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The Mindanao Examiner
Feb. 5-11, 2018
SABAH IS OURS!
‘Malaysia tightens grip on mineral-rich island of Sulu sultanate’ Continued fr om page 1 from According to a report by Channel News Asia, Kuala Lumpur has strongly rejected Pimentel’s proposal to include Sabah as a federal state of the Philippines. “Malaysia is aware of remarks made by Mr Aquilino Pimentel Jr, a member of the Philippines’ Consultative Committee, which appeared in the media on the claim on Sabah recently,” it said, citing Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman as saying in a press statement. “The Government of Malaysia reiterates its position that Malaysia does not recognise and will not entertain any claims by any party on Sabah. Sabah is recognised by the United Nations and the international community as part of Malaysia since the formation of the Federation on 16 September 1963,” Anifah said. “Therefore, statements such as these will only expose the ignorance of history and international law of those who make them, as well as potentially harming the excellent bilateral relations which Malaysia and the Philippines currently enjoy.” Death S entence Sentence Just last month, Malaysia’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for 9 Filipinos who were charged with waging war against the Malaysian King
during the 2013 assault on Lahad Datu in Sabah. The Filipinos have been identified as Julham Rashid, 70; Virgilio Nemar Patulada, 53; Salib Akhmad Emali, 65; Tani Lahad Dahi, 64; Basad Manuel, 42; Datu Amirbahar Hushin Kiram, 54; Atik Hussin Abu Bakar, 46; Al Wazir Osman, 62; and Ismail Yasin, 77. Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif said the January 15 decision of the five-man panel of the Federal Court was unanimous, according to reports by The Star and Asia News Network, adding, the panel agreed with the Court of Appeal that the death sentence was the most appropriate based on the findings of the facts of the case. The other judges were Chief Judge of Malaya Ahmad Maarop, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjun, and Justices Ramly Ali and Azahar Mohamed. Basad Manuel is the son of the Jamalul Kiram III, the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, who died from multiple organ failure in Manila in 2013. The bloody incursion by some 200 followers of Kiram from the southern Philippines in February 2013 was inspired by the supposed sultan's claims of historical dominion over Sabah.
The two-month siege was the most serious security crisis faced by Malaysia in years, involving armed conflict between the Sultan’s loyal followers and the Malaysian armed forces sent to root them out. The panel also dismissed the prosecution's appeal against the acquittal of 14 men on the charge of waging war against the King and terrorist-related offences linked to the intrusion from Feb 12 to April 10, 2013, the reports further said. Chief Justice Md Raus said the panel has no reason to decide otherwise and affirmed the decision by the Court of Appeal delivered last June. At the height of fighting between Kiram’s followers and security forces, Malaysia deployed armoured vehicles and combat helicopters, including naval boats in an effort to flush out the Filipinos on the oil-rich island being claimed by both sides. About a dozen armoured personnel vehicles arrived in the town of Lahad Datu to support ground troops hunting down at least 50 members of the Sultanate of Sulu headed by Raja Muda Agbimuddin, the sultan’s younger brother. The group intruded Sabah in February 2013 to exert claim over Sabah, citing historical and legal claims,
35,000 students in Maguindanao's conflict areas benefit from DepEd-ARMM programs COTABATO CITY – About 35,000 students living within conflict-affected areas, or ‘SPMS box’, in the province of Maguindanao have been reached by the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) while 52 scholars have benefited from the Commission on Higher Education’s College Financial Assistance Project. These efforts were made possible through the Humanitarian and Development Assistance Program (HDAP), a flagship initiative of autonomous Muslim region under the administration of Governor Mujiv Hataman. The program seeks to create stable and sustainable communities across the region. SPMS box refers to an area that covers 15 municipalities including the adjoining towns of Sharrif Aguak, Pagatin (Datu Saudi), Mamasapano and Shariff Saydona. These municipalities were affected by military operations launched against lawless elements after the Mamasapano incident in 2015. Taya Aplal, DepEdARMM special events director, said all the 31 schools inside Maguindanao’s conflict-affected areas were declared
as ‘Salam’ schools, or Zones of Peace. This came after a memorandum of understanding was signed by the stakeholders including non-state actors – Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front – with the military and local government units. As of date, DepEdARMM has organized and conducted psycho-social support services and psychological first-aid in the 31 schools to address the stress experienced by the students, teachers and students. Supplementary feeding and distribution of school materials were also conducted by the agency under its Support Services Education Recovery Program. The Education department is currently in the process of finishing the Education Emergency Module that follows international standards but with a context-based conceptual framework that gives importance to survival, disaster preparedness and functional literacy. Special classes focusing on reading, writing and arithmetic have been integrated with peace education and values formation under the Special Education Recovery Program, also under DepEd-ARMM.
