Zambo mayor orders police
to solve shooting incidents
Dismayed by the increasing cases of shooting incidents, the mayor here has ordered the local police on Monday to exhaust all means to effect the arrests of suspects and provide immediate solution to the predicament.
This, as Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has tasked Senior Supt. Luisito Magnaye, Zamboagna City Police Office (ZCPO) director, to have suspects apprehended in each shooting incident soonest.
“Tell all police units to double time. Zamboanga City cannot have another shooting incident in broad daylight,” Salazar declared.
Describing the surge in cases as “very glaring”, Salazar said police visibility should be reinforced or fortified to discourage malefactors and ultimately deter crimes.
Last Friday, a car dealer set to wed the following day, was shot shortly before noontime at Don Alfaro Street in Barangay Tetuan, this city.
Prior to that, a number of other incidents including the massacre of eight fishing boat crew in Soromon Island in the east coast of this city and the murder of a college student in Barangay Lunzuran were reported.
Salazar added that stronger collaboration between the police and military should also be ensured to guarantee security and safety of the residents. (PNA)
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Flash flood hits Zamboanga del
Norte towns; 4 dead, 1 missing
Five persons, including four children, died while another remained missing after they were swept by flash flood that hit several areas in the nearby province of Zamboanga del Norte.
Two towns namely Roxas and Jose Dalman were placed under the state of calamity as the two municipalities were severely affected by the flash flood triggered by heavy downpour since Monday brought about by inclement weather.
Sr. Supt. Edwin Buenaventura Wagan, Zamboanga del Norte police director, identified the fatalities as Lean Denise, 5; Arann Zurc, 3; and Christine Etam, 7, all of Roxas town; Jomar Rivera, 14, of Katipunan; and, Dominador Meraveles, 80, of Manukan.
Wagan said the remains of the fatalities were recovered Tuesday in separate areas.
Wagan identified the missing person as Jeremie Tawat, seven of Barangay Mate, Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte.
He said efforts continue to locate the missing girl.
The municipal councils of Roxas and Jose Dalman has passed a resolution declaring the two municipalities under the state of calamity due to severe damage caused by the flash flood.
Roxas Mayor Jan Henrick Vallecer said that at least PhP 100 - million worth of agricultural products, livestock and properties were destroyed.
Jose Dalman Mayor Rachel Ferrater said they have yet to determine the worth of destruction caused by the flash flood in their town.
She said some of the affected families, especially those staying in low-lying areas, remained at the gymnasium of Jose Dalman.
Wagan said that Barangays Uyan and Barangay Ilaya in Dapitan City are now passable to all types of vehicles as the water rescinded. (PNA)
New Westmincom chief given 6 months to
defeat ASG, Maute group, and illegal drugs
All unit commanders of the military forces here in Western Mindanao area had been ordered to personally lead their men to victory against the enemies of the state.
Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez, newly-installed Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, issued the order on Tuesday as he was given six months to defeat the Abu Sayyaf Group, Maute terror group and illegal drugs.
“Do not let your lieutenants fight for their lives. You have to fight with them, with our men, lead them to victory,” Galvez stressed.
Galvez said he was always with his men leading from the front line “in more than 40 encounters” during his stint as former commander of the Army’s 1st Scout Ranger Battalion.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Ano installed Galvez on Tuesday as the new Westmincom commander replacing Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo Dela Cruz.
“I want you to roll your sleeves and start working as Westmincom commander,” Ano told Galvez as they immediately flew to Tawi-Tawi and Sulu provinces after the change of command ceremony.
Galvez told all the unit commanders to do their homework in planning and preparation and execute it with accuracy and precision.
“Gentlemen train hard and fight hard. We cannot win the Abu Sayyaf by sticking to the box-type defense strategy and maintain sector defense framework. We should be creative. Get out of our comfort zone and device a plan in which we can fight accurately and overwhelm the enemy completely,” he said.
He said he have applied such kind of principle during the 2002 all-out war with the Abu Sayyaf Group then led by Khadaffy Janjalani, Isnilon Hapilon and Radulan Sahiron.
“The results were very bloody, but we never lost a battle and never lost even a single rifle to the enemy,” he said.
He also told all the unit commanders to involve the active participation of local government units, police, tribal leaders, and religious sector “in our fight against the ASG, Maute terror and against illegal drugs.”
“They are the core group that can create a strategic alliance in isolating our enemies,” he added.
Ano has assured Galvez of his full support in addressing the problems in the area of jurisdiction of Westmincom.
