The Mindanao Cross | June 11, 2022 by The Mindanao Cross

Basilan’s “hydrophonic” project on

CHURCH / P4

Pope Francis: Don’t hide wrinkles, it’s ‘the heart that matters’

Fisherman catches croc not fish

T E AC H T H E M YO U N G. Schoolchildren in Cotabato City display Philippine flag as a gesture of love for our country as they participate in Independence Day celebration at the city plaza in this undated photo. Photo Bruce Matabalao fb page

PAL, BARMM LAUNCH COTABATOTAWI-TAWI FLIGHT By Edwin O. Fernandez

THE long wait is over and hopes are high that more flights will be served by the national flag carrier across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). BARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Kagi Murad” Ebrahim was the guest of honor and speaker during the launching program at the pre-departure area of Cotabato airport.

He boarded the maiden flight of PAL’s Airbus 320 to air his message and later alighted. Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMM interior minister

and spokesperson represented Chief Minister Ebrahim in the inaugural flight with BARMM Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC) Minister

BARMM prepares in-person learning set-up

By Edwin O. Fernandez EDUCATION officials in the Bangsamoro and Technical Education (MBHTE) Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Assistant Secretary and focal persons (BARMM) are working overtime to for F2F implementation, said all ensure face to face (F2F) classes resume teachers and pupils in public schools during school year 2022-2023. have shown interest and excitement for O n M o n d a y , A l f a d h a r P a j i j i , the “resumption of normalcy” in BARMM Ministry of Basic, Higher BARMM educational system.

Peace panels call for healing, harmony

The Mindanao Cross issuu.com/mindanaocross mindanao.cross@gmail.com

OFFICIALS involved in the Bangsamoro peace process have called for a start to a healing process from the political discord of the recent elections, and for the incoming administration

By Nash B. Maulana to sustain the gains of negotiations backed by independent international observers. The leadership of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim

Mindanao (BARMM) has expressed optimism that the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. “will continue the implementation of

“From tree planting to tree caring”

ECONOMIC BOOSTER. The national flag carrier, carrying 174 passengers has landed in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi for its inaugural flight on June 9, 2022. Philippine Airlines’ Airbus 320 will fly from Awang Airport to Sanga-Sanga Airport every Mondays and Thursdays. Ferdinandh Cabrera

5 more BIFF members yield

FIVE more members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters from Maguindanao province returned to the fold of law Tuesday, an Army official announced Thursday. Brig. Gen. Eduardo Gubat of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said they are to facilitate, along with government agencies, the return of the five men to the local communities. The BIFF operates in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and is blamed for deadly

By John Felix Unson bombings in central Mindanao since 2014. Gubat said the five BIFF men yielded through backdoor efforts of the Army’s First Mechanized Infantry Brigade and its component-unit, the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion. They turned in firearms and components for improvised explosive devices before they pledged allegiance to the government in a simple rite Tuesday, June 7, in an Army brigade headquarters in Tacurong City.

They belonged to one of three BIFF factions operating in secluded barangays at the border of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces that are covered by units of 6th ID. Gubat said the five former BIFF members, whose names were withheld for security reasons, are to be reintroduced to mainstream society. The BIFF and its ally, the Dawlah Islamiya, are known for attacking members who have returned to the fold of law and their relatives.

ABOUT 40,000 trees of various species were planted during the simultaneous tree planting activities across the Soccsksargen region spearheaded by the Department of Environment and natural Resources (DENR-12). On Wednesday, DENR-12 officials and personnel, led by Regional Executive Director Atty. Felix Alicer

along several people’s organizations, partner government agencies and other stakeholders have planted more than 40,000 tree seedlings during the nationwide simultaneous tree growing activity. Alicer said various species of seedlings like bamboos, fruit, and indigenous trees were planted in 155.3 hectares

DID YOU KNOW? June is World Environment Month World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 all across the globe to spread the importance of conserving planet Earth, our one and only real home. The theme for 2022 #OnlyOneEarth focuses on our role as the citizens of the Earth, to protect the environment and to encourage sustainable living everywhere and everyday. It has become imperative to talk about climate change, pollution and its effect on our fragile ecosystem, and to be able to live in a healthy environment as our basic human rights. -TIMESOFINDIA.COM

June 11, 2022

THE MINDANAO CROSS

Basilan’s “hydrophonic” project on

COTABATO CITY— Basilan Gov. Jim Salliman announced this week he shall focus his third elective term on boosting the productivity of constituents via a modern farming technology The reelected Basilan governor’s third and last three-year tenure starts on June 30, 2022. “My office shall expand its agriculture and fishery programs using more advanced techniques that we’ve been experimenting on in recent months.” Salliman said. Salliman’s office had set up in late 2020 two multi-million dripirrigated greenhouses, one in Isabela City and another in Maluso town, as showcases for propagation of shortterm crops. He said they shall intensify their projects on propagation of more rubber trees in the province and vegetable farming. Vegetable production was never a traditional source of income among Basilan residents until the provincial government had built greenhouses from where farmers had learned the craft and realized its profitability. The Salliman administration has, in recent months, also been experimenting on “hydrophonic” vegetable farming that it wants

local farmers to replicate in the municipalities as organized groups. In hydrophonic farming, vegetables are grown in pots filled with water instead of soil, which is viable in residential yards or anywhere in populated areas and in beaches in the island province. Agriculture blogger Marvin Baeza, who visited Basilan prior to the May 19 elections, had expressed admiration on how the island province is rising as an economic hub in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Baeza admitted he had a “not so good impression” about Basilan until he visited the province and saw for himself the exact security situation and economic climate in the area. The Basilan provincial government is encouraging residents in seaside villages with sandy grounds not suitable for propagation of vegetables to try the water-based hydrophonic farming technique. Peace advocates have urged Salliman to introduce hydrophonic

farming to the more than 300 former Abu Sayyaf members in the province who have surrendered in batches in the past five years. The retired commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, Lt. Gen. Juvymax Uy, who had served as brigade commander in Basilan while still a colonel, said Monday it can be an income-generating project for the former Abu Sayyaf members, now thriving peacefully in different Basilan towns. Salliman and Uy, the Basilan Provincial Police Office, the military’s Western Mindanao Command and other provincial officials and local executives together reintroduced to mainstream society the erstwhile terror group members. “Since there is a good relationship between Gov. Salliman and the BARMM regional government, I am pretty confident that Bangsamoro agriculture officials will support this hydrophonic farming program in Basilan,” Uy said. John Felix

Unson

HYDROPHONIC PLANT FACILITY. Personnel of the Basilan provincial government pose before a newlyconstructed hydrophonic plant shelter, built as part of a modern agriculture program in the province.

Photo courtesy of Basilan governor’s office

Lanao del Sur’s Balindongs biggest winner THE Balindong political clan are deemed the biggest winner from the recent events of the May 9 elections and the 2021 Bar Examination results released last April 12. Speaker Ali Pangalian Balindong of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament feted his grandson Ali Pangalian P.A.A. “Chito” Balindong III for making it to the 2021 Bar Examination. The younger Balindong obtained his law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2021. He is also one of 23 young Philippine Muslims in the Supreme Court’s 273 successful examinees rated with Exemplary Performance (85% to 90%). Speaker Balindong, a lawyer himself, is one of the still living 1971 Constitutional Convention Delegates who wrote the 1973 Charter. He has been a three-termer congressman representing Lanao del Sur’s Second Congressional District, and a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Strangely, Balindong stood for the prohibition of political dynasty in a draft constitutional amendment written by the Constitutional Commission created in 2016 by President Rodrigo Duterte to review and propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution. Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who headed the commission, highlighted this in an introduction he wrote for

a biography book, “Revolutionary Democrat: The Life and Times of Pangalian Balindong.” Balindong has said only few remain alive among the elected Delegates to the 1971 Constitutional Convention—including him, outgoing Senator Gordon, and Michael Mastura, both being lawyers also. Members of the Balindong family who ran in the last May elections have mostly won: The Speaker’s son House Rep. Yasser Alonto Balindong, who succeeded him in the second district of their home province won a second term; Mayor Alinader Dagar Mariam Balindong has been re-elected in their hometown in Malabang, Lanao del Sur. Other kindred in the winning row are Vice Mayor-elect Raizoli Sarip Balindong of of that town; re-elected Mayor Mesron Dimaporo Balindong; Vice-Mayor-elect Yacob Dimaporo Balindong of Picong, Lanao del Sur; re-elected Mayor Al-Fattah Pacalna Balindong and Reelected Vice-Mayor Alber Pacalna Balindong of Tugaya, Lanao del Sur. Three of them have been sworn into office by incoming House Speaker Martin Romualdez. On the second week of the bar results’ release, the elder Balindongs celebrated their fourth year past the Golden Anniversary on April 29: “Happy 54th Anniversary to me and to my former girlfriend, Hajjattu Jamila Alonto Balindong. Special guests:

Anonie, Nassif, Ainah, and Gani,” wrote Speaker Balindong on the wall of his personal Facebook account. Balindong said he, his family and the Bangsamoro Government also celebrate with highest praises to God for all Moro examinees who passed and those who did not alike, and will try their luck in the coming batch. Among the 23 Muslims in the Exemplary Performance Rating of the Supreme Court are: the Atty. Johanne Abdulrahman; Atty. Mohammad Muariff Balang; Atty. Sadam Hussien Balt; Atty. Ali Pangalian Balindong III; Atty. Ilham Batugan; Atty. Jamil Dalidig; Atty. Sima Hajihil; Atty. Mohammad Khalid Hamed; Atty. Norhaya Lago; Atty. Faisah Macabuat; Atty. Suhayle Macauna; Atty. Walid Macmod; Atty. Sittie Aina MunderGandambra; Atty. Abubakar Murray; Atty. Jamairah Nagamora; Atty. Mardheeya Nuruddin; Atty. Anna Sophia Paglas Piang; Atty. Sittie Rham Pumbayabaya; Atty. Ibn Ismael Sappayani; Atty. Datu Aureli Ibn Aldwin Firdauz Sinsuat; Atty. Sittie Janessa Talon; and Atty. Mariam M. Usman. Incoming House Speaker Martin Romualdez swears-in elected Lanao del Sur officials, among them, Mayor Alfattah Balindong Pacalna; Mayor Dagar Balindong; and Congressman Yasser Alonto Balindong as BARMM BTA Speaker, Atty. Ali Pangalian M. Balindong looks on. Nash B. Maulana

French gov’t vows more peace-building aid to BARMM THE French government continues its contribution in building peace in Southern Philippines, specifically in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). French ambassador to the Philippines Her Excellency Michèle Boccoz met BARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Kagi Murad” Ebrahim and vowed to support the region’s peace-building and development activities. In a statement Tuesday, Chief Minister Ebrahim said France has been a longtime partner and a strong advocate of sustainable peace and long term development in the BARMM. During the meeting Monday, Ambassador Boccoz said their presence in the BARMM was to listen and learn from the Chief Minister on how they can strategically support and assist within the aspect of United Nations (UN) and convey the message of cooperation of French government to BARMM. She said France will initially fund a project within the UN cooperation through ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development) Philippines, for an inclusive and sustainable agriculture in the region tapping the women cooperatives. “We have an initial talk with the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) about the partnership project and fruitful meeting was already established,” the lady envoy said. Chief Minister Ebrahim was visibly elated by the gesture of Ambassador Boccoz and her government. “We appreciated very much and recognized the contribution of our international communities (United Nations) in actively

participating in the peace building and development of our region,” he said. “Our challenges in the peace agreement are mainly on normalization process and hopefully, the international partners could help us transform our more than 40 camps into development areas,” he added. During the hour long discussion, Chief Minister Ebrahim also shared some challenges facing the island provinces of BARMM, specifically on poor electricity and poor telecommunication connectivity, among others. Ebrahim then politely the party to help encourage the international communities especially the private sectors to invest in the region. “Although we have a lot of challenges in the region, poverty index for the past 2 years has been reduced which manifested our government is on track. As to Agriculture, we have high yields and lately, number 1 in fishery harvest in the country,” Chief Minister stressed. A report from Bangsamoro Information Office showed that Ambassador Boccoz mentioned three priority agenda of United Nations to be discussed in the new administration of the Philippine government. These include gender parity at all levels, preserving the gains of peace process, and human rights resolution. “We are hoping that the new administration in the country will have same arrangements with the President Duterte’s government to respect and continue the implementation of agreed provisions in the peace process,” Chief Minister Ebrahim said. Edwin O.

Fernandez

No Covid-19 infections in BARMM for a week

FIVE provinces in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have registered zero coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections for a week. The Ministry of Health (MOH-BARMM) and the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on infectious diseases today reported that no infections have been reported in the region since June 1. MOH-BAMM and regional IATF recorded one case on May 20, 24, 29, 30, mostly in Maguindanao. For several days since May 16, the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and TawiTawi have zero new cases and no active cases. Saida Diocolano-Ali, head of MOH-BARMM health education promotion and communication unit, said only one death due to Covid-19 related disease since May 17 in the region. I t w a s a n u n p r e c e d e n t e d achievement considering that vaccination rate in the region remains low. Ali attributed the improvement to the massive vaccination days, strategies applied by MOH-BARMM and the support provided by the United Nations Children’s

Fund (Unicef). “We no longer wait, we bring the health services to the doorsteps of every Bangsamoro who have not receive anti-Covid-19 vaccines yet,” Ali said. The MOH-BARMM said it has reached 1.1 million fully vaccinated Bangsamoro, with 1.9 million still unvaccinated (as of June 2, 2022). MOH Minister Dr. Zul Qarneyn Abas lauded the frontline workers for their untiring support, saying it made the Bangsamoro government feel more confident in its accountability to protect children and families during the COVID-19 emergency response and the ongoing vaccination rollout. BARMM eyes to fully vaccinate 2,487,070 Bangsamoro by end of June as set by the National Interagency Task Force. The Unicef supports the Bangsamoro government in its efforts to effectively communicate with and engage the public and other stakeholders to prepare and protect the public's health at the height of COVID-19, and increase uptake on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout. Edwin O. Fernandez

THE MINDANAO CROSS

June 11, 2022

PAL, BARMM launch Cotabato...from P1 Dickson Hermoso that landed at SangaSanga airport in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi at about 900 a.m. The manifest showed 174 passengers excluding flight crews. “Hopefully, these Cotabato-TawiTawi flight will increase in the coming days,” Chief Minister Ebrahim said. “We hope this inaugural flight will answer our long time challenge of connectivity of Tawi-Tawi to mainland Mindanao and other parts of the country,” Ebrahim said. “Thank you for patronizing PAL,” he added. PAL said that the Airbus 320 aircraft would fly the passengers offering a choice of Premium Economy and Economy seating on the nonstop flights across the Sulu Sea. PAL said the new Cotabato–TawiTawi–Cotabato PAL service will operate twice weekly, with convenient morning departures every Monday and Thursday: PR 2487 Cotabato to Tawi-Tawi departing at 7:30 a.m. and PR 2488 Tawi-Tawi to Cotabato departing at 9:40 a.m. every Monday

and Thursday. “The realization of this initiative will give more economic opportunities in the region in terms of trade, investments and tourism,” said one of the passengers, Anwar Dimaukom. Minister Hermoso said the first tentative schedule agreed upon by him and PAL was December 20, 2021. But Super-Typhoon Odette struck, affecting much of Mindanao and Visayas from December 11-21 so the maiden flight did not push through. “Then stricter travel restrictions were imposed for most of the first quarter of 2022 because of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. There was also the election period to consider and then Typhoon Agaton in April,” Hermoso said. But through all of those intervening events, talks continued between MOTCBARMM and PAL and the latter remained committed to opening its first route entirely within BARMM, connecting the mainland and one of the island-provinces. The latest of these talks was last May 18, 2022.

BARMM prepares in-person learning...from P1 He said MBHTE and representatives from Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Interior and Local Government, Ministry of Social Services and Development, Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority and Office of the Cabinet Secretary have regularly meeting to lay down the policies that will govern the restoration to normalcy. Pajiji said the MBHTE is coming out with an Inter-Ministry Memorandum Circular on the Implementation of F2F Learning in BARMM. This aims to give public schools to come up with a fast and efficient processes as they prepare for the resumption of in persons classes. MBHTE has been working closely with the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) for possible financial assistance to 1,200 public schools as they prepare for in-person learning. The funds will be used for health and sanitation facilities and supplies that the schools will use to ensure school children are safe in returning to their classrooms. A teacher in Maguindanao said

children are so excited seeing their classmates and teachers after two years of lay off due to pandemic. The United Nation Children Fund is helping BARMM and MBHTE normalize classes across the region. The Unicef quoted fourth grader April Jane as saying that she missed waking up early for school. “I’m happy to go to our school with my friends and have our teachers welcome us,” she said. The Unicef said Jane has another motivation, “Having the chance to play with my friends is an important part of me being a student.” Another pupil, 11-year old named King, also told Unicef that when he first found out about school reopening, he felt excited and shy because it had been years since he was around children his age. However, upon seeing his friends and classmates, he immediately felt at ease, he added. “I always raise my hand to recite and answer my teacher’s questions. Modules could get boring because I’m the only one who answers,” he told a Unicef staff.

