ITCZ-spawned rains
displace 11,221 in city
One person died while thousands of
families were displaced as flashfloods inundated 10 villages in this city due
to inclement weather condition.
The flashflood was triggered by hours
of continuous heavy rains starting Sunday dawn. The displaced families have
remained in evacuation centers set up in schools and barangay centers as
intermittent rains continue until Monday.
The Philippine Atmospheric
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported on Monday
that Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao continue to experience scattered light to
moderate with occasionally heavy rains which may cause flood, landslide, strong
winds and lightnings brought about by the Intertropical Convergence Zone
(ITCZ).
On Sunday, October 15, the ITCZ
caused cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms over Metro
Manila, Calabarzon, Bicol, Mimaropa, Western and Central Visayas, Zamboanga
Peninsula, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan.
Dr. Elmeir Apolinario, City Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief, on Monday said that 2,206
families consisting of 11,221 individuals have been displaced by flash flood
triggered by storm surge and swelling of rivers.
Apolinario said the lone fatality was
Sonny Tadiari Panglima, 65, a is a Muslim preacher (Imam), who drowned as his
house was swept by big waves while trying to save the family’s belongings.
Panglima’s house, which was made of
light materials, stood at the shore of Barangay Labuan.
The affected families are from the
following barangays: Vitali, 1,200; Manguso, 151; Labuan, 496; Maasin, 17;
Patalon, 35; Limpapa, 62; Sinunuc, 51; Ayala, 108; Talisayan, 50; Campo Islam,
36.
Apolinario said the city government
has mobilized its resources to provide relief goods such as food packs,
blankets and kitchen utensils. The City Social Welfare and Development Office
(CSWDO) led the distribution of relief goods.
He said they have also established
community kitchen to cater to the food needs of the displaced families while
they are housed at the evacuation centers. (PNA)
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‘Balete’ tree pins to
death couple, 2 hurt
·
A couple died while their two
children survived, though wounded, when a fig (balete) tree pinned down a
semi-concrete house and partially damaged three others in a coastal village
west of this city.
The incident happened at around 5:50
a.m. Wednesday in Purok 5, Barangay Sinunuc, this city amid heavy downpour
coupled with strong winds spawned by inclement weather condition.
The fatalities were identified as
Nasser Sajili, 53, and his wife, Nursilin, 40.
Injured were Sajili’s children,
namely Rakib, 15, and Hadiya, 11. They sustained bruises and contusions and
were taken to the hospital.
Tammang Musa, a neighbor of the
Sajili family, said there was a rambling sound, but all they thought that what
they heard was wind gusts coupled with heavy downpour.
Musa disclosed she and her neighbors
rushed to the Sajili’s residence upon seeing an uprooted fig tree pinned the
victims’ house.
They managed to pull the two children
of the Sajili couple from the rubbles. Hadiday was still inside a mosquito net.
Dr. Elmeir Apolinario, City Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief, said in a text message
that the medics declared Nursilin dead on site.
Nasser, who was plucked out from the
rubbles at around 8 a.m., was rushed but failed to reached the hospital alive.
Zamboanga City had been experiencing
inclement weather condition since Sunday brought about by the intertropical
convergence zone (ITCZ).
The Philippine Atmospheric
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Wednesday
reported that ‘Paolo’ had strengthened into a typhoon and would bring rains
over most parts of the country.
Scattered light to moderate with
occasionally heavy rains caused by Typhoon Paolo will prevail over Metro
Manila, Calabarzon, Bicol region, Visayas, Mindanao and the provinces of
Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Aurora. (PNA)
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Martial Law stays
despite liberation
The Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) will not yet lift the Martial Law in Mindanao despite the killing of the
two leaders of Maute Group in Marawi City.
AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año
said in Davao City that even if the crisis in Marawi City is already finished
there are still terror threats in other places in Mindanao that need to be
addressed.
