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22 ZAMBO NEWS ON LINE

Zamboanga Medical center

upgraded to 800B capacity

 

 The government-run Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) is hiring additional personnel as it was recently upgraded to an 800-bed from 500-bed capacity.
Dr. Afdal Kunting, ZCMC spokesperson, on Thursday said the additional personnel and bed capacity aims to better serve the public.
Kunting said the additional personnel to be hired include physicians, nurses and other hospital staffs.
Kunting said the additional 300 beds will be allocated for the specialty center such as the Neuro Center, Cardiac Center, Cancer Center, and Trauma Center.
He said they are rushing the completion of the four-storey building, known as the Tower 1, that would house the different centers.
ZCMC is also serving patients from nearby areas in the region to include Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, which is already part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
ZCMC serves some 1,200 patients daily through its Out-Patient Department alone. It is one of the government-run hospitals directly managed by the Department of Health (DOH).
Others are the Mindanao Central Sanitarium; Labuan Hospital; Basilan General Hospital; Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital; Margosatubig Regional Hospital, and Sulu Sanitarium. 

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Zamcelco uses gen sets

to meet power demand

 

The Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) is utilizing generators to cope with the power demand of its consumers.
This came after Zamcelco stopped acquiring power since February this year from the Western Mindanao Power Corporation (WMPC), which used to supply some 50 megawatts (MW) to the cooperative.
Roewe Endaya, administrative officer of Crown-DESCO, which has taken over the operations of debt-ridden Zamcelco, told the Philippine News Agency that they have already installed a 6-MW generator in Barangay Talisayan to augment power supply to consumers in this city's west coast area.
Endaya said that another unit of generator with a 10-MW capacity will be installed at the Cabatangan sub-station in two to three weeks time.
Endaya assured the electric consumers that there will be no immediate power rate increase even though they are utilizing generators to boost the power firm's output. He noted that any power rate increase should be approved first by the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
Crown-DESCO, which is now managing Zamcelco through an Investment Management Contract (IMC), decided to stop its power supply agreement with WMPC after alleging that the latter had over-billed the cooperative several times.
As a result, Zamcelco imposed a two-hour rotational blackout as a response to the decreased power supply.
Zamcelco is currently being supplied by San Miguel Power Corporation (60-MW), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation (5-MW), Efinity (8-MW), Putik sub-station generators (10-MW), and the Talisayan-based 6-MW generator. (PNA)

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4 suspects nabbed in Zambo

Sur ex-vice mayor slay try

 

ILIGAN CITY--Four suspects have been held by the police in the Lanao del Norte town of Maigo in connection with the gun attack on a former Zamboanga del Sur mayor Wednesday morning (March 20), an official said.
Police Captain Jake Peralta, chief of Maigo Municipal Police Station, said four men onboard a black pick-up vehicle was flagged down at a checkpoint minutes after the shooting incident that wounded Naciancino Pacalioga, a former mayor and vice mayor in Dumingag town, Zamboanga del Sur.
A police report said Pacalioga, 57, had just got out from his vehicle in Barangay Esperanza, Bacolod in Lanao del Norte to urinate when he was shot by unidentified suspects on a motorbike.
He was on his way to the Zamboanga del Sur from Iligan City when the incident happened.
Peralta said the suspects "will be turned-over to Bacolod Municipal Police Station that has jurisdiction over the case" after their own investigation.
Chief Insp. Salman Saad, Lanao del Norte provincial police information officer, said Pacalioga is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Iligan City.
Saad said firearms recovered from them will be subjected to paraffin tests and other procedures through the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO).
Pacalioga served as mayor of Dumingag town from 2007 to 2016 and as town vice mayor in 2016.
He was dismissed from his post in 2017 by the Office of the Ombudsman for deliberately omitting several properties from his 2011, 2012, and 2014 Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).
He was charged with “Falsification of Official Document and Serious Dishonesty’ for not declaring 10 parcels of land located in different barangays in Dumingag town.
Pacalioga was indicted with three counts of perjury and three counts of violation of Section 8 in relation to Section 11 of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act No. 6713). 

