Edge10 issue114 September 8-9 2017

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

WORTHY OF REPLICATION. President Duterte hands over the award to Udenna Corporation founder Dennis Uy who is merited as the lone Young Entrepreneur of the Year awardee during the Association of Southeast Asian

Faeldon allows probe of his bank accounts

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ormer Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon on Thursday skipped the Senate panel probe into the P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China but issued a waiver that allows his bank accounts to be checked.

In a letter to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Faeldon said that he will only attend the investigation conducted by a competent court “anytime, anywhere” but only when cases are �iled against him.

Faeldon urged lawmakers to �ile cases against him “so that justice will be

served.”

“I strongly urge those senators and congressmen to immediately �ile the cases against me, and the rest of my kin so justice will be served,” Faeldon said in his letter.

The ex-Commissioner also issued a waiver of the bank secrecy law which allows all government agencies that has the authority to probe allegations against him to look into his bank accounts.

“I hereby authorize the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives and all government agencies

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Militants renew demand for army to leave Davao Norte

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militant group renewed its call for President Rodrigo R. Duterte to pull out military troops in the hinterland municipalities of Davao del Norte.

The group also called on the President to lift martial law in Mindanao, and to recant his previous pronouncement for the soldiers to attack lumad schools, following the death of 19-year-old Obillo Bay-ao after he was allegedly gunned down by members of a paramilitary group in the municipality of Talaingod Tuesday morning.

In an interview on

Wednesday, Karapatan-Southern Mindanao secretary general Sheena Duazo sad that attacks against lumad communities allegedly worsened after Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao last May 23 and threatened to bomb schools operated by the lumads associated with the communists.

But Brig. Gen. Bienvenido Datuin, assistant commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said they welcome investigation and complaint against any members of the Citizen Armed Forces Geo-

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Nations (ASEAN) Business Awards at the Solaire Resort and Casino Grand Ballroom in Parañaque City on Wednesday night. The President, who led the awarding to the 30 awardees, is assisted by Trade and Industry Secretary Ra-

mon Lopez, Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, and Philippine ASEAN Business Advisory Council Council Members Tessie SyCoson and George Barcelon. RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

DA accents preventive measures vs Avian Flu

By ANGIE SAVERON

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indanao is still free from the Avian In�luenza Virus but this has not prevented the Department of Agriculture from focusing on preventive measures. “ Mini-maintain natin yung sa prevention, mag-maintain tayo ng strict biosecurity measures, so dapat may disinfection,” said Dr. Dannie Apello, DA spokesperson for Avian Flu at the Mindanao Wide Avian In�lu-

enza conference held at Apo view Hotel on Thursday.

He said the preventive measures includes the quarantine checkpoints established at the identi�ied entry points.

In Sulop, Davao del Sur, the responsible agencies included the Veterinary Quarantine Services (VQS), the provincial veterinarian and the local government units.

The identi�ied entry point in Kinuskusan, Sulop is

manned by personnel of the VQS, Provincial veterinary of�ice and the local government units.

In Davao Del Norte, the municipality of Talaingod is an identi�ied entry point and is monitored by a composite team from the VQS, the veterinary of�ice and the LGUs. In Davao Oriental, Boston and is the indenti�ied entry point and the responsible agencies are VQS, PVET and LGU. In Compostella Valley,

Monkayo and Laak are the identi�ied entry point and the agencies responsible are VQS,PVET AND LGU In the area. In Davao Occidental, Sta. Maria is the identi�ied entry point and the responsible agencies are the VQS, PVET and LGU- Sta. Maria and in Davao City, Buda and Lumondao are the identi�ied entry points and the responsible agencies are VQS, PVET AND LGU. The coordinated effort

offer to negotiate with the militants who laid siege on Marawi starting on May 23.

Unlike the �irst attempt, he said he �latly rejected the offer.

“It is too late. He should have done the negotiations during the �irst week of the Marawi �ighting where we still have few casualties,” he said.

He added it would be a disgrace to the 145 soldiers who died �ighting the terrorists.

The of�icial said military of�icers vehemently

opposed any talks with the Maute gunmen now that they have contained them in a small pocket in Marawi.

“We have them cornered already. Why the offer?” Lorenzana told reporters here.

Apparently, Solitario’s offer was triggered by a speech by President Rodrigo Duterte in Taguig City where he said he was sending somebody to negotiate for the release of the hostages held by the Maute group.

Lorenzana said Solitario

and his group are asking for a safe conduct pass to reach the Islamic State-inspired militants.

He showed reporters Solitario’s supposed text message forwarded by Dureza.

It reads: “Boss, Omar here. Just secure authority and free movement for us and, with God’s help, we can �ix the Mrwi debacle. Boss, I suggest we end the �ighting, so that a more integrated counter extremist scheme can be launched. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)

DA, 12

Gov’t rules out deal with Maute Group

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he government has rejected for the second time an offer to negotiate for the remaining Maute gunmen to leave Marawi City unharmed in exchange for the safe release of some 30 hostages.

Defense Secretary Del�in Lorenzana said the offer to negotiate came from former Marawi Mayor Omar Solitario and was relayed to him by Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza this week.

Lorenzana said this is the second time that an

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NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Jesuits provide health aid to Marawi troops

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sychologists and counselors at a Jesuit-run university have tended scores of wounded soldiers and displaced residents in the con�lict-torn southern Philippine city of Marawi.

The Center of Psychological Extension Research Services from Ateneo de Davao University was also training local volunteers in psychosocial work, said its director, Doctor Rhodora Gail T. Ilagan.

The team has worked with more than 300 soldiers recuperating after being wounded in the con�lict.

Early intervention could help ease combat stress reactions, like dissociative and posttraumatic stress disorder or depression, Ilagan told ucanews.com.

“We can disclose more fully what’s inside of us. It feels lighter. The support has been overwhelming,” said First Lieutenant Allan Wadsilang, commander of the 6th Scout Ranger company,

whose troops were among those helped by the Ateneo experts.

Displaced residents also have a big need for psychosocial help, Ilagan said.

Tens of thousands of displaced residents live in crowded tent cities without jobs, wondering about their livelihoods and homes left behind, she said.

Physical therapy and body massage are part of the “peace-centered” healing program, she said.

Ilagan said the center also worked with Islamic teachers and scholars to allow better access to communities and help bridge language and cultural differences.

The death toll in the three-and-a-half month war has passed 800, military of�icials said, Sept. 5.

Close to 400,000 Marawi residents remain displaced, with 90 percent staying with relatives in towns near Marawi. (UCAN)

LESSER INCIDENTS. Firefighters try to extinguish a fire that hit a residential area in Brgy. 23-C Isla Verde, Davao City in this undated photo. The Bureau of Fire Protection 11 said fire incidents in Davao City decreased by almost

50 percent this year compared to the number of cases last year due to the agency’s fire safety education and intensified awareness through the help of the barangays. Lean Daval Jr.

Davao firms cough out Palace‘profoundly dismayed’ P1.5B to NPAs per year over De Guzman death

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alacañang on Thursday said it is “profoundly dismayed” over the manner by which 14-year-old Reynaldo de Guzman was killed.

“It is with profound dismay that we regard the disturbing death of 14-yearold Reynaldo de Guzman,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said during a Palace brie�ing.

He said Malacañang is determined to thoroughly investigate the youth’s killing and assured that there will be no whitewash.

“The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already been ordered to conduct a thorough investigation and case build-up

over the killing of the young boy Reynaldo,” he said.

“We call on authorities to bring the perpetrators of this suspicious crime to justice,” Abella said.

De Guzman’s body was found in Gapan, Nueva Ecija Tuesday.

His body bore 30 stab wounds with the head wrapped in packaging tape.

De Guzman was last seen with 19-year old Carl Angelo Arnaiz who was killed in Caloocan City in an alleged encounter with city police.

The two teenagers went missing on the night of August 17 after leaving their homes in Cainta, Rizal for midnight snacks. (PNA)

In the form of revolutionary taxation

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he New People’s Army is earning up to P1.5 billion in revolutionary taxes annually from the business sector in Davao and Caraga regions, according to the Philippine Army’s (PA) 10th Infantry Division.

The amount is raised from different business �irms, construction companies, agricultural plantations, and mining operators, said Brig. Gen. Bienvenido Datuin, deputy commander of the 10th ID. Datuin con�irmed the NPA has continued to extort money from the businesses in the

form of revolutionary taxation.

Failure to give in to their demands could face consequences, such as the burning of company equipment and facilities.

Datuin admitted the extortion and attacks on the private �irms have remained a challenge.

In the wake of this development, the Army suggested to the local government units and the companies to invest in security to address the problem. Investing in security, he said is even cheaper than paying revolutionary taxes.

