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THE BIG NEWS
EDGEDAVAO Davao gets Seal of Good Housekeeping award
VOL.5 ISSUE 143 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
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USEFUL TOOL. Maya Vandenbroeck of the Tuburan Institute, Inc. believes that education is a useful tool in attaining peace in Mindanao during a discussion at Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Mall. To her left are Scheherazaide
Avila cites decline in marine catch By Vicky Berdina M. de Guzman
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he current decline in marine catch is a global concern. In Davao City, the decrease has been noted the past three to four years, most probably due to pollution and other threats to marine life. The decrease in marine catch here is an issue that should be addressed, according to Leonardo R. Avila III, secretary general of the Davao Gulf Management Council which advocates the promotion of mariculture to address the decrease in marine catch. Avila, however, said there is something more threatening to marine catch, and that is the practice of fishermen catching young fishes before they mature and could reproduce. he added that what is perceptible these days are the sizes of the fish caught before they can replace or
reproduce, thus depleting a number of species in time. he pointed to the law that is against this practice, but whose implementation is weak. he also added that fishery laws should be implemented in order to strengthen the fight against this practice and illegal fishing. Better still, he said fishermen should be taught responsible fishing. he admits, though, that there is a perceptible improvement in Davao Gulf’s economic activities, like more oil depots rising, sea transportation bringing in more goods to the city and region. Meanwhile, Avila announced yesterday the joint observance of National Maritime Week and Davao Gulf Week which started last September 15 and will end September 28.
Coast Guard eyes new vessel for Mindanao
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he Philippine Coast Guard is eyeing a new multi-role vessel to be deployed in Southeastern Mindanao, probably in the latter half of next year. Captain George Ursabia commander of the Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao said that their district is hoping to receive one of the new Japanese made multirole patrol vessels which can be utilized for search-and-rescue. Ursabia said the district has no search-and-rescue (SAR) ship after the 35-meter SAR vessel BRP Ilocos Norte was redeployed to Luzon in July of this year to beef up Philippine maritime presence in the disputed Panatag shoal. he added that no PCG vessel took the place of BRP
Ilocos Norte in the district since the Coast Guard has not enough ships in its inventory. The PCG has 12 vessels; there are four 56-meter Australian-made Search and Rescue (SAR) vessels of which two are undergoing repairs, four 35-meter SAR vessels, a Japanese buoy tender and three old ships handed down from the Philippine Navy which are up for retirement. he said currently Coast Guard assets in the Southeastern Mindanao included a 50-footer small craft and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) fishery patrol boats manned by Coast Guard personnel. These small crafts can only go about 5 kilometers from the coast and are not meant for open seas, Ursabia said. [PIA/RG Alama]
he Seal of Good housekeeping (SGh) launched by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is given to worthy local government units that perform exemplary service. Last Friday, September 14, was Davao City’s turn to be awarded the SGh. In the words of Councilor Tomas J. Monteverde IV at yesterday’s regular council session, “the Seal of Good housekeeping award was conceived by the late secretary Jesse M. Robredo in line with the DILG’s commitment to aggressively scale up interventions to institutionalize the kind of governance that comes from values development.” he said that the central idea of SGh is to make sure that the local govern-
ment should accord primacy to the principle of performance, accountability, transparency and participation. Monteverde added: “By being bestowed such award, it only shows that the city government of Davao practices transparency in the procurement process and full disclosure of its finances, and complies with the Anti-Red Tape Law, promotes the honest, orderly management of public funds and helps minimize corruption and fund misuse. This award is an effective way to ensure that the local government performs at its best for the people.” DILG City director Merilio Limbaro said the award comes with a P175 million fund for the city. [Vicky BERDi-
distance from the sea while only two families sought refuge in the barangay covered court. The extent of damage done is still being assessed to determine in what form assistance will be rendered by the city government. Srong waves started to reach the dwellings of the settlers during high tide de-