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Duterte permanently ends

peace talks with communists

 

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday officially announced the permanent termination of the peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Duterte made the announcement that drew applause while delivering his speech during the 122nd Philippine Army (PA) founding anniversary in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

“I am officially announcing the permanent termination of our talks between the Government Panel and the Communist Party of the Philippines,” he said.

Duterte said he will no longer entertain “any interventions or maybe persuasions in this democratic state of the Republic of the Philippines”.

“My sense is that you can maybe talk to the next president of this Republic one day,” said Duterte, whose term will end in 2022.

The President mentioned the government's preference for localized peace engagements.

"It is, indeed, very important to engage stakeholders and communities in combatting insurgency and preventing the spread of extremist ideologies, and I believe that empowering Indigenous Peoples and others in this regard is the key to this fight," he said.

Duterte said the communist rebels' call for land reform is already being done under his administration.

Land reform

“You know I have, to date, distributed something like --- 60,000 hectares to land beneficiaries. I mean the only way to make the issue of communism and you know of commonality of things is that you make them irrelevant,” Duterte said.

“And sinasabi ko naman sa komunista hindi naman kayo ang marunong mag-distribute ng lupa (I tell communists that they do not know how to distribute land). I have been at it actually ever since I became President," he added.

The President said the CPP-NPA, which was declared by the US and European Union as terrorist organization, are also land grabbers.

"It’s not only other people are land grabbers. Communists are. So ‘yung mga asosasyon nila (their associations) amongst the inner group, iyong mga manggagawa na walang ginagawa (those workers doing nothing). Then they try to fish out the lands that they would give to the people. Iyong nangyari doon (What happened there) was they were depriving the original tenants there because they wanted the association to control the distribution," he said.

Army’s gains

Meanwhile, Duterte congratulated the “brave men and women in uniform” for their significant accomplishments in both internal and civil-military operations in many parts of the country.

He described the Army’s accomplishments for the last 122 years as testament of their “unwavering commitment to defend our institutions and our democratic way of life”.

Duterte said through unrelenting efforts of the Filipino soldiers, they have successfully conducted over 550,000 operations resulting in the recovery of almost 6,000 firearms, neutralization of more than 600 families of the enemies, the surrender, and capture and apprehension of over 1,700 lawless elements.

“May these gains inspire you, our valiant soldiers, to never waver in your commitment to perform your duties. Intensify our focused military operations against communist terrorist groups so that, alongside our [civil-military] operations, we may persuade more of their members to surrender and return to the folds of the law,” Duterte said.

His administration, he said, will continue to promote the welfare of the soldiers and their families through decent housing programs.

“We target to complete by June another five condominium buildings for the senior army officers and their families,” Duterte said.

“I assure you that we will continue to pursue these programs as an expression of the Filipino people’s appreciation for all that you have done for our country. Indeed, we are all truly indebted to you for risking life and limb for love of country,” he added.

On Wednesday, Malacañang announced the termination of the appointments of government peace negotiators with communist rebels.

Among those whose appointment papers were terminated include that of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III as chief government negotiator, and government peace panel members Antonio Arellano, Hernani Braganza, Angela Librado-Trinidad and Rene Sarmiento.

On November 23, 2017, Duterte signed Proclamation 360 declaring the termination of peace negotiations with the communists, citing the CPP-NPA-NDF’s supposed failure to show sincerity to the peace process.

In December 2018, Duterte issued EO 70 which institutionalized a whole-of-nation approach in attaining peace and created a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. (PNA)

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Sayyaf in standoff

undergoes inquest

A self-confessed member of the renegade Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) who was among those who fought off the military during government operations to rescue Malaysian hostages last March 15 underwent inquest proceedings Thursday at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Karah Musa Salapuddin a.k.a. Cesar, 49, of Tungkil, Jolo, Sulu, was presented by law enforcement officials led by Sgt. Roliver Pascua of Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) before Assistant State Prosecutor Ethel Rea G. Suril at the DOJ.

Charges of frustrated multiple murder and illegal possession were filed against Salapuddin for his alleged involvement in the incident in Banguingui, Sulu.

A preliminary investigation was ordered on the case by the prosecutor on March 28.

Two members of the Philippine Marines were wounded and about 500 residents were forced to flee during operations on the island in Banguingui, Sulu where the ASG, led by sub leader Salip Mura, reportedly held two Malaysian nationals in captivity.

