Edge Davao 10 Issue 63, June 29, 2017

VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

www.edgedavao.net

‘NOT OUR STYLE’

Eastmincom dares SOS to file case of abduction

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

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HE spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command challenged the people of the Save our Schools (SOS) Network to file a complaint against the army after the alleged abduction of a still unidentified 17-year-old student .

Major Ezra Balagtey, Eastmincom spokesperson said the Philippine Army does not have the student in its custody.

“We do not do that. Now, I challenge them to file a complaint in a proper forum. Yung legal remedies para mailabas kung kami ay nagkasala at talagang nag abduct ng isang tao,” he said on Wednesday.

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WESM SWITCH-ON. Presidential spokesperson Secretary Ernesto C. Abella (2nd from left), Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi (2nd from right), Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Secretary Datu Abul Khayr Dangcal Alonto (rightmost) and Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) president Melinda L. Ocampo lead the ceremonial switching-on during the launch of wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) Mindanao at SMX Convention Center in Davao City on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte vows lasting peace in Mindanao EDGEDAVAO Sports P RESIDENT Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Tuesday stressed anew his promise to the Filipinos that he would secure lasting peace in Mindanao.

“To our brothers and sisters who have been affected by the violence and conflict in Mindanao, I assure you that the government is committed to securing just and lasting peace in the island,” President Duterte said in his speech before an audience of Muslim Filipinos as he graced the Eid’l Fitr celebration held at the Rizal

Hall of the Malacañan Palace.

The Chief Executive said the military and police remain hard at work to ending the crisis with dispatch, especially in Marawi City.

At the same time, Duterte said the government will continue to support Muslim Filipino scholars like Omar O. Sacar and Abdul Aziz A. Banisil to help improve the capabilities of the country’s youth.

Sacar and Banisil are now studying at the Imam Muham-

mad Bin Saud University in Indonesia.

Duterte hoped that the two will become part of the next generation of leaders who will help develop and advance their localities towards greater prosperity and progress.

Amid the continuing conflict in Marawi, Duterte said the entire nation stands beside the Muslim Filipino community.

“We will be with you as you rebuild your homes and localities, and as you realize your

dreams of a better life,” he said.

Also in his address, the President expressed his sentiments over the misguided goals of the Maute group, which he said are against Filipino values and are only geared towards destroying lives and communities.

“Ang masakit sa akin, na pumasok a fractured ideology na hindi naman malaman sila mismo kung ano ang ginagawa.

All that they want is to kill and destroy. Paano tayo mabubuhay niyan?” he said.

SEAGAMES 12 Ravena, Parks, Paras lead Gilas squad to SEA Games

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WELL-WISHERS BOTH. President Rodrigo Duterte greets Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim during the Eid’L Fitr celebration at Malacañan Palace on Tuesday evening. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Prisoner swap talks not sanctioned: AFP T HE decision of local religious leaders to negotiate with Maute Group terrorists regarding the release of certain hostages is not sanctioned by the government, said Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla on Tuesday.

He issued this statement in wake of reports claiming that Abdullah Maute, one of the leaders of the lawless elements responsible for wrecking havoc in Marawi City, is open to swap Father Chito Suganob in exchange for the release of his parents, Cayamora and Ominta “Farhana” Maute, who were arrested earlier this month.

“Government’s policy not to negotiate with terrorists remains. Hence, the local reli-

gious leader led talks with the terrorists last Sunday is one that was not sanctioned by government, the military and our political leaders,” Padilla said.

“Any demands made inside therefore hold no basis.

Let us continue to remind the public that the gravity of their (terrorists and their supporters) offense is immense and they must all be held accountable for all their actions,” the military official stressed.

Conflict in Marawi City started when government security forces attempted to arrest Abu Sayyaf Group leader Isnilon Hapilon, the ISIS “Emir” in Southeast Asia, last May 23.

As of this posting, the number of terrorists neutralized by military operations are placed

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Solon backs DOJ bid to probe PDAF scam Says Pinoys want to know who are involved

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EN. Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday said he is supporting the Department of Justice in its move to reinvestigate the misuse of the multi-billion peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

“I support the move of the Department of Justice to re-investigate the PDAF and DAP. After all of these years, the terms “PDAF” and “DAP”

are still synonymous with corruption and abuse of power,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

He said the Filipino people deserve to find out who else should be held accountable.

“The Filipino people continue to demand that the people responsible for these scams be held accountable for their sins against the nation,” he added.

He further said that it was “unfortunate” that these de-

mands were “ignored” by the previous administration under Pres. Benigno Aquino III. He said the reinvestigation of the scams could be a good opportunity for DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre III to prove his critics wrong.

“This is the perfect opportunity for the embattled Secretary of Justice to prove his critics wrong and deliver the justice the people continue to clamor for,” Gatchalian said.

He, meanwhile, expressed

confidence that the DOJ probe will be “thorough, objective, and fearless” and disregard political affiliations.

On Tuesday, Aguirre announced that the DOJ has started their reinvestigation on the multi-billion peso pork barrel fund scam.

The DOJ has created a special task force to revisit the scam and correct the “miscarriage of justice” in the earlier probe conducted by the previous administration. (PNA)

18 Dabawenyos qualify for city’s law school scholarship A

TOTAL of 18 Dabawenyos qualified for the scholarship program offered by the city government to aspiring law students under the Educational Benefit System Unit (EBSU).

“Those who qualified Would-be lawyers under the local government’s educational program will receive funding for their education and allowances. CIO will get a full scholarship

from the city,” City Mayor’s Albert Abayon, one Office chief-of-staff lawyer of those who qualified for Raul Nadela Jr said. the law school scholarship, The law school schol- thanked the city governars and enroll in any of the ment for the scholarship three law schools in the city, opportunity considering he including Ateneo de Davao dreams of becoming a lawUniversity, University of yer someday, However, he Mindanao, and Jose Maria added, his family does not College.

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NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Avail yourselves of amnesty, DOLE urges stranded OFWs

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HE Department of Labor and Employment has made a last minute call to undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to immediately register and to avail themselves of the amnesty given by the Saudi government which ends on June 29.

Undersecretary Dominador Say stressed the need for stranded and undocumented migrant workers to have their travel documents processed before Saudi authorities start crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals by month’s end.

“I have been informed that there are still some OFWs in Saudi Arabia who have not

POWER STAKE HOLDERS. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi speaks before power stakeholders during the launch of wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) Mindanao at SMX Convention Center in Lanang, Davao City on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

MILF open to help resolve Marawi crisis A

TOP official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front said the group is open to play a role in resolving the Marawi crisis if called upon “in the greater regard of civilian interests.”

“It is not impossible, especially if the civilian interest is at stake. If there is a request, the MILF leadership will probably consider the idea,” Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace implementing panel, said in a phone interview.

But Iqbal said they are yet to receive a formal request for their involvement in finding a solution to the siege by Islamic State-inspired Maute group which is now on its fifth week.

On Sunday, Abdullah Maute reportedly told emissaries, who took advantage of an Eid’l Fitr ceasefire to see the militants’ leaders, that they will only leave Marawi if the MILF intervenes.

Maute also offered to swap

PDEA to hire more personnel to boost anti-drug campaign

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HE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has opened its doors for those who want to serve as front liners in the war against illegal drugs through providing employment opportunities.

PDEA Director General Isidro S. Lapeña said the PDEA Academy gears up anew for the recruitment and selection of successful applicants that will comprise the Drug Enforcement Officer Basic Course (DEOBC) Class 2017-11 who will then be hired as drug enforcement officers (DEOs).

Lapeña added that DEOs have an entry level position of Intelligence Officer 1 (IO1), a permanent item with Salary Grade 11.

“Chosen applicants will have an opportunity to become part of the country’s premier organization on anti-drug law enforcement,” he said.

PDEA is looking for men and women, aged 21 to 35 years old; at least 5’ (female) and 5’2” (male) in height, holder of a Baccalaureate Degree, Career Service Professional Eligible, Board Passer or qualified by the Civil Service Commission under Special Laws.

Interested applicants may send their letter of application addressed to the office of the PDEA Director General, located at NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City.

Documentary requirements include Personal Data Sheet (CSC Form Number 212) (original copy) with applicant’s mobile number/s and email address/es, and photo copies of NSO-issued Birth Certificate, Official Transcript of Records, college diploma and Certification of Eligibility.

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their hostages, in particular Fr. Teresito Suganob, with the freedom of their parents, Cayamora and Ominta who were arrested on separate occasions.

The militants are said to be unwilling to deal with government on laying down the terms of disengagement.

But Iqbal clarified that the MILF has never been involved in efforts to resolve the siege of Marawi, although there have been informal overtures

like those relayed through the news media.

Early in the crisis, the MILF condemned the militants’ occupation of Marawi and the alleged atrocities they committed.

The MILF and government have been cooperating in maintaining a humanitarian and peace corridor to ferret out civilians trapped in the fighting. This effort has so far rescued close to 200 individuals.

yet registered and some have ignored the announcement of the Philippine Embassy to avail of the amnesty. The processing will take few days before they can leave and all of this should be done before June 29,” Say said.

Say added that the Philippine Embassy in Saudi can only process documents of those who are willing and eager to be brought back home and they have no power over those who refuse to avail of the amnesty.

Citing an example, Say said that he spoke with one of the stranded OFWs when he was in Saudi Arabia last April. He tried to persuade the OFW to

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AFP, PNP for orderly martial law operation

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LAWMAKER at the House of Representatives on Wednesday lauded government forces following a recent report by the Commission on Human Rights that there has been no formal complaint of rights violations since martial law was declared in Mindanao.

In a statement, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo commended members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for their “professionalism” amid the ongoing clashes against the Maute terrorist group in Marawi City.

In its report issued last June 24, the commission said it has not received any formal report on human rights abuses in Mindanao, a month after it was placed under military rule.

The CHR however said it would continue to monitor closely the human rights condition in Mindanao amid the

armed conflict in the besieged city of Marawi.

“While the Commission has yet to receive formal complaints of human rights violations in Mindanao, this does not hinder initiatives from our concerned regional offices to continue monitoring, as well as initiate investigations, on the human rights condition, on the ground towards preserving the dignity of all amidst this conflict,” the CHR statement read.

The assessment of an orderly conduct of martial law a month after it was declared is instrumental in preventing Islamic State (IS) sympathizers from winning more adherents in their deadly campaign, Castelo said.

He likewise urged the human rights body to keep an eye on the atrocities being committed by the Maute Group and its adherents, who are the main source of rights violations in the conflict zone. (FMC/PNA)

FOREARMED. Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 11 director Leoncio Cirunay talks about today’s nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill during AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

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Augmentation force now in Cebu for ASEAN meet

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ENOUGH CHOICES. Different varieties of colorful ornamental fishes are sold at a makeshift stall in Brgy. Pampanga, Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Davao Norte endorses Tadeco-BuCor contract M

EMBERS of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Davao del Norte (DavNor) expressed full and unconditional support for the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (Tadeco) in 1969.

Resolution No. 364 – signed on June 19, 2017 by 13 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and approved

by DavNor governor Antonio Rafael G. Antonio – underscored the JVA’s “large contribution to the economy of the Province of Davao del Norte.”

The contract, which is currently under legislative inquiry, involves an agreement to develop over 5,000 hectares of Davao Prison and Penal Farm (Dapecol) by Tadeco.

The lands, which remain the property of the BuCor, now form part of a sprawling banana plantation that economically affects several towns and the city of Panabo in Davao del Norte.

The local government units (LGU) of the first district of DavNor have previously aired their support for the said contract, namely Panabo City, the Island Garden City of

Samal, Carmen, Braulio E. Dujali together with the Liga ng mga Barangay of Sto. Tomas.

In the resolution, the provincial council also enjoined the LGUs of District 1 to convey their support to the contract, citing “its social and economic benefit to the entire province for so many years.”

District 1 includes the municipalities of Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella, Tagum City, and Talaingod.

The Dapecol lands covered by the agreement were swamplands, mangrove forests, and unexplored woodlands when initially offered to Tadeco for cultivation.