He added that the Army

discouraged companies to pay revolutionary taxes.

Investing in security means hiring of new special Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) to help secure agricultural plantations, project sites, and other installations.

The suggestion is welcomed by private �irms and all the LGUs under the area of 10th ID. According to Datuin, there is already a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to be signed between the Department of National Defense (DND) and the LGUs only that

Paolo Duterte’s lawyer says he won’t play Trillanes’game

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HIT OR MISS. A group of young boys pans for loose coins in the muddy seawater at the beachfront near a coastal community in Brgy. 23-C Isla Verde in Davao City on Thursday. Lean Daval Jr.

local chief executives are still �inding out where to source out the budget for the educational and special �inancial assistance to the families of the CAAs. Initially, the expenses will be shared by the companies and the LGUs. DND shoulders the training of the CAAs and provision of the �irearms. Datuin said the government is also working on how many can be taken in as CAAs because there is a strict provisions in the number of CAAs to be recruited.

(PNA)

he lawyer of presidential son and Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte on Thursday said that he will not play the game of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who revived once more allegations that the Duterte family has millions in bank accounts.

“He presented the bank accounts, that’s an old issue,” lawyer Rainier Madrid told reporters in an interview after the Senate panel hearing into the P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China which slipped through the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Duterte and his-brother-in-law lawyer Manases Carpio were both invited in the Senate probe to clear their names after Customs broker and �ixer Mark Tagu-

ba earlier claimed that a group linked to them facilitated the release of the illegal shipment.

Madrid explained that his client refused to sign a waiver of the bank secrecy law that allows his accounts to be looked into because Trillanes has not even admitted where he obtained his sources.

“Bakit tayo magpapa-uto sa kanya? What is there to clear? Ang sinabi niya puro PowerPoint, he did not even identify the sources of the PowerPoint (Why allow ourselves to be fooled by him?

What is there to clear? All he said came from a PowerPoint, he did not even identify the sources of the PowerPoint),” Madrid said.

Duterte’s lawyer said

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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PH, China ink 23-KM Davao expressway deal

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he Departments of Finance and of Transportation will create a technical working group to work out the transfer of several patrol vessels from the Department of Transportation to the Bureau of Customs to help strengthen the latter’s border protection and anti-smuggling capabilities.

Comprising four units of 24-meter vessels and one unit of 82-meter vessel, these patrol boats were acquired through loans from European banking institutions under the Philippine Port and Coast Guard Capability Development Project (PCG Vessels Project), The International Finance Group reported to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III in a recent DOF executive committee meeting that the DOF, which had contracted the loan, has asked the DOTr to transfer some of the patrol boats to the BOC to help boost the Bureau’s war against smuggling.

The BOC said earlier that the smuggling of vehicles, oil and cigarettes into the country has cost the government more than P50 billion in lost revenues.

A study done by the Washington DC-based

research group Global Financial Integrity (GFI) had reported that an estimated $90.25 billion - worth of out�lows were recorded from the Philippines from 2004 to 2013, for an average of $9.03 billion annually that it attributed to the illegal trade in goods or smuggling IFG told Dominguez that the funds for the PCG Vessels Project worth P5.9 billion or about P111.58 million euros was sourced from the unutilized portion of the Buyer’s Credit Facility originally for the Greater Maritime Access Ports Project, unrecouped advanced payment and the counterpart funds provided by the then Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

The loan granted by the BNP Paribas Group and the Credit Agricole CIB was guaranteed by the French government, through Bpifrance Assurance Export, the export credit agency of the same.

It is repayable in 12.5 inclusive of two-and-a-half years grace period, according to the IFG. The four units of 24-meter boats are expected to be delivered in 2018 while the 82-meter vessel is expected to arrive in February 2019..(DOF)

IN THE INTERIM. Sales attendant chat during a slow day at an establishment selling refurbished sawing machines along Quezon Blvd. in Davao City on Thursday. Lean Daval Jr.

Nograles to Salazar: Resign and save ERC

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uwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles appealed to Jose Vicente Salazar to make the ultimate sacri�ice by stepping down as chair of the Energy Regulatory Commission and save the agency from get-

DOF taps Coast Guard project to boost BOC’s border protection capabilities

T

he Departments of Finance and of Transportation will create a technical working group to work out the transfer of several patrol vessels from the Department of Transportation to the Bureau of Customs to help strengthen the latter’s border protection and anti-smuggling capabilities.

Comprising four units of 24-meter vessels and one unit of 82-meter vessel, these patrol boats were acquired through loans from European banking in-

stitutions under the Philippine Port and Coast Guard Capability Development Project (PCG Vessels Project), The International Finance Group reported to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III in a recent DOF executive committee meeting that the DOF, which had contracted the loan, has asked the DOTr to transfer some of the patrol boats to the BOC to help boost the Bureau’s war against smuggling.

The BOC said earlier

that the smuggling of vehicles, oil and cigarettes into the country has cost the government more than P50 billion in lost revenues.

A study done by the Washington DC-based research group Global Financial Integrity (GFI) had reported that an estimated $90.25 billion - worth of out�lows were recorded from the Philippines from 2004 to 2013, for an average of $9.03 billion annually that it attributed to the illegal trade in goods or smuggling.(DOF)

raising funds, a large part of which through the proposed tax reform program.

“As the current administration plans to spend some P8.4 trillion on its unprecedented infrastructure program, SSS is expressing its support to this program.

In fact, SSS is planning to invest in Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) programs such as road projects and tollways as it would generate a lifetime income for the pension fund,” Valdez said.

SSS President and Chief Executive Of�icer Emmanuel Dooc said SSS invest-

ments in PPP projects would be feasible once the proposal for the SS Charter Amendment pushes through in the upper chamber, bi-cam and hopefully signed by President Duterte.

“Under the proposed charter amendment dubbed as the Social Security Reform Act of 2017, powers and responsibilities of the SSC will be rationalized allowing it to widen its investment opportunities for better fund returns,” said Dooc.

SSS supports “Build, Build, Build”program

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tate-run Social Security System is fully supportive of the “Build, Build, Build” program of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, which aims to maintain a 6 to 7 percent economic growth until 2022 through massive infrastructure projects.

Social Security Commission Chairman Amado Valdez said the state-run pension fund will support the programs under “DuterteNomics”, an economic strategy that aims to ensure economic inclusion of all Filipinos by dramatically

SSS, 13

ting a P1,000 budget for 2018.

Nograles said that corruption allegations made by the late ERC Director Jose Francisco Villa Jr. against Salazar before committing suicide has befouled the image of the

entire ERC and has lost its credibility as a regulatory body.

“True or not, the allegations made against Chairman Salazar have completely demolished the credibility of the ERC. My friendly advice to him

is that he should make the ultimate sacri�ice and step down. The entire institution must not suffer just because him,” Nograles said.

Nograles said that the decision of the House leadership led by Speaker Pan-

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EDGEDAVAO

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

EDITORIAL

Need to shore up labor market

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he upside is that there is a growth in the construction labor market. The downside? The local inventory is low.

That is the state of things in the local construction industry. The inevitable growth in the demand for skilled workforce has overtaken supply. To illustrate the point, a regular P50-million project requires a skilled workforce of 80 to 100.

The simultaneous construction of property developent projects have created a huge dearth in local resources and that has forced contractors to look for labor in other cities. That means, Davao is losing worthy employment opportunities to people in other areas just because it cannot cope with the huge demand.

Davao Contractors Association Center Incorporated President Michael Te recently revealed that there is an

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abundant number of workers in the city, but the number of ‘skilled’ workers are not enough.PCAC is collaborating with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in intensifying programs that will keep the supply of skilled workers adequate.

Construction-related programs that should be stressed as priority are carpentry, different types of welding, heavy equipment operation, masonry, scaffolding, tile setting, building wiring installation and construction painting.

It is no secret that since three decades ago, there had been ongoing exodus of workers to the Middle East and other countries where the Filipino’s trade skills are highly demanded and well compensated causing this labor market imbalance.

Now is the time to bring them back home with opportunities rosy in the local front.

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Richard C. Ebona | Product Development officer Cellphone number: 09169558559 / 09085486859 Email Address: edgedavao@gmail.com

EDGEDAVAO

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he ills of the nation have grown from malignant to terminal – like cancer that slowly but surely eats into the bodily system, attacks and weakens its immunity until it succumbs and dies.

I asked the question because while the incumbent administration is doing its best to respond to the needs of the times, it appears it still comes up short in ful�illing its mandate, if the avalanche of partisan criticism is to be the gauge.

Pardon this parallelism but the situation has even gone down to a damn-if-you-do and damn-if-you-don’t affair.

