Mindanao Examiner Newspaper

US WARSHIPMYSTERY

ARMM Northern Mindanao Davao Manila Zamboanga Peninsula

Founded 2006 mindanaoexaminer.com P10/RM1Zamboanga City, Philippines

MindanaoDaily

Jan. 28-Feb.3, 2013

MANILMANILMANILMANILMANILA – A – A – A – A – TTTTTwo Fwo Fwo Fwo Fwo Filipino senatorsilipino senatorsilipino senatorsilipino senatorsilipino senators, F, F, F, F, FrrrrrancisancisancisancisancisEscuderEscuderEscuderEscuderEscudero and Loro and Loro and Loro and Loro and Loren Legaren Legaren Legaren Legaren Legarda, havda, havda, havda, havda, have de-e de-e de-e de-e de-manded an explanation frmanded an explanation frmanded an explanation frmanded an explanation frmanded an explanation from the Arom the Arom the Arom the Arom the ArmedmedmedmedmedFFFFForororororces why a Uces why a Uces why a Uces why a Uces why a United Snited Snited Snited Snited States Ntates Ntates Ntates Ntates Navy warshipavy warshipavy warshipavy warshipavy warshipstrstrstrstrstrayayayayayed into a pred into a pred into a pred into a pred into a protected rotected rotected rotected rotected reef and mareef and mareef and mareef and mareef and marineineineineinesanctuarsanctuarsanctuarsanctuarsanctuaryyyyy wher wher wher wher where it is noe it is noe it is noe it is noe it is now stuckw stuckw stuckw stuckw stuck.....

Escudero said Washington should alsobe held liable for all damages after the USSGuardian, a minesweeper, ran aground onTubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea. “Did it haveauthorized access in the first place? Werewe informed of its presence in our territory?Why can't we have official word from con-cerned authorities about the official statusof the ship in our waters?," Escudero, chair-man of the Senate committee on environ-ment and natural resources, asked.

Legarda, on the other hand, wants thePresidential Commission on the VisitingForces Agreement and the Philippine CoastGuard to explain how the USS Guardianwas allowed to venture into the TubbatahaReef. “The VFACOM is tasked to monitor,in coordination with appropriate govern-ment agencies and NGOs, the activities offoreign military and civilian personnel,”Legarda said.

“What kind of coordination was car-ried out when officials on board the USSGuardian refused to respond to the radiocalls made by Philippine authorities whowere investigating their presence in ourprotected area?” Legarda asked.

Calling the incident serious, Escuderosaid his committee may launch a probe touncover possible violations of Philippineand international laws.

The Philippine Coast Guard stationedin Tubbataha Reef said it radioed in theGuardian’s unauthorized entry and that itcaused damage to the reef.

Escudero said even Department of For-eign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandezcould not say if the warship's entry was au-thorized or not. "The reef's protection sta-tus has been severely violated, neglected.We are also looking at what other violationswere incurred. We should demand not onlyfor indemnity for damages but also for therestoration costs. Reefs are grown over cen-turies, the extent of the damage and whatit will leave cannot be quantified in anyamount," Escudero said.

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is a97,030-hectare Marine Protected Area inPalawan. It is 150 kms southeast of PuertoPrincesa City, at the heart of the Coral Tri-angle, home to at least 40% of the world’sfish and 75% of corals. Being in the centerof the Coral Triangle, Tubbataha Reef playsa critical role in marine biodiversity pres-ervation, Escudero said.

Reports say the USS Guardian ranaground in the South Atoll, one of the twoatolls comprising the reef. The warship hasstarted to sink, and most of its 79-man crewhave abandoned ship.

"The US government is in no positionright now to act like the Big One in this mat-ter. Our territory, our rights were violated.Therefore, we must demand excellent carewhen they free the ship from the reef. Theyalready ignored the protection status of thereef once, and here they are again,"Escudero said.

He also called on authorities to fully su-pervise and monitor the immediate extrac-tion of the ship from the area to ensure thatno further physical damage will be doneto the reef.

Legarda expressed concern over whatshe said was a “troubling pattern of envi-ronmental assault” that has resulted fromthe visits by United States naval ships in thecountry.

Legarda, chairwoman of the Senatecommittee on foreign relations, noted the

failure by the US authorities to coordinatethe movements and route of the USSGuardian while in Philippine waters.

“Our Visiting Forces Agreement andother treaties with the United States gov-ernment is not a free pass so US ships andmilitary personnel can do as they wish inour country, including the destruction ofthe environment and protected sites in ourcountry,” Legarda said.

AAAAAquino Cquino Cquino Cquino Cquino CrrrrriticiziticiziticiziticiziticizedededededFilipino youth group Anakbayan also ex-pressed its outrage over the alleged silenceof President Benigno Aquino regarding thegrounding of the USS Guardian onTubbataha Reef.

Vencer Crisostomo, national chairper-son of Anakbayan, noted that the onlystatement from Malacanang issued by Pal-ace Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valteconveniently skirts the issue of the U.SNavy’s arrogant behavior.

Filipino officials said the warship’screw even went on full battle alert whenthey were approached by Park rangers.

“Are the PAWB and Tubbataha Park of-ficials the only ones concerned about theimpunity with which U.S troops violatedan important part of our national patri-mony? Why has Noynoy kept silent twodays after the incident?”

“Is Noynoy still waiting for the ‘officialline’ from the White House and the U.SState Department so that he can echo it,word for word?” Crisostomo asked.(Mindanao Examiner. With a report fromJelly Musico)

USS Guardian (US Navy website)

MANILA - San Juan CityRep. JV Ejercito Estradawelcomed a move aimed atreducing by 85% the exor-bitant placement fee beingcharged to Overseas Fili-pino Workers (OFWs) seek-ing jobs in Taiwan.