There was no government contribution to the said deal other than the properties.

The sharing agreement started in 1956 when Tadeco founder Antonio Floirendo Sr. was allowed develop into abaca plantation the 1,024 hectares granted to his company under Presidential Proclamation 247, which was issued on April 2, 1951.

The original contract was later expanded to a JVA in 1969 and two decades later, became a consolidated JVA on the strength of a presidential memorandum dated July 11, 1989 that was signed by

experiences and discuss best practices and to form strategies for the protection of human rights (specifically, children‟s rights) and the environment from toxic chemicals and wastes.

The summit also builds linkages between these youth leaders and their mentors for future collaboration on environmental advocacy work.

“It is an extension of BAN Toxics‟ strategic work with children, schools and communities. We have begun working with schools to form local „Batang Bantay Toxics‟ peer groups which advocate for toxics-free schools and communities. The BBT YES Summit expands this strategic mobilization as it serves the learning and advocacy platform to

build on their experiences of helping protect their schools and communities from toxic chemicals and wastes,” said Eve Cubelo, Development Programs Manager of BAN Toxics.

“The BBT YES Summit opens an opportunity to identify new collaborative strategies and key partners to move this toxics-free schools program forward. BBT-YES further aims to build a regional advocacy plan to promote the campaign nationwide. Through the Summit, a Mindanao Environment Team of youth advocates will be formed to draft and implement a regional program for this campaign. “BAN Toxics works with children and youth because they are an important and powerful sector of society, one that holds the key to our

nation‟s future,” Cubelo added.

“Their decisions and advocacies will shape our communities and the environment, including how we manage and consequently eliminate toxic chemicals. More importantly, children are also the most susceptible to the harmful impacts of chemicals pollution.”

A child‟s physical and mental development is put in danger by exposure to toxic chemicals and waste.

Unfortunately, many Filipino children are exposed to hazardous materials in various situations. Child laborers in artisanal and small-scale gold mining are examples of youth at risk of exposure to toxic chemicals.

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Children, Youth environmental summit calls for a toxics-free PH

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HE environmental advocacy group BAN Toxics held a regional children and youth summit entitled Batang Bantay Toxics Youth Environmental Summit for Mindanao (BBT YES Mindanao) on June 21-22, 2017 to empower the youth into becoming stewards of toxics-free schools and communities.

A total of 57elementary and high school students from Davao City, South Cotabato, Compostela Valley and the Bulacan State University of the City of Malolos (observer-participant) and their mentors attended the summit held in Bajada, Davao City.

BBT YES Mindanao convened youth leaders and advocates to share their unique

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N augmentation force from Metro Manila arrived here Wednesday to beef up the security for the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Meeting on July 1-7 at Radisson Blu Hotel.

City Councilor Dave Tumulak, also the deputy mayor on police matters, told reporters of the arrival of the augmentation force which includes K9 units and bomb squads.

“I can’t tell you yet how many of them (augmentation force) have arrived. But I can tell you all our security measures are in place now that they’re here,” Tumulak said.

The augmentation force will be housed at the South Road Properties along with some personnel from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) who will be installing CCTV cameras at the seven billeting hotels and at the main venue of the meetings.

Tumulak also announced that some traffic rerouting would be implemented in

some parts of Cebu City and asked the cooperation of the public since these were just temporary and part of the security measures.

“I just want to remind all members of Task Group Cebu that time is the basic element here and it’s very crucial. We should respond timely to whatever incident that may arise during the ASEAN event.

As much as possible, we should respond timely with no delay,” Tumulak stressed after the slow response of the nearest police station to a bomb threat situation on Tuesday.

The Task Group Cebu is composed of over 4,000 personnel from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, Maritime Police, and the Highway Patrol Group.

The National Intelligence Coordinating Authority assured the Task Group that there was no threat at all, but Tumulak said they were not taking any chances.

Legalizing cannabis meant scarce supply for Canada

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S Canada prepares to legalize marijuana both for medicinal and recreational use, it is facing a new problem: securing a steady supply.

Canada might have to deal with pot shortages after marijuana is legalized for medicinal and recreational use, according to a report by Medical Daily.

The issue has been raised

by Canadian Minister of Finance Charles Sousa, who claimed that Canada is already looking into ways to secure a steady supply of weed to meet demand.

“Ultimately the biggest problem that appears after today’s discussion is one of supply,” Sousa told the news outlet last week, following a meeting to discuss the problem. “So we want to make certain that, when we do proceed, there is sufficient supply to accommodate the activity because what we’re trying to do is curb the illicit use and organized crime that now exists around it.”

According to a legalization plan released by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier in April, recreational marijuana will be sold by email by 2018.

Bloomberg has calculated that by 2021, the total amount of weed sold this way might reach the hefty weight of 575,000 kilograms.

However, if the country fails to fulfill the demand for

legal pot, people will turn back to the black market -something that government wants to prevent.

The demand for marijuana is growing fast; according to Bloomberg’s calculations, about 170,000 people are registered marijuana users already, three times as many as a year earlier.

In one attempt to meet the demand, Health Canada is preparing to make growing license acquisition easier, but that raises serious concerns over pot quality, as traces of harmful pesticides were found in some cannabis supplies earlier this year. The incident highlighted the need for the Canadian government to develop and enforce new testing standards.

Cannimed Therapeutics and Aphria, two Canadian medical cannabis producers, have spoken in favor of better regulation from the government.

“We firmly believe that there is a critical need to set clear and enforceable rules to ensure that customers are protected and have access to clean and safe product,” Aphria CEO Vic Neufeld told the newspaper. “This is of utmost importance, given the expected demand that will come with the introduction of a recreational market. As such, Aphria is calling for a strict product-testing regime across the sector.” (Sputnik)

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Security Bank honored for industrial peace, harmony

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ECURITY Bank Corporation (SBC) wins a Special Citation Award on Industrial Peace and Harmony during the recently held Kapatiran sa Industriya (KAPATID) awarding ceremony at the 38th National Conference of Employers held at the Marriott Hotel Manila.

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) awarded the Bank for its success to nurture a proactive and harmonious labor group-management relationship empowering employees to make wise decisions and maintain an open communication line within the organization.

“We are very honored to be given this award. This validates the hard work and dedication of the Security Bank Family”, said President and CEO Alfonso L. Salcedo, Jr. The Bank has been successful in organizing community engagement activities where employees volunteer through the Securit y

Bank Foundation, Inc. Employees are also motivated to pursue their passion in performing arts, sports, and fitness among others through nationwide annual contests and sports tournaments.

“We have shown to the community of employers that we are able to grow and sustain a highly motivated and productive workforce that has manifested itself in a strong, dynamic, and fast-growing banking franchise in the country that is Security Bank” he added.

Among the ten domestic and multinational companies representing key business sectors in the Philippines, Security Bank was lauded for its success in nurturing Industrial Peace and Harmony.

Over the past years, Security Bank has gained local and international recognitions for its products and services. This time, it takes pride for being recognized for an award that perfectly captures the Bank’s fundamental philosophy of taking good care of its people.

ECONOMY 5

WESM finally enters Mindanao As a venue for trading electricity as commodity A

FTER 11 years since it was established in Luzon and over 6 years since it took effect in Mindanao, the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) will finally be launched in Mindano on June 28.

Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi remained optimistic that the establishment of WESM Mindanao, signals the start of a competitive electricity market in the region whose costing is very transparent.

Cusi said that the provision of more reliable and

competitive supply that results in more affordable power to consumers in the region was in line with the Duterte Administration’s thrust to vastly improve Mindanao’s economy and the quality of life of its people.

“WESM facilitates a transparent electricity market with which Mindanao power generators will have an avenue to trade un-contracted power supply,” said Cusi.

“WESM will provide consumers more sources of electricity to choose from, increasing their chances of low-

er-priced energy,” he added.

The launch of WESM Mindano is set to take place at the SMX Lanang in Davao City.

Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001, the Department of Energy is mandated to establish WESM as a venue for trading electricity as a commodity.

WESM started commercial operations in the Luzon grid in June 2006 and in December of 2010 in the Visayas grid, while the intricacies of the Mindanao power industry delayed the establishment of

WESM Mindanao.

WESM Mindanao will be operated by the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC), a non-stock, non-profit corporation which also operates the Luzon and Visayas WESMs. “WESM Mindanao will enable a transparent and fair mechanism to bring in more competition, more investors and a sustainable business climate that will eventually redound to empowering consumers from Mindanao of their power of choice,” said Cusi. (PR/PNA)

Security Bank wins a Special Citation Award from the KAPATID Awards, demonstrating its BetterBanking commitment to its most valuable asset – its people.

DOST develops five food production technologies

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IGHTY-FIVE prototypes of new technologies that are used for food production have been developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) XI under its Food Processing Innovation Center (FPIC).

Sheryl Napoco, science research specialist at DOST XI told reporters Tuesday that they need buyers for the inventions of researchers and scientists in the Davao Region to be used in food processing for commercial purposes.

The inventions include vacuum fryer, coconut spray dryer, freeze dryer, water retort, and vacuum packaging machine.

Napoco said they have received inquiries from Singapore, China and Thailand for the spray dryer that can turn coconut water into powdered juice. The dryer was developed by a pool of researchers from the DOST 11.

“As it converts the liquid feed into powder, it is now easy for transport and has a longer shelf life,” she said.

But she said the invention cannot be produced yet on

a commercial scale because nobody has shown interest to buy it.

The FPIC is currently housed at the Philippine Women’s College (PWC) in Davao City, with co-partners from DOST XI, Department of Trade and Industry, city government of Davao, and the Food Processors Association of Davao.

The facility is said to be Good Manufacturing Practices-compliant.

It boasts of fabricated equipment by DOST’s Industrial Technology Development Institute as part of its High-Impact Technology Solutions program to hasten the production process and improve food and packaging quality and enhance product marketability and durability.

The P5.3-million FPIC was first launched on May 15, 2014 in Davao Region before it was rolled out in Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao, Western Visayas, and Caraga Regions, Napoco said.

She said the DOST hopes to operationalize the FPIC in all regions across the country before end of this year.

UNLIKELY BOOM. Business columnist and entreprenuer John Carlo B. Tria discusses the life and business environment in Iligan City where victims of the current arm conflict in Marawi City have evacuated. Tria graced Wednesdays @ Habi at Kape at Abreeza Mall. Lean Daval Jr.

Globe sues Dasmariñas resident for barring cell site

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LOBE Telecom filed a civil suit against a resident of Dasmarinas Village, claiming moral damages amounting to P5 million, for preventing construction of cell sites that kept the telecommunications operator from improving mobile services within the exclusive subdivision.

Globe filed the case against Betty Aw before the Regional Trial Court of Makati Branch 59 last June 13, 2017. Aside from moral damages, Globe is also claiming exemplary damages of 500,000 plus attorneys’ fees.

Globe said that prior to the installation and operation of its outdoor distributed antenna system or ODAS in Dasmarinas, the company sent a letter to the Dasmarinas Village Association Inc. (DVAI) President Bernie

Lichaytoo manifesting its intention to install and establish ODAS sites in the village. Globe said that when DVAI scheduled the company’s request for a referendum to obtain the necessary vote approving the construction of ODAS tower, Aw, “with manifest intention to prevent the referendum from taking place, started to spread rumors in the neighborhood, making unsubstantiated statements about the health risk brought about by the radiation emitted by telecommunications antennas.”

According to Globe, Aw also “distributed materials containing false information against the officers of DVAI, Globe and even handed a prepared but unaccomplished undertaking or affidavit with a strong re-

quest for homeowners to sign and say they are against the construction and installation of ODAS in the subdivision.”

Globe said she also “coaxed homeowners and residents to stage rallies against Globe and oppose installation of ODAS facilities,” setting aside an actual measurement survey done by the Center for Device Regulation, Radiation Health and Research. The agency’s measurement survey concluded that the results of the radio frequency radiation (RFR) measurements show that the measured power density levels from Globe ODAS do not exceed the limit set by the Center for Device Regulation, Radiation Health and Research for the public, Globe said.