If one carefully sizes up the present conditions and comes up with a fair and judicious assessment, you will realize that the present circumstances that plague the country have metamorphosed from a dwarf of a problem to a menacing giant.

Consider the traf�icking of illegal drugs.

The mainstream media and all the previous administrations failed to notice the alarming growth of illegal drugs because they either refused to acknowledge its existence or were

G

enocide, we’ve heard the term before. A term we often associated with what happened to the Jews during World War II. So practically, most of us understand very well what genocide is. It’s a systematic killing of a people of a particular race or creed. But what most of us don’t understand is that even now, during the information age, genocides are happening. One such modern genocides is happening to a people called the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in what we know as Myanmar or Burma in South East Asis which is predominantly Buddhist. Rohingya is not something you’d often hear in our daily evening news or newspaper. You may even have only heard about it on Social Media through very graphic violent pictures and videos about their burning villages, torture and summary execution.

This is a brief account of what Rohingya and why you should care about it.

Rohingya is known as one of the Most persecuted minorities in the world. They are originally residents of the Arakan Teritory, West of Burma until they were invaded by Burma in 1784. Rohingya have their own language, religion, culture and traditions which are very different from their conquerors. Being followers of Islam, they did not assimilate easily into the Buddhist society that conquered them. Historically, the Arakan region in which the Rohingya live was an independent nation which has close historical and cultural ties to India and Bangladesh. Rohingya are sometimes referred to as Arakanese Indians due to this fact. Sometimes they are even dubbed by the Myanmar government as Stateless Bengali Muslims.

This minority status made them

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VANTAGE POINTS

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Is a revolutionary government the solution? scared to confront it face to face. That the illegal drugs trade �lourished in this country was the result of the cold shoulder treatment that the past regimes gave it.

The culture of corruption permeating all levels of society very obviously encouraged drug syndicates to establish their operations here.

Today, I would like to believe that a great majority of Filipino citizens are now awakening. That without a leader who possesses positive political will to transform this government, the country will continue its plunge deeper into the abyss.

Support from the citizenry is mounting and continues to pour even as partisan elements from the political opposition are creating obstacles to impede the institution of reforms and change.

At this time, we cannot just wait and watch from the sidelines.

Patriotic Filipinos who want to sustain the reforms initially started by PRRD must come forward and join the movement.

A revolutionary government is the only solution to fast-track the

SPECKS OF LIFE Fred C. Lumba constitutional reforms in our political system and pave the way for the cultural renaissance that should ideally come along.

Recall that the revolutionary government �irst established by the Katipuneros during the �ight for independence against the Spaniards was weak, divided and thus wavered and fell.

Likewise, the revolutionary government instituted by the late Cory Aquino after booting out the Marcos dictatorship cracked due to power play, greed, corruption and the rise of a new oligarchy.

Hopefully, these twin episodes in our governance history can serve as models for PRRD to think about to avoid committing the mistakes of his predecessors and fall into the same traps.

First of all, a revolutionary government will effectively take down basic notorious political institutions where corruption dwelt and thrived.

At the same time, it will get rid of the millions of deadwoods in the bureaucracy and take in fresh and progressive minds into the government service.

A revolutionary government will hasten the country’s shift to federalism; empower the citizens to draw directions to self-determination; to cultivate positive values that have eluded us because of the negative effects of foreign colonization; and give rise to a new breed of young, energetic good leaders

who have otherwise been sidetracked by the vicious cycle of the trditional political system and patronage.

A revolutionary government will also get rid of the unfair business cycle where only a few (called the oligarch) has risen to peaks of success while the millions of small Filipino micro-entrepreneurs painfully struggle to earn a decent living.

In my view, a revolutionary government will create fair and just living conditions among the citizens and level the playing �ield. This has been a national aspiration.

I �ind the circumstances today very encouraging as the Duterte government carefully moves to re-chart the political directions of the nation.

The Marawi con�lict mirrors the need for federalism, people empowerment and united stand against abuses and mal-governance.

Will I see hands raised for a revolutionary government? (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) Ps.90.12: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

Because of this, there has been freedom movements amongst the Rohingya seeking independence from Myanmar with Arakan as their state territory. Some even resorted to armed con�licts against the Myanmar government which resulted in the con�licts and military crackdowns in 1978, 1991–1992, 2012, 2015 and 20162017 against the Rohingya which did not only in�lict damage to the Rohingya resistance �ighters but also to the civilian populace which has been subjected to ethnic cleansing according to UN reports.

There was even a diplomatic attempt of the Rohingyas in the 1940s through what was called as the Pakistan Movement to talk to the then Pakistani President Muhammad Ali Jinnah for Rohingya to be annexed by Pakistan due to its religious af�iliation and geographical proximity. This, however, did not materialize.

From 2015 to the present, there has been an escalation of violence against the Rohingya. In 2016 there have been some attacks by the Harakatul Yaqin, an armed freedom movement of the Rohingyas against some military outposts. These attacks were answered by the government of Myanmar and ultranationalist militias by attacks against the general populace including the civilians and have resulted in wide-scale human rights violations at the hands of security forces, including extrajudicial killings, gang rapes, arsons, and other brutalities. Even though it has been proven many times that the Myanmar government forces have been involved in the atrocities, the de facto government head, Aung San Suu Kyi was silent about all these events and even denied that there has been a mass murder going

on against the Rohingya and have even blocked a UN probe into the crisis.

Worldwide outrage has been expressed. Even the Dalai Lama, the highest Buddhist religious leader in the world denounced the killings but with little to no effect to stop the genocide which is done in the name of Buddhism or the Buddhist state against the Rohingya. As of now, different Muslim and Non-Muslim state leaders have condemned the events but the Rohingya crisis has been ignored to the point of apathy by most people especially media agencies from whom you will never hear from them any news about the Rohingya.

In August 2017, clashes with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) which is formerly known as Haraqatul Yaqin, have resulted in the death of 375 ARSA �ighters according to the Myanmar government but Rohingya activists are quick to denounce that most of those killed are Rohingya civilians thus solidifying their accusation of mass murder and crimes against humanity.

This article is not about whether the Rohingya deserve independence or not. This article is not about denying the Myanmar government the rights to impose its sovereign right as a nation on its people. Rather, this is about our moral obligations as humans to know the situation of our fellow humans and to do something to stop oppression by expressing disapproval, creating awareness that will eventually lead to actions, and praying for world peace and unity.

For more information about Islam, watch Mensahe TV on Cignal TV channel 184. If you have questions, feel free to contact me via email: mujahidnavarra@ gmail.com and my social media sites.

Rohingya, The Silent Genocide

second class citizens which were made worse by the being denied citizenship in 1948 by the Burmese government after Burma gained independence from Great Britain.

Citizenship was again denied for the Rohingya in 1982 with the Burmese government claiming that they are illegal immigrants. The Burmese government claim that they are from Bangladesh, a neighboring Muslim country in the West of Burma. There is a bit of truth in this and in fact, it was the British empire that facilitated the migration of Muslims from India and Bengal region into the fertile Arakan region to work as farmers under the British East India Company which by then, India, Bangladesh, Arakan and Burma doesn’t have any political border because they are all under the British rule.

However, most of the Rohingya have been residents of the Arakan for hundreds of years now during the British rule and were not modern illegal immigrants as claimed by Myanmar government.

This denial of citizenship meant that the Rohingya have been denied basic human rights in the Buddhist state which led to many forms of oppression against them which were lately being revealed as state sponsored. Basic rights have been denied to almost 2 million Rohingyas which most of them are refugees running away from militias and sometimes the Burmese army themselves who systematically hunt them down. The Rohingyas have been denied freedom of movement, state education, and civil service jobs.

Behind all these oppressive actions, the Burmese government justi�ied its actions as proper punitive actions against some terrorist activities done by Rohingya resistance �ighters which have

UNDERSTANDING ISLAM

Mujahid Navarra

been �ighting for freedom even as early as colonial times when the state of Burma, Arakan, India, and Bangladesh are all under the British Empire.

In 2012 there has been an escalation of the violence against the Rohingya which was headed by an ultranationalist religious leaders named Ashin Wirathu.

It led to a series of riots between the Rakhine Buddhists under Wirathu and Rohingya Muslims. These events have led to summary executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, and ill-treatment and forced labor of the Rohingya which �inally made international news after they got viral on Social Media.

The Rohingya see themselves as an independent people the same way Myanmar sees them as illegal immigrants in Myanmar or citizens of Myanmar.

For hundreds of years, the Rohingya remained stateless inside a territory that does not accept them.

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 114• FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

EDGEDAVAO

9

10 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

Higher subsidy for poor sought under tax reform

W

hile the Department of Social Welfare and Development supports the plan under the proposed tax reform measure to provide subsidy to 10 million poorest households who will be affected by the rise in excise taxes on fuel and other products, a monthly subsidy of PHP200 is not enough, its chief said Wednesday.

