mindanao examiner regional newspaper mar. 14-20, 2016

Founded 2006 mindanaoexaminer.com P10 Mar. 14-20, 2016FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480 or (082) 2960658

ARMM Eastern Mindanao Western Mindanao Cebu Manila

Kusug Tausug Partylist

RUSH SALEHonda Civic

P365,000

Call 0917-7103642Zamboanga City

Printed free of charge by Mindanao Examiner, Zamboanga CityVOTE! #79

JesusJesusJesusJesusJesus Miracle Crusade International MinistryMiracle Crusade International MinistryMiracle Crusade International MinistryMiracle Crusade International MinistryMiracle Crusade International MinistryBIG BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY! See Advertisement on Page 2

Sulu gets 19 new police carsSULU – The Departmentof the Interior and LocalGovernment has turned-over 19 police vehicles toSulu Governor Totoh Tanas part of its efforts tohelp improve the capac-ity of the provincialpolice force in law en-forcement operationsand other emergencies.

DILG Secretary MelSarmiento handed thebrand new jeeps duringhis recent visit to Suluprovince. He also toldTan that Sulu will also get19 fire trucks which areall now in the Port of Ma-nila and ready forshipment to the prov-ince.

CCCCContinue on page 4ontinue on page 4ontinue on page 4ontinue on page 4ontinue on page 4DILG Secretary Mel Sarmiento and Sulu re-electionist Governor Totoh Tan. (Photo by Ahl-franzie Salinas)

Military HuntsDown Commies

DAVAO CITY – Militaryforces continue to huntdown communist rebelshiding out in Davao Cityin southern Philippinesas part of its anti-insur-gency campaign in therestive region.

Just last week, gov-ernment troops trackeddown and captured asenior communist rebelleader,

Ruditha RoseteGaylawan, in an opera-tion that brought themto Calinan district. Mili-tary agents tracked herdown in the village of

Sirib.The 35-year old

Gaylawan is the Secre-tary General of FrontCommittee 54 of theCommunist Party ofthe Philippines.

Military raidersalso seized fromGaylawan two handgrenades, a .45-caliberpistol and a magazineloaded with bullets,and two improvisedexplosives, includingmedicines and note-books containingnames of NPA rebels.

CCCCContinue on page 3ontinue on page 3ontinue on page 3ontinue on page 3ontinue on page 3

Members of the New People’s Army during a guerrillatraining in the Philippines. (Philippine Revolution WebCentral)

A government photo shows President Benigno Aquino and Moro Islamic Liberation Front leader Murad Ebrahim during a meeting in Japan on August 4, 2011. (Mindanao Examiner)

MAMAMAMAMAGUINDANAGUINDANAGUINDANAGUINDANAGUINDANAO – O – O – O – O – The MThe MThe MThe MThe Morororororo Io Io Io Io Islamic Liberslamic Liberslamic Liberslamic Liberslamic Liberation Fation Fation Fation Fation Frrrrrontontontontonthas warhas warhas warhas warhas warned the Pned the Pned the Pned the Pned the Philippines that the Ihilippines that the Ihilippines that the Ihilippines that the Ihilippines that the Islamic Sslamic Sslamic Sslamic Sslamic State of Itate of Itate of Itate of Itate of Irrrrraqaqaqaqaqand Sand Sand Sand Sand Syryryryryria or ISIS is tria or ISIS is tria or ISIS is tria or ISIS is tria or ISIS is trying to establish a foothold inying to establish a foothold inying to establish a foothold inying to establish a foothold inying to establish a foothold inMMMMMindanao wherindanao wherindanao wherindanao wherindanao where secure secure secure secure security fority fority fority fority forces arces arces arces arces are battling jihadiste battling jihadiste battling jihadiste battling jihadiste battling jihadistgrgrgrgrgroupsoupsoupsoupsoups.....

gion in Mindanao.A report by the French

news agency also quotedEbrahim – who was in KualaLumpur recently - as sayingthat ISIS seeks to capitalize ongrowing frustration over thefailure of the Philippine con-gress to pass the proposedBangsamoro Basic Law thatlawmakers claimed hadmany provisions that are un-

constitutional.“Now, after the non-pas-

sage of the (bill), we are quiteconcerned that they (the ISIS)can capitalize on this, be-cause the sentiment of thepeople in the area is now verystrong,” Ebrahim said.

Ebrahim said the MILFwas seeking dialogue withISIS-allied militants to dis-suade them for furtherattacks.

“We cannot completelyabandon armed struggle, butwe always believe we have togive supremacy, primacy to

Murad Ebrahim, thechieftain of the MILF whosigned an interim peacedeal with Manila in 2014,sounded the alarm, but theAquino government and hismilitary generalsdownplayed the threats –saying there is no evidenceto prove that ISIS has beeninvolved in deadly clashesin the volatile Muslim re-

ISIS trying to set foothold in South

the peace process becausewe believe the solution to theproblem is still political. Aslong as the peace process hasa chance to move forwardthen we don’t want to revertto violence again,” he said.

German internationalbroadcaster Deutsche Welle(DW) also ran a report on thisand interviewed terrorismexpert Dr. Rohan Gunaratna,who heads of the Interna-tional Centre for PoliticalViolence and Terrorism Re-search.

CCCCContinue to page 3ontinue to page 3ontinue to page 3ontinue to page 3ontinue to page 3

Mar. 14-20, 20162 The Mindanao Examiner

AcceAcceAcceAcceAccepting Strpting Strpting Strpting Strpting Straaaaatetetetetegic Pgic Pgic Pgic Pgic Pararararartnertnertnertnertners tos tos tos tos toffffform a consororm a consororm a consororm a consororm a consortium cortium cortium cortium cortium corporporporporporaaaaation totion totion totion totion tooperoperoperoperoperaaaaate a Gold & Silvte a Gold & Silvte a Gold & Silvte a Gold & Silvte a Gold & Silver Mininger Mininger Mininger Mininger MiningOperOperOperOperOperaaaaations with an etions with an etions with an etions with an etions with an existing Miningxisting Miningxisting Miningxisting Miningxisting MiningCooperCooperCooperCooperCooperaaaaativtivtivtivtive Pe Pe Pe Pe Permit. Termit. Termit. Termit. Termit. TAX FREE.AX FREE.AX FREE.AX FREE.AX FREE.