According to Globe, “the

actuations of Aw in circulating false and unsubstantiated information regarding the installation and operation of the company’s ODAS is a clear abuse of her right as she did not act with justice, gave Globe, the DVA and its officers as well as homeowners and residents their due. Neither did she observe honesty and good faith.”

The company emphasized that Ms. Aw “acted irresponsibly in failing to verify the truth of the nature and effects of the operation of telecommunication facilities and ODAS prior to making unfounded statements regarding radiation being emitted by telecommunication antennas and spreading the same in the community as gospel truth as to sow fear, and thus,

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More than 60 youths participated in the Voices of Youth. This is ComVal’s first ever interchurch gathering among Christian youth leaders from different denominations. One activity is the “trust fall” with a twist at the Water World Pantukan on June 25 – 27, 2017. (arianne dacalos//ids comval)

GSC lass pardoned, Kidapawan mayor bans escapes death row

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UST recently, Jennifer Dalquez of General Santos City was one name out from the death row, and this was confirmed by her own mother. Dalquez was sentenced to death in 2015, after she accidentally killed her employer in the Middle East who she claimed attempted to rape her.

In her struggle to protect herself, she ended up wounding her assailant fatally.

Earlier this month, she was declared pardoned and will only have to serve five years more in jail. She is expected to come home in 2020.

“This is really good news for the family, for the country and for the sector of OFWs. Our organization commends the effort of the family and the assistance of the government for saving the life of Jennifer.”

MMCEAI’s Executive Director Inorisa Sialana-Elento believes that this is a victory for the OFWs and a glimmer of hope for the remaining convicted OFWs whose lives are still on the death row.

MMCEAI stands for Mindanao Migrants Empowering

Actions, Inc. This year, during the President’s visit to the Middle East, it was known that 700 Filipinos are in prison due to different cases. Of those in jail, 21 are on death row. Around the world, there is still an estimated number of 90 OFWs sentenced to die.

“If the families, communities, together with the firm effort and commitment of the government, we can free more OFWs and save them from their eminent deaths.”

Ms. Elento added. Remembering the case of Jakatia Pawa, the OFW who was executed in January this year, her case only became known hours before her execution when she was, in fact, in the death row for nearly a decade.

In addition, MMCEAI strongly suggests that the national government should start putting up system of mechanism to track down and monitor OFWs abroad. It is also high time to review the cases of jailed OFWs and take the necessary action to assist them in achieving justice and freedom.

Q2 NSED to take place in Davao City Thursday

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N line with the government’s ongoing disaster preparedness campaign, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council through the Regional DRRM Councils will conduct the 2nd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) in Davao City on Thursday.

The ceremonial venue will be at Bolton Street, Davao City.

It will start 2 p.m., NDRRMC administrator Ricardo Jalad said in statement.

In line with this, the Office of Civil Defense will kicks off the “Bida ang Handa Campaign” which generally aims to promote disaster prepared-

ness through public’s participation in the NSED. The activity aims to gather the maximum number of commitments via social media, Jalad added.

The campaign involves the participation of the government, private, academe and media sectors as well as other stakeholders by generating a photo and/or video of individual/s doing a preparedness activity with the fan sign or spoken statement: “Mag-daDuck, Cover and Hold kami sa June 29, 2017! Dahil bida ang handa!” #BidaAngHanda is the official hashtag for this year’s NSED.

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collection of school fees T

HE city mayor here issued an executive order prohibiting all public schools from collecting any amount for whatever purpose, even if the contribution is voluntary.

The order, issued by Mayor Joseph Evangelista on Wednesday, was announced by lawyer Christopher Cabilen, legal counsel of the city government, in his Facebook page, noting that it will be implemented strictly.

All public schools were furnished copies of the order, according to Cabilen.

“Those who may be found violating the order shall be dealt with accordingly,” he stressed.

He explained that any complaint as regards violation of the order may be lodged to the city legal office or directly to the Office of the City Mayor.

Cabilen said the EO showed how serious the mayor is in implementing a standing memorandum from the Department of Education prohibiting collections.

Besides, he said, there are other features in the EO in relation to the Special Education Fund (SEF), where the local government gets its educational subsidy to all public schools in the city.

Since 2014, the City Government has allotted millions of pesos from its SEF amount for the subsidy.

In 2014, it allocated P100 to each student. In 2015, an additional P100 was allotted.

And since 2016, it has increased to P300.

For school year 20172018, the city government appropriated P13 million from its SEF as subsidy to about 14,000 students from public schools.

‘Voluntary’ contributions Anton Maganto, spokesperson for the Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 12, clarified that while they implement the zero collection policy in all public schools, they allowed collections of fees that are not mandatory and thus “voluntary” in nature.

He said DepEd allows collection of fees for the Red Cross, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts.

Maganto, in a radio interview on Wednesday, said DepEd 12 has also given the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) the go signal to collect from parents, guardians, and students any contribution for PTA projects as long as the association, after holding a general assembly, agreed to it.

“Although we are provided Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for our teachers and schools, this is not enough. The PTA serves as a support system of DepEd,” he said. (Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)

in Mindanao has significantly decreased after government forces thwarted the Maute terror group’s plan to establish a caliphate for IS in Marawi.

Padilla made the remark following reports that Hapilon, who had joined forces with the Maute, might have escaped the strife-torn Marawi City. He however reiterated that they are still validating Hapilon’s alleged escape.

“Kasi pagka may bakbakan po, ang pinakamahirap at

pinakamasakit na mangyari ay iiwanan ka ng isang kinikilala mong leader…Ang kapasidad niya (Hapilon) na maglunsad ng anumang klaseng panggugulo, hindi po kami naniniwala na kaya pa niya,” Padilla said.

“Malaki na po ang nangyari na ang mga tumagal ng mga nakaraang linggong ito at ‘yung kapasidad na magsagawa ng kaguluhan, sa scale na nakita natin sa Marawi, hindi na po nila kakayanin ‘yan,” he added.

The AFP official described Hapilon’s possible escape as “an act of cowardice” if reports that he indeed fled from the strife-torn city were to be believed.

“It was an act of cowardice if he abandoned his fellow terrorists from inside. And showing that he fled from the battle and left many more of his companions inside would not sit well and may be indicative of an infighting that is occurring among them,” said Padilla.

a black body bag of the Department of Health containing the remains of a male who was “hapit na makalabira” (badly decomposed, almost skeletal remains).

A morgue attendant at the Capin Funeral Homes in Iligan City moves the body bag brought in by the police from Marawi City on 26 June 2017.

The workers found a live grenade and an empty magazine in a bag carried by the slain person. MindaNews photo

taken on June 27, 2017 by MANMAN DEJETO Capin, a licensed embalmer, estimates the person must have died at least three weeks ago.

“It was a good thing our embalmer had not started the process,” he said.

Capin immediately thought of phoning the Explosives Ordnance Disposal Team (EODT) but realized he only had the number of the SOCO (Scene of the Crime Opera-

tives). The SOCO alerted the EODT and the latter arrived within five minutes and took the bag with them.

The bag also contained a driver’s license bearing the name of Alinor Botawan Renabor of Paniaranao, Tugaya, Lanao del Sur, born on December 13, 1980. But a cousin who read the announcement posted on Facebook by Ranao Rescue Team leader Samira Gutoc about the cadaver identified

No more Marawi-like attack for Hapilon: AFP

A

BU Sayyaf Group leader Isnilon Hapilon, the Islamic State emir in Southeast Asia, no longer has the capacity to mount an attack in Mindanao similar in scale to what happened in Marawi City, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Wednesday.

During the Mindanao Hour press briefing in Malacañang, AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. said Hapilon’s capacity to sow terror

Cadaver from Marawi yields live grenade, empty magazine

T

HE staff of a funeral home here rushed out of the morgue Monday noon when a cadaver brought in by the police retrieval team in Marawi City yielded a live grenade and an empty magazine.

“Nagdinaganay mi” (We scampered for safety), Danilo Capin, funeral director of the Capin Funeral Homes, told MindaNews Tuesday.

He said the police arrived at 12:46 p.m. on Monday with

F CADAVER, 11

7 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

Davao distributes breeding cattle to Paquibato farmers A

AboitizPower, DepEd XII sign P1.5M worth of CSR projects

T

HE city government distributed 85 breeding cattle to selected farmers in Paquibato District in line with the Community-Based Livestock Production Project under the City Veterinarian’s Office.

Assistant City Veterinarian Dr. Esther Cherrie Rayos said the dispersal of male

and female cattle was part of the livestock restocking program, which is intended to help farmers augment their income and address their nutritional needs.

Rayos said it was also important to infuse new and young breed of cattle to prevent in-breeding that can cause genetic problems, pre-

vent animal depletion, and to promote quality cattle meat production.

The distribution began on May 23 and was completed last June 20.

The city government has allocated P7.25 million for the project, which also included a training component for the recipients; and purchase of ani-

mal supplies and medicines, vitamins and de- wormers .

Rayos said the cattle will be jointly taken care of by the recipients , who formed themselves into an association.

This, she said, would ensure that the animals, especially the mother and young cows, are well taken care of.

CIO

OCHA, UNHCR launch Mindanao displacement snapshot

T

HE United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Philippines launched the Mindanao Displacement Snapshot, an interactive online map that provides an overview of displacement incidents in Mindanao, Philippines from January 2012 to June 2017. The displacement incidents range from armed conflict to natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes and typhoons.

The collaborative project combines data collected by UNHCR from the field, Protection Cluster members and offi-

cial reports from the Philippine government and Mindanao local authorities, with interactive software that will be hosted on Humanitarian Data Exchange.

“More than just numbers and data, sharing vital information of the displaced will help humanitarian actors in assessing and monitoring of vulnerable communities,” said Yasser Saad, UNHCR Head of National Office.

The Humanitarian Data Exchange is an open platform hosted by OCHA for sharing data, making humanitarian information easy to find and use for analysis. “The interactive snapshot provides an ata- glance insight into patterns

and trends of displacement in Mindanao. It presents a challenging issue such as protracted displacement in an interactive way that engages a wider audience.” said Mark Bidder, OCHA Philippines Head of Office.

The launch of the humanitarian map coincides with the release of a new global study commissioned by OCHA. Breaking the Impasse: Reducing Protracted Internal Displacement as a Collective Outcome comes at a time when the numbers of those repeatedly displaced by over four decades of conflict in Mindanao are again increasing and is underscored by the conflict

in Marawi City.

The study highlights the need for a new approach – using collective outcomes to end or reduce vulnerability for IDPs and move towards durable solutions– and offers concrete recommendations to guide Governments, humanitarian and development organizations and donors.

Case studies including from the Philippines illustrate the challenges and opportunities of attaining sustainable return, local integration or relocation for those who have been displaced either by disaster or conflict. A full PDF version of the study can be read here: https://www.unocha.org/idps

nizations in Russia and the Ukraine are the most affected, and we have also registered hits in Poland, Italy, the UK, Germany, France, the US and several other countries.

This appears to be a complex attack which involves several attack vectors. We can confirm that a modified EternalBlue exploit is used for propagation at least within the corporate network.

Kaspersky Lab detects the threat as UDS:DangeroundObject.Multi.Generic.

Kaspersky Lab experts aim to release new signatures, including for the System Watcher component as soon as possible and to determine whether it is possible to decrypt data locked in the attack – with the intention of developing a decryption tool as soon as they can.

We advise all companies to update their Windows software, to check their security solution and ensure they have back up and ransomware detection in place.

Kaspersky Lab corporate customers are also advised to: • Check that all protection is activated as recommended; and that they have enabled the KSN/ System Watcher component.

• Use the AppLocker feature to disable the execution of any files that carry the name “perfc. dat”; as well as the • PSExec utility from Sysinternals Suite.

Kaspersky Lab statement on NotPetya ransomware attacks reported 27 June

K

ASPERSKY Lab’s analysts are investigating the new wave of ransomware attacks targeting organizations across the world. Our preliminary findings suggest that it is not a variant of Petya ransomware as publically reported, but a new ransomware that has not been seen before. That is why we have named it NotPetya.