“Ang mungkahi namin, from PHP200 dagdagan pa siguro, PHP500, PHP400 or PHP300. Nakikita namin na di sapat gamitin lang ang in�lation rate as basis (Our suggestion is to increase the proposed subsidy from PHP200 to PHP500, PHP400 or PHP300. It is not enough to use only the in�lation rate as the basis for determining the amount of the subsidy),» DSWD of�icer-in-charge, Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco, said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.

He said the price index protocol should also be considered in calculating the subsidy.

Leyco said they are discussing with the Department of Finance (DOF) how the subsidy would be given to the 10 million poorest households once the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) or House

Bill No. 5636 becomes a law.

Included in the 10 million are the 4.4 million household bene�iciaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Meanwhile, Leyco assured that the department will abide by the law.

“The DSWD will be prepared to implement whatever the law states. As a government agency, we are mandated to support the government,” he said.

According to the DOF, the TRAIN aims to make the country’s tax system simpler, fairer and more ef�icient, especially for the poor and low-income families, by making sizable cuts in personal income tax rates, expanding the Value Added Tax (VAT) base and adjusting excise taxes on oil, automobiles and other products to help sustain the country’s growth and reduce poverty through massive spending on infrastructure, human capital and social protection for the poor and vulnerable sectors.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno has said that there will be an unconditional cash transfer of PHP200 per month or PHP2,400 a year, which will bene�it the 10 million poorest households in the country. (PNA)

Insurance exec optimistic on PH insurance growth

A

n of�icial of an insurance company is optimistic on the continued rise of insurance penetration in the Philippines as industry players vie to open more access points for the masses to avail insurance products.

Pioneer Life Inc. President and CEO Lorenzo Chan Jr. told reporters Wednesday that Filipinos are now more educated in terms of their �inancial know-how but are still afraid to get insurance, given misconceptions that it is similar to pre-need products.

He stressed the need for companies to help in further educating the people to make them understand the difference between insurance and pre-need products as well as the importance of having insurance to protect their lives.

The Insurance Commission (IC) expects penetration of microinsurance, in particular, to hit 48.7 percent by mid-2022 after its rise to 25.4 percent as of end-September 2016.

At the end of the third quarter last year, life insurance covered about 7.5

million people or about 29 percent of the total microinsured while the non-life insurance sector accounted for about 12 percent, covering around 3.1 million.

On Wednesday, Pioneer and Sy-led BDO Insurance Brokers Inc. (BDOI) launched their tieup, which allows Filipinos to buy Pioneer’s insurance coverage for dengue fever and travel as well as on Compulsory Third-Party Liability (CTPL) in all 56 SM branches nationwide.

Chan said they measure their business’ achievements not on the growth of products sales per se but on the number of lives that would be covered by the products.

“I think we’d be very, very pleased if we have at least a million number of lives (covered in the �irst year partnership with SM),” he said, citing that as of end-2016 Pioneer processed 18 million applications for insurance renewals.

Chan pointed out that with the Philippines’ more than 100 million population “there’s a big market out there.” (PNA)

SLOW BUT SURE. An elderly woman cleans up coconut leaves which will be used to make stick brooms at a makeshift house in Brgy. 76-C Bucana, Davao City on Thursday. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte urges ASEAN firms to help small biz

P

resident Rodrigo Duterte has challenged large companies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to make the region’s business environment more inclusive.

In his speech during the ASEAN Business Awards 2017 here Wednesday evening, President Duterte has urged ASEAN �irms to integrate micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in their value chain.

“We have also challenged those who achieved success and wealth to embrace inclusivity by helping our MSMEs,” said President Duterte, who is also the ASEAN chair for this year.

“I now extend this call to

other big businesses in the region. Embrace MSMEs in your supply chains, open up your retail stores, and integrate these small entrepreneurs into the way you do business,” he added.

He noted that partnering with the MSMEs is a concrete action to eradicate poverty and eliminate inequities in the region.

Moreover, President Duterte recognized the winners of this year’s ASEAN Business Awards, noting their outstanding performance, especially those adopted inclusive business model that makes signi�icant social impact enabling the region to achieve inclusive growth and prosperity for all.

The ASEAN Business Advisory Council acknowledged nine Legacy Awardees in the region including Brunei Darussalam’s Haji Musa Bin Hj Adnin of Adnin Group of Companies; Indonesia’s Dr. (H.C.) Sudhamek AWS of GarudaFood; Laos’ Rattana Prathoumvan of EDL Generation Public Company; Malaysia’s Goh Peng Ooi of Silverlake Axis Limited; Myanmar’s Aung Ko Win of Kanbawza Bank; the Philippines’ John Gokongwei, Jr. of JG Summit Holdings, Inc.; Singapore’s Wee Cho Yaw of United Overseas Bank; Thailand’s Sakchai Unchittikul of Srichiengmai Industry Company; and Vietnam’s Le Thu Thuy of BRG Group.

“For serving as role models and mentors to other ASEAN enterprises, you have contributed to the growth and prosperity of the ASEAN Economic Community,” he said.

Duterte likewise urged other entrepreneurs in the region to follow the example of successful ASEAN businesses and lead innovation towards sustainable economic development in ASEAN. “Let the accomplishments of our honorees serve as an example of the whole region that MSMEs are key drivers and contributors to greater employment opportunities and more resilient economies in ASEAN,” he added. (PNA)

bene�icial to the vegetable industry in the region.

“Bt Eggplant is a modern variety, genetically modi�ied with a high level of resistance against the eggplant fruit and shoot borer developed by UPLB Institute of Plant Breeding. It has a gene from a soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) that confers insecticidal property,” says Bt Eggplant study leader Dr. Lourdes D. Taylo, Bt Eggplant study leader from the University of the Philippine Los Baños.

After a thorough discussion with Dr. Taylo on the science, safety, and the potential actual bene�its of modern biotechnology, Vicsmin in their one-page manifesto says: “We realize that Bt Egg-

plant, which contains the gene similar to the insect-resistant Bt. Corn, can bring bene�its to our communities such as higher yield and income, reduce chemical use, and improve environmental health.”

“We believe that the Bt Eggplant is a healthier and safer alternative solution against the relentless insect-pest - the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB),” Vicsmin adds.

Further Vicsmin recognized that multi-location �ield trials of Bt Eggplant had been approved by the Bureau of Plant Industry, the regulatory arm of the Department of Agriculture as per Administrative Order No. 8, as part of the regulatory requirement of the said biotech crop, and

in accordance with the new Joint Department Circular.

“We recognized the safety of the products of modern biotechnology that have passed food safety assessment based on international standards such as the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization CODEX Alimentarius Risk Analysis of Food Derived from Modern Biotechnology,” Vicsmin says.

“Dili pwede na sige lang ta ug yawyaw [It is not enough that we will just keep on whining]. Instead, we should be the force that will support this kind of technology which offer numerous bene�its to our farmers as well as consumers,” says Vicsmin President Gienovivo A. Cajes.(Noel T. Provido)

Vegetable council backs planting of Bt eggplant

T

he Vegetable Industry Council of Southern Mindanao (Vicsmin) has expressed its full support for the commercial planting of Bt eggplant in the country.

This came after its of�icers and members signed a one-page manifesto of support during the roundtable discussion on Bt Eggplant held September 4 in Davao City.

The one-day event was organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture - Biotechnology Information Center (Searca-Bic).

Vicsmin with a strength of 40 active member institutions and 20 individual farmers is a non-pro�it organization that advocates policies

INdulge!

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

EDGEDAVAO

ARTS AND CULTURE

facts about the Chan Lim family of artists and students

ART ENTHUSIASTS always find pleasure in knowing that there are elaborate stories behind masterpieces. This listicle presents various trivia about the Chan Lim family of artists and students as they mount their mid-autumn art festival (featuring hundreds of fans and scrolls) in SM Lanang Premier. The exhibition runs until September 16.

• The very first Chan Lim Family art exhibit was mounted in 1995 at SM Megamall. Since then, the

family has held 15 exhibits—these happened in and out of the country.

• Chan Lim is the name

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used by the family patriarch in signing all his artworks. The pen name was crafted out of his and his wife’s last names.

• None of the Chan Lim family members have formal degrees related to arts. The Chan Lim siblings Alex, Felix, Rolex, and Jolex are all engineers and are engaged with multinational companies in various industries.

• The Chan Lim Family holds five doctor of philosophy degrees, advancing their knowledge in the fields of engineering, educational technology, and management.