ArArArArArea: Zamboangea: Zamboangea: Zamboangea: Zamboangea: Zamboanga Siba Siba Siba Siba SibugugugugugaaaaayyyyyPrPrPrPrProjected ROI: 3 yojected ROI: 3 yojected ROI: 3 yojected ROI: 3 yojected ROI: 3 yearearearearearsssssOperOperOperOperOperaaaaating Rights: Maximting Rights: Maximting Rights: Maximting Rights: Maximting Rights: Maximum 50um 50um 50um 50um 50yyyyyearearearearearsssssMgmt. PMgmt. PMgmt. PMgmt. PMgmt. Parararararticipaticipaticipaticipaticipation: Ption: Ption: Ption: Ption: Passivassivassivassivassive ore ore ore ore orActivActivActivActivActiveeeee

BBBBBUSINESS OPPORUSINESS OPPORUSINESS OPPORUSINESS OPPORUSINESS OPPORTUNITYTUNITYTUNITYTUNITYTUNITY

FOR TERM SHEET PROPOSAL OR MOREINFO, PLEASE TEXT OR CALL:

MR. RICARDO SAN JUAN0977-3173897

Mar. 14-20, Issue 4

ARMM launches freeinternet in public places

COTABATO CITY – The Au-tonomous Region inMuslim Mindanao (ARMM)will provide free internetconnection to public placesin the coming months toimprove residents’ access toopportunities.

The free internet accesswill be funded by theARMM’s Payapa atMasaganang Pamayanan(PAMANA) program and theDepartment of Science andTechnology (DOST)-ARMM.

Abdelnur Campong,chief of information andcommunications technol-ogy of the ARMM governor’soffice, said PAMANA will ini-tially provide internetconnection to public placesin five identified local gov-ernment units – one site ineach province under theARMM.

The project aims at pro-viding connectivity and freeinternet access and an av-enue for service deliverymechanism enhancementin the areas of education,health, and disaster pre-paredness.

“The focus is to estab-

lish connectivity in govern-ment service agencies oroffices to improve govern-ment services,” Campongsaid. He added that the con-nectivity is for use of thePAMANA communitiesavailing government ser-vices such as onlineregistration for birth certifi-cate, marriage certificate,and National Bureau of In-vestigation clearance,among others.

In January and Febru-ary, the project’s TechnicalWorking Group conducteda series of site validation tofind strategic places for theconnections and the pres-ence of internet serviceproviders in the areas.

The target local govern-ment units are Datu OdinSinsuat in Maguindanao,Marawi City in Lanao delSur, Bongao in Tawi-Tawi,Jolo in Sulu, and LamitanCity in Basilan. A total of P50million was allocated for theentire year under the 2016PAMANA ARMM Fund.

PAMANA is the nationalgovernment’s peace and de-velopment framework thatcaters specifically to peace

and development issues ofconflict-affected communi-ties.

Meanwhile, the DOST-ARMM will also embark oninternet connection to morethan 80 identified sites acrossthe region. The project,dubbed ‘Juan Konek’, will in-stall free internetconnectivity to public placessuch as plazas, parks, schoolsand health facilities.

“This project aims at ac-celerating the government’sefforts in enhancing internetaccessibility for Filipinos toaccelerate economic, socialand educational opportuni-ties,” DOST-ARMMSecretary MyrahMangcabung said.

The project is the na-tional government’sinitiative directly in line withthe “Internet For All” thrustidentified in the PhilippineDigital Strategy 2011-2016.

The project, launched inJuly 2015, received P3 billionin total funding. The freeinternet can be accessedthrough 7,118 sites nation-wide across 967 towns.(Bureau of Public Informa-tion)

Groups reject Marcos’vice presidential bid

GENERAL SANTOS CITY –The Campaign Against theReturn of the Marcoses toMalacañang or CARMMA isgetting a lot of support fromcitizens who are opposingthe vice-presidential bid ofSenator Ferdinand“Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

Various party-list andfarmers’ groups and civil or-ganizations, among othersalso joined the mountingcalls to reject Marcos’ politi-cal aspiration.

One of them, AnakpawisRepresentative FernandoHicap , recalled that the latedictator Ferdinand Marcosmajor programs includedthe Presidential Decree 27 orthe so-called Masagana 99agricultural program or the“Green Revolution” programthat highlighted high-yield-ing varieties designed byforeign agro-chemical cor-porations through theInternational Rice ResearchInstitute, the imposition ofthe Coconut Levy Fund.

“Marcos salvaged thefeudal control of landlordsby only covering rice andcorn lands to his PD 27,transformed the alreadypoor Filipino farmers as mar-ket to agro-chemicalproducts of foreign mo-nopoly,” Hicap said in astatement sent to the re-gional newspaperMindanao Examiner.

He said that PD 27 onlycovered 756,000 hectares ofland from 1972 to 1986, whileit excluded about 2 millionhectares of coconut lands,more than 400,000 hectaresof sugar lands and it pro-moted the expansion ofpineapple plantations from28,000 to 60,000 hectares.

Hicap added that PD 27immediately excluded Haci-enda Luisita in Tarlacprovince controlled by theCojuangco family, as well as,the 40,000 hectares in Coronand Busuanga towns inPalawan province, that wasdeclared as a pasture landsand awarded to Marcos’ cro-nies, hence, naming it YuloKing Ranch.

He said Masagana 99was a total failure and mis-

ery for the farmers. “TheMarcos dictatorship chainedthe Filipino peasantry to themonopoly of agro-chem for-eign corporations,instrumental to their bank-ruptcy and consequentialloss of lands,” Hicap said.

Hicap asserted that theintroduction of agro-chemi-cal agriculture resulted toirreparable damage tobiodiversity and environ-ment. Government datashowed more than 7 millionwas employed in the agricul-tural sector in 1972.

“We will never forgetgolden kuhol (apple snail)that the Marcos dictatorshipunleashed in the country-side, so that farmers wouldbe compelled to combatthem with pesticides manu-factured by foreignagro-chem corporations,”Hicap said.

Marcos imposed one ofthe grandest scam in thecountry’s history that victim-ized more than a millioncoconut farmers, the “Coco-nut Levy Fund Scam,”according to Hicap.

He said it was collectedby way of several funds asordered by Marcos, particu-larly the Coconut InvestmentFund through Republic Act6260, Coconut ConsumersStabilization Fund throughPD 276, Coconut IndustryDevelopment Fund throughPD 582, Coconut IndustryStabilization Fund throughPD 1841 and Coconut Re-serve Fund through PD 1842.A total of P 9.625 billion fundwas collected from poorfarmers from 1973 to 1982that was used to establish theUnited Coconut Planters’Bank, acquire the CoconutIndustry Investment Fundoil mills, consequentlyshares of the San Miguel Cor-poration.

“Marcos demonstratedhis utmost intellect inscamming coconut farmersthrough coco levy by hismany decrees,” Hicap said.

