Friday, July 20, 2012

ARMM officials laud Aquino, Comelec for successful conduct of 10-day voters' re-registration


By Noel Y. Punzalan


COTABATO CITY, July 20 (PNA) -- A 10-day sacrifice is nothing compared to a lifelong label as “cheating capital” of the country come election time.
Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), who now have high praises for the Aquino government, may well agree to this following the successful conduct of the July 9-18 re-registration of voters in the two-city, five-province region.
The ARMM comprises the cities of Marawi and Lamitan and the provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Lanao del Sur.
"The national government has done what is best for the ARMM electorates,” ARMM acting Gov. Mujiv Hataman said in a recent interview.
“Now, we are more confident of credible results to come out in the forthcoming polls following the re-registration activity,” Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu said as he lauded the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a “job well done.”
Maguindanao Vice Gov. Dustin Mastura, meanwhile, said that the principle of “Isang tao, isang boto” once again reigns in the region.
“This is some thing good for the people of ARMM. We would not be alleged as election cheaters anymore,” he said.
Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, who visited Maguindanao during his last three days of monitoring the voters’ list-up, said his office managed to register 1.2 million voters in the region, a far cry from its old list of 1.7 million voting registrants.
“Despite some reported irregularities such as the 'hakot' (haul) system, a concerted effort among Comelec, police and military personnel managed to thwart what could have been another case of election cheating in the future,” Mayor Lester Sinsuat of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, said.
Lawyer Udtog Tago, provincial election supervisor for Maguindanao, said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) also played a vital role during the 10-day activity, as there was no reported registration-related incident involving the rebel group that has an ongoing peace overture with the government.
Since January this year, there were no reported encounters between military and MILF forces in Maguindanao.
“The MILF has responded positively to security coordination initiated by the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and ARMM police command,” Tago said.
Maguindanao First District Rep. Bai Sandra Sema, for her part, proposed that ARMM officials should draft a resolution expressing appreciation to the military, police and MILF for a well-coordinated security disposition during the registration activity.
She noted that members of the mainstream Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which inked a final peace accord with the government in 1996, also showed up at registration centers during the 10-day period.
The congresswoman’s husband, Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema, concurrently chairs the MNLF's biggest faction based in Central Mindanao.
The Catholic Church-backed Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) also extolled the government on the recent task but recommended that the Comelec make public the number of underage registrants that were removed from the list of applicants per province or barangay and also make public the number of registrants who were discovered to have registered more than once through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System per province or barangay.
“This is to disabuse public perception that underage registrants continue to pollute the new List of Voters in the ARMM; to assure the public that automating registration – the Voter Registration Machine that captures biometrics and the AFIS - indeed deletes flying voters,” Henrietta de Villa, PPCRV national chairperson, said in a communiqué to the Comelec.
Such action on their recommendation, she said, would help the public realize that the Comelec is a credible and competent manager of our elections; and restore the people’s trust in elections and impel participation in good governance. (PNA)

2013 proposed Mindanao infra budget hiked by 26%


MANILA, July 20 (PNA) -- Mindanao, which currently has the lowest ratio of paved roads to overall road infrastructure among the country’s regions, is now set to get a larger allocation from the national government’s proposed annual budget for infrastructure.
Secretary Rogelio Singson of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) revealed this at a roundtable discussion among business leaders and senior officials on Mindanao infrastructure policy held recently at the Traders Hotel.
The roundtable was organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, which is implemented under the oversight of MinDA.
“Sixty-nine percent of national roads in Mindanao are unpaved. Mindanao has the lowest paved road ratio,” said Singson. “It is clear that Mindanao should get a bigger share of the budget.”
Under the proposed 2013 budget, Mindanao will receive P27.62 billion, or 26.1 percent of the national infrastructure budget, up from P20.4 billion the previous year.
Infrastructure budget allocations for the other regions are as follows: Northern Luzon - 24.1 percent; Southern Luzon - 20.4 percent; the National Capital Region - 14.6 percent, and Visayas -19.4 percent.
“Our objectives are to improve the country’s attractiveness as an investment destination by enabling seamless connectivity, and to lower the costs of communication and transportation,” said Angelito Colona, PCCI vice president for transportation and logistics.
Singson also noted the bottlenecks in implementing road infrastructure projects in Mindanao, including right of way and security issues, shortage of cement suppliers in parts of the region, the practice of truck overloading which results in faster road deterioration, and the need to integrate ports and airports with road systems.
The meeting included a presentation by the Philippine Inter-Island Shipping Association, on issues affecting freight rates in domestic shipping, focusing on Mindanao.
The roundtable was part of the run-up to the 21st Mindanao Business Conference, or “MinBizCon,” which will be held Aug. 2-4 in Butuan City. The highlight of the annual conference is the presentation of the Mindanao Business Policy Agenda to President Benigno Aquino III.
The formulation of the agenda began with broad-based regional policy consultations held in Mindanao’s major cities to identify and address bottlenecks that hold back trade and investment, and to clarify government rules, regulations and timelines.
Drawing on the outputs of these consultations, a draft policy agenda was compiled by MinDA in collaboration with PCCI. The draft listed the most urgent policy concerns, as well as required government actions and private sector commitments.
The regional consultations were followed by high-level roundtables focusing on specific sectors, including infrastructure, which were held in Manila on July 3-4 with MinDA and Cabinet officials and private sector representatives for a thorough review of the draft policy agenda, and for government to formulate appropriate responses. (PNA)