“From tree planting to tree caring” ...from P1 planting sites across the Soccsksargen Region by over 1,000 participants. The activity was in line with the celebration of this year’s Philippine Environment Month which carries the theme “Aksyon Para Sa Natatanging Mundo.” “This tree growing activity is one of the examples of collaborative actions that we need in order to save and protect the only planet that we have, our Mother Earth,” Atty. Alicer said, adding that his office will monitor whether these trees really survived or not. He said aside from tree planting, DENR also included “tree caring” to

ensure sustainability of the program. In Lanao del Sur, the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Musim Mindanao (MENRE-BARMM) Lanao del Sur provincial office said more than 900 tree seedlings have been planted. P r o v i n c i a l Environment Officer Asmarie M. Labao said aside from environmental awareness, the objectives of the tree planting activity include the greening of the communities. “We are using the term "Tree Caring" instead of Tree Growing/Planting to

focus more on ensuring the higher rate of tree survival,” Labao said. “This can be achieved through regular monitoring, protecting and maintaining support until the seedlings become mature, sturdy, and are assured to survive,” Labao said, adding that “We do not just plant tree seedlings, but we are also taking and providing extra care for them until their maturity.” The group planted seedlings of Molave tree (Vitex parviflora), Golden tree (Cassia fistula L.), seedlings of Narra (Pterocarpus indicus), seedlings of Mahogany tree and seedlings of Mortality tree. PNA

MIXED FEELING. A staff of Unicef speaks to one of the pupils, 11-year-old named King, in BARMM who expressed excitement in returning to school physically after two year hiatus. Photo courtesy of Unicef

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS AN AIR PASSENGER The Ministry of Transportation and Communications-BARMM, through the Civil Aeronautics Board of the Bangsamoro (CABB-BARMM), presents this summary of the Major Air Passenger Bill of Rights for your guidance and information. Can I do anything if the airline refuses to provide me with any amenity or service I am entitled to? YES! Passengers may forward their complaints to or ask for assistance from the Civil Aeronautics Board of the Bangsamoro personnel at certain airports in BARMM. Passengers may also send an email to cab.motc@bangsamoro.gov.ph or visit its website cabb.bangsamoro.gov.ph. CABB is one of the seven sectors of the MOTC-BARMM mandated to regulate the economic aspect of air transportation in BARMM. Also, it advocates passenger’s rights for convenient, reliable, and safe air travel.

June 11, 2022

THE MINDANAO CROSS

Pope Francis: Don’t hide wrinkles, it’s ‘the heart that matters’

VATICAN— Pope Francis on Wednesday encouraged people not to hide their wrinkles, saying “it’s the heart that matters.” In his general audience address on June 8, the pope praised the “wise Italian actress” Anna Magnani for refusing to allow her wrinkles to be concealed. Magnani, who died in 1973 at the age of 65, is said to have once told her make-up artist: “Please don’t retouch my wrinkles. It took me so long to earn them.” Pope Francis cited the Oscar-winning actress, nicknamed “La Lupa” (“the she-wolf”), during a reflection on “the myth of eternal youth.” He said: “Everything is done to always have this youth — so much make-up, so many surgical interventions to appear young. The words of a wise Italian actress, Magnani, come to mind, when they told her she had to remove her wrinkles and she said, ‘No, don’t touch them! It took so many years to have them — don’t touch them!'” “This is what wrinkles are: a sign of experience, a sign of life, a sign of maturity, a sign of having made a journey. Do not touch them to become young, that your face might look young. What matters is the entire personality; it’s the heart that matters, and the heart remains with the youth of good wine — the more it ages, the better it is.” The pope’s live-streamed catechesis was the 13th in a cycle on old age that he began in February. He entered St. Peter’s Square in a white jeep, stopping to invite children in bright green hats to join him for part of his journey among pilgrims. The jeep drove up to a raised platform in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the 85-yearold was helped walk up to the white chair where he gave his address. The pope, who has made public appearances in a wheelchair since May 5 due to knee pain, used a walking stick. Pope Francis’ catechesis focused on the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee, described in John 3:1–21. The pope noted that the member of the Sanhedrin, an assembly of elders, was confused by Jesus’ declaration that “no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” He said: “Nicodemus’s objection is very instructive for us. We can, in fact, turn it upside down, in the light of Jesus’ word, with the discovery of a mission proper to old age.” “Indeed, being old is not only not an obstacle to the being born from above that Jesus speaks of, but it becomes the opportune time to illuminate it, disassociating it from being equated with lost hope.” “Our epoch and our culture, which demonstrates a worrisome tendency to consider the birth of a child as the simple matter of the production and biological reproduction of the human being, cultivate the myth of eternal youth as the desperate obsession with an incorruptible body.”

“Why is old age not appreciated in so many ways? Because it bears the undeniable evidence of the end of this myth, that makes us want to return to our mother’s womb always to return with a young body.” The pope said that when old age is seen from the correct perspective, it has “a unique beauty.” “Old age is the condition granted to many of us in which the miracle of this birth from above can be intimately assimilated and rendered credible for the human community,” he reflected. “It does not communicate a nostalgia for a birth in time, but of a love for our final destination. In this perspective, old age has a unique beauty — we are journeying toward the Eternal.” “No one can re-enter their mother’s womb, not even using its technological and consumeristic substitute. This is not wisdom; this is not a journey that has been accomplished; this is artificial. That would be sad, even if it were possible. The elderly person moves ahead; the elderly person journeys toward the final destination, towards God’s heaven; the elderly person journeys with the wisdom of lived experience.” “Old age, therefore, is a special time of disassociating the future from the technocratic illusion of a biological and robotic survival, especially because it opens one to the tenderness of the creative and generative womb of God.” Concluding his address, Pope Francis said today’s “throwaway culture” mistakenly sought to “throw out the elderly.” “The elderly are the messengers of the future, the elderly are the messengers of tenderness, the elderly are the messengers of the wisdom of lived experience. Let us move forward and watch the elderly,” he said. A summary of the pope’s catechesis was then read out in seven languages. Addressing English-speaking Catholics, he said: “I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from England, the Philippines, and the United States of America.” “I offer a special greeting to the many student groups present. Upon you and your families I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!” Speaking to Polish pilgrims, he noted that June 8 is the feast day of the 14th-century Polish queen St. Jagwiga. He said: “During her canonization, St. John Paul II recalled that through her work, Poland was united with Lithuania and Rus’. Entrust yourselves to her intercession, praying as she did at the foot of the Cross for peace in Europe. I bless you from my heart.” Catholic

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Trinitarian-Synodal Church R

Peñafrancia festivities to resume with changes AFTER a gap of two years, the traditional Peñafrancia festivities will resume in the city of Naga this year. But as the Covid-19 pandemic remains a serious threat, church authorities will impose changes in the conduct of processions “to protect the well-being of devotees, pilgrims and public at large”. In a circular released Wednesday, Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona of Caceres said that the images of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and Divino

Rostro will be mounted on vehicles during the Traslacion. During the fluvial procession, he said that devotees who will be allowed on the pagoda will also be limited. “Kissing and touching the images will not be allowed at all time,” Tirona said. More details in the coming weeks as the archdiocese prepares for the festivities of the Divino Rostro on Aug. 31 to Sept. 9 and Our Lady of Penafrancia on Sept. 8 to 10.

“We look forward to a solemn and meaningful celebration, cognizant of the need to observe basic health protocols,” he said. T h i s y e a r ’ s celebration will reflect on the theme “Mary accompanies us in our journey towards a synodal Church”. “May the coming celebration of the feast of the Divino Rostro and Ina open our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit so we can imitate Mary in our journey towards the Father,” the archbishop said. CBCP News

The translacion of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in 2019 Photo courtesy of Fr. Nunilon Bancaso/Archdiocese of caceres

ore and more within The Catholic faith is full of church circles we mysteries and paradoxes. will be hearing the Life is also full of mysteries word “synod” or “synodal”. and philosophers have A synod is more commonly grappled with such understood as a council mysteries as suffering, eflections or an assembly. Based on death, and existence. Why the etymology of synod, do we exist only to suffer Rev. Fr. Antonio P. Pueyo, DCC it comes from the Greek and die? tonypoy_dcc0@yahoo.com words “syn” or “with” and One thing about “odos” or path. It connotes the path along which mysteries is that we can only give partial rational the People of God walk together. To be synodal is to explanations. We have to resort to analogies to walk together as a Church. It is the Pilgrim people explain some mysteries of life. Even Jesus resorted of God on a journey towards the Kingdom. Those who to such device, “Unless a seed dies, it cannot bear undertake the journey are composed of the hierarchy, fruit.” And so we may resort to analogies to explain laity, religious, young and old, people of every race the Trinity, somehow. God certainly revealed Himself and nation. as Father-Creator, Son-Savior, and Spirit-Helper in The synodal church is therefore a church of the history of salvation and in the Bible. The God we communion. It shares in the life of communion of believe in did not remain Transcendent in the heavens the Blessed Trinity. When Pope Francis called for a but historically showed Himself in Jesus, and is still Synod on Synodality he wanted the Church to be present with us in Spirit. From all eternity God’s a church of communion, participation and mission. love for the Son is returned by the Son as Spirit-love. Because the Church is born of the Trinitarian God it God’s love flowed into the act of creation and until is a unity in diversity that promotes the participation now sustains the whole universe with Love. of all its members in the mission of proclaiming and This is the God we believe in. God is a God of making present God’s kingdom of love, justice, and Communion. Fittingly, this Sunday is also dedicated peace. The Church is not just self-referential or for- to the celebration of Basic Ecclesial Community itself. It is for-the-world. Sunday. The Church is a communion of communities This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the and within each community are members who as St. Most Holy Trinity. We honor God as Father-Son- Paul describes belong to one body with Christ as the Spirit. We were taught in catechism the formula head. Each member, whether bishop, priest, laity or that there is only One God but there are Three Persons religious is important and contributes to the mission in the most holy Trinity. How three can be One is a of the Church. We can therefore rightly say that the most mysterious doctrine in Christianity. It can be Church is Trinitarian. It is a communion. It is synodal. a stumbling block for others of different faith. As As a group of theologians express it in the Synodal a mystery it is difficult to understand together with Preparatory document, “The unity of the Blessed other mysteries of Catholic belief: Jesus is God yet Trinity in the communion of the three divine Persons man, Mary is Mother yet a virgin, the Kingdom is here is revealed in the Christian community, which is called but not yet fully here. Add to that other paradoxes to live “the unity of God’s sons in truth and charity”, in such as we are sinners yet saved, it is in dying that the exercise of the various gifts and charisms received we live, and we are called to be leaders yet servants. from the Holy Spirit for the common good.” MC