Citing a report by thenews site Bulatlat, Hicap saidfarmers were the most vic-tims of heavy militarizationcarried out by the Marcos

dictatorship against theemerging New People’s Armyin the early 1970s. DuringMarcos’ 14 years of dictato-rial rule, it resulted to thearbitrary arrest and deten-tion of around 120,000people; extra-judicial killingsof 1,500 activists; and the en-forced disappearance of 769individuals.

“Farmers were usualsuspects of supporting theNPA, hence, they were alsothe usual victims of humanrights violations,” Hicap said.

He said with these fewmeasures, the Marcos dicta-torship automaticallycondemned the majority ofthe 37 million Filipinos to ex-treme poverty, misery anddeath. The group said thatthe Marcos family is yet to beheld accountable for its cata-strophic programs andpolicies, affecting farmerssuch as at least 7 million em-ployed in agriculture, onemillion coconut farmers,and one million dependentsof the sugar industry.

“Martial law was a pe-riod of where all theoppression, exploitation,fraud against the farmerswas implemented instanta-neously, it is like raising hellagainst the Filipino farmers,”Hicap said.

He also blamed post-Marcos regimes for failing toserve justice to the victims ofMartial Law, including theincumbent PresidentBenigno Aquino. “Aquino isincapable of holding theMarcoses’ responsible, asthey are the same rulingclass, guilty of oppressingand exploiting the Filipinopeople, and serving the samemaster, the US imperialism,”he said.

“We totally urge Filipinovoters of today to opposeMarcos’ vice-presidentialbid, denial that his father’sdictatorship was totally im-moral is natural of him asson, but his total disregard ofthe sacrifices, deaths, traumaof the victims is outright in-human, an unacceptabletrait of supposedly nationalleader,” Hicap added.(Mindanao Examiner)

Mar. 14-20, 2016 3The Mindanao Examiner

Do you want to earn more? Be an ADVERTISINGAGENCY for the Mindanao Examiner Regional

Newspaper and earn hefty commissions. Applynow. This offer covers Mindanao, Visayas and

Luzon.

Earn MorEarn MorEarn MorEarn MorEarn Moreeeee, Be an Ad, Be an Ad, Be an Ad, Be an Ad, Be an Advvvvvererererertising Agtising Agtising Agtising Agtising Agencencencencency!y!y!y!y!

ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE:Unit 15, 3rd Floor, Fairland Building,

Mayor Vitaliano Agan AvenuePhone: 062-9925480

Mobile: 0917-7103642

DAVAO CITY OFFICE:Unit 3B, 3/F Ledesma Building, 26 Juna

Avenue, Juna Subdivision, MatinaPhone: 082-2960658

Mobile: 0918-9180895

URL: mindanaoexaminer.comE-mail: [email protected]

ARMM leaders, May electionbets sign peace covenant

COTABATO CITY –Regional officials and can-didates running for variouspositions in the Autono-mous Region in MuslimMindanao expressed theirsupport for peaceful elec-tions this coming May.

The region’s leadershave signed last week apeace covenant that re-quires them to abide withelection rules and regula-tions, to maintain goodrelations with each other,avoid any form of fraud foran honest, orderly, peace-ful and credible elections.

Maria Amelia RowenaGuanzon, commissionerof the Commission onElections (Comelec) andhead of the agency’s Gen-der and DevelopmentFocal Point System (GAD-FPS) executive committee,said the signing will sealthe commitment of thecandidates for peacefulelections.

“I hope that this peacecovenant will bind each ofthe candidates to the valueof mutual respect, non-violence and peace,” saidCommissioner Guanzon.

She also assured thepublic that the agency is

determined to have orderlyand peaceful elections inthe country especially inthe ARMM.

“We assure you thatthe Armed Forces of thePhilippines (AFP) and thePhilippine National Police(PNP) are working with theComelec to ensure that wewill have zero election-re-lated violence in the 2016elections,” she said.

PNP statistics showed391 incidents of Election-Related Violence (ERVs)were recorded in the 2010national elections, and 196in the 2013 midterm elec-tions.

ERVs refer to “acts orthreats of coercion, intimi-dation or physical harmcommitted to affect anelectoral process.” ThePNP considers ERVs as vio-lent incidents thathappened within the elec-tion period.

The covenant wassigned during a forum ongender and ERVs held onMarch 4 at the ShariffKabunsuan Cultural Com-plex. The forum,spearheaded by theComelec and the ARMMRegional Commission in

Bangsamoro Women(RCBW-ARMM), was thefirst in the country and wasaimed at discussing theconnection between gen-der and ERV cases in thePhilippines as well as“gather recommendationsand best practices to com-bat ERVs, especiallyagainst women.”

Sittie Jehanne Mutin,RCBW-ARMM chair, saidthe forum does not onlyprovide the participants aplatform for exchange ofgender sensitive ideas butalso updates on election-related policies andactivities. She added that“it is a step to a violencefree, gender-balanced so-ciety.”

Around 700 partici-pants includingstakeholders from theHouse of Representatives’Committee on Womenand Gender Equality, of-ficers of the PNP and theAFP, representatives frompolitical parties, national,regional and local candi-dates, the academe,women and religiousgroups, attended the fo-rum. (Bureau of PublicInformation)

CCCCContinued frontinued frontinued frontinued frontinued from page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1Officials said the rebel

leader is facing a string ofcriminal cases, mostly mur-der charges filed in Davao delNorte province. Her elderbrother, Bobby Rosete, is alsoa ranking rebel leader.

The CPP and NPA didnot issue any statement onthe capture of Gaylawan, butit previously accused Manilaof violating immunity pass ofother rebel leaders - involvedin peace talks with theAquino government - cap-tured by security forces in therestive southern region.

In June last year, a topNPA leader, Leoncio Pitao,alias Ka Parago, and his fe-male medical aide, KyleHermosa, were both killed infierce clashes with govern-ment soldiers in the village ofPañalum in Davao City’sPaquibato district.

Military Hunts Down Commies

Pitao was the com-mander of the fierce PulangBagani Command blamedby the army for the spate ofdeadly attacks on militaryand police targets in Davaoand nearby areas. Troopstracked down Pitao’s groupand engaged the gunmen ina running gun battle until hewas eventually killed.

While the militarybranded Pitao as “notoriousand ruthless,” many villagerslooked at him as their mod-ern-day Robin Hood, whostole from the rich to feed thepoor. Pitao in the past hadurged government soldiersto resign from the militaryservice and join the struggleagainst state tyranny.