“Meron pang mga threats dito na
kailangan pang tapusin katulad ng Basilan at Sulu pati na rin Maguindanao, yan
ay ang susunod na step na ating gagawin (There are still threats that need to
be done such as in Basilan, Sulu and Maguindanao and that is our next step to
be done),” he said during a press briefing on Tuesday night at the Eastern
Mindanao Command in Panacan, Davao City.
Año said the troops deployed in
Marawi City during the siege will be brought to these places for them to
address the threats.
“Pagpupursigihan natin na masupil ang
mga terrorists sa mga lugar na iyon (We will do our best to eradicate the
terrorists in those areas),” he said.
However, the lifting of Martial Law
will be the discretion of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Ano said that he can recommend to the
president to lift the Martial Law only to some areas.
“Magkakaroon pa tayo ng assessment
(We will still have an assessment),” he said.
Meanwhile, Año bared that the 8,000
new recruits for the Philippine Army will be completed by November this year of
which the majority will be deployed in Mindanao.
He also saidafter the Marawi City
crisis, the whole force of AFP will be focusing on eradicating the New People’s
Army (NPA).
“By January, additional 5,000 troops
will be recruited sapagkat gusto natin mangyari na sa katapusan ng 2018, wala
ng CPP-NPA kahit isa sa buong Pilipinas (because we want to happen that by the
end of 2018 there will be no CPP-NPA in the whole Philippines),” he addedd.
(Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
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Hapilon’s ASG-
relatives yield
Three more Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)
members, who are relatives of the slain emir of the Islamic State for Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) for Southeast Asia Isnilon Hapilon, have surrendered as government
offensives continue in Basilan province.
Lt. Col. Jonas Templo, Army’s 74th
Infantry Battalion commander, identified the surrenderees as Ben Salim Sapilin
alias Been Sapilin; one alias Attik, 23, and Mohammad Endeng alias Aburayhan,
22.
Templo said the three are cousins of
Hapilon, who was killed in a firefight on Monday dawn with government forces in
Marawi City.
Templo said the three surrendered at
around 4 p.m. Tuesday in Barangay Macalang, Al-Barka, Basilan.
He said they are currently undergoing
custodial debriefing facilitated by the intelligence operatives of the Army’s
74th Infantry Battalion.
Since January this year, a total of
123 ASG members have surrendered in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and
Tawi-Tawi and in this city. (PNA)
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After Marawi, AFP to
focus on fight vs NPA
The Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) will focus on the fight against New People’s Army (NPA) after their
success in battling Maute Group in Marawi City.
AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año,
in a speech during his visit at the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom)
Tuesday, said that there will be more Army battalions deployed in the
Eastmincom area since most of the places are NPA infested.
“Ngayon natapos na yung Marawi crisis,
mag-re deploy na tayo ng presence, may ibabalik na tayong pwersa dito (Now that
the Marawi crisis is over, we will re deploy more military presence, we will
return the troops here ), ” he said.
Año also said the Philippine Army
(PA) will activate additional 10 Infantry Battalions, six of which will be
deployed in Eastmincom areas.
“Ito’y para tuldokan na natin yang
CPP-NPA na yan (We want to end the CPP-NPA),” he said.
He said this new mandate came from
the order of President Rodrigo Duterte who early pronounced the war against the
communist groups.
Año said the 8,000 new recruits for
the Army will be completed by November this year. Majority of the new recruits
will be deployed in Eastmincom.
“By January, additional 5,000 troops
will be recruited sapagkat gusto natin mangyari na sa katapusan ng 2018, wala
ng CPP-NPA kahit isa sa buong Pilipinas (because we want to happen that by the
end of 2018 there will be no CPP-NPA in the whole Philippines),” he said.
“And we can start the massive
economic development especially in the area of Mindanao,” he said.
He said the government will be
constructing big highways, bridges and railway stations in different parts in
Mindanao and this will not be attained if there is peace and order problem.
(Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
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Troops arrest
ASG’s ‘spotter’
Joint police and military operatives
have arrested an alleged “spotter” of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) involved in
the Sipadan kidnapping 12 years ago, an official announced Tuesday.
Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, Police
Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) information officer, identified the arrested suspect
as Mansul Radalan alias Bentong, 37, of Barangay Baliwasan, this city.
Galvez said that Radalan was arrested
in a law enforcement operation by way of serving search warrant at around 4:25
a.m. Monday in Mangal Drive, Baliwasan.
Galvez said that recovered from the
suspect’s residence were bomb-making materials, such as ammonium nitrate, a
commercial blasting cap, 900 grams of two-inch concrete nails, and a rifle
grenade.
She said that Radalan was involved in
the kidnapping of 21 people in April 2000 in Sipadan diving resort in Sabah.
The victims consisted of 10 Europeans and 11 Asians--nine Malaysians and two
Filipinos.
The ASG herded the victims in the
hinterlands of Sulu, where they were released in batches following payment of
huge ransom.
Galvez said that Radalan was also
involved in the botched kidnapping of Dr. Armando Iturralde in October 2015 in
Barangay Talon-Talon, this city.
Iturralde is the brother of Zamboanga
City Vice Mayor Cesar Iturralde.
Galvez said Radalan, the ASG spotter,
was casing a Korean businessman who is a probable kidnapping target.
She said that Radalan as a spotter is the one scouting for possible kidnap victim.
She said that Radalan as a spotter is the one scouting for possible kidnap victim.
She said that Radalan was detained
while appropriate charges are set to be filed against him. (PNA)
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Death of terrorist leaders
signals healing, rehab start
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM) Gov. Mujiv Hataman on Monday said the death of Isnilon Hapilon and
Omarkhayam Maute signalled the end of the crisis in Marawi City.
“This victory marks the end of the
siege in Marawi, but it also means the beginning of a long but necessary
process of healing and recovery among our people,” Hataman said in a statement
hours after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces Chief of Staff
Gen. Eduardo Año confirmed that the recovered bodies belong to the terrorist
leaders.
“What happened in Marawi (City) is
sheer violence and terror rearing its ugly head against true Muslims and Moros,
and yet it has failed to break our shared faith and our collective spirit,”
Hataman said.
Elite forces from the Army’s 3rd
Scout Rangers led the operation at dawn on Monday with the target to neutralize
the top terrorist leaders.
The hunt culminated on Monday after
the military received a reliable information from a female hostage rescued over
the weekend.
The fighting in Marawi City stemmed
when the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-inspired Maute group and Abu
Sayyaf Group (ASG) joined forces in an attempt to establish a caliphate in the
Philippines on May 23.
The crisis dragged on for more than
five months and triggered a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people flee
from the country’s lone Islamic City - Marawi.
Año said the terrorist leaders were
killed when soldiers advanced as they flee from one of their strongholds
dragging along some hostages.
At least 17 hostages were rescued
following the skirmish.
“Today, the end of five months of
fighting in Marawi (City) can finally begin,” Hataman said citing it has been
145 days since the conflict in Marawi City started.
Hataman underscored that despite the
crisis actions of compassion were witnessed.
“In these dark times, we have become
a source of light and warmth for each other. In the face of conflict, it is the
Meranao people who have taken the lead in reclaiming peace in the Islamic
City,” Hataman said.
“In the midst of terror, we have seen
defiant heroes rising among us despite adversity and selflessly offering
themselves despite the risk of losing everything they had--government workers,
non-profit and private organizations, and volunteers,” he said.
“It is this faith and spirit that we
will carry with us as we end not only this time of conflict, but as we uproot
the terrorism that traitors have planted in our land,” he added.
“And we will be with you, today and
in the days ahead. In moving forward, we remain one with Marawi,” he added.
(PNA)
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Abu Sayyaf abducts
5 fishing boat crew
Government troops are tracking down
the whereabouts of five fishing boat crew seized by suspected Abu Sayyaf
bandits in an island town of Sulu, a military official disclosed Monday.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Joint
Task Force Sulu commander, identified the victim as Vergel Arquino, 25; Jushua
Ybanes, 23; Emo Fausto, 63; Junald Minalang, 24; and, Spriano Sardido, 53.