• Their first family interaction painting was an oil

painting done in 1998. It was a Chinese style painting given as a gift to the family patriarch’s, Chan Lim, 60th birthday. The painting One Fine Day is currently displayed in their family residence.

• Creativity in arts is an important area of focus for the family. Infusing Western art with Eastern

art and expressing these in different media enabled the family to develop masterpieces on fans, lanterns, and porcelain plates.

• The largest number of art on display for a Chan Lim Family and Students exhibit was 330 pieces. This was during the 2016 midautumn festival exhibit in

SM Lanang Premier.

• Eight exhibits, which will run for a total of 200 days, are scheduled in 2017 and will celebrate the 80th birthday of Chan Lim. Follow @smlanangpremier and @ChanLimFamilyofArtists in social media for more delightful celebrations on art.

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Tel No. 082.221.3601/224.1413 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com marketing@edgedavao.net

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

Miners invite Duterte to visit rehabbed mines

T

he Chamber of Mines of the Philippines formally invited President Rodrigo Duterte to visit one of the rehabilitated mines in the country in the wake of his recent pronouncements about open-pit mines.

“We like to invite the President to come and see some of the older mines that have been rehabilitated. We already know that he has �lown to some of the newer mines like in Surigao that has not been rehabilitated yet,” said COMP Chairman Gerard Brimo, who also serves as the president of Nickel Asia Corp., on the sidelines of the ongoing Mining Philippines 2017 International Conference and Exhibition on Wednesday.

“There are very good examples in the country that are surface mines, part of which have already been rehabilitated. We will be delighted to have the President visit some of those mines,” he added.

Brimo said the reality of the situation is that for deposits that are near the surface, “there’s only one way to mine, and that’s from the surface and that’s open pit mine.”

“The other reality is that it can be rehabilitated. There are technical ways. In nickel for example, we can do progressive rehabilitation. In Rio Tuba for example, in areas we’re rehabilitating, the vegetation is better than the original area,” he noted. (PNA)

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2 REPORTERS Submit application letter and resume to: Mr. Antonio M. Ajero, Editor-in-Chief or Mr. Jimmy K. Laking, Associate Editor Edge Davao Review Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Bldg., E. Quirino Avenue, Davao City Or email at edgedavao@gmail.com

SCANIA TRUCKS. Peachy G. Tamayo and Vic G. Marinduque, officers of BJ Mercantile, partner of Sweden-based Scania truckmakers, explain the features of the company’s products to Davao reporters and blockers during a

briefing at Afhat 3 resto in Davao City last Thursday. Third man in photo is Luigi I. Avancena, a Davao-born PR practitioner in Manila. AMA

Leading truckmaker Scania comes to Davao, Mindanao

S

CANIA, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks and buses, is coming to Mindanao.

In fact, the Sweden-based company which �irst came to the Philippines in 2015 has already distributed some 40 truck units in some mining areas in Mindanao, according to Vic G. Marinduque, sales manager for Visayas and Luzon of BJ

Mercantile Inc., partner of Scania in the Philippines.

Scania has joined PhilConstruct Mindanao 2017, the biggest building and construction expo in Mindanao, which opens at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City today, Sept. 8. The annual expo will culminate on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Peachy G. Tamayo, also of BJ Mercantile Inc., told Davao reporters and

bloggers yesterday that Scania will take advantage of the expected boom in construction and return of mining in establishing a foothold in Mindanao. However, there is no de�inite date for Scania to open a showroom in Mindanao.

She said the G-Series trucks of Scania are perfect for petroleum hauling and for those in the business of construction and

mining.

BJ Mercantile, Scania’s of�icial distributor in the Philippines, has opened its �irst showroom in Balintawak, Quezon City.

Scania, which employs 45,000 people in about 100 countries, offers “modern solutions and services for sustainable transport as well as engines for industrial and marine applications and power generation.”

who will be introducing their latest products for the �irst time here in the Philippines. Those interested to visit the show can register online at www. ph.taiwanexpoasean.com.

Taiwantrade.com offers a great number of services for businesses around the world to connect with its 72,000 registered Taiwanese suppliers. For starters, the website contains a huge selection of catalogs that the user can search through. The catalogs

cover more than 620,000 products offered by the website’s supplier members.

Joining them at the show are iDealEZ.com, the af�iliate marketplace of Taiwantrade.com which allows the users to place a sample order directly to the supplier; and PChome Online, one of Taiwan’s largest e-commerce operators.

The joint exhibit of Taiwantrade.com, iDealEZ. com and PChome Online will be held at booth

#81. There will also be a showcase displaying a select range of products and catalogs from the supplier members of Taiwantrade.com operating in the �ields of skin care, electronics, and sporting goods. iDealEZ.com will offer free shipping for orders between now and November 30, 2017 while PChome Online will also be providing a special limited offer for orders shipped to the Philippines during the 3-day show period.

Online business portals to be introduced at Taiwan expo 2017

T

aiwantrade.com, Taiwan’s largest B2B portal, is set to join several other online platforms at the upcoming Taiwan Expo to be held on September 29th to October 1st at SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex as part of its campaign to reach more Filipino businesses looking to connect with thousands of manufacturers and suppliers at the touch of a button. The event will bring together renowned Taiwanese companies

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY Regional Of�ice No. XI 2nd Floor, DCPI Building, Lakandula St. cor. Dacudao Ave., Agdao, Davao City

IN THE MATTER OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE (CPC) FOR THE CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS ONLY PURSUANT TO R.A. 9295 AND THE 2014 AMENDMENTS TO THE REVISED RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING R.A. 9295.

CASE NO. MROXI 17-57-CPC

REX RENOIR R. RELLETA, Applicant.

X---------------------X

NOTICE OF HEARING

Before us is an application for the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience of the above-named applicant to operate the vessel MBCA ISLAND CHILL for the carriage of passengers only on a daily deregulated sailing schedule from 7AM to 5PM in the route: From Sta. Ana Wharf, Davao City to any point within Island Garden City of Samal and vice versa and to charge the following rates:

Routes

From Sta. Ana Wharf, Davao City to Babu Santa, Coral Garden (all in Talikud Island, Island Garden City of Samal) and vice versa (Package A) From Sta. Ana Wharf, Davao City to around Talikud Island Garden City of Samal and vice versa (Package B)

Rates

Php6,0000/trip

Php7,500/trip

Notice is hereby given that the said application will be heard by this Authority on September 13, 2017 at 10:00 AM at the MARINA RO XI Conference Room, 2nd Floor, DavaoChingPrinters,Inc.Bldg.,LakandulaSt.cornerDacudaoAve.,Agdao,DavaoCity.

The applicant shall publish this Order once in a newspaper of local circulation or shall post this Order in the MARINA website at least five (5) days prior to the scheduled date of hearing.

Parties opposed to the grant of the Application must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date, furnishing a copy of the same to the Applicant, and may, if they so desire, appear on said date and time.

The Applicant shall submit a written Formal Offer of Evidence (FOE) during the hearing of five (5) days thereafter.

WITNESS, the Honorable Administrator, C/E Marcial Quirico C. Amaro III, PhD., this 6th day of September 2017 at Davao City, Philippines.

By Authority of the Administrator (Per A.O. No. 11-14 dated 22 August 2014) (Sgd.) MARY ANN ARMI Z. ARCILLA Regional Director

12 NEWS LESSER... FROM 1 tayo na pinipiling doon mag tayo ng istraktura doon sa lupaing hindi naman kanila,” said Cena.

He said the BFP was grateful to the volunteer groups that provide smaller

vehicles that can be used as a penetrator to the areas. He also said that they are talking to the barangay to make form their own brigades so that at the �irst level of �ire can be extinguished immediately.

in the Philippines that has the authority to investigate allegations of corruption, to examine, inquire or look into all my bank accounts here in the Philippines and even anywhere in the world,” Faeldon said in his waiver dated Sept.

6, 2017.

He said that although he continues to have the highest respect for the Senate as an institution, he no longer had faith in the impartiality of some of its members who “maligned” him.

However, the ex-Commissioner did not name the senators he was referring to.

In a Senate hearing on August 15, Senator Antonio

Trillanes IV questioned Faeldon about the existence of corruption in his bureau. Faeldon refused to answer noting that Trillanes had already accused him of being “at the heart” of smuggling shabu into the country.

Faeldon turned emotional stressing that it was “pointless” to answer the senator’s questions because he had already been judged.

On August 23, Senator Pan�ilo Lacson made a privilege speech claiming Faeldon received some PHP100-million “pasalubong” at the Bureau of Customs. Faeldon has strongly denied this.

graphical Unit (CAFGU).

He maintained they cannot leave the hinterlands because they were “constitutionally” mandated to protect the communities there and assured that the soldiers will not abuse their authority against members of the communities.

