPA's 1st PulangBagani Company made a

wrong decision in initiating atactical offensive against theAFP detachment located in acivilian population,” Sanchezsaid.

The rebel group has be-gun an investigation and isready to take appropriatecourses of action, to includeamong others, disciplinaryaction on the responsible unit.

“The NPA stands firmfor justice and truth and isprepared to rectify mistakes.By issuing this unflinchingpublic apology and self-criti-cism, the NPA abides with theprincipled standpoint, view-point and method adopted bythe NPA and the revolution-ary movement,” Sanchezsaid.

The NPA is fighting forthe establishment of a Maoiststate in the country.(Mindanao Examiner)

Sept. 17-23, 20128 The Mindanao Examiner

Motorists amazed by ZamboMotorists amazed by ZamboMotorists amazed by ZamboMotorists amazed by ZamboMotorists amazed by Zambocop’s dedication to dutcop’s dedication to dutcop’s dedication to dutcop’s dedication to dutcop’s dedication to dutyyyyy

Motorists in Zamboanga Citywere amazed when the saw alone police officer manning atraffic intersection despite adriving rain.

The unidentified officer,clad in vinyl raincoat and wa-ter-soaked black leather shoes,was spotted manning the traf-fic all alone at the intersection

of Tumaga village during rushhour.

Motorists blew their hornin admiration as they passedby the traffic policeman, whocontinued doing his job de-spite the bad weather.

The rare scene was wit-nessed by many motorists.(Mindanao Examiner)

A lone cop mans a traffic intersection despite a driving rain inthe village of Tumaga in Zamboanga City in the southern Phil-ippines and motorists blow their horn as they pass by to showtheir admiration to the hardworking policeman. (MindanaoExaminer Photo)

Migrants group slams RPofficials in Saudi Arabia

MANILA – The migrants’rights group in the MiddleEast has criticized Philippinelabor and welfare officials andaccused them of delaying therepatriation and for failing toprovide adequate assistance toa 72-year old sick Filipinoworker in Saudi Arabia.

John Leonard Monterona,Migrante-Middle East re-gional coordinator, citing re-ports from Migrante officersin Jeddah, identified the Fili-pino worker as Mateo Amaro,who hailed from CaloocanCity.

“Amaro is suffering fromdiabetes and tuberculosis, andno doubt his health is deterio-rating as shown on his latestphoto sent to us by our col-leagues in Jeddah,”Monterona said in a statementsent to the regional newspa-per Mindanao Examiner.

He said Amaro has beenworking without proper docu-ments in Saudi Arabia for thepast 20 years.

“His being undocumenteddeprived him to be home, justlike the thousands of undocu-mented overseas Filipinoworkers, and reunite with hisfamily,” Monterona said.

He said Migrante officersand members in Jeddah con-tributed to provided an airticket for Amaro.

“Though we already paidand secured an air ticket forOFW Amaro, still he could notbe repatriated pending the is-suance of exit clearance fromhis sponsor-employer,”Monterona said.

He said Migrante officersin Jeddah keep on followingup his repatriation from thePhilippine Labor AttachéVicente Cabe and a certainQassim, an OWWA welfare

officer in Jeddah, but bothsimply ignored their appeals.

“If only our Migrante of-ficers in Jeddah are in a posi-tion and authority to talk andnegotiate with OFW Amaro’semployer for the issuance ofhis exit clearance, then they’remore than willing to do so,”Monterona said.

Monterona noted that justrecently, Philippine LaborSecretary Rosalinda Baldozissued an order to labor offi-cials abroad to be ready toserve Filipino workers, butthis does not hold true in thecase of Amaro.

“We call on SecretaryBaldoz and Welfare Adminis-trator Dimzon to recall andreplace Labor Attache VicenteCabe and Welfare OfficerQassim, as both were negli-gent on their respective dutiesand have been a subject ofnumerous complaints fromdistress OFWs,” Monteronasaid.

A photo released by the Migrante-Middle East to the regionalnewspaper Mindanao Examiner shows Filipino worker MateoAmaro.

‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’ projectsuccessful in Davao Oriental

DAVAO CITY – Philippinetroops and students and theirteachers have participated inthe Harvest Festival in thesouthern province of DavaoOriental, an army spokesper-son said.

Lt. Ice Achanzar said thefestival yielded over 30 kilosof bitter gourd and 1,000bundles of Chinese cabbagefrom the 400-square meter ofvegetable farm in the town ofLupon.

She said government mi-litias and soldiers from the72nd Infantry Battalion werejoined by students and teach-ers from the Tagugpo HighSchool, including village of-ficials. The farm is where thearmy maintains a patrol baseon the request of municipal of-ficials and civilians to protectthem from lawless elements.