Meditation Fr. Rock Saniel, OMI rocksaniel@gmail.com

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Readings:

Proverbs 8.22-31; Romans 5.1-5 Gospel: John 16.12-15 Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. We are familiar with the Holy Trinity but the whole concept of how the Trinity works takes a lot of theological studies and explanations. But what is more important in today’s celebration is the concept of “relationship,” – our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves. The Trinity simply reminds us that we must take care of one another as we are all related, connected, we are one, regardless of color, race, or kin. We are all children of One God. And the Trinity sends us the same message such that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One. It’s the greatest mystery. A mystery that enfolds every day in our daily lives. So let us do away with all bickering and hatred. Instead, let us all be welcoming and understanding, putting love and compassion in all we do to our brothers and sisters. Let’s take care of our relationships, heal wounds, forgive pains, and love with conviction. Prayer: God, in One Holy and Perfect Trinity, envelop our hearts with your grace so that we become your instruments of love and compassion in the world. Amen.

THE MINDANAO CROSS

June 11, 2022 EDITORIAL

A month after election

t’s a month after the election in this country, but issues related to the election have not died down. It gives us pleasure to describe the elections as peaceful and orderly, but now and then, there are issues that crop up which are better off answered immediately by the COMELEC and other government bodies assigned to maintain peace during election. Sad to say, the same people who are given this task did not perform as expected. In some areas, the police and the military were witnessed to have just stood in silence while the ballots were shaded illegally by a group. In other areas, violence arose in the election precincts even in the presence of all those mandated to keep the peace. This is a ticklish issue because the new officials appointed to the COMELEC are themselves facing issues related to their appointments. We have to ask ourselves why history have witnessed such deviations before, during, and after elections. Researchers have looked into this aberrations in our election history. Cristina Montiel described politics…as the production, allocation and use of decision-making powers among large groups of individuals. In stable and strong states, political activities usually refer to the powers of the state to govern. In unstable and weak states, politics encompasses social power issues within and outside the boundaries of the ‘legitimate’ state. Culture refers to everything socially created (Fiske, 1996). Putting the two together, “political culture is a systematically related set of mental and concrete constructions. It includes but is not limited to beliefs, feelings, group-accepted practices, language and paraphernalia shared by large groups of Filipinos as they produce, allocate and use political powers within, outside, and in interaction with the state”. (Montiel) If the group of people has a different set of beliefs, practices, and language, it is expected that the political culture with be different when compared to other groups. This may be the reason why Mindanao almost always stand out as different when its election process is evaluated. But this must be subject to research, since despite the goal of self-determination among its people, the country still wants to hold itself in unity. With our efforts to come up with uniform basic education principles, unity will always be a priority. Thus, the recommendations to improve the conduct of elections carry with it the importance of research. Mere observation is not enough when dealing with values of people. It is important to carry out surveys (if we can do it before elections, there is no question on doing it after elections). Answers to speculation that different tribes have a tendency to violence, or different tribes are left out in middle ages structures can be answered by a research, which can give solutions to the repetitive issues which we face every election. MC +

is published every Saturday by the Mindanao Cross Publishers, Inc., Sinsuat cor Quezon Avenues, Cotabato City. Tel Nos. (064) 4217161 and E-mail Address: mindanao.cross@gmail.com | mincross101@yahoo.com.ph

Fr. Rogelio Tabuada, OMI, Chief-Executive-Officer Eva Kimpo - Tan, Editor-in-Chief Edwin O. Fernandez, News Editor Gemma A. Peñaflor, Administration and Marketing Executive Julito P. Torres, Circulation Officer Karl John B. Daniel, Graphic-Layout Artist COTABATO CITY / ARMM CORRESPONDENTS

John M. Unson, Ferdinandh B. Cabrera, Charlie C. Señase Nash B. Maulana

NORTH / SOUTH COTABATO CORRESPONDENTS Williamor Magbanua, Romer “Bong” Sarmiento, Roel Osano & Drema Quitayen Bravo CARTOONIST Lourd Jim Diazon

Member: PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Entered as Second Class Mail at Cotabato City Post Office under Permit No. 91-01 Dated August 15, 1991.

e have learned that last week the Sangguniang Bayan of the town of M’lang passed a resolution expressing opposition to open-pit copper and gold mining operations in Tampakan, South Cotabato. While the operation on the open-pit mine by Sagittarius Mines Inc. is outside the political boundaries of Cotabato Province to which M’lang belongs, the reality of shared space has triggered concerns on the possible impact of the SMI open-pit mining operation in downstream communities like those that are situated on the periphery of the around 2,200-square kilometer Ligawasen, more commonly known as Liguasan Marsh, spanning the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat, all of which, along with South Cotabato, are part of the Mindanao River Basin, which empties into Illana Bay. Moro-dominated villages of M’lang located along the Ligawasen fear the eventual impact, including contamination, of the waterways that feed the marsh on which they rely for irrigating their rice fields and even freshwater fish which they eat. The fear was expressed by the village chairperson of Dugong, M’lang who said that all three Moro-dominated barangays of the town are ready to come up with resolutions supporting the position of the Sangguniang Bayan. Perhaps there is no better time than now as the country commemorates environment month to come up with such a unified position against the open-pit mining project of SMI in Tampakan. This being environment month, it would perhaps be proper as well to take a serious look at how our nation’s economic policies have impacted on the environment, as what happened in the case of the infamous Marcopper Mining Disaster of March 24, 1996 in the province of Marinduque. How did this biggest and worst mining disaster in Philippine history happen? On the 21st anniversary of the devastating event, Marinduque News featured a timeline of the disaster on its website. Marcopper started operation of its open-pit mine in Mt. Tapian in 1969 under its mother company Placer Dome, a Canadian mining firm, which in following years sold some of its shares to the Marcos family and Marcos cronies. After the Tapian ore deposit was depleted in 1990, Marcopper moved its operations to the San Antonio copper mine. Between 1995 and 1971, according to Marinduque News, Marcopper dumped some 200 million tons of mine tailings into Calancan Bay.

HO in this profession does not want libel decriminalized or stricken off the Revised Penal Code? Senator-elect Raffy Tulfo, a broadcast journalist, says it will be in his priority of proposed legislations when he sits as a member of the Upper Chamber. Like most of us, I am for decriminalizing Libel! But on the other hand, the public variably see libel being “deterrent”—or not—of excesses on the microphone or on social media or in unprintable yet readable in some tabloids. As the number of media platforms increases in time, the law remains passé in its old form. One lawyer says that generally, for every single charge by the plaintiff in a criminal case, the defendant would have 36 available defences in court. A libel case defendant may find safe refuge of defence in two Supreme Court decisions which both require proof of a “special damage” resulting from alleged slanderous remarks or instances of defamation in a libel case. In a libel case, one can be incarcerated first to prove innocence later, according to the late journalist Neil Cruz. And to add: It is easier to secure conviction in a civil case with “preponderance of evidence” than guilt “beyond reasonable doubt” in a criminal case for libel. What then do we need more is kind of judicial restraint on court issuances of arrest warrant for libel cases, which can be lobbied with friendly SC justices for issuance of court circular orders. Second, is for a piece of legislation to stiffen prosecutorial requisites for determining a probable cause—which, in a sense, is already done by the Supreme Court. Otherwise, the only sector libel can serve well are the interest of the able and influential who are can push for prosecution and obtain court warrants, according to one colleague who has had his gigantic share of libel suits. But thanks to the Supreme Court: If in the past a complainant only needed to establish an element of “malice” in public utterance of slanderous remarks or in written form published, it’s now more difficult to obtain probable cause from fiscals aware of latest notes on SC jurisprudence pertaining to libel. The SC in the case of Dionisio Lopez y Aberasturi vs People of the Philippines,