Lorena Bay-ao Mandacawa, the aunt of the slain Grade 6 student at the lumad-run Salugpongan Ta’ Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center (STTICLC), lamented her nephew was killed allegedly by cousins Ben and Joven Salangani, the victim’s own uncles, that Tuesday morning.

She said Obillo did not make it to his small abaca farm as he was shot several times by the suspects and died before reaching the Davao Region Hospital in Apokon, Tagum City.

Mandacawa said travel time from Talaingod to

Apokon is four hours.

Duazo said the paramilitary groups and military troops continue to harass the lumad communities in the hinterlands by accusing them as members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Instead of threatening the lumad schools, she suggested that these institutions must be supported, as they nurture the lumad children to become the next leaders and teachers of their communities.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Save Our Schools Network spokesperson Rius Valle said Ben is an active member of CAFGU and accused Joven as member of the paramilitary group Alamara who is responsible for the killing of Alibando Tingkas, 15-year-old student of Salugpongan, last January 2016. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

is based on a preparedness plan prepared by the The DA Regional Field Of�ice (DARFO) Avian Flu Focal, Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Local Government unit are in-charge of the lab Serological surveillance, the National Meat Inspection Services are in-charge of issuing certi�icate of inspection of poultry meat and products.

The Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines are responsible for the enforcement of regulations.

The VQS is responsible for the putting of up of checkpoints and biosecurity, the issue of shipping permits and veterinary health certi�icates.

On the other hand, the Department of Health is re-

sponsible for Surveillance of Humans while the Department of Natural Resources and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Of�icer are responsible for monitoring of wild birds.

The castguard is responsible for Coastal monitoring Fowl Smuggling.

The Philippine Information Agency, Department of Education, Reception and Action Center, Regional Advisory Council- Animal Disease Control and Emergency are responsible for conducting community assemblies and the Department of Agriculture, Local Government Unit and Private sectors are responsible for the implementation of prescribed minimum biosecurity measures and Conduct of periodic identi�ication and consolidate

VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

FAELDON... FROM 2

MILITANTS... FROM 2

DA... FROM 2

SHARED INTERESTS. Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Martin Andanar engages in a discussion with Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa at the opening of ASEAN-JAPAN Television

Festival in Seda Hotel, Quezon City on Thursday. OLIVER MARQUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTOS

data in poultry population, kinds and location.

The collection of blood samples and Oral-pharyngeal swabs from poultry animals is still on going up until the end of September. “Hindi basta basta nakukuha ang result, after collection dadalhin sa laboratory then i-process ang samples, and then ipapadala

namin sa laboratory na may capacity to diagnose bird �lu,” said Apello.

The big poultry farm owners are compliant with the biosecurity requirements set by the government however some backyard level poultry farmers are having dif�iculty in implementing the biosecurity in their farms.

that his job was to expose Trillanes as a “hoax.”

“My job is just to expose him as a hoax, he’s a military propagandist, he always refers to intel which is invalidated because it will never be admitted in court. He cannot even show the intel report,” he added.

‘Silly circumstances’ Madrid further said that Trillanes’ main objective was to “manipulate” people’s minds, especially the media.

Moreover, Madrid also said that it was also he who advised Duterte not to show a tattoo on his back. During the hearing, Trillanes claimed that Duterte’s back tattoo was proof that he was part of a drug triad.

“It’s against my professional duty to let my client be exposed under such silly circumstances,” Madrid said. “I cannot advise my client that because I’m a litigator and I know how this game is being played.”

“I don’t like my client to be laughed around by people who try to make ‘uto-uto’ (a fool) of him,” he added.

Madrid claimed that Trillanes was “�ishing for information” because he did not have information in the �irst place.

“You want him to clear his name because he is the son of the President, if he

were not the son of the President, then you wouldn’t have minded him. Even he were a lowly vice mayor, if he were not the son of the President, no one would have minded him,” Madrid said.

Madrid, meanwhile, said that Trillanes’ real target was to “put down” President Rodrigo Duterte and his family because the chief executive reportedly turned down Trillanes’ proposal to be his running mate.

“This guy is there because he wasn’t chosen by the President to be his running mate, he hates the guy. He wants to bring down the President,” Madrid said.

During the Senate probe, Trillanes asked Vice Mayor Duterte questions about his bank accounts and even asked him to con�irm his account number.

Trillanes claimed he had information that Duterte had over PHP100 million in at least two bank accounts -the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation and the Bank of the Philippine Islands in Davao City.

Duterte said that he “refused” to answer because he had the right to privacy. After Trillanes argued that there was no “right to privacy”, Duterte eventually said that he was invoking his right to self-incrimination. (PNA)

— and Wednesday, he succumbed to the del Potro’s familiar formula of massive forehands and boom-

ing serves.

Before the US Open began, Nadal was honest as can be when asked wheth-

er he hoped to face Federer. The answer, the No. 1-seeded Nadal said earnestly, was no — because he’d rather go up against someone easier to beat.

Well, as it turns out, he’ll face the 24th-seeded del Potro on Friday. It is the �irst major semi�inal for del Potro since 2013; he missed two years’ worth of Grand Slam tournaments until Wimbledon in 2016 because of three operations on his left wrist.

The other semi�inal features two men who have never been this far at any major: No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain vs.

No. 28 Kevin Anderson of South Africa.

Nadal, who won two of his 15 Grand Slam trophies in New York, overwhelmed 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, in the quarter�inals, then had to wait hours to see what Federer would do under the lights against del Potro.

Arthur Ashe Stadium was packed, and both men had loud groups of supporters. Federer’s fans cheered del Potro’s faults, considered bad etiquette in tennis. Del Potro’s faction broke into raucous, soccer-style songs of “Ole, ole, ole, ole! Del-po! Delpo!”

There was some sublime shotmaking by each player, but also some real shakiness from the 36-year-old Federer, whose forehand in particular was problematic: 22 of his 41 unforced errors came on that stroke.

The turning point was the third-set tiebreaker, which Federer was a single point from winning on four occasions.

At 6-4, del Potro hammered a good return that caught Federer off-guard, resulting in a forehand into the net. At 6-5, del Potro delivered a service winner. At 7-6 — set up by a double-fault from del

PAOLO... FROM 3

NO... FROM 16

Potro — Federer missed a backhand, and his wife, Mirka, put her hands to her temples, before standing to offer encouragement. At 8-7, Federer’s fourth and last set point, del Potro hit a huge forehand winner.

That began a run of three points in a row for del Potro to claim that set, the last when Federer pushed a backhand volley long.

The suspense in the fourth set was brief: At 2-all, Federer dumped an overhead into the bottom of the net to gift del Potro a third break point in that game. It was converted with a stinging cross-court backhand return winner.

“I did everything well.

I served so good. I hit my forehand as hard as I can,” del Potro said. “And I think we played a great match and I deserved to win at the end.”

He showed no residual effects from his 3 1/2-hour, �ive-set comeback victory in the fourth round — or the illness that had the 6-foot-6 Argentine coughing into a towel in the second set on Wednesday. One of his many powerful and precise forehands stood out: a re�lex passing shot struck so hard and so close to the at-the-net Federer’s head that he ducked out of the way.

Uncharacteristically off at times, Federer shanked a very bad forehand volley to set up del Potro’s match point.

“It was one of those matches where, if I ran into a good guy, I was going to lose, I felt. I don’t want to say I was in a negative mindset, but I knew going in that I’m not in a safe place,” Federer said.

“Rightfully so, I’m out of this tournament, because I wasn’t good enough — in my mind, in my body, and in my game. ... If you’re missing all three, it’s going to be tough.”

VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

NOGRALES... FROM 4 taleon Alvarez to give the ERC a P1,000 budget was obviously prompted by his refusal to resign. Even President Duterte has already demanded for his resignation.

Nograles said that without the support of Congress and the president, the ERC will not be able to credibly perform its mandate and without any funding support, its operation will ground to a halt. “ What would they do with a P1,000 budget.

It’s not even enough to buy them enough coupon bonds for one year! For the sake of the ERC and for the sake of the nation, Salazar should just resign. I’m sure he can �ind other jobs be�itting his credentials in the private sector,” Nograles said.

Nograles noted that as long as Salazar is ERC Chair and corruption issues and other controversies re-

lentlessly hound the entire agency, the House of Representatives would not budge in its decision to give the body a P1,000 budget for 2018. “ The budget process is still ongoing and it’s still not too late for the ERC to get its requested appropriation. However, I think that this can only happen if Salazar decides to step down,” Nograles said.

Nograles said he is con�ident that the P350.953 Million allocation being sought by the ERC from Congress would be restored as soon as Salazar resigns from the ERC. “I’m 100% sure that this P1,000 budget of the ERC is all about Salazar’s refusal to resign. The ERC has never been so scandalized until these allegations of corruption against Salazar came about,” he said.