All except Arquino, who is from Davao
City, are residents of Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. They are all crew of
F/B Danvil 8 owned by Danvil Yanoc of Pagadian City.
Sobejana said the victims were seized
at around 8:15 p.m. Saturday by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in the island
municipality of Pangutaran, Sulu.
He disclosed that the five crewmen
were forced to board on two motorized bancas that sped off to unknown direction.
He said Yanoc reported to the
Coastguard Station in Pagadian City that his two fishing boats, F/B Danvil 8
and F/B Danvil 2, together with nine ligthboats have took shelter at the port
Poblacion in Pangutaran due to bad weather at the time of the abduction.
He said the troops are scouring all
the possible areas where the victims could have been taken by the bandits.
(PNA)
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Jail inspection
ields no drugs
Authorities have conducted surprised
inspection at the detention facility of the Bureau of Jail Management and
Penology (BJMP), but found no illegal drugs.
Officials said Saturday the surprised
inspection was conducted jointly by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
(PDEA), local police and BJMP around 4 a.m. Saturday at the Zamboanga City
Reformatory Center (ZCRC) along Dr. Varela Street, Barangay Zone I.
Anju Villanueva, team leader of the
local PDEA agents, said the inspection, dubbed as "Oplan Galugad",
was conducted in orderly manner and yielded no illegal drugs.
The joint inspection team was backed
by K-9 dogs.
The inspection team also noted that
the facility at the ZCRC is clean and well-maintained.
Supt. Allan Vargas, ZCRC warden, said
the maintenance of cleanliness at the detention facility is in line with the
campaign of Chief Supt. Deogracias Tapayan, BJMP acting director.
Tapayan implemented the cleanliness
program dubbed as “Oplan Linis Piitan” when he assumed as the acting director
of the BJMP.
The program is aimed to maintain good
sanitation in all of the detention facilities that are under the administration
of the BJMP. (PNA)
101010
Deadline for submission of
entries to invention tilt set
The Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) announced that interested participants to the Regional
Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) have until today, October 20 to submit
their entries to the contest.
Martin Wee, DOST regional
officer-in-charge, said the contest is open to both public and private sector
inventors and researchers within Region 9.
There are six categories available in
the invention contest and these are: outstanding invention; outstanding utility
model; outstanding industrial design; outstanding creative research; and
outstanding student creative research for high school and college students.
Wee said the RICE is open to all
inventors, makers, designers, creative researchers and student researchers who
are Filipino citizens residing in the region.
Wee said this year’s RICE will be
held on November 14 to 16 during the DOST’s Regional Science and Technology
Week (RSTW) celebration, where the agency’s leading programs, services and
technologies will be featured.
The DOST holds its nationwide RICE
event all over the country every two years to recognize the indispensability of
Filipino inventions. (PNA)
PDEA vows tangible results,
less bloody anti-drug ‘war’
The Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday vowed to deliver tangible results in the national
anti-drug campaign and assured that the campaign against hard drugs would be
less bloody.
“All we need are words of support and
encouragement not minding the detractions that come PDEA’s way as the solitary
authority to lead the country’s war against illegal drugs,” said PDEA Director
General Aaron N. Aquino.
PDEA made the assurance in the wake
of criticism from various groups opposing the government's anti-drug campaign.
Human rights group Amnesty
International (AI) earlier slammed President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's memorandum
tasking PDEA to take the lead in the conduct of anti-drug operations nationwide
with the Philippine National Police (PNP) largely relegated to the sidelines.
“PDEA is mandated to bring order to
the national anti-drug campaign which sits alongside the precise accountability
for it. However, some people are already diminishing PDEA that is doomed to
fail even before it hardly gets its feet wet. We must do what is supposed to be
done in the hope of silencing our critics,” Aquino said.