The substantial cut inthe placement fee wasmade possible after localjob recruiters agreed to re-duce the staggeringP90,000 to P150,000 fee forevery outbound OFW forTaiwan to an amountequivalent to a one-monthsalary or P22,000.

Amadeo R. Perez Jr.,Chairman and Chief Ex-ecutive Officer of the Ma-nila Economic and Cul-tural Office (MECO), dis-closed that Taiwanese bro-kers have voluntarilyagreed to reduce theirbroker's fee.

Perez clarified that themechanism for substantialreduction in the placementfee has to be finalized be-fore it could be approvedby the Department of La-bor and Employment(DoLE).

Ejercito Estrada, whois the vice chairman of theHouse labor and employ-ment committee, urgedMECO to fast-track thedrafting of mechanics forreducing the placement feeto unburden OFWs seekingemployment in Taiwanfrom paying too much.

He also urged the La-bor department to act with

JUST SAY

NO!

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 20132 The Mindanao Examiner

Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada hails cut onplacement fee for Taiwan-bound OFWs

dispatch when rules gov-erning the implementationof reduced placement feehave been approved forimplementation.

"I don't see any hin-drance in the move toslash the exorbitant place-ment fee being charged toour kababayans whoopted to work in Taiwan.Since the move was initi-ated by private stakehold-ers themselves, I'm opti-mistic that this will beimplemented soonest,"Ejercito Estrada, son offormer President JosephEstrada, said.

"I just hope there willbe similar move for OFWswho are seeking jobs inother countries like thosein the Middle East. Thegovernment, as in other

sending countries, shouldshoulder the placementfee because OFWs are ourpartners in nation-build-ing," he added.

He said at present,there are some 90,000 Fili-pinos working in Taiwan,making the Philippinesthe third largest labor-sending country after In-donesia and Vietnam.There are around 11 mil-lion OFWs in differentparts of the world whosend $20 billion in remit-tances annually.

Ejercito Estrada, aformer mayor in San JuanCity, is running for theSenate in the May pollsunder the United Nation-alist Alliance of Vice Presi-dent Jejomar Binay.(Mindanao Examiner)

Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada

Gov't efforts to improvedebt profile cited

The Philippines cur-rently has a narrow rev-enue base compared toits similarly-rated peers,but Fitch Ratings saidthis situation is coun-tered by the govern-ment’s effort to improvedebt profile and higherreliance on on-shorecreditors to improvepublic finances, ac-cording to the officialPhilippines NewsAgency.

Fitch Ratings saidthe domesticeconomy’s credit profileis hindered by its nar-row revenue base,which in turn is due toseveral factors such aslow per capita income,weak investment cli-mate and huge informaleconomy.

”Thus, while Fitchexpects fiscal liquiditymetrics, such as debt/revenues, to improveover the next two years,they will remain weakerthan for peers,” it said.

However, moves toimplement a morestringent tax collectionand establishment ofrevenue-enhancingmeasures like theamendment in the SinTax law “should provideincremental benefits tothe public finances.”

Fitch said efforts to

reduce fiscal leakages andimprove governmentspending “may creategreater fiscal space forbudgetary allocations tolong-term growth support-ive sectors such as health,education, and infrastruc-ture investment.”

”Continuation of suchefforts could bolster thesustainability of the publicfinances and support thesovereign profile in theyear ahead,” it said.

The report, however,pointed out that “executionrisks remain significant.”

It also cited that thehigher revenues to date isnot a plus factor for thegovernment per se as thisonly “replaces revenuesforegone afters measurestaken by previous adminis-

trations.”The debt watcher

“believes a strengthen-ing trace record for eco-nomic growth, improv-ing tax compliance andthe implementation ofrevenue enhancingmeasures have and willdeliver incrementalgains to the fiscal rev-enue base.”

”This, coupled witha declining debt/GDP(Gross Domestic Prod-uct) ratio, will sustainthe gradual conver-gence of the Philippines’debt/revenue ratio with‘BB’ and ‘BBB’ categorymedians,” it said butnoted that “the gap isexpected to remain con-siderable for sometime.”

The ratings agencysaid the Philippineslacks a formal fiscalframework that wouldensure funding andpolicy thrust among oth-ers beyond the one-yearbudget program , whichis a positive booster ofinvestors’ confidence.

It, however, does notconsider this a “con-straint on the ratings”since “a credible, deep-rooted political commit-ment to fiscalsustainability is a moreimportant determinantof fiscal outcomes.”

Pres. Benigno Aquino III

COMELEC gihatagan ug P4-Balang sa piniliay ning tuig

PAGADIAN CITY -Gipahibalo sa Depart-ment of Budget andManagement ngagipagawas na nila angP4.14 bi lyon ngapondo alang sa Com-mission on Elections(COMELEC) aronsuportahan ang mgakalihukan sa synchro-nized national, local ugARMM elections karontuiga.

Ang maong pondogikuha sa savings gikansa unutil ized appro-priations sa 2012 Gen-eral Appropriation Act.

“Among gidu-gangan ang pondo saCOMELEC aron sapagbuhat sa mgagikinahanglan pagpa-ngandam alang sa mgapini l iay ning tuig.Kining dugang pondomakahatag ug ka-segurohan sa mgakal ihukan sa di l i paang pini l iay ngamatuman subay sagitakdang panahon ugmasangputon gayud,matod pa ni Budgetand Management Sec-retary Florencio Abad.

