MagNorte ‘fishing capital’ gets fire station

Efforts to boost the investment climate in the “fishing capital” of Maguindanao del Norte got a much-needed push Thursday, April 13, in the form of another multi-million infrastructure project of the Bangsamoro government in the area.

The local government unit of Datu Blah Sinsuat and the Ministry of the Interior and Local GovernmentBangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao together launched Thursday the construction of a P7 million worth fire station building in the still 12-year-old town in the western seacoast of the province.

Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulrauf A. Macacua, Bangsamoro

Local Government Minister Naguib A. Sinarimbo and Mayor Marshall A. Sinsuat together led the launching of the P7 million worth project in Barangay Pura in the seaside Datu Blah Sinsuat, covering 13 barangays that are homes to mixed Muslims and Christians.

Datu Blah Sinsuat, touted as Maguindano del Norte's most peaceful town, boasts of no less than

10 tons of daily catch of fishes from its territorial seas.

Local officials have confirmed that wealthy merchants engaged in trading of petroleum products have lately been trying to establish connection with their LGU, interested in setting up large fuel depots in coastal areas.

The office of Sinarimbo, who is also overseeing

I was luckily admitted as a government scholar in 2007, so I have to leave my pre-law as an accountancy student,” he said.

Rapiz became a police officer in 2012 after finishing Bachelor of Science in Public Safety in the prestigious Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), a tertiary education for ‘Iskolar ng Bayan’ aspiring to be officers in the three bureaus of DILG.

While studying law, he is working at Davao de Oro Police Provincial Office until he finished juris doctors and ended as bar passer as first taker.

It is now everyone’s favorite mantra as he encouraged working law students to just continue no matter how difficult will it take to finish law studies.

“[So] padayon lang, laban lang. Maningkamot ta kay dili ta datu,” (Just go on, just fight. Let’s work hard because we are not born with silver spoon),” he advised.

Recently, he moved to the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City for another assignment.

Another 37-yearold police lawyer is a marine officer Master Sgt. Faidzal Sendad of Notre

Dame University College of Law.

He is now the new pride of Maguindanao Maritime Police Station based in Mother Barangay Kalanganan, Cotabato City and his neighborhood in Barangay Rosary Heights 10.

Just like other struggling law students, Atty. Sendad said in an interview that it took him seven years to complete law school.

“I didn't finish my law school on due time caused by the work and financial conflicts. Studying law really requires more time in reading and further should have ample financial support,” shared by him.

Atty. Sendad is married to a lawyer who inspired him with their three kids to finish law studies.

He was also thankful with her mom, a retired public school teacher, who helped him to get throughout his journey.

In their family, they have two nurses, two doctors, two teachers and him as a lawyer.

He also dedicate his success to his late father who perished as combatant of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade have successfully facilitated Tuesday (April 18) diplomatically a peace settlement involving families locked in “rido” (clan war) in Maguindanao del Sur.

Newly promoted Brig. Gen. Donald M Gumiran, 602nd Infantry “Liberator” Brigade was backed by Mr. Anwar Alamada, chairman of MILF AdHoc Joint Action Group, and Mr. Butch Malang, chair of the MILF Coordianting Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH).

The three leaders gather the families of Datu Kenti Matalam, chairperson of Barangay Kilangan, Pagalungan, Maguindanao Del Sur, and the families of Datu Nayang Timan and Norodin Abubakar, both MILF leaders in the village.

The peace dialogue was held at the headquarters of 602nd Infantry Brigade in Carmen, North Cotabato.

Colonel Ruben G. Aquino, deputy brigade commander, commended the warring parties for heeding the call of the Army brigade and for their willingness to face each other at the Army base to end their hostilities in Barangay, Pagalungan, Maguindanao Del Sur that started early this month. During the peace covenant signing ceremony, Bagnsamoro Member of Parliament (MP) Jaafar Apollo Mikhail Matalam and House Representative Mohamad Paglas of Maguindanao del Sur were present.

