NEWS 3
EDGEDAVAO
VOL.12 ISSUE 87 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2019
Supporters of CPP-NPA dwindling: Eastmincom
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he Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) on Tuesday, July 9, said various underground mass Ooganizations in their area have collapsed after most of their members dissociated and pledged their allegiance to the government during the �irst week of July 2019. In its report, Eastmincom said more than 150 members of Unyon ng Mag-uuma sa Agusan del Norte (UMAN ), a CNT af�iliated organization in Barangay Bitan-agan, Butuan City denounced their support to the CNTs during a Peace Consultation Dialogue initiated by the Barangay Council of Barangay Bitan-agan, in partnership with the local government unit of Butuan City and Lt. Col. Francisco Molina, Battalion Commander of 23rd Infantry Battalion. Accordingly, UMAN is an organization used by the CPP-NPA to recruit farmers as its source of manpower, �inance, and logistics. Members are being made to pay dues with a promise to give them the lands that they are tilling. Eastmincom also reported that on July 4, 2019, 396 New People’s Army (NPA) members and
supporters with 11 assorted �irearms from the different towns of Surigao del Norte yielded to Lt. Col Allen Tomas, Battalion Commander of 30IB and Malimono Town Mayor Wallace Senaca. The surrenderees are composed of 37 Sangay sa Partido Lokal (SPL) or local party members, 46 Militia ng Bayan (MB), 313 Underground Mass Organization (UGMO) members. In the northern towns of North Cotabato, 142 members of UGMO, 56 of which are from Kidapawan City, 42 from President Roxas and 44 from Magpet dissociated from CNT after they yielded to the units and Community Support Teams of 901st Infantry Brigade under Col. Gabriel C. Viray III. Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Felimon T. Santos Jr., Commander Eastern Mindanao Command explained the CNT modus of organizing the communities. “The purpose of the communists front organization is to agitate people of false issues against government and then organize them to openly protest and destroy system of governance and create chaos. Communists is al-
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PRRD may ‘educate’ public on deal with Xi in SONA
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resident Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he may educate the public on the constitutionality of his �ishing agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his fourth State SUPPORTERS, P10 of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22.
Sison’s US-supported coup claim just 'wishful thinking'
alacañang on Monday dismissed the claim of self-exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison that the United States could in�luence the Philippine military to stage a coup attempt against the Duterte administration. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said this is nothing but “wishful thinking” from a “tired, old, failed revolutionary”. “It is pitiful that this man has to rely on a foreign country to effect a change of leadership in this coun-
DECLOG. City Engineer’s Office (CEO) personnel conduct a declogging operation on a drainage at Bankerohan Public Market on Tuesday after recent floodings in the area due to improper disposal of garbage and heavy rains. Lean Daval Jr
try. It is an admission, in fact, that their revolution has failed,” Panelo said. He added that the US will not listen to Sison, because the communist leader himself detests America. Panelo also expressed con�idence that a coup attempt against the administration will not prosper, saying that “Filipinos trust this President; the military and the police trust this President”. On Saturday, Sison issued a statement claiming that the US could in�luence a coup, after Duterte dared
SISON’S, P10
The October 2016 agreement between Duterte and Xi allows the Chinese to �ish within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), for as long as China will allow Filipinos to �ish in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. “Sabi nila na (They say it’s) unconstitutional, well, you wait. Maybe sa (during the) SONA, I will educate people na ‘yung ginawa ko, sabi ko you can �ish ano... Tama talaga ako. At hindi maging unconstitutional ‘yan. (that what I did, allowing them to �ish… I’m actually right. It’s not unconstitutional),” Duterte said in a chance interview with reporters after the oath-taking of new government appointees.
“By any stretch of imagination, hindi unconstitutional ‘yung ginawa ko (what I did is not unconstitutional). As a matter of fact, it was in keeping with the law,” he added. Duterte said Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s remark saying he committed a constitutional infraction by allowing Chinese to �ish within Philippine’s EEZ has “not been studied.” “Kung sabihin mo (If you say) I committed a constitutional infraction because I allowed the Chinese �ishermen to �ish, hindi nila pinag-aralan talaga (it really has not been studied),” Duterte said. “Kaya ‘wag kayong maniwala niyang mga constitutionalist-constitu-
tionalist. Mga Carpio diyan, susmaryosep (That’s why don’t believe in those constitutionalists. Those Carpios there),” he added. Duterte said insisting on driving the Chinese away from �ishing within the Philippine’s EEZ in the West Philippine Sea would be futile since the Asian superpower would not allow itself to be bullied. “I go there and insist on driving them out? You would think China would --- would allow itself to be bullied? Kaya ang tanong ko sa inyo(That’s why my question to you) is who is in the possession of the property under the claim of the legitimate ownership?” Duterte said. He explained that despite the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling, which recognizes Philippine sovereign rights over the EEZ, China will still insist on owning the majority of the disputed waters.
PRRD MAY, P9
Duterte allies no common candidate for House Speaker
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CONVERSION. A resident harvests Korean grass on a traffic island which was converted into a nursery in Central Park, Bangkal, Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr
Compare notes Meanwhile, Duterte said he agreed with the �indings of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) which categorized he June 9 Recto Bank (Reed) Bank incident as a “very serious marine casualty” despite earlier describing it as “a little maritime accident.” “It is a serious ah… Pero when you talk about marine transportation and all, it is a maritime incident. And that is very small because nobody died,” Duterte said. He, however, said that he was not inclined to push to make sure that the Chinese crew are held liable. “No, we have our recommendations, we have our report. Then we will wait for China to make its report. Then we can compare notes,” Duterte said. “And then kung sino
llies of President Rodrigo R. Duterte who are eyeing the speakership of the House of Representatives failed to agree on a common candidate for the post in a meeting last Saturday here with Davao City 2nd District Rep. Paolo Duterte and Mayor Sara Duterte, Davao City 2nd District Representative Mylene Garcia-Albano, the spokesperson for the Duterte Alliance, said. Garcia-Albano said in an interview that Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Marinduque Rep. Lord Velasco and Taguig 1st district Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano had not made it clear if they would join the alliance and support the bid of Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab for the speakership. Ungab was was the can-
didate endorsed earlier by the alliance for the House’s top post. Garcia-Albano said the other contenders had maintained that they would be gunning for the speakership despite the position of the alliance against the term-sharing agreement. “We are hoping that it was the start of the process to unify (the House of Representatives). We are hopeful indeed that it would be part of the process arriving at a consensus that can help to select the Speaker,” she said. She said she was unsure if they will be meeting again but added several meetings will be taking place in the coming days with other House members in light of the “invitation” of the Dute-
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