Remembering the Marinduque mining disaster

Thinking Aloud Carlos C. Bautista caloyb@gmail.com

The Environmental Justice Atlas said complaints over leukemia, kidney problems and other diseases among children and adults increased in the area starting in 1981. “First diagnosed as ‘common diseases,’ in1996/7, tests showed high levels of heavy metals in the blood of patients,” it added. Moreover, “waste dumping into the water bodies heavily affected food security of 12 fishing villages (around 15,000 persons).” The complaints of affected residents and the documented effects of the Marcopper mining operation notwithstanding, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources renewed the company’s mining permit, on condition that it stops throwing mine tailings into water bodies. To comply with the condition, Marcopper uses the old Tapian pit as a mines tailing pond in 1990. Two disasters related to Marcopper mining operations actually happened. The first was in December 1993, according to the Marinduque News website’s timeline, when the dam in the Maguilaguila creek constructed to hold back contaminated silt from the San Antonio pit collapsed and flooded nearby villages and the Mogpog River. The Environmental Justice Atlas says of the 1993 disaster: “Flooding was so severe that several houses were swept away. Livestock, crops and farmland was destroyed, the river was heavily polluted and two children were drowned.” On March 24, 1996, the second and final disaster happened when a massive tailing spill from the Tapian pit escaped through the badly sealed drainage tunnel and no less than 2 million tons of tailings subsequently flooded the Makulapnit and Boac river. 700 families, some 3000-4000 people, from 5 villages were most directly affected and the surrounding terrestrial and aquatic environment was heavily contaminated, according to the Environmental Justice Atlas. MC

Make it hard to determine ‘probable cause’ instead

Penlight Nash B. Maulana

nash.penlight@gmail.com

GR No. 172203, February 14, 2011, ruled, thus: ‘[P]ersonal hurt or embarrassment or offense, even if real, is not automatically equivalent to defamation,’ ‘words which are merely insulting are not actionable as libel or slander per se, and mere words of general abuse however opprobrious, ill-natured, or vexatious, whether written or spoken, do not constitute bases for an action for defamation in the absence of an allegation for special damages.” The High Court says as much in its decision in MVRS Publications, Inc. v. Islamic Da’Wah Council of the Philippines, Inc. Still, there’s little reason to celebrate: while it tends to weaken libel cases with this jurisprudence, the Supreme Court appears to have broadened the scope of “unjust vexation” to mean “any human conduct which, although not productive of some physical or material harm, would unjustly annoy or irritate an innocent person.”Also, an article can be cited for “misrepresentation” or a form of misrepresentation, if the story tells untruthfully against what is really obtaining a situation. For instance, when one writes of “kidnapping” when actually there is not a single incident of kidnapping that prompted the writing and publication of an article. Journalist-lawyer Berteni “Toto” Cataluña Causing, former news editor of the People’s Tonight, simplifies the meaning of libel with a “checklist” of elements, for most non-lawyer journalists. The checklist is represented by the acronym DIMP which stands for “Defamation”; “Identification”; “Malice” and “Publication”. Atty. Causing says: “This means that despite the existence of defamation, identification and malice, as long as the defamation is not published, there is no libel.” MC

What the heck is happening?

True to Form Charlie Señase

csenase@yahoo.com

ORD, have mercy on us with all these media reports on indiscriminate killings in school, church and other public places. Early this week, at least 50 were massacred inside a Catholic Church in Nigeria that included women and children among fatalities. Apart from this, 31 indigents died in a stampede while hundreds troop to receive food aid. And these bloody scenes were followed by another tragic loss of 22 Indian pilgrims in a road mishap when the bus they were riding fell into a ravine. So mindboggling that few days earlier, a lone gunman barged into a school in Texas, USA shooting to death 18 school children and three teachers. While here at home, a bank manager aboard his Sport Utility Vehicle was peppered with bullets by an unknown assassin in General Santos City. Some world leaders are contemplating on enforcing stricter gun-control measures that reminded us of the wisdom behind a biblical passage that those who take the sword with hate in his heart will perish by it. But unfortunately, the world has gone from bad to worst with deception abounding as irresponsible scribes with their lies and malicious “bits and pieces” are spreading like wildfire contaminating the political and business circles. God’s WORD reminding us that man’s wickedness is not solely from Satan to have influenced us through temptation but from within us. For God made us upright but some, if not all, prefer or have sought-out evil schemes (Ecclesiastes 7:29). Thus, the need to reconcile in prayer, LORD teach us to do Your will, for You are our God; hoping that Your good Spirit may lead us on the level ground (Psalm 143:10). With all these indiscriminate killings, plagues and other threats and uncertainties in life, God has spoken: That

whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress and for his children and loved ones, it will be a refuge (Proverbs 14:26). And for the aged, ailing and dying, God cited repentance and rest as basis for their salvation, and their wholehearted trust in the LORD is their strength (Isaiah 30:15). With the world falling to pieces as prophesied to meltdown in fervent heat, the LORD reminded all the living as of this writing that whatever our hands find to do for goodness- sake, let’s do it with all our might; for there is no work, device, knowledge or wisdom in the grave where we are heading to. For from dust, we are and to dust we shall return in God’s appointed time (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Can the new Marcos-Carpio government by July and beyond recover from all the socioeconomic slump with all the threats and unforeseen global events? This week alone with the huge increase in fuel prices due to worsening conflict in Ukraine that Russia warning the US government and its allies not to interfere by sending military weapons of mass destruction. Pegged diesel fuel at P90.45 per liter and gasoline at P84.90, it won’t be long with great possibility that a liter would be a hundred. Amid all these, “don’t panic” a favorite expression of a good friend the late Army General Gregorio Cordero, whose heart could have kept in faith – In anything, God is very much in control. That prophets of old would reinforce – Trust no man, but God (Proverbs 3:5; Micah 7:5; Psalm 37:3). For it is written, with God who can be against us? A reassuring statement that no weapons formed against God’s chosen ones would prosper (Isaiah 54:17). With the proliferation of firearms and disrespect to duly constituted authorities could also be blamed on abusive lawmen and the need for officials to police their own rank. Thus, timely for the newly appointed Education Secretary and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio to instill with top priority a new Department educational trust of producing first and foremost “Well-mannered” more than “well-educated” students as pressing need in the millennial times. MC

- the invasion by Chinese forces of Limahong; In 1588, the people of Tondo revolted against Spanish rule with the aid of Japanese who lived in several pockets in Luzon, the rebellion failed . Later the he tuff of ife northern provinces, led by two brothers from Cagayan, rose Victoria R. Franco, RPh, MS Pharmacy franco1573victoria@gmail.com in rebellion, unfortunately, this too, was put down with n June 12, 1962, former Philippine the aid of treachery. President Diosdado Macapagal, In the years following, fierce revolts formally announced that henceforth, broke out in various parts of the archipelago the observance of our independence day including the Pampanga revolt of 1660 and shall be June 12, instead of July 4th. On the 85 year rebellion in Bohol started by this day, “our nation announces to the Francisco Dagohoy. The coming of the world that it asserts its natural right to British triggered off the Ilocos revolt led liberty and is ready to defend it with blood, by Diego Silang and after his assassination life and honor. ( June 12th address of Pres. by his wife Gabriela who was subsequently Diosdado Macapagal.) General Emilio captured and hanged. Aguinaldo who declared his country free When the Spanish Constitution of from political ties that bound it to colonial 1812 which gave protection to Filipino power, was then still alive and was happy Rights was abolished in 1814, some 1500 to see the change, commemorating the Ilocanos rose in revolt in defense of liberty 1898 Filipino proclamation. and equality. In 1840, a religious revolt July 4th became Republic Day, still erupted in Tayabas, led by Apolinario a national holiday, in 1964. During dela Cruz. In 1872, the Filipinos in Cavite the period of Martial Law under Pres. revolted in protest against the high-handed Ferdiinand Marcos, July 4 was changed rule of the new Spanish governor-general. to Philippine-American Friendship Day, The mutiny was quickly suppressed and and relegated to a working holiday. Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, Resident Corazon Aquino did away with suspected of complicity in the uprising, the Philippine American Friendship Day were executed. altogether, but Pres. Fidal Ramos restored Filipinos indeed had revolted many it on the occasion of the 50th anniversary. times before against foreign dominationThe irrefutable claim of June 12 as against the Spaniards, against the Chinese our day of freedom is bolstered by the fact and against the British. But these were that it is the culmination of many acts isolated acts of rebellion, regional stirrings of patriotism and nationalism beginning of the Filipino national spirit of Gestation.” with Lapu-lapu-s defiance of the Spanish “Finally, on June 12, 1898, General conquistador, Ferdinand Magellan, who Aguinaldo rose and galvanized the entire died in the battle in Mactan in 1521. nation to action. By his leadership, he EXCERPTS FROM THE ADDRESS brought to life the aspirations of al Filipinos, OF PRES. DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL: the poor and the rich, the intellectual and Historically, our journey to freedom had the peasants, for human dignity and been marred by fierce fighting, blood, liberty. It is thus a historical fact that the and loss of many lives . In 1571, the fiery proclamation of Philippine independence Rajah Soliman, who had been driven on June 12 1898 gave colonial Asia its from his kingdom in Manila by the first free and united nation.” There had forces of the Spanish invader, Miguel de been other Asian revolutions before but Legaspi was slain in battle and his forces the revolution which culminated on June were routed; In 1574, Rajah Lakandula, 12, 1898 was the first successful national king of Tondo led an uprising in protest revolution in Asia since the coming of the against the Spaniards’ ill treatment of his West, and the first Republic to which it gave countrymen. However the rebellion was birth was the first democratic Republic cut short by the new danger from the north outside of the Western hemisphere. MC

June 11, 2022

THE MINDANAO CROSS

What is monkeypox?