Dela Cruz, who was replaced by Galvez, is set to assume as the new Inspector General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (PNA)
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Solon allocates P 6-M to support
Zambo police drug rehab program
First District representative Celso Lobregat here has allocated PhP 6 - million to support the drug rehabilitation program of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO).
The fund would be used to finance the implementation of “Project HOPE” that is aimed to rehabilitate the drug personalities, who surrendered through the Oplan “Tokhang.”
Sr. Supt. Luisito Magnaye, ZCPO director, conceptualized HOPE, which stands for “Healing in Oneness and Policing through Education."
“The help of Congressman Lobregat is really a big factor in maximizing our efforts in the campaign against the use of illegal drugs as well as to maximize Project HOPE to all our target barangays in the city, we thank the solon for this huge favor,” he said.
Magnaye noted that 10,000 drug personalities have surrendered through the implementation of “Oplan Tokhang” in this city.
He said they are willing to undergo rehabilitation and to start a new life.
Lobregat said the PhP 6 - M allocation was sourced out from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Lobregat has regular livelihood programs for the less fortunate individuals and calamity victims that are implemented through the three government agencies.
Magnaye said they appreciated the gesture of Lobregat in being sincere in his intentions in assisting them to rehabilitate the drug personalities.
Drug personalities refer to either pushers or users of illegal drugs.
Magnaye said he foresees the success of Project HOPE with the assistance of Lobregat. (PNA)
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Military: Abu Sayyaf behind
Basilan roadside bomb blast
The military has blamed the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) as the ones behind the roadside bomb explosion that killed one person and injured another in Basilan province on Sunday.
Col. Thomas Donato, Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade commander, said the incident occurred around 4 p.m. Sunday in Barangay Sabong, Lamitan City, Basilan.
Donato said the improvised bomb fashioned out as a landmine was placed along the side of the Basilan circumferential road.
Killed was Saibi Haddalun and wounded was Haddalun’s mother, Neneng, according to the Lamitan City police.
Donato said the bombing was the handiwork of ASG brigands targeting soldiers passing along the circumferential road but unfortunately civilians were victimized.
He ordered to strengthen the conduct of security patrols to ensure the protection of the residents. (PNA)
DOLE expands ban on
employment of minors
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday expanded the coverage of the ban on the employment of minors in agriculture and livestock farming in a bid to prevent young people from exposure to hazardous work conditions.
Based on Department Order No. 149-A issued by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, it classified other work and related farming activities such as plant propagation activities that involve grafting, budding and marcotting, and tending activities that involve weeding of soil, as hazardous and among the worst forms of child labor.
Also classified dangerous are handling, spraying and application of harmful fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals; and loading and carrying of heavy loads.
The order also strengthens the existing ban on the employment of minors in farm activities such as clearing of land, plowing, harrowing, irrigating, constructing paddy dike and cutting.
"Child workers are compelled to help augment their families’ meager income by engaging in hazardous work. That is why the labor department will strictly monitor and assess occupational safety and health standards (OSHS) related to child labor,” Bello said in a statement.
In making sure that OSHS is strictly followed, the DOLE chief noted that it would ensure that workers' employment does not endanger their life, safety, health and morals, nor impair their normal development.
The DOLE order also prevented minors to work in harvesting activities that involve cutting and picking, spreading for drying, hauling, topping, tumbling, tuxying, stripping, burning of field, sticking and classifying, threshing, loading and carting of produce.
In post-harvest, young workers may not be employed in de-husking, scooping, sacking of products, charcoal making, hauling of products as led by animal guide, loading and unloading of packed farm products, coconut kilning and de-meating from shell or core, sealing and carting of produce for warehousing and transport to market and all ancillary work such as clearing, cleaning, and recycling of farm waste in its preparation as animal food and other related processes.
In livestock farming, the work and related activities that are declared hazardous to minors include: rearing such as collecting, loading, unloading and transporting of feeds, maintenance and care of large and/or dangerous animals, collecting and disposal of dead animals, animal manure and other waste materials, administering of vaccines and vitamins, and handling of disinfectants used for cleaning animal pens/enclosures or for disinfecting animals.