In March 2009, Pitao’sdaughter Rebelyn, was ab-ducted by suspectedmilitary agents in DavaoCity and her naked body

was found floating in a shal-low creek in the village ofSan Isidro in Davao delNorte’s Carmen town. Herbody bore torture marksand was believed raped be-fore she was stabbed in thechest and Pitao tagged 11military agents as behindthe murder.

The NPA, armed wing ofthe Communist Party of thePhilippines, has been fight-ing for decades for theestablishment of a separatestate in the country.

Government peacetalks with the rebels havebeen on and off with bothaccusing each other reneg-ing on many agreements,including demands by thecommunist group for Ma-nila to release all politicalprisoners languishing injails across the country.(Mindanao Examiner)

Over 20,000 civilians have fled the town of Butig in Lanao del Sur province in the restiveMuslim autonomous region following weeks of deadly clashes between the military and jihadistgroups. Lt. Col. Billy Dela Rosa, commander of the 51st Infantry Battalion, has urged villagersto return to their homes after troops claimed to have overran a camp used by jihadists. (MindanaoExaminer Photo - Mark Navales)CCCCContinued frontinued frontinued frontinued frontinued from page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1

Gunaratna predicts thatISIS is close to declaring theirfirst satellite province inSoutheast Asia.

“Regional governmentsare very worried that with thedeclaration of an IS branchin the southern Philippines,the group will start to trainmilitants from around theregion, and thus expand thethreat," Gunaratna told DW.

He pointed to a lack ofpolitical will on the part ofPhilippine leaders to dis-mantle the emerging ISinfrastructure. “Being anelection year, I doubt verymuch that the President(Aquino) will take a decisionto send additional troops tothe region,” he said.

ISIS trying to set foothold in South

Despite Gunaratna'swarnings, some other re-gional security analysts areless concerned over whetherIS can realistically take afoothold in southern Philip-pines.

DW reported that Ma-nila-based analyst Dr. StevenRood believes there is no evi-dence of any operationalconnection between rebelgroups in the southern Phil-ippines and IS. “A declarationof a province in the southwould be, at the outset atleast, purely symbolic ratherthan ushering in a differenttenor to the terrorism/counter-terrorism dy-namic,” said Rood, who is thePhilippines' Country Repre-sentative of US-funded The

Asia Foundation.Fighting in Lanao del

Sur province alone have al-ready displaced thousandsof civilians. And clashes werealso occurring inMaguindanao province, alsoin the Muslim autonomousregion.

Army Colonel Billy delaRosa, commander of the51st Infantry Battalion, hasurged villagers to return totheir homes after troopsclaimed to have overran acamp used by jihadists inLanao del Sur’s Butig town,but civilians refused to goback home for fear that gun-men would launch attacksagain. (With reports fromAFP, DW and Mindanao Ex-aminer)

A police photo of Ruditha Gaylawan.


Sulu gets 19 new police cars

CCCCContinued frontinued frontinued frontinued frontinued from page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1“Aside from these po-

lice vehicles, Sulu will alsoget additional 19 firetrucks,” Sarmiento said.

He also thanked Tanfor his support to the localpolice, saying, the Sulugovernment has been veryactive in helping the po-lice force in theimplementation of the so-called PNP P.A.T.R.O.L.Plan 2030 which stands forPeace and Order Agendafor Transformation andUpholding of the Rule ofLaw.

It aims to support thePhilippine National Policein the successful imple-mentation andmonitoring of their trans-formation roadmap.

Tan said the police ve-hicles would bedistributed to each of all19 towns in the province,including the new firetrucks as soon as they ar-rive in Sulu. He said thevehicles will also be usedby the police in disaster re-

sponse in times of calami-ties.

He also praisedSarmiento for the new ve-hicles, saying, it will boostpolice visibility in thetowns and hasten its re-sponse in emergencies.“The presence of patrolcars has been proven as adeterrent factor in crimeprevention and law en-forcement. Theysymbolize the presence oflaw and rule of the same inour country in general,and Sulu in particular,” hesaid.

“Nagpapasalamat pokami sa mga kinauukulansa pangunguna ng atingbutihing KalihimSarmiento ng DILG at sapamunuan ng PhilippineNational Police. Ang mgapatrol cars na ito ay isangsimbolo ngpangingibabaw ng batassa ating lipunan at sa atingbansa. Kami po aylubusang nagagalak naang Sulu ay hindinakaligtaan sa mga

biyayang nailaan tulad ngating nasasaksihan saaraw na ito. Truly, no oneshould be left behindwhen it comes to benefitsthat the government hasallotted to distribute to itspeople.”

“Tulad ng iba pangmga lugar na umuunlad,ang paglago ng bilang ngpopulasyon ay may ka-akibat na pagtaas ngbilang ng mga krimen atiba pang mga problemangpanlipunan. Subali’t maymga bansa rin na kahit namaunlad na ay nakayananding sugpuin o kayamabawasan man lamangang antas ng krimen. Herein Sulu, we strongly be-lieve, with the support oflaw enforcing agencieslike the PNP, we can defeatthe dirty hands of crimi-nals na siyang nagbibigayng masamang imahe saating lalawigan,” Tan saidin his speech during theacceptance ceremony.

“Naniniwala din poako na sa pamununo ng

isang lugar, hindi po sapatna batayan na ang isanggobernador o mayor aynagtatagumpay dahil sapagmamahal ng taongbayan. Maliban sapagmamahal ng mgataong bayan dapat dinmanaig ang pagsunod sabatas. Umaasa po kami napatuloy namakakatanggap ang atingkapulisan ng mgakagamitan na malaki angmaitutulong sapagpapairal ng batasupang ang kaayusan atkatahimikan ayhahantong sa kaunlaranng Sulu,” he added.

Tan vowed to con-tinue supporting thepolice by providing themmore training and semi-nars to helpprofessionalize lawmen.Catholic Bishop AngelitoLampon, of the ApostolicVicariate of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and Ustadz YahyaTitong, blessed the ve-hicles. (Ahl-franzieSalinas)

The hand-over of 19 jeeps by the DILG to Sulu provincial government. (Photo by Ahl-franzie Salinas)

Pulisya, blangko parin sa atake sa bus

KIDAPAWAN CITY –Blangko pa rin angkapulisan sapagkakakilanlan sabumaril sa isangpampasaherong bus saNorth Cotabato naikinamatay ng driver atisang sakay nito.

Dalawang iba angkumpirmadong sugatan sapamamaril na naganapkamakalawa ng hapon sahighway ng bayan ng Pikit.Nasawi sa atake angd riverna si Tecson Tigas, 33; atpasaherong si MagdalenaCabaya, 43.