GPH, MILF peace talks at crucial stage (Feature)


By Ben Cal


MANILA, July 20 (PNA) -– The ongoing peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have made progress, moving closer to a turning point for the signing of a peace accord even as the MILF chief negotiator said the final discussions on details are always difficult because “the devils are waiting in ambush.”
“We are aware that we are now approaching the cusp of history,” said Dean Marvic Leonen, the government’s chief negotiator, in his closing statement at the 29th exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday.
“For a centuries-old conflict (since the Spanish occupation) and years of negotiations, we definitely will face the hardest questions and confront our principals with the hardest decisions yet ever to be made in these negotiations,” said Leonen who earlier stated that the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF “are at the door of an agreement” to end the Mindanao conflict for good.
He said the negotiations have accomplished “something which the GPH and the MILF have never achieved before in these talks,” adding that “these agreements may be in principle, some in detail.”
However, he was quick to add that the government remains guardedly optimistic.
“For the GPH, there are still many issues to be resolved, including the mechanisms that will ensure the delivery of all these commitments made through broad acceptance by all our critical sectors,” Leonen said.
Looking forward
Leonen said the government looks forward to the day when both sides are “able to sign the first of a series of agreements.”
“The GPH believes that we are at the door of something new, and that something new would be to sign an agreement. And then to go on to the next phase of our relationship – to actually implement and be able to achieve the just and lasting peace that our people so richly deserve,” he added.
The panel chair likewise stressed that the future of communities affected by conflict “depends a lot on the words that we craft, the goodwill that we have won, the patience that we can muster.”
“We are confident that even our working relationship that we have seen so far, that we will be true to ourselves and our principles, as well as the beliefs of our principals. That we can see a way forward,” he said.
Difficult negotiation
On the part of the MILF, its chief negotiator, Mohagher Iqbal, agreed that the parties “have achieved something” and congratulated everyone for enduring three days of hard discussions.
Iqbal said that in the final stages of the negotiations, they are always difficult because “the devils are in the details.”
“We can easily agree on principles, on general framework, on general concepts. But when we discuss the details, the devils are waiting in ambush. So, it is not very difficult to understand why the last stretch of our negotiation is so difficult,” Iqbal said.
“Just wait, because the real matters are yet in the offing and I think finally it would be disclosed to everyone, to the public, to the people back in Mindanao,” he said.
The 29th exploratory talks successfully concluded last Wednesday with both sides confident in their discussions on mechanisms towards realizing the new autonomous political entity (NPE) that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The NPE is one of the 10 common standpoints indicated in the Decision Points on Principles signed by the two peace panels last April.
During the latest negotiations, the two sides continued discussions on substantive issues, which include power-sharing and other related matters. They agreed to meet again in August.
Meanwhile, Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato’ Ghafar Tengku bin Mohamed also expressed optimism that the GPH and the MILF are “closer to the vision of the Final Peace Agreement.”
“However, we feel there is a lot of work to be done” but “one thing is - we are moving very fast. I think that is important. The spirit of the whole Final Agreement is understood by both parties,” Tengku said.
Next round in August
The panels are set to hold their next round of formal exploratory talks next month.
“We expect the next meetings not to be less in terms of its intensity,” Leonen said, adding that the next round will be more difficult.
On the other hand, Iqbal expressed the hope that both sides “will be able to achieve many things on our way to resolve the Moro question in Mindanao.”
Talks between the government and the MILF, a breakaway group of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that signed a peace agreement with the government during the Ramos presidency, started in 1997.
During the past 15 years, the negotiations dragged on, marked by intermittent fighting, the biggest of which flared up in the summer of 2000 and another one in 2008 following the aborted signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-Ad) which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
However, during the period back-channeling talks continued and formal exploratory negotiations resumed in December 2009 to date with the hope of finally finding a genuine and lasting solution to the Mindanao armed conflict. (PNA)