Achanzar said militarydetachment “Gulayan” isamong the model projects onvegetable production usingorganic fertilizer especiallyprepared by the CAFGU Ac-tive Auxiliary and army sol-diers who were trained by the

Department of Agriculture.Lt. Benedict Joy Corpuz,

commander of the battalion’sBravo Company, said theywould extend technical exper-tise and manpower to trainand assist the so-called“Gulayan sa PaaralanProjects’ and will expand thisto other areas.

“We hope to motivate andorganize youth and students tosupport Gulayan sa PaaralanProject and hopefully encour-age them to bring the technol-

ogy in their respective homeshaving Davao Oriental beingrich in agricultural lands,”Col. Reuben Basiao, the bat-talion commander, said in astatement sent to theMindanao Examiner.

Basiao said they are put-ting efforts to transform theCAFGU Active Auxiliary, in-volving in various commu-nity-based activities to supportthe local chiefs in their respec-tive areas in creating produc-tive and secure communities.

The successful “Gulayan sa Paaralan” project in DavaoOriental’s Lupon town.

Sept. 17-23, 2012 9The Mindanao Examiner

Zambo folks air concernsover asphalt factory pollutionZAMBOANGA CITY – Vil-lagers have complained aboutthe air pollution caused bythick smoke billowing from ahuge chimney of a factory inthe southern Philippine portcity of Zamboanga.

One resident said the fac-tory produces asphalt and usu-ally operates at night in thevillage of Boalan. Localhealth inspectors have sur-veyed the area during day

time, but it was not immedi-ately known why the factoryoperates during the night.

It was not immediatelyknown whether Departmentof Environment and NaturalResources o its local counter-part inspected the factory.

Residents fear the pollu-tion would cause respiratoryand other health problems,particularly to children andthose who have weak immunesystem. (Mindanao Examiner)

ARMY VOWS TO HUNT DOWN AMBUSHERS OF ZAMBO TRIBE CHIEFARMY VOWS TO HUNT DOWN AMBUSHERS OF ZAMBO TRIBE CHIEFPAGADIAN CITY – ThePhilippine Army has vowed tohelp police forces in huntingdown other assailants taggedas behind the ambush of atribal chieftain and his son inZamboanga del Sur provincein Mindanao.

Maj. Gen. RicardoRainier Cruz III, commanderof the 1st Infantry Division,said he ordered troops to helpthe provincial police in track-ing down those behind theambush that killed a 12-yearold son, Jordan Manda, ofTimuay Luciano Manda.

Manda was also woundedin the attack this month thatoccurred in the town of Bayog.

"We will continue to sup-port the police in this investi-gation in order to apprehendother personalities involved inthis heinous crime," Cruz toldthe regional newspaper,Mindanao Examiner.

Soldiers from the 53rdInfantry Battalion and police-men had captured two menimplicated in the ambush thatalso left the tribal leaderwounded.

The suspects - ColoyEntag, 26, and Marlon Luao,25, - were captured in the vil-lage of Conacon, whereManda, a Subanon triballeader, is also the villagechieftain.

Manda has positivelyidentified the two men as theiralleged attackers.

Luao was arrested follow-ing a chase in Conacon vil-lage while his accomplice hadbeen nabbed in a hideout alsoin Bayog town. Several weap-ons were seized by soldiersand policemen from Luao.

Cruz said criminalcharges have been filedagainst the suspects in theambush and that authoritiesare investigating the motive ofthe attack or who was themastermind behind it.

Cruz commended the sol-

diers for assisting the localpolice in their investigationthat led to the arrest of Entagand Luao.

Manda was bringing hisson to school when six gun-men ambushed them near thevillage of Conacon. The mo-tive of the attack is still un-known.

He also denied publishedreports which branded him asan anti-mining advocate. Hesaid he did not release anystatement and that nobody in-terviewed him either person-ally, by phone or text message.

The Alyansa Tigil Mina,an anti-mining group, in anews statement sent to media,quoted Manda as saying: “Inmy effort to assert our rightsand to protect our people andancestral domain, my belovedson was sacrificed. It is verypainful and I thirst for justice.I vow to continue my strugglein order not to make my son'sdeath in vain. I need your sup-port in this most trying timeof my life as a father and aleader.”

Manda also denied mak-ing such statement to thegroup. “While I appreciate thesympathy of some groupsabout what happened andtheir condemnation to the as-sailants, I cannot afford tomake this matter as their av-enue for expressing their anti-mining advocacy to which Ido not subscribe.”