Nag-overtake umanoang dalawang lalaki nanakasakay sa isang

motorsiklo at saka niratratng backrider ang bus napagaari ng Mindanao StarBus.

Hindi pa mabatid angmotibo sa atake o kungmay kinalaman ba ito samay-ari ng bus o personalna away sa driver. Wala rinumako sa krimen atpatuloy kahapon angimbestigasyon ng pulisyasa naganap.

Nawasak rin angharapan ng bus mataposna bumangga ito sanakaparadang truck.Walang inilabas naanumang pahayag angpamunuan ng bus.(Mindanao Examiner)

Dipolog City policemen under Superintendent Lito Andayaheld recently a refresher on gun-disarming techniques in thisphoto released by the Dipolog City Police Office.

Tension gripsZambo Norte town

DIPOLOG CITY – Tensionis high in Zamboanga delNorte town of Sibuco af-ter a leader of the MoroIslamic Liberation Frontwas shot and criticallywounded in an attack bygunmen.

Police said UstadzBatarasa was shot lastweek in the village calledLakiki in Sibuco townand had been transferredto Zamboanga City Medi-cal Center. It said one ofthe attackers has beenidentified only throughhis alias, Jahal, a leader ofan armed group also op-erating in Sibuco.

The motive of theshooting is still unclearand police said it is inves-tigating the attack. It wasunknown if the attackwas connected to a turfwar or family feud. Villag-ers fear that Batarasa’sgroup would avenge theirleader.

The MILF, whichsigned an interim peacedeal with Manila in 2014,has not release any state-ment in connection withthe failed assassinationof Batarasa, whose groupis operating in the prov-ince. (MindanaoExaminer)

The Mindanao Examiner 5Mar. 14-20, 2016

SULU PICTURES IN THE NEWS

The Sulu Provincial Women Council celebrates the International Women's Day and provides free haircut, dental services, medical check-up and distribution of anti-malaria mosquito nets towomen and children in the province. The SPWC also launches a Trade Fair, showcasing products from 19 municipalities in Sulu. (Sulu Provincial Government)


The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaperis published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines.

ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE:Unit 15, 3/F, Fairland Building,Mayor Vitaliano Agan AvenuePhone & fax: 062-9925480

Mobile: 0917-7103642

DAVAO CITY OFFICE:Unit 3B, 3/F Ledesma Building,

26 Juna Avenue, Juna Subdivision, MatinaPhone: 082-2960658

Mobile: 0918-9180895


The Mindanao Examiner

REGIONAL PARTNERSMindanao DailyBusiness WeekMindanao Star

Web MasterMindanao Examiner Productions

Newspaper, Film and Television Productions

Mindanao Examiner Regional NewspaperPublisher/Executive Producer

Al Jacinto

Editor-in-Chief/Producer (OIC)

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR:

Zamboanga Peninsula - Sultan KudaratEly Dumaboc/Jun Feliciano / Rose Muñeza/ Danny Cuarteros

NEWS/ADVERTISING OFFICESMark Navales Kenneth Lopez

Central Mindanao Cotabato City

Zamboanga Peninsula

Carl DealaGraphics/Video Editor

Jayson Mag-usaraDavao Region - Eastern Mindanao

Ely Dumaboc

We are moving to film and television productions!

ALL RIGHTS FOR SALEMindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

Mindanao Examiner Televisionmindanaoexaminer.com

ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE:Unit 15, 3/F Fairland Building,Mayor Vitaliano Agan AvenuePhone & fax: 062-9925480

Mobile: 0917-7103642

DAVAO CITY OFFICE:Unit 3B, 3/F Ledesma Building,

26 Juna Avenue, JunaSubdivision, Matina

Phone: 082-2960658Mobile: 0918-9180895

YYYYYakiakiakiakiakiHHHHHerbal Laborerbal Laborerbal Laborerbal Laborerbal Laboratoratoratoratoratoryyyyy

www.yakilab.com

ZZZZZamboanga Cityamboanga Cityamboanga Cityamboanga Cityamboanga CityAirAirAirAirAircon Cleanerscon Cleanerscon Cleanerscon Cleanerscon Cleaners

Call us 992-5480

FOR SALEFOR SALEFOR SALEFOR SALEFOR SALE

Call us 0915-8135450

Jansport BagsMICHAEL SANTIAMICHAEL SANTIAMICHAEL SANTIAMICHAEL SANTIAMICHAEL SANTIAGOGOGOGOGO

Call us 0927-7215494

Inkpit Tattoo ZamboangaL.A. ZL.A. ZL.A. ZL.A. ZL.A. Zamboanga amboanga amboanga amboanga amboanga TTTTTimesimesimesimesimes

www.lazamboangatimes.com

A non-profit publicationZZZZZamboanga Cityamboanga Cityamboanga Cityamboanga Cityamboanga City

TTTTT-shir-shir-shir-shir-shirt Pt Pt Pt Pt Prrrrrinting Dinting Dinting Dinting Dinting Designsesignsesignsesignsesigns

Call us (062) 992-5480

ZZZZZambo Sambo Sambo Sambo Sambo Special Cpecial Cpecial Cpecial Cpecial Cupcakesupcakesupcakesupcakesupcakes

Call us 0928-9752091

For all occasions

ZZZZZambo Chocolateambo Chocolateambo Chocolateambo Chocolateambo ChocolateMMMMMarshmalloarshmalloarshmalloarshmalloarshmallow Lollipopsw Lollipopsw Lollipopsw Lollipopsw Lollipops

Call us 0928-9752091

The BThe BThe BThe BThe Big Hig Hig Hig Hig House Douse Douse Douse Douse Davavavavavaoaoaoaoao

Call us 0925-8824601

A Heritage HomeMMMMMindanao Dindanao Dindanao Dindanao Dindanao Dailyailyailyailyaily

NNNNNewspaper Aewspaper Aewspaper Aewspaper Aewspaper AdvdvdvdvdvererererertisingtisingtisingtisingtisingCall us (062) 992-5480

HHHHHouse & Lot Fouse & Lot Fouse & Lot Fouse & Lot Fouse & Lot For Sor Sor Sor Sor Salealealealeale

Call us 0917-7001023

Zamboanga City Area

LM MLM MLM MLM MLM Metretretretretro Ho Ho Ho Ho HotelotelotelotelotelZZZZZamboangaamboangaamboangaamboangaamboanga

Call us (062) 955-3834

Lispher ILispher ILispher ILispher ILispher Innnnnnnnnn

Call us (082)299-1610

13 Juna Ave., Davao CityMMMMMetretretretretro Lifestyle Fo Lifestyle Fo Lifestyle Fo Lifestyle Fo Lifestyle Fitness Citness Citness Citness Citness Centerenterenterenterenter

Call us (082)299-6180

F. Torres Street, Davao CityThe The The The The VVVVValues Schoolalues Schoolalues Schoolalues Schoolalues School

Call us (082)227-2049

8 Juna Ave., Matina, Davao City

Call us (062) 991-0032

GGGGGarararararden Orden Orden Orden Orden Orchids Hchids Hchids Hchids Hchids HotelotelotelotelotelZamboanga City

(082) 296-0658

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR AS LOW AS P100

Office Space For RentZamboanga City

For more inquiriesCall: 0929-2189937

Missing Malaysian jet holdsa difficult lesson – The Japan News

MODERN AVIATION maybe the safest complexsystem ever devised.Each day, 100,000 flightstake off and land withprosaic regularity. Acci-dents are so rare that,almost by definition, theymean something unprec-edented has happened.