Sa maong pondo,P1.54 bilyon pagaga-miton alang sa mgagalastohon sa Synchro-nized National ug Lo-cal Elections, samtangang P755.08 milyonpagagamiton sapagpalit sa mga PCOSmachines, sama sapagpalambo sa collat-eral, software support

ug maintenance,pagbansay ug galas-tohon sa mga semi-nars.

Uban mga butangilalom sa maong pondonaglakip sa P100.9milyon, nga gigahinusab alang sa mgakinahanglanon saOverseas Absentee Vot-ing.

Gipamatuud usabni Abad nga ang P4.14bi lyon gamiton langalang sa mga kalihukannga may kalimbigitansa 2013 nga piniliay, ugang tanan walanagamit nga kuwartaubos sa maong pondodil i mahimong ga-miton alang sa ubangalastohonon sakatapusan sa tuig.(Claro Lanipa)

The Mindanao Examiner 3Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2013

South Cotabato nanguna sa pagpatumansang bulukuon nga MRDP-2 sa rehiyon 12KORONADAL CITY - Angprobinsiya sang SouthCotabato amo angnanguna sa pagpatumansa rehiyon 12 sang mgabulukuon nga gin-pundohan sang Commu-nity Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (CFAD)sang Mindanao RuralDevelopment Program ‘ssecond phase (MRDP-2)sa ulihi nga duha ka tuig.

Si South Cotabatogobernador ArthurPingoy Jr., nagsiling ngasubay sa report ngaginpaguwa sang MRDP –2 nagapakita nga angprobinsiya nakapakitasang accomplishmentrating nga 129porsiyento, kag naga-panguna sa buluhatonsang mga manogbatonsang kaayuhan nga mgagobyerno lokal sarehiyon.

Ginsundan sangprobinsiya sang SultanKudarat nga nakapakitasang nahimo nga gradonga 83 porsiyentoginsundan sang NorthCotabato nga 68porsiyento kag Saranganinga may ara 55porsiyento.

Siling pa ni Pingoynga ang mga buluhatonnakaalagad sa mga 174ka mga hugpong sangkatawhan, mga koope-ratiba, kag iban pa ngamga hugpong sa pro-binsiya sugod pa sang

Hulyo 2011 hastaOktubre 2012.

Siling pa niya ngaang una nga puntirya ngaP60 milyon nga kantidadsang bulukuon saprobinsiya naglabot inisang kabug-usan ngaP77.5 milyon ngakantidad sa bulukuon sanapulo ka pook sa duog.

Hambal pa sanggobernador nga ang mgaini nga gingastuhan sangP10 milyon nga kantidadsang mga bulukuon sakada banwa sangPolomolok kag Banga;P7.5 milyon sang kada isaka banwa sang Surallah,Tantangan, kag Norala;P5 milyon sang kada isanga banwa sang T’boli,Santo Niño, Tampakan,Tupi kag ang Siyudadsang Koronadal.

Hambal pa gid niya

nga ang mga ini ngabulukuon amo angpagpatubas sang lubikag kakaw, pagsagodsang pitaw kagpagprodukto sang itlogsini ; pagsagod sangbaka kag pagproduktosang ulutanon;pagsagod sang karabaw;vermi composting; inte-grated farming system;pagprodukto sangorganiko nga bugas;pre- and post harvestnga pasi l idad;pagpatubas sang binhinga humay; makinaryasa panguma;pagproseso sangpagkaon; pagproduktosang mga galamitonhal in sa kawayan;pagprodukto sang “highvalue crop” kag iban pa.

Luwas pa sa mganatapos nga proyekto, si

Pingoy nagsi l ing ngamga 18 pa ka mgabulukuon nga naga-kantidad sang P8milyon ang sa subonggina-patuman pa.

Tungod sini s iPingoy nagalaum ngauntani makasulod paang probinsiya sa sunodnga par t i sangbuluhaton sang MRDP.

Ini ginatumod niyaang pagpalapad sangMRDP nga mangin Phil-ippine Rural Develop-ment Program umpisasa subong nga tuig.

Mahibaluan nga saidalum sang MRDP 2,ang gobyerno nasyunalnagbutang sang P240milyon para sa pag-patuman sang nag-kalainlain nga subay saduog nga bulukuon sasocio-economic sarehiyon.

Subay sa ginpa-tungod nga pondo angNorth Cotabato naka-baton sa P80 milyonsamtang ang Saranganikag Sultan Kudaratnakadawat sang P45milyon kag P37.5 milyonkada isa.

Ang ini nga bu-luhaton nakahatag sangkaayuhan sa mga 771 kamga kooperatiba, mgahugpong sang katawhankag mga hugpong sangmangu-nguma sarehiyon. (Edgar delaCruz)


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Capitalize on Philippines tourism citations,Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada tells Aquino gov't

MANILA - San Juan Rep. JVEjercito Estrada urged theDepartment of Tourism(DOT) to take advantage ofthe citations given to thePhilippines as one of thetop tourist destinations inthe world.

Ejercito Estrada, son offormer President JosephEstrada, made the state-ment after the Philippineswas given the "Best Tour-ism Destination Award" byChina's English daily, "Ori-ental Morning Post." Thecitation was based on aconsumer survey con-ducted by the newspaper.

Also, American travelmagazine "Conde NastTraveller" recently in-cluded the Philippines inits list of "Top Tourist Des-tinations to Watch in

2013."Just recently, the Phil-

ippines received the "MostRomantic Destination"award from another En-glish daily in China, the"Shanghai Morning Post."The award was also basedon a consumer survey.