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Former GPH chair optimistic of outcome of talks with MILF rebels



MANILA, July 19 (PNA) – Silvestre Afable, former chair of the government peace panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is optimistic of the outcome of the exploratory peace talks between the government and the Moro rebels.
"Yes, I’m optimistic,” Afable said when reached by phone by the Philippines News Agency shortly before the 29th exploratory talk ended Wednesday night.
The closed door negotiation which started Monday was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which is the third party facilitator.
Afable was the chairman of the government peace panel during the initial stages of the talks in early 2000.
He expressed the hope that the current negotiations will result in the signing of a peace agreement to end the long-drawn Mindanao conflict that started in 1973 or almost four decades.
The conflict which was initiated by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), forerunner of the MILF, had killed over 150,000, wounded many more and displaced tens of thousands over the years.
In 1996, the Ramos administration signed a peace agreement with the MNLF that ended the fighting in southern Philippines but it was only briefly because the MILF opposed the peace accord.
The MILF continued their struggle for an independent state as fighting broke out again, the biggest of which was in 2000 when then President Joseph Estrada declared an all-out war against the MILF after the latter launched a series of attacks in Central Philippines.
But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) crushed the MILF uprising, capturing practically all 49 MILF camps.
When Estrada was ousted in the so-called EDSA 2 revolt in 2001, talks between the government and the MILF resumed during the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
However, fighting erupted anew in Central Mindanao in 2008 following the aborted signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) which was declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Despite the fighting, the government and the MILF continued their backdoor negotiations as exploratory talks resumed again in the latter part of 2009 and continued by President Benigno S. Aquino III when he assumed the presidency on June 30, 2010.
The President went of his way by meeting with MILF chair Al Haj Murad in Tokyo last year with high hopes to fast track the peace negotiations between the government and the MILF.
The negotiations continued up to the present with both sides expressing confidence to reach a final settlement of the Mindanao conflict. (PNA)

Joint Statement of GPH-MILF on the 29th Formal Exploratory Talks



MANILA, July 18 (PNA) -- The 29th round of Exploratory Talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) successfully ended Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with both sides expressing confidence in wrapping up discussions on mechanisms towards the realization of a new political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as contained in the April 2012 GPH-MILF Decision Points on Principles.
Both Parties continued discussions on power-sharing and other related matters, and other related matters, and agreed to meet again in August 2012.
They (GPH and MILF) expressed their appreciation to Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III for his commitment to a just and lasting peace in Mindanao, to Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak for his continued support in the facilitation of the GPH-MILF Peace Talks, and to the MILF Central Committee headed by Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim for its continued commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Bangsamoro Question.
Both Parties also extend their gratitude to the members of the International Contact Group (ICG), namely: Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, and The Asia Foundation.
Done this 18th day of July 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (PNA)

Environmental activists being killed in Philippines

Philippine president urged to stop killings

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has taken  Philippine President Benigno Aquino to task for failing to stop the killing of environmental advocates while promoting mining in the country.
The HRW said it had documented three cases of critics of mining and energy projects murdered allegedly by paramilitary forces since October 2011. It said the activists had been vocal against projects that threatened to ruin the environment and displace tribal communities.
"President Aquino has enacted decrees to encourage mining investments in the Philippines but has done little to stop attacks on environmental advocates," Elaine Pearson, HRW deputy Asia director, said in a statement. "He should recognise that respecting human rights is crucial for economic development."
The group observed that Executive Order No. 79, issued by Aquino on July 2 to institute reforms in the mining sector, was silent on human rights abuses arising from mining investments and the deployment of paramilitary groups to the mines.
 