“To set the recordstraight, I am not anti-mining.I am instead anti-illegal min-ing. I am a government offi-cial - a barangay captain ofBarangay Conacon, Munici-pality of Bayog, Zamboangadel Sur - and I swore to up-hold the law. We have ourlaws in mining and other en-vironmental laws. On theother hand, I am calling theattention of those who mineof those who are planning tomine in our ancestral lands

without valid or legal docu-ments to stop now. You onlybring trouble in our peacefulcommunity and destruction toour environment,” Mandasaid in a statement sent to theMindanao Examiner.

Manda called on thosewho are into illegal miningactivities in Bayog, but are notfrom the town, to stop exploit-ing the indigenous peopleleave now.

He also appealed to Presi-dent Benigno Aquino to stopthe illegal mining activities inBayog town. “There must besomething wrong why the lawcannot be enforced effectivelyin our place. Let this tragicincident be a wake-up call toall government officials con-cerned,” he said. (MindanaoExaminer)

225 OFWs in Syria seek refuge in RP EmbassyMANILA - Some 225 Filipinoworkers have sought refuge atthe Philippine embassy in theSyrian capital of Damascus asthey await emergency repa-triation to escape the strife inthe Western Asian nation.

Syria has waived theFilipinos’ exit visa followinga negotiation by PhilippineForeign Affairs SecretaryAlbert Del Rosario to allowthe workers to leave the coun-try.

The migrant’s rightsgroup called Migrante-MiddleEast has welcomed the Syria’sdecision to waive the requiredexit visa or clearance for some225 Filipino workers who aretemporarily seeking refuge atthe Philippine Embassy inDamascus.

“While we welcome theSyria waiver on exit visaclearances so that the 225stranded OFWs could be re-patriated, the DFA honchosshould have done this lastyear,” John LeonardMonterona, Migrante’s re-gional coordinator, said in astatement sent to theMindanao Examiner.

OFW refers to overseasFilipino workers.

He noted that the publicand various OFW groups havebeen demanding in the pastfrom the Department of For-eign Affairs to assess the de-teriorating peace and ordercondition in Syria so that anappropriate evacuation andrepatriation plan havepromptly been implementedby the Philippine governmentwithout waiting for the situa-tion to deteriorate.

Monterona said the livesand safety of the strandedOFWs have been compro-mised by the late action of thePhilippines to negotiate forthe exit visas of the workers.He said there are still a con-siderable numbers of OFWsstill trapped in Syria wherepro-democracy groups arefighting oppressive govern-ment forces.

“To our conservative es-timates, there are still around2,000 OFWs trapped all overSyria, awaiting to be rescuedand evacuated, aside fromthose 225 Filipinos nowhoused at the Philippine em-bassy,” he said.

“It is not yet mission ac-complished. Evacuation ef-forts to secure our fellowOFWs in safe refuges are stillwanting, and it’s the most dif-ficult task. The Philippinegovernment through the DFAmust continue to explore withthe Syria govt. how the re-maining trapped OFWs allover Syria could be rescuedand evacuated to safer placesand eventually be repatri-ated,” he added. (MindanaoExaminer)Operasyon vs. ASG tuloy sa Basilan

Ipinagutos ng PhilippineArmy sa mga tropa nito saBasilan na tugusin anggrupong Abu Sayyaf na siyangnasa likod ng mga ambush ngmga rubber farm workers samagulong lalawigan.

Samantala, inilabasnaman ni Maj. Gen. RicardoRainier Cruz III, commanderng 1st Infantry Division, angmga nasa likod ng ambush

nitong buwan lamang sabayan ng Sumisip na pumataysa isang sibilyan at 36 rin angsugatan sa pag-atake ng magrebelde sa truck ng mgabiktima.

Nakilala ang mga liderng Abu Sayyaf na maykinalaman sa atake na sinaWims Wakil, Umair Wakil,Abul Wakil, Madie Sahirin,Kursie Sahirin at Cabot

Atatul.“The cooperation of the

civilian populace with themilitary and police shouldcontinue so that we may pre-vent future terror attacks inthe province,” ani Cruz sapanayam ng Mindanao Exam-iner.

Personal na tinututukanni Cruz ang operasyon ngmilitar sa Basilan at umapelaito sa mga sibilyan naipagatuloy ang kanilang

pagbibigay ng impormasyonukol sa mga rebelde atmasasamang loob upangmatuldukan na ang karahasanng Abu Sayyaf.

"Civilians have been pro-viding information about therebel group and other lawlesselements to police and mili-tary in Basilan and we arethankful to them for support-ing us," wika pa ni Cruz.(Mindanao Examiner)

Maj. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz IIIgestures during an interview with theMindanao Examiner newspaper.

Sept. 17-23, 201210 The Mindanao Examiner