The unexplained dis-appearance of MalaysiaAirlines Flight 370 —which occurred almosttwo years ago, presum-ably killing all 239 peopleaboard — is by any defi-nition unprecedented.And despite some tanta-lizing hints, its fateremains utterly mysteri-ous. As such, it makes apoor basis for dramaticchanges in public policy.Modern planes are sosafe that adding yet morerules and requirementsin response to an incom-prehensible tragedycould ver y well makethings worse.

Consider proposalsto mandate tamper-prooftransponders. Thatsounds prudent: Some-one aboard Flight 370evidently switched off itscommunications sys-tems, taking it off thegrid. But pilots may haveperfectly valid reasonsfor turning a transponderoff, such as recoveringfrom a malfunction orpreventing overheating.American regulators ac-knowledged as much lastyear when they arguedthat the risks of tamper-proofing cockpitequipment outweigh thebenefits.

Likewise, the UnitedNations wants to trackaircraft more frequentlyand in greater detail.Again, this sounds like ano-brainer. Yet planes arealready thoroughly

tracked. And a groupstudying the idea for theUnited Nations foundthat the additional re-quirements underconsideration could insome cases create newrisks, cause miscommu-nication and impose an“unrealistic operationalburden.” Not to mentionthe expense. All this toaddress a surpassinglyrare phenomenon.

In the age of thedrone, why not eliminatehuman pilots altogether?Even overlooking the costand complexity involved,the alarming rate atwhich military drones —to say nothing of their ci-vilian counterparts —crash in much less de-manding environmentsshould give pause. Thereality is that, despitehigh-profile catastro-phes, pilots solve manymore problems in-flightthan they’ve ever caused.

Some new technol-ogy may, in fact, behelpful in preventing fu-ture disasters. Aerospacecompanies are workingon gear that could wrestcontrol from a pilot intimes of distress. The U.S.military is working on ro-bot co-pilots. These arepromising endeavors,worthy of more study andinvestment. Yet they, too,risk unintended conse-quences, includingmalicious hacking, con-flicting lines of authorityand well-intentionedmistakes.

Following the Sept.11 attacks, a consensusemerged that cockpitdoors should be rein-forced and fitted withelaborate locks. This wasan eminently sensibleidea. Then, last year, a pi-lot named AndreasLubitz boardedGermanwings Flight9525. When his captain

left the cockpit, Lubitzlocked the door, took thecontrols and guided theplane into the FrenchAlps, killing himself and149 others. In the back-ground, his panickedcolleagues could beheard smashing againstthe reinforced door,again and again, in a fu-tile attempt to stop him.

It took decades of re-search, regulation andscientific advances tomake airplanes as safe asthey are now. Things canalways be improved. Butit’s important to acceptthat risk can never becompletely eliminatedfrom flight, and that morecomplexity often meansmore ways for things to gowrong. It may be that thesafest thing to do in re-sponse to Malaysia Flight370 is something that al-most defies humanintuition: nothing at all.Speech(Bloomberg)

Dark Mercury’s ‘pencil leadcrust’ revealed – BBC News

THE PLANET MERCURYmay once have been en-cased in an outer shell ofgraphite, the same mate-rial used as pencil lead.

The surface of the in-nermost planet isunusually dark, and scien-tists now think they knowwhy.

Scientists analysingdata from Nasa’s MercuryMessenger spacecraft nowthink this mystery darken-ing agent is carbon in theform of graphite.

This graphite may be arelic of the planet’s pri-mordial crust, which waslater covered up by volca-nism.

The findings are pub-

lished in the journal Na-ture Geoscience.

Patrick Peplowskifrom the Johns HopkinsUniversity Applied PhysicsLaboratory (APL) in Mary-land and colleaguesanalysed measurementsof the darkest parts ofMercury’s surface taken byMessenger at the end of itsmission.

HHHHHis daris daris daris daris dark materk materk materk materk materialsialsialsialsialsThey found that the

darkest “stuff” on Mercuryhad a carbon-rich compo-sition and that it wasassociated with large im-pact craters.

According to the team,this association is consis-tent with the dark material

coming from deeperwithin the planet and be-ing exposed when spacerocks gouged it out.

Like Earth’s Moon andthe other inner planets,Mercury likely had a glo-bal magma ocean when itwas young and the surfacewas very hot.

“As this magma oceancooled and minerals be-gan to crystallise, mineralsthat solidified would allsink with the exception ofgraphite, which wouldhave been buoyant andwould have accumulatedas the original crust ofMercury,” said RachelKlima, also from APL.

But this primordialcrust was obscured bylater volcanism and othergeological processes.

Some of this carbon-rich material would thenhave been mixed into theoverlying rocks to cause aglobal darkening ofMercury’s surface.

“If we’ve really identi-fied the remains ofMercury’s original crust,then understanding itsproperties provides ameans for understandingMercury’s earliest history,”Patrick Peplowski ex-plained. (BBC News)

The Mindanao Examiner 7Mar. 14-20, 2016

HEALTH: Chikungunya : Tumataas ba ang Kaso?Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong

ANG CHIKUNGUNYAfever ay isang sakit nakahawig ang dengue fever.Matagal na ito sa Pilipinaspero paminsan-minsanlang itong nagiging out-break. Ang chikungunya aydulot ng isang virus (isangalphavirus) na naipapasasa mga tao sapamamagitan ngnakahahawang lamok.

M a r a m i n gpagkakahawig angchikungunya sa dengue fe-ver:

1. Ang mga lamoktulad ng Aedes aegypti atAedes albopictus angsiyang nagdadala ngchikungunya at dengue fe-ver.

2. Ang sintomas ngchikungunya ay mataas nalagnat, sakit ng ulo, atrashes na tulad din ng den-gue. Pagkatapos makagatng lamok, kadalasan ay 2hanggang 12 araw anglumilipas bago magkaroonng ganitong sintomas.