monkeypox include skin infections, pneumonia, confusion and eye infections which can lead to loss of ealth orner vision. Around 3–6% of reported cases have led to Reprint from theWorld Health Organization death in endemic countries onkeypox is a disease caused by in recent times, often in the monkeypox virus. It is a viral children or persons who may have other zoonotic disease, meaning that it health conditions. It is important to can spread from animals to humans. It note that this may be an overestimate can also spread between people. because surveillance in endemic Monkeypox is commonly found in countries is limited. central and west Africa where there are tropical rainforests and where animals Preventions that may carry the virus typically live. Avoid unprotective and close People with monkeypox are occasionally physical contact with wild animals, identified in other countries outside especially those that are sick or dead of central and west Africa, following (including their meat and blood), and travel from regions where monkeypox with people who have suspected or is endemic. confirmed monkeypox. If you do need to have physical contact Symptoms with someone who has monkeypox Symptoms of monkeypox typically because you are a health worker or live include a fever, intense headache, together, encourage the infected person muscle aches, back pain, low energy, to self-isolate and cover any skin lesion swollen lymph nodes and a skin rash or if they can (e.g., by wearing clothing over lesions. The rash usually begins within the rash). When you are physically close one to three days of the start of a fever. to them, they should wear a medical Lesions can be flat or slightly raised, mask, especially if they are coughing filled with clear or yellowish fluid, and or have lesions in their mouth. You can then crust, dry up and fall off. The should wear one also. Avoid skin-tonumber of lesions on one person can skin contact whenever possible and use range from a few to several thousand. disposable gloves if you have any direct The rash tends to be concentrated on contact with lesions. Wear a mask when the face, palms of the hands and soles of handling any clothes or bedding if the the feet. They can also be found on the person cannot do it themselves. mouth, genitals and eyes. Regularly clean your hands with Symptoms typically last between soap and water or an alcohol-based 2 to 4 weeks and go away on their own hand rub, especially after contact without treatment. If you think you have with the person who is infected, their symptoms that could be monkeypox, clothes, bed sheets, towels and other seek advice from your health care items or surfaces they have touched or provider. Let them know if you have that might have come into contact with had close contact with someone who their rash or respiratory secretions (e.g., has suspected or confirmed monkeypox. utensils, dishes). Wash the person’s In most cases, the symptoms of clothes, towels and bedsheets and monkeypox go away on their own within eating utensils with warm water and a few weeks, but in some individuals, detergent. Clean and disinfect any they can lead to medical complications contaminated surfaces and dispose of and even death. Newborns, children contaminated waste (e.g., dressings) and people with underlying immune appropriately. deficiencies may be at risk of more If you think you have symptoms or serious symptoms and death from have been a close contact of someone monkeypox. with monkeypox, contact your health worker for advice, testing and medical Complications care. If possible, self-isolate and avoid Complications from severe cases of close contact with others. MC

various purposes). Given the current global and national situations, what would be the most serious challenges facing local governments as they make their plans? First, the rising cost of petroleum and oil products will increase the cost of travel and fuel expenses of the local government as well as the cost of its projects. Second, the resulting inflation from high fuel prices will increase the other operating expense items such as office supplies, office equipment, among others. Third, the income of local governments from business firms in their jurisdiction could remain low as these are still recovering from the effects of COVID-19 disruption and the challenging business environment. Fourth, the huge debt servicing by the national government could mean less programs and projects coming to local governments such as roads, flood control, bridges, hospitals, and the like. The richer local governments could survive especially since their Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) have risen significantly due to the Mandanas ruling. Fifth, LGUs that are more rural and are agriculture-based will continue to be challenged by low productivity, low income of most farmers, and climaterelated risks (drought, flooding, among others). Development planning would require timely and accurate information. Planners cannot make reliable forecasts (e.g. growth of business firms, investment levels, and employment generation) without time series data that includes the latest information (at least the previous year). It would also be important for the planning department of local government to have people with excellent technical writing skills to put together the contents of plans in a logical and understandable manner. Officials who can plan and implement projects well will have higher chances of re-election. MC

Local Planning Begins…. Market Driven

Freedom Day , June 12th S

Danny Buenbrazo

danny_buenbrazo@yahoo.com

here is just over a half-month’ time to go and the new set of elected officials are coming to replace those that have served their term. In some instances, the new set of officials could just be having their second or third threeyear term. For others, they will be taking office for the first time or for “returning” local chief executives, the beginning of another potential three 3-year terms. Local chief executives are mandated to oversee the preparation of various development plans for their province, city, or municipality. For those who were re-elected to their executive positions, some of the plans could just be a continuation of those that were previously prepared but for new chief executives, they have to create a new development plan (though it will not hurt if they would read first the plans of their predecessor in office and see which programs and projects could be continued or carried over). Those who will be on their first term of office as chief executive will have the opportunity to facilitate the preparation of a nine-year development plan. Such plan could be divided into three phases: year one to three as the short-term plan, year four to six as the medium-term plan, and year seven to nine as the long-term plan. Assuming the local chief executive gets re-elected twice, he or she could make a substantive impact on the local government unit if the programs and projects contained in various local development plans are successfully implemented. The basic local development plan is the Comprehensive Development Plan or CDP and the other important plans are the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), and those covering infrastructure development, and investment plan (use of the financial resources of the LGU for

Peace panels call for healing, harmony...from P1 the (Bangsamoro) peace agreement.” "We have already started (to link up), we are hoping that within this month or next month, we’ll be able to engage the incoming administration,” BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim has said over the staterun Philippine Information Agency. Ebrahim recalled that having endorsed VicePresident Leni Robredo’s presidential bid last May 9 is water under the bridge, especially that members of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) have neither adversely attacked candidates, including Marcos, nor had barred Moro constituents from voting their choice-bets. UBJP is the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), organized in compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). As this developed, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), said the results of the Bangsamoro peace process are now being felt not only in Mindanao but throughout the country. T h e P e a c e Implementing Panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and MILF met in Metro Manila this week and vowed anew to push forward and build on the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process. “Major milestones have been achieved in the Bangsamoro peace process during the Duterte Administration, particularly in the

implementation of the CAB and BOL. It is our hope and prayer that the incoming administration will sustain these gains as we move towards healing and reconciliation,” Galvez said. This came as speculations were rife on social media that Marcos might replace those prior appointed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to the government and MLF slots of the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA). BTA is the governing body of BARMM, bilaterally designed along the track of the Bangsamoro Peace Process, under the CAB and RA 11054, the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). The bilateral peace panels said they were thankful to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, “under whose leadership and firm resolve to a just and lasting peace in Mindanao, the Bangsamoro Organic Law was ratified and the Bangsamoro Government was established” and to Galvez and the MILF leadership for their “unwavering commitment to pursue the implementation of the CAB and BOL.” The parties inked their bilateral commitment in a joint statement issued, following the meeting, the OPAPRU said in a statement. The panels were led by their chairpersons – OPAPRU Undersecretary David Diciano for the GPH and BARMM Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal for the MILF side. “The meeting was marked with mutual trust, sincerity and commitment to collaboratively work

towards the continued implementation of the peace agreement, including the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) that will benefit all peoples in the Bangsamoro,” the joint statement read. According to the statement, the parties agreed on “several action points/resolutions for the “continuity, stability, and sustainability of the peace dividends in view of the developments in the Bangsamoro peace process.” The chairs of the panels said both panels will act to “resolve the status of the International Monitoring Team (IMT); the continued discussion of the socioeconomic programs for decommissioned MILF combatants; the reconstitution of the working group for vulnerable sectors which was created by both panels; for the Study Group to submit its report on the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) program to the (JNC), and for the JNC to submit the said report to the Implementing Panels; to study the GPH Panel’s proposal to include the the Bangsamoro government’s Ministry of Public Order and Safety in the disbandment of private armed groups. Both parties also agreed to include “humanitarian reasons” as among the qualifications in the granting of safe conduct passes to MILF personalities pending completion of the amnesty process; the parties also agreed to create a technical working group (TWG) for the police force for the Bangsamoro to recommend among others on the drafting of executive issuances. The Panels also

Republic of the Philippines Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Upi, Maguindanao OFFICE OF THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR

Republic of the Philippines Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parang, Maguindanao OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL REGISTRAR

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION

In compliance with the publication requirement and pursuant to Section 5 of R.A. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the public that Imelda B. Castillon has filed with this office a petition for change of first name from Emelia to Imelda in the certificate of live birth bearing Registry No. 129 of Imelda Bayotas Biñas duly registered at the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Upi, Maguindanao and whose parents are Ernesto B. Biñas and Rosita B. Bayotas. Any person adversely affected by the said petition may file written opposition with this office not later than June 25, 2022.

In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. 9048/10172, a notice is hereby served to the public that Joevanie M. Tabudlo has filed with this office a petition for change of sex from Female to Male in the birth certificate of Joevanie Mayono Tabudlo who was born on October 6, 1995 at Bo. Sarmiento, Parang, Maguindanao and whose parents are Benito T. Tabudlo and Victoria B. Mayono. Any person adversely affected by the said petition may file his written opposition with this office not later than June 15, 2022.