The company’s telemetry data indicates around 2,000 attacked users so far. Orga-

FAR-FLUNG public high school and a flood-prone public elementary school in Mindanao are among the recipients of Aboitiz Power Corporation’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects this year, through its subsidiary Cotabato Light and Power Company (CLPC).

CLPC, in partnership with AboitizPower and Aboitiz Foundation Inc., (Aboitiz Foundation), allotted about P1.5 million for CSR projects on education this year. The projects were presented on June 7, 2017, during the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Education Region 12- SDS, recipient schools’ heads, and CLPC in Cotabato City.

One of the beneficiaries this year is the Datu Usngan S. Mastura National High School, which will receive 200 brand new armchairs.

Datu Usngan S. Mastura National High School is located in Pinaring, Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao, which is about 14 kilometers away from Cotabato City.

CLPC will also turn over soon a newly-refurbished reading and peace hub to the Pagalamatan Elementary School in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. Apart from the reading and peace hub, CLPC will also allot funds to pour concrete on the floorings of Pagalamatan Elementary School and elevate the school buildings there as the school gets flooded whenever the nearby Tamontaka river overflows.

Other projects outlined this year include Educational Assistance Programs to poor but deserving students within the region, Brigada Eskwela Projects, Electrical Laboratory donation, and the first BEST CAP (Barangay Electrician Skills Training and Capability Anti-Pil-

ferage Project).

The project recipients include Notre Dame Village National High School,Pagalamatan Elementary School, Datu Usngan S. Mastura National High School,and Poblacion 7 Tukanes.

The biggest chunk of the budget, amounting to almost Php 750,000, is alloted to Notre Dame Village National High School for the Project E-Lab. This Electrical Laboratory donation is in support of the TechVoc School, which will enable students to learn the fundamentals of Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM). The projects aims to produce competent accredited electricians after gaining TESDA’s NC2.

Currently, 35 students are enrolled in CLPC’s scholarship program which will continue until they graduate Senior High School. Apart from free tuition, each scholar will also receive stipend ranging from Php 4,000 to Php 7,000 depending on their current grade level.

“I am thankful we have organizations like Cotabato Light & Power Company and Aboitiz Foundation that looks after the welfare of the students. Spending this much on education will enable us to build a better foundation for the future leaders,” said Dr. Concepcion F. Balawag, Al Hadja, DepEd’s XII School’s Division Superintendent (SDS).

Ms. Anna Lea Lee L. Nataño, CLPC Human Resource/RD head, said that the CSR projects are one of the ways that the company gives back to the community. “We are happy that we have become an instrument in giving a better future for the children in our communities,” she said.

Cotabato Light’s CSR Team’s first project for the year was the Brigada Eskwela last May 20, 2017 in Mandanas Elementary School.

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

T

VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

Decide now

HE fate of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan reset the Barangay and SK elections to May 2020.

(SK) elections is up in Congress and the Commis-

The earlier both houses decide on the fate of the barangay

sion on Elections (Comelec) is in quandary with the and youth polls this October the better for both the Comelec

delay in the decision of both houses on the issue.

The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election

and the electorate.

It is not that the Comelec wants to proceed or postpone

is originally scheduled on October 23. President Rodrigo the polls because the election body has also maintained a

Duterte has expressed his desire to postpone the elections neutral stance on the issue. The agency’s concern is mainly on account of the growing influence of the illegal narcotics because the cost and the preparation to hold the polls will syndicate in the barangay level.

There is a bill filed in the Senate seeking the postpone-

be too much as proximity to the date nears.

Without further delay, the Senate and the HR better de-

ment of the Barangay and SK elections to October 2018. At cide on the pending bills before it is rather too close as to the House of Representatives, there is a pending proposal to affect generally the conduct of the barangay and youth polls.

EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Pedestrian safety: Tyranny of thoughtless planning (1) “Man follows the line of least resistance, and it is this prime law that has to be understood and regarded in all questions relating to the improvement of traffic.

Any scheme not in accordance with this primary law may be put aside.”

(H.W.D. Stone, Principles of Urban Traffic, 1916, p.6)

C

ITIES are created by people and made up of people and all things attached to it dependedon people; without them cities are nothing but an abstraction and certainly will not exist. A city grows, progresses, and develops because of them – the pedestrians. Pedestrians are the most important component in city building and significant consideration in place-making. They are the huge foot traffic that fills the restaurants, diners, shops, supermarkets and department stores, schools, public transports, public markets, carenderias during noon brakes, food stands, government and private offices, and for some purposes they serve as eye on the streets for reason of safety to mitigate barbarism

R

ECENTLY, I met a friend who arrived from the United States three weeks ago. “I am staying here for good,” he told me. To prove it, he said he sold all his properties in the US. “The economy out there is not so good. I think it will become worse in the coming years.”

During out talk, he told me of another friend who is now living in Manila. This friend, he said, had been in college for several years already and he never managed to graduate. “Will you be a student for life?” His friend corrected, “No, I won’t be but I will always be a student of life.”

In a way, all of us are students of life. No one is spared from this fact. Every day, we go through things that we have not experienced before. “Life,” Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood.”

Here’s a story from Reader’s Digest: Goh Lay Kuan, Singapore’s doyenne of classical dance, was 19 when she commenced formal training as a classical ballerina. “Usually, a ballerina starts training seriously from 12,” she said, “so I counted the number of extra hours I needed to redeem the lost time and it came to ten hours a day.”

For three years while studying at the Victorian Ballet Guild in Melbourne, Australia, Goh worked with maniacal energy and determination, practicing up to ten hours a day, six days a week. Her efforts eventually paid off, and she graduated with honors.

on the roads.

Sadly, these human beings who are the primary actors and providersof vitality to urban centers such as Davao City are the least of the concerns of city planners and private profiteers. They conspicuously ignore the safety of pedestrians – the people who serve as the essential element in city building – and relegate their significance to the sidelines. Obviously, despite being a virtually crime-free city, the people on the city streets in any given time are unmindfulof the dangers they constantly face. The adage “if no one complains, then there’s nothing to fix”seems to be the guiding mantra of knee-jerk government planners.

As a general rule in urban traffic management, both ends of a pedestrian crossing must be free from any obstruction to ensure of unimpeded and free flow of people crossing the street.

Quite a number of locations ofcrossing lanes in the city are either anti-pedestrian or utterly unsafe characterized with thoughtless planning. The placement of pedestrian crossing located along the junction of JP Laurel Ave./ In 1964, after working for various dance companies in Australia, Goh returned to Singapore where she discovered there was no arts scene to speak of. With her playwright husband, Kuo Pan Kun, she founded the Practice Performing Arts School and helped push dance into the cultural mainstream while forging a reputation as one of the nation’s premier dancers.

Starting from scratch in Singapore, she said, “taught me the philosophy that if you want to be a good cook, it’s important to learn how to cook with the minimum ingredient. Life is short and tortuous. One does not have a choice to arrive in or exit from this world. You just make the best of what you have.”

In other words, even if she already excelled in dancing, she was still a student when it comes to running a dance school. The good thing is that she never quit learning. She managed to come up with a principle that became her credo on life. “Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through,” said Anais Nin. All of us have to go through this journey called life. In the film, Star Trek: Generations, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) told the viewers: “Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again.”

“Love the moment,” Corita Kent urged. “Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital.

It affects the whole. Life is a succession

URBAN STREET GAZER

Dario G. Pampanga, PhD Sta. Ana Ave. is an extreme example of disservice and sheer disregard to pedestrians, yet hundreds of people use this lane every hour. Knowingly or unknowingly, the 5 giant electrical posts of Davao Light including a traffic light post ,which are located right smack at the one end of the lane, and the provision of a movable metal barrier which is right next to the posts,are horrendously unsafe to pedestrians.

It would be prudent for the city traffic agency to either remove the electrical posts (which I doubt if they can) or the most workable design would be to provide a wider pedestrian refuge at the center island and move the pedestrian crossing (at the northbound lane) with one meter distance from the electrical posts. This would even add aesthetics to the otherwise uninteresting roadway. The third choice is to close the crossing lane by permanent metal barrier and direct all pedestrians to use the pedestrian overpass.

Any scheme among the three options would necessarily be justifiable. Doing any of these options is really an expression of putting the pedestrians first in terms of traffic safety. In this instance, it is safe to say that the “line of least resistance”was properly observed even in this minutest yet very significant episode in urban traffic planning and management in Davao city.

This altruistic attitude towards the pedestrians is replicated in most city streets. This case is just one of the numerous acts of thoughtless planning about how pedestrians suffer from road space inequities. If one has

patience and time to stroll around the city, there are some more pedestrian crossings with the same case given above; some pedestrian crossings that ends up facing high concrete fences and walls with no elevated sidewalks,some are obstructed with iron stand announcing the barangay officials, and some inner city thoroughfares that do not have established pedestrian crossing yet every hour hundreds of people are crisscrossing those roads. The least of the things that these issues can be addressed is to simply re-design these pedestrian crossings to create an environment of livable streets to the benefit of the city builders – the pedestrians.

Davao city is fast transforming into an automobile city due tounrestrained urban expansion and real estate development in sub-urban areas as well as in rurban (rural-urban) locations. Conceivably, it is a prodigious time for the city government to address these issues and other related concerns in both transport planning and traffic management before these dynamic transformation and developments take the past city.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do,” Mark Twain advised. “So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.”

“Security is mostly a superstition,” Helen Keller points out. “It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Or as James F. Bymes puts it: “Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death.”

And that is what learning is all about. When we were still students, we either pass or fail an examination. The same is true with life: We have our own highs and lows, ups and downs, happiness and sadness. When the world is seems against you, consider it as a challenge.

“However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names,” Henry David Thoreau reminded. “Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.”

If you will die today, will people remember you? And if they do, what kind of life they would remember? One morning in 1888, Alfred Nobel, the in-

ventor of dynamite, who had amassed a fortune manufacturing and selling weapons of destruction, awoke to read his own obituary in the newspaper.

(Actually, it was his brother who had died, but a reporter mistakenly wrote Alfred’s obituary.)

Keep on learning

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.”

Journey is just one of the metaphors used by people to describe life. J. Richard Sneed reminded, “Life is described in one of four ways: as a journey, as a battle, as a pilgrimage, and as a race. Select your own metaphor, but the finishing necessity is all the same. If life is a journey, it must be completed. If life is a battle, it must be finished. If life is a pilgrimage, it must be concluded. And if it is a race, it must be won.”

Live life to the fullest -- don’t be afraid to do new things. Get out from the boat, just like what Peter did when he saw Jesus Christ walking on top of the water. He wanted to experience what it was like to walk like what His Master did.

For the first time, Alfred saw himself as the world saw him: “the dynamite king” and nothing more. Nothing was mentioned about his efforts at breaking down barriers between people and ideas. He was simply a merchant of death, and he would be remembered for that alone.

Alfred was horrified. He determined that the world would know the true purpose of his life. So, he wrote his last will and testament and left his fortune to establish the most coveted of all prizes: the Nobel Prize. Now, the world has forgotten his dynamite legacy.

“Live a good life,” Marcus Aurelius declared. “If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by.

If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”

But in the meantime, don’t stop learning. We are all students of life. “Study as if you were going to live forever; live as if you were going to die tomorrow,” Maria Mitchell urged.

10 NEWS NOT... FROM 1

During the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday, Ruis Valle of SOS Network said that they have received information that a 17-year-old former student of Salugpongan Ta’ Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, Inc. has been abducted in Bagangga, Davao Oriental and is presently in the custody of the Eastmincom Headquarters in Panacan.

Valle did not identify the name of the student who he claimed was abducted.

Valle claimed that the declaration of Martial Law is fatal to the Lumads since it gave license to the soldiers to strengthen their attacks in Lumad areas particularly in their schools for the reason that they have been associated with the rebel group New

People’s Army.

Balagtey added that this scheme is propaganda against the army. He added that if the organization was really certain of their allegations, they should file a formal complaint.