"While mining and other environmentally sensitive projects promise economic benefits for Filipinos, they should not come at the expense of basic rights, particularly the lives of environmental advocates," Pearson said.
The government, she added, "should ensure that those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice."
The unresolved cases
Margarito J. Cabal, 47, an organiser of a group opposing a hydroelectric dam in Bukidnon province (south Philippines), was gunned down on May 9.
He had told relatives he was under military surveillance, and had been called to meet the military about his activities. Police have neither investigated the murder nor made arrests, his relatives said.
Jimmy Liguyon, a village chief at Dao in San Fernando, also in Bukidnon, was allegedly shot dead by a leader of a paramilitary group on March 5. He had refused to sign an agreement needed to secure a mining investment, and had been under military surveillance. The suspect remains at large.
Fr. Fausto Tentorio, a longtime advocate of tribal rights and a critic of mining activities, was shot dead on October 17 in Arakan, North Cotabato province. The local paramilitary group Bagani (tribal warriors) is being blamed for the killing. No one has been arrested, but the National Bureau of Investigation has recommended charges against four suspects.
Tentorio's colleagues allege that some suspects with military ties have been deliberately left out of the case, and two witnesses and their families have gone into hiding while others have been threatened, according to the HRW.
Investigations urged
The group appealed to the government to redouble its investigations of attacks on advocates, particularly when evidence points to the involvement of the military or paramilitary forces; to arrest and prosecute the suspects, and to protect witnesses at risk.
The HRW also lamented that mining investments in areas with large indigenous populations or are controlled by tribal groups often result in conflicts among the people.
In tribal communities, some back investors with the support of the military to acquire the necessary permits, while tribal factions opposed to the investments sometimes get support from the communist New People's Army or other armed groups.
"This has resulted in proxy conflicts pitting tribal groups against each other, resulting in numerous rights abuses," the HRW said.
There are environmental and antimining advocates who fear for their lives, the HRW said.
Sr. Stella Matutina, a Benedictine nun who leads a grassroots campaign to oppose destructive mining in Davao Oriental province, said she feared for her life because she had been tagged by the military a communist. She and her fellow advocates said the tag stemmed from her opposition to mining.
"And even in cases where suspects have been identified and face an arrest warrant, they may go unpunished. For instance, former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes remains at large despite an arrest warrant for his role in the killing of journalist and environmentalist Gerry Ortega on Jan. 24, 2011," the HRW said.
Disband militia groups
The United Nations special envoys on human rights defenders and on extrajudicial executions issued a joint statement on July 9 assailing the Aquino administration for the attacks on human rights and environmental defenders, saying these abuses "have increased significantly over the past few months."
The HRW reiterated its call to Aquino to disband all paramilitary forces because of their long history of human rights violations, and revoke a 2011 directive that permits these forces to provide security for mining companies.
"Aquino should disband paramilitary groups that are being used to divide tribal communities and instill fear among the residents," Pearson said. "The government crucially needs to hold accountable the military officers who are behind these abusive forces."

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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

HEAVEN TO BENEFIT FROM COMEDY KING DOLPHY JOKES



BY DARIO SARVIDA

Eric Quizon, Dolphy’s son, said comedy would live even after the death of the King of Comedy.
He lived a full life. He’s at rest. He’s at peace. He knew as he was going how much the country loved him. He knew how everyone was praying for him. And if he could, he would have stayed so just he could thank you personally. But where his spirit was strong, his body had so weakened. He had to go, Eric said hours after Dolphy died of cardiac arrest on July 10.
“Heaven is a happier place with him there. And for us he’s left behind, comedy’s dead, but long live comedy,” said Eric.
President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III led the nation in mourning for the comedy king, who passed away after a long bout with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Aquino extended his condolences and acknowledged that Dolphy was the embodiment of hope amid trials.
Last June, Malacanang was urged by Vice President Jejomar Binay, among other groups, to name Dolphy a “National Artist” but the comedy king did not live to see the day.
The National Artist Award is the “highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts,” according to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Apart from the prestige and a medal, a National Artist is entitled to material and physical benefits that includes a monthly pension, hospitalization benefits, and arrangements and expenses for a state funeral. For post-humous awardees, legal heirs are entitled to P75,000.
Should Dolphy be officially nominated, his candidacy will still have to undergo several deliberations by the Commissioners of the NCCA and the Board of Trustees of the CCP.
Aquino has issued Proclamation 433 declaring July 13, 2012 a National Day of Remembrance in honor of Dolphy.
In the proclamation, Aquino cited Dolphy as a man who will live on in Philippine cultural history and in the hearts of his countrymen.
The President in his proclamation said that “every milestone that Dolphy marked in a career that spanned decades, raised the standards of the entertainment industry, and strengthened our cultural identity, giving innumerable aspirants an example to look up to.”