"The DOT should nowstep up its efforts to pro-mote the Philippines as atourist spot. At the sametime, government shouldimplement the necessaryreforms to develop thetourism industry," saidEjercito Estrada, who isrunning for the Senate inMay polls under the UnitedNationalist Alliance.

He said the Aquinogovernment should imme-diately upgrade major air-ports in the country and

improve other tourism in-frastructure to boost tour-ist arrivals.

Ejercito Estrada saidthe government should fo-cus on developing thecountry's tourism industrygiven its potential to createmore jobs and providebusiness opportunities tolocal entrepreneurs.

He said that while thecountry has many wonder-ful tourist spots, especiallyin Mindanao, that couldlure in travelers, the Philip-pines is still being edgedout by other SoutheastAsian countries in terms ofattracting tourists. Malay-sia, for instance, was vis-ited by 24.7 million touristsin 2011 while only 3.91 mil-lion tourists visited thePhilippines that same year.A scenic view in Southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Two men sell native brooms made in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippines. Local broomsare one of the best because of craftsmanship and durability. (Mindanao Examiner Photo -Geonarri Solmerano)

Importers, exporterswarned of emailfraud, hackers

ZAMBOANGA CITY - TheDepartment of Trade andIndustry has urged Fili-pino importers and ex-porters to act withheightened vigilance intheir import and exporttransactions followingreports of rising cyberhacking cases that vic-timized Philippine im-porters and Chinese sup-pliers.

Regional Trade Direc-tor Nazrullah Manzursaid there have beencases that paymentsmade importers to theirlegitimate suppliers wereredirected to other bankaccounts put up by hack-ers who posed as the sup-pliers.

“That is why we issuethis advisory so that nosimilar cases may hap-pen as we know for a factthat we have businessfirms here which are intothe export and importbusiness with China,” hesaid, adding most of thehackers are believed to beoperating in Nigeria

“These cases appar-ently are the handiworksof an African criminalsyndicate, particularlyNigerians, based on thefindings made by the Na-tional Bureau of Investi-gation,” Manzur said.(Lowell Vallecer)

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2013 5The Mindanao Examiner

Who's the Bomber?

Wet and cold in Kidapawan City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Geonarri Solmerano)

DAVAO CITY – Philippine authori-ties said tens of thousands of peoplewere affected by flash floods inMindanao following days of heavyrains brought about by a cold frontaffecting the southern region.

The National Disaster Risk Re-duction and Management Council(NDRRMC) said more than 84,000people in 80 villages in Regions 10,11 and 12 were directly hit by the ca-lamity and that over 33,000 peopleare now staying in various shelters

in Mindanao.It said social workers have dis-

tributed some P5 million in foodaid to the affected areas where riv-ers overflowed.

Many roads in Davao del Norteand Davao Oriental provinces, in-cluding Davao City remain impass-able to vehicles and some areas arestill without electricity. There wereimmediate reports of casualties inthe calamity. (Mindanao Exam-iner)

84,000 affected by flash floods in Mindanao

PHILIPPINE authori-ties are sti l l facing ablank wall over a recentroadside bombing inIligan City that left atleast 9 peoplewounded.

No individual orgroup claimed respon-sibility for the attackon a row of businessestablishments alongQuezon Avenue, saidBrig. G en. DanielLucero, commander of103rd Infantry Brigade.

“We still don’t knowthe motive of the attackor who was behind it,but author it ies havebegun invest igat ingthis bombing,” Lucerotold the Mindanao Ex-aminer.

It was not immedi-ately known whetherthe bombing was con-nected to terrorism orextortion by criminalor rebel groups, but itoccurred ahead of po-lit ical campaigns forthe May elections. Theattack was carried outdespite heightened se-cur ity in the rest ivesouthern region whereseveral rebel groupsand members of the In-donesian terror orga-nizat ion JemaahIslamiya are activelyoperating.

In May 2011, a simi-lar bombing killed atleast 3 people andwounded over twodozen civi l ians inIligan City. (MindanaoExaminer)

Photos released to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examinerby the 41st Mechanized Infantry Company of the PhilippineArmy's Light Armor Division show a soldier looking at thesite where a bomb went off last week in Iligan City. Theexplosion injured at least 9 civilians.

Mindanao Examiner Tele-Radyo is a Commentary & Opinion Show (news talk) broad-cast in Mindanao Examiner TV in Zamboanga City (Sky Cable Channel 54), MindanaoExaminer TV in Pagadian City (KISMET Cable TV & Pagadian City Cable TV Channel63), and Mindanao Examiner TV in Basilan province. For block time, booking orguesting, advertisements and sponsorship, please call our Zamboanga Studio on tele-phone number (062) 9925480 and mobile number (0926) 1401713 or email us [email protected].

MANILA – PhilippineSe n a t o r Mi r i a mSa n t i a g o w a s d i a g -n o s e d Fr i d a y w i t h achronic bone marrowdisorder, resulting inlow blood cell count,k n ow n i n l a y m a n’st e r m a s “s l ow b o n emarrow,” the officialPh i l i p p i n e s NewAgency reported.

It said the findingt h e d i a g n o s i s c a m eo u t a d a y a f t e rSa n t i a g o s u f f e re d amild stroke, the statemedia said.

Santiago ran a se-ries of blood tests atthe Phil ippine Hear tCenter where resultsshowed she has abnor-mal ly low red bloodcells and low haemo-globin, a protein thatenables red blood cells

to carry oxygen fromthe lungs and deliver itto all parts of the body.

W h e n h a e m o g l o -bin is low, the bloodc a n n o t c a r r y a n a d -equate supply of oxy-gen, causing fatigue,dizziness, and short-ness of breath, heartp a l p i t a t i o n s, a n dother symptoms.