3. Tulad ng dengue,ang paggamot sachikungunya ay angpagbibigay ng “supportivetreatment” lamang. Angibig sabihin ay nagbibigaytayo ng mga gamot para salagnat, dextrose sa suero,tamang nutrisyon at ibapang pang-suporta sapasyente.

4. Para makaiwas sachikungunya at dengue,

Dr. Willie T. Ong

pareho din ang paraan nagagawin ng publiko at localna pamahalaan. Alisin angmga lugar napinamumugaran ng lamok.Maglinis sa bakuran athuwag mag-imbak ng tubig.Magsuot ng mahabangpantalon at damit para hindimakagat ng lamok.Maglagay ng Off Lotion saumaga at magkulambo sagabi. At kapag maynagkasakit ng chikungunyao dengue, ipaalam kaagad saospital at barangay paramaalerto ang DOH.

5. Tulad ng dengue,puwedeng dumagsa angkaso ng chikungunya kayadapat tayong mag-ingat dito.

Ngunit kahit maramingpagkakahawig ang 2 sakit aymayroong mahalagangkaibahan ito:

1. Hindi tulad ng den-gue, walang pagdurugo ngkatawan ang makikita sachikungunya fever. Hindi

babagsag ang plateletcount sa dugo atkaramihan ng pasyente aymakakarecover sachikungunya. Mas malalaang dengue dahil puwedeitong makamatay.

2. Ang prominentengsintomas ng chikungunyaay ang pananakit ng mgakasukasuan o joints.Napakasakit ang mgakasukasuan ng pasyentelalu na sa likod, kamay,tuhod at bukong buko. Sakatunayan, ang ibigsabihin ng chikungunya ay“namimilipit” dahilnamimilipit ang pasyentesa sakit. At kahit gumalingna ang pasyente, angpananakit ng kasu-kasuanay puwedeng tumagal ngilang buwan hanggangtaon.

3. Ayon sa pagsusuri,isang beses langpuwedeng magkasakit ngchikungunya angpasyente. Pagkatapos aymagiging “immune” oligtas na. Hindi ito tulad ngdengue na puwedengumulit ng apat na beses.

Simple lang po angating dapat tandaan:Maglinis sa kapaligiran atgumawa ng paraan paramakaiwas sa mga lamok.Iyan ang paraan paramasugpo ang mga sakit nadala ng mganakapipinsalang lamok.

RECIPE: Sylvanas

(http://www.kusinamaster.asia)

INGREDIENTINGREDIENTINGREDIENTINGREDIENTINGREDIENTS:S:S:S:S:

-6 egg large whites-1 tsp cream of tartar-1 cup salted butter-1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

INSTRINSTRINSTRINSTRINSTRUCTIONS:UCTIONS:UCTIONS:UCTIONS:UCTIONS:

MMMMMerererereringueingueingueingueingue1) Finely ground cashew nuts in the food processor and set aside.2) Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in the mixer.3) Gradually add the granulated sugar, and beat till it forms a stiff peak.4) Fold in the ground cashews.5) Transfer the meringue in a piping bag.6) Pipe the mixture into oval in cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.7) Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.8) Once out in the oven, let it cool completely and remove gently from theparchment paper. Set aside.

BBBBButterutterutterutteruttercrcrcrcrcreameameameameam1) Beat the softened butter until creamy.2) Add the confectioner’s sugar gradually.3) Then gradually add the milk.

AssemblyAssemblyAssemblyAssemblyAssembly1) Spread the buttercream on 2 meringue wafers making sure the flat sides arefacing outside.2) Cover all sides with buttercream.3) Roll the wafers in cake crumbs.4) Refrigerate before serving.

-3/4 cup granulated sugar-1/2 cup milk-1 3/4 cup cashew nuts-1 cup cake crumbs

TECH TIPS: How to survivewith 16 GB of internal storage

“16 GB of internal stor-age space? That’s more thanenough,” you thought as youmade the worst decisionever, ever, ever. Buying a de-vice with only 16 GB ofinternal storage space is likemoving to the arctic. Can youlive comfortably in a snowywasteland? You can, but it'snot easy. Here is my ultimatesurvival guide to getting bywith minimal internal stor-age.

KnoKnoKnoKnoKnow yw yw yw yw your enemyour enemyour enemyour enemyour enemyMedia can take up vast

amounts of storage space,and the higher the quality,the more it will take. High-resolution video isparticularly vicious, but mu-sic and image files occupyvital space too.

Apps can vary wildlyfrom a couple of megabytesup to around 8 GB if it's Fi-nal Fantasy IX. FFIX isbasically a blizzard in thisscenario, and can reallyharm your survival chances.

So firstly, you may wishto limit the quality or resolu-tion of these files. Apps likeSpotify let you choose thequality of audio which isdownloaded (and who caneven hear the difference be-tween 128 and 320 kbpswhen travelling anyway?)

And most camera appsand software allow you tochange the size and resolu-tion of images. Remember,the lower the number of pix-els, the less storage spacethey will require.

Google Play generallymakes it quite easy to under-stand how large files are(there is a size category ontheir store page) but you canfind out for yourself too.

Some UIs make it easyfor you to view file sizes – ifyou go to Settings > Apps,you can see file sizes easily.Others may require you to goto download an additionalfile explorer such as ES FileExplorer, which can be use-ful for helping you manageall kinds of files.

Pro tipsThere’s no need to carry

a scythe if a swiss army knifewill do. Or to put it anotherway, if you don’t have a de-vice that can play 4K videoback to you, why film some-thing in 4K? Think about howyou will view the types of me-dia that you create.

I mentioned music ear-lier, but the same goes forpictures. If you just want to

view images on your phoneor a low-resolution monitor,reduce the number of pixelsthat your phone snaps with.

EEEEEffectivffectivffectivffectivffective item store item store item store item store item storageageageageageIf your phone is a tundra,

your microSD card is a back-pack. This is your extra spacefor carrying what won’t fit inyour coat pockets. You canassign your microSD Card tostore certain kinds of files,such as images, videos, andeven some app data. Justnote that not all Androidphones support them.

You can do this periodi-cally by going to Settings >Storage and tapping Transferdata to SD card (the processwill be similar no matterwhich Android device youown). It's a convenient one-tap solution.

Alternatively, you canmove the data of individualapps to your SD card by go-ing to settings > apps >[insert app name] > move toSD card. Not all apps havethis functionality, but it cansave some precious mega-bytes.