In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the public that Al-Nashrim D. Usman has filed with this office a petition for change of first name from Jimar to AlNashrim in the birth certificate of Jimar Dandan Usman who was born on August 26, 1999 at Parang, Maguindanao and whose parents are Abdul Muran Usman and Merijim Garcia Dandan. Any person adversely affected by the said petition may file his written opposition with this office not later than June 15, 2022.

(Sgd.) JEAN P. BACAS Municipal Civil Registrar

(Sgd.) KARIM O. OMAR, MPA Municipal Civil Registrar

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION

MC: Jun 11 & 18, 2022

AFFIDAVIT

Notice is hereby given that the late PEPITO S. NUÑALA, who died on January 20, 2019 at Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, left a parcel of land Lot No. 3152-B-5, Plan GSD-12-005280 AR, situated in Capayuran now Midpapan I, Pigcawayan, Cotabato, covered by TCT No. 152-CARP2018011995, with an area of 11,340 sq. mts., more or less is the subject of affidavit of self-adjudication before Notary Public Renie Jay A. Soriano as per Doc. No. 118; Page No. 24; Book No. V; Series of 2020.

Notice is hereby given that the late VIRGILIO N. PLANG, sole heir of the late BAI MATABAY PLANG registered owner of a parcel of land Lot No. 651-Lot 3491, Pls-217, situated in Bo. of Carmen, Kabacan, Cotabato, covered by TCT No. T-7333, with an area of 100,009 sq. mts., more or less is the subject of affidavit of extrajudicial settlement by sole heir before Notary Public Emmanuel G. Ferenal as per Doc. No. 615; Page No. 757; Book No. XCIX; Series of 2022.

MC: Jun 4, 11 & 18, 2022

THE MINDANAO CROSS

June 11, 2022

MC: Jun 4, 11 & 18, 2022

MC: Jun 11 & 18, 2022

advised the joint TWG on Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TJR) to also invite international experts to provide advice on the crafting of the TJR roadmap; for the MILF Panel to provide comments on the draft declaration of continuity; and the conduct of a special meeting with the Third Party Facilitator before the term of the current administration ends. The peace panels also expressed their “mutual commitment to pursue dialogue through problemsolving approach to the remaining issues on the implementation of the Normalization Process to ensure inclusive solutions for the interest and welfare of all Bangsamoro.” EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late Spouses GREGORIO A. FILIPINAS SR. and ZENAIDA C. FILIPINAS who died on November 29, 1997 and April 25, 2016 in Kabacan, Cotabato and Iligan City, respectively, parcels of land Lot No. 3306, Ts268 and Lot No. 3586, Ts- 268, both situated in Bo. Poblacion, Mlang, Cotabato, containing the total area of 1,915 square meters, more or less covered by Original Certificate of Title Nos. P-59969 and P-59970 are the subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate with waiver of rights before Notary Public Regerick L. Benito as per Doc. No. 68; Page No. 14; Book No. CXVII; Series of 2017.

MC: May 28, June 4 & 11, 2022

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late MILA A. PEÑAFIEL who died on January 18, 2016 at San Pedro, Davao City, parcels of land Lot 3889-J-3-C, Psd-12-009194 and Lot 3889-J-3-B, Psd-12009194, both situated in Bo. Poblacion I, Midsayap, Cotabato, covered by TCT Nos. 85368 and 152-2018001917, respectively, with the total area of 400 sq. mts., more or less are the subject of deed of extrajudicial settlement with waiver before Notary Public Alberto T. Eramis as per Doc. No. 73; Page No. 15; Book No. CCXCI; Series of 2022.

MC: Jun 4, 11 & 18, 2022

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the late Spouses MODESTO DEITA and MARIETA A. DEITA, who died on November 10, 1999 and December 10, 2001 in Matalam, Cotabato and Bunawan, Davao del Sur, respectively, left a parcel of land 929-A, Csd12-000605-D, situated in Dalapitan, Mlang, Cotabato, with an area of 20,279 sq. mts., more less, covered by OCT No. P-52643 is the subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate with sale before Notary Public Regerick L. Benito as per Doc. No. 453; Page No. 91; Book No. LXVIII; Series of 2017.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late MANUEL C. PANZO, who died intestate on December 4, 2007, parcels of land Lot No. 1-C, Psd-12-010893(VLT), TCT No. CT-355; Lot No. 563-C, Psd-12-036318, TCT No. T-50221; and Lot No. 5-B-2-B-3-B, Psd-12022118, TCT No. T-32045, situated in Bo. Tubon, Pigcawayan, Cotabato, Brgy. Bambad, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat and Bo. Poblacion, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, respectively, with the total area of 16,190 sq. mts., more or less are the subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate with simultaneous waiver of rights before Notary Public Atty. Nasiff Brian O. Meditar, RN as per Doc. No. 462; Page No. 93; Book No. XI; Series of 2022.

Notice is hereby given that the late MARIO PASCUA CACABELOS, who died on June 29, 2021, left parcels of land situated in Poblacion, Midsayap, Cotabato: Lot 2485-F-1-B, Psd-12-029983, Lot 2485-F-1-A, Psd-12029983, Lot 189-A, Psd124709-018257, Lot 607-D-6-A, Psd-12-000557, covered by TCT Nos. T-96255, T-96254, T-81761, T-77432, respectively with the total area of 5,464 sq. mts.; in Katingawan, Midsayap, Cotabato: Lot 2586-C, Psd-6805, Lot No. 1, Pcs-12-002126, Lot No. 2, Pcs-12-002126, Lot 2586-G-42, Psd-105462, Lot 2586-G-43, Psd-105462, Lot 2586-C-24, Psd-105462, Lot 2594-E-1, Psd-12-045301, Lot 2594-E-2, Psd-12-045301, Lot 2594-E3, Psd-12-045301 (NIA Road & Irrigation Canal), covered by TCT Nos. T-80003, 1522017002539, 152-2017002540, T-84780, T-84779, T-75543, T-110400, T-110401, T-110402, respectively with the total area of 19,982 sq. mts.; Lot 2593-E, Psd-102023 under TCT No. T-77434, situated in Katingawan, Mun. District of Dulawan, Cotabato, with an area of 14,465 sq. mts.; in Poblacion, Pigcawayan, Cotabato: Lot 2-E-4-F, Psd12-002406, Lot 2-E-4-E, Psd-12-002406, covered by TCT Nos. T-88284, T-81402, with the total area of 999 sq. mts.; in Maluao, Pigcawayan, Cotabato: Lot No. 3303-A, Psd-22-046262, Lot No. 3303B, Psd-12-046262, Lot No. 3303,-C, Psd-12-046262 (Road Lot), covered by TCT Nos. 110403,110404, T-110405, with the total area of 92,102 sq. mts.; and land situated in Matina, Davao City, Lot 7, Blk 32, Pcs11-003233, covered by TCT No. 146-2010005739 with an area of 316 sq. mts, more less are the subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate with waiver of rights before Notary Public Roland D. Jungco as per Doc. No. 65; Book No. 14; Page No. 155; Series of 2022.

MC: Jun 4, 11 & 18, 2022

MC: Jun 11, 18 & 25, 2022

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Republic of the Philippines Alamada, Cotabato OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL REGISTRAR

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC In compliance with the publication requirement and pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1 Guidelines in the implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 (IRR on R.A. 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that Jerlo Pearl B. Landesa has filed with this office a petition for correction of entry in sex from Female to Male in the certificate of live birth of Jerlo Pearl B. Landesa at Bao, Alamada, Cotabato and whose parents are Melanio M. Landesa & Jerlyn O. Baylestin. Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his/her written opposition with this office not later than June 16, 2022. (Sgd.) MA. LENY B. BUENAFE Municipal Civil Registrar MC: Jun. 4 & 11, 2022

Republic of the Philippines Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Upi, Maguindanao OFFICE OF THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In compliance with the publication requirement and pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1, Guidelines in the Implementation of Administrative Order No. 1 series of 2012 (IRR on R.A. 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that Fathema M. Marandacan has filed with this office a petition for correction of entry in the child’s date of birth from November 5, 1985 to November 18, 1985 in the certificate of live birth bearing Registry No. 94-001119 of Norfia Maulana Marandacan duly registered at the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Upi, Maguindanao and whose parents are Moctar Tumindeg Marandacan and Fathema Lending Maulana. Any person adversely affected by the said petition may file written opposition with this office not later than June 25, 2022. (Sgd.) JEAN P. BACAS Municipal Civil Registrar

MC: Jun 11 & 18, 2022

DEED OF ADJUDICATION

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

AFFIDAVIT OF ADJUDICATION

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late VICENTE VALDEZ, who died on March 22, 1987 in Midsayap, North Cotabato, a parcel of land known as Plan Si-11322, situated at Bo. Burungutan, Municipal District of Awang, Cotabato (now Upi, Maguindanao), containing an area of 196,249 sq. mts., more or less, described in OCT No. RP-21(37) is subject of deed of adjudication before Notary public Atty. Agnes R. De CastroJagunap as per Doc. No. 2007; Page No. 2007; Book No. XXVII; Series of 2021.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late KADIL S. SABDAL, a parcel of land Lot 1210-A-1, Dulawan Cadastre, situated in Bo. Kitango, Datu Piang, Cotabato, containing an area of 1,450 sq. mts., more or less, covered by TCT N o . T- 2 7 0 1 2 i s t h e subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate among heirs with simultaneous sale before Notary Public Atty. Abbyr Ahmad Nul as per Doc. No. 15; Page No. 3; Book No. XXXIII; Series of 2022.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late VIRGILIO N. PLANG, a parcel of land Lot No. 651-Lot 3491, Pls-217, situated in Bo. of Carmen, Kabacan, Cotabato, covered by TCT No. T-7333, with an area of 100,009 sq. mts., more or less is the subject of addendum to the extrajudicial settlement of estate before Notary Public Emmanuel G. Ferenal as per Doc. No. 621; Page No. 77; Book No. XCIX; Series of 2022.