Other results of her

b l o o d t e s t s a re a l s odismal. Santiago hashigh cholesterol, hightriglycerides, and veryhigh LDL (known as“ b a d” c h o l e s t e r o l ) ,possibly aggravated bya recent bout with hy-pothyroidism.

A high cholesterolc o u n t i n c r e a s e s t h er isk of atherosclero-sis, and thus increasesthe risk of heart attacka n d s t r o k e . O t h e rf i n d i n g s s h o we dSantiago suffers fromh i g h c a l c i u m , h i g hu r i c a c i d , a n d h i g hblood urea.

Sa n t i a g o h a s a u -t h o r i z e d b o t h t h ePhilippine Heart Cen-ter and her staff to re-l e a s e c o p i e s o f h e rblood test results tomedia. ( Jelly Musico)

Senator suffers from chronicbone marrow disorder

Sen. Miriam Santiago

Jan. 14-20, 20136 The Mindanao Examiner

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2013 7The Mindanao Examiner

NPA holds POWs in MindanaoCOMMUNIST rebels havecaptured a governmentsoldier and a policemenat a checkpoint in thesouthern Filipino prov-ince of Compostela Valley.

Rigoberto Sanchez, aspokesman for the NewPeople’s Army, said theyare holding Private FirstClass Jesrel Colanggo andSenior Police Officer 1Ruel Pasion. Both were in-tercepted and disarmedin the village of Mangloyin Laak town on Thurs-day.

“The two prisoners ofwar are being treatedwell, their safety is of pri-mordial consideration, asthe NPA abides the tenetsof international humani-tarian law,” Sanchez said.

He said the soldier isa member of the 60th In-fantry Battalion which theNPA accused as behindthe series of extrajudicialkillings of innocent civil-ians in the province.

“The 60th InfantryBattalion’s bloody recordagainst the masses, in-cluded the summary ex-ecution of peasant Totong

Mabinse, of the village ofDatu in Laak town, andthe forced recruitmentand coercive surrender ofpeasants,” Sanchez said.

The capture of thesoldier and policemancame a day after securityforces attacked an NPAteam in the village ofBinondo in nearby DavaoOriental’s Baganga townand sparking a fierce fightthat left a still undeter-mined number of soldiersdead and wounded.

Sanchez said govern-ment troops sealed entryand exit points in DavaoOriental and virtuallychoking the supply of hu-manitarian aid to victimsof past typhoon, and itwas also the reason whythe NPA put up check-points in selected areas inthe provinces to ensuresafe passage of civilians.

Another rebel spokes-man Ka Aris Francisco, ofthe Comval-North DavaoSouth Agusan Sub-Re-gional Command, saidprisoners are legitimatemilitary targets who wereon active duty when ap-

prehended."Proper procedures

are being undertaken bythe Sub-Regional Com-mand custodial unit to as-certain possible acts ofcommission by POWCulango and POW Pasionin violating human rightsand International Hu-manitarian Law in thecourse of their direct par-ticipation to thegovernment's counter-revolutionary and anti-people's war," he said.

Security officials ortheir spokesman did notgive any statement aboutthe capture of the soldierand policeman. The 10thInfantry Division and theEastern Mindanao Com-mand which has jurisdic-tion to the area also didnot give any statementand army officials did notreturn or ignored phonecalls by journalists.

The NPA, armed wingof the Communist Party ofthe Philippines, is fightingfor decades now for theestablishment of a sepa-rate state in the country.(Mindanao Examiner)

MNLF leader wants tobecome Malaysian citizen

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Aformer Muslim rebelleader, who sought safe ref-uge in Sabah after escapinga civil war in the southernPhilippines almost fourdecades ago, now wantedto renounce his Filipinocitizenship to become anaturalized Malaysian.

Abdul Halil Aranial,whose nom de geurre wasCommander Janggut, saidhe and six other rebel lead-ers of the Moro NationalLiberation Front escapedthe war in Basilan provincein 1975 and fled toJampiras Island, accordingto a report by the onlinenewspaper Borneo Post.

Aranial said he has nowish to return home toBasilan, although he isaware of the changes that

have happened in thesouthern Philippines andthat he would only travelthere to visit relatives.

“We were running outof ammunition and food sowe decided to seek helpfrom neighboring Islamiccountries to support ourcause,” he told the RoyalCommission of Inquiry.

He said they travelledby speed boat and endedup in Jampiras just offSandakan City.

Aranial said they re-sided in Jampiras until1980 before relocating tothe refugee settlement inKamping Air in Sandakanwhere he was employed inan oil palm plantation un-til his relocation to theMuslim Refugee Settle-ment in Keningau in 1993.

He said he obtainedthe IMM13 pass issued torefugees and used it for 19years. And in 2009, Aranialsaid he applied for an En-try Permit and later in thesame year applied againfor Permanent Residencewhich was approved.

“I hope the govern-ment would expedite theapplication process for myMalaysian citizenship,”Aranial said, adding he hasnow three wives and thatall their 13 children.

It was unknownwhether Aranial’s compan-ions are still alive or hadreturned to the southernPhilippines after the MNLFsigned a peace agreementwith Filipino governmentin September 1996.(Mindanao Examiner)

Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada praisesPNoy for ‘Kasambahay Bill’

MANILA – San Juan City Representa-tive JV Ejercito Estrada expressed grati-tude to President Benigno Aquino IIIamid reports that he has alreadysigned into law the much awaited Do-mestic Workers' Act, widely known asKasambahay Act.