Dooc added that the current 20-year old Social Security Act of 1997 limits the SSC’s power to invest its reserve fund in infrastructure projects, foreign currency-denominated investments, government �inancial institutions and corporations, housing, private securities, real estate,

short- and medium-term member loans. “ D u t e r t e n o m i c s ,” is Duterte’s economic strategy to dramatically raise funds--in large part through his proposed tax reform program--and spend big on infrastructure, human capital formation and social protection

SSS... FROM 4

NEWS 13

EDGEDAVAO

to sustain the growth momentum, attract investments and create jobs, achieve economic inclusion and transform the Philippines into an upper middle-income country by 2022, by which time poverty incidence will have been reduced to 14 percent.

Based on estimates

done by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the “Build, Build, Build” program is expected to generate 106,824 additional jobs this year; 823,696 jobs in 2018; 1,115,999 jobs in 2019; 1,228,964 jobs in 2020; 1,399,463 jobs in 2021; and 1,705,021 jobs in 2022.(SSS)

to the only two things that mattered,” Thomas said in a 3,500-word post on The Players Tribune about the deal that sent him to the Cavaliers for fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving.

“And so when I say this hurts, man — just know that it isn’t because of anything anyone else did. It’s only because of something I did,” he said. “I fell in love with Boston.”

A 5-foot-8 point guard who was the �inal pick in the 2011 draft, Thomas was a role player for three teams before he came to Boston at the 2015 trade deadline.

He developed into a twotime All-Star and a fan favorite with the Celtics, leading them to the No. 1 seed in the East and an Eastern Conference �inals matchup with Cleveland in last season’s playoffs.

“This was the �irst place, the �irst organization, the �irst group of fans in the league that didn’t take one look at me, take one look at

my size, and put me into the same role as always,” Thomas wrote. “The Boston Celtics let me have a chance to be great.

And I’ll never forget that.”

But an expiring contract — coupled with a desire for a new, maximum deal — and a hip injury that itself almost derailed the trade led Celtics boss Danny Ainge to trade Thomas to Cleveland along with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a �irst-round draft pick.

Irving had asked for a trade to a team where he wouldn’t have second-billing.

Thomas said he is excited about playing with James, a four-time MVP, and Kevin Love, a former AAU teammate .

“I’mma just say this here, point-blank, to get it over with — and then you can go ahead and post it on whatever bulletin boards you want to: You are not going to want to mess with the Cavs this year,” he said.

“Me on the Cavs is a match made in heaven. If you’ve watched any Celtics

THOMAS... FROM 15

games last year, then you know how many times I would have to go through double and even triple teams, just to get my shot off. ... But this year . man, it’s not even

going to be a thing. You really going to throw three guys on me, when I’m sharing a court with the best basketball player on the planet? Nah, I don’t think so.”

PH bags 9 trophies at ASEAN biz awards

N

ine Filipino enterprises were recognized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) at the ASEAN Business Awards 2017 for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of business environment in the region.

JG Summit Holdings, Inc. Founder John Gokongwei Jr. was one the Legacy Awardees, or those who have set standard of excellence in doing business in ASEAN and become integral to the development of entrepreneurship in the region.

Tycoons Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Teodoro Ferrer of Erikagen, Inc. received the Inclusive Business Award, while Udenna Corp. Founder Dennis Uy won the Young Entrepreneur Award.

Lamoiyan Corp. President and Chief Executive Of�icer Cecilio Pedro, on the other hand, bagged

the Small and Medium Enterprise Excellence Award for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Emma Imperial of Imperial Homes Corp. was named as winner for Green Technology Award.

Four Filipino entrepreneurs won awards in ASEAN Priority Sectors category including Paul Rodriguez of Asian Marine Transport Corp. for logistics; Pedro Delantar of Nature’s Legacy Eximport for wood-based sector; Olivia Limpe-Aw of Destileria Limtuaco & Co. for agri-food; and Bernie Liu of Golden ABC for retail.

Since 2007, the ASEAN Business Awards has recognized 122 outstanding entrepreneurs in the region.

For this year, 67 recipients will receive the ASEAN Business Awards - the largest batch of winners for the past 10 years.(PNA)

14 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS: A BITE THAT KILLS

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

F

irst, there was malaria.

Then dengue fever came.

Zika virus also caused some panics among Filipinos.

And now, there’s Japanese encephalitis. All four diseases have one thing in common: they are spread through mosquito bites.

Last year, a 52-year-old man from Bacaca in Davao City was con�irmed positive for Japanese encephalitis. Although he survived and discharged from the hospital, he reportedly suffered “from neurologic diseases, including memory lapses.”

“You should not be so complacent that there is just one case,” Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, Davao City Health Of�icer, was quoted as saying. “We have to take into consideration that we have a lot of mosquito-borne illness…”

Endemic in the Philippines, “Japanese encephalitis is a very serious disease,” to quote the words of Dr. Sally Gatchalian, the president of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines.

According to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO), three out of 10 patients who exhibit severe symptoms die. Every year, around 68,000 severe cases of Japanese encephalitis are reported every year around the globe. Most of the cases are from Asia.

From January to August this year, about 57 cases have been recorded by the Department of Health (DOH). Five of these cases led to death, including the 20-year-old engineering student from San Fernando, Pampanga who died last August.

There were also reports

that two children also died of Japanese encephalitis in Laguna just this month.

“We’ve been having cases of Japanese encephalitis for so long, but more cases came out because we are doing surveillance,” Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial told reporters recently.

Among those that have been monitored for the illness since 2014 are Regions I, III, VII, XI and the Cordillera Administration Region.

The viral brain infection is caused by Japanese encephalitis virus, which is related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected Culex species mosquitoes, particularly Culex tritaeniorhynchus.

According to an article published by Medical News Today, wild birds are the natural host of the virus while the mosquitoes are the vectors. “A vector does not cause a disease but passes it on,” it explains.

Encephalitis means “in�lammation of the brain.” The �irst case of Japanese encephalitis viral disease was �irst reported in Japan in 1871. This must be the reason why it is called as such. However, the disease is endemic in 24 countries in Southeast Asia and Western Paci�ic regions.

“Not only humans are affected by the virus,” wrote Sy Kraft, author of the Medical News Today feature. “Mosquitoes can also infect horses and pigs, leading to encephalitis in horses and abortion in pigs.”

When mosquitoes infect an animal, the animal can become a carrier of the virus.

When other mosquitoes feed on these newly infected ani-

mals, they take up the virus and can go on to infect the other animals or humans.

The virus cannot be transmitted from one person to another. As such, you cannot get the virus from touching or kissing a person who has the disease, or from a health care worker who has treated someone with the disease.

Oftentimes, the disease likely affects children.

Adults in areas where it is endemic generally become immune as they get older.

“But individuals of any age may be affected,” the United Nations health agency points out.

Japanese encephalitis is more common in rural areas where there are pig farms and rice �ields. As such, “people in rural areas are at highest risk,” Kraft wrote. “Japanese encephalitis does not usually happen around towns and cities.”

Most people infected with Japanese encephalitis virus have either no symptoms, or mild, short-lived symptoms, which are often mistaken for �lu. “Once a person has the disease, treatment can only relieve the symptoms,” Kraft wrote. “Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, and no effective anti-viral drugs have been discovered.”

The health website of the United Kingdom notes that “around one in every 250 people who become infected develop more severe symptoms, as the infection spreads to the brain.”

This usually happens �ive to 15 days after infection.

The symptoms include: high temperature (fever), seizures (�its), stiff neck, confusion, in-

ability to speak, uncontrollable shaking of body parts (tremor), and muscle

weakness or paralysis.

The chance of survival varies, but children are most at risk. “Up to one in every three people who develop the more serious symptoms will die as a result of the infection,” the website said.

The symptoms of those who survive tend to improve slowly. “However, it can take several months to make a full recovery and up to half of those who do survive are left with permanent brain damage,” said the website. “This can lead to long-term problems such as tremors and muscle twitches, personality changes, muscle weakness, learning dif�iculties and paralysis in one or more limbs.”

As stated earlier, there is no antiviral treatment for patients with Japanese encephalitis. However, there is safe and effective vaccines to prevent the disease. In fact, WHO recommends having strong Japanese encephalitis preven-

tion and control activities, including Japanese encephalitis immunization “in all regions where the disease is a recognized public health priority, along with strengthening surveillance and reporting mechanisms.”

The health department is thinking of adding the Japanese encephalitis vaccine to the list of publicly mandated and available vaccines next year. In an announcement, Dr. Ubial said she planned to include it in the country’s national immunization program in 2018.