The encounter resulted in the wounding of Marine soldiers Corporal Syruss Valenzuela and Private Jude Louiss B Nabalan. 

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Duterte asks Misuari to

form negotiating panel

 

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has asked Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari to form a negotiating panel to address his group's concerns.

Duterte made this response to Misuari when they met in Malacañang on Tuesday and the MNLF leader told the President that he will go to war if the proposed shift to a federal system will not materialize.

“Sabi ni Misuari kagabi (Misuari said last night), ‘If you do not give it to me, let me be very honest: I will go to war.’ Sabi ko (I replied), I understand that Nur. So ganito na lang gawin natin (So here's what we will do). Let’s form a panel because we have to inform the people. We cannot negotiate secretly here," Duterte said in his speech during the campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Marikina City on Wednesday night.

“Sabi ko para (I said, so that) day to day they will be briefed kung ano outcome, how gusto mo ma-apply yungfederal system sa gusto mo, gaya ba ng BOL o different type. (What the outcome, how you want to apply the federal system the way you want. Would it be like the Bangsamoro Organic Law or a different type),” he added.

The President said Misuari expressed his desire for federalism which was promised to his group since the administration of former President Corazon Aquino.

"Iyan ang inaasahan ng mga Moro para magkaroon naman sila, magkaroon, mabawi nila ‘yung mga lupa na inagaw ng mga pari, mga Español pati Amerikano (That is what Moros expect for them to regain the lands grabbed by the priests, Spaniards, Americans)," he said.

Duterte met with Misuari after the MILF leader returned from an overseas trip.

“Misuari kagabi galing siya abroad, (Misuari returned from abroad last night) I allowed him to go out kasi may kaso siya. Sabi ko (because he is facing charges. I told him) when you come back come here, we’ll talk,” Duterte said.

The President said National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. and Palace Spokesman Salvador Panelo were present when he met with Misuari.

Duterte earlier said he “admired” Misuari's patience in peace negotiations.

Meanwhile, Panelo said Misuari "was very happy" with the President's response to form a negotiating panel.  

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Over 3K gun ban

violators nabbed

 

More than 3,000 persons have been arrested for violating the election gun ban.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson, Col. Bernard Banac said as of 6 a.m. Thursday a total of 3,105 persons have been apprehended in 350,663 police operations since the implementation of the gun ban by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last January 13.

Of this number, 1,690 suspects were intercepted during police patrol operations, 637 through search warrants, and 504 during “Oplan Bakal, Sita, Galugad” operations.

Banac said the figures include 234 persons apprehended in checkpoints and 40 others during the serving of warrants of arrest.

He said 2,924 of those arrested are civilians while the other 57 were security guards; 44 were government and elected officials; 32 were police officers; five were military personnel; seven were law enforcers; two members of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology; and three foreign nationals.

Authorities have also arrested 23 persons from “threat groups” and six from private armed groups.

Banac added that the PNP has so far confiscated a total of 2,603 firearms (includes small, light, and others -- sumpak, improvised or homemade guns) and 22,930 deadly weapons which include grenades and other explosives, bladed/pointed weapons, ammunition and gun replicas.

The mid-term elections will be held on May 13 but the gun ban will last until June 12, according to the Comelec.

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Zambo City to mark Gen.

Aguinaldo’s 150th birth

 

The city government will lead on Friday the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the Filipino revolutionary leader who became the first Philippine president.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar will lead the Friday flag-raising ceremony at the City Hall grounds in recognition of the revolutionary leader who fought for Philippine Independence during the Spanish and American regimes.
Aguinaldo became the first President of the Republic of the Philippines under the Malolos Congress.
The celebration of the 150th birthday anniversary of Aguinaldo is pursuant to Memorandum Circular 2019-37 issued March 11, 2019 by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año.
The memorandum enjoins all local chief executives “to conduct simple but meaningful commemorative activities such as flag raising and wreath laying rites, display the Philippine flag and Emilio Aguinaldo logo in offices and other related activities in their respective localities.”
Aguinaldo was a Filipino revolutionary, politician and military leader who is officially recognized as the first and the youngest President of the Philippines and first president of a constitutional republic in Asia. 