"I'm very thankful to PresidentAquino for his concern over the plightof household helps who have longbeen at the mercy of their respectiveemployers. This is the best gift we cangive at the start of the new year forthese hardworking men and womenwho tend to our homes and take careof our children," Ejercito Estrada, sonof former President Joseph Estrada,said.

He said the Kasambahay Act en-sures the rights and welfare of the esti-mated 2 million household helps allover the country and also pegs theirminimum salaries.

Under the new law, the minimumsalary of a domestic helper is peggedat P2,500 in Metro Manila, P2,000 inchartered cities and first-class munici-palities, and P1,500 in the rest of thecountry.

The law also orders the RegionalTripartite Wages and ProductivityBoard to determine succeeding salary

increases following consultations withstakeholders.

Apart from monetary compensa-tion, which includes a 13th-monthpay, the law also mandates employersto enroll their house helpers in SocialSecurity System, Philhealth, and Pag-ibig Fund and to pay part of theirmonthly contribution.

Also, domestic helpers should beafforded at least eight hours of rest ev-ery day and a day off a week.

"Most household helps have verylittle education," Ejercito Estrada said.“That is why I'm glad that my proposalto require employers to allow theirhousehold helps to complete their ba-sic education has become part of thenew law."

A similar bill was first filed 15 yearsago. The current bill went throughcountless modifications before it wasfinally approved in the 15th Congressin the first week of December.

The San Juan lawmaker, as vicechairman of the Committee on Labor,is among those who shepherded thebill through the House of Representa-tives. Ejercito Estrada is running forthe Senate in May polls under theUnited Nationalist Alliance of VicePresident Jejomar Binay.


Swindler itinumba saIslamic City of Marawi!

ILIGAN CITY – Isangahente na umano’y maykinalaman sa large scaleswindling ni CocoRazuman ang pinatay saMarawi City sa lalawiganng Lanao del Sur, ayon samilitar.

Sinabi ni Brig. Gen.Daniel Lucero, com-mander ng 103rd InfantryBrigade, na may isina-sagawang imbestigasyonang mga awtoridad sapagkakapatay sa biktima,ngunit may ulat na isa itosa mga ahente ni Razumanna ngayon ay nahaharapsa ibat-ibang kaso kaugnaysa swindling.

“May napatay na isanglalaki na tinu-turongahente ni Coco Razumanat may investigation naang mga awtoridad diyanupang malamang kungsino ang pumatay sakanya,” ani Lucero sa

Mindanao Examiner.Si Razuman ay

sumuko nuong naka-raang buwan sa NationalBureau of Investigationdahil sa mga reklamongestafa at swindling labansa kanya.

Inamin ni Razuman nanag-invest rin siya saAman Futures sa PagadianCity na bumagsak rinmatapos ng ilang buwanpanloloko nito sa libo-libong investors napinangakuan ng 50% inter-est ng kanilang salapi saloob lamang ng dalawanglingo.

Tumakas sa Sabah angMalaysian owner ng AmanFutures na si ManuelAmalillo, ngunit nadakipnaman ito kamakailan atsumuko rin ang mga Pinoyna kakontsaba nito saswindling. (Mindanao Ex-aminer)

Mining firm TVIRD bags2 prestigious awards

TVIRD Safety Manager Arturo Abad and Safety Officer KurtTorres, left, with TVIRD COO Yulo Perez, right, and DOLERegional Director for Western Mindanao Sisenio Cano,extreme left.

MANILA – The Philippinesfeted multi-awarded Cana-dian mining firm TVI Re-source Development(Phils.) Inc. with two newawards in recognition of itsresponsive health andsafety programs that im-pacted both its employeesand the community whereit operates.

TVIRD received theprestigious 8th GawadKaligtasan at Kalusugan(GKK) and the Safety Mile-stone (SMiLE) awards forits operational excellenceat its mining site in MountCanatuan in ZamboangaDel Norte’s Siocon town.

According to the De-partment of Labor andEmployment (DOLE) ,TVIRD - an affiliate of TVIPacific Inc. in Canada -scored over one millionman-hours without lost-time accidents in the sec-ond half of 2012 alone.

TVIRD Safety Depart-ment Manager ArturoAbad received the GKKaward from DOLE Secre-tary Rosalinda Baldoz.

The GKK is a nationalaward given by DOLE ev-ery two years in recogni-tion of outstandingachievements made by es-tablishments and indi-viduals in responding tothe safety and health needsof workers, their work-places, and community.

GKK is a component ofDOLE’s Zero Accident Pro-gram, one of its flagshipprograms.

DOLE said the awardwas given to TVIRD on the

merits of compliance to thestandards and programsset by the OccupationalHealth and Safety Center -excellent programs thataddresses productivity andefficiency of workers andcontinuous improvementof the system that man-ages, reduces or eliminatesrisks and hazards in theworkplaces.

“From July 2010 toJune 2012, TVIRD had azero frequency rate, zeroseverity rates and a zerocombined frequency ratein work-related accidents,”said Abad, who is also a re-cipient of the 7th GKK in-dividual category award.

He said zero-accidentsover a two-year period isconsidered an outstandingperformance achieved by acompany in the local min-ing industry.

TVIRD also baggedDOLE’s SMiLE awardwhich recognizes the

company’s safety perfor-mance resulting in “Non-Lost Time Accident” overthe same period.

Safety DepartmentSafety Officer Kurt Torresattributed the honor to thecompany’s continuedclose coordination with itsSafety and Health Commit-tee, as well as programsand policies that have des-ignated full time accred-ited practitioners.

