Cagayanos hold rally vs 2 EDCA sites

ABOUT 7,000 people gathered at the Rizal Park in this city to convince President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to change his mind on designating two military camps in Cagayan province as Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.

"We are asking for a miracle that the President will change his mind about EDCA," Tuao, Cagayan Mayor William Mamba told the participants of the prayer rally.

Clarita Lunas, retired regional supervisor from the Department of Education and a provincial consultant on education, said the concept of the prayer rally started after The Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana and the Lal-lo Airport have been selected as locations where the U.S. military can stock weapons and equipment under the EDCA.

Seven other sites have been named in other parts of the country.

Lunas, one of the convenors of the prayer rally, told The Manila Times "the only weapon we have, during our meeting [with other convenors] is prayer."

Lunas said the EDCA sites are "clear areas where American forces will launch their impending war because of China's plan to recover Taiwan.

She said it is a conflict "that Cagayan has nothing to do with."

"Because of this, many lives will surely be lost and properties damaged," Lunas said.

She made it clear that Cagayan is not against President Marcos, "neither are we against the national policy."

"What we are fighting is the establishment of two EDCA sites in our province," she said. "It is the duty of our leaders to protect the Cagayan people from the hardship and suffering brought about by a potential war between the U.S.-China over the Taiwan issue."

In his speech during the rally, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba said that for him, "EDCA is simply war."

"Additional EDCA sites are an obstacle to the economic development of Cagayan. Foreign investors from China, South Korea, Japan and even Taiwan will be afraid of Cagayan because of the fear that Cagayan will become a stronghold in America's war," said Mamba.

He said the presence of the EDCA sites will be an obstacle to the realization of the Cagayan Development Agenda 2025 and the Cagayan International Gateway Project (CIGP) which aims to open the international airport in Piat, Cagayan, and the international seaport in Aparri.

"A peaceful and productive relationship with our Asian neighbors will bring prosperity to Cagayan. We want Cagayan to be the center of agro-industrial hubs in the international port, and not the center of foreign military bases whose clear objective is to enable war between America and

Immigration bureau: New trafficking scheme uses pilgrimage as cover

MANILA — A new trafficking scheme targeting Filipinos who want to work abroad as household workers has them trying to leave the country by claiming to be religious pilgrims.

This is the new scheme that the Bureau of Immigration uncovered after officers of their travel control and enforcement unit intercepted two women trying to fly out to Doha in Qatar.

In a statement on Monday, April 17, BI said the two trafficking victims, aged 36 and 37 years old, claimed to be Muslim pilgrims. They said they planned to travel by bus to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in Umrah — a non-obligatory but important pilgrimage for Muslims.

They had also said that they recently converted to Islam and they planned to stay in Saudi for seven days.

"However, the officers noted numerous inconsistencies in their statements," BI said.

The two later on admitted that their documents were fabricated and that a woman recruited them,