The PDEA chief assured that the war
on drugs would be less bloody and would follow the rule of law now that the
Agency was the sole authority to conduct anti-drug operations.
“From body-worn cameras to
accompanying media presence, these would ensure a culture of transparency in
our day-to-day operations in the streets,” he said.
From July 1, 2016 to present, only 28
drug personalities who fought it out with PDEA agents were killed during
legitimate operations.
The Senate Finance Committee is set
to allocate an operational budget of PHP2.6-billion for PDEA in 2018.
On the other hand, some members of
the House of Representatives mull to realign the PHP900-million budget of the
PNP’s “Oplan Tokhang” and “Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded” which are suspended
indefinitely, to augment the PDEA’s budget.
“Additional budget allocation for
PDEA will go a long way in enhancing the Agency’s capabilities by hiring more
agents and personnel and purchasing modern equipment to keep pace with drug
syndicates,” Aquino noted.
“PDEA is obliged to do more with
less. Though undermanned, under equipped and inadequately funded, we will not
let the public down. We will deliver what is expected of us,” the PDEA chief
said.
With only 1,038 agents, Aquino said
the agency would coordinate with the Department of the Interior and Local
Government and local government units (LGUs) for the continuation of
drug-clearing efforts in barangays.
“The obvious lack of personnel is
indeed a point of concern since our presence is only on the regional level and
with some skeletal provincial offices. But we will closely link up with the
barangays for the continuation of the barangay drug-clearing program,” he said
Friday.
Aquino noted that PDEA continues to
encourage the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) of every community to
get more involved in the anti-drug campaign by reporting suspicious illegal
drug activities in their neighborhood.
The BADACs were deputized and
empowered to plan and implement strategic policies, and evaluate programs and
projects on drug prevention and control, given the political and police powers
of the barangay to administer the affairs of the community.
Earlier, Aquino announced that PDEA
needed highly qualified professionals to fill up 373 vacancies.
PDEA has an approved 2,271 regular positions,
1,898 of which are filled up and deployed nationwide. The list of vacant
plantilla positions is published in the agency’s official website.
Interested applicants may send their
application letters addressed to Aaron N. Aquino, Director General, Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center,
Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City.
Aquino said the agency continues to
provide employment opportunities by opening its doors to those who aspire to
become part of the country’s anti-drug organization.
“This is an opportunity for those who
want to join the fight in ridding our country of illegal drugs and be part of
an elite drug law enforcement group. Be part of the PDEA family -Professional,
Dynamic, Excellence-driven and Accountable public servants with credibility and
competency in leading a drug-free Philippines,” Aquino said in a
statement. (PNA)
Comelec to store barangay, SK
poll materials in Laguna bodega
The Commission on Elections (Comelec)
will store official ballots and other election supplies at their warehouse in
Sta. Rosa, Laguna following the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang
Kabataan (SK) polls.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez
said the 59.5 million official ballots and other election forms will be moved
out of the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City and transported to
Laguna.
"We can't store them at NPO. The
Sta. Rosa facility, on the other hand, is available," he said.
On the other hand, the Comelec Bids
and Awards Committee (BAC) has allocated PHP241,380 for the lease and
deployment of 500 wooden pallets to be used in the warehouse in transferring
the election materials.
A total of PHP174,180 has been allocated for the pallets, while the six trips to deploy the pallets to the warehouse would cost PHP11,200 per trip for a total cost of PHP67,200.
The Sta. Rosa warehouse also keeps the vote-counting machines that were used in the 2016 national and local elections.
A total of PHP174,180 has been allocated for the pallets, while the six trips to deploy the pallets to the warehouse would cost PHP11,200 per trip for a total cost of PHP67,200.
The Sta. Rosa warehouse also keeps the vote-counting machines that were used in the 2016 national and local elections.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte
signed Republic Act No. 10952 moving the date of the village and youth
elections from Oct. 23, 2017 to the second Monday of May 2018. (PNA)
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