Among 20 miningcompanies in the Philip-pines, TVIRD is the solemining company inMindanao awarded by theDOLE. It also bested hun-dreds of companies fromthe manufacturing, waterand electricity, construc-tion and other industries.

The award for the In-stitutional Category,which is also referred to asthe “DOLE SecretaryAward,” is given to compa-nies for exemplary health

and safety practices thatextend to the community.To date, the DOLE regionaloffice has also certifiedthat TVIRD has no pend-ing labor standards case.

“Hand in hand, let uswork together in realizingour goal of zero accidentand zero illness in ourworkplaces. This is a boostto productive competi-tiveness,” Baldoz said dur-ing the awarding cer-emony recently.

She also stressed thatthe awards will inspire es-tablishments to continueraising the bar of excel-lence in workers’ protec-tion and share its expertiseto industry colleagues.

For his part, Abadsaid: “We owe the awardsto (our) workers for theirdedication and religiouscompliance to safety pro-grams. The companyachieved this rare feat alsobecause of Management’ssupport and guidance.”

TVIRD has been oper-ating for over a decade inCanatuan, the ancestrallands of the indigenousSubanon tribe, which isthe biggest ethnic group inthe Zamboanga Penin-sula.

Since its inception,TVIRD - which won nu-merous Philippine awardsin the past - has dedicatedsignificant resources inpreserving Subanon cul-ture and the community’sinalienable rights to life,dignity and sustainabledevelopment. (MindanaoExaminer)

The magnificent Lantawan Falls in Don Salvador Benedictotown in Negros Occidental. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

9The Mindanao ExaminerJan. 28-Feb. 3, 2013

JV: The Active "Netizen"Despite his hecticschedule which in-cludes provincialtrips and businessmeetings, SanJuan Rep. JVEjercito Estradasays he never failsto check and regu-larly update his so-cial media ac-counts through hisB l a c k b e r r y ,iPhone, and iPadMini.

E j e r c i t oEstrada is consid-ered as one of themost activenetizen-politicansin the Philippinestoday. He loves toconnect with his18,723 followerson Twitter. He alsouses the micro-

blogging service to see updates on break-ing news, thoughts and opinions of mediaoutfits, political leaders, family, and col-leagues.

The young lawmaker does the samewith his Facebook account, where he postshis daily activities to update 5,159 friends onhis personal account, and 61,257 friends onhis Fan Page.

"It is through social networking sites thatI get the pulse of the people on certain issues.Twitter and Facebook are currently the fast-est and most convenient ways to get in touchwith the youth and Filipinos all in other partsof the world. Best of all, they are free," he said.

Ejercito Estrada admits that he is hookedon social networking sites. "It's been my habitto check replies and posts as soon as I wakeup, during my free time, when I'm traveling,and just before I go to sleep."

Since most social networking accountsof public figures are manned by their staff,several of his Facebook friends find it hard to

believe that he per-sonally manageshis own pages.

"Many peopledoubt if I really dothe posting onFacebook andTwitter. I do it my-self because I likebeing hands-on.Also, after a day'shard work, it'stherapeutic toshare what you'vedone to the onlinecommunity," saidEjercito Estrada.

As a youth ad-vocate, he said be-ing an activenetizen enableshim to be up todate with the latesttrends and otherdevelopmentsconcerning young

people."Youth development is one of my ad-

vocacies as a public servant. So being ableto interact with students on a daily basisthrough Twitter and Facebook allows me toidentify their needs and help them," the so-lon said.

On the role of social media in his cam-paign for the 2013 elections, Ejercito Estradasaid he intends to share his legislativeagenda to 30 million active Facebook usersand 9.5 million active Twitter users in thePhilippines.

While some netizens use social net-working sites as a venue to rant against poli-ticians, he believes that the governmentmust not be given the power to regulate theonline activity of Filipinos. The young law-maker noted that the Cybercrime Law con-tains provisions which practically permitsthe state to suppress freedom of speech andpersecute its political foes. (Mindanao Ex-aminer)


When It Comes to PR Writing, Only One Thing Beats Talent…by Don Bates

...and there ain’t much tal-ent around!

What’s wrong with PRwriting? To borrow aphrase from poet Eliza-beth Barrett Browning, letme count the ways. But Idon’t have that much time,so allow me to offer a fewideas based on some 30years in the public rela-tions profession and al-most 20 years teachingbusiness writing in profes-sional workshops and nowon campus and online.Most PR practitioners, es-pecially the youngestamong us, haven’t beenwell-trained as writers.

At best, they’ve takenone PR writing course incollege. More often thannot, they’ve gotten theirwriting experience by pre-paring class plans and pre-sentations. This is usefulbut inadequate. For onething, class plans and pre-sentations are long andlonger.

They’re written to im-press the teacher and wellthey should. Teachersteach; they need to assesstheir students’ grasp of thesubject at hand, they needto assess their students’understanding in depth.But in business, govern-ment and not-for-profitenterprises, the writing hasto be tighter and more tothe point. In many re-spects, this has alwaysbeen the case. But today it’san imperative.

Increasingly, audi-ences want PR news andinformation as short andsweet as possible. Let’s faceit, we’re not writing NewYorker pieces so why somuch verbiage in most of

what’s written? In addition,we’re not writing to be pub-lished word for word or evenclose to it. We’re engaged in, orshould be engaged in, writingnews and information thatour audiences, the media inparticular, can use as is or ed-ited for their purposes. We arethe facilitator not the enduser.

And the terms and condi-tions that have been set for usare pretty clear, not only forthe press but for anyone whoreceives our stuff. These “stan-dards” have evolved from along history of experimenta-tion, especially in the mediaand among journalists. Anywriting primer will give youthe specifics.