Likewise, minors are not allowed to engage in harvesting activities that involve catching or collecting, ranching, and milking in preparation for warehousing or transport to market, and post-harvest activities including the packaging and processing of dairy and other animal by-products in preparation for warehousing and transport to market; and working in slaughterhouses or abattoirs. (PNA)
House to start Cha-cha debates 6
months from now -- House Speaker
By Filane Mikee Cervantes
By Filane Mikee Cervantes
House of Representatives is expected to convene as a constituent assembly six months from now and begin deliberations on the proposed revision of the Constitution for a shift to a parliamentary form of government, according to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
In an interview on Tuesday, Alvarez noted that President Rodrigo Duterte has already signed an Executive Order creating a 25-member body tasked to study proposed changes to the charter.
The Commission will be composed of experts in their respective fields, tasked to prepare a proposed draft of a new constitution that would be submitted to Congress for debate and deliberation.
"The only thing that we're waiting for is the appointment of the members of the Constitutional Commission. As soon as the appointments are made, hopefully by this month, the Commission could already start with its work," said Alvarez.
"And maybe in six-months' time we can already convene Congress as a constituent assembly so that we could debate and deliberate on the submission of the Constitutional Commission," he added.
Alvarez said the lower chamber will be preoccupied with the task of tackling pending bills while waiting for the submission of the draft charter from the Con-Com.
He stressed that while Congress will use as starting point of its deliberation on the draft submitted by the Con-Com, they are not bound to merely accept or reject the proposed charter changes.
"The debates will be lengthy, and of course by that time we will be busy tackling the budget for 2018. That’s why I really expect that the House of Representatives will be working thoroughly," said Alvarez.
The House leader also expressed optimism that Congress would be up to the task of overhauling the entire Constitution, noting that the draft of a new charter marks a major departure from the provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
The shift to a federal form of government is one of the key campaign promises of Duterte during the 2016 presidential elections.
Comelec mum on Marcos' camp claims on data in
SD cards from unused VCMs in May 2016 polls
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) refused to comment on the claims of the camp of former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., stating that the presence of data in the Secure Digital (SD) cards sourced from unused vote counting machines (VCMs) proves that there was electoral fraud in the May 2016 polls.
Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez refused to further comment on the issue since the case is pending before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET).
“This is a live case. And so any comment outside of that forum is potentially inappropriate,” he explained.
Likewise, Jimenez said it would be premature to interpret the alleged data found in the SD cards since the decryption process remains ongoing.
“The most prudent course of action now is to await the result of the decrypting process,” he added.
On Monday, Lawyer Victor Rodriguez, Marcos' spokesperson questioned the data found in the SD cards when the VCMs should have been unused.
This was after the ongoing decryption of the SD cards from unused VCMs at the Comelec main office showed that 13 of the 26 SD cards were found to have folders containing data.
Jimenez added it is expected from the camp of the former lawmaker to issue such claims.
“The statements (of Marcos camp) appear to be speculative in character and are, unsurprisingly, consistent with their theory. However, this does not mean that they are accurate,” he explained.
In the May 2016 vice presidential race, Marcos got only 14,155,344 votes as against Vice President Leni Robredo's 14,418,817 votes.
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Palace welcomes EU plan to
help PHL's drug rehab efforts
Malacanang welcomed on Tuesday a plan of the European Union (EU) to offer support in the illegal drug campaign and drug rehabilitation efforts in the Philippines.
"As the Duterte administration gains ground in the war on drugs, the Palace welcomes all plans and offers of help without conditions for the country’s drug rehabilitation program including those coming from the European Union," Abella said in a press statement.
EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen reportedly said the EU is looking to divert funding from within the health sector to the drug problem.
Jessen said the EU is now coordinating with the Department of Health (DOH) on how it can help the Duterte administration’s rehabilitation program for illegal drug dependents.
Abella said the Palace expects better ties between the Philippines and EU, noting “that there are issues for stronger areas of cooperation such as trade, justice and security, and economic development.”
Some countries, particularly China and Japan, have already expressed support in the Philippines’ war on drugs particularly on its rehabilitation and treatment programs for drug dependents.
In November last year, President Rodrigo Duterte led the inauguration of mega drug rehabilitation facility in Nueva Ecija.
Donated by Chinese billionaire philanthropist Huang Rulun, the mega drug rehab center can house 10,000 in-patients once the construction of the 60,000-square meter facility is completed.
Duterte administration’s war on drug has been considered a success after more than one million drug personalities surrendered to authorities in just the first six months of the campaign.
According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), drug problem has contaminated over 3 million Filipinos, prompting President Duterte to wage bloody war against drug menace.
The campaign has already left 2,212 drug pushers and users dead in legitimate police operations and over 44,000 arrested drug dependents.