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18 March 2019

No ongoing voter registration activities: listing over Comelec

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The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday advised the public that it is no longer holding voter registration activities for now.

“Comelec registration ended as early as last year. There is no ongoing registration of any kind. We don’t have an ongoing biometrics registration now,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in an interview.

“So if there are those in your barangay inviting you to have your biometrics taken so you can vote on Election Day, that is not true,” he added.

The last time the Comelec conducted voter registration was from July 2 to September 29, 2018.

Jimenez explained that only the Election Day Computerized Voters' List (EDCVL) being held by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) is the legitimate list.

He noted that the public should not believe the list being claimed by some people or their barangay as the EDCVL is the only true list they should look at.

“But the list from the barangays are not the basis if you can vote or not. The list we are using is the one held by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI),” Jimenez said.

He added that the use of the “fake” voters list is to prevent people from voting.

“Its purpose is actually to defeat your right to vote by preventing you from voting, by telling you that you are not a voter,” the Comelec official said. 

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Dry spell damages 84 hectares

of crops in Zamboanga City

The Office of the City Agriculturist here said at least 84.6 hectares of assorted crops worth PHP2.5 million have been damaged by the prolonged dry spell brought about by the El Niño weather phenomenon.

Carmencita Sanchez, OIC city agriculturist, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that 73.1 hectares of the damaged area are planted with rice worth PHP2.06 million. The affected rice fields are located in the barangays of Ayala, Cabaluay, Culianan, Talabaan, Licomo, and Limaong.

Sanchez said 9.5 hectares are planted with corn worth PHP395,200; and two hectares planted with assorted vegetables worth PHP66,700.
She said damaged farms planted with corn are located in barangays Lamisahan, Sibulao and Vitali, while those planted with vegetables are situated in Cabaluay, Salaan, Manicahan, Bunguiao, and Tagasilay.

An information caravan has been conducted to help farmers cushion the effects of the El Niño, the official said.

“We will continue the advocacy so that the effects of El Niño would not drastically change the lives of our farmers because they are informed and prepared,” she said.

She added that the local government will also provide palay and vegetable seeds, food-for-work and training programs to help the farmers recover. (PNA)

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LTO to implement Motorcycle

Crime Prevention Act of 2017

By Letty Militante

The Land Transportation Office or LTO is  only the enforcer or  agency for the implementation of Senate Bill No. 1397 or the  Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2017.

The SB No. 1397 authored by Senator Richard Gordon and Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Vic” Sotto was approved by 21 affirmative votes, zero negative  votes and no abstention.

In na interview,  LTO Regional Director Atty. Aminola “Alex” Abaton said that  LTO will monitor progress in the implementation of SB No.1397 because it willl still needs the Implementing  Rules and Regulations or IRR which will be under the  DOTC-LTO.

Abaton said that actually LTO nationwide still has a huge back log of some 12 million plates  for single motorcycles way back from year 2015.

Wherein out of the total more than 12 million back log 302,918 are for region 9, Abaton said.

The SB No. 1397 which was already signed by the President Rodrigo Duterte  mandates LTO to issue bigger and reflectorized   plates to every MC and scooters in the country.

These  plates should be readable from distance of between 12-15 meters on both front and rear  parts of MC and scooters.

It is mandated to devise a color scheme of plate numbers  for every regions to easily identify where such MC and scooters registered with  an alpha numeric  system for  easier identifications  and recollection by the general public.

Motorcycles have become  crime machines because of its smaller plate numbers where criminal can easily free from the crime scene without fear of being detected or recognized by witneeses to crimes.

Under the SB No. 1397 driving   with out plate number is prohibited  and shall be punishable by  4 months and 1 day to 2 years  and 4 months imprisonment  or fine not less than 50,000 and not more than 100,000 or both.

If the MC was intentionally used in the commission of crime those who participated shall   be  punished for at least 12 years and 1 day up to 20 years imprisonment under the revised penal code.

Owner who also failed to reports  the theft of his vehicles will also be held liable.

As this developed, Abaton said that LTO will be looking on the consensus in the drafting  of the IRR.