The Eastmincom spokesperson also reacted to the claim of SOS Network that they have recorded a number of military abuses since Martial Law was declared by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

“They should substantiate it. Meron naman tayong legal remedies. Open naman ating kasundaluhan. We have help desks in Ateneo, yung legal QRT nila that receives complaint. Even Commission on Human Rights, meron yan. May mga mechanisms na pwede sundin kung nagkasala ba talaga yung sundalo.”

have the financial capability to send him to a law school.

“Daghan kaayong salamat kay naka avail ko ani nga scholarship program sa city government,” Abayon said.

Jecia Anne Opiana, a journalist who has also qualified for the law school scholarship, said the financial grant is a big help.

“I have always wanted to become a lawyer and I am very happy that I will finally be able to fulfill that dream,” Opiana said.

The city government has allocated P15 Million for law

school and medical school scholarships. The city has made available 40 slots for law school scholars and 40 slots for medical school scholars.

Nadela said the aspiring scholars should meet all the scholarship requirements, including good grades in College and a certification from the City Social Services and Development Office that the applicant is an indigent.

All scholars who have gained acceptance in any of the said law schools will be entitled to free tuition fee in full and will receive P8,000 as book allowance. CIO

Applications may be forwarded or submitted through personal delivery at: PDEA Academy Liaison Office, PDEA National Headquarters, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City; Cou-

rier Service at PDEA Academy, Camp General Mariano N. Castañeda, Tartaria, Silang, Cavite; or email at pdea-acad@ yahoo.com. For more information, please visit the official PDEA website: http://pdea. gov.ph.

Executive Secretary Catalino Macaraig, Jr., by authority of President Corazon C. Aquino.

The DavNor Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution highlighted the fact that the deal has been reviewed and approved by six Justice secretaries and upheld by 14 Department of Justice chiefs, including Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, Teofisto Guingona Jr., Silvestre H. Bello Jr., Neptali Gonzales, and Ricardo Puno.

The provincial council members have been vocal

in their support to the said contract, as they pointed out that it has been instrumental in the transformation of the province into a booming agricultural territory.

They also highlighted its role in rehabilitating inmates before reintegration into mainstream society, the educational assistance extended to thousands of students, and the employment given to those employed by the company and benefitting from the existence of the plantation.

unduly preventing the installation and operation of the company’s ODAS to the prejudice of homeowners and residents in Dasmarinas Village.”

“The malicious and false rumors were made by Ms. Aw with no other intention than to tarnish the good image of Globe.

Since defendant made the statements and circulated the same in the village, the company has been receiving queries and angry calls from the homeowners and residents, government officials and influential business-

men,” Globe emphasized.

Globe piloted the use of the ODAS technology in Dasmarinas as part of efforts to further improve mobile experience of its customers residing in the upscale subdivision. The ODAS technology is a network of small cell sites, instead of typical macro cell sites, with shared equipment connected through fiber optic links. The solution makes use of a specialized lamp posts with radio signal transmission capability deployed along sidewalks.

18 Dabawenyos... FROM 2

PDEA... FROM 3

Davao... FROM 4

Globe... FROM 5

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

MARITIME MATTERS. Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) 11’s lawyer Gen Calzada provides updates on the agency and its programs during AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum held at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

Prisoner... FROM 2 at 290, with the number of government troops killed in action at 70 and 27 civilians executed.

Number of firearms recovered from the lawless elements are placed at 347 with

the remaining hostages placed at 150 to 200.

Number of still active Maute Group terrorists are placed between 100 to 120.

(PRIAM F. NEPOMUCENO/ PNA)

avail of the amnesty. However, the migrant worker insisted not to register yet, saying she can still work for a month and save some money before flying back home.

“The deadline for registration is due to end soon. We hope that OFWs can register as soon as possible because there are still factors to be considered, such as the processing period, acquiring of other documents, and booking a flight back to the Philippines,” Say added.

Say also said that despite being issued with exit visa, OFWs who have not yet left the Saudi territory after the given amnesty period will still be arrested by the Saudi authorities.

Last April, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, has sent a Rapid Response Team to en-

sure that stranded and undocumented OFWs in KSA will be repatriated to the Philippines by availing of the amnesty program of the Saudi government dubbed “A nation without violators.”

In March, Saudi granted a 90-day amnesty for undocumented and overstaying foreign individuals of Umrah, Hajj and visit visa holders; OFWs with expired iqamas (residence permits), or have never been issued an iqama; Huroob cases or those who escaped from their employers; and OFWs who were abandoned by their employers, including their dependents.

Say clarified that those foreign nationals who have pending cases in the Arab country are not covered by the amnesty.

Avail... FROM 3

Children... FROM 4 “In small-scale mining communities in Compostela Valley, Camarines Norte and South Cotabato, mercury is sometimes used to extract gold from the ore. Child labor exists in these communities, and so these children are often directly exposed to toxic mercury,” said Cubelo. “Families near mine sites are also at risk.

Only a few weeks ago, people from two villages in Puerto Princesa were reportedly suffering from mercury poisoning. The villages are in fact found near the area of a former mercury mine site.” Children also face other risks of chemical exposure outside of mining communities. Toxic chemicals are present in schools and playgrounds, for instance

through lead in paints or improperly disposed chemical wastes and electronic wastes (smartphones and gadgets).

Just last March, a mercury spill in Manila Science High School put the health of children at risk and forced the cancellation of classes for several days. “BAN Toxics envisions a toxics-free world for children, and children are an essential part of the solution. Empowering our youth to realize the importance of and act on the proper management (and the consequent, elimination) of toxic chemicals and wastes is a crucial strategy in ensuring a toxics-free world. Through this summit, the youth of Mindanao begins this work,”said Cubelo.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Extension of Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ Dual Ordinary Regular Service.

Case No. R11-EVPJ-2017-6-1039 (2002-XI-01039)

REKEY F. TEMPORADO, Petitioner

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Extension of Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ DUAL Ordinary Regular Service Case No. R11-EVPJ-2017-6-660 (2011-XI-00660)

ANA LISA D. OTA, Petitioner

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

NOTICE OF HEARING

NOTICE OF HEARING

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ Dual Ordinary service on theroute: MARAHAN and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on June 21, 2017. In the petition filed on June 20, 2017, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ Dual Ordinary Regular service on the route: CIRCULATION ROUTE 8 and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on January 22, 2018.

In the petition filed on June 16, 2017, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same units previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on JULY 24, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao

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

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Atty. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ, Regional Director, this 21st day of June 2017 at Davao City.

Atty. CATTLEYA B. ACAYLAR Attorney IV

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on JULY 24, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao

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

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentaryand/or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Atty. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ, Regional Director, this 21st day of June 2017 at Davao City.

Atty. CATTLEYA B. ACAYLAR Attorney IV

INdulge!

VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

Ramadan food favourites

FASTING during the Holy Month of Ramadan is more than just abstaining from eating and drinking; Fasting is a holistic experience that comes not everyday. The sacrifice that comes with it is a life lesson to consider specially on how you are able to go beyond the facade and admit to your flaws and imperfection.

Fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadan is a lifelong event that shan’t be missed.

Although Ramadan means abstaining from eating; Ramadan is also about food.

Traditional (Muslim) dishes you’ve once craved for are prepared and cooked in time for Iftar. The same goes for Suhur.

Personally, I felt as though I was part of a culinary show -creating a menu, preparing and cooking dishes to be feasted on.

However, whenever I’m home, I always, always spoil myself to the many foodie finds in trade fairs. Don’t we all?

Of the many choices, I love the cooked viands available in stalls like candies inside a candy store. The color, the smell and the taste, though of one origin, varies from one tribe to another.

And that’s another thing about food fairs -- a delicious diversity coming together.

A list of favourite Ramadan food finds? Well, basically, it varies from person to person.

A favourite of mine may not be another’s cup of tea. One may crave for hot, savoury food finds while a bunch may go for some cold , sweet treats. For me? It typically depends on my mood.

Though i have a few Iftar staples still I go for a variety on a daily basis.

Many of us prefer slices of fresh fruits or dates upon breaking a fast. I, on the other hand, requires water to break mine.

A bowl of hot, savoury

arrozcaldo or bowl of sweetened champorado is always a welcome sight. Add to that a slice of anything sweet to balance the taste and flavour.

Also, a bowl of boiled sweetened mung beans with milk and ice will make you smile with glee.

Aside from the usual, a

bowl of binignit or ginataan or pangat (as we fondly call it) come sunset is a best treat after a day of fasting. Simmered slices of banana, heaps of sugar and splashes of coconut milk -- simple yet very invigorating.

Best partnered with slices of bread or roti. Or pieces of freshly baked bulua on the side. (Bulua are mini-muffins baked over open fire and are traditionally served during celebrations.)

On days that one craves for rice, pastil and slices of salted egg is a pairing you cannot say ‘no’ to. Add to that some spicy palapa and tinapayan. Now, that’s very traditional. Speaking of which, many also opt to drink a hot cup of native coffee while feasting on some rice fave combo.

For the more on-thego peeps, many Muslim brothers and sisters feasts on

a delectable plate of pancakes, hot off the oven cinnamon rolls, sandwiches and fast food staples. Of which, BreadTalk has been one of my delicious solitude during the past month.

If permitted, I whip up a Singaporean Kaya toast with eggs to soothe my tummy.

The Holy month of Ramadan may be over and we are back to our regular munching but let us not forget the sacrifice and lessons we have endured and come across with during the past month. Let us not waste them and be constantly reminded that, though the month comes only once a year, we can always look back and relieve the totality of the month on a daily basis.

Want to know my latest food finds? Follow me on Instagram @iamleebai and Facebook @RoyalChefEats.

Happy munching, #royalistas!

A2 INdulge!

UP AND ABOUT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

Airasia world champions again at Skytrax AIRASIA is the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the ninth year in a row.

Asia’s largest low-cost carrier won the accolades at the 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards in the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace at Le Bourget Airport here yesterday.

AirAsia Group Cabin Crew Head Suhaila Hassan, who has been with the company for 20 years, accepted the award, flanked by AirAsia ambassador David Foster and Brazilian football player Roberto Carlos.

Foster is a worldrenowned Canadian producer, musician, songwriter and composer who has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations over the span of almost four decades,

while Carlos is a famed left-back who helped Real Madrid win four Spanish La Liga titles and was part of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup winning team.

Dubbed the “Oscars of the Aviation Industry”, the Skytrax Awards are the global benchmark of airline excellence with over 19.9 million customer surveys completed worldwide by more than 105 nationalities, measuring standards across 49 key performance indicators of an airline’s frontline products and services.

AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said, “Today, Asean has created a world record. We

accept this award on behalf of AirAsia and my fellow Allstars. They are the real champions. It’s been an incredible 20 years, being part of AirAsia’s journey from a domestic Malaysian airline to the world’s best.

We have a great team fueled by passion, hard work and dedication, and I have no doubt we will continue to live up to our reputation as the world’s number one LCC as we expand to China, Vietnam and beyond.” are now nine times world champion. To put it into perspective, Brazil won the FIFA World Cup five times, Michael Jordan was NBA champion six times and Michael Phelps holds the record for most first place finishes at a single

Olympics with eight gold medals.

“We take the world champion title seriously and we will strive to continue to improve for both our guests and shareholders. Over the last 15 years we have created a great brand and over the next 15, we want to move towards One AirAsia, a truly Asean community airline. We also want to recreate ourselves as a digital airline and use technology to drive more value.

“We are humbled for the support shown by our valued guests and we thank them for voting for us nine times in a row. We asked David and Roberto to accept this award with Suhaila to inspire our staff to emulate these two amazing gentleman in music and sports to be world champion and be the very best in all they do.”

AirAsia Group Cabin Crew Head Suhaila Hassan said, “What an amazing honour to be given the opportunity to

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

EVENT

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

Sharing your extras at SM Store THE SM STORE’S recent Share Your Extras campaign brought smiles to thousands of family members all over the Philippines as they received slippers and clothes from SM shoppers.

A joint project of The SM Store and SM Foundation, Share Your Extras encouraged customers to clean their closets, and share their pre-loved clothes and slippers with the less fortunate. Booths, where they could also buy new slippers, were set up in all SM Store branches nationwide for this purpose.