In partnership with agencies such as Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and international nongovernmental organizations, community-based livelihood programs were organized. With active participation from students, parents and teachers, the livelihood programs are expected to sustain and maximize development in the communities. Amounts of up to P30,000 were granted to each beneficiary school as aid to help in implementing the content of the modules. “Makakatulong ang pag-implement ng lahat ng ito sa pag-prevent ng violent extremism, dahil ibang approach na ito sa education – may innovation,” Aplal said. Aplal claims success in the implementation of HDAP projects under DepEd-ARMM since the start of the program in 2015. The DepEd-ARMM director said the implementation reports they received were based on assessments and were validated. “The services we provided really benefited our schools and their communities.” (Bureau of Public Information)
but Malaysia rejected this and launched a massive assault on about 200 of the sultan’s men following a deadline for them to surrender peacefully. The assault by Malaysian jets and ground artilleries left at least 62 intruders dead, but the fighting between the two groups also killed and wounded 18 Malaysian policemen and soldiers. Malaysia arrested more
than 300 Filipinos who are suspected of supporting or aiding Raja Muda Agbimuddin’s group under a strict anti-terrorism law. More than 2,000 Filipino Muslims have returned to Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces after fleeing Sabah in 2013 for fear they would be arrested in a massive crackdown launched by Malaysian on illegal immigrants and Filipino
communities on the island. Sabah, just several nautical miles off Tawi-Tawi, is home to about 2.3 million Malaysians and 889,000 nonMalaysians, based on its 2010 population survey. Malaysia is still paying cession money to the Sultanate of Sulu although it lays claim on the Sabah, a gift given by Brunei to the Sultan of Sulu for helping quell a rebellion in 1658. (Mindanao Examiner)
Foreign investors eyeing Davao City Continued fr om page 1 from Milan said: “We need to do a lot and whether we like it or not security is still an issue. We should not get tired of talking about security to allay the fears of investors in coming to Mindanao and Davao.” He noted that Davao is competing with neighboring regions, thus there is a need to work on best offers and packages. “What we can do is to team up with our foreign chambers
counterpart so they will bring them (investors) here,” he said. Milan said businessmen can bring in investors through the holding of investment conferences. “We have a lot to offer and we need to aggressively promote them,” he said. Milan, however, underscored the need to expand the Davao International Airport to other foreign destinations to attract investors to the city.
He said the business sector will strengthen training and development especially for Micro Small and Medium Entrepreneurs to guide them in making their businesses grow. DCCCII is also pushing for the creation of economic zones in the area and expansion of sisterhood agreements, more air linkages to encourage foreign chambers to come here and look at opportunities. (Digna Banzon)
DAR-ARMM turns over 46 HDAP projects COTABATO CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM) has turned over 46 various infrastructure projects worth P13,656,250 to agrarian reform beneficiaries and communities in Maguindanao province in January, officials said. The projects were funded under the Kalilintad sa Kangilupa component of the Humanitarian and Development Assistance Program (HDAP) of the ARMM government, which is implemented by DARARMM. Dayang Carlsum Sangkula-Jumaide, DARARMM Secretary, said the projects aim at assisting the agrarian reform beneficiaries and their organizations to develop agriculturebased enterprises towards improving farm productivity and increasing household income. The projects include 24 socialized housing units, two community warehouses, and two solar dryers, which were turned over to agrarian reform beneficiaries and communities in the towns of Rajah Buayan and Sultan Sa Barongis in Maguindanao on January 30. The turnover was led
by Sec. Jumaide and Assistant Secretary Sampaco Mamainte and was witnessed by Sultan Sa Barongis Vice-Mayor Datu Al-Fizzar Allandatu Angas. Camsa Mindal, 50, is among the recipients of the socialized housing. Mindal said the housing unit is a big help for his family because his house, made mostly of light materials, is nearly damaged since it was built in 1980s. Mindal is also the president of the Kulambog Al Amanah People’s Organization, Inc., an agrarian reform beneficiary organization based in Sultan Sa Barongis. The organization also received one community warehouse and one solar drier. Mindal said the projects will surely boost their members’ income. Member-farmers of Al Amanah People’s Organization, Inc. have previously resorted to storing their harvest in their houses, which may cause losses to quality and quantity of their products. Mindal added these projects will surely protect their harvest from loses. “Ya sigurado sa niya ba na katiyakapan name su inenggay nu sa lekami ka masela e makadtabang na niyaba sa lekami (We assure you that we will take
good care of these facilities you awarded to us because it helps us a lot.),” Mindal said. Sixteen socialized housing units, one community warehouse and one solar dryer were also turned over to beneficiaries in Mamasapano during the ARMM People’s Day that marked the third year commemoration of the Mamasapano incident on January 25. Immediately following the Mamasapano encounter in 2015, the HDAP was drafted by the ARMM regional government. The program is an anti-poverty initiative covering barangays in 15 municipalities affected by intensified law enforcement operations launched immediately following the events in Mamasapano. The Kalilintad sa Kangilupa component of HDAP has a total funding allocation of P100,462,000. The amount will be used for social infrastructures in agrarian reform communities, provision of farm inputs, various trainings and capability building, and provision of common service facilities that include mobile rice mills, rice threshers and huskers, corn shellers, among others. (Bureau of Public Information)