They both expressed full support of the terms of the peace settlement, as well as their appreciation of the initiative of the 602nd Infantry Brigade to broker the peace agreement.

“Its good that both sides readily agreed to a cessation of hostilities,” Brig. Gen. Gumiran said, adding that the Army have helped in the return of internally displaced persons (IDP) to their homes.

The key stakeholders who attended the ceremony also proposed the establishment of a joint commission or independent monitoring team to oversee the implementation of the peace agreement. Both sides have incurred undetermined number of casualties at the height of the hostilities that sent mero than P3,000 civilians vacating their homes.

The Bangsamoro government have already extended food aid to the displaced families. Edwin O. Fernandez

AUTHORITIES arrested 257 drug personalities for violation of antidrug law while PHP12 million worth of shabu were seized during the first quarter of the year, an anti-narcotics official here said Tuesday.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Soccsksargen (PDEA-12)

Director Aileen Lovitos said the arrested drug personalities included 31 high-value targets in 227 anti- illegal drug operations in the region during the period.

“A total of PHP12.1 million worth of shabu and marijuana hemp have been confiscated,” Lovitos said in a statement.

Of the total, she specified that 1,159.3 grams of shabu, 577.4 grams of dried marijuana leaves and 21,000 fully grown marijuana hills were uprooted.

Currently, she noted that only 114 out of 1,095 villages in the Soccsksargen region have remained “drug-affected”.

Soccsksargen comprises the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of Gen. Santos, Kidapawan, Tacurong, and Koronadal.

Fake PDEA agents

BANGSAMORO Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod

Balawag Ebrahim has designated Abunawas Maslamama as the new senior minister of the regional government.

“This is an honor and a privilege to serve my fellow Bangsamoro in whatever way possible,” Maslamama said in a statement Tuesday.

Ebrahim, the former MILF chief, signed Maslamama’s appointment Monday with the latter immediately taking his oath.

Maslamama is the former spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the armed wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace deal with the government in 2014.

He replaced Senior Minister Abduraof Macacua, who was named by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as officer-in-charge governor of the newly created Maguindanao del Norte province.

Before he was appointed senior minister, Maslamama was deputy minister of the region’s Ministry of the Interior and Local Government.

He also served as deputy minister of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication.

The BARMM comprises the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and TawiTawi; and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, and Lamitan. PNA

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEABARMM) led the 5 p.m. operation in Barangay Salimbao, Sultan Kudarat town and in Barangay Tamontaka in Datu Odin Sinsuat, both in Maguindanao Norte.

PDEA-Maguindanao Operations Officer Asnawi Salik said the drug buy bust operation was launched after intelligence information confirmed the existence of a drug den in Sitio Tugunon, Barangay Salimbao in Sultan Kudarat town.

“One of the suspects managed to elude arrest,” Salik said in a statement Thursday.

Salik said Saheiden Utto, one of the target drug personalities, quickly escaped after sensing the

ECONOMIC activities between Maguindanao del Norte, including Cotabato City and Basilan are expected to increase as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) transportation ministry approves Roll On/ Roll Off (RORO) operation, officials announce Thursday.

Minister Paisalin Tago of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication said the operation of MV Island Paradise RORO vessel shall commence on April 25 serving the Polloc Port in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte and Lamitan City Port in Basilan. The Polloc PortLamitan Port route is daily.

Over the weekend (April 13), Minister Tago said, the Bangsamoro Maritime Industry Authority (BMARINA), during its board meeting, had approved the opening of route RORO from the Polloc Port/Cotabato City Port to Lamitan Port and vice versa.

MV Island Paradise, owned by Attorney Pherham S. Saiddi of Saiddi AgriFarm and Trading, Inc. (SAFTI), also received its Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC), so it can operate starting Tuesday, April 25.

Atty. Abubakar A. Katambak, BMARINA OIC Director, described the opening of RORO P11