Each donation entitled a customer to a Php 50 coupon which can be redeemed for every minimum Php 500 single receipt purchase of regular priced items from the Children’s Shoes Department of The SM Store.

Customers were very generous with their donations, and Share Your Extras was able to gather a total of 28,687 pieces of clothes and slippers from all The SM Store branches nationwide.

These were in turn brought much joy to recipients when distributed to various Social Action Centers in the Metro area and in the provinces. Among these were the San Bartolome de Novaliches Association, the Lipa Archdiocesan Social Action Commission (LASAC), Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC), Social Action Center of Pampanga (SACOP) and Social Action Center of Bacolod.

Share Your Extras is one of the ways The SM Store reaches out to the communities.

Other store based projects include DonateA-Book, Gamot Para sa Kapwa and ShareA-Toy.

These girls happily display their slippers courtesy of Share Your Extras.

Boxes of clothes and slippers from the Share Your Extras campaign filled the doorsteps of Lipa Archdiocesan Social Action Commission (LASAC) in Batangas City. Shown in the photo is LASAC’s Program Officer Juanito Jaylo together with The SM Store Batangas Customer Service Manager Annalyn Macatangay and Branch Marketing Manager Charise Castro.

The SM Store Bacolod Assistant Branch Manager Jothan Londres personally turned over clothes and slippers to the Social Action Center of Extras that go a long way – slippers and clothes from The SM Store and SM Foundation’s Share Your Extras Bacolod. campaign.

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

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Cadaver... FROM 6 through his driver’s license as Alinor, commented that Alinor is alive.

“First cousin ko po sya.

Buhay na buhay po si Alinor at nasa bahay nila sa Tugaya,” Al-Ghafare Renabor told MindaNews. “I just want to clarify that Alinor Renabor is alive,” he said.

He said their uncle asked to be rescued in the Banggolo area on May 25, Day 3 of the Marawi Crisis. When Alinor passed near City Hall, the Maute Group was there and they asked for his ID card, apparently to determine, if indeed he is a Meranaw. Alinor gave his driver’s license. A member of the Maute Group told him to return after rescuing his uncle so he could claim his ID. But when Alinor was about to return, there was gunfire again so he and his uncle took another route and they arrived home in Tugaya safe, Al-Ghafare said.

The area where the Maute Group took Alinor’s driver’s license was in Barangay Bangon, where the cadaver was

retrieved.

Capin said he was informed the cadaver was retrieved from a “tower” in Barangay Bangon and was turned over to the funeral parlor by Police Senior Inspector Penel Ramas, whom Capin refered to as chief of retrieval in Marawi.

He said the deceased wore a white shirt printed with the initials PNP in red but the print looked crude compared with official PNP shirts. “Murag fake man” (It looked fake).

It is the police who could answer questions as to the real identity of the cadaver with the grenade. Sr. Supt.

Leony Roy Ga, Iligan City police director told MindaNews Tuesday night in a text message that that he is still awaiting the results of the investigation.

Capin said said he would suggest to the Provincial Crisis Management Committee that dead bodies brought here be checked first in Marawi. “Lessons must be learned from this,” he said.

“Imagine if the grenade exploded as the retrieval team was pulling out the body?”

Capin asked in Cebuano.

The cadaver was awaiting claimants as of 9 a.m. Tuesday when MindaNews visited the funeral parlor.

It is the 21st body brought to Capin Funeral Homes from Marawi since May 27. Of the 20 brought here between May 27 and June 9, nine had been claimed by relatives while the 11, whose remains were beyond recognition, were buried in San Roque Cemetery in Barangay Dalipuga, Iligan City on June 15 after they underwent processing and tagging by the SOCO. Capin said three relatives in search of a missing father in his 70s went to the funeral home early Tuesday morning, inquiring if the body retrieved from Marawi last Sunday was brought here, hoping it was their father’s.

The body retrieved last Sunday was an Imam. (Carolyn O. Arguillas /MindaNews)

“Disaster preparedness must be innate in our families and communities. Sama-sama tayong maghanda at maging

bida. Sa June 29, 2017, 2 p.m., sabay-sabay tayong mag-Duck, Cover and Hold para sa 2nd Quarter Nationwide Simulta-

neous Earthquake Drill,” Jalad stressed. (Priam F. Nepomuceno/Gilbert Villaruz-OJT/ PNA)

Q2... FROM 6

NEWS 11

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

Aguirre says plan to clip his powers ‘illegitimate’ J

ustice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Wednesday said the plan of Sen. Richard Gordon to enact a law stripping the powers of a Justice Secretary is “unconstitutional”.

“I believe that it is unconstitutional. You could not diminish the power of the President as the Chief Executive.

One must remember that as the alter ego of the President, I am merely acting for and in his behalf,” Aguirre said in a text message.

Aguirre made this remark following Gordon’s plan to cut the powers of the Justice Secretary after the DOJ downgraded the charges against police officials accused of killing Albuera Mayor Rolando

Espinosa Sr. The Justice Secretary said that Gordon should first prove that the DOJ resolution is wrong stressing that their records show that the case was not proven to qualify as murder. “…The existence of evident premeditation in the case has not been proven to qualify the killing to murder.

Everybody was attacking the resolution on irrelevant matters and ascribing ill motives in its issuance,” Aguirre said. “…But no one has discussed whether the downgrading is correct or nor; whether the same is supported by evidence and in accordance with law and jurisprudence,” he added.

he said they must first prove that the DOJ resolution is not the correct.

In a radio report, Gordon earlier said that he is still studying if his proposal could be done.

He also stressed that it should be the court and not the DOJ to downgrade charges.

Meanwhile, several senators said that they wanted to reopen to probe into the Espinosa slay after Aguirre downgraded the murder charges to homicide.

A Senate committee report into the Espinosa slay found that the killing was premeditated. (Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan and Azer N. Parrocha/PNA)

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PORTALETS FOR EVACUEES. Workers clean portable toilets provided by the Department of Health for Marawi City evacuees staying inside the National School of Fisheries in Buruun, Iligan City on 26 June 2017.

To maintain cleanliness, a private contractor cleans the portalets in five evacuation centers in the city.

MindaNews photo by Manman Dejeto

Boracay police warns versus sharing false bomb threats P

OLICE authorities of this resort island warned the public to refrain from sharing false bomb threats.

The reminder was made by the Boracay Tourists Assistance Center (BTAC) following the fake bomb threat which resulted in the cancellation of classes in a school in this resort island on Tuesday.

Sr. Insp.Jose Mark Gesulga, acting Boracay police chief, in an interview on Wednesday, said spreading of any hoax bomb threat was a criminal offense and would create fear

for the public, especially this time when terror threat was possible.

“Whether false of real, any bomb threat is very alarming,” said Gesulga.

He stressed that hoax bomb threats, bomb scare or jokes could cause alarm and panic in the community, especially in Boracay with thousands of tourists.

Gesulga said false threats could also “create fear especially because of the ongoing crisis in Mindanao.”

He likewise reminded the

public to remain vigilant and report any threats to authorities first instead of spreading the information.

Presidential Decree No. 1727, commonly referred to as Anti-Bomb Joke Law, states that any person spreading false information as to the presence of bombs, explosives, and other incendiary devices in high density or sensitive places could face penalty of not more than five years imprisonment or a fine of not more than PHP40,000 or both at the discretion of the court.

HE Navy’s new destroyer, a 10,000-tonne domestically designed and produced vessel, was launched Wednesday at Jiangnan Shipyard (Group), Shanghai.

The destroyer is the first of China’s new generation of

destroyers. It is equipped with new air defense, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons.

The vessel marks a milestone in improving the nation’s Navy armament system and building a strong and modern Navy.

According to the plan, tests will be carried on the vessel, including equipment operation, berthing and sailing.

Zhang Youxia, head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, attended the launch ceremony. (Xinhua)

China launches new destroyer T

12 12HEALTH HEALTH DAVAO EDGE DAVAO EDGEDAVAO EDGE

VOL. VOL.10 10ISSUE ISSUE63 63• THURSDAY, • THURSDAY,JUNE JUNE29, 29,2017 2017 VOL. 10 ISSUE 63 • THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

Alzheimer’s disease: Lest you forget By ByHENRYLITO HENRYLITOD.D.TACIO TACIO

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

(Second ofofThree Three Parts) (Secondof ThreeParts) Parts) (Second

“Although Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s disease disease is is so so “Although common, it’s it’s quite quite hard hard to to make make aa common, diagnose.”” –– Dr. Dr. Willie Willie T. T. Ong Ong in in his his diagnose. national column, column, “Mind “Mind Your Your Body.

Body.”” national

AA

LZHEIMER’S LZHEIMER’S disease disease LZHEIMER’S disease was wasfirst firstdescribed describedbyby was first described by Dr.Dr.Lois LoisAlzheimer Alzheimerinin Dr. Lois Alzheimer in 1907 1907– –and andit itwas wasnamed namedaf-af1907 – and it was named afterterhim. him.More Morethan than100 100years years ter him. More than 100 years after, after,the thedisease diseasecontinues continuestoto after, the diseasescience. continues to baffle bafflemedical medical science.Until Until baffle medical science.

Until now, now,the thecause causeofofAlzheimer’s Alzheimer’s now, the cause ofaAlzheimer’s disease diseaseremains remains amystery. mystery. disease remains a mystery. is “Alzheimer’s “Alzheimer’s disease disease is “Alzheimer’s disease is one oneofofthe thehottest hottestareas areasofof one of the hottest ”areas of scientific scientific research, research,” points points scientific research, ” points out outDr.Dr.Simeon SimeonMarasigan, Marasigan, out Dr. Simeon Marasigan, associate associateprofessor professoratatthe thededeassociate professor at the and department partmentofofneurology neurology and partment of neurology and psychiatry psychiatryofofthe theUniversity Universityofof psychiatry of the University of Santo SantoTomas.

Tomas.

Santo Tomas.

“In “InAlzheimer’s Alzheimer’sdisease, disease, “In Alzheimer’s disease, parts partsofofthe thebrain braindegenerate, degenerate, parts of the brain degenerate, destroying destroyingnerve nervecells cellsand andre-redestroying nerve cells and reducing ducingthe theresponsiveness responsivenessofof ducing the responsiveness of the theremaining remainingones onestotomany manyofof the remaining ones to many of the thechemical chemicalmessengers messengersthat that the chemical messengers that transmits transmitssignals signalsininthe thebrain brain transmits signals in the brain” (called (called neurotransmitters), neurotransmitters),” (called neurotransmitters), ” explains explainsThe TheMerck MerckManual Manualofof explains The Merck Manual of Medical MedicalInformation.

Information.

Medical Information.discovered Science Science has has discovered Science has discovered that thatthe thegradual gradualloss lossofofbrain brain that the gradual characterizes loss of brain function function that that characterizes function that characterizes Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’sisisdue duetototwo twoproproAlzheimer’s is due to two proteins, teins,beta-amyloid beta-amyloidand andtau. tau. teins, beta-amyloid and tau.

“These “Thesetwo twoare arethe thepossible possible “These two are the possible culprits, ” ”says culprits, saysProfessor ProfessorEdEdculprits, ” says Professor Edmund mundChiu, Chiu,a apsychiatrist psychiatristatat mund Chiu, a psychiatrist at St.St.George’s George’sHospital HospitalininMelMelSt. George’s Hospital in Melbourne bourneUniversity.

University. bourne University.

Beta-amyloid Beta-amyloid protein protein Beta-amyloid brains protein accumulates accumulatesininthe the brainsofof accumulates in the brains of patients patients with with Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s patients with Alzheimer’s disease, disease, activating activating immune immune disease, activating immune cells cellsthat thattry tryunsuccessfully unsuccessfully cells that try unsuccessfully

totoremove removeit.it.That Thattriggers triggersthe the to remove it. That triggers the release releaseofofpoisons poisonsthat thatultiultirelease of nerve poisons that ultimately matelykill kill nervecells, cells,leaving leaving mately kill nerve cells, leaving behind behinda atrail trailofofplaques plaquesand and behind a trailremains of plaques and tangles tangles– the – the remainsofofnerve nerve tangles – the remains of nerve cells cellsand andfibers, fibers,clogged cloggedupup cells and fibers, clogged up with withbeta-amyloid. beta-amyloid. withMany beta-amyloid.