PR writing should be:• Simple (unadorned lan-

guage, common sense logic)• Direct (to the point, say

what you have to say and littlemore)

• Credible (believable,what you say is true)

• Factual (5 W’s – who,what, when, where, and why)

• Insightful (usefultakeaways that go beyond theconventional)

• Actionable (you can dosomething immediately withwhat’s presented)

As to actual style, PR writ-ing should have:

• An inviting lead (noth-ing fancy but something thatmakes you read on)

• Short sentences (builton straightforward, uncom-plicated phrasing)

• Short paragraphs(much easier to read thanlong paragraphs)

• Lots of nouns and activeverbs (keep the prose lean)

• Few adjectives (mini-mizes unintentional editorial-izing)

• Few adverbs (dittowhat occurs with adjec-tives)

• Few connectives(however, moreover, al-though, also and othertransitions usually add un-necessary complications)

• Accurate syntax(watch out for misplacedmodifiers, dangling parti-ciples and other mistakes)

• Concrete language(say “lie,” not prevaricate,“said” not “opined”)

There are all kinds ofguidelines but the simplestare the best. The rest is upto the writer – namely, you.If you don’t follow what’ssuggested, your writingwill suffer. And practice iswhat makes perfect. Thinkabout theater, sports, poli-tics, the military. You don’tget good at any of thesepursuits if you don’t prac-tice, practice, practice.Why should it be any dif-ferent with PR writing? Itisn’t.

So if you really want towrite better as a public re-lations practitioner, get inthe sweat. Start exercisingin earnest. Take a writingcourse at your local uni-versity. Take a workshop.Put one together for yourown office. Join a writer’sclub. Create one for yourcolleagues. Maybe in yourlocal PRSA or IABC chap-ter. Do something to putyour desire in action. If youdon’t, you only have your-self to blame. (Don Bates isthe director of the Master’sDegree in Strategic PublicRelations program atGeorge WashingtonUniversity’s GraduateSchool of Political Man-agement.)

Founded 2006 mindanaoexaminer.com P10/RM1Zamboanga City, Philippines

MindanaoDaily

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2013

ARMM Northern Mindanao Davao Manila Zamboanga Peninsula

Lower power supply to hurt Mindanaobusiness, says Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada


MANILA - San Juan Rep. JVEjercito Estrada haswarned that the reductionof power supply to areas inMindanao could cripplemanufacturers and otherlocal business establish-ments in the southernPhilippine region.

Ejercito Estrada, sonof former President JosephEstrada, made the state-ment following reportsthat Zamboanga City is ex-periencing three-hourbrownouts due to the de-cision of state-run Na-tional Power Corporation(Napocor) to reducepower supply in the city by10 megawatts (MW).

Other areas inMindanao may soon suf-fer the same fate as powersupply in the region wascut by 189 MW as of Janu-

ary 10, according to theNational Grid of Corpora-tion of the Philippines.

"Power outages willlower the productivity oflocal businesses and harmMindanao's economy.These power outages aredefinitely an injustice tobusinessmen and con-sumers alike," EjercitoEstrada said.

Ejercito Estrada alsoechoed the fear ofMindanao businessmenthat the power situation inthe entire region could getworse when sardinesmanufacturers resume fulloperations in March fol-lowing the lifting of athree-month ban on sar-dines fishing imposed bythe government in theZamboanga Peninsula.

"Mindanaoans are

now reeling from the fail-ure of the government toact on the power crisis twoyears ago, when the prob-lem was easier to solve.The government wastedprecious time," he said.

The San Juan solon,who is running for theSenate in May polls underthe United Nationalist Al-liance of Vice PresidentJejomar Binay, reiteratedhis call for the immediaterehabilitation of the AgusPulangi facility whichsupplies more than half ofMindanao's power sup-ply.

The two hydro dams,he said, are currently pro-ducing only 635 MW of its982 MW capacity due tothe heavily-silted rivers ofthe facility. (MindanaoExaminer)

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan during the hand over of computer sets, tables and chairs to the KawmpangElementary School in Patikul town.(Mindanao Examiner Photo - Ahl Salinas)

SULU SCHOOL GETSNEW COMPUTER SETS,

COVERED COURTSULU - Sulu GovernorSakur Tan donated 10computer sets for theKawmpang ElementarySchool in the town ofPatikul in an effort topromote Informationtechnology among theyoung students in thesouthern province.

Gabir Sarajali, theschool principal, praisedTan for the donation,saying “it was a dreamcome true” for studentsand teachers. “It was re-ally a dream come true toall of us in Kawmpang El-ementary School and wethanked our beloved andhardworking Governor

for donating these com-puter sets,” he said.

Tan handed over thecomputer sets, includingtables and chairs, to theteachers and studentsheaded by Sarajali in a cer-emony attended by over ahundred students, whocheered to the sight of thedonation.

“I challenge all of youto be competitive andproductive in today’scomputer world,” Tansaid to the students andteachers at the schoolcompound.

Tan also told provin-cial engineers headed byAbdurasad Baih to draw a

plan for the school’s cov-ered court where stu-dents and teachers canhold their important ac-tivities comfortably.Some of the studentswere moved to tears bythe generosity band sup-port of the governor asthey chanted Tan’s nameand thanked him for hisbenevolence.

Kawmpang is onlyone of many govern-ment-run schools inSulu that Tan donatedvarious equipment andsupported. He also builtmany schools that ben-efit thousands of Muslimstudents. (Ahl Salinas)

Documents

Mindanao Examiner Newspaper