Abaton added that it is the right of every riders to make a protest  considering  there is no IRR yet and this will still be discussed at the House of Representative / Senate. (Letty M.Militante)

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Teacher, 3 others nabbed

Zambo Sur anti-drug ops

A public school teacher and three others were arrested in an anti-drug operation in the town of Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur province, police said Saturday.

The Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office identified the arrested public school teacher as Ryan Gabunilas Cabilao--listed as a high-value target (HVT) -- and his three alleged accomplices: Edmundo Rais Abalos, Sweet Ann Basco Resuelo, and Mia Grace Buligan Panganuran.

The four were arrested in a buy-bust operation around 9:30 a.m. Friday inside a hotel in Brgy.Paglaum by a joint team of policemen and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives.

Recovered from them were some PHP34,000 worth of suspected shabu weighing five grams and packed in 33 transparent heat-sealed plastic sachets and other pieces of evidence, police said.

The suspects were detained at the PDEA lock-up cell in this city pending the filing of charges against them. (PNA)

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2 hurt as troops,

ASG clash in Sulu

Two soldiers were wounded in a clash with Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in an island town of Sulu, the military said Saturday.

The Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS) said the clash happened around 6:40 p.m. Friday in Sitio Kabahayan, Barangay Bakkan, Simusa Island, Banguingui, Sulu.

The JTFS said the troops were conducting clearing operations when they clashed with the ASG bandits led by sub-leader Salip Mura.

Two soldiers-- Cpl. Syruss Valenzuela and Pvt. Jude Louise Nabalan-- were slightly injured during the clash.

The ASG bandits, who fled to different directions, were believed to have suffered casualties.

The firefight occurred a day after Marine troops intercepted a motorboat loaded with bomb-making components off Simusa Island, Baguingui, Sulu.

Loaded with 38 sacks of ammonium nitrate, the boat came from Laminusa Island in Siasi, Sulu, and was en route to Basilan when the Marine troops intercepted the watercraft on Thursday afternoon.

Ammonium nitrate is being used by lawless elements like the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to assemble improvised bombs although it is predominantly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Meanwhile, some 104 families evacuated to a safer area following Friday's clash.

The JTFS said village officials have already provided relief aid to the evacuees. 

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LTO competition

 until March 29

The Land Transportation  Office IX  will still receive  entries for its  Road Safety- Song Competition until March 29, 2019.

LTO-IX Regional Director Atty. Aminola “Alex” Abaton  the said that the  office for the Road Safety Song Competition has already received seven (7) entries.

The competition is good for solo artiests of for bands or musical groups.

Abaton who initiated the said  song competition said the move is to support  , promote and  intensify   the    campaign on Road Safety programs  in the country .

It will be recalled that Abaton who conceptualized Road  Safety Congress recently was the first ever  program launched in the country for the past years.

This Road Safety Congress will also be presented by Abaton in the forth coming Regional Director Conference which will be in Davao City on March 21-23,2019 wherein he was given a 45 minutes time to present  and discuss it in an open forum.

According to Abaton , winners for the Road Safety Songs Competition will be announced on May 4,2019 during  the Road Safety  fun run in line  with the United Nations Road Safety Week wherein there is one champion  and two runner ups.

Abaton said that among the criteria for a winning entry shall have the concept on Road Safety and shall be in a lively or marching type song.

Abaton added that it was further extended to give chance for those who want to join  since this is open to other areas in the region. Letty M.Militante

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Ex-Zambo Sur town mayor,

partner nabbed for drugs

Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 10 (Northern Mindanao) and local policemen nabbed a former mayor of the town of Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur, for possession of illegal drugs and firearms here Friday afternoon.

Liwaya Angcap, former mayor of Midsalip town and her common-law partner, Leander Lumantas, were arrested after a search based on a warrant was conducted in their store and residence in Barangay Talairon, Oroquieta  city.

Wilkins Villaneuva, PDEA-10 regional director, said Liwaya is the daughter of incumbent Mayor Leonida Angcap of Midsalip town, Zamboanga del Sur, who was among the officials on the narcolist released by President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City on Thursday evening.

Villanueva said Liwaya was a member of the Kubal Drug Group under Ardot Parojinog, which is operating in this province, and listed as a high-value target for alleged illegal drug activities.

