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MARCH 14-20, 2019
T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R
Volume 30 - No. 11 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
Palace disturbed by report Mindanao is new IS base by CATHERINE
VALENTE ManilaTimes.net
MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, March 12, expressed concern over a report that the Philippines is turning into a base of Islamic State (IS) fighters. “Definitely, then we should undertake measures to prevent that from happening,” Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a news conference. “I will have to ask the Department of National Defense because they are the ones monitoring the movements of these people,” he added. The New York Times reported that after losing their territories they controlled in Iraq and Syria,
‘The fighting has just begun,’” it added. Mindanao has been under martial rule since May last year in response to IS-inspired Maute rebels that laid siege to Marawi City and allegedly attempted to establish a caliphate for the terror group. Duterte, in his speech in February, warned of more terrorist attacks by the IS, which he described as “insane” and “made in hell.” “We have this insane IS that they would kill. And I expect that they would do some bombings here and bombings there ‘cause that’s what they get in the Middle
IS fighters were eyeing Mindanao as their new base, calling the region its “East Asia province.” “But far from defeated, the movement has sprouted elsewhere. And here in the Mindanao island group of southern Philippines, long a haven for insurgents because of dense wilderness and weak policing, the Islamic State has attracted a range of militant jihadists,” the report said. “An illustration circulated days later on Islamic State chat groups, showing President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines kneeling on a pile of skulls and a militant standing over him with a dagger. The caption on the picture sounded a warning:
USA
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OUTSTANDING WOMAN. President Rodrigo Duterte shares a light moment with Traffic Aide 1 Rowena Capistrano, one of the Outstanding Women in Law Enforcement and National Security of the Philippines awardees, during the awarding ceremony at the Malacañang Palace on Monday, March 11. Malacañang photo by Simeon Celiacs
Catholic priests amid death threats: The response is not silence
DATELINE PH out of ICC by March 17
by AJPRESS
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
AS the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) becomes official on Sunday, March 17, the ICC vowed to continue its probe into President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs even after the withdrawal takes effect. Philippine Coalition for the ICC (PCICC) lead counsel Romel Bagares said that the international court ensured that all proceedings which started before a withdrawal will remain in effect even after the withdrawal. “If by lack of timely court action, the unilateral withdrawal by the Executive becomes effective we are still bound to cooperate with the ICC in respect of events and acts prior to the effective date of such withdrawal,” Bagares said as reported by Rappler. However, PCICC counsel Arpee Santiago said that the withdrawal would prevent the court from receiving “new information” after the date it takes effect which falls on March 17, so the alleged extrajudicial killings after that may no longer be examined. “Any new information would have to be up until March 16, 2019, only because after March 17, 2019, any new cases, any new allegations for events occurring after March 17
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US, PH launch Pacific Partnership disaster response THE United States and the Philippines on Monday joined allied forces and partner nations in launching Pacific Partnership 2019 – the largest annual multilateral disaster response preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific region – in Tacloban City. The event aims to improve on disaster response preparedness, resiliency and capacity while enhancing partnerships between participating nations and civilian humanitarian organizations throughout the region. Pacific Partnership 2019 includes more than 800 military and civilian personnel from the U.S., Philippines, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom. At the ceremony, Deputy Chief of Mission John Law of the U.S. embassy in Manila told participants, “The work that you are doing here today and over the next two weeks is extraordi-
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Fathers Albert Alejo, Robert Reyes and Flavie Villanueva are prayed over by nuns and lay leaders amid death threats they are receiving from unknown people on Monday, March 11. Photo courtesy of CBCP
ROBLES
AJPress
THE meeting of lawmakers with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte failed to resolve the conflict of the House of Representatives and the Senate regarding the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri revealed that the members of the two legislative members had dialogue but failed to arrive at a consensus on the proposed P3.757 trillion annual budget. “The president had asked us to pass the budget so that the programs of government can continue. We still met while the president had left but there’s still no consen-
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Tulfo draws flak for calling Filipino workers ‘lazy’
PH House and Senate fail to resolve impasse on 2019 budget by NATHALIE
PRIESTS remained firm in their criticism of the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines as they shared the hateful messages they received from calling out the flaws in the government. Three Catholic priests Father Flavie Villanueva, Father Robert Reyes and Father Albert Alejo on Monday, March 11, revealed a series of death threats they received following the verbal attacks of President Rodrigo Duterte towards the religious institution.
“Hindi pananahimik, kundi ang malinaw, mahinahon, at matapang na pamamahayag at paninindigan. Itigil na ang pananakot, itigil na ang pagpatay (Not silence, but the clear, sober, and courageous proclamation and conviction. Stop the threats, stop the killings),” they said. In a press conference at the Saint Vincent School of Theology in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, the priests shared with the media the threatening messages they began to receive after Duterte’s tirade against the church. “Ang mga text na ito ay mga
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
LABOR leader and senatorial candidate Leody de Guzman on Sunday, March 10, said special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo is all talk while Filipino workers labor for the country’s growth. This was after Tulfo called Filipino workers “lazy” unlike the Chinese. In a statement, De Guzman said, “Kaya nga tinawag na manggagawa, kasi nga gumagawa. Walang ibang dahilan ng pagPH Special Envoy to China Ramon Tulfo Photo screengrabbed from unlad ng ekonomiya ng bansa Youtube/CNN Philippines liban sa manggagawang Pilipino
(That’s why they are called workers, because they work. There is no other reason behind the improvement of the economy but the Filipino workers).” “Kung masipag man itong si Tulfo, ito ay kasipagan niyang magsalita at mang-intriga. Malayong malayo sa manggagawa na lumilikha ng produkto at serbisyong may pinakikinabangan ng lahat ng tao (If Tulfo is hardworking, it’s about talk and intrigue, which is far from workers who create products and services that people benefit from),” he added.
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Duterte withdraws marijuana legalization bid by NATHALIE
ROBLES
AJPress
MALACAÑANG announced on Tuesday, March 12, that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will no longer push for the legalization of medical marijuana because he felt that it might go out of hand. “Kasi ang feeling niya (Duterte) you will be using that as an excuse, baka lumaki nang lumaki lang (Duterte feels that you will use that an excuse and it might go out of hand),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said as reported by ABS-CBN News. The chief executive said that
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the legalization of medical cannabis might push through but later on clarified “not during his time.” Panelo echoed the sentiment noting: “sa ibang panahon siguro, sabi niya (maybe some other time).” However, the spokesperson emphasized that the president might still root for the legalization of medical marijuana if doctors and medical experts of the said drug would prove its necessity in curing diseases. “Ang sabi niya pa, dapat yung mga medical yung mag-decide diyan kung talagang totoong nakakagamot yan (Duterte said medical professionals should de-
cide whether medical marijuana is really effective),” Panelo stated. Medical marijuana group still pushes Despite Duterte’s withdrawal of support in the said legalization, the Philippine Cannabis Compassion Society (PCCS) insisted that it will continue its fight for the approval of medical marijuana’s use. In a Facebook post, the medical marijuana group urged the public and cannabis advocates alike to push for its legal usage and accessibility. “To all patients and their family members advocating for medi-
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President Rodrigo Duterte will not allow the legalized use of medical marijuana during his term, Malacañang reiterated on Tuesday, March 12. Philstar.com photo by KJ Rosales