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late Spouses WINEFREDA A. ASETRE and BENJAMIN ASETRE, who died on May 20, 2020 and October 26, 2000, respectively in Davao City, a parcel of land Lot No. 1-D-B, Psd-12076322, situated in Brgy. of Rosary Heights, Cotabato City, covered by TCT No. 154-2019000410, with an area of 156 sq. mts., more or less, is the subject of affidavit of adjudication with simultaneous deed of absolute sale before Notary Public Atty. Agnes R. De Castro-Jagunap as per Doc. No. 1004; Page No. 1004 Book No. XXVIII; Series of 2022.

MC: May 28, June 4 & 11, 2022

MC: Jun 4, 11 & 18, 2022

June 11, 2022

THE MINDANAO CROSS

Fisherman catches croc not fish

A fisherman out to trap freshwater fish with a contraption made of indigenous materials caught a six-foot crocodile that scared him to the core. Epi Lamping said Monday he was stunned to see a crocodile inside the traditional “bubuh” that he left at one spot in the Pulangi River in Barangay Arakan in Carmen, North Cotabato several hours

before. He got nervous, retreated first and returned to check again the crocodile inside the bamboo cage rigged at a shallow part of the Pulangi River in Barangay Arakan.

Lamping told reporters the crocodile died three hours after he found it in his bubuh, supposedly intended only for tilapia and other freshwater fishes. The local government unit of Carmen

on Monday urged residents of Barangay Arakan to take precautions when they go out and lay their fish traps in the rivers crisscrossing their villages. John Felix

IT’S A CROC, NOT FISH. The crocodile trapped by Eli Lamping, out to catch only fishes in a river but got this instead.

Photo courtesy of Eli Lamping

Mlang village chair fears SoCot mining could damage liguasan

KIDAPAWAN CITY – A former Moro rebel turned local official in Mlang, North Cotabato warned Thursday of possible massive destruction to their sources of livelihood food once mining operations in South Cotabato turns ugly. Noa Sabel, former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) field commander and now chairman of Barnagay Dugong, Mlang, North Cotabato feared that the lifting of the ban on open pit mining could pave way for severe famine, worst could result to another rebellion. He said more than 1,000 Bangsamoro in his village are dependent on the marshland as source of fish and food. Sabel said, most of the local freshwater fish sold at the Mlang Public Market and nearby Tulunan

town were from the Liguasan Marsh partly situated in Barangay Dungos. He said at least 2 tons or 2000 kilograms of local fishes such as tilapia, halaan and Taiwan Bangus every week were fished from Liguasan marsh and that served as sources of daily income of the Bangsamoro people. The then Mlang Mayor and currently Vice Mayor Joselito Piñol, introduced development in the village by letting investors to invest in the idle lands turned into Cavendish banana plantation. Its worekrs were the tri-people within the locality. To date more than 30 hectares of Cavendish bananas are planted in Barangay Dugong. "We are now living in peace and development. We don't want the

repeat of the previous years that brand our village as the war zone in the town of Mlang," Chairman Noa Sabel said. Sabel said he will call a joint session with the officials of Barangay Gaunan and Dunguan to discuss and possible crafting of the resolution expressing their opposition to mining operations in South Cotabato. "What is the use of money if your people are suffering from sickness," Chairman Sabel said in reaction to economic gains of the mining. Sabel is appealing to the government to consider the cry of the majority and not of the only few that has personal interest despite destruction of the community and the environment as a whole.

Williamor A. Magbanua

Truck driver jailed for shabu peddling THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-12 said Wednesday it has filed a criminal case against a truck driver arrested last week for selling P40,000 worth of shabu in North Cotabato to non-uniformed antinarcotics agents. Naravy Duquiatan, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-12, said Friday Francis Fran

shall be prosecuted for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 using the shabu confiscated from him as evidence. Duquitan announced Wednesday that Fran is now facing a criminal case filed at the North Cotabato prosecutor's office. Duquitan said Fran, a truck driver, was entrapped Thursday

last week in Barangay Katipunan in Arakan, an upland town in North Cotabato by combined PDEA-12 agents and personnel of the local and provincial police offices. The suspect had reportedly used his being a truck driver as cover for his peddling of shabu in certain towns in North Cotabato province.

John Felix Unson

Unson

1 slain in Pigcawayan shootout

PIGCAWAYAN, North Cotabato —Policemen shot dead a cigarette smuggler and wounded his cohort in a brief shootout here Wednesday. Major Carl Jayson Baynosa, municipal police chief, said Thursday they were to intercept the vehicle of Bhan Mangcog Ali and Tahir Musa at a busy thoroughfare here but they refused to stop and opened fire, provoking a gunfight. Ali and Musa came from nearby Cotabato City and were to meet a contact here who was to buy from them nine boxes of imported Fort cigarettes. “They first tried to ram with their vehicle the police team out to flag them down based on tips about their supposed delivery of smuggled cigarettes to a local contact,” Baynosa said. Ali, 40, was killed while the 53-year-old Musa sustained gunshot wounds in the ensuing shootout. Their wayward vehicle collided head-on with a red

Toyota Town Ace, hurting its driver and a passenger. Police forensic experts found in the black Toyota Avanza of Ali and Musa nine large boxes containing cigarettes they were to sell to a buyer here. Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum, director of the Police Regional Office-12, said Thursday the confiscated cigarettes, manufactured in Indonesia, did not have corresponding customs and tariff clearances. Ali and Musa do not have any permit to engage in distribution of imported cigarettes from any local government unit either, according to Tagum. Besides the nine boxes of cigarettes, investigators also found two sachets of suspected shabu, a .45 caliber pistol and P11,000 cash in the bullet-riddled vehicle of the suspects. Tagum said he has instructed the personnel of the police station here to immediately file criminal charges against Musa, now confined in a hospital. John

Felix Unson

13 law breakers nabbed in BARMM POLICE authorities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao today announced it arrested 13 law breakers during massive law enforcement operations Tuesday. Brig. Gen. Arthur Cabalona, BARMM police regional director, said simultaneous operations in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and TawiTawi were successful due to intensified intelligence

CAMP SK PENDATUN, Maguindanao — Two of the five Abu Sayyaf members who surrendered in Sulu last Sunday are experts in fabrication of improvised explosive devices, local officials said Tuesday. The five men, initially identified only as Bennajir, Monib, Abdurahsi, Rudy and Sattari pending their relocation to areas far from reach by hardcore Abu Sayyaf members, surrendered to the 45th Infantry Battalion.

operations. The 13 law breakers were already charged in appropriate courts. In the implementation of “Oplan Double Barrel” and anti-drug campaign, Brig. Gen. Cabalona said five persons engaged in illegal drug trade and peddling were arrested and 25 grams of shabu were confiscated amounting to more than PHP170,000.

Implementing Oplan Manhunt Charlie, the police in BARMM arrested six persons with warrants of arrest for various offenses while two were nabbed for possession of unlicensed guns and for violating the election gun ban. In its anti-smuggling campaign, Brig. Gen. Cabalona said several boxes of smuggled cigarettes were intercepted in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur. Edwin

O. Fernandez

5 Abu terror group members yield

The terror group has a reputation for its brutality on members who have returned to the fold of law and their families. Reports reaching the headquarters here of the Police Regional OfficeBangsamoro Autonomous Region stated that Benajir, Monib, Abdurahsi, Rudy and Sattari were followers of senior Abu Sayyaf leaders implicated in the abduction of Filipinos and foreigners, many of them beheaded for non-payment

of ransom. The five Abu Sayyaf members turned in rifles, a pistol and components for improvised explosive devices before they renounced their membership with the terror group in the presence of Major Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio Sunday, June 5. The simple surrender rite was held at the headquarters of the 45th IB in Barangay Tugas in Patikul, Sulu Patrimonio said the five men agreed to surrender through the backchannel

efforts of the 45th IB, the Sulu Provincial Police and the local government unit of Patikul. No fewer than a hundred Abu Sayyaf members in Sulu surrendered to the police and military in batches in the past 24 months as a result of a domestic peace program supported by the office of Gov. Hadji Abdusakur Tan. Tan is the presiding chairperson of the multi-sector Sulu provincial peace and order council. John Felix Unson