Manyofofthe thenerve nervecells cells Many of the nerve show cells that thatare aredestined destinedtotodie die show that are destined to die show abnormal abnormaldeposits depositsofofa aproproabnormal deposits of a protein teincalled calledtau, tau,which whichisisasastein called tau, which is assumed sumedtotobebetoxic toxictotonerves. nerves. sumed to be toxic to nerves.

Tau Tauformation formationisisrelated relatedtoto Tau formation is related“The to the theseverity severityofofdisease. disease. “The the severity of disease.

“The more moresevere severethe thedisease, disease,the the more severe the disease, the more moretau tauisisfound foundwithin withinthe the more is found Dr. within the brain, ”tau brain, ” informs informs Dr. Adrian Adrian brain, ” informs Dr. Adrian Tan, Tan,a aneurologist neurologistwho whoworks works Tan, a neurologist who works atatthe theParagon ParagonMedical MedicalCenCenat the Paragon Medical Centretre and andthe theMount MountElizabeth Elizabeth tre and the Mount Elizabeth Medical MedicalCentre CentreininSingapore.

Singapore.

Medical Centre in Singapore.

Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’shas hasalso alsobeen been Alzheimer’s has also been connected connectedtotoa areduction reductionofof connected to a reduction of acetylcholine acetylcholine inin the the brain. brain. acetylcholine in the brain.

Acetylcholine Acetylcholineisisa asubstance substance Acetylcholine is aallows substance ininthe thebody bodythat that allowsmesmesin the body that allows nerve messages sagestototravel travelfrom fromone one nerve sages to travel fromexample, one nerve totoanother. another. For For example,a a to another.

For example, a person personwho whodecides decidestotopick pickupup person who decides to pick up a apen pencan canact actononthe thethought thought aonly penwhen can act onhand the thought only whenthe the handreceives receives only when thefrom hand receives the themessage message fromthe thebrain. brain. the message from the brain.

Studies Studieshave haveshown shownthat thatAlzAlzStudies have shownhave that Alzheimer’s heimer’spatients patients havea aseseheimer’s patients have90a persevere veredrop, drop,sometimes sometimes 90 pervere drop, sometimes 90 percent, cent,ofofacetylcholine. acetylcholine. cent,Most of acetylcholine.

Mostmedical medicalscientists scientists Most medical scientists agree agreethat thatthe thebiggest biggestrisk riskforfor agree that the biggestis risk for Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’sdisease disease isage. age.Al-AlAlzheimer’s disease is age.

Although thoughit itcan canoccur occuratatany anyage, age, though it can occur at any age, even evenasasyoung youngasas4040years, years,it it even as young as 40 years, it isismore morecommon commonamong amongthe the is more common among the

Despite the Despite the advance of medical advance of medical science, no one still science, no one still discovers drugs for discovers drugs for the disease. “There the disease. “There are no medications are no medications that can cure that can cure Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s disease. The disease. The key here is to key here is to ‘slow down’ the ‘slow down’ the deterioration.” deterioration.”

Dr. Marc Evans M. Abat Dr. Marc Evans M. Abat told the Philippine Daily told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview Inquirer in an interview

elderly. “Alzheimer’s occurs elderly.

“Alzheimer’s occurs very rarely among those 40elderly.

“Alzheimer’s occurs very rarely among those 4050very years old,among increases rarely thosebe4050 years old, 65 increases be-is tween 60 and years, and 50 years old, increases between 60 and 65 years, and is” very common 80 years, tween 60 andover 65 years, and is very common over 80 years,” says Dr.common Marasigan. very over 80 years,” saysAside Dr. Marasigan. from increasing says Dr. Marasigan. from increasing age,Aside genes Aside almost from certainly increasing age, genes certainly play inalmost the disease.

Take age,a role genes almost certainly play acase role in the disease.

Take the ofin Ronald Reagan, play a role the disease.

Take the casemother of Ronald whose and Reagan, brother the case of Ronald Reagan, whose mother and brother died from the disease.

“Usuwhose mother and brother died from the disease. ally, Alzheimer’s is not “Usutransdied from the disease.

“Usually, Alzheimer’s is not transmitted from family ally, Alzheimer’s is member not transmitted from family member tomitted family member, from familyalthough member to family member, there is a higher riskalthough ifalthough two or to family member, there is a higher risk if two or more members af-or therefamily is a higher risk ifare two more family members are affected, explains Dr. Tan. are afmore” family members fected, ” explains Dr.play Tan.a part.

Diet also fected, ”may explains Dr. Tan. Diet may also play a part.

Scientists fromalsoRush-PresDiet may play a part.

Scientists from Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Rush-PresMedical Scientists from byterian-St. Luke’s– Medical Center in Chicago exbyterian-St. Luke’swho Medical Center in Chicago – who examined people Center 815 in Chicago –aged who65 examined 815over people agedyear 65 and older a four amined 815 people aged 65 and older over that a four period – found theyear risk and older over a four year period – found that the risk ofperiod developing – found Alzheimer’s that the risk of developing was (2.3 Alzheimer’s times more of highest developing Alzheimer’s was highest (2.3 more likely) among(2.3times those was highest times who more likely) among those levels who consumed the highest likely) among those who consumed thefat.highest levels ofconsumed saturated Conversely, the highest levels of saturated fat.

Conversely, people whose diet of saturated fat. contained Conversely, people whose diet contained high levels of unsaturated fat people whose diet contained high levels of unsaturated were to 80% less likelyfat tofat highup levels of unsaturated were up Alzheimer’s to 80% less disease. likely to develop were up to 80% less likely to develop Still Alzheimer’s another: “In disease. a minoridevelop Alzheimer’s disease.

Still another: “In amay minority of cases, trauma“In be a Still another: a minority of cases, trauma ”may beDr. a contributing ty of cases, factor, trauma says may be a contributing factor, ” says Dr. Marasigan.

Studies conducted contributing factor, ” says Dr. Marasigan.

Studies conducted inMarasigan. the United States showed Studies conducted in the United States showed that about 15 percent Alzin the United States of showed that aboutsufferers 15 percent Alzheimer’s haveofaof histhat about 15 percent Alzheimer’s sufferers a history of head injury.have heimer’s sufferers have a history Whatever of head injury. the underlying tory of head injury.

Whatever the Alzheimer’s underlying causeWhatever or causes, the underlying cause or causes, Alzheimer’s disease resultAlzheimer’s of the decause is orthe causes, disease is the resultcells of the destruction ofthe nerve disease is result ofin thethe destruction of nerve cells in the brain.

“These struction of nerve cells canin the brain. nerve cells cannot be“These replaced, so the person brain.

“These nerve cells cannot be replaced, so the person with gets not Alzheimer’s be replaced, disease so the person with Alzheimer’s disease gets progressively worse as more with Alzheimer’s disease gets progressively worse as more cells are destroyed, points progressively worse” as more cells areChiu. destroyed,” points out Prof cells are destroyed,” points out Prof Chiu. outAlzheimer’s Prof Chiu. can run its Alzheimer’s can runonset its course from insidious Alzheimer’s can run its course from insidious onset tocourse death from in justinsidious a few years, onset to in just a few ayears, ortodeath play itself death in out justover a few periyears, or play itself over a “Most periodor asplay long asout 20out years. itself over a period as long as 20 years.

“Most people withasAlzheimer’s live od as long 20 years. “Most people with Alzheimer’s forpeople seven to 10 years afterlive diwith Alzheimer’s live for seven spending to 10 yearsfive after diagnosis, years for seven to 10 years after diagnosis, spending years under vigilant care,five ” five says Dr. agnosis, spending years under vigilant care,head ” says Dr. Socorro of the under Martinez, vigilant care,” says Dr. Socorro Martinez, head of the memory of St. Luke’s Socorrocenter Martinez, head of the memory centerinofManila.

St. Luke’s Medical Center memory center of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Manila.

Despite the inadvance Medical Center Manila. of Despite the advance of medical science, one still Despite thenoadvance of medical science, no one still discovers drugs fornothe medical science, onedisstill discovers drugs the disease.

“There arefor no discovers drugs formedicathe disease.

“There are no medications can are cure ease.that “There no Alzheimedications that can” Dr. cure Alzheimer’s tionsdisease, that can Marc cure Evans Alzheimer’s disease, Marc Evans M.mer’s Abat told” Dr. the Philippine disease, ” Dr. Marc Evans M. Abat told in theanPhilippine Daily Inquirer interview M. Abat told the Philippine Daily Inquirerback. in an interview some key Dailyyears Inquirer in an“The interview some years back.

“The here is toyears ‘slowback. down’ thekey desome “The key here is to ‘slow down’ the deterioration. here is to”‘slow down’ the deterioration.

There ”are” drugs that can terioration.

There areneurologist drugs that may can do this.

“The There are drugs that can do this.

“The neurologist may prescribe drugsneurologist that may help do this. “The may prescribe drugs that may help reduce memory prescribe drugsloss thatand mayothhelp reduce memory loss and erreduce cognitive changes inoththe memory loss and other cognitive changes in theT. patient, ” wrote Dr. Willie er cognitive changes in the patient, wrote Dr. Willie T. Ong in”his Philippine patient, ” wrote Dr. StarcolWillie T. Ong in his Philippine StarcolHEALTH, 13 Ong in hisF Philippine Starcol-

F HEALTH, 13

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DPWH seals consultancy deal for Panguil Bay bridge project C

NEWS13

Comelec to solons: Decide on fate of barangay, SK polls

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HE Department of Public Works and Highways signed a memorandum of agreement with Korean firms for the consultancy services of the foreign-assisted Panguil Bay Bridge Project in Northern Mindanao.

Yooshin Engineering Corporation, in joint venture with Pyunhwa Engineering Con-

sultants Ltd., and Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architect Co. Ltd., won the competitive bidding under the Philippine government procurement program to provide consultancy services for the project.

Under the agreement, Korean consultants shall assist the Department in conceptual design, preparation of bidding

documents, design review, construction supervision, and post-construction supervision starting June 2017.

Panguil Bay Bridge Project is a 3.48-km, two lane bridge that will connect the city of Tangub in Misamis Occidental to the municipality of Tubod in Lanao del Norte.

Funded under loan agree-

ment with Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEDCF), the PHP4.9-billion mega infrastructure project is expected to accelerate and sustain the economic growth in Mindanao regions by providing efficient and seamless transport of goods and services. (Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan/PNA)

umn, “Mind Your Body.” “The first line drugs are called cholinesterase inhibitors, such as Donepezil (brand name Aricept). These drugs work by increasing the neurotransmitters in the brain. Donepezil is given at the usual dose of 5 mg once a day for four to six weeks. However, this drug only works in half of the cases.

If the patient doesn’t improve or has side effects like nausea, then the drug is stopped.”

The second drug usually prescribed is memantine.

This medicine “acts by reducing abnormal activity in the brain, thereby, reducing memory loss and thinking problems,” according to the website www.filipinodoctor. com. It may also “improve the

mental functions of a person with Alzheimer’s,” but again it won’t cure the disease.

“Aside from medicines,” wrote Dr. Ong, “the family plays a crucial role in the health and safety of the patient. First, you should create a safe environment by installing handrails in the bathroom and other strategic locations in the house. Make sure that doors are locked at night. Watch out for slippery surfaces and too much furniture in the house. Have the patient wear comfortable clothes and rubberized shoes or slippers.”

There are also some non-pharmacologic management which may help in reducing the frequency and

duration of abnormal behavior and slow down cognitive deterioration. Dr. Abat enumerates the following: physical exercise, music therapy, cognitive therapy, multi-sensory modalities, massage, aromatherapy, use of props and visual aids to prevent wandering and unwanted movements, reducing/eliminating restraint use, and bright light therapy for those suffering from insomnia.

According to Dr. Ong, supplemental feeding (high calorie and high protein) may be needed “for patients with poor appetite.”