Pro tipsMicroSD cards don’t act

like normal storage (thoughthis will change on some de-vices with Android 6.0Marshmallow). So beforeyou buy a device, don’t gointo it believing you can buya 16 GB card, add it to your16 GB internal memory andvoila, a 32 GB device.

Also, buy the right sizefor your needs. You're mostlikely to use a microSD cardfor images, videos, and au-dio, but images can be heldin the cloud (more on thatbelow), and you may use anMP3 player for your music –if all you use the SD card foris to store a few videos, youprobably don't need a huge128 GB model.

Make sure you knowwhat size SD card yourphone can handle, too. Thebest way to find this out is torefer to your owner'smanual or look online.

Cloud coCloud coCloud coCloud coCloud covvvvverererererThink of the cloud not

as a cloud but as a cave. Thisis a vast space outside ofyour phone that can comein gigantic sizes. Cloud ser-vices are everywhere now,and they can hold manytypes of files and data.

There are pitfalls of us-ing cloud storage, of course.There are concerns over pri-vacy and security, not to

mention what happens ifyour chosen cloud com-pany goes bust.

Google Photos, how-ever, is a pretty safe bet. Itprovides unlimited photostorage for files of a certainsize, and it’s actually not un-fairly small. Google Photosis a fantastic service forthose trying to survive withsmall internal storage ca-pacities, and though it's notinfallible as far as security isconcerned, Google hasmore to lose from a securityhack than most.

Dropbox also offers asimilar service. Check outour best cloud storage ser-vices for more.

Pro tipsWhatsApp is your pet

Polar Bear – a magnificentcreature and your bestfriend, until it turns on you.All of the files you send andwhich are sent to you areheld in your device’smemory, and this is alwaysfilling up.

You can use a WhatsAppsetting to automaticallybackup this content toGoogle Drive, meaning youcan delete it from your de-vice periodically, or assignthat folder to be backed upinto Google Photos by goingto Google settings > Googlephotos backup > Choosefolders to backup and se-lecting WhatsApp imagesand WhatsApp video (youmust have Google Photosinstalled to access this).

One you've done this,and your WhatsApp fileshave been backed up, youare free to remove themfrom your device. You canaccess them again later fromyour Google Drive or Googlephotos app.

FFFFFinal thoughtsinal thoughtsinal thoughtsinal thoughtsinal thoughtsThere’s no real secret

here, just be sensible abouthow you use your device.Uninstall the apps you don’tneed and assign automaticbackups to files you want tokeep (and remember to de-lete from your phone onceyou're done).

You should also knowthat a phone you want thatcomes with 16 GB of inter-nal storage space doesn’tactually give you 16 GB ofusable internal storagespace. In reality, it's morelikely to come with between11 and 12 GB, as the articleat the link explains. (ScottAdam Gordon, AndroidPIT)

AdvertisingDepartmentTTTTTel. (062) 9925480el. (062) 9925480el. (062) 9925480el. (062) 9925480el. (062) 9925480

ARMM Eastern Mindanao Western Mindanao Cebu Manila

Founded 2006 mindanaoexaminer.com P10 Mar. 14-20, 2016FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480 or (082) 2960658

Bring and promote your business in Mindanao,ADVERTISE in our newspaper and website

and get fast results!

ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE:Unit 15, 3rd Floor, Fairland Building,

Mayor Vitaliano Agan AvenuePhone: 062-9925480

Mobile: 0917-7103642

DAVAO CITY OFFICE:Unit 3B, 3/F Ledesma Building, 26 Juna

Avenue, Juna Subdivision, MatinaPhone: 082-2960658

Mobile: 0918-9180895


A surgical and medical mission at Cebu Provincial Hospital in Danao City was conducted bythe Philippine Medical Association of Southern California and Far Eastern University,Nicanor Reyes School of Medical-Alumni Foundation. The humanitarian mission was also inpartnership with Cebu Medical Society, Philippine College of Surgeons and the CebuProvincial Government and City Government of Danao. (Cebu Provincial Government)

4Ps being used to buy votes,says youth group

CEBU – The youthgroup Anakbayan ac-cused the Aquinoadministration for al-legedly using theConditional CashTransfer (CCT ) orPantawid PamilyangPilipino Program (4Ps)as a form of “legalizedvote buying” and theuse of public funds forthe Liberal Party elec-toral campaign.

Anakbayan Na-tional ChairpersonVencer Crisostomo saidthe government is con-tr ibuting all itsresources for the rulingparty’s campaign, par-ticularly on presidentialaspirant Mar Roxas.

He said patronagepolitics is the realmeaning of “Tuwid naDaan,” recalling state-ments by Departmentof Social Welfare andDevelopment (DSWD)Secretary CorazonSoliman warning that“the fate of these pro-grams would now be upto people voting for newleaders in the 2016 elec-tions.”

Crisostomo said

this is on top of the CCTs’failure as an anti-povertymeasure and its takingaway of funds that shouldhave been directly allot-ted for social services.For 2016, P64 billion willbe allotted for the 4Ps,more than half of theDSWD’s P110.8 billionbudget.

The Commission onAudit (COA) have previ-ously criticized the 4Ps,pointing out that manybeneficiaries are not ac-tually poor and thatbillions in funds remainun-liquidated. Despitethe increase in the 4Psbudget in past years, COAalso noted a decline inthe number of programbeneficiaries.

“The CCTs is beingused by the Aquino gov-ernment to buy votes andget support of local gov-ernment for the Roxascampaign. 4Ps assem-blies have beentransformed into elec-tion sorties wherebeneficiaries are threat-ened with the slashing ofdole-outs if Roxas doesn’twin the presidency,”Crisostomo said.

He also slammed theuse of government ve-hicles and other facilitiesfor the Roxas campaignafter vigilant netizenshave recently posted a se-ries of exposes in socialmedia against such gravemisuse of public fundsfor electoral purposes.

Some of these in-clude a photo of agovernment pick-uptrucks used to transportRoxas’ campaign postersand workers in the prov-inces.

“We call on the Com-mission on Elections todisqualify Liberal Partycandidates using publicfunds, including MarRoxas. We call on candi-dates for the 2016elections to reject CCTsand stop the 4Ps pro-gram. It is also failed anddiscredited anti-povertymeasure. It is nothing butlegalized vote-buying,”Crisostomo said.

The DSWD hasstrongly deniedCrisostomo’s allegations,saying, the programhelps poor families in thecountry. (Cebu Exam-iner)

mindanao examiner regional newspaper mar. 14-20, 2016

Documents