Liwaya is also a cousin of Mary Ann Angcap, a barangay chairman of Labuyo in Tangub City who was arrested in 2017 and convicted the following year for illegal drugs.

Villanueva said the two Angcaps -- Liwaya and Mary Ann -- were "downlines" of Ardot Parojinog.

Parojinog had reportedly visited Liwaya Angcap's residence in Midsalip town in the past.

Villanueva said they have been monitoring Liwaya for a month and that she “does not sell to small users but supply drugs to sellers.”

Liwaya yielded 15 sachets of shabu with an estimated street value of PHP125,000, an M4 rifle, four empty magazines, caliber 5.56 and .45 caliber ammunitions, the PDEA-10 official said.

Earlier, incumbent Mayor Leonida Angcap of Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur, vehemently denied connection with illegal drugs activities. The elder Angcap said she was not mentioned by President Rodrigo Duterte in the conference but was shocked after knowing her name was included in the distributed narcolist.

Leonida said she strongly supported the President’s anti-illegal drug campaign and even jailed a few of her close acquaintances.

Leonida admitted that the Parojinog couple -- Ardot and his wife --attended a barrio fiesta with acquaintances in her town and met with her to talk with the latter's plan for a mining application in Midsalip. (PNA)

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3 soldiers, 2 Maute gunmen

killed in Lanao del Sur clash

Two Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-linked Maute followers and three soldiers were killed while three other troops were missing following an intense firefight in Lanao del Sur, military officials said Friday.

Col. Gerry Besana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer, disclosed the firefight broke out around 5:04 p.m. Thursday in Barangay Dinaigan, Tubaran, Lanao del Sur.

Besana said the firefight with 10 Daesh-inspired Maute fighters erupted while the troops were on security operations in Barangay Dinaigan, Tubaran. It lasted for over an hour and resulted in the death of three soldiers and two Maute followers.

He said the troops recovered the remains of the two slain Maute followers as well as two M-16 Armalite rifles with attached M-203 grenade launchers, a caliber .45 pistol, a hand grenade, a rifle grenade, several types of ammunition, and a bandolier.

He said three other soldiers were reported “missing in action”.

The military declined to release the identities of the slain and missing soldiers, except that they belong to the Army’s 49th Infantry Battalion. The remains of the slain soldiers were taken to Iligan City for proper disposition.

“We condole with the families of our departed comrades, who fought valiantly and paid the ultimate sacrifice. We lost not only brave warriors but comrades who served the nation with such devotion,” said Lt. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, Westmincom chief.

“We are advancing upon the enemy target with deliberate offensives, hitting and inflicting heavy casualties on Maute fighters,” dela Vega said.

He said they are more motivated to continue the fight against spoilers of peace and progress here in Mindanao despite the death of the three soldiers. (PNA)

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Midsalip, Zambo Sur mayor

denies link to illegal drugs

The town’s re-electionist Mayor Leonida Angcap of Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur, has vehemently denied allegations that she is connected to illegal drug activities.

Angcap told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Friday that the accusations hurled against her were all politically motivated.

Angcap is the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) mayoralty bet in this town.

She said she was not mentioned by President Rodrigo Duterte in the conference but was shocked after knowing that her name was included in the list of narco-politicians that were distributed to law enforcement agencies.

The mayor said she strongly supports the anti-illegal drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte that she even jailed a few of her close acquaintances.

Following her inclusion in the list of 23 mayors stripped of power over police for alleged drug links in 2017, Angcap said she has sought a re-validation and re-investigation.

Angcap also disclosed that she was even visited by Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido in 2018 after gathering information on the visit of Ozamiz City Councilor Ardot Parojinog and his wife in this town.

Parojinog was arrested in Taiwan in July 2018 after he had gone into hiding.

Angcap admitted that the Parojinog couple attended a barrio fiesta with acquaintances in the area and met with her to talk about his plan for mining application in this town. (PNA)

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Marines intercept bomb-

making parts off Sulu Sea

Philippine Marine troops have intercepted a shipment of bomb-making components at the Sulu Sea, military officials said Friday.

Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spokesperson, Col. Gerry Besana, said the shipment was intercepted off Simusa Island, Baguingui, Sulu at about 5:45 p.m. Thursday.

Besana said the Marines’ 83rd and 84th Inshore Boat Companies were on seaborne patrol when they chanced upon a motorboat with four people on board.

He said the motorboat was found to be loaded with 38 sacks of ammonium nitrate when the troops inspected the watercraft.

The ammonium nitrate is being used by lawless elements, such as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), to assemble improvised bombs, although it is predominantly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Besana said the ammonium nitrate from Laminusa Island in the town of Siasi, Sulu and was en route to Basilan province when intercepted by the troops.

He said the four people aboard the motorboat -- whose names were withheld -- were turned over to Col. Armel Tolato, commander of the Philippine Marine Ready Force - Sulu.

The four were placed under custodial debriefing at the tactical command post of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 1 and will be turned over to the Banguingui municipal police for disposition and filing of appropriate charges.

Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, Westmincom chief, said the shipment of bomb-making component came after the Navy and Marine troops boosted their maritime patrols to secure the waters of Western Mindanao.

“Sailors and Marines operate in maritime areas of Western Mindanao to curb smuggling and other illegal activities that affect the security and development in Mindanao,” dela Vega added. (PNA)

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DILG sets dialogue of gov’t agencies to talk federalism

·                           

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is set to convene 200 key representatives from 76 national government agencies (NGA) for a two-day conference on federalism to ensure the commitment of the different government agencies in the advocacy campaign to shift towards a federal system of government.

DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said the activity is in compliance with the directive of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to the DILG, as the lead agency of the Interagency Task Force on Federalism (IATF), to harmonize, consolidate, and strengthen the advocacy campaign for federalism with the active support and involvement of the concerned agencies of the government.

“The NGA Conference will be an avenue to discuss among the government agencies the fundamental principles of federalism, the need to shift from a unitary to a federal form of government, and their significant role in the advocacy campaign for federalism as one of the President’s primary agenda,” Año said in a statement on Sunday.

The IATF is composed of the DILG Secretary as chairperson; Secretary Menardo Guevarra of the Department of Justice (DOJ), as vice-chairperson; and the heads of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary; Presidential Management Staff; Presidential Communications Operations Office; Office of the Presidential Spokesperson; Presidential Legislative Liaison Office; Office of the Political Adviser; Commission on Higher Education; Development Academy of the Philippines; and University of the Philippines Law Center.

In October last year, Malacañang issued Memorandum Circular 52 creating the IATF that is tasked to integrate, harmonize and coordinate efforts toward federalism and constitutional reforms.

The two-day conference will be held at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City from March 18 to 19.

To deliver the keynote speech on the Federalism National Advocacy Campaign is DOJ Undersecretary Emmiline Aglipay-Villar, while former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel will give an inspirational message.

One of the highlights of the activity is the presentation on the Lessons from the Devolution of 1991: Fundamental Considerations in the Shift to a Federal System by Dr. Alex Brillantes of the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration to be followed by a discussion on the Direction of the Federalism Campaign for 2019 by DILG Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya, who is also the administrator of the DILG Center for Federalism and Constitutional Reform.

After which, there will be a breakout session to discuss and develop necessary strategies per cluster to raise public awareness on federalism and constitutional reform.

Other resource speakers and their respective topics are: former Consultative Committee member Dr. Julio C. Teehankee -- Limits of Unitarism and the Challenge of Federalism; Foundation for Economic Freedom fellow Gary Olivar -- Serious Economic Imbalance Among Regions Resulting from the Unitary System; Federalism Institute Fellow Atty. Alberto Oxales -- Federalism as the Solution to Uneven Regional Development and Severe Inequality.

Other invited speakers and facilitators are: Atty. Salma Rasul, Director, Islamic Legal Studies, UP Law Center; Prof. Eric Daniel C. de Torres from the Far Eastern University; Federalism Institute fellow Atty. Vincent Revil; Prof. Alfredo S. Sureta Jr.; Institute for Political and Electoral Reform Executive Director Prof. Ramon C. Casiple; Education for Life Foundation Senior Educator Fr. Edicio dela Torre; and DILG NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L Agustin. (PNA)

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