There is no single cause of death associated with Alzheimer’s. Many sufferers die from problems related to the

decrease in brain function.

When Alzheimer’s is the cause of death, patients often die because of the complications related to the disease like as pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and skin infection from pressure sores.

Do you think your loved ones or you yourself are experiencing some symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease? “Don’t delay; getting early diagnosis and going public with the disease is really, really important,” suggests Lorna Drew Ferrari, who co-wrote the book, Different Minds, with her husband who suffered from the disease. “There is nothing to be ashamed of.”

(Photos taken from the net) (To be concluded)

HEALTH... FROM 12

OMMISSION on Elections spokesman James Jimenez on Wednesday urged lawmakers to decide on whether to postpone or proceed with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election scheduled on October 23.

A bill filed in the Senate is seeking the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to October 2018.

On the other hand, there is also a pending bill at the House of Representatives that seeks to reset the Barangay and SK elections to May 2020.

Jimenez, however, clarified that Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista was only

urging lawmakers to already decide on the fate of the barangay and youth polls this October.

“The Comelec is seeking the earliest possible resolution to the question of whether the elections will be allowed, by Congress, to proceed as scheduled or not,” said Jimenez.

He stressed that the commission issuing such an appeal is only natural considering the proximity of the election day.

“The inescapable fact is that the Comelec is already on a trajectory that will lead to significant expenditures. It behooves the institution, therefore, to seek clarification from Congress,” Jimenez noted.

US envoy eyes stronger cooperation with China

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he new US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad on Wednesday pledged to work with the Chinese side for the benefit of people of both countries as well as the rest of the world.

“We recognize it is an important relationship between the two greatest economic powers in the world,” Branstad told reporters one day after his arrival in Beijing.

Branstad said the two

sides need to work together to deal with some pressing issues, such as the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

The ambassador also hopes to expand trade “that will continue to increase economic opportunities for the people of China, as well as the people of the US.” Branstad said he looks forward to more trade of agricultural produce between the two countries. (Xinhua)

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ALIVE AND KICKING

Pro football league PFL thriving

J

UST over a month, football fans watched professional football games with a bright note.

An estimated 12,000 sports spectators jampacked the refurbished Davao Del Norte Sports Complex (Tagum) saw the thrilling match between Davao Aguilas and Ilocos United, which ended 0-0 in late Monday’s game.

Speed and stamina became the sinews in waging war for both teams.

It’s the third home-game by the Aguilas, which is supported by San Miguel Corp. in the event organized by the Philippine Football League

(PFL).

On Wednesday (June 28) at 4 p.m., the Aguilas will face Global Cebu on the same venue.

Davao Aguilas Football Club was established earlier this year as a professional football club with its base in Tagum, Davao del Norte.

“Its mission is to help develop football in Davao and the whole of Mindanao, “ said Charmaine Cruz, media officer of Davao Aguilas.

The coaching staff is headed by Gary Philips, an Australian football Veteran with Jefferson Cheng as the football club chairman. (Primo P.Agatep/PNA)

Bulls undecided on Rondo’s future T HE Chicago Bulls are not ready to say whether veteran point guard Rajon Rondo will be back for a second season.

Vice president of basketball operations John Paxson says that ‘’is still to be determined.’’ The Bulls can pay Rondo $13.4 million or buy him out for $3 million by Friday’s deadline.

Paxson spoke Tuesday during a news conference to introduce newcomers

Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and rookie Lauri Markkanen, who were acquired from Minnesota for Jimmy Butler on draft night. The Bulls were planning to meet Tuesday with Rondo’s agent Bill Duffy, who represents LaVine.

Paxson also says a buyout on Dwyane Wade after he exercised his $23.8 million option ‘’has not been broached.’’ Paxson says the Bulls, at least for now, assume Wade will play for Chicago.

GROWING LEAGUE. The Davao Aguilas FC has a growing fan base at home n Davao del Norte where their home games are played. (Davao Aguilas photos)

Howard: I still have much in my tank A

T 31 and entering his 14th NBA season, eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard says his best basketball is ahead of him.

Wearing a teal suit with black trim, a smiling Howard insisted Monday he can return to being a dominant center with the Charlotte Hornets, where he will be reunited with coach Steve Clifford and play for one of his childhood heroes, team owner Michael Jordan. ‘’A lot of people have written me off, which is great because it’s going to make me work even harder,’’ Howard said during his introductory news conference. ‘’I’m just looking forward to this opportunity because I have a lot left in the tank.’’

This will be Howard’s third team in three seasons.

The Atlanta Hawks, his hometown team, traded him to Charlotte one year into a

three-year, $74 million contract. Howard said he has no hard feelings, adding that ‘’sometimes things just don’t work out.’’

But he’s confident Charlotte is the right fit. ‘’I think I’m a lot healthier than I have been in the past five years and I think this is going to be my best time,’’ Howard said. ‘’I’m a lot wiser now, stronger mentally and physically, and I’m in the right place with a great coach, a great GM and the GOAT (greatest of all time). So I think this is the perfect opportunity.’’

Much of Howard’s optimism stems from being reunited with Clifford.

They worked together for seven seasons in Orlando and Los Angeles, and the 6-foot11 three-time Defensive Player of the Year loves Clifford’s defense-first mentality. He’s also confident Clifford will put him in the right situations

to succeed on offense. ‘’He understands me,’’ Howard said. ‘’... He was always there for me and not once did he turn his back on me or talk bad about me. He was very positive and he was somebody that I have always trusted in.’’

The feeling is mutual.

Clifford said he’s never coached a player smarter than Howard when it comes to understanding defensive coverages. While Howard has incredible athletic ability, Clifford said, he’s never been given the credit he deserves for playing a ‘’thinking man’s game.’’ ‘’Smart always wins in the NBA,’’ Clifford said.

Howard is expected to start in Charlotte alongside All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, guard Nic Batum and forwards Michael KiddGilchrist and Marvin Williams. Cody Zeller, last year’s

starting center, is expected to come off the bench for the Hornets but still see significant minutes.

Howard said he’s learned a lot over the past 13 seasons. ‘’Over the years a lot of things have been said and I’ve not said anything back,’’ Howard said. ‘’Somehow things that weren’t true kept getting stirred up, and that gave a lot of people wrong opinions about who I was as a person.

I should be the one speaking up for myself instead of allowing other people to do that.’’

In Charlotte, Howard becomes the second big-name athlete to be known as ‘’Superman,’’ joining former NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers.

Both are from the Atlanta area and have met a couple of times but aren’t close friends.

Howard said he’s eager to connect with Newton and get to know him better.

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KEVIN FERRER SEAGAMESBOUND. Kobe Paras will return to the Gilas fold.

CHRISTIAN STANDHARDINGER

GILAS. Bobby Parks and Kiefer Ravena will don the TROY ROSARIO national colors again.

SEAGAMES 12 T Ravena, Parks, Paras lead Gilas squad to SEA Games

Manny’s next fight in PH?

W

HEN asked if he can bring in Kiefer Ravena and Ray-Ray Parks to Gilas despite their stint in the 2017 ABL season already done, Coach Chot Reyes said that he is open to the idea but only after the SEA-

BA Championship.

Fast forward to Tuesday night. Ravena and Parks are officially back with Gilas.

The Alab guards lead the cast of the national team going to the Southeast Asian Games as announced by Reyes him-

self.

Joining Ravena and Parks are Kaohsiung and Cignal forward Raymar Jose, PBA rookies Mike Tolomia (Rain Or Shine), Von Pessumal (GlobalPort), Kevin Ferrer (Ginebra), and Carl Cruz (Alaska), PBA soph-

omores Troy Rosario (TNT) and Baser Amer (Meralco), free agent Almond Vosotros, incoming CSUN guard Kobe Paras, and former Basketball Bundesliga all-star Christian Standhardinger. (PNA) (Ivan Saldajeno/PNA)

Horn thinks Manny still traumatized by KO

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EFF Horn looked Manny Pacquiao dead in the eye and declared the world welterweight champ was still traumatised by a knockout loss in 2012.

He says the all-time boxing great remains afraid to “pull the trigger’’ on his big punches.

Pacquiao, a raging favourite to retain his World Boxing Organization title against Horn at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, hasn’t scored a KO in eight years and Horn says he knows Pacquiao fights more cautiously these days out of fear of being KO’d again.

The pair shaped up to each other at Wednesday’s day’s official press conference at Suncorp and both looked ready to fight there and then.

Keep dreaming Pacquiao “Ever since that knockout loss against Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny doesn’t pull the trigger like he used to when he was on his big run of wins,’’ Horn said.

“He’s looked good in his last two fights but he hasn’t been able to win inside the distance for a long time and I think that’s because of the KO loss he suffered against Marquez in 2012.

“I don’t know if he has lost

CONFIDENT. Jeff Horn says Manny pacquiao remains afraid to “pull the trigger’’ on his big punches. Tara Croser. his knockout punch and I hope I don’t find out on Sunday.’’

Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton, whose 10-point plan for victory is topped by avoiding Pacquiao’s big straight left, said that the sixth-round KO loss in Las Vegas in 2012 would still ``haunt’’ Pacquiao.

“Getting knocked out cold so horribly by Marquez must affect him,’’ Rushton said.

“It has to be traumatic and he must think about it a lot.

“Jeff has a terrific right hand like Marquez but our plan doesn’t revolve around just one

punch. We have a number of strategies that we will employ in the fight and we love being the underdog.’’

Pacquiao denied that his power has diminished even though his run of big knockout victories ended with his stoppage of Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto way back in 2009. All his wins since have been on points.

“For me nothing has changed,’’ Pacquiao said. “I’m still a boxer, still a fighter.’

But Horn’s theories about Pacquiao being afraid to really unload big shots are endorsed

by Marquez, the man who left Pacquiao face first and unconscious on the canvas in Las Vegas five years ago.

After Pacquiao’s last fight, a points win over American Jessie Vargas in November, Marquez said: “Those right hand blows that landed from Vargas made Manny think.’’

“Getting hit with (my) right hand counter is still fresh in his memory.”

Marquez said the Filipino star was “more cautious, more thoughtful in his attacks” — likely to avoid getting caught with a counter.’’

Pacquiao said the prospect of more than 50,000 people cheering for Horn did not worry him, but rather excited him to perform at his best.

“I love to fight in front of big crowds and if I win by a knockout it’s a bonus,’’ he said.

“I fought in front of thousands of Mexicans once in San Antonio, Texas against (Marco Antonio Barrera) early in my career and the only friends in the big stadium were in my corner.

“I still won.’’

Horn says that while Pacquiao “might be faster than me, I am still pretty quick and I think I have an awkward style that he hasn’t faced before.

OP Rank boss Bob Arum is working to bring a Manny Pacquiao fight to the Philippines for the first time since 2006.

Dan Rafael of ESPN reported that after Pacquiao defends his WBO welterweight title against Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia, they are planning for the “Pacman” to fight in the Philippines later in 2017.

“I’ve been talking to people in the Philippines and they want Manny to fight in Manila. We would do it in the same way we are doing this fight with Horn, where we would put it on Sundaymorning in the Philippines so we could have it on in prime time in the United States on a Saturday night and we would also probably do it with ESPN,” Arum said.

Pacquiao has not fought in the Philippines since July 2006, when he defeated Os-

car Larios via decision to defend his WBC super featherweight title.

Since then, most of his bouts have taken place in the United States, while also fighting twice in Macau. He will fight in Australia for the first time on Sunday.

Pacquiao confirmed that they are working on bringing one of his fights to the Philippines.

“We’re discussing fighting in my country,” he said.

According to Arum, several casinos in Manila are willing to serve as financial backers to bring a Pacquiao fight to the Philippines. As far as an opponent goes, however, Arum is reluctant to pit the “Pacman” against a “big name” fighter such as Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, or Shawn Porter.

Instead, he mentioned another little-known boxer, Russia’s Konstantin Ponomarev, as a potential opponent.

SWEATING OUT. Manny Pacquiao with trainer Freddie Roach. AAP

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