stroying a makeshift bridge that connected their shanties to the mainland. Gaban said the residents had been forewarned of the danger that monsoon waves which occur between July and September bring. “The waves were unusually strong and bigger, unlike in the past that they simply dissipated as they hit
the shoreline. Last night, the waves literally rammed the shanties,” he said. Gaban revealed that the residents are originally set for relocation on the higher grounds of Barangay Catalunan Grande in accordance to their agreement with the owner of the property where their destroyed shanties were located. [PIA 11]
upon by a bully determined to get his way. “My neophyte instincts were telling me then to just keep the peace and get out of his way. “But then, the public servant in me just couldn’t let this thing pass.” Trillanes said enrile “even said that this bill should be passed immediately to relieve him of the pressure.” Trillanes added: ”What, the great Senator enrile could be pressured? I remember him saying otherwise, during the last impeachment proceedings. “Is the pressuring coming from congressman Villafuerte, who we see often loitering about at the senator’s lounge, the Senate President’s office, and even personally lobbying to senators while we are in session? ”As persistent as Congressman Villafuerte is, I doubt it if our Senate President would be pressured by him. “Annoyed, probably, but not pressured. “of course, President Aquino cannot possibly be
the source of the pressure since this bill isn’t even in the president’s legislative agenda.” Trillanes manifested his decision to leave majority bloc and joined the minority “effective this day”, saying he lost trust, faith and confidence in enrile’s leadership. Trillanes said: “With this totally unexpected twist, everything seemed to fall into place. Now, there remain only two possibilities: that our Senate President is deeply indebted to GMA; or that he is a GMA lackey. “either way, I have lost trust, faith and confidence in Senator enrile’s capability to lead the senate along the path consistent with the reform agenda that I espouse.” Trillanes lashed back at the 89-year-old enrile for calling him ‘coward’ when the former did not attempt in the last two sessions where Trillanes was supposed to interpolate the committee report of Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on CamSur bill. ”I’ve learned that one senator called me coward. Now here I am,” Trillanes
opened his privilege speech titled “Kung Gusto Ko Isasagasa Ko, Kung Ayaw Ko, Uupuan Ko.” Visibly annoyed by Trillanes’ act, enrile called for suspension and went down from the podium to answer Trillanes’ allegations. “(But) just to set the record straight. This is the first time in my whole career as a senator that I was accused of railroading, pressuring people in the Senate,” enrile said. enrile admitted that Villafuerte was in the July 24 caucus but explained that the congressman has been called to explain the timeline of the bill. ”Congressman Villafuerte was pleading with us to just set the hearing conducted because they are running on the very, very tight schedule. As president of the Senate it is my duty to hear everybody,” enrile explained. enrile accused Trillanes of telling “falsehood” and even asked the young senator if he was angry “because you were asking for additional budget in your oversight committee and I did not allow it.” [PNA]
Pahm, youth program coordinator of Mindanao Commission on Women, and Sittie Rahana Jhan B. Ganda-Pacasum of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos. [LEAN DAVAL JR.]
NA M. DE GuzMAN]
23 families lose homes to big monsoon waves T
WeNTY-ThRee families of informal settlers were displaced after huge monsoon waves battered the shoreline of Shanghai Village, Barangay 75-A, Davao City 7:00 pm Tuesday. Kagawad Jet Gaban said most of the affected families sought refuge with relatives residing some
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Trillanes, Enrile clash over CamSur bill, China talks
eNSIoN erupted at the Senate session hall yesterday when Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Senate President Juan Ponce enrile clashed over a local bill dividing Camarines Sur and on the role of Trillanes as the country’s special emissary on Panatag Shoal dispute with China. The ‘word war’ sparked when Trillanes delivered a privilege speech where he criticized enrile’s leadership for allegedly favoring the proponents of the house bill splitting the four-district Camarines Sur province. Trillanes revealed that on July 24, enrile called a caucus at the Senate President’s office to allegedly discuss the bill dividing CamSur, being lobbied by Camarines Sur Reps. Luis Villafuerte, Arnulfo Fuentebella and Rolando Andaya. ”Without elaborating on the details of what happened in that caucus, suffice (it) to say that I was shoved aside for the nth time,” the 39-yearold Trillanes said. he added: ”I got out of that caucus feeling trampled