A news report from ABSCBN quoted Ubial saying that “vaccines for the disease are limited in the country” as they are expensive, ranging from P3,500 to P5,000 each.

The UK website said that the vaccine “gives protection against Japanese encephalitis in more than 9 out of 10 people who receive it.”

The WHO said there are four main types of Japanese

encephalitis vaccines currently in use: inactivated mouse bran-derived vaccines, inactivated Vero cell-derived vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, and live recombinant vaccines.

Even if you’ve been vaccinated, you still need to take necessary precautions to reduce your risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito in areas where it is common. The UK website recommends the following: Sleep in rooms with close-�itting gauze over the windows and doors.

If you’re sleeping outside, use mosquito nets that have been impregnated with an insecticide.

Cover up with long-sleeved tops, trousers and socks.

Apply a good-quality insect repellent to exposed areas of skin.

SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO

FALL SHORT

VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

Mayweather-McGregor gate receipts short of all-time record Floyd Mayweather Jr. hits Conor McGregor in a super welterweight boxing match in Las Vegas.

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he super�ight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor was expected to challenge the alltime gate record held by Mayweather’s 2015 showdown with Manny Pacquiao that rang up $72,198,500 in ticket sales.

According to UFC president Dana White, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe and Mayweather, it wasn’t a possibility, but a probability that May-

weather-McGregor would surpass that record with something in the ballpark of $80 million at the gate.

In the end, Mayweather’s 10th round TKO of McGregor did excellent numbers, but it didn’t come close to surpassing Mayweather-Pacquiao.

The highly anticipated showdown between boxing’s unbeaten sure�ire hall of famer and the UFC lightweight champion making his pro debut raked in a

Isaiah Thomas has endeared himself to Celtics fans and he has also fallen in love with Boston in his two and a half year stay there. AP

Thomas excited to play with LeBron, Cavs

I

saiah Thomas’ two sons had different reactions to his trade from the Celtics to the Cavaliers.

His older son, James, is excited that his dad will get to play alongside LeBron James.

Thomas’ younger son, Jaiden,

F

had fallen in love with Boston and was afraid that Cleveland won’t have any skate parks.

“Everything about that trade, everything that I was feeling in my heart in those moments — they got it down

THOMAS, 13

massive $55,414,865.79, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Although still good for the second highest gate in Nevada history, it fell $16,783,634.21 short of eclipsing Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Part of the problem could be connected to the fact that the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was not sold out. Only 13,094 tickets were sold (with 137 complimentary tickets given out) in a build-

ing that was con�igured to seat 17,698 spectators. There were visible empty pockets of seats throughout the arena but all promoters involved were con�ident that they would still topple the live gate record.

The face value for tickets for Mayweather-McGregor started at $500 for the most inexpensive seats in the arena and went all the way up to $10,000 for a ringside seat. Many believed the tick-

et pricing would prove to be problematic and slowed down ticket sales for one of the most in-demand �ights in recent memory.

There still is a chance that Mayweather-McGregor breaks the all-time pay-perview record held by Mayweather-Pacquiao at 4.6 million. Those numbers have yet to be released but Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza told “The MMA Hour” that Mayweather-McGregor

has a “good shot” at surpassing Mayweather-Pacquiao in the PPV department.

“We are now sort of mid4 million,” Espinoza said. “If we see the kind of growth that we typically see, then we’ll break the record. I don’t want to assume we get the typical growth, because this is not a typical event. There are many different ways in which this event behaved differently.

But we have a very good shot at breaking the record.”

Since then, Donaire has signed up to Ringstar Sports, a new promotional company headed by former Golden Boy boss Richard Schaefer, in a bid to return to world title contention.

“I’m ready to return to the ring and show that I still have what it takes to be a world champion and face the best in this sport,” Donaire said in a statement released to Boxing Scene.

“I’m

thankful to Ringstar Sports for helping me in this next chapter of my career and I know with them in my corner, I’ll be back to where I belong soon,” he added.

“I’m excited to give the great �ight fans

show, just like when I fought Wilfredo Vazquez at the Alamodome in 2012.

After this �ight, I’m coming for all of the featherweight champions and to prove I’m the best in the division.”

The 34-year-old Donaire brings a record of 37 wins with four losses into the �ight.

Donaire returns on Sept 23 vs Mexican boxer

F

ormer world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire will make his return to the ring on September 23, when he takes on unheralded Mexican Ruben Garcia Hernandez in a featherweight bout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

It will be Donaire’s �irst �ight under the banner of Ringstar Sports, and will be for the WBC silver featherweight belt.

Donaire last fought in November 2016, losing to Jessie Magdaleno in disputed fashion. That defeat cost him the WBC super bantamweight belt.

in San Antonio a great

Nonito Donaire has been out of action since a junior featherweight world title loss almost a year ago. Chris Farina/Top Rank

I can still remember the Boy, happy birthday my friend

or some reasons I really can’t understand, I felt some sadness when the month of September started.

Isn’t it that when the ‘ber months are around, we are supposed to start celebrating? Oh yes, some have started playing the Christmas songs. Yes, that’s Filipino tradition.

But not for me.

Things have changed since the death of a gentleman I know.

I miss the sound of his voice. I miss his jokes. I miss the times when we travel together. I remember his admonitions. Oh Boy, the hours of conversations over fried

maruya.

1998 was the year that I �irst met him after being appointed as deputy regional director of the then Basketball Association of the Philippines-XI. One night at the old Kusina Dabaw, photographers, sportswriters and other BAP-XI of�icials were there to break bread with the newlyappointed deputy chief of the amateur basketball body in Southern Mindanao.

He announced a line-up of activities like leagues, referee’s courses and the promotion of the sport to the youth.

Since that year until his untimely death last year, basketball development in the region has seen tremendous

CLEAN SLATE

By MOSES P. BILLACURA improvements. With strong partnerships with the Duterte Basketball League (DBL), Gaisano Cup, Inter-Church Basketball League (ICBL) and other organizations,

amateur basketball development was at its very height of improvement.

Of course, there are problems along the way, stressful at times, to the point we talked about his plan to give up the position as Regional Director of the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas-XI. His blood pressure shoots up when the assholes in the basketball community are on the loose.

Yet the gentleman has kept his word.

To be of service and to serve in the best of his ability and rescue the sport from the shenanigans. And yes, he did it.

Had he lived today, we could have probably been plucking out sports

shenanigans in the national level. It would be fun and stressful but would it be worth it? If it can be done in Southern Mindanao, it could be done in the national front.

But �irst, he would say “Binigyan ko ng konsensiya pare, hindi tinanggap”. And so the plucking out started.

Oh how I wish, he still very much around.

Anyway, happy birthday boss Boy, Regino Ang Cua, up in heaven.

I just miss you after reading what the sports assholes have been doing to sports development in this country.

Katilaw unta mog storya niya, hahaha, hangtod ma konsensiya gyud mo.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 10 ISSUE 114 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2017

NO ROGER VS. RAFA Del Porto downs Federer in the quarterfinals to prevent Roger-Rafa seminal at US Open

Juan Martin del Potro beat Roger Federer to reach the last four at the US Open

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EW YORK — So much for the �irst US Open matchup between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Federer failed to live up to his end of the bargain.

Hours after Nadal did his part with an easy-as-can-be victory to get to the semi�inals at Flushing Meadows, Federer was unable to join him for what would have been the most-anticipated

showdown of the entire two weeks, wasting chances to take control and missing shots he normally makes in a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4 loss to 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro on Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time).

“He came up with the goods when he needed to,” Federer said, “and I helped him a little bit sometimes,

too, maybe.”

Federer described himself as too “edgy” and said “that little magic was missing.”

He also insisted that, unlike just about everyone else, he did not spend any time at all pondering a possible matchup with Nadal at the only Grand Slam tournament where they’ve never met.

Their wonderful rivalry has

included 37 matches, and at least two �inals at each of the other majors.

“I had struggled too much throughout the tournament,” Federer said, “to think too far ahead.”

Given that he is 36, and Nadal is 31, perhaps it is time for the tennis world to concede that Roger vs. Rafa at the US Open just will never happen.

This is the sixth occasion when they were a round away from playing in New York, but one or the other lost — including eight years ago, when del Potro beat Nadal in the semi�inals, then Federer in the �inal to end the Swiss star’s run of �ive consecutive titles at the tournament.

This time, Federer entered the quarter�inals 18-0 in Grand Slam play this sea-

son, including titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon to raise his record count to 19 major championships.

But he tweaked his back at a tournament last month, curtailing his preparation for the US Open, and he was not quite at his best for stretches.

He needed �ive sets to win each of his �irst two matches

NO, 10